still camera for videography

Teeisel9 said:

Hello all,

I am getting into videography, however I have little interest in buying a production video camera, and more desire to get a camera that can shoot stills and video alike.

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Looking at your last requirement below you seem to be getting your priorities a bit tangled. There are lots of cameras that will do a decent job of both, but for serious work in either medium you need the the right kit, especially as elsewhere yiou talk about 'run & gun' shooting.

Teeisel9 said:

I know this technology is there, but is it available for under $5k?

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Yup! Look into Panasonic Micro 4/3.

Teeisel9 said:

I need the camera to shoot HD 1080P at 50mb/s.

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Where do you get that data rate requirement from? For example Blu-Ray operates at about 40 mb/s and most people are happy enough with that. Remember that if you are working as a stringer you need a decent data pipe to feed that sort of thing back, which might be an issue in the backwoods.

Teeisel9 said:

Do any of these cameras have wireless mic receivers? I will need 2 for my subjects as they will need to be mic'd at all times.

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You'll probably .need to use external receivers fed in through mic jacks

Teeisel9 said:

The camera will be used to shoot outdoor videography that will air on a broadcast network so professionalism is a must.

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I suggest that you ask said networks technical guys for guidance. Actually the 'professionalism' required is most importantly to be found behind the viewfinder. I get the feeling that you are not ready yet.

Teeisel9 said:

Hello all,

I am getting into videography, however I have little interest in buying a production video camera, and more desire to get a camera that can shoot stills and video alike.

I know this technology is there, but is it available for under $5k?

I need the camera to shoot HD 1080P at 50mb/s.

Do any of these cameras have wireless mic receivers? I will need 2 for my subjects as they will need to be mic'd at all times.

The camera will be used to shoot outdoor videography that will air on a broadcast network so professionalism is a must.

Thank you

Grant

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A7s.

Teeisel9 said:

Hello all,

I am getting into videography, however I have little interest in buying a production video camera, and more desire to get a camera that can shoot stills and video alike.

I know this technology is there, but is it available for under $5k?

Click to expand...

easily to be honest couple of options.

Panasonic G7 is the cheapest that can be used semi-professionally. It's arround $800-900. Shoots 4k at 100mbps

Panasonic GH4 has been used by pro's for over a year and firmware updates are improving it step by step. Current price $1300,- body only. bitrate options vary from 100mbps 4k up to 200mbps 1080p

Then Panasonic has the FZ1000 which is a really versatile bridge camera that can shoot 4k video for $800,- at 100mbps. This can be a nice 2nd camera

Then Sony has some options too.

The RX10 can shoot really good 1080p at 50 mbps for 900,- but like the fz1000 it does not come with interchangeable lenses.

The new rx10-2 will shoot 4k and awesome slow-motion. It also comes with SLOG2. Which means the video footage can cover a much wider dynamic range then other camera's in it's price tag. Panasonic may release their variant of this on the GH4 but no time has been given for V-log yet(it is working in some GH4's right now that did recieve the update from Panasonic directly)

Then the A7s has surely proved it self as a 1080p video tool. Often used by pro's for extreme low-light shooting. In that case it beats every other product on the market. Price with a really good video lens just in budget. No 4k capability unfortunately unless you hook it up with a pricey external recorder


Last but certainly not least the A7rII

It's not released yet. early signs indicate that the sensor will outperform evert Dslr currently on the market for stills image quality. Like the a7s it also comes with 50mbps 1080p and Slog2 for better dynamic range.

It can also shoot 4k internally. downside the higher MP count means it's best at shooting in Apsc crop mode. Where it has full-sensor readout without lineskipping and other tricks that come with negative impact on image quality. It's safe to assume that the A7s will have better video quality when both are in fullframe mode.

Teeisel9 said:

I need the camera to shoot HD 1080P at 50mb/s.

Do any of these cameras have wireless mic receivers? I will need 2 for my subjects as they will need to be mic'd at all times.

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There are ways to use the 3.5mm jack for that purpose here.

The GH4 has a yagh unit that comes with proffesional audio connections. But it needs to connected to the grid making it not so practical

Teeisel9 said:

The camera will be used to shoot outdoor videography that will air on a broadcast network so professionalism is a must.

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Considering outdoor and budget i would say 2 GH4's.

They are moisture and dust resistant and can work well in this environment.

The a7s is sealed but people have been complaining about the ruggedness which would freak me out for this kind of work.

Teeisel9 said:

Thank you

Grant

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BarnET said:

Teeisel9 said:

Hello all,

I am getting into videography, however I have little interest in buying a production video camera, and more desire to get a camera that can shoot stills and video alike.

I know this technology is there, but is it available for under $5k?

Click to expand...

easily to be honest couple of options.

Panasonic G7 is the cheapest that can be used semi-professionally. It's arround $800-900. Shoots 4k at 100mbps

Panasonic GH4 has been used by pro's for over a year and firmware updates are improving it step by step. Current price $1300,- body only. bitrate options vary from 100mbps 4k up to 200mbps 1080p

Then Panasonic has the FZ1000 which is a really versatile bridge camera that can shoot 4k video for $800,- at 100mbps. This can be a nice 2nd camera

Then Sony has some options too.

The RX10 can shoot really good 1080p at 50 mbps for 900,- but like the fz1000 it does not come with interchangeable lenses.

The new rx10-2 will shoot 4k and awesome slow-motion. It also comes with SLOG2. Which means the video footage can cover a much wider dynamic range then other camera's in it's price tag. Panasonic may release their variant of this on the GH4 but no time has been given for V-log yet(it is working in some GH4's right now that did recieve the update from Panasonic directly)

Then the A7s has surely proved it self as a 1080p video tool. Often used by pro's for extreme low-light shooting. In that case it beats every other product on the market. Price with a really good video lens just in budget. No 4k capability unfortunately unless you hook it up with a pricey external recorder

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I got my A7s new and a couple of really nice lenses for well under $5000 (and that is under $5000 Australian).

BarnET said:

http://www.amazon.com/Interchangeab...TF8&qid=1438033850&sr=8-1&keywords=a7s+28-135

Last but certainly not least the A7rII

It's not released yet. early signs indicate that the sensor will outperform evert Dslr currently on the market for stills image quality. Like the a7s it also comes with 50mbps 1080p and Slog2 for better dynamic range.

It can also shoot 4k internally. downside the higher MP count means it's best at shooting in Apsc crop mode. Where it has full-sensor readout without lineskipping and other tricks that come with negative impact on image quality. It's safe to assume that the A7s will have better video quality when both are in fullframe mode.

BarnET said:

I need the camera to shoot HD 1080P at 50mb/s.

Do any of these cameras have wireless mic receivers? I will need 2 for my subjects as they will need to be mic'd at all times.

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http://suggestionofmotion.com/blog/panasonic-gh4-audio-input-options/

There are ways to use the 3.5mm jack for that purpose here.

The GH4 has a yagh unit that comes with proffesional audio connections. But it needs to connected to the grid making it not so practical

BarnET said:

The camera will be used to shoot outdoor videography that will air on a broadcast network so professionalism is a must.

Click to expand...

Considering outdoor and budget i would say 2 GH4's.

They are moisture and dust resistant and can work well in this environment.

The a7s is sealed but people have been complaining about the ruggedness which would freak me out for this kind of work.

BarnET said:

Thank you

Grant

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A7s is not sealed. It is merely dust and moisture resistant......not an issue used outdoors and plenty of ways to use it in inclement weather though.

Gh4 would be a great choice if you have control of the light.

Member said:

A7s is not sealed. It is merely dust and moisture resistant......not an issue used outdoors and plenty of ways to use it in inclement weather though.

Gh4 would be a great choice if you have control of the light.

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"Do any of these cameras have wireless mic receivers? I will need 2 for my subjects as they will need to be mic'd at all times."

My reasoning for the GH4 wasn't just the ruggedness.

He needs 2 within budget. Can't get 2 a7s's and 2 lenses within budget.

1 A7s with a cheaper lens and the Rx10 might be an option though.

the second reason is that outdoors the GH4 doesn't have issues gathering enough light most of the time. Only during the late evening and night you start to run into trouble.

Even then using a speedbooster with a fast fullframe primes lens will help out quiet a bit. It will obviously never match the A7s in low-light shooting. That thing is in a league of it's own in that regard.

BarnET said:

BarnET said:

A7s is not sealed. It is merely dust and moisture resistant......not an issue used outdoors and plenty of ways to use it in inclement weather though.

Gh4 would be a great choice if you have control of the light.

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"Do any of these cameras have wireless mic receivers? I will need 2 for my subjects as they will need to be mic'd at all times."

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Yes there are wireless solutions for the Sony A7s.

BarnET said:

My reasoning for the GH4 wasn't just the ruggedness.

He needs 2 within budget. Can't get 2 a7s's and 2 lenses within budget.

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Well if it was the same price I paid for mine, I could get two A7s and a couple of lenses within budget...I thought he meant two wireless mics though.

I would actually get an A7s and a GH4 if it is two cameras.

YAGH unit adds a lot to cost with a GH4 though.

BarnET said:

1 A7s with a cheaper lens and the Rx10 might be an option though.

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There would be lots of options using different cameras with a GH4 or A7s as the A camera.

BarnET said:

the second reason is that outdoors the GH4 doesn't have issues gathering enough light most of the time. Only during the late evening and night you start to run into trouble.

Even then using a speedbooster with a fast fullframe primes lens will help out quiet a bit. It will obviously never match the A7s in low-light shooting. That thing is in a league of it's own in that regard.

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Again, I would get both an A7s and GH4 for the OPs needs.....

I only use the A7s to record live music though and mainly using manual focus Canon L primes where I set the camera with a band all in focus and turn it on and let the band do the work.

For that kind of money, you could get a really good video camera that can also provide stills. If your main use is video, go for video.

Skipper494 said:

For that kind of money, you could get a really good video camera that can also provide stills. If your main use is video, go for video.

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Where have you been living for the last 7 years?

Skipper494 said:

For that kind of money, you could get a really good video camera that can also provide stills. If your main use is video, go for video.

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If you go to B&H for instance, they have a Professional Camcorder section.

The two best sellers in that section are .......the GH4 and A7s.

Many of the other cameras in the list are over the OPs budget or can not do 50mbps (and some are over budget and can not do 50mbps anyway).

Those two cameras are also far better for stills too.


It might pay the OP to have a look through the other cameras there though.....or ask in a video forum

BarnET said:

Skipper494 said:

For that kind of money, you could get a really good video camera that can also provide stills. If your main use is video, go for video.

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Where have you been living for the last 7 years?

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For me the 'get a video camera' argument revolves around ergonomics and outboard kit. For example, a decent video camera will have proper mic connections.

In another thread the OP talks about shooting 'run & gun'. For that you need to have a camera optimised for shooting hand (shoulder?) held video. There's a world of difference between that and the sort of scenario suited to using a DSLR, for example.

AlbertInFrance said:

BarnET said:

Skipper494 said:

For that kind of money, you could get a really good video camera that can also provide stills. If your main use is video, go for video.

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Where have you been living for the last 7 years?

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For me the 'get a video camera' argument revolves around ergonomics and outboard kit. For example, a decent video camera will have proper mic connections.

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The GH4 comes with a 3.5mm mic and headphone jack.

There aren't many options at 5k that involve professional audio with this level of video quality

Sony has one the PXW-X70 shoots 4k with a 1 inch type sensor. and has XLR inputs.

No weathersealing and no interchangeable lenses though

AlbertTheLazy said:

In another thread the OP talks about shooting 'run & gun'. For that you need to have a camera optimised for shooting hand (shoulder?) held video. There's a world of difference between that and the sort of scenario suited to using a DSLR, for example.

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a GH4 is not a Dslr. You can use the viewfinder during recording and like a Dslr you can rig them up for shoulder use while using the flip-out screen

A real shoulder cam is $8000,- and therefore out of budget (Sony FS7)

AlbertTheLazy said:

--
Albert
Every photograph is an abstraction from reality.
Most people are more interested in the picture than the image.

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Next to the Panasonic GH4, the older GH3 is also very good at video, but has no 4K.

Rudi