Video Camera Decision

Where in the Himalayas? Are you a one man band or will you have anyone to assist you?

I trekked to Everest base camp in 2013, so I'm somewhat familiar the electrical-power amenities on that route.

By 4K do you mean 4096 x 2160 4K DCI or 3840 x 2160 UHD? Marketing hype has destroyed all terminology clarity when it comes to resolution standards.

It's difficult to recommend a camera without knowing what video features are important to you. For example, do you need constant AF? A number of mirrorless cameras have a 30 minute record time, will it work to restart the video recording half way through your interview, or does the camera need to record for an hour minimum?

A Panasonic GH5s would be pretty high on my list, because it's small, light, and versatile, but it's constant AF isn't reliable, and the dynamic range might not be enough for the scenes you run into.

You'll need several spare batteries and a few 8v powerbanks to power your camera.

A 16-80mm lens on APS-C covered most of my outdoor shooting, but a telephoto lens would have been nice a few times. I used a Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 for indoor shots.

I highly recommend using a circular polarizer filter, or better yet, a variable ND and polarizer in one, like an SLR Magic Mark II or Genus Solar Eclipse ND/CPL filter.

A video monopod with a fluid head would be pretty useful for quick shots as you walk around.

A tripod with a fluid head would be nice, but you could probably get by with a ball head if you only anticipate using it for locked-down interview shots.

You'll want a couple good microphones. You could have the interviewee hold a dynamic mic or you could clip a lavalier on them.

A collapsible reflector and scrim could improve the lighting for outdoor interviews, assuming that you can get someone to hold them.

An LED light or two would be really nice for indoor interviews.

You'll also need a load of backup HDDs and a laptop or tablet for transfering files.

I can give you more specific gear recommendations if you explain in more detail what you plan to shoot and how you plan to shoot it.

P.S. It goes without saying that it really helps to be physically fit when trekking in high altitude regions; so start running and doing stair climbs to prepare.

Will you need a camera that can handle very low temperatures? Waterproof, Snow proof? Rain proof? 4 K cameras cone in many prices? Are you wanting a built in lens with zoom etc or interchangable lenses? Lens too can be weather resistent also.

How important will light weight be?

Depending on your handheld shooting needs, I'd seriously consider a 3-axis motorized gimbal. The weight of your camera/lens combo will narrow down the choices. And the choices these days are pretty impressive.

I second the GH5 recommendation. I'd probably get 2 of them, you need backups and it's nice to have a B-camera angle, though I don't know if you have the time or inclination for that.

Get a mic that can handle extremes, definitely a deadcat, maybe even a Rode blimp.

This podcast episode is exactly what you need. You should mix and match from various options, though you can probably drop the main light:
Edit: corrected link

You might want to look at the nikon z6 filmmakers kit, that will give you 10 bit ProRes 4k (with a bright high def monitor) a motorised gimbal for stabilisation and a decent on camera mic, all with very good video auto focus and a full frame sensor for great low light performance. Not exactly super lightweight though and you might want to add a prime lens or two for low light.

See also https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/62533227

Since nothing is mentioned about shooting stills, I'd suggest OP take a look at the advantages of a small 4K camcorder like the Sony Z90 or Canon XF405. I'd pack my Sony Z90 for this assignment over my Nikon Z6 for a bunch of reasons. Take a look at this:

https://www.redsharknews.com/production/item/6206-the-sony-pxw-z90-the-perfect-documentary-camera

Panasonic S1 has the best video quality and even more when shooting in darker conditions. This will require post-processing and right settings like any high quality video would. External stabilizer is required for naturally smooth camera movement. Manual focusing for naturally smooth focus shifts. Sigma 40mm Art lens gives quite natural view.

Otherwise there is little point to spend that much on video camera gear because differences will not be obvious.

Tavarino said:

Since nothing is mentioned about shooting stills, I'd suggest OP take a look at the advantages of a small 4K camcorder like the Sony Z90 or Canon XF405. I'd pack my Sony Z90 for this assignment over my Nikon Z6 for a bunch of reasons. Take a look at this:

https://www.redsharknews.com/production/item/6206-the-sony-pxw-z90-the-perfect-documentary-camera

Click to expand...

In many ways I wish a small cheap camcorder could compare with the z6, because with the gimbal, ninja v recorder, mic etc it's heavy and its expensive. However in challenging conditions a tiny sensor cam is not going to provide the quality I'd want, so I have to keep lugging the big kit around!

dantastical said:

Tavarino said:

Since nothing is mentioned about shooting stills, I'd suggest OP take a look at the advantages of a small 4K camcorder like the Sony Z90 or Canon XF405. I'd pack my Sony Z90 for this assignment over my Nikon Z6 for a bunch of reasons. Take a look at this:

https://www.redsharknews.com/production/item/6206-the-sony-pxw-z90-the-perfect-documentary-camera

Click to expand...

In many ways I wish a small cheap camcorder could compare with the z6, because with the gimbal, ninja v recorder, mic etc it's heavy and its expensive. However in challenging conditions a tiny sensor cam is not going to provide the quality I'd want, so I have to keep lugging the big kit around!

Click to expand...

I agree with all you say, but for the OP, who may not be just in challenging lighting conditions, but also environmental ones, there is something to be said for easily whipping out a small, professional-quality camera to capture scenes that might require a lot more hassle with a hybrid camera: removing/attaching lenses, attaching ND filters, getting the external monitor running, etc. The fast autofocus of the Z90 is remarkable and the image quality stunning as are the extended zooming, XLR audio, and stabilizing functions. In low-light, the noise (much of which is removable in post) will be present, but a special scene may never even be captured while setting up a full-frame camera with correct lens, exposure, focus, powering up external monitor/recorder.....

If I could only take one camera on this adventure, it would, without question, be the Sony Z90 or similar camcorder from Canon or Panasonic. I would urge the OP to just consider this as one of many options.

When I was in Nepal, I used a Lowepro chest harness bag for quick access to my camera.

Powering you gear is a real challenge in alpine regions. The only way to charge your batteries is to set up solar panels at your campsite or pay to charge your batteries at an inn, which also utilizes solar power. Clouds, rain, and fog can prevent your batteries from getting much of a charge, so you need to have plenty of spares.

I wouldn't choose a motorized gimbal, as it's just another thing to to keep charged, and depending where you're at, the terrain might be too rough utilize it. An old school counter-weighted stabilizer is a safer bet, but you have to practice a lot to learn how to use it.

On the same note, I doubt that a drone would be that useful, as high winds and thin air will reduce performance.

I like the Sony Z90 idea. When you're out trekking around, a simple all-in-one system would be ideal. 12X zoom, reliable auto focus, and XLR inputs on the Z90 would make the shoot so much easier for a novice. Normally, I recommend a separate device for audio capture at 24bit, but I don't think spur of the moment interviews out in the boonies lend themselves to long set up times. You don't want to "kill the moment".

It might be a good idea to pick up a Sony mirrorless camera for low light situations, and to have as a spare or B-cam for interviews. If you did go that route, you'd want to compare footage from both cameras to make sure the color matches. It's much easier to match colors with the right camera choices, rather than trying to match the color reproduction of mismatched cameras in editing.

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Hi! Excuse the late reply. I thought I didn't receive any replies because I didn't receive any e-mail notifications. Thank you DPreview community for coming through!


Thank you Andrew S10 for a thorough and thoughtful response.


I'll be mainly in Nepal in Upper Mustang. I'll be with a partner, who mainly focuses on audio, but is usually free to help. UHD is fine for the work in Nepal. I am planning on using MF, so continuous AF isn't crucial. I'll be recording interviews so I'd prefer to not have a time limitation on recording. The interviews could take place both indoors and outdoors. Usually I try to get some B-roll about what the interviewee spoke about. Sometimes it can be the interior of their home or outdoors on their land.


I was leaning towards the GH5 because I love the IBIS results I've seen. I just wish it had a full frame sensor like on a SONY mirrorless.


I should have mentioned that we'll be using two cameras. The organization I'm going with uses a SONY Handycam FDR-AX53. I'm trying to choose a second camera because I wasn't happy with the depth of field on the Handycam on a previous trip so that's why I'm thinking about possibly the Sony A7III to complement the Handycam. I'd be grateful to hear your thoughts.


Thank you for the lens suggestions. I'll concentrate more on lenses once I've zeroed in on the body. ND/Polarizer combo is so great to know about and I'll definitely take one on the trip! I think I'll opt for a tripod and use it in a monopod style if I'm following around an interviewee. I don't think we're a big enough team for a collapsible reflector and scrim, although the LED lights could really come in handy.


Again, thank you so much for taking the time to write me back!

Thank you for your reply, rialcnis! Excuse the lateness--I hadn't realized I had received any answers!

I don't think it will be too cold where I am. There's a good chance of rain, but likely I'll shoot indoors for those interviews.

The budget is up to $7K (with some flexibility) for a whole kit. The cameras that have been suggested all have interchangeable lenses but I'm happy to look at a suggestion of a built-in lens camera.

Lightweight is important as I'll be carrying it myself along with all my clothing and personal gear.

Thank you again!

rialcnis said:

Will you need a camera that can handle very low temperatures? Waterproof, Snow proof? Rain proof? 4 K cameras cone in many prices? Are you wanting a built in lens with zoom etc or interchangable lenses? Lens too can be weather resistent also.

How important will light weight be?

Click to expand...

Hi robertfel!

Thank you so much for your response and sorry for my delayed response! I thought I had set up e-mail notifications so I didn't realize I'd received responses!

I was really leaning towards the GH5 (and I'm still on the fence so I'd love to hear your thoughts) but I didn't mention that it will complement a SONY Handycam FDR-AX53 and I'm looking for better control of the depth of the field and a larger dynamic range. I love the smoothness of the GH5, but maybe the SONY Handycam does that well enough? I want to set up one camera to record sit down interviews and the other for B-Roll and walking interviews.

Great episode! Thanks! I've made it about halfway through and will finish as soon as I reply to the thread.

We have a Rode VMPR VideoMic Pro with a deadbeat that we use mainly as backup. We rely on a Zoom Mic for audio...

Thank you again!

robertfel said:

I second the GH5 recommendation. I'd probably get 2 of them, you need backups and it's nice to have a B-camera angle, though I don't know if you have the time or inclination for that.

Get a mic that can handle extremes, definitely a deadcat, maybe even a Rode blimp.

This podcast episode is exactly what you need. You should mix and match from various options, though you can probably drop the main light:

Edit: corrected link

Click to expand...

Hi Tavarino!

I'll certainly look into a gimbal! I would love to get really smooth shots. Thank you!

Tavarino said:

Depending on your handheld shooting needs, I'd seriously consider a 3-axis motorized gimbal. The weight of your camera/lens combo will narrow down the choices. And the choices these days are pretty impressive.

Click to expand...

Hi dantastical!

Thanks for the response (and as I've been explaining in my replies, sorry for the delay. I though I'd received e-mail notifications about replies so I didn't think anyone had answered!)

I hadn't considered the Nikon Z6. Looking into it briefly now, I see DPReview recently reviewed the Nikon Z6 v. Panasonic S1 v. Sony a7 III and they seem to prefer the Panasonic S1 for video, but I'll have to look a little more into the Z6.

I hadn't previously mentioned that I'll be using a Sony Handycam FDR-AX53 and I'd like a second camera that has better control of depth of field.

Thank you again for your response!

dantastical said:

You might want to look at the nikon z6 filmmakers kit, that will give you 10 bit ProRes 4k (with a bright high def monitor) a motorised gimbal for stabilisation and a decent on camera mic, all with very good video auto focus and a full frame sensor for great low light performance. Not exactly super lightweight though and you might want to add a prime lens or two for low light.

Click to expand...

Thanks for this linking to that thread! Those were the two cameras I was initially between!

apekkpul said:

See also https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/62533227

Click to expand...