Best Mirrorless Camera for 4K Video?

_JakeDavies

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Jan 9, 2015
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Hi,

I'm after a good mirrorless camera system for under £1000 (Just the body) for 4K video. I need the resolution to be Cinema 4K. 4096 x 2160. The best possible video quality is the aim though so if I have to get an external recorder for better quality, then that's what I'll have to do.

A camera that can take a good action shot with a quick shutter speed will also be appreciated.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to anyone in advance
 
Solution

Nobody called you an idiot. Being inexperienced isn't a bad thing, just means there's still work to do

How much are you spending on the lenses? On the memory cards? Tripod?

Seriously, a decade in the profession has taught me that if someone talks about pixel requirements without backing it up, or confuses shutter speed with action, he's better off not spending more money on a camera.

1) Explain what you are going to shoot and why you need a certain resolution
2) Put down your full budget for the purchase
3) Explain your...
I suggest you take lessons in photography/videography.

DCI 4K isn't cheap and won't be had for the price you're looking at. And your lack of jargon further solidifies the expectation that you will be far better off learning how to shoot than buying an expensive tool.
 

_JakeDavies

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Jan 9, 2015
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I'm not an idiot. Want more features than protune on my Hero 4 Black and a Lumix GH4 is a good mirrorless with good 4K support and the bodies 799 so anything wrong with that?
£1000 for the body only.
 

Nobody called you an idiot. Being inexperienced isn't a bad thing, just means there's still work to do

How much are you spending on the lenses? On the memory cards? Tripod?

Seriously, a decade in the profession has taught me that if someone talks about pixel requirements without backing it up, or confuses shutter speed with action, he's better off not spending more money on a camera.

1) Explain what you are going to shoot and why you need a certain resolution
2) Put down your full budget for the purchase
3) Explain your experience in videography

After that there's a few suggestions possible

And I can tell you that "action shots" don't need a high shutter speed, 1/1000 will stop most sports, and that can be done with any camera on the market. The real issues are autofocus speed and the photographer's knowledge of the sport and his camera. Mainly the latter of course.
 
Solution

_JakeDavies

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Jan 9, 2015
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I'm going to be shooting biking videos for clients. I obvcourse deal with the production of the video as well but the editing side of it is more of my ball park. I already have a tripod, fluid ball head by manfrotto and I'll pick up a decent kit lense or something to start me off. Max budget of 1500 for the body and the lense the rest I've got because I used them with a gopro.
 


I still don't see why you need 4K in there. If it's just a personal preference, it's better to ignore it and instead focus on what will actually bring you returns. Mixing cameras isn't just a plug and play thing. Unless you have a good color grader (or are very confident about your abilities in color grading) or know how you'll cut between cameras to minimize the effects of poor color compatibility, it's going to take a hell of a long time to get the two cameras working together seamlessly, time that you could spend on your next client instead.

Unless you know exactly how you'll be using the camera, it might be better to save up that money for a later date, and just use the existing cameras more creatively.
 

_JakeDavies

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Jan 9, 2015
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4,590


I know what I'm doing with colour blending and the visuals, I do it at the minute between my 1080P DSLR, 4K Gopro shots and Phantom 3 Professional shots. My clients are the ones requesting 4K a lot now a days. Editing these big weddings is all well and good but the clients want more and more 4K footage. Some of the people I work with have rather large bank accounts and pay me really well, so I need to give them what they want, 4K! Just please some suggestions on camera's nothing else, I know what I'm doing! You can make a bad shot look good in editing software and I'm pretty damn good at that. Sony Vegas mixed with a variety of colour adjustment and colour grading software such as magic bullet looks is what I'm very good at. Camera's for 4K??????
 


If you're sure about your ability to mix, then sure, go with the GH4 until Black Magic makes another pocket camera based on the Blackmagic Design Micro Studio Camera 4K (or you can go with that + external SDI recorder, though overall it's outside your budget)

Just remember that micro four thirds is limited in terms of lens quality outside the wide and standard lengths. You'll basically end up on Rokinon and SLR Magic lenses on MF side or pentax on the AF side
 

_JakeDavies

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Jan 9, 2015
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Thanks! These are the few I've been looking at:
Sony a6300
Lumix GH4
Lumix GX8
Lumix G7

The Lumix line up has killed it this year and the lenses available for it from the manufacturer without using adapters for other lenses is probably the best in terms of four/thirds lenses. Don't know which will give the best quality though
 

bjornl

Estimable
The best camera for 4k video is the Panasonic GH4. It is a fraction of the price of the pro solutions, but is in many ways better.
It is widely used in very high end video. And so it has lots of fancy things you can buy for it (if you eventually need that stuff, like XLR compatible bases)
It has a GOLD review from DPReview.com.

You are mistaken in how to take action shots in video. In a still camera, you need fast focus AF, a fast focusing lens and a high shutter speed. In video you don't want a fast shutter speed since it will make the video look awful. You keep the shutter speed at roughly 1/(2 x fps). So if you are shooting at cinema style 24 fps, you want around 1/50 shutter speed. If you are using the more common 30fps then your shutter speed should be 1/60 (1 /( 2 x 30 ) = 1/60). If you are shooting 60fps then you need 1/120 shutter speed. Shooting with too low a shutter speed (for example 60fps and 1/60 shutter speed) often looks better than doing the opposite (60fps and 1/250 shutter speed).

60 fps should look good for the bike videos.
Use a high bit rate. I find this matters more than 4k for image quality. I am not sure you need 4k video. I was going to buy the gh4 for this feature but I rented one and after dealing with the HUGE file sizes and the VERY LONG video processing times, I opted for the gh3 instead. Don't skimp on the lenses.

If you want a "1 stop" solution, consider the Sony rx 10 II or the Panasonic FZ1000. These are bridge cameras with the lens built in. The Sony has higher bit rates, a better lens but the Panasonic is a little faster to focus. I use the original Sony RX10 (not the newer II model) to video take football games. The Sony's are weather sealed and it often seems to rain during football games in the Seattle area.
 

_JakeDavies

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Jan 9, 2015
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4,590


Thanks man! Gonna go for the GH4! The 4K demand is more my clients demand than mine, I'm the one thats got to deal with the file sizes not them but gotta please the customers! I have a SSD Raid 0 in my computer anyway paired with an i7 5930X so computer speed isn't a problem. The GTX 970 helps for the Graphics card rendering boost as well! I know that good lenses are a must just needed a suggestion on a camera not to get lessons in the subject! I am well aware with what I've got to deal with and edit but I am very good in Sony Vegas so editing isn't a problem at all. Any lens recommendations? What mm lens should i get for close ups and then I'll need a decent lense for a bit of range.

Thanks in advance!
 


Impossible to say, since you mention nothing about framing, lighting, dof, etc. In general though, start with a 50mm equivalent (should be ~25mm for your camera) and then go wider or longer as you learn how to actually take video on a technical level.
 

Timothy_21

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Apr 21, 2016
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So Metabones speed booster doesn't let you use other lenses?
 

bjornl

Estimable

Sure, with some AF limitations.
Better off with native lenses, m4/3 has a decent amount to select between.