Using the K5 as a semi-pro video camera

pentaxmz · 05-09-2012, 01:44 AM

It is time to retire my pro but mini-DV (720p) video camera.

I am wondering, is the K5 suitable for short video work? I primarily do industrial equipment videos (short - all about 15 minutes or less). Ideally, it would be nice to reduce the amount of camera equipment in the field.

Additionally, what are the minimum SDHC memory requirements for taking 1080p video?

Thank you for your advice!

pentaxmz · 05-09-2012, 02:41 AM

Having read through the postings related to video, I am thinking that the K5 is not an appropriate camera for video work.

According to Pentax, it appears that the maximum recording time (at 1080p) is 1M 19S in 3 star mode. That can't be true? Is it? Why even bother adding video to the camera if that is the best it can do?

But then others have suggested SDXC 64GB (exFAT formatted) memory cards for longer (up to 25 minutes) 1080p recordings? Is this true? Is Pentax incorrect?

Either way, it appears that Pentax is terribly inefficient with video recording.

Advice welcome... thank you

**Rondec** · 05-09-2012, 03:19 AM

I can't tell you how long you can video with it, but it is definitely longer than a minute and 19 seconds. I can get seven or eight minutes of footage at the highest level. the biggest thing is usually watching for the sensor getting too hot.

The files are pretty big. It uses a non compressed format (as compared to most camcorders which use some type of video compression). It is pretty easy to edit though -- doesn't require a lot of processing power, just a lot of memory on your computer.

**boriscleto** · 05-09-2012, 04:04 AM

The K-01 would be more appropriate for your uses.

Tanzer · 05-09-2012, 04:35 AM

Search for pentaxian1 on YouTube, these are "official" video productions from the mothership, but give you an idea what the K-5 can do.

The video compression on K-5 is Motion JPEG, which is rather inefficient and makes huge files, but as @Rondec said, the prefered basis for editing and uploading/posting, if that's your thing. (Not speaking from experience, just what I've read.) If you don't edit, then AVCHD or H264 (MPEG4) encoding produces much smaller files.

Also, K-5 has no autofocus during video. Even those dSLRs (and K-01) which support autofocus during video are a little weak in this area, compared to using a dedicated video camera with its smaller sensor and wider DOF. Shallow AF is nice in photos but not critical in video work, depending on what you are trying to do. Did you ever miss bokeh in your videos? Probably not.

patrickt · 05-09-2012, 05:00 AM

How about a video camera?

liukaitc · 05-09-2012, 05:36 AM

it is fine for creative film. not very suitable for casual or documentary film, as the DOF is too shallow, have to manual focus, and the max recording time is limited.
the max recording time per clip at 1080p 3stars is about 5mins.

**LaurenOE** · 05-09-2012, 05:47 AM

I love my K5 for video, but as others have posted here, there are limitations. Sensor heat is my worst issue, uncompressed MJPEG/AVI is my favorite issue as I can do what I want with the files in Premier and After effects.

People have mentioned the K-01 for video, but I disagree there. If the K-01 had HDMI video out in record mode, then I would agree.

We bought a Canon Vixia HF S20 to do 1080p and we never use it over the K5.

The Canon sits on a shelf for us, but maybe it would be a good thing for "Industrial Equipment Videos" like the OP said, as it has a great depth of field.

joe.penn · 05-09-2012, 07:15 AM

Originally posted by pentaxmz

Using the K5 as a semi-pro video camera

If you are moving from a DVHD system, the K5 just won't work for you. There is plenty of good video out there shot with the K5 but I think for the most part it is video shot by users that did not really purchase the K5 for it's video capability in the first place, more of a "look what my camera can do" and the usual "who said my camera can't do video" or "video in a pinch" type of thing. If you are starting from the ground up, I would recommend the the near unbeatable Panasonic GH1/2, pretty much wipes the floor vs most other DSLR's in terms of video capturing capabilities.

FYR: Countless long time professionals shoot video with the GH1/2 now due to it's capabilities and smallish size...

EDIT: Here are some professional videos shot with the GH system - check out the GH2 skate video(s)

http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/professional_movie/

**Rondec** · 05-09-2012, 07:21 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by joe.penn

If you are moving from a DVHD system, the K5 just won't work for you. There is plenty of good video out there shot with the K5 but I think for the most part it is video shot by users that did not really purchase the K5 for it's video capability in the first place, more of a "look what my camera can do" and the usual "who said my camera can't do video" type of thing. If you are starting from the ground up, I would recommend the the near unbeatable Panasonic GH1, pretty much wipes the floor vs most other DSLR's in terms of video capturing capabilities.

Well, Lauren (above), has shot some pretty high quality video with hers and looks to me like she uses it almost as much for video. However, she uses a variety of things for stabilization. Certainly, though, it would be nice to be able to control the settings a lot better than you can currently with the K5.

pentaxmz · 05-09-2012, 08:25 AM

Thanks everyone for your responses. It is disappointing to learn that Pentax only went have way with the K-5. The limitations are absolutely unacceptable for the type of work I will be doing (especially lack of DOF, manual only focus, sensor heating). Darn, this information will likely kill my plan to upgrade to the K-5.

Thanks Joe, for the suggestion about the LUMIX DMC-GH2 but quite frankly, this would be an investment into an entirely new platform. I would rather switch to the Canon platform (the 60D appears to outshine the K-5 in all aspects related to video). Darn... I hate it when that happens because I want to 'love' Pentax. :-(

Anyhow, thanks everyone for your thoughts and suggestions. Just some quick notes on the other suggestions:

- Pentax K-01... still too many limitations and I don't think its shape is right for video work.
- Canon Vixia HF S20 - This is interesting. I believe the only practical budget solution is to buy a dedicated video camera. Thanks for this suggestion. I can pick up a used one for about $500.00.

kenyee · 05-09-2012, 08:47 AM

Originally posted by pentaxmz

I would rather switch to the Canon platform

Where it apparently can be just 12min for your limit:
Canon 5D! WOW - IndieTalk - Indie Film Forum

You're not supposed to use DSLRs for "let's stick it on a tripod, hit play, and come back after the event is over" videography. Use the right tool for the right job...

Surprised the K-5's limit at max quality is only 5min though...does it shut down or does noise just creep in? The 5D lets you keep recording but the sensor gets noisier past the 12min mark....

**LaurenOE** · 05-09-2012, 08:58 AM

Originally posted by Rondec

Well, Lauren (above), has shot some pretty high quality video with hers and looks to me like she uses it almost as much for video. However, she uses a variety of things for stabilization. Certainly, though, it would be nice to be able to control the settings a lot better than you can currently with the K5.

Thanks. :ugh:

pentaxmz · 05-09-2012, 09:06 AM

Originally posted by kenyee

You're not supposed to use DSLRs for "let's stick it on a tripod, hit play, and come back after the event is over" videography. Use the right tool for the right job....

Absolutely agree. That is why I had asked first for actual user opinions. Since it isn't the right tool, I have moved on. But it sure would have been great if I could use the same tool for stills and short videos.

Originally posted by kenyee

Surprised the K-5's limit at max quality is only 5min though...does it shut down or does noise just creep in? The 5D lets you keep recording but the sensor gets noisier past the 12min mark....

The first problem is that the K-5 doesn't do any compression. The only reason for that IMHO is cost and/or laziness; as a result 4GB gets used up very quickly. I am annoyed about this because it this great amazing ability to shoot 1080p on the K-5 suddenly becomes completely useless. Okay... but here is the confusion. Others are claiming to have successfully used 1080p on the K-5. How are they using it? Surely they must be recording videos that are longer than a few minutes?

**LaurenOE** · 05-09-2012, 09:07 AM

Video is a pretty new medium for me, and I've been asked to do some professional work with it, but, I'm not *there* yet.

Here is one of my *Tests*.

You Tube

Watch them in HD 720p or higher if your bandwidth can support it.

05-09-2012, 01:44 AM	#1
pentaxmz Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Seattle Posts: 659	Using the K5 as a semi-pro video camera It is time to retire my pro but mini-DV (720p) video camera. I am wondering, is the K5 suitable for short video work? I primarily do industrial equipment videos (short - all about 15 minutes or less). Ideally, it would be nice to reduce the amount of camera equipment in the field. Additionally, what are the minimum SDHC memory requirements for taking 1080p video? Thank you for your advice!

05-09-2012, 07:15 AM	#9
joe.penn Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Maryland (Right Outside Washington DC) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,902	Originally posted by pentaxmz Using the K5 as a semi-pro video camera If you are moving from a DVHD system, the K5 just won't work for you. There is plenty of good video out there shot with the K5 but I think for the most part it is video shot by users that did not really purchase the K5 for it's video capability in the first place, more of a "look what my camera can do" and the usual "who said my camera can't do video" or "video in a pinch" type of thing. If you are starting from the ground up, I would recommend the the near unbeatable Panasonic GH1/2, pretty much wipes the floor vs most other DSLR's in terms of video capturing capabilities. FYR: Countless long time professionals shoot video with the GH1/2 now due to it's capabilities and smallish size... EDIT: Here are some professional videos shot with the GH system - check out the GH2 skate video(s) http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/professional_movie/ Last edited by joe.penn; 05-09-2012 at 07:20 AM.

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05-09-2012, 02:41 AM	#2
pentaxmz Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Seattle Posts: 659 Original Poster	Having read through the postings related to video, I am thinking that the K5 is not an appropriate camera for video work. According to Pentax, it appears that the maximum recording time (at 1080p) is 1M 19S in 3 star mode. That can't be true? Is it? Why even bother adding video to the camera if that is the best it can do? But then others have suggested SDXC 64GB (exFAT formatted) memory cards for longer (up to 25 minutes) 1080p recordings? Is this true? Is Pentax incorrect? Either way, it appears that Pentax is terribly inefficient with video recording. Advice welcome... thank you

05-09-2012, 03:19 AM	#3
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,652	I can't tell you how long you can video with it, but it is definitely longer than a minute and 19 seconds. I can get seven or eight minutes of footage at the highest level. the biggest thing is usually watching for the sensor getting too hot. The files are pretty big. It uses a non compressed format (as compared to most camcorders which use some type of video compression). It is pretty easy to edit though -- doesn't require a lot of processing power, just a lot of memory on your computer.

05-09-2012, 04:04 AM	#4
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,475	The K-01 would be more appropriate for your uses.

05-09-2012, 04:35 AM	#5
Tanzer Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Perrineville, NJ Posts: 1,375	Search for pentaxian1 on YouTube, these are "official" video productions from the mothership, but give you an idea what the K-5 can do. The video compression on K-5 is Motion JPEG, which is rather inefficient and makes huge files, but as @Rondec said, the prefered basis for editing and uploading/posting, if that's your thing. (Not speaking from experience, just what I've read.) If you don't edit, then AVCHD or H264 (MPEG4) encoding produces much smaller files. Also, K-5 has no autofocus during video. Even those dSLRs (and K-01) which support autofocus during video are a little weak in this area, compared to using a dedicated video camera with its smaller sensor and wider DOF. Shallow AF is nice in photos but not critical in video work, depending on what you are trying to do. Did you ever miss bokeh in your videos? Probably not.

05-09-2012, 05:00 AM	#6
patrickt Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico Posts: 247	How about a video camera?

05-09-2012, 05:36 AM	#7
liukaitc Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: New York Photos: Albums Posts: 1,008	it is fine for creative film. not very suitable for casual or documentary film, as the DOF is too shallow, have to manual focus, and the max recording time is limited. the max recording time per clip at 1080p 3stars is about 5mins.

05-09-2012, 05:47 AM	#8
LaurenOE Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Back in Florida, but worldwide gigs! Photos: Albums Posts: 3,690	I love my K5 for video, but as others have posted here, there are limitations. Sensor heat is my worst issue, uncompressed MJPEG/AVI is my favorite issue as I can do what I want with the files in Premier and After effects. People have mentioned the K-01 for video, but I disagree there. If the K-01 had HDMI video out in record mode, then I would agree. We bought a Canon Vixia HF S20 to do 1080p and we never use it over the K5. The Canon sits on a shelf for us, but maybe it would be a good thing for "Industrial Equipment Videos" like the OP said, as it has a great depth of field.

05-09-2012, 07:21 AM - 1 Like	#10
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,652	Originally posted by joe.penn If you are moving from a DVHD system, the K5 just won't work for you. There is plenty of good video out there shot with the K5 but I think for the most part it is video shot by users that did not really purchase the K5 for it's video capability in the first place, more of a "look what my camera can do" and the usual "who said my camera can't do video" type of thing. If you are starting from the ground up, I would recommend the the near unbeatable Panasonic GH1, pretty much wipes the floor vs most other DSLR's in terms of video capturing capabilities. Well, Lauren (above), has shot some pretty high quality video with hers and looks to me like she uses it almost as much for video. However, she uses a variety of things for stabilization. Certainly, though, it would be nice to be able to control the settings a lot better than you can currently with the K5.

05-09-2012, 08:25 AM	#11
pentaxmz Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Seattle Posts: 659 Original Poster	Thanks everyone for your responses. It is disappointing to learn that Pentax only went have way with the K-5. The limitations are absolutely unacceptable for the type of work I will be doing (especially lack of DOF, manual only focus, sensor heating). Darn, this information will likely kill my plan to upgrade to the K-5. Thanks Joe, for the suggestion about the LUMIX DMC-GH2 but quite frankly, this would be an investment into an entirely new platform. I would rather switch to the Canon platform (the 60D appears to outshine the K-5 in all aspects related to video). Darn... I hate it when that happens because I want to 'love' Pentax. :-( Anyhow, thanks everyone for your thoughts and suggestions. Just some quick notes on the other suggestions: - Pentax K-01... still too many limitations and I don't think its shape is right for video work. - Canon Vixia HF S20 - This is interesting. I believe the only practical budget solution is to buy a dedicated video camera. Thanks for this suggestion. I can pick up a used one for about $500.00.

05-09-2012, 08:47 AM	#12
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	Originally posted by pentaxmz I would rather switch to the Canon platform Where it apparently can be just 12min for your limit: Canon 5D! WOW - IndieTalk - Indie Film Forum You're not supposed to use DSLRs for "let's stick it on a tripod, hit play, and come back after the event is over" videography. Use the right tool for the right job... Surprised the K-5's limit at max quality is only 5min though...does it shut down or does noise just creep in? The 5D lets you keep recording but the sensor gets noisier past the 12min mark....

05-09-2012, 08:58 AM	#13
LaurenOE Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Back in Florida, but worldwide gigs! Photos: Albums Posts: 3,690	Originally posted by Rondec Well, Lauren (above), has shot some pretty high quality video with hers and looks to me like she uses it almost as much for video. However, she uses a variety of things for stabilization. Certainly, though, it would be nice to be able to control the settings a lot better than you can currently with the K5. Thanks. :ugh:

05-09-2012, 09:06 AM	#14
pentaxmz Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Seattle Posts: 659 Original Poster	Originally posted by kenyee You're not supposed to use DSLRs for "let's stick it on a tripod, hit play, and come back after the event is over" videography. Use the right tool for the right job.... Absolutely agree. That is why I had asked first for actual user opinions. Since it isn't the right tool, I have moved on. But it sure would have been great if I could use the same tool for stills and short videos. Originally posted by kenyee Surprised the K-5's limit at max quality is only 5min though...does it shut down or does noise just creep in? The 5D lets you keep recording but the sensor gets noisier past the 12min mark.... The first problem is that the K-5 doesn't do any compression. The only reason for that IMHO is cost and/or laziness; as a result 4GB gets used up very quickly. I am annoyed about this because it this great amazing ability to shoot 1080p on the K-5 suddenly becomes completely useless. Okay... but here is the confusion. Others are claiming to have successfully used 1080p on the K-5. How are they using it? Surely they must be recording videos that are longer than a few minutes?

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