[jlstrawman]

A case of Stockholm Syndrome? I applied the "boriscleto" treatment.

Me too. Works wonders.

[madbrain]

The answer is more nuanced than that. If someone is shooting with lights and locked down, the GH4 can produce nice files. Not only that, but people love showing shots of a full frame camera with a fast lens. The part of the story that you don't here is that in uncontrolled situations like a concert, that full frame camera with fast lens is losing focus constantly as the subject moves through a paper thin DOF. I even saw a PBS documentary where the crew was obviously doing this for an interview subject that had a habit of leaning into the camera, ruining focus a key part of the story.

In these situations the deeper DOF of the smaller sensors may actually help. I know a pro event photog that gave up his 5D IIs with F2.8 glass for a pair of GH4s with the Panny F2.8 zooms. This guy has high standards-he used to shoot street with a Hassy-and he loves his new kit and shoots both stills and video with it.

Thanks, interesting to hear. But for my application, I'm playing solo piano & harpsichord, and the camera are pre-focused and never become an issue. However, it's indoors, and letting more light in onto a bigger sensor with less noise would be a big benefit. I may have to rent a GH4 to see what the video actually looks like.

I still would prefer to see a full frame sensor camera with all the right video features. Or even a great APS-C camera with proper video. This hasn't happened yet in Pentax. Even Canon and Nikon still have the silly 30 min / 4GB limit, so I wouldn't jump ship over to those either . There seems to be only bad choices available for cameras under $3000 . Even if I had $10k to spend, I'm not really sure what that would get me.

---------- Post added 02-20-16 at 05:46 PM ----------

I'd pay for a firmware fixing those things.

I would also pay extra for firmware on the K-1 to fix things like the 30 min / 4GB limit - which is absolutely doable and not a hardware limitation.
And have options for higher bitrate recording, which is hopefully doable without hardware changes.
I am not too optimistic that this will happen. I won't buy the K-1 until it exists, though.

That said, if history is any indication, the K-1 will be selling for about $400 - $500 on the used market in 4 years, so maybe at that point it would be a good replacement for the K-30, which shares all these silly firmware limitations.
Would rather pay more sooner and have all the limitations fixed, though ...

[kadajawi]

Thanks, interesting to hear. But for my application, I'm playing solo piano & harpsichord, and the camera are pre-focused and never become an issue. However, it's indoors, and letting more light in onto a bigger sensor with less noise would be a big benefit. I may have to rent a GH4 to see what the video actually looks like.

I still would prefer to see a full frame sensor camera with all the right video features. Or even a great APS-C camera with proper video. This hasn't happened yet in Pentax. Even Canon and Nikon still have the silly 30 min / 4GB limit, so I wouldn't jump ship over to those either . There seems to be only bad choices available for cameras under $3000 . Even if I had $10k to spend, I'm not really sure what that would get me.

---------- Post added 02-20-16 at 05:46 PM ----------



I would also pay extra for firmware on the K-1 to fix things like the 30 min / 4GB limit - which is absolutely doable and not a hardware limitation.
And have options for higher bitrate recording, which is hopefully doable without hardware changes.
I am not too optimistic that this will happen. I won't buy the K-1 until it exists, though.

That said, if history is any indication, the K-1 will be selling for about $400 - $500 on the used market in 4 years, so maybe at that point it would be a good replacement for the K-30, which shares all these silly firmware limitations.
Would rather pay more sooner and have all the limitations fixed, though ...

I wouldn't mind them removing that limit, though it's not a priority for me. And you're right. It shouldn't be so hard to just start another recording automatically. The GoPro does it...

I tried the Panasonic G7 yesterday, and in terms of handling it's right up my alley. A bit light, but the buttons are in the right place, and it doesn't think I am an idiot and first timer. I appreciate that a lot. The Sony a6000, as good as it may be, has a dedicated button to tell me what photography is. Or it tells me "oh, if you select this bitrate setting, you can't burn it to a Blu Ray!" That's fine, once. Or twice. Not all the time. (Though I wish Pentax would do that for SR... "If you activate sensor shift SR you may hear the noises the mechanism makes in your recordings." BOOM! Problem SOLVED. If people still use it, they won't be surprised! They know what to expect!

Anyway, the G7... in terms of image quality it should be pretty much where the GH4 is, unless you want to use the ultra flat LOG mode the GH4 has (via paid unlock code), it lacks the ruggedness of the GH4 (no weather sealing, plastic body), but otherwise you are very much getting a GH4. At a significantly lower price point... like half the price. I am tempted, but I want SR, and Panasonic cameras don't have it.

If money wouldn't be an issue (or if the K-1 is really cheap), yeah, I'd get one. It ticks most of the right boxes. But as a sole camera... difficult the way it is right now, or at least the way it looks to be right now.

[johnmflores]

I wouldn't mind them removing that limit, though it's not a priority for me. And you're right. It shouldn't be so hard to just start another recording automatically. The GoPro does it...

I tried the Panasonic G7 yesterday, and in terms of handling it's right up my alley. A bit light, but the buttons are in the right place, and it doesn't think I am an idiot and first timer. I appreciate that a lot. The Sony a6000, as good as it may be, has a dedicated button to tell me what photography is. Or it tells me "oh, if you select this bitrate setting, you can't burn it to a Blu Ray!" That's fine, once. Or twice. Not all the time. (Though I wish Pentax would do that for SR... "If you activate sensor shift SR you may hear the noises the mechanism makes in your recordings." BOOM! Problem SOLVED. If people still use it, they won't be surprised! They know what to expect!

Anyway, the G7... in terms of image quality it should be pretty much where the GH4 is, unless you want to use the ultra flat LOG mode the GH4 has (via paid unlock code), it lacks the ruggedness of the GH4 (no weather sealing, plastic body), but otherwise you are very much getting a GH4. At a significantly lower price point... like half the price. I am tempted, but I want SR, and Panasonic cameras don't have it.

If money wouldn't be an issue (or if the K-1 is really cheap), yeah, I'd get one. It ticks most of the right boxes. But as a sole camera... difficult the way it is right now, or at least the way it looks to be right now.

Look at the GX8. Weather sealing. Flip/twist screen. In-body image stabilization.

Review By Richard | Panasonic Lumix GX8 Review

With an image-stabilized lens it looks to be as good as Olympus.

[johnmflores]

Thanks, interesting to hear. But for my application, I'm playing solo piano & harpsichord, and the camera are pre-focused and never become an issue. However, it's indoors, and letting more light in onto a bigger sensor with less noise would be a big benefit. I may have to rent a GH4 to see what the video actually looks like.

I still would prefer to see a full frame sensor camera with all the right video features. Or even a great APS-C camera with proper video. This hasn't happened yet in Pentax. Even Canon and Nikon still have the silly 30 min / 4GB limit, so I wouldn't jump ship over to those either . There seems to be only bad choices available for cameras under $3000 . Even if I had $10k to spend, I'm not really sure what that would get me.

I remember your videos - great stuff! It doesn't seem like you want FF for shallow DOF but rather for light gathering. Since you are in a controlled environment I'd suggest lights. LED panels are cheap; 85 watt CFL soft boxes are even cheaper.

A pair of used Panasonic GH2s using old Pentax M primes plus a pair of CFL soft boxes and you'd have a killer HD setup for less than a grand. If you wanted 4k/60FPS though you'd have to step up to the GH4

[bxf]

I'd be willing to bet that the answer to the following is already present somewhere within the various relevant threads, but there would be too much reading to locate it. So here goes:

I only shot one brief video with my Pentax K-5, and that was as a test only. It looked fine to me as a casual review on my laptop. So I'd like to know what are the minimum video specs that would be satisfactory to those who consider video performance important? And, from the perspective of quality only (i.e. as distinct from ergonomics, usability, etc), are the current specs really inadequate in practical terms?

[CDW]

I remember your videos - great stuff! It doesn't seem like you want FF for shallow DOF but rather for light gathering. Since you are in a controlled environment I'd suggest lights. LED panels are cheap; 85 watt CFL soft boxes are even cheaper.

A pair of used Panasonic GH2s using old Pentax M primes plus a pair of CFL soft boxes and you'd have a killer HD setup for less than a grand. If you wanted 4k/60FPS though you'd have to step up to the GH4

The GH4 records 4K/4K Cinema at 30/24 fps. 60 fps is not available for 4K shooting.

[surfar]

At the pricepoint of the K1...its opened up the market to add a little bro 4k vdeo companion...might I suggest the nx500???...it adapts pentax glass very well and has some great cheap primes too...the 30mm is excellent...no Wr on body or lens...and the 16/50 kit is the best kit ive encountered. ..cinematic 4k
@24p....uhd 24/30

---------- Post added 02-22-16 at 03:32 PM ----------

Correction...uhd 30 only....h265 codec gives 2/3 times more file space........and that plays natively on Windows 10...a popular conversion tool is Rocky Mountain (a free download).

[grispie]

I only shot one brief video with my Pentax K-5, and that was as a test only. It looked fine to me as a casual review on my laptop. So I'd like to know what are the minimum video specs that would be satisfactory to those who consider video performance important? And, from the perspective of quality only (i.e. as distinct from ergonomics, usability, etc), are the current specs really inadequate in practical terms?

interesting question, back to basics:
i think those would be:
1. no aliasing
2. no moire
3. high enough bitrate to resolve detail in wide shots (basically sharpness..)
4. high dynamic range
5. 1080 60p..
6. clean HDMI out

The K5 uses mjpeg. newer dslrs use h264 compression. But compression means quality loss. Some makers provide clean hdmi out so that an external device can record at higher bitrate.
1080 60p, well, 60i is doable but it adds another step to the workflow
high dynamic range, aliasing & moire the K3 e.g. is not bad but in the end, is superceeded by other manufacturers... hence the call for more IQ since we know it is possible.

It doesn't seem like you want FF for shallow DOF but rather for light gathering. Since you are in a controlled environment I'd suggest lights.

At the pricepoint of the K1...its opened up the market to add a little bro 4k vdeo companion...might I suggest the nx500???...it adapts pentax glass very well and has some great cheap primes too

Because of the points i mentioned above, i feel a lot for the D750, but indeed since the pricepoint of the K1 is nice, it is hard to not buy it for (mainly) photography and adding a cheaper video option in the form of apsc or maybe m4/3 which will take pentax m lenses, instead of going to a nikon d750 that will require some new primes. After all, i feel apsc sized sensor is best suited for video.

This said, no one really knows yet, despite the specs, how the video IQ of the K 1 will be...

[surfar]

4K is where video is at....even on a 1080p monitor the difference is noticeable...K1 will be a GREAT stills cam but the video capability is back in the dark ages IF the owner wants to use it...I won't be.

[RonHendriks1966]

Look at the GX8. Weather sealing. Flip/twist screen. In-body image stabilization.

Review By Richard | Panasonic Lumix GX8 Review

With an image-stabilized lens it looks to be as good as Olympus.

That is a great, but expensive camera. On DxO only 4 points behind K-01.

[surfar]

Not THAT expensive!....half the sensor size of K1 and half the price(in Australia)....I'll gladly swap my K-01 for a gx8!

[grispie]

I don't really consider the gx8 that affordable either. And it does not have an apsc sensor. With apsc i like how an m28 becomes something like 43mm and the m50 behaves like 75mm. Although it seems a nice camera.

[surfar]

The GX8 is the state of the art in M4/3@ the moment(GH5 is not far away though).Body stabilisation that links in with lens stabilisation.New 20mp sensor.Movable viewfinder.WR.UHD video.The price is justified... Available for U$ 875 with kit lens in Australia.Crops at 2x.

[grispie]

The GX8 is the state of the art in M4/3@ the moment(GH5 is not far away though).Body stabilisation that links in with lens stabilisation.New 20mp sensor.Movable viewfinder.WR.UHD video.The price is justified... Available for U$ 875 with kit lens in Australia.Crops at 2x.

Maybe the price is justified, but too much when one wants to buy a pentax K-1 and something more appropriate for video next to it..