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05-02-2018, 04:25 AM - 2 Likes   #76
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QuoteOriginally posted by LaurenOE Quote
So I just rolled into Japan...decided to take along the K1 in addition to all the Sony stuff I am traveling with. It's a rainy and misty night...perfect for the K1 in downtown Tokyo. Pentax is always my goto field camera...but all I can get is 1080p/30 with a standard bit rate. Probably just order room service and catch up on some sleep.

If Ricoh would just understand that video is also part of a field camera load out I could leave so much of my Sony stuff home.

Just did a short in-home comparison of 5 cameras for video purposes.

2009 camera : Canon HG21 HD camcorder, 15mm² sensor, HD / 30fps at 24 Mbps , at its widest angle :

2012 camera : Pentax K-30, APS-C with DA 18-135WR at 18mm. 370mm² sensor, HD / 30 fps at 16 Mbps :

2016 camera : Panasonic DC-GX85 with 12-32 lens, around 15mm . 225mm² sensor, 4K / 30 fps at 100 Mbps :

2017 camera : Galaxy Note 8 smartphone, 24mm² sensor, 4K / 30, about 47 Mbps bit rate :

2018 model : Pentax K-1 II full frame with DA 28-105 at 28mm. 864mm² sensor, HD / 30 fps, about 22 Mbps bit rate :

Lighting conditions were the same. Cameras were on the same tripod, one at a time. Tripod was moved slightly between tests. Lenses all don't have the same field of view.
I mostly adjusted the focus in each case. Auto white balance for all cameras.

Picture-wise, the K-30 did the worst by a mile. Got the white balance all wrong, picture is soft, and the sound is also awful which doesn't help. This camera is why I have been complaining about Pentax video all those years.

Next is the Canon HG21 camcorder. Colors are good, but there is significant noise.

Next is the K-1 II . Video noise is very low. Colors are good, except for an anomaly in the sheet music showing some blue that shouldn't be there.

Next is the Galaxy Note 8 . Very sharp picture due to it being 4K. There is visible video noise on my 4K screen.

And finally, the winner is the Panasonic GX85 . Beautiful sharp picture, great colors, no video noise to speak of, which is really amazing considering the 4K video mode is a actually crop of the already-small micro 4/3 sensor. No doubt the 100 Mbps bit rate helps greatly.
Interestingly, the GX85 is the camera I paid the least for out of all the above. I got it for $500 with 2 lenses. My first Pentax K-30 was $800 with 1 lens. Canon HG21 camcorder was $1000. K-1 II with the 28-105 was $2400. The Note 8 was $900 .
Photo & video sure is an expensive hobby !

All my comments are based on looking at the files out of camera on my monitor, and not after compression by Youtube. If someone wants to look at them, I can upload them somewhere.
The only thing I did was to cut out the beginning / end parts with PowerDirector SVRT, which doesn't do any re-encoding. That feature doesn't work with smartphones files, however, due to variable video bit rate, so the file from the Note 8 was completely unedited .


Last edited by madbrain; 07-11-2018 at 11:09 PM.
05-02-2018, 06:00 AM - 1 Like   #77
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QuoteOriginally posted by LaurenOE Quote
It's a rainy and misty night...perfect for the K1 in downtown Tokyo.


Probably just order room service and catch up on some sleep.
I heard a rumour you can use your Pentax for stills too. There’s probably a menu option somewhere that unlocks this functionality
05-02-2018, 06:06 AM   #78
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QuoteOriginally posted by richandfleur Quote
I heard a rumour you can use your Pentax for stills too. There’s probably a menu option somewhere that unlocks this functionality
Well, theres a rumour that the sony can produce as good stills and one of the best videos too. So if I was looking at only good stills why wouldn't I go with sony, since it gives me good video too? Just explaining what a normal person would think and this whole stills thing is not sustainable..
05-02-2018, 06:30 PM   #79
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QuoteOriginally posted by donpjt Quote
Well, theres a rumour that the sony can produce as good stills and one of the best videos too. So if I was looking at only good stills why wouldn't I go with sony, since it gives me good video too? Just explaining what a normal person would think and this whole stills thing is not sustainable..
Well, a K-1 + Pentax lenses for stills, and a GX85 + Panasonic lenses for video will give you something great that will probably cost you lens than one Sony body + the expensive Sony AF FF lenses that there are.

All Pentax lenses can be used on my GX85 body also with the Fotodiox adapter that has an aperture mount (works even with DA lenses), only in MF mode of course.
Admittedly, I have not compared the Sony FF 4K video quality to the GX85. It may be better, but the GX85 is already outstanding for my needs, and a pretty amazing video camera, compact and cheap. GX85 is not so good for stills in low-light, though.

Camera bag would be smaller with a single Sony camera, though. So would your wallet.

Note, this is not in any way an encouragement to Pentax to continue to stay far behind at video, I think the previous camera shootout makes that clear. Really wish they had at least 60p and especially 4K/30 at a decent bit rate.

05-03-2018, 12:09 AM   #80
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QuoteOriginally posted by donpjt Quote
Well, theres a rumour that the sony can produce as good stills and one of the best videos too. So if I was looking at only good stills why wouldn't I go with sony, since it gives me good video too? Just explaining what a normal person would think and this whole stills thing is not sustainable..
That smiley wink emoji was supposed to convey te sarcasm/tongue in cheek nature of my comment.
05-03-2018, 12:51 PM - 1 Like   #81
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I've never had any illusions that Pentax would ever produce a camera with serious video capabilities. As much as I've used Pentax medium format film cameras and DSLRs, I've always turned to other brands for video applications. Even Canon and Nikon fall behind what SONY and Panasonic have achieved.

I recently purchased the A7III and I'm using my Pentax lenses with it, with a K to E mount adapter. The results are stunning. Shooting at 24 fps, the image is captured internally at 6K and downsized to 4K. Even at ISO 20,000, it yields amazingly good stills and ISO 10000 for video is quite respectable and far better than what I've managed with my Panasonic bodies. Realistically, aside from an occasional need for a high res image file or some night sky work, I really have far less need of a K1. The fact may be hard to accept but the A7III offers a combination of fast focusing, ultra low noise stills as well as superb video, that make it about the best all-in-one body I've ever used. Mileage may vary for others.
05-03-2018, 09:29 PM   #82
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QuoteOriginally posted by CDW Quote
I recently purchased the A7III
QuoteOriginally posted by CDW Quote
I really have far less need of a K1.
Yes, and anyone will realise that $$$$ony A7iii offers excellent stills and excellent video as opposed to a touch better stills and ANCIENT video capability.

I recommend buying both!

05-03-2018, 10:29 PM   #83
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QuoteOriginally posted by surfar Quote
$ony A7iii offers excellent stills and excellent video as opposed to a touch better stills and ANCIENT video capability.
That’s pretty much it.

Pentax is really good at stills, but Sony is not that far behind, and they have really good tracking AF too.
05-04-2018, 05:51 AM   #84
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QuoteOriginally posted by richandfleur Quote
That smiley wink emoji was supposed to convey te sarcasm/tongue in cheek nature of my comment.
So you had to spoil it for the rest of us that understood the sarcasm even before you explained, and even before the emoji. The missing emoji in this message is intended to convey to you that there is no sarcasm in this message. No soup for you; no emoji for you.
05-05-2018, 04:00 AM   #85
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QuoteOriginally posted by javagoa Quote
So you had to spoil it for the rest of us that understood the sarcasm even before you explained, and even before the emoji. The missing emoji in this message is intended to convey to you that there is no sarcasm in this message. No soup for you; no emoji for you.
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05-06-2018, 11:01 PM - 1 Like   #86
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QuoteOriginally posted by LaurenOE Quote
So I just rolled into Japan...decided to take along the K1 in addition to all the Sony stuff I am traveling with.
If you feel like wandering in to the head office and making a case for improved functions on behalf of us all,...
05-12-2018, 07:48 AM - 1 Like   #87
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QuoteOriginally posted by PiDicus Rex Quote
If you feel like wandering in to the head office and making a case for improved functions on behalf of us all,...
I did go by the Ricoh square store/center last week. I bought a coffee mug, and viewed the exhibition of urban structures done by a Japanese photographer with a 645z.

They didn't have any Q cameras on display, and the Ricoh center is several blocks away from the main stuff that is Shinjuku.

I waited for the place to open, and it was a sort of pilgrimage to go there. No one spoke English when I was there.

I'd have loved to chat them up, but I couldn't.

So there it is.

05-15-2018, 12:41 AM - 1 Like   #88
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QuoteOriginally posted by CDW Quote
I recently purchased the A7III and I'm using my Pentax lenses with it, with a K to E mount adapter.
I can second your experiences - The A7s, FS5 and FS7 all produce stunning visuals in video and in stills, when wearing Pentax lenses.
I'd argue, that on average, the Majority of Pentax lenses are far superior to the Sony equivalents, right up until you get to the G-Master Cine lenses.


QuoteOriginally posted by LaurenOE Quote
. No one spoke English when I was there. I'd have loved to chat them up, but I couldn't. So there it is.
I my countries colloquialisms,.... "Bugger,..."
05-27-2018, 05:03 AM   #89
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QuoteOriginally posted by donpjt Quote
Well, theres a rumour that the sony can produce as good stills and one of the best videos too. So if I was looking at only good stills why wouldn't I go with sony, since it gives me good video too? Just explaining what a normal person would think and this whole stills thing is not sustainable..
UI. IMHO Sony is a nightmare to use (I'm exaggerating of course). I haven't tried their latest, and I haven't had the chance to use one for a longer period. I do like their DSLTs, but those aren't great for videos either.

But yes, to me a big issue with Pentax is that other brands are about as good for stills, perhaps a bit better, perhaps slightly behind, but they beat video by a mile. So why not go for the allrounder that does everything? Why settle for a thoroughbred racing car when there's one that is a comfortable cruiser, which, by the push of a button, is every bit as fast and as fun as the racing car?
05-27-2018, 02:14 PM - 1 Like   #90
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QuoteOriginally posted by kadajawi Quote
But yes, to me a big issue with Pentax is that other brands are about as good for stills, perhaps a bit better, perhaps slightly behind, but they beat video by a mile.

That's pretty much the crux of it.

In the early digital sensor days, there was a big difference between versions, as both the tech improved and companies could eek more performance out of them. Pentax always did exceptionally well here, getting better IQ from the same sensor Nikon was using etc. Nowadays, stills wise all cameras are pretty good. Pentax may still be better with a given sensor, but proportionally it borderline doesn't matter as 2nd place is still excellent.

Today we're moving into what else can it do to support my photography? and that includes tracking AF, including eye AF for example, and tracking across the whole sensor rather than just in the middle.

It also means taking video, and honestly every manufacturer has upped their game in this area apart from Pentax. Olympus and Fuji feel like the main competitors for Pentax these days, and they've both come along significantly.
Fuji has now gained IBIS in a new model, and Olympus already has it, and it works in video mode, and the focus peaking keeps working in video mode, and the bit rates are high circa 2017 levels.

This is not a negative Pentax is doomed post, but it is a Pentax are missing the point post.
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