[climbmountainway]

All "video" is not the same. Sony, for example, has the best video autofocus available on their digital mirrorless photo bodies, but not the best color depth. Color depth, and abilities to expand video and audio recording by body connection to off body recording units is the future of the photo-video capability marriage. Without going into great detail here, if using an in camera digital recording SD card, the EU manufacturing restrictions on still photo-video bodies marketing holds recording to a 1/2 hour limit (which may happen anyway by bodies heating up when dumping sequenced video onto these tiny memory cards). So, an ability to override this with an outboard video recorder (for many hours of uninterrupted recording), ability to add a real time off camera monitor (which can be phone size up to mega inches), and ability to add an outboard mike(s) and audio recorder too, with audio monitoring can become vital for projects based video creation. Sadly, one has to check the audio recording preamp in any and all cameras before purchase. The Nikon Zs, for example, are mega-tinny, compared to the 4/3rds, or Canon R series out there that can go both imaging directions. Good audio is esstential to great video presence when viewing video productions.

I suggest making a list of what you want from a camera that can go both ways, attribute by attribute, and research what recording code syncronization is needed to edit effectively, to control outboard recording and post production editing needs and requirements (it is difficult to interlace seamless inserted imagery into a video camera outcome stream unless video and audio have trackable code available for the editing and post sound mixing phases). One cannot gain color depth which is not on the original, unlike editing in more or less resolution from a photo editor.

There are new cameras coming onto the market since late August which will take on some of these challenges better than others, that will have redesigned their features too from input from users of earlier models, in order to gain features, and addressable code, with good color depth, and rich audio preamplification in a camera body. ...so, search for a camera not by lens adaptability (I use Pentax optics which have aperture rings on video bodies, and with focus rings mechanically clampable for equipping pull focus mechanical linkage outboard capabilities).....Find what you want to do with video, then, think it through as to body and lens mount features for video, attribute capability, by attribute capability.

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Last edited by climbmountainway; 09-20-2020 at 07:11 PM. Reason: added details

[Breakfastographer]

Interestingly enough, the K-5 uses mechanical stabilization and creates AVI files, though all bodies that came after switched to electronic SR and H264.

For the sake of completeness, do the K-5 II/s have the mechanical stabilisation, or are they in the "came after" category?

[Adam]

They do have the mechanical SR.

[Breakfastographer]

Yup. Tried it this morning, and they do make that rattley sound of the SR, which may explain why Pentax moved away from that. Good for the use of a mic that isn't directly on the camera, though, so it makes more sense in the flagship than some other models.

[PiDicus Rex]

I currently have a K-01 and am getting more into video than stills, I like my lenses and would rather not sell everything off and try and switch brands, plus, it would be a pain since there isn't much of a market for Pentax gear where I live. I was however thinking of selling off my K-01 and kit lens and getting a better body, I know Pentax in general isn't the best for video, but my questions are:

What cameras are available with at least higher bitrate video? (IMO the K-01's main shortcoming in video)

Do any Pentax cameras encode to MJPEG instead of H264?

Which Pentax bodies actually have stabilized (not in software) video?

Your K-mount lenses will go on Panny and Sony mirrorless if you want 4K with mechanical adapters.

K-5 did Mjpeg and IBIS.

Both are features that need to be switched back on in the Pentax firmware - Mjpeg at high data rate is a far easier codec to edit.

For the bodies that do Mpeg4/h.264, the KP has the highest data rate, 24mbits compared to the K-01's 19mbits. Its enough of a difference to make ISO 1600 and 3200 useable, they're not on any other Pentax body.

---------- Post added 16-10-20 at 06:12 AM ----------

. . . I believe the K-3 and K-1 have slightly higher bitrates, with the quality being better with the latter due to the larger sensor (but still not a significant improvement, IMO).

Sorry Adam, only the KP has been shown to have a higher data rate. It was noted by us video folk before the KP went on sale.

---------- Post added 16-10-20 at 06:22 AM ----------

Buy a camera just for video.
Using a DSLR ofr video is silly.
I don't shoot much video so I bought a Panasonic ZS100 with 4k video just so I'd have something, I've used it 3 times for video.

Adam,... you know that message about 'an important announcement from the mods',...

Can we get it so anti-video posts (including from some mods in the past) are banned from the video section of the forum?

If someone doesn't shoot video, their opinions on what is needed to shoot good video on a Pentax body, are not relevant to helping people get the best out of the video features, regardless of the limitations that we all know exist.
Same goes with the ever present whinge of "We don't want video cos it makes our stills cameras more expensive",.. which is a load of steaming horse manure, as ALL, yes EVERY single DSLR or Mirrorless ever made, uses sensors that were invented to shoot video. Stills is just dumbing them down to one file per frame.

---------- Post added 16-10-20 at 06:26 AM ----------

For anything professional or vaguely professional its not. So having a video mode in the camera is just for casual users, the sensor supports it so why not? But its not good enough for anyone who really is into video.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Having had a Short Film that I shot on a K-01 submitted to THE CANNES SHORT FILM FESTIVAL,.. and no, I don't mean the 'pay to play' Corner Film Festival, I mean the actual Cannes Film Festivals short films section,.... I think I'm qualified to say, YES, the K-01 CAN do Professional Quality Output.

The same can not be said of Camera Operators who do not do video primarily.

[Adam]

Can we get it so anti-video posts (including from some mods in the past) are banned from the video section of the forum?If someone doesn't shoot video, their opinions on what is needed to shoot good video on a Pentax body, are not relevant to helping people get the best out of the video features, regardless of the limitations that we all know exist.Same goes with the ever present whinge of "We don't want video cos it makes our stills cameras more expensive",.. which is a load of steaming horse manure, as ALL, yes EVERY single DSLR or Mirrorless ever made, uses sensors that were invented to shoot video. Stills is just dumbing them down to one file per frame.

Yes...outside of the context of discussions/speculations about product planning, derailing threads that ask for help or discuss technique is certainly not appropriate, even outside of the video forum. Please feel free to report any such posts (bearing in mind that constructive advise to use different equipment doesn't automatically qualify as bad).

[jatrax]

Having had a Short Film that I shot on a K-01 submitted to THE CANNES SHORT FILM FESTIVAL,.. and no, I don't mean the 'pay to play' Corner Film Festival, I mean the actual Cannes Film Festivals short films section,.... I think I'm qualified to say, YES, the K-01 CAN do Professional Quality Output.The same can not be said of Camera Operators who do not do video primarily.

OK, I stand corrected. And admit that my comment was based solely on all of the posts by so called or self-called video professionals stating that video on Pentax is worthless and not up to professional standards. I am also making a note to myself to skip commenting on video issues in the future.

[PiDicus Rex]

Yes...outside of the context of discussions/speculations about product planning, derailing threads that ask for help or discuss technique is certainly not appropriate, even outside of the video forum. Please feel free to report any such posts (bearing in mind that constructive advise to use different equipment doesn't automatically qualify as bad).

Thank you !

As for other gear, one of the best pieces of advice for filming on Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Z-cam, Blackmagic, and even the AJA Cion that I own, from my own personal experiences with all of those,... is to use Pentax Lenses

[nixcamic]

Thank you !

As for other gear, one of the best pieces of advice for filming on Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Z-cam, Blackmagic, and even the AJA Cion that I own, from my own personal experiences with all of those,... is to use Pentax Lenses

PiDicus , what settings to you recommend for getting the most usable footage out of the K-01? And is your film up online anywhere?

[nixcamic]

Also, apart from losing manual mode in video (which apparently you can work around, at least according to other threads on this forum) and only being able to shoot 25fps (seriously, not 24, not 30? 25?) at 1080, is there any reason I wouldn't want to use a K-5 for video? Looking at the sample footage I've found online the codec quality looks a lot better.

[PiDicus Rex]

The film we submitted to Cannes, (and there's a long story and lovely letter from the committee on that one,..) is called "Antiquated Kilter" Antiquated Kilter (2014) - IMDb

I think it's still up on a Vimeo page, but I'm not sure if it's the 35minute cut, or the shorter competition edit.



I'm not aware of any Pentax body that is limited to 'only 25fps'. Certainly not on any I've used, though it has been a long time since I even held a K-5.

K-01, K-3, K-1, K-30, KP, 645Z,.. all do 24, 25, and 30,.. some also do 50 and 60.

The Pentax Q's are limited to 30fps only in my experience.

For 1080 production, the only significant differences in image quality are the Mjpeg vs h.264 CoDec, the higher data rate in the KP, and the true IBIS of the K-5's.

The rest is all in the settings, with turning down Sharpening, using the flatter "Muted" colour profile if you're doing Colour Grading in Post, and looking at the High/Low Key setting in the colour profile, to protect shadow detail, or to protect highlight detail.