I'm torn between the FS100 and a GH4 - help me choose?

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youaretheinvention

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I am going to be shooting corporate stuff like events and commercials for Vimeo/YouTube. I have been looking at video cameras, and many of them in my budget look very video-ish. I prefer a more cinematic look. Have about 3000 to spend, which I know is not that much. The FS100 looks awesome! The demos I have seen look great too. The GH4 demos look great as well, but I hate the way it looks aesthetically.

My concerns about the FS100 are that it might be too complicated for run and gun. Also it came out like four years ago, so I don't know if it's a smart purchase to make. I know the GH4 has 4k, but I kind of don't care about that. Maybe I should.
 
Determine now if 4k is something you will want while you own your next camera. if so, gh4 is the only option between those two. if not, you may like all the extra bits for audio monitoring and quickly accessible buttons, plus the s35 sensor on the fs100. strouty has a good question you should take into account as well.
dont worry that the camera is 'old'. the red epic, arri alexa and others are older than it is and they're still amazing cameras (obviously a different class of camera, but my point is 4ish years of age doesn't matter in this case)
 
Strouty said:
What sort of lights, lenses, audio and support gear do you already own?
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Actually I have nothing at the moment. Ha. I just sold my Canon 5D Mark III, to buy this new gear. If I get the GH4, I can go ahead and get a lens too. If not I can wait a week... Did not like my Canon for video.
 
That's too bad. Seemed like a used C100 would have been a perfect fit.

If you are looking for a more cinematic look and to produce quality videos, I would focus way more on lighting and sound then I would on the camera, IMHO
 
youaretheinvention said:
I am going to be shooting corporate stuff like events and commercials for Vimeo/YouTube. I have been looking at video cameras, and many of them in my budget look very video-ish. I prefer a more cinematic look. Have about 3000 to spend, which I know is not that much. The FS100 looks awesome!

My concerns about the FS100 are that it might be too complicated for run and gun. Also it came out like four years ago.
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There are no ND fitlers built into the FS100. You want a run & gun camera so you need a camera with a built in ND wheel.
 
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Both are great, owned both for run and gun work. FS100 with the Sony 18-200mm power zoom worked great for me as an all in one zoom although a bit slow on the tele end (f6.3) but you can crank up the ISO on the FS100 no problem. I ran into stuck pixels on my FS100 when shooting at high ISOs but performing a black balance every so often helps to clear them out. I think it also happens on the C100 from time to time. I ended up going back to the GH4 because the FS100 ergonomics finally bugged me too much. I work much faster with the GH4 and the 4K really allows me different options for framing in post when needed. The sensor doesn't get nearly as hot so it doesn't suffer from stuck pixels. Can't say I've ever disliked video from the GH4, once you find a profile that works for your needs it can yield some really nice results.
 
These are both really good cameras. More than the camera you will be investing in lenses. Although I have a GH4 I think 4K is way overkill for the web. I shoot in 1080p and am amazed by the quality. There is a bit of a learning curve with both cameras so you need to put in the practice time.
 
Thanks everyone. I think I'm going to go with the GH4, with a Canon to MFT speedbooster and a Sigma 18-35. That should get me started, so I can practice, and then buy some audio/lighting stuff.
 
youaretheinvention said:
I have been looking at video cameras, and many of them in my budget look very video-ish. I prefer a more cinematic look.
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I think you need to be a little careful, as nowadays "video" cameras (as opposed to DSLR type) have a range of adjustment in them that was the only possible with those for very big budgets indeed a few years ago. Put simply, the same camera can look "videoish" or "cinematic" depending on how it's set up.

The point about a "video" camera is that although it may look complicated, then especially for run and gun it can actually be a lot easier to use - instead of having to adjust parameters via menus, you may be able to simply grab a physical ring and turn it! If I have any reservation it may be down to codec more than anything else - it's AVC-HD - which is not to say it's bad...... but there's better! That said, similar gripes may apply to a lot of DSLR etc type cameras as well.

It may be worth just looking at the new Sony RX10 that's just been announced. Like the GH4, it's primarily a stills camera, but it's a big step up and I'd definitely give it a thought. It's fixed lens - but with a long zoom range. And the XAVC codec gives it an edge over other cameras in the class (and the FS100).
 
At this point of time I would go used F3 instead of fs100 or used a7s instead of gh4. Will give you far superior image imo.
 
Sony A7S is the best choice. And, when properly set-up, it works fine for run-and-gun. I owned the FS100 previously and the A7S image quality is vastly superior. I planned to use the A7S as a B-Camera, but quickly listed the FS100 on eBay since it was no longer getting any use. I'm not a fan of the GH4 output, but that's a matter of taste. I feel the A7S has a much better look. Also, you'd be amazed at how flexibly the low-light abilities impact run-and-gun shooting. It opens up a lot of new opportunities. That said, I want an updated FS700. :p
 
alohype said:
At this point of time I would go used F3 instead of fs100 or used a7s instead of gh4. Will give you far superior image imo.
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Good point - and much better ergonomics than any camera which is primarily intended for stills, and better codec as well. And with such as the F5 now out, let alone the FS7, I think you can get a used F3 for a pretty low price now?
 
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