Traveling to Japan: Trying to Decide on Which Camera

basspig

basspig

Veteran
A bit of a connundrum here.. we're traveling to Japan during rainy season. It will be hot, humid and raining most of the time.
As much as I'd love to bring my FS7, I don't want to subject it to TSA manhandling. I need something small that can record a good picture and good stereo sound with an external stereo mic like perhaps the Rode VideoMic. My goal is to capture as much of the experience of being there as possible, for playback on a projection screen with a large sound system later.

I have been pondering the A7S, or perhaps a used one. I know it shoots decent UHD video when paired with an Atomos Shogun, but not sure about the quality of the internal CODEC. It probably doesn't go beyond HD anyway. Not sure if the camera can record stereo audio, or if the quality is any good.

I also have my Sony EX1, which, paired with Atomos Samurai, produces acceptable HD images. But the Samurai adds bulk and fragility to the setup, and it eats battery power pretty quick. I may need to get through an entire day between charges. I like the idea of the A7S because it is the least attention-grabbing. Both airport authorities and the general public will be less likely to flag me as a professional and the problems that could arise there. Everyone sports a DSLR these days, so I would blend in better with one.

Before I buy the A7S, are there any other small video cameras that can do an amazing job of capturing picture and sound (with the aid of an external stereo mic)?

I have a variety of E-mount lenses, because I own two FS7s. So a camera that can use E-mount lenses has an advantage.
 
If e-mount lenses are the driving factor, than your obvious pick is the A7S II. If not, my vote is GH5 hands down. IBIS for stable shots with minimal gear. Weather sealed. Lumix 12-35 would give Dual IS which is awesome, but not required, even manual adapted lenses do great with the IBIS. Super small and light, including batteries. Better to work with overall than the A7S. Internal 10-bit 4:2:2. Also does good stills. No brainer... IMO, that is :)
 
basspig said:
As much as I'd love to bring my FS7, I don't want to subject it to TSA manhandling.
Click to expand...
The FS7 is very robust, I take mine all over the world. It's never missed a beat. But I wouldn't take it on holiday. For that I just take my 5D3 and a 24-70mm. But if I were buying now, I'd probably go with a GH5 as FIlmguy states. Keep it simple.
 
As mentioned above, the A7S requires an external recorder for 4K, wheras the A7Sii records 4K internally. Since you already have an FS7 do you have lenses that will work on the A7Sii? E-mount will work in HD but you will need FE mount for 4K since it's a full frame sensor.
The price also recently dropped some on the A7Sii which may have lowered the used market a bit too
 
I think an A7S (I'm pretty sure you're talking about the version II since you mention UHD) will do you well...or an A7RII if you need stills too.

I went to London with my family, and considered taking an FS5. BUT...it would've been terrible to schlep on public transportation, going to museums, restaurants, etc. In other words...it's not a vacation camera. So...I took my A7RII and it was perfect. I also got great stills, too. For lenses, I took the Sony 18-105 f4 and a variable ND filter, which was perfect for daytime focal reach. Shot video in S35. I also took only one other lens...my small Canon 28/1.8 prime (and adapter). It pulled triple-duty...as a full-frame fast wide-angle for stills, as a fast 40mm (S35 crop) again for street portraiture, and then as a nighttime f1.8 video lens. So, two small lenses, small body, mic, voila!
 
Oh yeah...forgot to mention...the Sony 18-105 autofocuses fast on the A7RII, too...faster than on the FS5. I don't know if you're an AF person...normally I'm not...but for vacation, it made for a high-quality home video camera...and the footage looks like film (PP6, very light grade).
 
GH5 or used GH4 would be my picks

m43 cameras with native lenses are really easy and pleasant to carry around. IBIS in the GH5 would be a huge help.
 
Another possibility might be the Panasonic FZ2500. It has an integrated 20X zoom lens, 1" sensor, internal UHD, built-in ND, zebras, mic-in, headphone out and other features. New it's only $1197.
That sounds easier than taking an A7Sii or A7Rii with a couple lenes and ND.
Maybe?
 
Thanks for all the suggestions.

The GH5 looks promising, and the features list is impressive, including the ability to record DCI 4K internally. However, reading the reviews I came across a serious issue with the GH5 video files: NLEs crash when attempting to play it. I am wondering what the CODEC is. Will it play in Premiere CS6?

The GH5 is a 4/3 format, so I would need completely new lenses. The stabilization is a very attractive feature, considering that I will be walking around or riding a bicycle a lot of the time.

The Panasonic FZ2500 looks more sensible for this application (I don't feel as worried about a $1100 camera as I would about a $2K body plus ?$ lens.) And it also has DCI 4K recording. 20X zoom can be nice. 24mm on the wide side is somewhat narrow for this small format sensor though. I know 18mm on a S35 sensor is about the minimum I would want for wide angle).

The audio menu on the Panasonic FZ2500 looks pretty serious for a DSLR style camera. The fact that they have attenuation and switchable limiters is interesting. I wonder if the mic preamps are decent enough that I can use a Rode VideoMic on the hot shoe and get close to the sound pickup I get with the Rode NT4 on my FS7?
 
While looking at a review of the Panny on DPReview, they had a comparison of image quality to the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III Digital Camera. There was no comparison. The Sony was resolving twice the detail, had far less noise and better color. This might be the way to go. Only thing it gives up is DCI 4K for UHD. That camera, coupled with the Tascam TM-2X Stereo XY Condenser DSLR Microphone, could possibly give me some decent footage while abroad. Any caveates or showstoppers that I missed? It's also in stock and not a pre-order like the Panny.
 
Only thing I'll say is I see so many BS tests where something is off (and I think saw that review you mention). The GH5 if used properly has really insanely great IQ. There are literally a laundry list of variables that go into any camera setup that can dramatically alter results, so I'd take anything you see with a pinch of salt.

Not trying to deter you from the Sony, it totally depends on what you want, and as well you are pretty invested into the Sony eco-system. So it's hard to argue with keeping your gear tight and in the same family. Personally I would get something for your vacation AND that will benefit your pro work. You own two FS7s. Why not just get an AS7 II as its a great pro companion camera and would serve you well on vacation as well? Or the A6500/RX10 III if that's more your thing?

I'll stand by the GH5 being the best pick for this if money and ecosystem investments were no object. Regardless of one questionable resolution test (that's currently being debated in the GH5 sub forum anyhow, and doesn't mirror my experience), the camera is super easy to work with, quality IBIS is a game changer for run'n'gun handheld footage, the internal codec and size and weight are killer, etc. But $$ is always an object and so it's hard to blame you for being wary to invest $3400+ (GH5, vlog, Lumix 12-35 or Leica 12-60, SD cards, Batteries) into a basic kit and more if you wanted a few lenses and/or a speedbooster. But M43 I think has a very bright future as a small/lightweight platform and I think you'll see it sticking around for a long time so long as BMD and Panny keep supporting it. The next gen should be particularly impressive, and depending on the kind of work you do, super low profile cameras can be hugely valuable. Regarding codec... CS6?? No idea. Works fine on Premiere CC 2017 but CS6 I wouldn't count on... Adobe would be the better source to directly ask there.

So... outside GH5, that leaves what, A6500, RX10, A7S II? I'd spring to spend a bit more as the A7S II is still very compact and it would actually be a boon to your pro work too, where the RX10 may sit on the shelf outside of that. Even if it meant buying the A7S II + another e-mount lens, at least it's all an investment into your current ecosystem and a good zoom lens (say the $2100 Sony 24-70mm f/2.8?) would be great on FS7 as well as for lightweight gimbal work on A7S II etc.

Just some thoughts! :)
 
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basspig said:
While looking at a review of the Panny on DPReview, they had a comparison of image quality to the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III Digital Camera. There was no comparison. The Sony was resolving twice the detail, had far less noise and better color. This might be the way to go. Only thing it gives up is DCI 4K for UHD. That camera, coupled with the Tascam TM-2X Stereo XY Condenser DSLR Microphone, could possibly give me some decent footage while abroad. Any caveates or showstoppers that I missed? It's also in stock and not a pre-order like the Panny.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I havent shot a GH5 but downloaded a bunch of clips online to see how it passed through grade and it looked really promising to me.
 
I tend to trust the testing done at DPReview. I think they are pretty careful about setting up the comparisons. And their tool for zooming in on a sample frame from two cameras that you can select from dropdown menus makes it really easy to spot differences.

To my eye, the GH5 looks very soft, like upscaled/resampled images, in that comparison.

I'd rather buy into something that I can use after the trip, like the A7S or the A7R II, but they get rather pricey when you add a decent, fast zoom. The formfactor of the cheaper Sony and the lower cost make it less of a concern about loss or breakage at the airport. It would be rather useless to me back in the US, however, so I would probably sell it when I return home.

If it were up to me, I would consider renting an FS7 in Japan, but I don't know where to find camera rentals and, as a friend pointed out, the hold they might put on my credit card would likely exceed my credit limit.
 
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