Best small camera for 1080/60p - Panasonic GX7 and A6000 review

[Mozim]

Wouldn't that be a 25.2 - 49.7mm F1.2 lens?

 

You are not multiplying the original focal length by the crop factor before multiplying by 0.71

 

18mm x 2 (crop factor) x 0.71 = 25.2mm

 

Well he said that it'd be a 12-25mm f/1.2 in Micro Four Thirds terms. 

 

18mm x 0,71 (Speedbooster) = 12,78mm, so the wide end will be very close to a 12mm MFT prime. Now when you factor in the MFT crop factor (2x), a MFT 12mm prime will be a 24mm lens in terms of photographic full frame and the Sigma 18-35mm will be a 24-50mm in terms of photographic full frame. 

[maxotics]

How much is the difference in video, between an APS-C and MFT sensor camera is CODEC and how much sensor size?  I wonder if many of the problems attributed to the CODEC are actually sensor related.

 

It would seem to me that the greater distance between sensels that must be sampled down to 1920x1080, the softer the image and the greater probability for moire.  Is it possible that if both the a6000 and GX7 ran exactly the same CODEC that they'd get the same results we see?  Is there a way to isolate these variables, Andrew?

 

When I look at the video I get from the a7 and the GM1, which have a wider difference in sensor sizes, the smaller sensor has a finer, cleaner, sharper image.  The dynamic range for video seems better from the GM1, though in photo mode (when the a7 uses all the sensels) the a7 crushes the GM1.  In fact, as hard as I try, I still fee the MFT sensor is too small for photography, for me.  As hard as I try to see better video out of larger sensor cameras, I just don't see it (unless shallow DOF is used).

[GallaFilms]

I really like your analysis of cameras, however, I think when you talk about video, this audience may not care about any camera that does not have at least an external mic input, and hopefully audio controls and a headphone jack.

[Quirky]

Sure you can shoot some nice results with the A6000 but the codec is over-compressed looking on way too many occasions for my liking.

 

But what about when recording externally via the HDMI port? Did you ever test that? You don't mention anything about that in this review. That would be one of the more interesting tidbits about the video performance. Hopefully we'll learn more about that later on.

[Tom Allan]

Hi Andrew, thanks for the detailed comparison. I got quite excited when I read your first 2 posts about the A6000. I've got a NEx 5r and I'm looking to step up a significant notch in terms of camera, but as most of my lenses are Minolta A, with a couple of m42 Russian lenses, and I have already invested in a A mount to Nex Speedbooster, I was hoping that either the A7s or A6000 might be great cameras. 

 

Having read your GH4 review, I'm tempted to get one, but most of my lenses won't be as useful on it because of the crop factor. Any advice? Is there any hope for a A mount to MFT speedbooster? Could I adapt the m42 lenses to the Canon Speedbooster instead perhaps? Or should I just wait until Sony get it right? I'd hate to abandon my favourite lenses. I'd welcome your thoughts!

[Kevin Carroll]

If you got the sigma 18-35 what do you regards aperture? Do you need another nikon body to change it etc?

[Inazuma]

@kevin some adapters have a mechanism that allow you to adjust the lens' aperture.

@iag you are clearly disillusioned :p

[dishe]

I'd like the g6 to be included in this test. I require a mic jack to be included in any camera I consider, so the gx7, while cuter and sporting a newer sensor, isn't as desirable as the g6 which sports that famous Gh2 sensor while offering 60p and a normal sized mic jack (finally! No more 2.5mm adapters) while also being cheaper than the gx7.

[noone]

Hi Andrew, I recently purchased GX7 & set it to Avchd. Given your comments above, would the MP4 rec. format at 1920 x 1080, 25p with 20mps have decent quality compared to say 1920 x 1080, 50p 28mps in avchd? (Pal region).

 

 

Yes, that would be nice to know.     More so because unlike 50/60P having the same mbps, 25p is 20mbps for mp4 but 24mbps for AVCHD.

 

I like using 25p for video so wonder which I should use too.

[Glenn Thomas]

I was considering the A6000 but wondered about the compression tradeoffs etc, I have an NEX 5n and though I can get good results out of it, I just find the digital look and artefacts too jarring for my sensitive eyes, I was hoping the A6000 would do the trick as I have a lot of NEX bits and peices.

Check my post (on page 16 I think?) of the other A6000 thread with a video I shot on the A6000 and earlier one shot on the NEX5N. If you check the water fountain shots, you'll see how much better the A6000 footage looks. I'm no longer seeing any aliasing or moire. I'm not saying it's 100% gone, but I'm no longer seeing any of it in shots that were a problem on the NEX5N. And if you already have a bunch of NEX adapters and accessories, it's a good upgrade. The colours can be made to look a lot flatter too.

[leeys]

However consider the Speed Booster and an APS-C F2.8 zoom if you want a shallower DOF. The Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 for example is even cheaper.

 

Ugh, ok, this is one of the few things I can directly comment on from experience. Back when I had the GH1 I tried adapting the 17-50. The Tamron's focus throw is terribly short, and the sloppy plastic build just made it even doubly harder to get accurate manual focus. Not recommended due to the exercise in frustration. Beautiful optics though.

[A2T2]

The sensor size is irrelevant because the Gx7 just performs so much better in every way, it also has 3 stops of recovery minimum in shadows in stills and a6k you can barely pull a stop without ugly banding. Add in the shadow and HL tool, the touch control etc etc and the a6k is actually not that good overall, iq is certainly better from the Gx7 and I own both cameras, sorry.

[Andrew Reid]

The A6000 is a fantastic lovley camera is a bigger and too better sensor than all M43 cameras. This sensor handles stunning stills and perfect video stream detailed and with super 35mm look. With Speed Booster you go full-frame and produce stunning images with all canon FD lenses that are cheap; A6000 body + speed booster clone + some FD lenses costs less than 1000 and you have a perfect cinema equipment to wait next gen cameras probably A6000mk2 or A7000 that allow XAVCS.

 

A6000 produce nice video with NO moire and alias and optimal deep of field. Consider that A6000 have a clean HDMI (for record prores on ninja bypassing AVCHD compression for example) that GX7 not have and have a possibility to mount external mic (sony accessories) on flash hotsohe.

 

There is a sample that demonstrate another time how good is A6000

>

 

Rumblings from my eagle eyed moderators have suggested previously that "iag01" is behaving like a Sony staffer designed to infiltrate forums to talk up Sony's products. I have my eye on you sir.

 

Posts like these certainly suggest as much....I'm afraid if you don't get the facts straight from now on, I'll have to take action. The A6000 does produce moire and aliasing!

[trafficarte]

I'm looking for a new camera and these threads were promising until all these hormones came out...
I hope to see some more factual evidence about which one is really (almost...) moiré free.

 

:-)

[Andrew Reid]

Already given you the factual evidence... research EOSHD my friend :)

[trafficarte]

Already given you the factual evidence... research EOSHD my friend :)

 

I hope to see soon a real video comparison on same subjects, with similar camera configuration, low light rendition, skin tone rendition, fences' moire, something like this. I'm not an expert, I'm a musician and a wannabe documentary shooter. I've used a 550d and a Hx9v, sometimes a 7d.

[Guest d5f8611fa423d0e628c016f9d5c93b47]

Rumblings from my eagle eyed moderators have suggested previously that "iag01" is behaving like a Sony staffer designed to infiltrate forums to talk up Sony's products. I have my eye on you sir.

 

Dude did you think I was Nikon staff when I kept going on about the D5300? That would explain a lot.

 

Anyway, I'm eating my words at the moment. I love the image I can get from the D5300 but boy were you right about the GH4 all those months ago. Sigh ... if only I'd come to the HDSLR party 6 months later I would've spent my money on one GH4 instead of a G6 & D5300, which now look a bit HV20-ish in comparison.

 

The GH4 is blowing my mind. Someone just uploaded some raw 10-bit 422 from a Ninja to your GH4 review thread and it is beautiful to grade. Also, part of me now actually prefers the GH4 in low light to the 5D because of the grain quality - the 5D has a bit of FPN I really don't like. Colours aren't as good but hey, your June 3rd 'surprise' may help the low light issue? 

 

Have you seen this one? Not sure what's causing the aliasing in the windows, but lovely grade:

 

[Quirky]

I'm looking for a new camera and these threads were promising until all these hormones came out...

 

Hormones? Surely you mean nerdmones.  ;)

[wobba]

I hope to see soon a real video comparison on same subjects, with similar camera configuration, low light rendition, skin tone rendition, fences' moire, something like this. I'm not an expert, I'm a musician and a wannabe documentary shooter. I've used a 550d and a Hx9v, sometimes a 7d.

 

Yes, same here.  I have not yet seen any comparison videos shot with both the GX7 and A6000 to see, first hand, how they perform in these conditions.

[Inazuma]

Trafficarte, please refer to the tests I posted in this thread around early April. They are mostly just stills from the videos, but you can clearly see the quality differences. Maybe this weekend I will post all the videos on vimeo if I have time.

Edit: by "this" thread I actually meant the other a6000 thread (the one with many pages)