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

[jase]

Hello max optics, does the A6000 do focus magnify while video recording?     = Yes     

Thats a feature i am really missing on my GM1..

[JamesBooba]

hey folks,

 can´t find dedicated info about HDMI OUT on a6000. It looks like it is not compressed, but is it 422 or 420? 

 

tia

greg

[Quirky]

Overall, having choice between Sony a6000 and Nikon d5200/5300, which one would you take?

 

I would take the a6000, especially for a more video-centric use. But that's just me, and in your case, it doesn't matter what I'd take, or what anyone else would.

 

All these "cheap" cameras have some shortcomings, usually different ones in different models. They all are likely to show some moire and other digital artefacts at some point, so there's not much point in obsessing about it. In the case of the a6000 the most obvious shortcoming would be the lack of a mic input, apart from the one in the fancy hotshoe.

But whatever that shortcoming is, you just find ways to work around them, and try making the best out of your choice, whichever it may be in your case. You could agonise for months over the bits, knobs and specs of each camera, without getting any footage done. They all deliver decent footage in the right hands, but none of them deliver perfect footage. 

 

The nasty truth is, you may not even know what the real shortcoming of each given camera is in your case, until you have actually shot with one for more than just a few minutes. The spec sheets or even the online test videos are not likely to tell you that.

 

So my real answer would be just pick the one you fancy, the one that feels nice in your hand and the one you can afford, and then just go shooting with it. Your money, your decision. You have no obligation to justify your choice to anyone, apart from those with whom you live and share a household budget, perhaps. Seeking assurance from peer acceptance online is waste of your time.

[Quirky]

hey folks,

 can´t find dedicated info about HDMI OUT on a6000. It looks like it is not compressed, but is it 422 or 420? 

 

tia

greg

 

Yeah, neiter have I. I asked about the same thing in the other a6000 topic but apparently no one outside Sony knows, so far, not even Mr. Reid.

[Michal Kowalik]

Can anyone tell me if A6000 is switchable NTSC/PAL in US version, or is it only possible in EU version?

[dstilio]

many people claim that is 4:2:0 in some posts (here, in dpreview and in other forums).

However no-one posted attached any proofs.

So these posts could be personal speculations of each guy.

 

On the other hand, if it was 4:2:2, we would have definatelly hear about it as it would have create such a huge buzz.

So, no enthousiasm about this in the forums I think equals to 4:2:0.

[Quirky]

many people claim that is 4:2:0 in some posts (here, in dpreview and in other forums).

However no-one posted attached any proofs.

So these posts could be personal speculations of each guy.

 

On the other hand, if it was 4:2:2, we would have definatelly hear about it as it would have create such a huge buzz.

So, no enthousiasm about this in the forums I think equals to 4:2:0.

 

The 4:2:0 would indeed seem likely, given the price point of the a6000. A bit like in the case of the sub-$1k Samsung NX30. 

But then again, there have been some little surprises here and there lately, not necessarily covered by the mainstream. 

So it would be nice to have a confirmation, even though the 4:2:2 option doesn't seem too likely.

[GrubeZebro]

Really depends on the lenses you wanna use. The sigma 17-50 f2.8 for the nikon is really useful for example. You can adapt it to the Sony, but when I tried it last year, the camera just felt super off balance and hard to hold.

  

Sony a6000.  Focus magnification for manual lenses.  full-time EVF.  Can change aperture on fly.  
 
I might pick the D5300 is photography was my primary use.
 
I like the size of the a6000, but agree with Inazuma, it may be an issue for you so you should handle both cameras.

  

I would take the a6000, especially for a more video-centric use. But that's just me, and in your case, it doesn't matter what I'd take, or what anyone else would.
 
All these "cheap" cameras have some shortcomings, usually different ones in different models. They all are likely to show some moire and other digital artefacts at some point, so there's not much point in obsessing about it. In the case of the a6000 the most obvious shortcoming would be the lack of a mic input, apart from the one in the fancy hotshoe.
But whatever that shortcoming is, you just find ways to work around them, and try making the best out of your choice, whichever it may be in your case. You could agonise for months over the bits, knobs and specs of each camera, without getting any footage done. They all deliver decent footage in the right hands, but none of them deliver perfect footage. 
 
The nasty truth is, you may not even know what the real shortcoming of each given camera is in your case, until you have actually shot with one for more than just a few minutes. The spec sheets or even the online test videos are not likely to tell you that.
 
So my real answer would be just pick the one you fancy, the one that feels nice in your hand and the one you can afford, and then just go shooting with it. Your money, your decision. You have no obligation to justify your choice to anyone, apart from those with whom you live and share a household budget, perhaps. Seeking assurance from peer acceptance online is waste of your time.

Thank you all guys for answers!

I have had both cameras in my hands and I don't really care about the size.
When it comes to the system, my friends have Nikons, so we could share lenses. On the other hand I could use all my old m42 lenses with Sony via adapter.
I really don't like Sony's EVF but I know it might be useful.
I also don't mind not being able to change aperture in Nikon's live view.
In fact important difference for me is better image in d5300 (really love it) and peaking in alpha6000.

In general I would rather buy Nikon but I still have Andrew's unfavorable review http://www.eoshd.com/content/12111/nikon-d5300-review on mind.

[JBraddock]

My GX7 does not have 29 minutes recording limit and in the last two days, I used it to record an academic workshop (10am-6pm) and it worked brilliantly without any hiccups or overheating. 

 

On a side note, does any of you use iResolution, iDynamic or Curves on this camera? Not sure what's the best combination of settings, if any, as I find they degrade the image quality. I would love to hear your experiences.

[maxotics]

I use iDynamic because I believe it pulls out the shadows a bit (I don't like high contrast).  iResolution isn't good,  Someone explained why somewhere, but I forget.

[Inazuma]

My GX7 does not have 29 minutes recording limit and in the last two days, I used it to record an academic workshop (10am-6pm) and it worked brilliantly without any hiccups or overheating. 

 

On a side note, does any of you use iResolution, iDynamic or Curves on this camera? Not sure what's the best combination of settings, if any, as I find they degrade the image quality. I would love to hear your experiences.

I used to use iResolution, but it makes edges of trees and grass too sharp. It's basically like the Clarity slider in Lightroom.

 

The other stuff.. I use iDynamic on High usually. It really brings out a lot of range.

Then +2 shadows, -2 highlights. This is useful when outdoors and you want some more detail in the sky and dark areas. However it can sometimes make skin look a little too flat.

And finally, I use Neutral picture style with -2,-5,-3,-5 (Contrast, Sharpness, Saturation, NR).

 

 

 

And then graded with a Fuji 400 LUT and some tweaking with Colorista:

 

 

By the way, did you end up getting the Panasonic 14-50mm?

[JBraddock]

I used to use iResolution, but it makes edges of trees and grass too sharp. It's basically like the Clarity slider in Lightroom.

 

The other stuff.. I use iDynamic on High usually. It really brings out a lot of range.

Then +2 shadows, -2 highlights. This is useful when outdoors and you want some more detail in the sky and dark areas. However it can sometimes make skin look a little too flat.

And finally, I use Neutral picture style with -2,-5,-3,-5 (Contrast, Sharpness, Saturation, NR). 

 

 

 

And then graded with a Fuji 400 LUT and some tweaking with Colorista:

 

By the way, did you end up getting the Panasonic 14-50mm?

 

Nice colour. Now I see why I didn't like the skin tone I got when I played with those settings. For easy grading, I use Natural -2,0,0,-2 when I record panel discussions. That way, it is almost ready to go. Also, when I use 20mm f1.7 II, grading is much more difficult for me and most of the time I don't like the skin tones I get. It is either too flat or washed out. I remember when using an AIS 50mm, I didn't really need to do much. Again, I am new to this. We'll see.

 

When you use a profile like that, do you need to sharpen the footage in post and what does the noise reduction really do to video, especially in daylight?

 

Yes, I bought the Panasonic/Leica 14-50mm two days ago and it should be delivered this week :) Some say that its stabilisation is much better than 12-35mm. I'll keep you updated.

[Inazuma]

When you use a profile like that, do you need to sharpen the footage in post and what does the noise reduction really do to video, especially in daylight?

 

Yes, I bought the Panasonic/Leica 14-50mm two days ago and it should be delivered this week :) Some say that its stabilisation is much better than 12-35mm. I'll keep you updated.

I have tested the NR setting a few times over the course of owning the camera. It seems that from -5 to +5, the difference is really quite small. At the positive end, the pictures becomes a touch softer. But the noise never really lessens. I supposed you would need to record at a higher bitrate to see a real difference, but sadly you can't attach a recorder.

 

And no I almost never sharpen the footage. That way the footage has high resolution, and yet stays kind of filmicly soft.

 

Excellent. How much did you pay for it? Please tell me how well it balances with the GX7 and show us some shots wide open :)

[JBraddock]

I have tested the NR setting a few times over the course of owning the camera. It seems that from -5 to +5, the difference is really quite small. At the positive end, the pictures becomes a touch softer. But the noise never really lessens. I supposed you would need to record at a higher bitrate to see a real difference, but sadly you can't attach a recorder.

 

And no I almost never sharpen the footage. That way the footage has high resolution, and yet stays kind of filmicly soft.

 

Excellent. How much did you pay for it? Please tell me how well it balances with the GX7 and show us some shots wide open :)

:) I've bought it from a panasonic shop (I guess) in Germany with a 12 months warranty for £312+shipping. The difficult part was to find the Panasonic adapter cheaper, which luckily I found one on Ebay. It is crazy expensive in the UK. I will post about it once I've got it.

 

Did any of you try to rig GX7 up with accessories? I need to find a cage that's compact and sturdy. Any ideas?

[mickachiste]

Guys, I really need your help. I was shooting surfing stuff with an a65 coupled with the 70-300G from sony. It was good but not like expected... And it´s quite heavy.
That´s why i try to get as much informations as i can about the gx7. So is the gx7 coupled with the 14-140 from pana is good for i am doing ? Or the a6000 with my 70-300 can be better that whatever i had ?
Thanks !

[Martin BetterFly]

Hi mickachiste

 

Here's my 5 cent. 

I don't know about gx7 but I have A6000 and im extreamly happy with it.

If you can't make up your mind yet that means you havent searched enough or you still don't know whats the purpose of your purchase 

I would recommend you creating simple table sheet and stack all the necessary specification (pluses and minuses) against each other plus what you have learned from other users

for example:

price

sensor

low light

codec 

media - storage

lenses availability or what you already have 

etc 

 

I went with A6000 (previous canon 7D user) because of my ef mount lenses collection but also I wanted the apsc sensor over mft. 

I love the detail in sony over my previous 7D especially in 50fps mode which previously had to be shot in 720p mode :p

it's like day and night difference finally seeing slow motion in 1080p :)

However as far as I remember others claimed that gx7 is a bit more detailed than sony though 

The low light is also better than my previous 7D.

I have invested into Kinemini 4K so for now A6000 is my A cam untill the Kinemini arrives so the same field of view is a plus for me plus ef mount. I shoot weddings and music video at the moment and A6000 does a great job. Please note that I have never used gx7, gh4 or any other Panasonic camera before but there's plenty reviews and comparison videos out there which should help you justify your purchase. 

Hope that helps a little. 

[Inazuma]

Guys, I really need your help. I was shooting surfing stuff with an a65 coupled with the 70-300G from sony. It was good but not like expected... And it´s quite heavy.
That´s why i try to get as much informations as i can about the gx7. So is the gx7 coupled with the 14-140 from pana is good for i am doing ? Or the a6000 with my 70-300 can be better that whatever i had ?
Thanks !

The 14-140 will allow you to get wider shots, but it won't be reach as long as your 70-300G. I don't know anything about shooting surfing so I can't say which lens is more appropriate. But if you do go with the GX7, you will notice a huge increase in video quality.

[JLemos]

Just to let you with this music video i directed and shot with a GX7

[Raymondus]

NB: Sample videos will come next week

If you want a nice 1080p camera that is packed with features and doesn't cost very much then there's now two really nice options available from Sony and Panasonic.

The A6000 is certainly Sony's best performing mirrorless camera yet for video with an APS-C sized sensor vs the Micro Four Thirds sensor in the GX7.

I've been shooting with both to decide which one to keep.

Read the full article here

 

 

nice thanks for sharing i would like to buy this Camera..

[mickachiste]

Guys thank you for your replies ! I Will continue my research... And try to find a test with the 70-300 g and the a6000 ! Or maybe somebody can give that ?! ;-)