Which phone is best to film 8K video?

[Chxfgb]

Which phone can film the best 8K video? I am worried more about bitrate and dynamic range than stabilization as I will use a tripod. Thanks.

[Emanuel]

I'd choose OnePlus 9 Pro but you can also pick Zenfone 7 Pro as for instance :- )

[Chxfgb]

13 hours ago, Emanuel said:

I'd choose OnePlus 9 Pro but you can also pick Zenfone 7 Pro as for instance :- )

Surprisingly inexpensive for the OnePlus 9 Pro if buying used. Higher bitrate than I expected too at 150 Mbps, although it is H.264 not H.265. Thanks for the recommendations. I was expecting the bitrate to be under 50 and the cost to be over 1K, but this is available for under $400, making it quite appealing.

Both phones seem to be quite old (March 2021 for the 9 and older for the 7), will be interesting to see if anyone recommends any newer models, especially any of the phones with 1 inch sensors, as I would like the lowlight benefit a bigger sensor should bring. Just been looking at a Xiaomi with a 1 inch sensor which noticeably beat a competitor for lowlight photos. 

In case anyone else is interested I found this useful page for a list of most phones that can shoot 8K https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Mobile_phones_with_8K_video_recording (it doesn't have them all like the Xiaomi 12S Ultra I was looking at earlier on YouTube).

[Chxfgb]

According to at least one website, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra (1/1.12 inch sensor) is better than the camera in the Xiaomi 12S Ultra (1 inch sensor). It does 8K video in H.265 at 130 Mbps, which means it should beat the 150 Mbps H.264 of the OnePlus 9 Pro. 

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra costs more, around £600 used in the UK, which is double the £300 for the OnePlus 9 Pro. Samsung phones seem to do 8K at 80 Mbps bitrate.

Seems the OnePlus 9 Pro is probably the best option for a low price. I would rather save up for a Fuji XH2 than buy a new £1k+ flagship like the Xiaomi 12S Ultra. 

[markr041]

I do not know which is best. Here are real data (not opinions) - 8K video from the Samsung Galaxy Fold4 in bright and dim light. Handheld.

 

 

My opinion: colors great; stabilization really good, over sharpened. Low-light surprisingly good.

[PannySVHS]

I agree

On 2/3/2023 at 4:41 PM, markr041 said:

 

My opinion: colors great; stabilization really good, over sharpened. Low-light surprisingly good.

Thank you for your test videos. I agree, judging from your videos. Sharpening, noise reduction and low bitrate are the same flaws, as ever before unfortunately. Colours are spiffy.🙂 Still, I think a non flag ship would be good for saving some money:)

Btw, here is a go pro and some spiffy content done with it. Watched the first part and wholeheartedly enjoyed, image as well, despite being mushy by closer inspection. Like the ooc colour.

 

 

What´s the best video smartphone for under 300 or under 250 in your opinion used or new?

best and cheers @markr041

[Chxfgb]

The Redmi Note 9 Pro is apparently a rebrand of the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro, seems to be the cheapest 8K video option with a bitrate above 100Mbps, but one video says it is just 6K video upscaled. Not much info out there but it is hard to ignore at less than half the price of the OnePlus 9 Pro. 

Considering going for a lesser bitrate with the LG V60 just to get the better headphone jack too (DAC AMP). If it does real 8K.

[Chxfgb]

Ended up ordering a used Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro for £180 (probably around $220). Will try to remember to post an 8K sample after I get my hands on it in a month. I expect it will be decent for bright landscapes, but mushy and/or noisy for lowlight. Will probably bake in the look I want to avoid editing artifacts but I think it does shoot log, so will try pushing it with editing too.

Sounds like the sensor is the same as the one in 3 year old Samsung flagships like the Note 20 Ultra (Samsung ISOCELL HMX sensor). But it will shoot at a higher bitrate. I thought the first very high MP sensor on a Samsung was a bit of a gimmick when I tried zooming in with it in a shop 2+ years ago. Fingers crossed this isn't mushy too. 

[A_Urquhart]

Just out of interest, why do you need to shoot 8K on a phone? 

[Chxfgb]

On 3/1/2023 at 9:45 PM, A_Urquhart said:

Just out of interest, why do you need to shoot 8K on a phone? 

Just to make videos to watch on 8K TVs, there isn't much out there. Nothing special.

FYI. I learned the phone I got does upscaled 6K, I should have got the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra for real 8K. But if my laptop can handle the footage I will probably grab the XH2 if Sony doesn't come out with an 8K APSC option. Funds are too limited at the moment. 

 

[PannySVHS]

Get a cheap 4k cam instead, if funds are low. Much better than any phone and much cheaper than a XH2! 😂

Used Lumix G9 does perfect 4K 10bit HLG for 500 USD, additional VLog profile per purchase possible. Awesome former flagship camera with all bells and whistles. G85 does nice 4K for 300 USD, GX85 for 200.

Much cheaper than 8K XH2 and a 8K TV. 😂

That saves you lotta funds.

And saves the planet too a tiny bit:)

 

 

[Chxfgb]

On 3/4/2023 at 5:27 PM, PannySVHS said:

Get a cheap 4k cam instead, if funds are low. Much better than any phone and much cheaper than a XH2! 😂

Used Lumix G9 does perfect 4K 10bit HLG for 500 USD, additional VLog profile per purchase possible. Awesome former flagship camera with all bells and whistles. G85 does nice 4K for 300 USD, GX85 for 200.

Much cheaper than 8K XH2 and a 8K TV. 😂

That saves you lotta funds.

And saves the planet too a tiny bit:)

 

You must have missed the bit about it needing to be 8K for 8K TVs. 😉 I have had a better camera than the G9 for 4K, the XT3. I have an OK one at the moment with the A6400 (which has far worse video options, like 100Mbps bitrate), it's more for travel and street photography. 

Those prices sound amazing for the Panasonics. Used Fuji prices have been going up a lot, maybe M43 is seen as dying now? Are M43 lenses cheaper now too? I do sometimes miss my G7 and one or two lenses I can't use on APSC, like the C mount Pentax Cosmicar 25mm f1.4. 

[PannySVHS]

8k phone for an 8k tv, what a waste:)

Lumix G7 will look better on a 4k tv than that:)

what a waste of resources it is, all that madness of 8k from a phone on power hungry 8k tvs. whate a waste regarding energy for production, resources and power hunger when used.

my two cents. but congrats on having owned the g7. a great but humble cam. love it. classic 😊

now best video quality from cheap phones is a hot topic imo.

[Chxfgb]

I don't understand why you think phones are such a joke. Yes the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is a mid range phone, but it has a reasonably big sensor. It shoots video with a higher bitrate than Panasonics like the GX85, G85, G7, Sonys like my A6400 etc... 

It wasn't too long ago that people used camcorders with similarities to phones, sensor size-wise. The computing inside phones "can" be very impressive. 

Anyway, I am not expecting too much for £175, but it will be interesting to compare the phone to the camera. I wouldn't be surprised if the phone looks better in some circumstances on an 8K TV, like well lit simple day scenes.

I ordered a hot shoe mount so they can both film the same thing at the same time. I will hopefully get good enough footage to come back and do a blind test. 

 

[Kisaha]

He was talking about 8K phones on 8K tvs being overkill, or, literally killing the environment (and all around it!).

1" sensors on phones is the turning point for me..

[PPNS]

12 hours ago, Chxfgb said:

I don't understand why you think phones are such a joke. Yes the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is a mid range phone, but it has a reasonably big sensor. It shoots video with a higher bitrate than Panasonics like the GX85, G85, G7, Sonys like my A6400 etc... 

It wasn't too long ago that people used camcorders with similarities to phones, sensor size-wise. The computing inside phones "can" be very impressive. 

Anyway, I am not expecting too much for £175, but it will be interesting to compare the phone to the camera. I wouldn't be surprised if the phone looks better in some circumstances on an 8K TV, like well lit simple day scenes.

I ordered a hot shoe mount so they can both film the same thing at the same time. I will hopefully get good enough footage to come back and do a blind test. 

 

well good camcorders had 4:2:2 color sampling more than a decade ago, and often had insane versatile zoom lenses, so the sensor size argument is kind of moot. The 8k out of a phone will still probably be worse than hd out of a camcorder from 10 years ago. an original bmpcc will probably resolve more detail than video coming out of a phone with an 8k sensor. its a waste of anyone’s time.

[Emanuel]

Both sides have a point. The trouble is when we think otherwise.

- EAG :- )

 

PS: That said, in the world of media convergence BTW, go and use a grab in a large format printer and you'll easily figure out why 8K is not meaningless.

[Emanuel]

9 hours ago, PPNS said:

well good camcorders had 4:2:2 color sampling more than a decade ago, and often had insane versatile zoom lenses, so the sensor size argument is kind of moot. The 8k out of a phone will still probably be worse than hd out of a camcorder from 10 years ago. an original bmpcc will probably resolve more detail than video coming out of a phone with an 8k sensor. its a waste of anyone’s time.

The waste of time is the way these mobile devices process their outcome, let alone the performance to come from such tiny acquisition surface to not mention their pixels. But that's a different story...

[PPNS]

11 hours ago, Emanuel said:

The waste of time is the way these mobile devices process their outcome, let alone the performance to come from such tiny acquisition surface to not mention their pixels. But that's a different story...

that is probably a better way to look at it. phones are good for convenience, and they will allow you take the shot. but if you rely on them to give you actual good image quality, or whatever expectation you set for 8K or any other of their promised specs, and you'll end up terribly disappointed.

[Emanuel]

For sure, horses for courses ; ) We're discussing 8K acquisition now though, not exactly this kind of devices as replacement of whatever else :- )

  

2 hours ago, PPNS said:

that is probably a better way to look at it. phones are good for convenience, and they will allow you take the shot. but if you rely on them to give you actual good image quality, or whatever expectation you set for 8K or any other of their promised specs, and you'll end up terribly disappointed.