$4000 budget what would you buy?

[Lightlightlight]

I had the GH4. Imo it was ok but the deal breaker for me was the noise. I hated that thing above ISO 1600 and by 3200 unusable. The colors also are weak and I am not a huge fan of the speedbooster system. $600+ dollars is a lens. I did like the internal 4k but that's about it. 

Id like an A7S but I don't want a shogun. I'm a fan of steadicam type shots so mounting a shogun is not ideal. 

Thoughts?

[Don Kotlos]

If you don't need it now, wait a couple of months for the A7sII. Or wait for high iso samples from the A7rii. There are not that many choices for high sensitivity internal 4k small cameras. Maybe the new BM Ursa mini 4.6k sensor is going to be great but that starts at $5k and can get more expensive easily plus it is probably too big for the average steadycam. 

[DBounce]

The replacement for the NX1 will no doubt be out in the near future. I'm thinking Sammy is on a roll right now, so who knows what they will have to offer. Between Samsung, Sony and Panasonic, good options are within sight.

[Caleb Genheimer]

Get the NX1 with 16-50 f2-2.8

theres lots to love, including the color, the autofocus, the APSC. Plenty of cash left over for the long zoom lens, or a gimbal.

[j.f.r.]

Sony A7s has much better dynamic range and noise than GH4/NX1. 

 

Everyone generally uses a monitor with a Gimbal, Steadicam, etc. so that part makes no sense.....

 

Any other camera system that is better will cost you much more (C100 Mark II, Sony FS7, BlackMagic URSA etc.)

I did see some great deals on used Sony F3's which imo are amazing, but you obviously lose the stealth factor and you will definitely need some nice lenses.

[Caleb Genheimer]

I too would do A7s in this price bracket, but the OP already ruled it out. Also, having to spend so much extra for the Shogun just to get 4K out of an already expensive camera... Well it kinda rubs me the wrong way.

[chris_wagenaar]

Wait for the Sony A7rII to show up and buy some FD lenses.. 

Or if you want to spent even more then you can buy the more expensive lenses from Canon (with metabones adapter) or Sony ofcourse.

A7s is also an option if you don't want 4K and you like to shoot on ISO 400.000

Or just buy a GH4 + Metabones speedbooster + Sigma 18-35 F/1.8!! Awesome combination!

[j.f.r.]

I too would do A7s in this price bracket, but the OP already ruled it out. Also, having to spend so much extra for the Shogun just to get 4K out of an already expensive camera... Well it kinda rubs me the wrong way.

A7s isn't expensive........ No camera in its price bracket does what it does. Now if all you want is 4k resolution with limited dynamic range and poor noise performance, well there are a couple consumer cameras for you.......

 

Shogun just isn't for 4K, it's a professional monitor/recorder that can be used with several systems. 

[Mattias Burling]

Thats the thing with consumer cameras like the A7s, compromise.

One just have to decide what negatives one can live with. Is it the pour low light of the gh4, the lack of slowmo in the Blackmagic or the mega jello of the A7s.

Not even Blackmagic can get the price down under $4-5k if one wants it all.

[Lightlightlight]

Thanks for all the great responses. For now I'll sit tight to see what happens in the next 6 months. I have a pair of D750's and I could always pick up a RX10II. 

[IronFilm]

I did see some great deals on used Sony F3's which imo are amazing, but you obviously lose the stealth factor and you will definitely need some nice lenses.

​*THIS*, it is the direction I am going in. I'm going to pick up Sony F3 for a similar price to an old Canon 5Dmk2 (once you've kitted that out with a basic cheap audio recorder and monitor, to at least pretend to match the same basic functionality of a F3!).

How could a person say no?? 

I was planning to (somehow???) get an URSA Mini 4.6K at a stretch, but now my plan will be:

1) once I magically win lotto / get rich, then I'll get an URSA Mini 4.6K

2) once the first price drop happens to the URSA Mini I'll get one (like what happened with the BMPCC, BMCC, and BMPC4K to a greater or lesser extent).

3) once URSA Minis start showing up on the second hand market at a decent discount

So in other words, I'll let my F3 last me some 12 to 24 months, and then I'll jump on an URSA Mini 4.6K :-)

[j.f.r.]

​*THIS*, it is the direction I am going in. I'm going to pick up Sony F3 for a similar price to an old Canon 5Dmk2 (once you've kitted that out with a basic cheap audio recorder and monitor, to at least pretend to match the same basic functionality of a F3!).
How could a person say no?? 

I was planning to (somehow???) get an URSA Mini 4.6K at a stretch, but now my plan will be:

1) once I magically win lotto / get rich, then I'll get an URSA Mini 4.6K

2) once the first price drop happens to the URSA Mini I'll get one (like what happened with the BMPCC, BMCC, and BMPC4K to a greater or lesser extent).

3) once URSA Minis start showing up on the second hand market at a decent discount

So in other words, I'll let my F3 last me some 12 to 24 months, and then I'll jump on an URSA Mini 4.6K :-)

Personally the F3 is an AMAZING camera , especially combined with the S-LOG update. No 4k, but excellent 1080p and beautiful 13 stop Dynamic Range with accurate skin tones/color.

 

Honeslty I was considering the Ursa Mini as well, but I'm thinking I will go Sony F3 route as well

[IronFilm]

So long as you can sing "lalalala lalalala" and cover your ears as you pretend raw / slow motion (beyond 60fps that is) / 4K doesn't exist, then with a Sony F3 you're good to go for years to come!! ;-)

Oh, and its weight is a bit of a pain if you want to go with gimbal usage. But then I've got my BMPCC for that purpose. Or I suppose a person could get a Sony A7s for the same reason for when they want a gimbal shot (though an A7s costs way more than I paid for my F3 today). 

Everything else can be a niche hire/borrow scenario. 

At least for the next couple of years, then I'll likely have moved up in the world and will be able to pick up either a Sony FS7 or URSA Mini 4.6K on the cheap! ;-) Relatively speaking compared to their current prices.