BUYING USED
THE COMPACT OPTION
Even though it has a full-frame range, Panasonic is still pushing on with Micro Four Thirds in its GH series. These models offer decent stills and great video spec in a lightweight, compact body. The GH6 has a 25.21-megapixel sensor, dual gain output and codecs galore, with lots of 4:2:2 10-bit options as well as Apple ProRes 422 and 422 HQ recorded to the camera’s CFexpress card. That’s a seriously high-end codec choice, and the results are similarly impressive. The GH6 has a built-in cooling fan so you can record 5.7K video in ProRes without any overheating worries. It also shoots C4K at 60p in full 4:2:0 10-bit All-Intra and Long GOP, and can be used to C4K in 120fps for super slow-motion, although the codec drops to 4:2:0 10-bit. The lenses are also plentiful, compact and far more affordable than comparable full-frame options. If you want full- frame then the Panasonic S1H is a great performer with a lot of codec options, but you’ll need to budget for L-Mount glass.
CANON’S 8K BARGAIN
Canon’s EOS R5 mirrorless shoots 8K but isn’t as good for video as the R5 C despite sharing the same sensor. The C model has no overheating problems and a dual-menu system. Despite this, it hasn’t sold in anywhere near the quantities of the EOS R5 and therefore it’s more rare to find used and rather expensive to buy. In comparison, the standard Canon EOS R5 is significantly more plentiful and cheap, with amazing stills quality. It’s even possible to obtain 35-megapixel stills from the video footage. Shooting in 8K does limit the frame rate choices and runtime before overheating kicks in, but the reality is that few projects call for extended shots in 8K. The EOS R5 is actually far more useful when recording in the highest-quality 4K settings. This downsamples the 8K files for super- detailed 4K footage that’s fantastic. It will even shoot 120fps in standard 4K, which is something not many of its rivals manage. The Canon EOS R5 still has a 30-minute maximum recording time limit on all files – watch out for that.
If you’re wedded to Canon’s EF mount then it’s time to forget DSLRs and go for one of its video cameras, like the EOS C200 or C300 Mark II. The Canon C200 can record in Raw Light for incredible quality and control, but its standard 8-bit codec is not great. Its Super 35 sensor is shared with the far pricier C300
Mark II but in a much smaller and lighter body. So it has a similar ISO and dynamic range, plus all the regular pro features like dual XLR inputs and built-in ND filters. Or just go for the C300 Mark II that offers 4K DCI, 2K and Full HD internal and external recording to CFast 2.0 media, as well as 4K Raw output.
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