A6000 or RX10II? aps-c vs 1" but both with xavc-s/420/8bit

[Rob Katz]

i have been a sony shooter for years->pd150->ex1->fs100->fs700

i have a buddy who has a fs7 and is someone i enjoy working with.

but there are also situations where i need something small for either b roll or a VERY non-intimaditing interview set-up.

most of these projects will be distributed on client websites.

i have been drawn to the A6000, in part for the $400 price, and also it's access to xavc-s and it's lovely aps-c sensor.

(i really wish audio in was an option-and yes, erik naso's insights do offer a solution)

i also have several e mount adaptors and manual focus lenses for use with the a6000 from my time with the fs100/fs700.

and then there is the rx10ii offering only a 1" chip but also an intro to 4k and full access to audio in/headphone monitoring.

a6000/$400 or rx10ii/$800?

both have xavc-s/420/8bit which if exposed properly can produce a quality image.

(yes-what i REALLY want is a blackmagic pocket with pro res/4k/10/bit and sound inputs but that camera doesn't exist!)

i look forward to the collective wisdom of those who care to share.

be well.

rob
smalltalk.productions

[Jay Massengill]

I haven't seen the DSC-RX10 II for that low a price, is it really available new for $800?

Do you currently have a good method for recording double-system sound?

Are the situations you envision shooting in easily accomplished with double-system sound or does it need to be more mobile and/or you're working with a limited number of people and double-system sound would add too much work load versus good in-camera audio with monitoring?

[Rob Katz]

jay-

thanks for the reply and the thoughtful questions.

the $800 was the trending used price.

i have used double system sound and though it can be a pain, good results are achievable.

crew size varies and some of the use for this particular camera would be me as a one-person band or with a newbie pa type.

in deciding upon the aps-c sized a6000 limited by 1080pm and the 1" sensor of the rx10ii with fixed lens, i went a third route and purchased a heavily discounted black friday panasonic dmc-g7 w/14-42 kit lens.

though the g7 doesn't have headphone monitoring like the a6000, it does have a mic input as does the rx10ii (which does allow for headphone monitoring).

the g7 sensor is bigger than the 1" but smaller than the aps-c (but with a speed booster allow similar field of view and light as an aps-c sensor).

and lastly, the g7 is my first entre into 4k which the a6000 doesn't do but the rx10ii does.

all produce images in an 8bit/420 color space.

and the sony products do over a better codec with avxc-s.

the g7 does offer clean 8bit/422 out the hdmi to an external recorder.

it was hard for me to say no to a near $400 buy-in price.

be well.

rob
smalltalk.productions

[Pete Cofrancesco]

I was at Best Buy tonight checking out cameras, with the a6000 on the top of my list. At first I was blown away how small and light and high quality these cameras are. I was thinking of getting a6000 for gimbal work which I still think it would be excellent for but there few things that turned me off.
1. It's body is a thin box with edges that doesn't feel great in the hand.
2. The variable aperture of the kit lens is annoying. In manual mode the exposure changes dramatically every time you're wide open and zoom in. You'd need to run it in auto iso.
3. The metal aperture dial is hard to turn making a clicking sound the mic would pick up and shaking the camera. The dials sharp edge digs into your thumb. An hour later its still bothering me.
4. The Lcd doesn't flip out horizontally.
Despite all that the image quality is great auto focus is fast smart and accurate. You really get a lot for the price.

Surprisingly I really enjoyed RX III the controls and ergonomics were better. Despite being bigger it felt light and I liked it had an aperture ring on the lens.

I also took to the gh4. Touch screen, ergonomics, controls and nice fixed aperture with good range 14mm-55.

You can read all the specs you want but ease of use can be overlooked.

While I liked the rxIII and Gh4 both are significantly more expensive than the A6000

[Jay Massengill]

There are some incredible prices on the G7 right now. Let us know how it works out.

Do you have any type of XLR audio interface that can be used with it?

Pete, did you get any chance to also compare the G7 to the other cameras in question?

I don't have any Four Thirds equipment and don't need 4K yet. Since I still have my collection of vintage Nikon glass I got a D5500 mid year and have been very satisfied with that so far for 1920x1080 in both 30P and 60P. All in static situations, like teleprompted talking heads, seated interviews and some macro and long-telephoto nature videos.

The 24-megapixel stills are very good too and I think I would have a very difficult time not having an optical viewfinder for stills, which I shoot a lot of.

But the prices, size and performance of all makes of cameras these days are truly amazing.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Everyone's needs are different. I didn't look at the G7 because I like interchangeable lens and larger sensor. But I know its a popular camera. The retractable lens makes it convenient because it fits in your pocket. That portability is great but not something I need.

[Rob Katz]

it is slightly odd that i ended up with the g7.

i spent LOADS of time looking at the gh4 when it was first released.

i never loved the images it produced-a bit video-y for me-especially in 30p.

but then folks started to "work" the image through camera settings and post-work and the images from the panasonic cameras can be very lovely.

as mentioned, i was a sony guy living in aps-c land.

but i never loved the sony color science especially where skin tones were involved.

so i sold all of my sony camera bodies, kept all the e-mount adapters, have a 1/2 dozen go-to manual focus lenses and hope the move to the g7 will produce an unobtrusive interview camera when needed.

as for audio, i have the tascam dr60d recorder and several powered plug-in devices that allow an xlr mic to be used with a 3.5mm input.

(i also would hop on the newly released zoom f4 if the curcumstances warranted an upgrade)

it is almost silly to think that for the past 25yrs i have run a small media production company that bills clients $xxxk per year for 6-12 media projects per year and yet i made a move to the g7 because it was 1/2 price of when it was initially released.

(if only the ergos and quality control made me feel more confident about using blackmagic cameras)

then again, if the gh5 is better than the gh4, the g7 can be a lovely 2nd camera and i will have already found a way into 4k without totally changing my eco-system.

risk = reward?

i think so!

be well.

rob
smalltalk.productions