#OVERHEATING

Something that I did not consider when thinking about my next camera: overheating.

My current work horse is the Panasonic GH5.

And I believe this camera has spoiled me rotten.

The camera can record 4K60 in hot weather. As I live in California, the weather can reach well above 100 degrees in the summer time. Usually, the temperature is around 75-85 degrees.

My typical videos are all about golf and golfing. Which means I am literally outside and in the elements. I've shot in the rain and I've shot in the blistering heat.

And not once did the GH5 shutdown on me. I have never seen a temperature warning on the GH5. The SONY RX100 V on the other hand is a different story.

The SONY really can't record in 4K for a long time. Actually, it typically doesn't go over the 5 minute mark. However, in 1080p, the camera does not struggle with overheating. But these days, it's about image quality and 4K is the future whether people like it or not. Pretty soon 8K television will be on the horizon.

So looking at the 1DX Mark II from CANON, I have to wonder - the 4K60 comes at a cost. And that cost is huge. I've been doing research and reading lots of articles on the 1DX Mark II and from what I've read is that the camera is superb but for video shooters, there are some hoops to go through.

1. Recording time limit

You can only record up to 29 minutes and 59 seconds. Something that the GH5 laughs at. The Panasonic will literally record until it whether runs out of battery or the memory card(s) run out of space.

2. File size

Motion JPEG is a huge file format. The reason why CANON went with this format is so that the person behind the camera can extract high quality photos from the video it takes. But with that comes a cost. If you want to record in 4K60, it's 6.4 gigs per minute. That means a 256GB card will only give you about 40 minutes.

Golf usually takes a lot longer than 40 minutes. We typically play for up to 3 hours at a time. So if I wanted to match 3 hours or 180 minutes, I would need FIVE 256GB CFAST 2.0 cards. The cheapest cards I've found is $258 a pop.

Which means the memory cards alone will set me back $1290.

Currently I don't ever go over the two 128GB SANDISK UHS-I cards that I have. And they only cost $65 each. Although I don't shoot at the highest output the GH5 has to offer. But it's good enough. So it's $1290 vs $130.

Advantage: Panasonic GH5

3. Crop factor

I might be wrong with what I'm about to say but here goes.

The CANON has a 1.3x crop factor. Which means it does not use the full size of the sensor. Meaning whatever lens you are using, multiple that by 1.3. What does this mean? It means that if you are switching between video and photos, you will need to adjust the focal length to achieve the same "look".

With the Panasonic, there is a crop but it's actually a bit like the other way around, it uses the full size of the sensor but it crops it down from 5K resolution to 4K resolution. So the image quality is actually better.

However by default you have a 2x crop factor when using a micro 4/3 camera compared to the full frame. So the focal length is multiplied by 2. So 12-35mm lens is actually a 24-70mm equivalent when comparing to the full frame cameras.

But I like how the Panasonic does it. CANON doesn't use the full size of the sensor - why? Wouldn't that yield better image quality?

But even with all of that being said, I would still give CANON the edge because a full frame is way bigger than a micro 4/3 sensor so while the 4K is cropped coming out of the CANON, the quality is probably better in low light situations. I think if the scenario is outdoors and there is plenty of sun, the quality will be about the same but the bigger sensor will still give better depth of field and better dynamic range.

Advantage: CANON 1DX Mark II

So what does this mean?

It means that I can live with the 29 minutes and 59 seconds recording limit, I just have to be mindful of the recording time and make sure I leave plenty of time to get the shot I need.

However the size of the movie files is really a problem. That is a huge problem because of the size and the MONEY that I will need to shell out to get the equivalent recorded time compared when comparing the CANON to the Panasonic. The Panasonic is MUCH more affordable when it comes to all the other things, not to mention size and weight and the lens.

Just something to think about.

#canon #panasonic #camera #dslr #mirrorless #micro43 #4K60 #4Kvideo #cropfactor #memorycards #cfast20 #overheating #overheat #sony #rx100v #gh5 #1dxmarkii