Why shoot 4K ?

[Bamboopictures]

After poo-poohing 4K for the better part of the year, this old dog finally saw the light!
4K is GREAT! 4K is INDISPENSABLE for HD delivery. My epiphany only landed when I was editing footage from 6 cameras mounted on the same tripod aimed at different parts of a large stage. The whole exercise was just painful and silly. Essentially, I was cropping in optically when I could do it easily in post if only I had shot 4K.
After that gig, I wised up and got myself an AX100 and I couldn't be happier.
No more following a subject on a stage. No more stopped down close-ups. In fact, no more manning a static position!
For staged presentations, 4K literally cut the ball and chain. Just shoot 4K in locked down master shot and off you go for better close-ups of audiences, speakers, etc. OMO. Stress-free.
In post, 4K allows for zooms, pans and tilts after-the-fact. Wished I thought of that earlier.
My first outing with the AX100 (all frontal stage shots are from the AX100)
[video=youtube_share;b2VGCsDXRyg]https://youtu.be/b2VGCsDXRyg[/video]

 

[JacePhoto]

I agree w you Rodney. It's an awesome feeling like shooting in 50 megapixel picture knowing you have more than enough resolution when you crop. Am still figuring out the different profile and LUTS. Trying to optimise the bit depth for my learning video journey.

 

[pettypoh]

yeap, definitely a big plus for your use =)

 

[Bamboopictures]

Totally agree! I guess I was blindsided initially by thinking only from the quality standpoint (Do clients ask for 4K?) and not thinking hard enough about shooting PROCESS. (One 4K angle = infinite composition possiblities)

 

[JacePhoto]

Hi Rodney,

Any tips to optimise 4K? Haha

 

[Bamboopictures]

Hi Rodney,

Any tips to optimise 4K? Haha

I'm still learning too. But I tend to play safe with focusing with shorter focal length and smaller aperture.
But this video has proven tremendously helpful if you want to shoot S-log
[video=youtube;U-HrXmRqpME]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-HrXmRqpME[/video]

 

[kandinsky]

Welcome to the 4K converts club. ;p I also didn't believe until I tried it. Flexibility in post is a very practical use for single-shooters. Great for interviews too. Midshot to closeup in a single shot. :thumbsup:

The other bonus is being able to pull usable 8mp stills if needed.

My only complain with it on a GH4 is that it becomes an approx 2.3x crop.

 

[pettypoh]

i shot 1080p during a recent holiday .. and still managed to get stills out that's good enough for facebook (which is where 9 out of 10 of my friends and relatives go to see holiday photos)

4k will be so useful (no need ask the kids to stand still anymore hahaha)

 

[RyanKhoo]

In post, 4K allows for zooms, pans and tilts after-the-fact. Wished I thought of that earlier.

I have been saying this for a while in the m4/3 forum when I said I wanted a 4K function for the GX8 but have always been ridiculed by many members thinking that I am fool by telling and asking whether I know that the video player is only 1080 ... :bsmilie: :dunno:

I am glad you answered it here, Rodney ! Words from you are golden ! :bsmilie:

Cheers

 

[pettypoh]

i just watched the goglobal video -- surprisingly, didnt get bored haha (coz my impression of typical corporate videos are zzzz), i think it's coz of the cuts and motions at strategic points during the video *thumbs up*

 

[pettypoh]

[video=youtube;tXpXHoDKL64]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXpXHoDKL64[/video]
just gopro 4k already can look this good, imagine what you can do with the even better 4k cameras

 

[hamanoshun]

TBH, 4K is more forgiving for low budget single camera shooters.

The frame still looks the same as it is nothing more than a punch-in, which may not be discerned quite as closely by clients. But from the viewpoint of a DP, I feel it's better to have a complementing angle on the b-cam rather than just a straight up punch-in.

But then again, as I've mentioned, it's for low-budget single camera shooters. So for that, clients don't really have an avenue to complain.

I personally would never do a 4K punch-in. I would just persuade the client to add 200 to 300 bucks for a b-cam, just so I can have a nicer looking complementing angle which in turn will produce a nicer looking image and higher production quality.

My2C