This is a double post I hope Chris will permit me an indulgence with as I want to test both camps as to cameras.

I have this question from an award-winning documentary film maker ( used film ) who has been out of the game for some years.

"Do you think I can stick with the sony pmw200-sony-xdcam-hd-50mbps-422-camcorder we have, or upgrade to 4k like the LUMIX Digital Single Lens Mirrorless Camera DMC-GX8? Is the gx8 broadcast quality? Are there good reasons to go 4k for broadcast or post or even blow up?"

Any opinions will be much appreciated.

There's a 30min limit to recordings on the GX8. Really bad for talking head interviews of indeterminate length. Also has no XLR inputs.

Stick to the PMW-200. Downgrading to a consumer camera just for 4K is a very bad move. The cooling on consumer cameras also won't hold up to long interviews too.

There currently really isn't a camera in the 4K space that balances storage requirements and quality for long form interviews at this point. Wait till Sony unveils XAVC-L 10bit 4:2:2 4K format cameras that actually record to that specific format in 4K and not XAVC-L 8bit 4:2:0 in 4K. (XAVC-I 4K is still a space hog for longform video)

Do you really need 4K for oral history interviews? If not, I'd highly recommend the FS100 and a fast 85mm prime lens. Great image quality, nice cinematic shallow DoF, a good viewfinder, XLR inputs for audio, and the cameras are really inexpensive now.

I just setup a client with this camera for doing long-form oral history interviews and they are loving it and getting some really nice results --- much better looking than anything that could be done with a 1/2" PMW-200.

I wouldn't want to use the FS100 for run & gun or other types of shooting, but for sit-down interviews it is perfect solution . . . if you don't need 4K. If you do need 4K, then look at something like the FS5 or FS7 with a nice fast prime lens.

Jack and Doug.


Thank you for your responses. I have passed them on. The project as I understand it is to be a follow-up to this one which premiered in 1993.

Exile and The Kingdom Part 1 | IsumaTV (http://www.isuma.tv/yindjibarndi/exile-and-the-kingdom-part-1)

Exile and The Kingdom Part 2 | IsumaTV (http://www.isuma.tv/yindjibarndi/exile-and-the-kingdom-part-2)