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Film Your Hunt: Is 4K Overrated?

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    Film Your Hunt: Is 4K Overrated?

    This is a continuation of the series I started a couple of weeks ago on YouTube for those that want to start filming their hunts for the web, and specifically YouTube.


    Five Reasons Why You Should Shoot 1080 Instead of 4K

    [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1viVlPHXF0"]Filming Your Hunt...Is 4K Video Overrated? 5 Reasons Why You Should Shoot 1080 for YouTube - YouTube[/ame]
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    #2
    Very informative. Thanks for sharing. I recently bought a new camcorder for HD video, Sony CX405. I look forward to better footage.

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      #3
      Good info

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        #4
        All good points Mike but have to disagree. Been in the video editing business for over 20 years. Standard back then was 720 x 480 then 1280 x 720 now 1920 x 1080. It won't be long before 4K is standard and 1080 will be old school. If you are going to make a big purchase such as a camera, operating system and software, I would recommend getting the best you can get. Otherwise you will be shopping for new gear in a year or two to keep up with the norm. Things move very fast in the digital world. Just my opinion of course.

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          #5
          Originally posted by spro View Post
          All good points Mike but have to disagree. Been in the video editing business for over 20 years. Standard back then was 720 x 480 then 1280 x 720 now 1920 x 1080. It won't be long before 4K is standard and 1080 will be old school. If you are going to make a big purchase such as a camera, operating system and software, I would recommend getting the best you can get. Otherwise you will be shopping for new gear in a year or two to keep up with the norm. Things move very fast in the digital world. Just my opinion of course.
          Yes and No,

          My clients are asking for smaller files that are less than half of what I can deliver. Unless you are a pro, I would stick with 1080 or below, especially if you are viewing on the web.

          You can always shoot in 4k and save to lower quality, but can't go from 1080 to 4k.

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            #6
            There has to be a point of diminishing return. If phones aren't rapidly going to 4k screens, and that is where content is being consumed, will the need for a move to 4K be as significant as other past jumps in resolution?

            4K is best suited, or at least best enjoyed on the largest of screens. That's not a phone.
            Last edited by Casey; 01-15-2020, 02:24 PM.

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              #7
              Originally posted by Casey View Post
              There has to be a point of diminishing return. If phones aren't rapidly going to 4k screens, and that is where content is being consumed, will the need for a move to 4K be as significant as other past jumps in resolution?

              4K is best suited, or at least best enjoyed are the largest of screens. That's not a phone.
              100% agree, produce to the viewing device. I shoot in 6k/4k b cam 99% of the time, because downscaling is easy if I know my project is gonna be primarily viewed on a phone or tablet.

              I've never filmed a hunt, but I do love the fact that if I shoot in 4K, I can punch in without losing quality as much as if I had shot in 1080. Do you ever run into that issue?

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                #8
                Originally posted by spro View Post
                All good points Mike but have to disagree. Been in the video editing business for over 20 years. Standard back then was 720 x 480 then 1280 x 720 now 1920 x 1080. It won't be long before 4K is standard and 1080 will be old school. If you are going to make a big purchase such as a camera, operating system and software, I would recommend getting the best you can get. Otherwise you will be shopping for new gear in a year or two to keep up with the norm. Things move very fast in the digital world. Just my opinion of course.
                Take my response with a grain of salt since I know nothing about cameras. I do agree with this response though. Get the best you can afford at the time is my logic with fast moving technologies. My example is that I spend more money then I should have on a 1080p TV in 2006 but I had it for almost 13 years. My buddies told me I was crazy spending that much money on it in 06 but in the subsequent 13 years they spent over double that amount buying TV's during the same period. Granted there for the back half of those 13 years they had a better TV than I did but they had a bunch more money and IMO (I put a high premium on my time) more importantly time researching/purchasing it.

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by spro View Post
                  All good points Mike but have to disagree. Been in the video editing business for over 20 years. Standard back then was 720 x 480 then 1280 x 720 now 1920 x 1080. It won't be long before 4K is standard and 1080 will be old school. If you are going to make a big purchase such as a camera, operating system and software, I would recommend getting the best you can get. Otherwise you will be shopping for new gear in a year or two to keep up with the norm. Things move very fast in the digital world. Just my opinion of course.
                  That'll be covered in the followup!

                  Future proofing your gear is always a good idea, and I agree with getting the best you can afford. However, I still think that most people filming hunting videos for the web - and especially those just getting started - should currently shoot in 1080 instead of 4k, even if their camera is capable of 4k. Of course, anybody shooting professionally or doing client projects would want to shoot in the highest resolution possible. But at this moment, I contend that most people would be unable to efficiently edit a 5-10 minute YT video in 4K with their existing computer equipment.

                  Things do move very fast in the digital world, including downward price pressure. A few years ago you couldn't purchase a 4k camera for under $1500. Today you can purchase the 4k version of the Panasonic we discussed for around $700 and who knows where it will be when 4k becomes the "standard?" Would you be money ahead buying 1080 now and buying another camera when 1080 is obsolete over being an early adopter of 4k a couple of years ago? Does the fact that mobile consumption of video content is increasing rather than decreasing change how quickly 1080 might become obsolete?
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                    #10
                    Originally posted by oneisnone View Post

                    I've never filmed a hunt, but I do love the fact that if I shoot in 4K, I can punch in without losing quality as much as if I had shot in 1080. Do you ever run into that issue?
                    Also covered in the follow up.
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                      #11
                      Originally posted by Fordnandez View Post
                      Take my response with a grain of salt since I know nothing about cameras. I do agree with this response though. Get the best you can afford at the time is my logic with fast moving technologies. My example is that I spend more money then I should have on a 1080p TV in 2006 but I had it for almost 13 years. My buddies told me I was crazy spending that much money on it in 06 but in the subsequent 13 years they spent over double that amount buying TV's during the same period. Granted there for the back half of those 13 years they had a better TV than I did but they had a bunch more money and IMO (I put a high premium on my time) more importantly time researching/purchasing it.
                      Originally posted by oneisnone View Post
                      100% agree, produce to the viewing device. I shoot in 6k/4k b cam 99% of the time, because downscaling is easy if I know my project is gonna be primarily viewed on a phone or tablet.

                      I've never filmed a hunt, but I do love the fact that if I shoot in 4K, I can punch in without losing quality as much as if I had shot in 1080. Do you ever run into that issue?
                      I want to elaborate a little on this. One of the purposes of this video is to get people to think about which features are important and which might require additional consideration. I think 4k is a nice to have option, but as I mentioned in a previous video, I think other features (zoom, low light performance, high frame rate options, articulating screen) are more important than having 4k. When I started shooting 4k with my A7Sii, I realized VERY quickly that my existing editing computer wasn't enough and spent $3500 to self-build an editing machine that would handle it. For the guy wanting to start filming and editing hunts on a budget, that's a critical part of the equation. (I plan to address editing with proxies as an alternative in a future video.)

                      I sometimes shoot 4k so I can punch in on the subject (or add motion), but for most of my hunting footage, and especially the actual shot on the animal, I'd rather shoot at a high frame rate (typically 60fps) for smooth slow motion than at 4k at a lower frame rate that I can punch in. I'm excited about newer cameras that offer 60 or 120 fps @ 4K, but right now those aren't budget friendly cameras.

                      4K is more important to me on my fixed lens action cameras (Osmos, Gopro, etc) that I use as a secondary camera than on my primary for the reasons mentioned above.
                      Last edited by Michael; 01-15-2020, 04:46 PM.
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                        #12
                        The ability to crop in on 4k is definitely handy especially if you're self filming. Since you don't have a cameraman, shooting 4k allows you to leave the camera zoomed out a little more if you have a moving animal, but still retain fairly high quality if you pinch it in in post-production. This way you're not as likely to have the animal walk out of frame entirely if you're pulled in tight on the focal range, or if the animal is way off to the side of the frame, you can pull it in to make them look more centered as well for a better shot.

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                          #13
                          I am in no way savy on the tech talk, but I know that I have learned a lot from the threads here on TBH over videoing. I have never filmed any hunts besides some of my recent goofing arounds on my cell phone. I am extremely excited to be "back in the swing of hunting" and I cant wait to get a camera and start filming. Not so much to win any popular vote or following, but for my kids to be able to look back on our adventures some day. So thank you to all of yall who share your knowledge its greatly appreciated.
                          YIS, M.Luna

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                            #14
                            Originally posted by M.LUNA View Post
                            I am in no way savy on the tech talk, but I know that I have learned a lot from the threads here on TBH over videoing. I have never filmed any hunts besides some of my recent goofing arounds on my cell phone. I am extremely excited to be "back in the swing of hunting" and I cant wait to get a camera and start filming. Not so much to win any popular vote or following, but for my kids to be able to look back on our adventures some day. So thank you to all of yall who share your knowledge its greatly appreciated.
                            YIS, M.Luna
                            Do it for this reason alone. Oh, don't think youtube will be here in 30 years for them to check out the clips from their childhood. When you get a final version, make sure you tuck it away safely...in multiple locations.

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                              #15
                              Film Your Hunt: Is 4K Overrated?

                              I've been filming my hunts by some sorts since 2008 and I classify myself as a hunting video backyard hack.. I know just enough to put some stuff together and make it watchable. You sold me on going 1080 again with a larger sensor for better low light photos this time with the last two videos. My current camcorder is a 1080 and I like how it performs in general but I'm gonna jump up a level with the bigger sensor/lens. Great info for folks getting into it as well.

                              If I ever jump into it large enough to consider 4K and the extra equipment/resources it requires I'll do it all at once. Until then, I'll enjoy doing it on a low-mid range budget with a new 1080 camcorder, new laptop and 2TB external drive. 2 out of those 3 are already bought so I can't change it now. I'm gonna roll with it.



                              Thanks again for the follow up Michael.
                              Last edited by Smart; 01-15-2020, 06:11 PM.

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