Why 4k is great but meh too

I’ve decided from now on to record my Big G Photo YouTube videos in 4K. This isn’t for 4K’s sake, but is to achieve a higher bit rate and therefore a better quality of what is seen on YouTube.

I have two options when recording in 4K:

• Record in 4K and publish in 1080
• Record in 4K and publish in 4K

If I record in 4K and publish at 1080 I can do zoom and pan (in post) without loosing quality. This is very handy and can give a more professional look as it simulates using two camera or movement.

If I record in 4K and publish in 4K then my video will be very future proof on YouTube. The downside to 4K publishing is that the file size will be 4 times bigger and will take 4 times as long to upload.

My upload rate is about 270mb per hour, so bigger 4K files aren’t always practical to upload.

Below is my first 100mbs 4K video on YouTube:

It was intentionally short, due to my short patience with 4K uploads.

So I’m undecided if I will publish at 1080 (with a higher bit rate) or 4K. Time will tell…

Ricoh GR3 Review

As well as a YouTube channel http://youtube.com/biggphoto I have a podcast about photography called 160s Photography podcast. Some of what I do is better suited to a podcast rather than a video. It’s also easier to get content out quicker on a podcast rather than a YouTube video.

So after a few weeks with my new Ricoh GR3, I recorded a podcast episode where I reviewed the Ricoh GR3.

Due to the current Covid-19 crisis, I felt I needed to record and publish an episode on how the current coronavirus concerns have affected my photography and how they haven’t. This had to be published first as it was topical.

But finally I’ve published a review of the Ricoh GR3:

I hope to have a video review out soon at Big G Photo

You can also view more of my Ricoh GR3 related articles here:

GR3 Video quality

GR3 Unboxing and quick overview

GR3 First impressions

Viltrox EF-M2 II Review

I’m upping the bit rate of my videos. To do this I’m filming on a G7 M43 camera that I’ve had for some time. The autofocus isn’t as good as a Canon camera, but I can film in 4K on the cheap.

The problem is that I sold all my M43 lenses. I’ve got some great Canon EF glass. So I purchased a cheap speed booster. The Viltrox EF-M2 is high quality without the MetaBones prices. As you can see in the video I don’t see any performance issues with using this adapter.

See the review here:

Some sections were filmed with a GoPro in 4K while other sections were filmed with the G7 and the Viltrox EF-M2 II.

DXO One in 2020

The DXO One came out a few years ago and promised to enable smartphones to take images on par with a DSLR. Well it doesn’t do that but it does improve your smartphone photos and it is a better camera than my iPhone’s camera. I made a video review looking at this camera in 2020. I used the iPhone 6s which was probably a good camera to do the test with, as the 6s came out around the same time as the DXO One. I’m not sure the DXO One would beat the latest iPhone though. The DXO One can take images without a smartphone too.

This is a great camera for street photography and is surprisingly quick and nimble to use. It’s very discreet when used without the smartphone. Surprisingly I didn’t find this too restrictive to use.

Ricoh GRiii video quality

The Ricoh GRiii is known for its great image quality in a small compact form. These attributes make it an ideal camera for street photography. While the camera is niche, it does have standard features that you would expect to find in a digital camera.

I have done some video testing to see how good the video is.

The video quality is useable but is not better than a smartphone. I found the bit rate was low at around 20mbs.

The GRiii doesn’t have a mic input or the ability to manually adjust filming settings (it’s all auto). Available frame rates are 24p, 30p and 60p.

While the video quality isn’t super, there are some features that mean I’ll still use the video mode (on the GRiii) for some YouTubing. The macro mode (can close focus down to 6cm) feature will be used in making product review videos. I can do close up filming handheld (using the IBIS) at 60p and slow it down to 24fps in post to get smooth close up footage.

The highlight metering, built in ND filter, snap focusing and infinity focusing can all be used in video mode too.

An unboxing of the Ricoh GRiii and a quick overview

To get my thoughts out about my new Ricoh GRiii, I wrote a review in my previous post.

It does take a little time to get a video review filmed and produced and a reviewer also wants to spend a decent amount of time using the device before committing to a review.

However, I did manage to quickly film an unboxing of the Ricoh GRiii. So if you enjoy camera unboxing videos or are just keen to see what’s in the box, please enjoy the video below: