Guest d5f8611fa423d0e628c016f9d5c93b47 Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I've decided to buy a GH4. I think I should possibly buy it today, so I really need some advice. I have an insanely full month ahead - we're buying our first house next week and moving in the week after. Then it's my son's 2nd birthday the weekend after that, then the weekend after that we're getting married followed by a short honeymoon! My girlfriend has a promotion interview sometime in June too, and my family and the in-laws will be staying for the birthday and wedding. I know, I should probably scrap the GH4 idea and spend the money on drugs to help me cope. Once the dust has settled in July, I've decided to make a serious attempt at setting myself up professionally as a videographer (I've already done some paid work for community groups and private commissions over the past year or two). Plus I'd like to document my momentous month ahead as best I can (my G6 isn't my favourite stills camera, and my D5300 is impossible to use for stills with my manual glass). So I need to buy the GH4 very soon (I'll be too busy in a matter of days I think) Here's my situation: If I order the camera here in the UK before Monday (2nd June) I'll get a free battery and grip with it - not essential but I'm stretching myself to afford the camera so this would be quite handy. The big question for me is, should I do that or should I wait for a 'world camera' (i.e. no time limit and NTSC/PAL switchable) from B&H to arrive from the US. Again, this is not an essential but the GH4 seems relatively future proof and I see it fulfilling my needs for several years so I'd like it to be as versatile as possible. More seriously, it seems that there is a big difference in what can be recorded via HDMI to a Ninja in PAL vs NTSC. Anyone know more about this? The option of 10bit in the future is important to me. Anyone have any opinions on all of this? Andrew, I know you bought the US camera - I'd really appreciate your advice if you read this? By the way, I'm going to list my G6 and D5300 (with Z-Finder Jr) on ebay UK tomorrow night (Sun 1st) and possibly my Roland R26 audio recorder and Rode NTG2 mic, which I hardly ever use. I want to streamline my workflow, and using just one superb and easy to use camera with onboard sound (Rode VMP/Rode Lav) is just far too attractive to me right now. I may also sell my MonoCam CF pro (awesome Glidecam style stabiliser) as i don't use it often enough to justify keeping it. It's all in great condition. Let me know you're interested. Thanks guys :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikkor Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 You seem more worried with a 1600$ buy than with buying into the top of the housing bubble. Take an advise from a Spanish fella, that price bubble is going to burst right in your face. Don't buy a house, you are already into the "new paradigm"!!! Right now the interest rates might be close to 0, but once they climb it will be hell, specially if you loose your job because of the new economic crisis. Oh and I don't know if this exists in the UK, but in Spain a lot of people bought their houses giving as additional security their parents home so they lost both. But hey, maybe you are extremle wealthy and don't care ;) Remember: "We can always sell it with benefits, the prices will never go down" when you hear this every day from you parents,family,friends,etc... start running away. this is the equivalent to "when you hear the postman talking about investing, it's time to go out" I'm remembering it loosly. Listen to your manhood, your wife is just thinking about the furniture, the pink room for your baby,etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cantsin Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 And the camera advice: Never buy a new camera last minute for real life shooting. When you shoot something important, only use a camera that you've mastered. The new, fancy, supposedly better camera will turn into a nightmare if you aren't familiar with it and have ruined your shots with some wrong setting. Aside from that, you have two really nice cameras with the G6 and D5300. It's arguably easier to produce beautiful/rich color with the D5300 than with the GH4. It seems that you suffer from gear acquisition syndrome (GAS). A new camera won't make you a better filmmaker. Unless you know that the GH4 has some feature you really need (for example, cropping 1080p out of 4K for handheld footage stabilization), you won't need it. Take a time off this blog - it's poison for people who suffer GAS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ebrahim Saadawi Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I subscribe to the idea of shooting these eminent footage with the G6/D5300, and when you get back from your honeymoon, buy the GH4 and take your time fiddling with it, its a fiddly camera and needs a lot of tweaking to get used to! Plus, I bet your lady won't be too happy when you're spending time with your new camera on your honeymoon trying to get the best images :D Shoot with the D5300 for now, and buy the new camera when you're done and free. The D5300 image is not far from the GH4 anyway, actually you'd need extreme pixel peeping to tell them apart, the Nikon just gives a lovely image with wonderful colors. Just my advice. Congratulations on the new house, and marriage, have a good time Matt! ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronChicago Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I would go with the world version. The battery life is insane on this camera as it is. I wouldn't worry about a battery grip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest d5f8611fa423d0e628c016f9d5c93b47 Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Wow. I asked for help but got patronised with advice I didn't ask for. Don't buy the house? Jesus. Sexist comments too (she is the one who pays the bills atm, so she doesn't have time to think about furniture and she doesn't like pink). Can we stick to cameras please? And no more "GAS" nonsense. Did you guys consider the possibility I'm a reasonable, intelligent guy who had already considered the stuff you're talking about? My current system isn't working for me. Stuff is sitting in drawers. I can sell it and have a better camera. You're right about one thing though - perhaps I should spend less time on this forum. Ebrahim, thanks for your more respectful and measured reply - I have of course considered this option, and may go with it. The D5300 gives a lovely, lovely image and I will be sad to loose it (yes the colours are beautiful, but the GH4 isn't bad either!). But time is a big, big factor for me - I want to get working, and the next month will be a great time to practice shooting and get familiar with the GH4. If I am going to buy it, I'd rather do it now. Guys I understand what this may look like from the outside, but you are wrong. I don't want to spend any time on this thread justifying my decision. I've made a personal choice for my own reasons. I'm buying the GH4 (and the house, btw). Any advice related to my OP would be greatly appreciated. Thanks :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest d5f8611fa423d0e628c016f9d5c93b47 Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I would go with the world version. The battery life is insane on this camera as it is. I wouldn't worry about a battery grip. Yes good point. Is anyone else in PAL land going for the US version? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cantsin Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Wow. Can we stick to cameras please? And no more "GAS" nonsense. Did you guys consider the possibility I'm a reasonable, intelligent guy who had already considered the stuff you're talking about? My current system isn't working for me. Stuff is sitting in drawers. I can sell it and have a better camera. In other words, you didn't need our advice, and you didn't need "URGENT" help. Do whatever you want to do, but I tell you that you have GAS if you shoot important stuff with a brand new camera that you have no time to properly learn. All you wanted, it seems, is community affirmation for a buying decision that you already made. And since EOSHD is very Panasonic GH-friendly, you hoped to find it here. Wrong. Next time stop wasting our time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Andrew Reid Posted May 31, 2014 Administrators Share Posted May 31, 2014 Wow such hostile responses. Amazing. Anyway... Yes I bought mine from B&H in the US. Delivery took just 3 days and they pay the import duties up-front at the time you order it, which expedites the path through customs, pretty much guaranteeing you that 3 day delivery. Price is competitive as the Pound is quite strong vs the Dollar at the moment. Mine did not end up any more expensive than the £1299 UK price. All models are PAL / NTSC world cams even the Euro ones which are crippled for 29min. So yes B&H are absolutely the way to go if you want to avoid the crippled maximum run times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest d5f8611fa423d0e628c016f9d5c93b47 Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 In other words, you didn't need our advice, and you didn't need "URGENT" help. Do whatever you want to do, but I tell you that you have GAS if you shoot important stuff with a brand new camera that you have no time to properly learn. All you wanted, it seems, is community affirmation for a buying decision that you already made. And since EOSHD is very Panasonic GH-friendly, you hoped to find it here. Wrong. Next time stop wasting our time. I didn't ask for your advice regarding whether or not to buy it. Look at the first sentence of my first post. I wanted advice about the GH4 itself. Also who the hell do you think you are to tell me what I am or am not? You don't know anything about me. Please stop trolling my thread. I'm not wasting your time - you didn't have to answer (let alone with unrelated advice). Can we leave this please, you are the one wasting my time. John D 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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