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I love having video on my m43 bodies. I don't do anything commercial or arty with it, but my other hobby is fishkeeping and having the capacity to film my fish to show other hobbyists is great.
I'm a yes - not from a commercial aspect, from a usability aspect. As I already am carrying a high quality camera (e-m1) and it's lenses, my action camera, tablet, chargers, cables, batteries etc, there is an advantage in space & weight of not having to carry an additional, dedicated, video camera to film the kids frolicking on the beach. It's not like i'm after pro quality video just something for home movies.
That said it would be great if Olympus improved the quality of video on the E-M1, but maybe there is a hardware limitation that a firmware update can't overcome.
If having video, therefore selling more and keeping the unit price down, then it's worth having.
I wonder if there will ever come a day when you download a firmware with the features that you want
Sony already do that with some of their cameras via their app-style marketplace for PlayMemories Camera Apps. I'm not personally convinced because they charge for some apps and some of these chargeable apps are for functionality that is standard on rival cameras.
I'm a yes - not from a commercial aspect, from a usability aspect. As I already am carrying a high quality camera (e-m1) and it's lenses, my action camera, tablet, chargers, cables, batteries etc, there is an advantage in space & weight of not having to carry an additional, dedicated, video camera to film the kids frolicking on the beach. It's not like i'm after pro quality video just something for home movies.
That said it would be great if Olympus improved the quality of video on the E-M1, but maybe there is a hardware limitation that a firmware update can't overcome.
I think it is realistic to expect 24p and 25p frame rates to be added via a firmware update in time as this doesn't appear to necessarily be technically difficult. Whether Olympus will deliver it is another question but 50p and 60p require a hardware enhancement that only the E-M5 Mark II has.
Sony already do that with some of their cameras via their app-style marketplace for PlayMemories Camera Apps. I'm not personally convinced because they charge for some apps and some of these chargeable apps are for functionality that is standard on rival cameras.
Ian
That's interesting! I'm certain that I would not want to pay more for firmware with less functionality, but would be willing to buy extra functionality that was of use to me. Much like buying Studio 2 all those years ago.
I have voted for keeping video, for one reason only - my family and friends all expect my camera to have it, and when they say "quick, quick you've got your camera - get a video of me doing this" I don't want to say "actually I can't with this camera, just let me get my phone out - oh, you've fallen off".
So whilst not my normal use for a camera, just occasionally that little red button does come into it's own. I'm hoping that someday given my family and friends antics it will pay for itself via "you've been framed".
I started out a couple of years ago being totally uninterested in having a video facility on any of my still cameras but since I've had the E-M1, I have used the facility a lot.
I really like having the movie and time lapse facilities and since starting to use it, I am enjoying it more and more.
I even went out and bought a Rode microphone and this coupled with the E-M1 is capable of producing some very good quality results indeed.
Horses for courses I know but it can be a very useful and creative option to have in camera.
Is the technology required for still and video performance pulling in the same direction, or is video hindering still performance in any way?
I do not know the answer to this but it is something I wonder about as well along with the fact that development time and money is spent on video which I personally would prefer is spent on stills.
Of course I fully acknowledge all the commercial arguments on this and in that respect the question is superfluous as not just the battle but the war, clearly rather overstating things here, are well both and truly lost.
As a customer I am assuming that the commercial realities of including video actually help to produce a better stills camera by virtue of greater sales. I do not have any evidence of that so assertions that this is the case have to be treated as theories only until proven.
OK I'm now moving on from this
Hec
I've worked hard to be this grumpy. It hasn't been easy at times but it's worth it.
Is the technology required for still and video performance pulling in the same direction, or is video hindering still performance in any way?
I don't think so. Video is fundamentally a sequence of lower resolution stills shot at a relatively fast frame rate.
Let me use the same analogy I used before, does shooting JPEGs hinder the production of RAW files?
There are so many better things to think about than this in my view. Video is here, it has no impact on stills quality, it's not going away and nobody is forcing you to use it.
I am just trying to imagine what the Olympus engineers who worked on the E-M5 Mark II would think (maybe even are thinking) about this discussion
I am just trying to imagine what the Olympus engineers who worked on the E-M5 Mark II would think (maybe even are thinking) about this discussion
Ian
Ian, Perhaps it would cheer them up to hear that I have pre-ordered my E-M5 Mark II having seen for myself it's video capability. It is breathtaking.
At this moment on my other computer I am editing commercial video for the NHS which integrates footage from my Sony video camera and my E-M5 (the framerate issue is a bugger). I am just using the time as it renders out at 720p from my editor. So I am at work!
Video pays for my camera purchases (and food). So I care that Olympus have treated video seriously.
Why was the E-M5 Mark II breathtaking? We were shooting at 150 on the 40-150 handheld and it was though we had a very high cost rig or lightweight tripod. No wonder film-makers are preordering! Olympus lenses handheld on a video camera at proper frame rates, wow!
Why not drop all the ART filters as well, I'm sure there a bunch of people who don't use them. Oh and go back to a black and white sensor for its superior properties.
As Ian as pointed out "video is fundamentally a sequence of lower resolution stills shot at a relatively fast frame rate"... but only because the technology does not yet allow high resolution stills shot at a fast frame rate. Improvements in sensor readout speed for video will surely have a positive impact on stills performance in terms of buffering and focus tracking.
Most used: EM5i + 12-200mm, In briefcase: E-PM2 + 12-42mmEZ
Film Kit OM4Ti + Vivitar Series 1 (OM fit ) 28-105mm F/2.8-3.8, Sigma III (OM fit) 75-200mm F/2.8-3.5, Vivitar Series 1 (OM fit) 100-500mm, Zuiko 50mm F/1.2
Learn something new every day
I think if the Administrators could close this thread without causing offence they probably would. It seems any form of discussion on here that does not support the views of Olympus or the individual products is now frowned upon.
The thread was initiated by Graham, a long standing and very well respected member of the forum and has prompted a variety of interesting views and opinions regarding video being desirable or not in the latest cameras.
Whether Olympus engineers who worked on the E-M5 Mark II agree with the views expressed is irrelavent IMHO as this is supposed to be a forum to discuss and exchange views and opinions regarding Olympus E-System products and equipment and as such, is always going to attract a percentage of negative opinion on any particular subject. If we are now going to be encouraged to post only positive opinions regarding any subject which effects Olympus and its products then the forum has a very limited future ahead.
John
What makes you think we would want to close this thread just because some of the opinions posted differ from our own? And what makes you think we would care about any offence caused if we felt there was good reason to close a thread? You obviously feel strongly about being able to express your own opinion, but don't we mods and admins get to express our opinions too?
John
"A hundredth of a second here, a hundredth of a second there � even if you put them end to end, they still only add up to one, two, perhaps three seconds, snatched from eternity." ~ Robert Doisneau
I voted no, until I read post 16. The idea of video capability reducing unit cost through sales has made me change my mind and I'm a Yes now.
Panasonic seem to do video rather better than Olympus at the moment. Do we feel that their cameras are intrinsically worse than ours because of this? Certainly my second had Pany G6 gives great stills, I've never tried any of my cameras on video, but maybe I should give it a go?
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