For a lot of us in the commercial production biz we don’t need 4K. It’s more resolution than I need. I don’t need to reframe my shots in post and I only need to deliver in HD. My work has a short shelf life so shooting and editing in 4K just doesn’t make sense for the added time and storage needs that working in 4K adds. I think it’s important to rationalize with yourself to make the right decisions on the formats you shoot and deliver. This is how I came to pick the right tools for my work. I hope you do the same. Don’t follow because it’s the newest thing out. This thinking WILL get you in the poor house and only add more barriers to you as a professional.
So what does this have to do with consumers shooting 4K? Here is why. 4K needs to be in the hands of the moms and dads more so than the pros. In order to get those big new 4K monitors in homes the content has to be available. In the US it’s not going to happen anytime soon with the big broadcasters and cable as we know it wont be able to deliver it either any time soon. Sony and RED have things in the works outside traditional delivery but again this will be very limited for some time.
It got me thinking. Sony announced the new FDR-AX1 Digital 4K Video Camera Recorder This camera retails for under $5000. Thats pretty darn cheap for new technology! The higher end Model is the Sony PXW-Z100 retails for $6500. These are very inexpensive if you put it in perspective. The Sony F55 cost $28,990.00 and that’s just the body alone. Add a boat load to that for a working kit. Now of coarse these are three very different cameras but as you see the price tells you who theses cameras are for. I think this is only the beginning of the 4K evolution and manufacturers want non-pros to get in. We will see more manufaturers coming out with affordable UltraHD cameras very soon
So how are they going to do this? The same way they did with HD when it first came out. Remember HDV? I do. This compressed format made it possible to shoot HD on miniDV tape. That was huge! I would shoot in HD. Edit in HD and make DVD’s that looked amazing in standard definition and also have an HD master. I see the same thing happening with 4K but at a much faster pace. I think people will be motivated to watch what the shoot in 4K instead of HD. Technology is moving super fast these days, and computers are more powerful and compression is getting really good. When 4K files are close to HD file sizes moms and dads will be shooting birthday parties and graduations in 4K and editing it in iMovie 4K. Then watching it on that shinny huge 4K monitor they bought at Costco. It’s going to happen sooner than you think, and when it does I will be shooting my son going off to college with my new 4K Handycam way before I’m watching professional content provided by the studios and broadcast.
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