Making the leap to 4K video is more exciting and affordable than any major video-format shift in recent history. Mirrorless cameras like the Panasonic GH4, Sony a7S, and Samsung NX1 offer many of the features found in larger production cameras at a significantly lower cost for ownership. Size, weight, and ease of use make the adoption of 4K even more compelling in the post-DSLR world.
This article focuses on the media cards, external recording, and on-site backup considerations of the Mirrorless 4K workflow. If you want to learn more about 4K as a format and the above mentioned cameras, be sure to check out our companion piece, The Mirrorless 4K Miracles: Panasonic GH4, Sony a7S, and Samsung NX1.
Cards for the 4K Generation
4K video (and high bit-rate HD) files are big. How big? In a recent test with the Panasonic GH4 recording Cinema 4K (4096 x 2160 @ 24fps), I consumed nearly 43GB of disk space for 1 hour of footage. Not only are these files sizable, they also require media capable of fast, continuous write speeds. Panasonic recommends using SDHC/XC cards with a UHS-I U3 rating. U3 cards guarantee a minimum write speed of 30MB/s. I’m currently using Panasonic’s own 32GB Gold Series U3 cards. These were among the first available to meet the performance demands of GH4 and write at speeds up to 45MB/s.
Another major advantage of using fast media shows up on the back end. Bringing big files into the computer takes time. If your project has you shooting and backing up on site, read speeds are certainly a factor in choosing new memory cards. SanDisk’s UHS-II line of Extreme Pro SD cards boast read speeds up to 280MB/s in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities. If your project requires a fast turnaround, these could very well be the most important component of your workflow.
External Recording
As of this writing, capturing 4K footage with the Sony a7S requires an external recorder. The Atomos Shogun was developed in tandem with the a7S and allows for UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) recording in 4:2:2/10-bit Apple ProRes or Cinema DNG. UHD 4K is a hog, weighing close to 400GB per hour. The Shogun doesn’t come preloaded with memory, so you’ll need to bring your own 2.5" hard drives or SSDs to the party. The Shogun can be configured for single disk or RAID recording, using an optional RAID caddy.
I can’t remember a time when physical hard drives were this affordable. HGST (owned and operated by Western Digital) offers 7200 rpm disks in 500GB and 1TB capacities. I’ve tested these in a RAID with the Atomos Shogun and both were more than capable of capturing UHD footage in real time. However, the physical spinning of the disks can produce a mildly annoying, high-frequency hum that could affect the audio of your shoot. Hard disks are also much more sensitive to temperature and shock, so consider your needs and the conditions in which you’ll be shooting before settling on hard disks.
For a stable, cool, and silent experience, solid-state drives are really the way to go. Prices are certainly higher than traditional hard drives of similar capacity, but the benefits are priceless. SanDisk Extreme Pro Solid-State Drives are highly efficient, sonically imperceptible, and available in 240GB, 480GB, and 960GB capacities. Faster write speeds (up to 515MB/s) means you’ll have more headroom during a shoot and speedy reads (up to 550MB/s) for significantly reduced import and backup times.
Protecting Your Content
If you record internally to your camera, carry your memory cards responsibly. Having a bunch of loose cards in your bag is a bad idea. They’re small. They’re easy to lose. I carry several Think Tank Pixel Pocket Rocket wallets. Each wallet holds nine SD cards and I mark and carry one for each camera that I’m using. If you prefer a hard-sided case, the Ruggard 8 SD Memory Card Case is a solid choice. When a card is full, use the write lock switch to ensure the safety of its content and put it away in a wallet or a case.
Using an external recorder? Treat your 2.5" hard drives and SSDs like memory cards. They shouldn’t be loose in your bag. I’ve been using a handful of affordable compact hard drive cases from Case Logic to carry disks and SSDs on location. These stack nicely and feature semi-rigid construction.
If you have the time to back up your footage on site, do it! Leaving a shoot with multiple copies of your footage is a best practice. Obviously time and subject matter don’t always lend themselves well to this—but if you treat backing up as a practice equal to shooting, you’ll add years to your life or at the very least, stand taller with the confidence of knowing your work is safe. I use LaCie’s 1TB Little Big Disk with my MacBook Pro. For smaller things, it works perfectly. For larger projects, using a stand-alone hard drive / SSD cloner offers a straightforward method to generate identical backups on site.
Summing it Up
4K is an amazing video format with many benefits for both native UHD and down-sampled HD production. Choosing the right memory cards and external recording strategies is just as important as selecting a camera. I hope this helps you get started with your next project. Should you have any questions, B&H is always an email, phone call, or live chat away.
David Flores is a photographer and filmmaker based in New York City.
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