Which cameras have true unlimited recording?

I'm helping a friend who plans on doing longer style lifestyle videos and wants a camera that doesn't have recording limites and can shoot in 4k/30p.  So the camera will shoot however long the battery will last or room on memory card.  

Can you help me out please?  

Thank you

There used to be a 30 minute limit on the length of time a camera could record a video, but that's gone now. The only problem now is that cameras left on for long periods tend to overheat and shut down on their own.

Your best bet would be a camcorder.

For longer than 30 minutes you are going to need a good video camera, if the completed video must absolutely be one single video shoot, but videos aren't usually made like that. They are usually made from many short video files, each one a scene of the final video.

Many high end digital still cameras will do a great job, but they are limited to 30 minutes (actually slightly less) single video file recording time, but very rarely do you need longer than this if making an actual movie. It is made up of many short videos (scenes) and each scene is created as a short video file. Then they get spliced together in the video editor to create a long video from many (sometimes thousands of ) short scene videos. You should look further into video and film production to learn how Hollywood makes movies. If you have a still camera with 4 K/30 video capability and are at the 29.9- time limit, you can also restart the camera as soon as it stops, thereby beginning a 2nd video file for the additional time needed, but keep in mind also that a 64 gig memory card is going to be near full after recording 30 minutes of video at 4K/30. That's a huge file to work with, but it's possible in video editing to join two of these files to make a nearly 1 hour video. My question is, are you certain that you want to do this?

The camera that I use for what I do is a Canon 77D with usually a wide angle zoom lens and a dual battery extension.  It is in a Small Rig cage with usually a Rode Shotgun mic attached. A 7" Lilliput live view display is also attached. I have a Zoom H1N audio recorder attached to the cage for backup audio too. But sometimes the Rode mic is exchanged for a wireless mic system. Primary audio is recorded on the camera, but I have the Zoom H1N audio in case of primary audio failure. Short blank screens are less serious than loss of audio, so backup audio is quite necessary. You splice the scene audio files together at the same time you are joining the video files.

Do I use a scene board and clapper? Yes. The scene board showing at the beginning of each scene helps keep track of each scene sequence and helps avoid using out takes. These short lead and trailing sections get trimmed off as the final video is assembled. The clapper noise helps synchronize the main and backup audio files so that audio clips of backup audio can be inserted later to replace any bad or missing main audio spots.

The primary use for my camera setup so far has been short health food commercials made nearly entirely in my studio under 8 GVM bi-color LED light panels arranged in sort-of a wide U fashion around the table. These are all attached to the studio ceiling lighting grid and power for all comes from electric outlets above on the ceiling, so no light stands or cables are on the floor (a strong safety consideration). This provides near shadow free light for an area about the size of an 8' banquet table with a few people sitting/standing behind it. The lighting result is much like that of a TV Newsroom The exception to these camera created video files is screens of text created on a photo editor and then made into a still video long enough for a person to read the text. These get made into short digital video files to be merged into the main video during editing. 

Are you still convinced that you need a camera with longer than 30 minute video recording time?  

Charley

CharleyL wrote: ... but they are limited to 30 minutes (actually slightly less) single video file recording time ...

Actually, that was the result of a tariff placed on video cameras by the EU. The tariff applied to any camera that could record videos of 30 minutes or longer. Still camera manufacturers got around that by limiting the length of recorded videos to approximately 29 minutes.

That tariff has expired, and newer cameras no longer have that limitation, though many older models still do.

TCav is correct. Newer cameras no longer have the 30 minute limitation. Most of the newer ones don't have the heating issue anymore. For the most part the manufacturers have solved that issue. There are even a couple with built in fans or a fan you can attach externally. As a general rule, the smaller the sensor, the less heat generated. There is plenty of info out there if you search for it on youtube.

• Panasonic Lumix S5 II: The Lumix S5 II is a full-frame mirrorless camera that offers unlimited video recording in 4K/60p 4:2:2 10-bit internally. It also has a variety of other features that make it a great choice for videography, such as a vari-angle touchscreen display, in-body image stabilization, and a deep learning autofocus system.
• Sony a7 IV: The Sony a7 IV is another great option for unlimited video recording. It's a full-frame mirrorless camera that offers 4K/60p 10-bit recording internally, as well as a variety of other features that make it a great choice for videography, such as a 50.1MP sensor, 5-axis in-body image stabilization, and a fast hybrid autofocus system.
• Canon EOS R5 C: The Canon EOS R5 C is a hybrid camera that can shoot both stills and video. It offers unlimited video recording in 8K/30p or 4K/60p internally, as well as a variety of other features that make it a great choice for videography, such as a 45MP sensor, 5-axis in-body image stabilization, and a dual Pixel CMOS AF system.
• Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro: The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro is a cinema camera that offers unlimited video recording in 6K/60p or 4K/120p internally. It also has a variety of other features that make it a great choice for videography, such as a 6K Super 35 sensor, 13 stops of dynamic range, and a built-in ND filter.