Andrew Reid

  It's really important you download the original clip on this one :) Vimeo's compression hides all the noise.

12MP is a superb choice if true.

Grade original 4K MOV files from the pre-production Panasonic GH4 here - https://www.copy.com/browse/copy/GH4 Is the GH4 a match for full frame in low light? The answer, surprisingly, is yes... Read the full article here

Something to bear in mind...   I highly doubt the A7S will use the full frame sensor area to record 4K from. If they use their 36MP A7R and take a 4096 x 2160 box from it, you will have a smaller sensor than Super 35mm. If they use their 24MP A7 sensor it will still be a big crop.   Best case senario is if they use the 16MP sensor they supplied Nikon in the D4 and D4S, which already could window out areas of the sensor at 1:1 for video. Quadrants of the same 1920x1080p area Nikon uses on the D4S would be an option for the A7S but it still wouldn't give you a full frame field of view, it would be like the 1D C with a 1.3x crop.   GH4 is 1.5x crop with Speed Booster and you gain in optical sharpness and brightness.   So let's try to avoid the hyperbole stuff and get the facts right. This thing hasn't even been announced yet!   That said I am mega excited!

  Let's get a few things straightened out regarding Joe and dafranking's thoughts here, because they don't make sense at all to me.   1D C is different price bracket and an MJPEG codec. It isn't comparable to the GH4 on features and won't be comparable to the A7S on price most likely.   It is old technology now.   The GH4 is the most obvious candidate to compare upcoming 4K cameras to, it is the current benchmark. No other camera comes in at the same price point with this many features. The Blackmagic 4K has 8x larger file sizes which are impossible to archive over a years worth of shooting unless you are Donald Trump, yet it lacks even the most basic of features like histogram. Nice image under ISO 400 and I like the concept but sorry, it is not feature complete enough or ergonomic enough to compete with Sony or Panasonic, ditto the 1D C.

Dafranking - Can we up the quality of posts please.

Grading is a subjective art and I think some people on here have quite a narrow definition of what is 'right' or 'wrong'. If you don't like it fine, but don't try and put it down to an error or camera problem! I've intentionally chosen the look I wanted here, to bring out the warm magic hour sun and pink fleshy skin tones. If you have a different style feel free to download the ungraded clips from Copy and have a go yourself, then I will point at it and say you're "wrong", how's that?

  Yes I can confirm that using AF for video is f***ing stupid

Various sources have told Sony Alpha Rumors that an A7S is coming on Sunday "in Las Vegas". It isn't hard to figure out what is starting in Las Vegas this weekend. If the rumours are true the Sony A7S will be at NAB 2014 - the largest video, broadcast and cinema trade show of the year. Is Sony about to give us a 'full frame GH4'? Read the full article here

  Already have done. Most of my tests are uploaded in ProRes LT and there's several GH4 files that I've graded and uploaded to Copy in 10bit ProRes format.

"Grade something in 4K that starts to break up". Wrong way to think of it.   The math is backed up by David Newman who is CTO at CineForm.

  Because it is shown at 720p on a 4Mbit Vimeo stream. Hell that is really letting the Alexa's wings stretch isn't it  :rolleyes:

  It's called "the sun".

In private as it's a pre-production model. Thomas can you email me? I'll respond later as it is 3am here now :)

  Indeed, which is why when you downscale 4K to 2K and pack it into a file which can handle greater precision you have smoother gradients with finer steps in-between which respond better when you push them around in the grade.

That's on the original files Thomas.   4:2:0 artefact I think.   This is the kind of thing you avoid when:   A - You record via the 10bit 4:2:2 HDMI output or B - You downsample to 2K 4444 ProRes

It's called 'contrast' sir. Hate the flat HDR look.

  Should be back now. Copy was having problems. Please try and again and let me know if it's still broken.   https://www.copy.com/s/edilC2jd0kbi

I don't think that video is relevant?   On DSLRs with 1080p, the sensor gives a weak signal to the image processor. It is a signal that is heavily chopped and sliced before it even gets to the encoder and is turned into 8bit.   On the GH4 the sensor gives a very strong signal to the image processor. It is a 1:1 pixel readout, debayered to 10bit 4:2:2... That is a lot of data for the encoder to work with. It is also a LOT more data than 1080p, around 4x more.   So working with 4x more data in your grade is going to be a bit different to working with the usual 8bit 1080p from DSLRs.   That it is still 8bit is kind of irrelevant - it is still 4x the data of 1080p and the stronger sensor signal. The whole internal imaging pipeline in the GH4 is 10bit 4:2:2.   When you pack 4x the data into a 1080p file using your computer, you are throwing a lot of processing power at it.   I can already see for myself how well the 4K data grades and how nice the 2K is from it when oversampled from 4x the data that you have usually!   I must admit I do not understand the maths that well, I am not a mathematician but a filmmaker, so others may or may not be right on the maths... in the end I don't care... I have a pair of eyes and that is what counts :)

Something I have discovered while editing all this GH4 4K material is that the 8bit codec Panasonic uses is quite complex and requires more power than ProRes. I have also found that the sequence settings and video proxy settings in Premiere are a good thing to pay attention to this time... the default ones no longer cut it. Along the way I have found a few tricks to get the colours in GH4 footage to absolutely sing with Film Convert and Premiere using the Alexa Rec 709 profile. Read the full article here

Actually didn't Red have 4K with the Scarlet around 1D C prices way before Canon launched their 1D C circa $13k?   And it isn't old technology. The 1D C is based on the 1D X and that is bang up to date. There's no newer or better Canon tech out there.

OK Copy is giving errors. I'll see if it comes back in a few hours and if not will prepare some other links.   Would love your first hand opinion on how it grades vs your Alexa footage. Great stuff!

I am surprised as anyone at the gradability of the 4K files. I'm a big fan of raw!!

Nice to see you back JG! Is the Copy link dead?

Simple answer. I sold my BMCC. I only have the Pocket. Same image for 1080p but prefer the tiny portability and active MFT mount.   White balance is not problematic with the 4K files, amazingly. If you miss it you can correct it. I've showed this on the forums previously and other people's grades show this. I'll go further into this on Day 4 most likely.