Andrew Reid

  Thanks for this, very nice to see rolling shutter measured so clearly.

  The EVF panel technology is superior on the GH3 but as noted in the DPReview the optics are smeary at the edges if you wear glasses or don't look directly through the centre. I get the same on the NEX 7's OLED viewfinder and on the OM-D E-M5 so it is not a problem unique to the GH3's OLED.   I'd like to see the optics and eyecup beefed up for future models and articulation, if that requires a yet still larger body so be it. If you want a Pocket Cinema Camera sized camera there are plenty of options, yet never truly pocketable due to the optics. I'd rather have the better handling than the cute downsizing.

  I'm currently using Portrait but without turning contrast down. I leave that in the middle. Saturation too. Sharpness I dial right down to -5 and add in post. Noise reduction I also dial right down. I use 1080/25p IPB 50Mbit rather than ALL-I. Saves card space and looks a bit better.

  Well there's certainly no touching the image quality on the Blackmagic Cinema Camera for the price. Although the Pocket version won't have quite the same amount of detail as 2.5K raw on the BMCC it will maintain similar ProRes 1080p results and they are also DSLR beating.   The Pocket Cinema Camera sensor is smaller than the GH3 by quite a considerable margin though so the look of your current M43 glass will change, and the main advantage with the GH3 is that the workflow is much faster and the ergonomics far more convenient. You get more features too, like 1080/60p, audio-meters, etc.   Even if you don't edit in raw, the Blackmagic cameras all urge you to spend hours in post tweaking the colours. With the GH2 and GH3 I hardly ever felt the need to heavily grade the footage so I worked far quicker.   If you're shooting a documentary I think the GH3 wins.

For those asking for a chart test, Slashcam did a scientific test of the GH3 with regards resolution on a chart, aliasing and moire. Very good test but the article is in German so you will need to use a translator. http://www.slashcam.de/artikel/Test/Panasonic-DMC-GH3---Messergebnisse--alles-.html

  There will be a review of the Lanparte stuff. I have got the carbon rods and matte box, follow focus with hard stops and the quick release baseplate. You are right about the quality vs price thing - it is just right. Quality is American standard but without the US price tag.

  OK point taken. Please do calm down.   I'm not proclaiming it a failure but nothing it can do internally match what amazing stuff it can do externally at 4K and in raw so in comparison the internal codec is wimpy. That is what the headline means.   I really enjoyed my time with the FS700. Loved the slow mo and had mostly good things to say about it but the ergonomics are not the best, the new ND filter implementation is rather clunky and I had major issues with aliasing and worse low light performance than the FS100. Picture profiles are unlikely to help with the aliasing. I will keep my FS100 until I've seen what it does in raw.

Hacked GH1 is best option for $350.   GH2 won't be that cheap! 550D is OK but GH1 has less moire and aliasing, rotating screen, mirrorless lens mount for a wider variety of lenses and the hack.

  Canon 1D C... $12,000.   NEX series have 1080/60p as does the new Samsung NX300... But poor video quality especially on the Samsung.

It does in-camera slow-mo, didn't cover it in the review as it is best to shoot 1080/60p and do the slow-mo in post.   WiFi... Not convinced it replaces an HDMI monitor! I don't use it.

https://vimeo.com/63892665   Things that stand out...   Compressed raw will likely come to the 2.5K camera, with firmware update Firmware on the Pocket Cinema Camera is identical to BMCC, only sensor part is different (debayering etc.) They hope to do a Quicktime wrapper for Cinema DNG making it easier to edit. Raw frames in Quicktime MOV!   All very positive stuff and I like how knowledgable and engineering lead their CEO is. Not a business strategist but a proper technical man with ideas.

Above: my GH3 kitted out with Leica 14-50mm F2.8, Lanparte follow focus, carbon matte box and baseplate Six months in the making here is my final and full review of the Panasonic GH3 jointly published with DPReview.com. I highly recommend checking out that review as well, to which I contributed the video mode insights. The Panasonic GH3 is an affordable $1299 hybrid camera and has a special legacy to build on with indie filmmakers. Does it succeed? Read the full article here

  Anything that goes to Canon EF mount. M42, etc. yes. FD no.

Leang has now been banned for months of unpleasantness. I've had enough of it.   If a contribution isn't good for the atmosphere of the forum then it is no longer welcome in my view.

Detail and sharpness are separate things really. Like JG says, too much sharpness = video.   But there are many complicating factors.   For example if you have a 50mm on the 60D and shoot some actors or people at reasonably close range with a reasonably shallow depth of field, that really helps to mask any resolution shortcoming. Then you put an ultra wide angle lens on it and focus to infinity - it ain't pretty. Same camera. Why does one shot come out so much cleaner than the other?     I mean, you're not going to notice 4K in the bokeh are you!?   Sometimes you just DON'T NEED a high resolving power or 4K. A high detail level is more important for shots at infinity focus with lots of very high contrast fine detail.   We tend to band about the word 'sharp' as a catch all phrase for high resolution, high detail, sharp lens, sharp image, etc. 'High resolution' would be a better phrase. A 4K film scan is high resolution without being too sharp looking. With high sharpness you get a very high contrast between pixels and that can be quite fatiguing for the eye in motion and un-film like. Too much micro-contrast is bad for motion cadence with digital. What is also important is the integrity of the detail you're seeing. If it is falling apart like on a Canon DSLR with false detail and moire, that to me is unacceptable for certain types of shot... Like the one above... But less noticeable with soft lighting and people!   A lot of my work had cityscapes, vistas and wide shots which is why I went for the GH2 over the 60D.

Some C-mount stuff is designed for small digital CCTV sensors, TV cameras, etc. I'd avoid those. Super 16mm is larger

The original BMCC sensor came from a reputable supplier, I think it was more due to the lack of cinema camera experience at that supplier in terms of quality control methodology and problems at the glass supplier.   I find it hard to believe that dirty glass was the only issue, maybe they had dead pixels to solve as well.   I think Blackmagic are using Fairchild Imaging again for the Pocket Cinema Camera sensor but it is a different version of the sensor. Similar spec but different model.

  So use Super 16mm glass then. Tons of it out there. Not hard to find a 8 or 10mm fast wide angle.   Speed Booster will make the Pocket Cinema Camera more like standard 2x Micro Four Thirds.

  Haha. There's a very good argument for all the camera manufacturers sucking. Canon lack the competitive pricing and brute specs, whilst their low end (DSLR) is a total running joke now... Ever since I started the blog. Sony lack the image quality in some situations (A99 anyone?) and have iffy ergonomic design though the F5 and F55 are a step in the right direction. Blackmagic also lack the ergonomics, and seemingly the ability to ship cameras. Fuji aren't even in the camera game and they let their film business die out with Kodak. Their X series is crap for video, and Olympus don't even know what 24p is. Nikon - it took 3 years to even wake them up and to be honest their current cameras aren't exactly full of unique selling points. Panasonic seemingly have a clue on the GH line but when it comes to their high end, it as if they have stalled. The time for action is now Panasonic but I get a feeling they've just spent 2 years debating the specs of a codec (AVC Ultra). Finally there's Red and Arri. They're doing fine but the day either of them gives us a affordable mass produced cinema camera is the day hell freezes over.     I was considering the C100 but just about the only thing it has over the competition is the form factor. Canon are trying their best to put us all to sleep. 5D Mark III firmware update is a joke. Why did we have to wait a year for it if the hardware could have done it all along? It is a clear case of wanting to protect their Cinema EOS margins and likely the only reason they are now giving it us is that the Nikon D800 has been eating into their 5D Mark III sales.   C100 gets movable focus assist, FS700 gets 4K raw and 240fps 2K raw. Haha that made me laugh very loudly indeed.   At least your camera does not have buttons laid out like a 1970's IBM mainframe so be thankful of that.

Some more info is coming in...   Recording options (such as raw, 4K, etc.) can be purchased online and activated on the device. They can also be rented for a specific time period and used in demo mode (which adds a watermark).   DNG should be free. That is an open standard and they don't charge an activation / licensing fee for it as far as I know. But if you want compressed 4K raw I think that is chargeable.   Once you buy the codec option outright it stays activated forever on the device. If you rented it the clips stay playable and usable after the rental period for recoding expires   They are expecting ProRes to be added by the end of the year once they sort out Apple licensing, etc.   The media is $1 per GB (240, 480, 960) and propriety. No generic SSDs on this one. The good thing is that the mags are smaller than the usual SSD drives and save space when they slot into the back of the monitor.   http://www.fstopacademy.com/blog/4k-recording-for-sony-nex-fs700-two-options/   https://vimeo.com/63537235

That said I do have sympathy with early customers.   Blackmagic and Digital Bolex are putting them through some real misery.   If you funded the DB Kickstarter to the tune of a camera and if you pre-ordered the Blackmagic Cinema Camera at the last NAB, and haven't shot with either yet, just be safe in the knowledge that you're supporting the revolution if not actually able to televise it!

It's as if not even Vincent LaForet could hype the Digital Bolex back into contention :) I don't think it is as clear cut as 'they are dead'.   The Ikonoskop has a lovely image and similar sensor, global shutter, yet Digital Bolex have undercut that with half the price.   The Pocket Cinema Camera is amazing but doesn't have the features or global shutter of the Bolex - likely it may not have the image quality either. Certainly anamorphic on the Bolex is a tasty idea for me. The Bolex will have more resolution and likely better colour. I've seen the images that CCD sensor is capable of and they don't disappoint.   So let's not write it off. $3200 is not a lot of money compared to a 5D Mark III considering you're getting 13 stops DR, global shutter and raw.   They will deliver the camera, they are a small team. Look how at Red's initial ONE and Scarlet delays. They still haven't done anything remotely close to the Bolex for $3000 yet.

I thought DPX was a format used by video editors to transport raw in an uncompressed way from NLE to NLE. That not right? Can anyone clarify? I've never used this format before in my work.

Yep makes sense to me ScreensPro

Digital Bolex has global shutter, Pocket Cinema Camera doesn't.   Since neither camera has yet shipped neither company has much room to talk! ;)   Let's wait and see on this one.   I personally think DB are doing a good job.