Andrew Reid

Hand made and so well built! Don't think they can keep up with demand which is why the price has rocketed in some places. It is worth the money though, unique character... unique on the entire M43rd's system actually.

The image is slightly more compressed in 50p mode, but it is helpful for slow motion and you can indeed convert it easily to 25p and it'll give the same look - provided the shutter is not higher than 1/100, you will still get a natural motion blur on the 1080/50p footage. For fast action or handheld work you will get more of a break-up of the image in 50p mode though, because of the stress on the codec and the relatively low bitrate per-frame.

[html][url="http://www.vimeo.com/34535367"]http://www.vimeo.com/34535367[/url] This footage is using my [url="http://www.eoshd.com/gh2-patch-vault"]Vanilla patch[/url] which is a steady 44Mbit for high reliability on the hacked Panasonic GH2. The title of the video is from a disturbing Cultural Revolution era poster showing a Red Guard crushing a Buddha and book with a hammer. “Destroy The Old World, Forge The New World” is the heading. [url="http://www.eoshd.com/content/6712/panasonic-gh2-in-shanghai-part-2/"]Read full article[/url] [/html]

Thanks Amro, corrected!

[html][img]http://www.eoshd.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/canon-g1x-announced.jpg[/img] Once again the rumours were right and the no-show of Canon’s G12 successor has been explained by the appearance of a pro-compact with much larger 1.5 inch sensor and DIGIC 5. Rather than just cut and paste the press release like so many blogs do, I’ll take a deeper look at what this all means. [url="http://www.eoshd.com/content/6723/canon-g1x-compacts-go-pro/"]Read full article[/url] [/html]

[html][img]http://www.eoshd.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/nikon-d41.jpg[/img] The Nikon D4 will soon be unveiled and will jump the availability of the Canon 1DX by going on sale in February. The camera has a 16MP full frame sensor and completely revamped video mode with some new features not seen before on a Nikon. [url="http://www.eoshd.com/content/6713/nikon-d4-official-specs-leaked-analysis-of-new-video-features/"]Read full article[/url] [/html]

Interesting to see the ISO 2500 test, GH2 clearly better in low light.

If you are using a 2x anamorphic check out the EOSHD GH2 Patch Vault, each patch includes the MJPEG anamorphic patch for 2.66:1 direct out of the camera from 4:3 with a 2x lens. With a 1.33x or 1.5x lens you will be best off in AVCHD 1080p mode with the usual high bitrate hack. For monitoring, image is stretched on camera no matter what mode... I sometimes use an external monitor or EVF which does the stretch in real time while recording, sometimes don't bother.

Well if I am doing a windy shoot, I'll bolt some weights to it  ;D

Primes also have a generally much faster aperture for less money. Better for low light, and they are generally sharper too.

Leave the sequence setting at standard 1080p... (1920x1080) Just adjust the clip as in the book. Should be fine.

OK secret is out, I'm going for the G2180 head, like Dan has. I have not laid a finger on one yet so going to try in store before I pick it up and review it on the blog. Did consider the 701HDV, it is a bit cheaper but not enough to justify the heavier weight and larger profile it has over the Gitzo. I am also picking up a levelling base which is as compact and as light as possible. Hi Sara - those are nice options but not compact or lightweight enough for what I am looking for, we're talking under 3kg for the tripod and head combined  8) whilst trying to keep it steady. Wish me luck!! ;D

There are better alternatives around when it comes to the GH2, partly because of the expense and partly because the aperture on a Canon L / EF lens is electronically controlled. Canon FD, Contax Zeiss offer the best value, Leica R, Zeiss ZF (Nikon mount) and Voigtlander offer similar image quality to the Canon L range but with manual aperture control rings on the lens.

Hey James, this is all in the lens. The 14mm is too wide for interviews. A wide angle like 14mm distorts depth and you have to get closer to the subject otherwise they'll be pretty small in the frame and surrounded by the room. Getting closer makes the depth distortion more noticeable, it isn't an attractive look. You need a 35mm or 50mm lens with an aperture of F1.4 or F2. I recommend the Canon FD mount 35mm F2 SSC or Samyang 35mm F1.4. The Olympus 45mm F1.8 for Micro Four Thirds is a fine option if you need AF. Cheers

[html][img]http://www.eoshd.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/gitzo-g2180.jpg[/img] [url="http://www.dslrnewsshooter.com/2011/12/14/size-matters-sky-news-beijing-bureau-cameraman-andy-portch-reports-on-a-year-with-the-panasonic-af101-and-gh2-cameras/"]Size matters – read the views of a Sky News camera man at DSLR News Shooter on the GH2 and stealth factor[/url] Colin Chapman ran the Lotus F1 team in the 1970′s. When his rivals had powerful turbo engines that kept blowing up Chapman preferred to stay with lighter Ford power units which were less powerful. When his rivals had the upper hand on grunt (think 4K vs 1080p), rather than spend more money on more horse power he made the car lighter. For Chapman this was the smart way to go racing. ‘Add lightness’, he told his engineers. So they’d add lightness until the car was on the verge of being too fragile. And they won with it. Not just in terms of raw performance but reliability. This is my aim DSLR for rigging. Strip the weight and complexity down until it is as light as can be without being over the limit and compromised for raw performance or stability. [url="http://www.eoshd.com/content/6692/the-quest-for-a-small-light-levelling-video-tripod-and-head/"]Read full article[/url] [/html]

Getting the framing right first time is part of what makes a good filmmaker!

[quote author=moebius22 link=topic=112.msg987#msg987 date=1325291605]I was referring to camcorders in the range of the Af100 and Fs100. 4K isn't must have for me at the moment unless they can get it close to Mark III price. [/quote] True, at the higher prices there are more important things than 4K at the moment. In fact I'd rather have clean 1080p on the 5D Mark III at $2-3k than pay $6k for a 4K DSLR.

A CF / SD to SSD drive adapter would be very interesting although 32/64GB is probably the limit of most camera I/O controllers, and speed certainly wouldn't be at the 500Mb/s mark that a SSD can achieve via SATA 3. If the manufacturers got their fingers out, we'd have a SSD in a battery grip by now with 4K RAW going onto it from a 35mm sensor, with the body costing around $3K. All technically achievable but there isn't A) the margin B) the mass market. If they produced it for a niche it would be in smaller numbers so the margin on each unit would have to be higher to justify the support, R&D and overall endeavour.

4K for the masses is coming, it won't be such a niche in future years. Manufacturers need a way to sell new TVs and cameras. 3D worked in doing this to a degree. 4K is the next logical step. When there is a DSLR doing 4K for $3k, suddenly dropping $20k on a large sensor camcorder doesn't really appeal does it?

[html][img]http://www.eoshd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/new-dslrs-2012.jpg[/img] 2012 will be the best year for DSLR video since it all began to kick off in 2009 with major releases due from every big manufacturer. This is a Photokina year starting September 18th as well, where we will most likely see the Panasonic GH3. There are other key events like CES and NAB within 4 months to keep an eye on, particularly for a working Canon’s 4K DSLR prototype. [url="http://www.eoshd.com/content/6687/looking-ahead-to-new-2012-cameras-the-return-of-dslr-video-with-a-vengeance/"]Read full article[/url] [/html]

I don't think they can achieve sync. They had a similar sync issue with the GH1 with a pro 3D rig last year but I think the hack was able to solve it [url=http://www.eoshd.com/content/379/get-your-glasses-out-pro-gh1-3d-rig-goes-live]http://www.eoshd.com/content/379/get-your-glasses-out-pro-gh1-3d-rig-goes-live[/url]

Dude it's a compact! I don't think the compression is all that bad. Regardless, GH2 stuffs them all.

Px stands for pixels, minus -25 pixels isn't enough to achieve the correct aspect ratio. I don't use FCPX so guessing here - Try changing px to % and putting 25% top and bottom If you can't do it by percentages it should be px -270 top and bottom for 1080p source footage (to get 1920x540). If none of this works with the Distort function, try a different one like scale. Distort looks like it might not be the right one judging from the screen grab!

hmcindie - Don't agree really. The HX9 resolves more real resolution than the 7D, over sharp or not. I am surprised it also downscales a 16MP sensor better than the image processor in the NEX 5N. Purposeful crippling Sony? Compression at 50p 28Mbit will be much worse than in 25p mode at 24Mbit which is how I use the HX9. There is no better compact for video at the moment, with possible exception of new Canon S100 with DIGIC 5 (haven't tried it yet). Indeed NEX 5N has a different sensor to A65, but same image processor and essentially a very similar looking image - I have both at the moment, hardly anything to choose between the two in a test like this, although the NEX 5N doesn't have the crop of the full sensor like the A65 does, that doesn't make a difference to 1080p detail, resolution, cleanness or dynamic range.

juliand - 25p on v1.1 is under the HBR option in the creative movie mode menu. And yes - you need a better card!