Andrew Reid

Yes I am aware of the SLT mirror and the slight light loss - but in a practical real world sense they are still 99% the same for image quality in video mode. For those who are concerned about the SLT mirror get a faster lens or adjust your exposure slightly. There really isn't much difference in low light performance between the NEX 7 and A65 in video mode.

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Note: the Sony A65 shares the same sensor, image processor and viewfinder as the NEX 7 and Sony A77. Image quality is 99% the same on all 3 models.

As part of my series of reviews on the Sony A65 I shot this comparison yesterday near Manchester, city of Oasis and Frank Sidebottom. The A65 represents the latest generation of Sony’s technology – 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor, ExmorHD image processor with 1080/60p and a 2.4MP OLED TruFinder. So is it any good?

[url="http://www.eoshd.com/content/6616/shootout-in-the-snow-sony-a65-vs-panasonic-gh2-vs-canon-600d/"]Read full article[/url]

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Here http://rarevision.com/5dtorgb/

Yes it is 100% legit. I know Andrew, he is the guy I contact when I need to talk to SLR Magic. He is in the process of going through all the prior orders right now.

GOP settings are region independent, no link. Only frame rate is region dependant and my patches are for the 24p mode which is same on all cameras (PAL, NTSC). Yes 1.0 firmware, Vitaliy has not yet hacked the new Panasonic 1.1 firmware with 25p.

Thanks will check those 100-300mm Minoltas out... Internal IS is such a bargain

[quote author=DiverMark link=topic=78.msg761#msg761 date=1324143967]
Andrew,

Thank you very much for the review.  I've been looking at both the GH2 and the A65 as my next camera.  My situation is a little different than most people in that I use my camera underwater while scuba diving.  I shoot both video and stills, and really need to get a camera that does well at both (right now, I have one video camera and one still camera, and I no longer want to deal with the hassles of two setups).

I also have the problem that it is sometimes hard to find underwater housings for cameras (because of the joystick controller on the a77, it doesn't look like there will be any housings for it).  Finally, because of the cost of the housing being 2X or more than the camera itself, I need to stick with the camera I choose far longer than most people.

One thing I am curious about is how the 1080p60@24Mb on the a65 compares to the 1080p30@100+Mb on a hacked GH2.  Does the extra temporal resolution of 60FPS have a noticeable effect, or does the far higher spatial resolution of a hacked GH2 at 100+Mb trump any advantage of 1080p60?

Finally, underwater is a very low-light situation, so low-light performance is important to me.  A particular problem is that at depth, the color temperature is 19,000K or above.  So, I need a camera that has extreme flexibility to white balance before the 8-bit compression.

I look forward to any insight you can give me about either camera.

--Mark
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I feel the GH2 would be better under water because of the higher bitrates. 1080/60p is only 28Mbit on the A65 and since it has more than double the frames per second than 24p, that bitrate is spread more thinly than 24Mbit is in 24p mode.

Water has a lot of subtle and constantly changing tones and shades which is taxing on the codec. GH2 would handle it better.

It is also smaller and lighter, and better in low light.

Not sure about water proof casing for it though... I have enough issues finding a replacement Panasonic charger!!

That is a lot actually for a static scene like that from the Vanilla 44 patch. Moving the camera will see the bitrate spike upward. If you notice any compression in the image that is when the codec is not doing its job. It looks good to me, like a photo.

I'm using a 30Mb/s Sandisk, so no 95 card needed as far as I am concerned. Seems pretty reliable with the normal card.

Jay it depends on the scene you are shooting and how much detail is contained in it... With shallow DOF the variable bit rate will be lower because the amount of the frame that contains sharp detail is very small. Any screen grabs?

That snow shot in insanely detailed  ;D

There is a work around with Vitaliy's hack to get ex-tele to output through HDMI. Unfortunately it crashes the internal recording when it does so.

Hopeful future hacks will solve this problem... Agree it is a bit silly.

Stills are not as good as the 600D but not that far off. Video of course, much better. The Amazon price is good, wouldn't trust the others.

The NEX 5N and A65 sensors are more energy efficient, no over heating problems unless you are shooting constantly in a very hot climate... 32c +

[quote author=crashandannie link=topic=81.msg768#msg768 date=1324182122]
Thanks, Andrew!

Great information and helps to cut through some of the confusion about the variety of hacks available.

Regarding the new film modes, I noticed you are suggesting using nostalgic at +2 contrast while in the handbook you recommended -2. Why the change? Better footage out of the camera, with less grading?

Thanks for your time!
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In the book I use Nostalgia as a flatter picture profile but here Smooth takes the place of the flat picture profile and Nostalgia is meant to mimic Canon and have a punchy ready-to-use image which doesn't need grading. For sake of consistancy I'll update the book with the new hack patches and the same film mode settings, with a note about how the contrast setting affects the image exactly.

Not much detail to go off mate!

Most minimal rig is pistol grip and OIS stabilised lens like the 14-140mm. Is that what you want?

Edit: I've removed the verification form from the forum for posts and topics. It was only for new members, it went away after post count goes past 2... But decided to restrict it to the registration form now. Please report any spam if you see it :)

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[img]http://www.eoshd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/eoshd-patch-vault1.jpg[/img]

Are you mystified by the sheer amount of patches and settings out there for the hacked GH2? I certainly am. Well there is a saying that has served me well in the past – if you want something doing properly, do it yourself! I have been working on my own patches. I’ve optimised these as well as the film modes and I shoot with them on my own work. I believe them to be the most optimal patches and film modes for the best image quality currently possible on the GH2 – at least to my eye.

[url="http://www.eoshd.com/content/6563/eoshd-releases-hacked-gh2-patches-and-film-modes/"]Read full article[/url]

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Hey Nick. Got in touch and they are simply struggling to meet demand. They have a list of prior orders to satisfy first, so the lens is not in stock for new orders yet. The situation will improve at some point.

Keep an eye on the main blog, when it is back in stock on eBay I'll link to it there.

Sorry to hear that. All I can say is - stay away from third party batteries. My experience of them has been simply awful.

This could have happened during the official V1.1 update, it is NOT the fault of the hack. It is the fault of the third party battery 100%.

I suggest to return it to the shop and say that you were updating it to the official Panasonic firmware and it simply went blank. They should replace it.

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[img]http://www.eoshd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/a65-bolex-660x438.jpg[/img]

[url="http://www.eoshd.com/content/3701/recommended-affordable-sony-a77-lenses"]EOSHD recommended lenses for the Sony A65 / A77[/url] 

Amazingly Sony have got their flooded production going again and Sony A65s have found their way to England in time for Christmas. I’ve come to the UK to spend some time with family and in Manchester I picked up the Sony A65 with kit lens for £699… Considering how similar it is to the A77 that is a pretty competitive price by Sony and I am sure this is going to give the 600D / Rebel T3i something to think about over the next few months. But is it any good for video?

[url="http://www.eoshd.com/content/6545/sony-a65-first-impressions-review-documentary-shooting-evolves/"]Read full article[/url]

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Ah the joys of FCP gamma shift. This is an Apple thing, usually once you export the footage back out it returns to proper exposure.

You can try the 5DtoRGB app to transcode the AVCHD to ProRes - this should fix the gamma bug.

Tips on the menus? It takes around 1-2 weeks of solid use to re-wire your head from another camera system to the GH2. It would be the same if you had used Panasonic for 5 years previous and then swapped to Canon without never having used one.

The design of the menus and the button layouts on the GH2 are superb in my view. Do you have my book? It would speed up the learning process somewhat!

You have mail :)

I think NR needs to be on for you to see the benefit, best way to find out is to see for yourself - try it at -2 and at +2, see which image you prefer.

Thanks for the Clipwrap voucher ntblowz. Nice find.

I am not sure where it is either. I do know they are keen to call it the SLR Magic 12mm F1.6 now and not Noktor. I'll ask and see where it has got too... It is a great lens.

I'm tempted myself Roman. I'll send you an email later, Cheers