TJB

This is the year of 4K - even if you don't agree with it or need it - it's here. So I'm wondering what Canon and Sony are going to do.
Everything I've heard about the GH4 sounds great - but Canon and Sony are sure to offer something interesting - aren't they?

This is a reply to forum member who made a comment about broadcast news and colour subsampling. I know this is probably the wrong website to make this comment - please excuse me.
 
Generally broadcast News acquisition uses 4.2.0 chroma subsampling. Simply because News material is not graded or used for green screen before it goes to air. 
 
Some broadcasters request but don't necessarily require acquisition for longer format programs such as documentary material to be shot at a certain standard. This ensures that the material can be graded easily. The standard for SD or HD material is generally 50/100 Mb/s 4.2.2.
DVCPRO 50 is one such codec which is accepted.
Some programs have a lower ceiling on this standard and accept 4.2.0 material for documentary work. Think GoPro etc.
 
It is very hard to see the difference between 4.2.2 and 4.2.0 and that is exactly why it is used - colour information is harder for the human eye to judge as luminance information. Therefore to compress the image further, codecs throw out half the colour information knowing we probably won't notice.
 
Since the 5DMKII came about we've been asking for better image quality. This website is one of them. Andrew Reid particularly has called for higher bit rates and better codecs to improve image quality. This is now happening - however for those of us who grade material or simply don't care for banding on a blue sky for instance - a higher standard colour sampling codec is needed. Andrew knows this and so does Panasonic.
 
I think the GH4 looks like a great camera however it is not a great camera if I have to bolt on two additional boxes which is clumsy and does away with portability just to get it to a standard that we have been pushing for for 6 years. I personally would not turn up to a paid job with a GH4 and XLR/SDI box and an external recorder. I would however turn up to a paid job with a GH4 if it had internal 4.2.2 recording and a simpler / smaller XLR adapter. For of us who make a living as videographers/ cinematographers/ cameramen/women - this is actually a big deal and not just an idle gripe for the sake of it. 
 
It's ok that the new GH4 doesn't record a minimum standard for broadcast HD requisition. Andrew and Panasonic clearly thinks it's ok as well.
But it is one big reason why I and others won't be using a GH4 for work where reputations and day-rates are held accountable.

What a mess.

I'm not surprised. I find both equally redundant. A viewfinder that's difficult to pick sharp focus whilst recording is to me as equally useless as a monitor balancing on top a small camera in bright sunlight. The only use I have for a monitor is maybe when shooting long interviews indoors or as a director/field producer confidence booster. When I'm not using a monitor, I don't miss the crowd gathering over my shoulder. I've used my Zacuto EVF on flapping mirror cameras and it's not very robust and I don't need more cables to fail and more batteries to charge. The fewer accessories the better.
For me THE best feature to arrive with mirror-less cameras is the EVF. For me it's the most tactile and immersive means of composing and following accurate focus. 
I was surprised when Panasonic left peaking off the GH3 but won't be surprised when they now include it with each and every camera in the future. Lesson learned and sales go up.
 
Back on topic. I'm glad to hear Panasonic may include focus peaking on the GX7 and glad to hear that finally we may have a quality video experience with a usable viewfinder, fast lenses, large(ish) sensor and IBIS! Now all we need is for Panasonic to adopt ProRes422.
Please don't reply and tell me to get a BMPCC. No viewfinder, no IBIS, small(ish) sensor. Fail.

It's impressive and I've worked in 16mm for 30 years and it'll be great to be able to use 16mm cine zoom lenses.  But honestly, can't someone take them aside and show them what a camera looks like?  Absolutely terrible form factor.  No viewfinder for shooting in daylight and maintaining focus.  No XLR connectors or a small auxiliary connector for input from a mixer.

The depth of field will be the same with the Speed Booster on APS-C as a full frame. It's worth noting however that just because the image is brighter by a stop doesn't mean that the depth of field will be shallower by a stop. For instance an EF 24-105mm f4 lens used with a Speed Booster adapter on an Sony FS100 at f4 will behave like it is f2.8 (brighter) but the image will still only have the depth of field characteristics of f4 on a full frame body.

You say-
"I can't have a shot curtailed during a shoot because of an unreliable codec hack."

I say-
I can't have a shot of a curtain during a shoot because of an unreliable sensor."

Hey Nahua,

It's a joke. Ok - not a terribly clever joke but a joke none-the-less. Curtain patterns can sometimes cause moire. It was a play on words.

I'm looking forward to the GH3 as well and I'm pretty sure moire won't be such a big problem.

For the style of work I do - I would not even consider using a Canon DSLR for video now because for me the GH2 and 3 viewfinder and flip screen are so much more user friendly than Z-finder etc. I don't use the hacks - the GH2 is just great straight out of the box and I have the 50i (PAL countries) option for broadcast work when it's requested by a client.

Wish I lived in Hawaii. Germany is wet and cold.

You say-
"I can't have a shot curtailed during a shoot because of an unreliable codec hack."

I say-
I can't have a shot of a curtain during a shoot because of an unreliable sensor."

I believe you are right about perspective. I can understand though that after spending 4 years with a moire and aliasing ridden 5DM2 that some out there, including myself are a little cautious. The conclusion is that as of November 2012, the GH2 is still the only moire and aliasing (relatively) free DSLR style camera that resolves something close to HD straight out of the box. My take away from what you've written is that the GH3 codec should give us a slightly better image but with slightly more aliasing and moire.

One question that hasn't been answered is the GH3 performance in ETC mode. Did you get to shoot any ETC material? Does the recorded image look better than the GH2? I think ETC mode on the GH2 is amazing but sometimes the image would be unusable particularly if even slightly underexposed at low ISO.

I've noticed the GH2's viewfinder aliases when in sharp focus providing a form of focus assist. Did you notice if the GH3 does this as well?
Might be helpful if peaking gets lost in translation.

Thanks for sharing your latest findings.

[quote name='subsequent' timestamp='1348487530' post='18968']
More Pocahontas please! :D
[/quote]

Yeah, I agree. More Pocahontas! There's something about her.... I don't know what it is...... I wish I could but .....I just can't put my finger on it.

I doubt that she lies awake at night wondering about moire and aliasing. :wub:

Moire, aliasing, no XLR accessory, no focus peaking and viewing problems with EVF. Firmware can only fix so much.
Is it possible to adjust audio levels whilst recording?
Is noise and banding reduced in ETC mode?
Panasonic have admitted that the popularity of the GH2 surprised them. Maybe the GH2 was just a wonderful fluke of design?
Did the GH2 design team work on the GH3?