QuickHitRecord

Actually, for your purposes, I agree with Andy as well. If you really get into video work, then you should look into a follow focus. But for now, this solution will work for you. The strap wraps around your lens gear ring and you focus by manipulating the handle. Because the tip of the handle is further away from the lens, you have to turn it more to achieve the same focus pull but this will also stabilize your focus pulls. It also takes the focusing action out of your fingertips, which can only move the focus ring so far, and puts it into your wrists and arms like this:

[center]http://youtu.be/OAo-ZF-nXF4[/center]

Get a follow focus and a monitor with a good peaking feature like the SmallHD DP4 or DP6. The focus assist feature will help you nail focus every time.

Get a Redstan anamorphic clamp, available here: http://www.redstan.com or on eBay.

I believe that the rear thread of these clamps is 52mm.

They will allow you to mount your anamorphic lens securely onto your taking lens and orient it appropriately.

Make no promises to the band. Just tell them that you are just interested in testing out your new camera. Set up your safety shot with your other camera and then shoot the show lots of different ways with your GH2. Steadicam, tripod, handheld. Different lenses, different camera settings. Go crazy. Do this and you will learn a lot more than you can on any forum.

Good luck.

Make no promises to the band. Just tell them that you are just interested in testing out your new camera. Set up your safety shot with your other camera and then shoot the show lots of different ways with your GH2. Steadicam, tripod, handheld. Different lenses, different camera settings. Go crazy. Do this and you will learn a lot more than you can on any forum.

Good luck.

I have not been following this new Magic Lantern but it seems pretty impressive to me. HDR video from the 5DMIII DSLR! Acronym city.

Funny stuff, Rich. We need more of this understated humor on the internet.

@printofpersia

I enjoyed both of these films. Your work is the best I have seen with a Centavision. It has a really nice look to it. Keep it up!

Does anyone have any experience incorporating a 15mm rod system into the Velbon SPT-1 without getting too bulky or too expensive?

I posted this months ago but only just came figured out a simple solution:

[img]http://www.eoshd.com/comments/uploads/gallery/album_14/gallery_18451_14_57990.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.eoshd.com/comments/uploads/gallery/album_14/gallery_18451_14_641.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.eoshd.com/comments/uploads/gallery/album_14/gallery_18451_14_43570.jpg[/img]

Here is the part that you need to buy: [url="http://www.ebay.com/itm/270941674813"]http://www.ebay.com/itm/270941674813[/url]

Specifically this one because the center groove on the top shelf is long enough to cover two of the three Velbon mounting holes located on the bottom of the main assembly. You could do it with a cheaper one (there are many out there, just search for "DSLR base plate"), but you probably will not get full hole coverage and you may have twisting issues.

I also put two screws in the Manfrotto quick release plate to prevent twisting (I have been doing that a lot lately). Now it easily slides into any Manfrotto fluid head with no chance of twisting.

I took out the adjustable-height riser and re-bolted it together so that it would be more compact, but you can always leave it in if you want to.

This method is useful for putting a matte box in front of a Lomo square front, a Hypergonar HiFi-2, or any oversized lens. You could also mount a follow focus to use with your lens while keeping the ease-of-use afforded by the Velbon.

I hope that this is helpful to someone.

[color=#222222][font=Helvetica Neue', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif][size=4][background=rgb(255, 255, 255)][quote name='zephyrnoid' timestamp='1348157015' post='18707']
I sure wish people would stop using a term that they don't understand precisely. Usability , Funtionality or the right feature mix? > They are different terms. The GH3 looks to have a higher [b][i]Usability Quotient [/i][/b]than the GH2, though I see that some functionality has taken a downgrade in the inevitable juggling of specifications. [b][i]ONLY[/i][/b] a direct side by side challenge will resolve doubts.
[/quote]

The GH3 has improved [i]functionality[/i], but only clean, moire-free shots are [i]usable[/i] to me.[/background][/size][/font][/color]

[color=#222222][font=Helvetica Neue', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif][size=4][background=rgb(255, 255, 255)][quote name='zephyrnoid' timestamp='1348157015' post='18707']
I sure wish people would stop using a term that they don't understand precisely. Usability , Funtionality or the right feature mix? > They are different terms. The GH3 looks to have a higher [b][i]Usability Quotient [/i][/b]than the GH2, though I see that some functionality has taken a downgrade in the inevitable juggling of specifications. [b][i]ONLY[/i][/b] a direct side by side challenge will resolve doubts.
[/quote]

The GH3 has improved [i]functionality[/i], but only clean, moire-free shots are [i]usable[/i] to me.[/background][/size][/font][/color]

[quote name='AdRath' timestamp='1348154452' post='18704']
How so?
I see far more pluses than negatives from the gh3.

-better reliable rec formats all span.
-highspeed 1080p
-Real progressive not the interlaced wrapper crap
-headphone jack
-Better lcd screen
-Superior build and weather proofing.
-Wifi for monitor support (still to be confirmed) lots of potential with apps.
-better dynamic range
-better low light performance
[/quote]

All good things, but moire and aliasing? I liquidated my Canon camera and lenses so that I could switch over to the moire-free GH2. It was worth not having to worry about it anymore. But now it's back in the GH3? I just don't think that I can do it. If these were fixed, I'd go for it in a heartbeat.

Too many of the posts about this camera end with some variation of "I hope I'm wrong about this", but based on my observations I am beginning to feel that way too. Bluntly put, the GH3 seems like a downgrade from the GH2 in terms of usability. Unless there are some radical changes made between now and the GH3's release, I'll just hang onto my GH2 and wait for another viable MFT camera to be released. The good news is that these days there are new cameras announced almost every other month.

[quote name='AdRath' timestamp='1348154452' post='18704']
How so?
I see far more pluses than negatives from the gh3.

-better reliable rec formats all span.
-highspeed 1080p
-Real progressive not the interlaced wrapper crap
-headphone jack
-Better lcd screen
-Superior build and weather proofing.
-Wifi for monitor support (still to be confirmed) lots of potential with apps.
-better dynamic range
-better low light performance
[/quote]

All good things, but moire and aliasing? I liquidated my Canon camera and lenses so that I could switch over to the moire-free GH2. It was worth not having to worry about it anymore. But now it's back in the GH3? I just don't think that I can do it. If these were fixed, I'd go for it in a heartbeat.

[quote name='Axel' timestamp='1348061545' post='18582']
Remember that, properly lit, one seldom had any banding issues with the GH2. The Bloom film [i]was[/i] properly lit. After reading [url="http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/gms/gh3/still_image_quality.html"]this[/url] (scroll down a bit), it seems this thing is not yet in the can with the ominous 'HDR'. Looks as if it is a feature for stills only, and the iPhone 4 has a similar function (it differs from HDR developing in Photoshop insofar as it [i]may[/i] be also possible for moving objects or handheld camera, if not, if I have to use a tripod for landscapes or the like, I do much better with the GH2's auto bracket and [i]seven[/i] 'consecutive' photos!). Also, the clip with the cat on the chair didn't look as if it had HDR, it looked definitely LDR. After all the minor and major disappointments, that we work hard to get used to, this would for me be the last straw. Still banding? OMG.
[/quote]

I think that HDR video is something that will be reserved for the high-end niche (i.e. RED One MX) at least for a while. But with moire and aliasing already back in a big way with the GH3, I agree, banding would kill this camera for me. I'm leaning more and more towards not getting a new camera this cycle. I have not been floored by anything I have seen, including the BMCC MFT.

[quote name='Axel' timestamp='1348061545' post='18582']
Remember that, properly lit, one seldom had any banding issues with the GH2. The Bloom film [i]was[/i] properly lit. After reading [url="http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/gms/gh3/still_image_quality.html"]this[/url] (scroll down a bit), it seems this thing is not yet in the can with the ominous 'HDR'. Looks as if it is a feature for stills only, and the iPhone 4 has a similar function (it differs from HDR developing in Photoshop insofar as it [i]may[/i] be also possible for moving objects or handheld camera, if not, if I have to use a tripod for landscapes or the like, I do much better with the GH2's auto bracket and [i]seven[/i] 'consecutive' photos!). Also, the clip with the cat on the chair didn't look as if it had HDR, it looked definitely LDR. After all the minor and major disappointments, that we work hard to get used to, this would for me be the last straw. Still banding? OMG.
[/quote]

I think that HDR video is something that will be reserved for the high-end niche (i.e. RED One MX) at least for a while. But with moire and aliasing already back in a big way with the GH3, I agree, banding would kill this camera for me. I'm leaning more and more towards not getting a new camera this cycle. I have not been floored by anything I have seen, including the BMCC MFT.

Moire? I know that it's an early version, but how disappointing. Being able to shoot without thinking about moire that was one of the big reasons that I switched from Canon EF-S over to Panasonic MFT in the first place. I really hope that this is at the top of Panasonic's list to fix.

Moire? I know that it's an early version, but how disappointing. Being able to shoot without thinking about moire that was one of the big reasons that I switched from Canon EF-S over to Panasonic MFT in the first place. I really hope that this is at the top of Panasonic's list to fix.

[quote name='theSUBVERSIVEBIRDS' timestamp='1347734379' post='18156']
What I don't get in people nowadays is how they think that everybody has to have the exactly same necessity over things and usually - actually always - think that people has the same necessity as them, like it's not possible to have different needs.[/quote]

I agree.

One thing that no one has mentioned here is that the BMC is the first camera ever made by BlackMagic. The GH3 is coming from an established camera company with several previous models that Panasonic has been able to use as benchmarks and improve upon. As good as it looks, this is the FIRST camera by BlackMagic. The first step can be painful. It's something I think that everyone should take into consideration when it comes time to buy a camera.

For my needs (mostly short films and the occasional corporate shoot when we're short a camera at work), I could make either camera work. I will probably end up buying the GH3 and then possibly the [i]successor[/i] to the BMC MFT because if it is as excellent as it looks, there WILL be a successor.

It's the eleventh hour for the GH2, but it will still be a few months before I have its replacement in my hands so I am still trying to get the best possible performance out of it. And I'd still like to hang onto it as a B-cam, but not until I work some issues out.

I did a full-range ISO test of my GH2 with the Flowmotion 2.02 settings, starting at 12800 and working my way down to 160. I did this after reading a little more about the GH2 ISO bug. Initially, I had read that if you wanted to use ISOs 320, 640 or 1250, you had to switch the camera on and first go to [i]any[/i] higher ISO, and then back to one of these three to minimize noise. Then I did some more reading on Personal-View and apparently what you want to do is go to the next ISO increment up, and then back down to the desired setting (so if you want ISO 320, go to ISO 400, then back to 320; if you want 640, go to 800, then back to 640). This seemed to result in a MUCH cleaner image than my initial tests with the first image. The footage is pretty usable up to ISO 1250, at least with the Flowmotion hack.

What really surprised me was this:

[img]http://www.eoshd.com/comments/uploads/gallery/album_13/gallery_18451_13_3510.jpg[/img]
ISO 160
Flowmotion 2.02
Noise enhanced for visibility
500% crop


[img]http://www.eoshd.com/comments/uploads/gallery/album_13/gallery_18451_13_74801.jpg[/img]
ISO 320
Flowmotion 2.02
Noise enhanced for visibility
500% crop


This tells me that working around the ISO bug as I have talked about above, ISO 320 is actually much [i]cleaner[/i] than 160. In fact, it's the cleanest ISO (at least with this hack on my camera).

Thoughts?

Some screen grabs from the video (property of Panasonic):

[img]http://www.eoshd.com/comments/uploads/gallery/album_14/gallery_18451_14_111867.png[/img]

[img]http://www.eoshd.com/comments/uploads/gallery/album_14/gallery_18451_14_870838.png[/img]

[img]http://www.eoshd.com/comments/uploads/gallery/album_14/gallery_18451_14_598798.png[/img]

[media]http://youtu.be/9ZFhaYuiQSs[/media]

[quote name='FilmMan' timestamp='1347592634' post='17946'][list]
[*][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]First Picture of GH3[/font][/color]
[/list]
[img]http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj524/picrumors/panasonic_gh3_image-1.png[/img]

[/quote]

Fierce!

[quote name='Germy1979' timestamp='1347479136' post='17850']
I have this patch! All I can say is, thank you! haha! I always keep it on 160 to avoid this very thing... (unless i can't.)
[/quote]

I am glad that this could be of help. ISO 640 is just slightly more noisy than ISO 160 (but only if you select ISO 800 first, then go to ISO 640). It's very usable. There is also a theory out there that higher ISO will cut down on color banding so a little noise on this camera may not be such a bad thing!