jonpais

Funny because I watched the same video, and the overall quality was excellent. So much so, that I'm going to download the 2.5GB file when I get home tonight.

If this is genuine, it's some of the best drone work I've seen yet with the GH4.

@Mozim Thanks, very nice comparison. Funny, it appears most viewers preferred the Olympus lens for its sharpness and lack of flares, but I liked the SLR Magic. But in my own work though, if subjects aren't spot-on sharp, I hate it! And I am thinking my own Panny 12-35mm suffers from strong flare even under soft daylight. It's been driving me crazy. On the other hand, video shot with the 35-100mm always looks beautiful.

@Skiphunt The only reason NOT TO use Davinci Resolve to get the look you're after is if your computer isn't powerful enough (I see you said that your computer was already 'choking' using FCP - looks like it might be time for an upgrade). I seriously don't believe you can get the best results just using FCPX. And I say this after purchasing a bunch of LUTs from CGC for Final Cut. I regret now not having bought the Resolve LUTs instead. But there are a bunch of free LUTs available if you look around a bit. Matthew Scott and Juan Melara both have excellent examples of their work using Resolve, and David Vickers is working on some of the best tutorials I've seen for any NLE. Exactly why are you so smitten with FCP? Just asking... However, if you are stuck on FCP, I do believe the looks offered over at CGC are definitely worthwhile, especially LUT Utility (which you said you already purchased), a genuine bargain at only $30 USD. And not only is Denver Riddle extremely punctual answering questions regarding issues with his downloads, he is also always offering free stuff, like film burns. I am using a brand new Macbook Pro Retina with only 8GB, and I'm already regretting not having purchased the top model with 16GB RAM and Nvidia. But perhaps I'll get a new desktop...

I guess I am kind of surprised by the lack of love for the SLR Magic and Cosina Nokton u43 primes, since there has been so much hubbub for these lenses in the forums. The consensus seems to be for full frame or APS-C lenses. Is the reason one would choose full frame glass over u43 because of character, speed, price or future-proofing? or all of the above? Maybe I should repeat that I don't have any legacy lenses, the GH3 is my very first digital interchangeable lens camera. It's all well and good to say that this lens or that has insane quality, but I wouldn't mind seeing some examples of work being done with some of the lenses under discussion, to see how they actually perform... It's kind of like reading the "best video settings for GH3" thread (in another forum) without any real-life samples... I guess I'm also a little confused by those who recommend zooms here (since we're discussing primes), not because they are zooms, but because some are automatic (although not after adding an adaptor). Aren't they inferior for manually focussing? Or are they just as good? I didn't specify in my original post, but one of the things I'd like to see is a manual lens that is built like a tank. Quite frankly, I hate the plastic feel of the Panasonic zooms, and if I'm going to invest in some primes, they'd better feel like something I just have to hold every day. I did have the opportunity to play with one of the Nikkor AI or AIS (I'm not sure which) lenses at a shop here the other day; all I know is, it was longer than 50mm and it was an f/2, and it felt absolutely wonderful in my hands; the only problem being, it was too long to go around doing the street stuff I do without any stabilization.

And here's an excellent review of the GM1 from a still shooter's perspective, along with some beautiful images. The only inconsistency I see in the review is he blasted the UI on the GH3 and says that of the GM1 is very good. But the reason I find the GM1 so easy to use is that the menu is nearly identical to the GH3... hmmm http://blog.mingthein.com/2014/03/07/review-panasonic-lumix-gm1/#more-8208

I guess now we don't need to start a "what's the cheapest prime you find yourself shooting with all the time" thread!

The story of my life :(

Right, if I got off my butt and started doing some narrative work, I'd most likely be using a tripod, which would make stabilization a non-issue. And I'd have to consider investing in some LED lights. But that's for another thread...!!

@maxotics "If you want a portable camera, then get MFT lenses (used if you ask me, because they don't get any less plasticy over time)." :) Very well put! In fact, in spite of almost every review of the Panny "Pro" zooms, where they say build quality is high, I have always felt they feel very cheap, especially for lenses costing over $1,000 apiece. I wouldn't absolutely rule out purchasing an SLR Magic or Voigtlander u43 lens in the future, but I think I'm going to investigate some of the less expensive used primes mentioned here and possibly the Rokinon cine glass next.

I guess you have to go to YouTube to watch this in 1080p :(

Here's an excellent article comparing the Nikkors to the Samyangs: http://mattscottvisuals.com/blog/2014/1/19/lens-up-my-nikkors-vs-the-rockinonsamyang-cine

@Andy Lee And the cost of these lenses would barely cover the tax on my two Panny zooms :)

The Nikkor AIS 50mm f/1.4 was highly recommended to me by Franc Peret, whose work I regard highly. Like Andy Lee, he suggested just picking up any cheap adaptor on eBay just to get started. If I lived anywhere but in Vietnam, I would simply go to a camera store and compare the Sigma, Rokinon, etc. Unfortunately, there aren't any good shops here in Saigon... Very informative video BTW.

@Jim Why have you given up on u43 lenses? And what do you mean by "you can tell the difference with the Zeiss lenses"? Exactly how are they different? Resolution? Color? Bokeh?

You make me laugh, Andy! While everyone else is comparing the Samyang lenses to genuine cine lenses costing $20,000+, you say they are overpriced.. At the same time, I'm inclined to follow your advice, since the price is right (for the Yashicas), and I'm not a professional, just a hobbyist.

@jurgen Is the $1,400 burning a hole in your pocket? Because the GH4k is going to run at least $1,600-$1,700 USD. Plus SD cards. I think it would be prudent to wait until we see some tests, which I'm sure we'll start to see by some time next month. At least some first-looks, anyhow. Pricing is supposed to be announced the second week of this month, according to what I've read. Meanwhile, go out and shoot.

@Ebrahim So you would discourage me from investing in the u43 mount?

Good to hear about the Rokinon lenses, Aaron. I guess the 14mm would be out of the question, as it appears not to have filter threads. How's manual focusing with the Sigma? Ergonomics with a u43 camera? Any issues with stabilization? Or do you use it strictly with a tripod/monopod?

Wow, Andy. I think you've mentioned these before, but I only now looked them up on eBay. So inexpensive! Which is a plus, since customs here in Vietnam really socks it to you. I'm looking at one seller from the Ukraine charging around $35 USD for shipping, which isn't bad at all. Maybe a good place to get my feet wet before investing in expensive glass. Are there any examples of work done with these lenses you could point me to?

I began discussing this in another thread, but it was off-topic, so here it is: I'm ready to invest in some primes for my GH3 (I've got the 12-35 and 35-100mm zooms). I do mostly handheld street shooting, but I would like to branch out into short films one day. Question 1: If I don't already own any legacy lenses, is there any advantage to buying full frame lenses + adaptors over u43 lenses like Voigt or SLR Magic (apart from cost?). Question 2: Are cheap adaptors fine for video use? Question 3: How about the Samyang/Rokinon cine lenses? Question 4: Also, right now, I'm already using a shoulder rig to keep my OIS lenses from jittering (initially, for the longer zoom, but now I use it with both lenses with great results); what is the longest lens I should realistically be able to use without having to do post stabilization? a 50mm?

Thanks fuzzy normal. I'm definitely going to pick up some manual lenses in the near future. I was very disappointed today though when I discovered that there is no focus assist on the GH3 when actually shooting video, so I'm pretty sure I'll need a monitor or EVF. Anyhow, I think we got off topic here somehow... Sorry, all!

@Fuzzynormal Now I realize that. I've been a little scared, because I'm afraid I won't be able to focus fast enough before the moment is gone. I think I'm going to have to pick up an external monitor or something next... On the other hand, I'll be much more conspicuous... I've been told to pick up a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 to start with, along with any cheap adaptor. I suppose I'll start looking for one next month. Do you think I'll also need to pick up a follow focus? If so, is there one you can recommend? This is beginning to be an expensive hobby!

Up until the other day, I'd been shooting everything with the GH3 and GM1 in Standard profile. But since watching some grading tutorials and picking up a pack of LUTs, I realized I was going to have to change styles. I popped the 12-32mm lens on the GM1 and took a couple of shots at the Saigon Central Post Office, a great place for people watching, and the light is beautiful in the old building. I shot at 24p, 800 ISO, Natural, -5 contrast, -3 sharpening and saturation. The clips are right out of the camera with no editing or color correction. I set focus on face recognition, which has increased the percentage of usable shots, since I mostly shoot people, You can see the lens hunting for focus in some instances. The first two shots were made at 12mm, the last at 32mm, all wide open. The lens is sharp as a tack in the center from widest aperture, and it probably wouldn't hurt to turn down the in-camera sharpening another notch or two for a more cinematic look. The color is also remarkable. If you look at the grey baby carriage behind the woman in the last shot, you'll have an idea of the noise the camera produces. For that reason, I'm going to be picking up Red Giant's denoiser soon. You can download the files here: https://copy.com/s2TZBYlMuKmu Edit: I purchased Neat Video this evening