jonpais

Make sure you keep us informed how it works out for you!

Here's a small clip made with the GM1 on a recent trip to the Mekong delta.

Michael Reichmann, writing about the GM1 for his website, has just penned the very first negative review I've seen of the camera. His main gripes: the control wheel, which he says is the worst design ever, and the lack of an EVF. I have to agree with him about trying to shoot without at least an articulating LCD: it's all but impossible to hold the camera steady, especially with long lenses. But I must ever so politely disagree with him about the control wheel - in fact, I find that when changing shutter speed, aperture and white balance, the ergonomics are way easier than with the GH3. It's true though that it is possible to change the point of focus by inadvertently touching the screen, something I did quite often when first using the camera, but which doesn't happen much anymore. So there you are: get the G6! :)

If I've confused you even more, I've succeeded! :) I only shoot 24p 50Mbps with GH3, so I don't know about 75Mbps. Most people say the higher bit rate option is muddy looking. I don't do color grading or fast moving objects (that is, things faster than a person walking), so I don't think there's a big difference... I posted a link to a Franc Perec video - he still uses the GH1 and GH2 a lot, and he even posted a video from the unhacked GH1 and he was happy with the results and he knows a heck of a lot more than I do, so there you are. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but those high bit rates really only come in handy if you're shooting action or doing extensive color correction.

This link should be live within the next 24 hours. You should see 10 short clips, all but one shot at the home of a friend of mine in Tien Giang province in the Mekong delta and one shot during a tour of the Mekong. The young girl is my friend's daughter. Camera: Lumix GM1, Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 lens. Settings: Standard, 24p, contrast -5, sharpness -3, saturation -2 and NR 0. Several of the interiors were shot at ISO 800.

I can't comment on stills, since I only shoot video. In my case, I got the GM1 as a sort of B camera for the GH3, but I ended up shooting almost exclusively with the GM1. For one thing, the LCD screen is WAY sharper than on the GH3. The sensor is awesome - the color and clarity I get with the Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 lens is nothing short of amazing. As I said before though, it is next to impossible for me to shoot steady with long lenses - I shake a lot for one thing; the ergonomics (without some sort of grip anyway) are not great for telephoto work (there is an extensive write-up over at the Imaging Resource, however, where they look at using long focal lengths to shoot stills); and the stabilization in the Panny 35-100 isn't the very best... It also sounds to me like you have certain goals, but never forget that although you think you might not need a feature like slo-mo today, that could change in the future. I love my GM1 to death, but the G6 might be better suited for your needs... I'll be totally honest and say that I prefer cameras with a metal frame to all plastic, but there seems to be no question that the G6 is rugged enough for everyday use. As has been said, you will probably want your main camera to have an EVF. I say all this even though the GM1 is one of the most fun cameras I've owned. Oh, and even though I shoot 24p 50Mbps with the GH3, I think the GM1's AVCHD files are every bit as good for what I do. In fact, there are many photographers still using the GH1 and GH2 who swear by them. I recently watched a

Here is one that came out a while back (shot in overcast light) and another shot outdoors in bright light with some camera movement. I was surprised at the absence of shimmering in the grilles of the cars My own experience has been that the camera produces an incredible amount of detail and nice color, but yes, you have to be careful around patterned objects

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Yes, I should have added that if you want 60fps, you're better off with the G6.

Hi malkovich00, There are plenty of discussions and reviews of both cameras both here and in other forums. Without knowing exactly how you intend to use your camera, it's difficult to give an answer. Are you planning to shoot lots of sound? Do you need slow motion? Are you planning to use long focal lengths? If so, you might be better off with the G6, from what I've read. Also, if ergonomics is a priority, the GM1 is probably out of the picture. On the other hand, I own both the GM1 and the GH3, and I can't stop shooting with the GM1: I love the camera. I think if you want to fly your camera someday, the smaller one might also be a better choice. In the end, I'm sure you can't go wrong with either camera. Is there a shop nearby you can go to and handle the two?

Are you telling me you get less moire and aliasing with the Photo Style settings all at zero? Incredible!

:) That seems to be the general consensus: using vintage lenses...

After seeing some videos shot with the GH1 by Franc Perec over at Vimeo, I was curious to read some reviews of the camera. I found a comprehensive and enlightening review over at the Luminous Landscape (written some five years ago), where Michael Reichmann had this to say: "And what are Canon, Nikon et all doing in the meantime? Hard to say, but if they are not scrambling to produce something competitive they're going to find RED capturing a big chunk of the high-end of the prosumer stills and video market. Another warmed over 5 series camera from Canon just isn't going to be competitive. Because Nikon doesn't have an existing video camera business to protect from the ravages of convergence you'd think that they would be in the forefront. But, given what we've seen so far Nikon seems to simply be playing a holding action rather than innovating when it comes to video. At least not yet. Which brings us back to Panasonic. First, an anecdote. Back about 30 years ago I was National Sales Manager for the Video Division of Panasonic in Canada. (This was industrial and broadcast; there was no consumer video at the time). I was then always frustrated by the fact that Sony and JVC would have cooler gear and have it first, bringing new features and innovations to market sooner than Panasonic. After several years with Panasonic, and on a visit to headquarters in Japan one time, I voiced this concern to a senior executive and asked why this had to always be the case. He smiled wryly and responded that as the world's largest electronics company Matsushita felt no need to be first and coolest, but would emulate the turtle, not the hare. Slow but sure wins the race. He also said that the company chooses its battles carefully, but when they target a particular market they play to win." The thing is, in just slightly over a year since the introduction of the GH3, Panasonic have done the unheard-of: they have not just added incremental functionality and cosmetic changes to their flagship camera - an already popular model among video enthusiasts - but a host of features we've been eager to see implemented.

In a video I posted in the GH3 Best Video Settings thread over at POV (apologies, Andrew!), the first couple shots were actually taken with the GM1. In-camera sharpening was set higher than it should have been, and I had to add blur in post. Even so, you can see what appears to be ugly aliasing in the woman's hair at the very beginning of the clip. As far as suggestions, I was led to believe that turning in-camera sharpening way down lessens moire and aliasing, but when I tried doing that with my GH3, I didn't see any better results, so I wouldn't expect it to have any affect on the GM1 either. And because my hands aren't steady, it makes the problem even worse, especially with things like patterns in clothing, which I can see shimmering with every movement of the camera.

Thanks. An excellent read.

Any chance you can share a sample shot at that ISO with those settings?

As I already owned the GH3, one of my justifications for purchasing the GM1 was to be able to fly it with the Mastor Tech SF1 Gimbal, a cheaper alternative to say, the $2,600 Defy G2 with the GH3. But I just learned that there have been some changes: it looks like Stephen Tsang has started a new company and is Kickstarting gimbals under the Gazer name. The products look similar, but the prices are now higher, and the Gazer SP1 looks like it's built of cheap plastic. I was ready to go ahead and bite the bullet and write a check to Defy, but I think these gimbals still take a lot of practice and skill to get steady shots, and I'm afraid I'll be sorely disappointed. Any ideas about other small affordable 2-axis gimbals to fly the GM1?

Seb's a talented guy; the video held my interest throughout. I feel he really highlighted the strengths of SLR Magic's new lens and I was surprised he didn't do any grading at all (at least, I believe that's what I read), since he achieved so many different looks with the two cameras, from very monochromatic to richly colored shots. I especially enjoyed some of the close-ups. I did feel however that some of the shots might have benefited from less in-camera sharpening, though. I recently posted a link to some clips I made with the GH3 of head shots to show that the camera was certainly capable of creating a film look with nice skin tones (some still dispute that), but now that top-tier cameras have already proven that digital is not something to be despised, I wonder how long it will be before we can dispense with a slavish adherence to a certain esthetic. There are times when I can enjoy a movie shot digitally where it doesn't pretend to resemble celluloid at all.

Here's a test I made of the GH3 with the X Vario 35-100mm f/2.8 lens in sort-of low light conditions, to see what skin tones were like. http://jonpais.wordpress.com/2014/02/10/faces/

First of all, great article, even though I'll never approach a level where all those add-ons would be necessary (I just do grab shots on the street for the most part). Also, encouraging to hear that the Retina will be able to handle GH4 4K files (though I've only got 8GB RAM, so I might have to content myself with downscaling to 1080p). I am also green with envy that you will be testing the Cooke lenses with the GH4, not that I would even know what to do with them. But it reinforces what I've always thought - that whoever is manufacturing the sensors in these Panasonics, the colors are beautiful (especially from my GM1) - otherwise, you wouldn't bother. Yet so many in the forums complain of plasticy-looking skin-tones, blah, blah... For that reason, this weekend, I went ahead and made a bunch of head shots with the GH3 in a dimly lit post office in Saigon using the the lowly Vario 35-100mm, which I'll be posting in a few days. I'm not a professional colorist or anything, but the results look film-like to my eyes. And I expect the GH4 will be every bit as good, if not better.

@Tone13 Incidentally, I'm given to understand that the GH4 delivers close to 12 stops of dynamic range. At least, that according to Illya Friedman of Hotrod Camera in an interview with Dan Chung on Vimeo.

I don't even think the Canon 1DX at $7,000 offers what you're looking for. And you expect all this in a camera costing $1,800?

I'm not qualified to talk about the rest of your post, esp. since I have no experience whatsoever with BM, but I think you have it backwards. I believe it is BM that is always delivering late on their goods, not Panasonic. In my experience, Panny has gotten their cameras into the hands of reviewers and consumers on schedule, and there is no reason to believe the GH4 won't be available this spring. In fact, Hot Rod Cameras has already said they will begin training with the camera in just a few weeks. Anyway, all this comparing of the GH4 with the BM is like comparing apples and oranges, if you ask me. The workflow, the low battery life and so on of the BM don't appeal to me at all as a novice, whereas the GH4 is packed to the gills with features and can be used by anyone, pro or beginner. In spite of all the griping by readers in the forums, this is the most full-featured camera at its price range on the market, bar none. I can just take it out of the box and start shooting without a rig right away.

I didn't see any option to delete this post, it was made in error

@Bryan Right, I recall watching the making-of where you specifically mentioned preferring using an external EVF. And I think when I get this camera, an external monitor or loupe (which I've been putting off basically because of my confusion as to which to get) is going to be necessary. And I apologize for my snotty remarks earlier.