Jimbo

21 minutes ago, Emanuel said:

Yeah...? Is stabilization in-camera so important? C'mon, a mere single gimbal does the job... Mere gimmick, actually : ) Helpful but can't beat 4:2:2 10-bit + 4K@60fps ;-)

Decent/effective autofocus (a joystick to move the focus point, as for instance) would/can be a much more game changer, instead.

The high frame rate 20MP 60fps RAW burst mode is pretty promising, though.
 

I think there is a place for gimbal and IS. A gimbal is fantastic for following subjects and in the right hands can produce longer, steadier cinematic moves than IS can. However, with IS you can execute smaller cinematic moves with longer lenses much more easily and with no rigging at all it's very discrete for public/wedding/performance filming etc. I adore the IS on my GX85, I can work more unobtrusively and I can get shots I couldn't before due to time constraints.

I've only just woken up after passing out from all the m43 body and lens announcements yesterday. Panny and Oly are pushing hard again. I'm not one to give into my gas easily these days, but can't wait to see some more videos from the new Oly once it gets into user hands and see if it can rival Panny's image which has been honed over the years.

Ha, his reasoning for lack of C-Log is complete BS. As Squig says, he's basically just told everyone who paid 5k for a C100, or more for C300, that they paid for a 'sticker'. Right... and there was me contemplating paying for that sticker...

The probable reason is that Canon cheaped out on the processors to save money, or haven't worked out how to draw the heat away from their DSLR, so in 4K it's not possible due to extra processing step. Or – and call me cynical – Canon left it out on purpose to protect C-Line and save development costs .

Fine, it's primarily a stills camera, but just say it as it is (like Matt Frazer from Panasonic would - he's awesome and honest). Enough of the BS, Canon, it's like listening to a politician not a camera manufacturer, and trust me, we've all had enough of that 

Can't wait to see what Panasonic deliver with the GH5!! You know that everything they can put in, they will put in, in order to deliver the best tool they can for filmmakers. Paid update for VLOG like last time? Maybe, but will still be way less than half the price of the Mark IV. I feel so happy with my decision to stick with Panasonic bodies, investing in lenses and equipment to go with their cameras, as I know when it comes to the next upgrade cycle they will have my back.

I saw this on Facebook. Really cool! I look forward to seeing some footage from it. I sold my Glidetrack back in the day as you needed monk like zen to get consistent moves, and the Kesslers were a little out of my price range.

Received my GX85 last week in time for a Friday wedding and just wanted to share my initial thoughts on the camera (being a GH4 and GX7 owner) and a short teaser film I made for the couple I filmed with the camera on Friday. Heads up: this is the same post I put on personal-view to avoid any duplicate reading time ;-)

Firstly, operationally, this camera with its stabilisation is a gem. For a number of years now, every time I've wanted to go handheld at a wedding I've had to remove my baseplate and attach my Zacuto target shooter and z-finder (I don't keep the Zacuto baseplate on permanently as I value the GH4s flippy screen way too much). Weddings being as they are, this meant I only used my mini rig at strategic times of the day when the switchover meant I wouldn't miss anything. So having it built in meant I could go handheld whenever I wanted; and I did. I had it slung around my neck most of the day, operating my GH4 on tripod and mono as my A Cam and then choosing certain moments to use the GX85. As the day progressed I began using the GX85 more and more and it gave me a photography-like framing freedom to the height and angles I could get to without having to hoist up my beloved monopod or put my tripod down into low leg move. I can see the pitfalls of a device making shooting so easy... you get lazy... but on Friday I felt a freedom and creativity I haven't felt in a long time. I started looking with my eyes more knowing that my gear wouldn't stop me getting into position (and quickly at that).

And the quality of the stabilisation? Well, you can probably already tell from the videos that it's incredible. And where I wouldn't normally go handheld with anything over 25mm on my Zacuto, by the end of the day I had my Nikon 105mm and speedbooster (making it 75mm) and it was fantastic, allowing me to grab shots that normally I'd have to set a tripod up for. And with some practise I felt quite comfortable panning gently with it too, it doesn't come to a hard stop like the Olympus stabilisation seem to, it tapers off nicely.

I won't comment too much on image quality at this stage as I haven't had time to pore over the footage. My initial feeling is that in terms of DR, detail and colour it is on par with the GH4 with a slightly different colour signature. I feel it is definitely less noisy than the GH4 at high ISO (which is a boon for my work, although I'm really not afraid of noise as much as some people) but detail and DR like normal still seem to struggle once you hit 1600. Also, I don't think the slow-mo (50p/100 shutter on a 25p timeline) is as good as the GH4, doesn't seem as fluid. The GH4 has fantastic 50p. Again, please take this with a pinch of salt as I've scanned my footage for all of an hour and never have time or inclination to pixel peep (too busy editing bloody weddings!). It's just my feel.

Now the cons to the camera.... instantly the moment I took it out of the box and put it up to my face I was disappointed. I love the left-side EVF, it means guests can see more of my face and I can smile to put them at ease and more easily talk to the bride and groom if doing any direction. However, that damned left strap lug just sticks into my nose. The GX7 has the correct placement of this lug and I cannot believe Panasonic engineers changed it and then didn't think about the consequences. Anyone else notice this? I want to hold the camera to my nose for additional stabilisation and can't do it comfortably now. I can live with it, but found myself pushing the viewfinder upwards into my eye socket so I didn't have red marks on my nose all day. It's workable, but the GX7 lug placement was perfect.

Secondly, no battery charger included. You have to charge the battery in camera which is less handy when you want to have your second battery on charge while using the first. I do this a lot.

Obviously it's a real shame it doesn't have mic input, but I understand this isn't a pro model. I just have to choose wisely when I use it for my work until the GH5 comes out as audio clips are so important to the way I edit (I use natural, candid audio whenever I can, especially in my longer edits). However, I really will have so much pleasure using it for my work in the meantime, and it is now the perfect personal camera for me too.

So here is a mini teaser video I put together for my bride and groom from Friday. Shots 1, 2 and 4 at 50mm, shots 3 and 5 (cliff ones) at 75mm. Yes, I have slowed them down, but I would be more than happy (and will) use them at normal speed too. The 75mm on the cliff was a bit of a wow moment for me. With the wind the way it was, there is no way I would have been able to get the shot on a monopod that steady, and I would have never been able to get the variety of shots I did if I were using a tripod (there was no time for a tripod anyway). The GX85 is opening my mind up to new possibilities.

All shots straight out of camera, natural w/ -2 contrast, -4 sharpness, -3 NR:

On 23/07/2016 at 10:15 PM, jase said:

My first project with the GX80. Since size / weight does matter and securities are kinda picky, i had no choice but to leave my lovely Voigtländer 25 lens at home and put the Panasonic 20mm on it. I had mixed feelings especially I did not use this lens for a very long time but in the end, I am satisfied with the result. Grading was a breeze, skin tones need little to no adjustment and also this lens works quite well with the Tiffen Ultra Contrast Filter. 

Love it! Thanks for sharing, Jase. The Panasonic 20mm has a lovely rendering, different to the Voigtlander but still has some magic. Out of interest, if you had used the Voigtlander, would you have still used the Tiffen contrast filter with it? I find Panasonic lenses have stronger contrast so was interested if that was a creative choice with that particular lens. I need to get me one of those filters...

Hi all,

Question for anyone who owns a Panasonic GX80/85, Canon Speed booster that communicates EXIF data and the Sigma 18-35mm: If I use the Sigma 18-35mm attached via an electronic speed booster will it correctly communicate the focal length and therefore will the sensor stabilisation be correctly tuned for that focal length as you zoom in and out?

I'm sure Metabones have thought about this, but with the 0.71x will 18mm be communicated as 12.78mm so the camera knows what it is dealing with?

I currently own non-electronic lenses and adapters but thinking of going for the Sigma lens in Canon mount and combining it with the GX80/85 (and upcoming GH5) via a speed booster for handheld work. Would be a killer combo and could sell my Zacuto shoulder brace and not need my primes for lowlight work. Less kit is more!

I currently use a Glidecam HD1000 with a GH4 + Olympus 12-40mm. In answer to your question, OP, I usually settle on a drop time of 2.5 seconds (timing it with phone not my fast voice =)). I like the solidarity of 2 seconds but like you say it's much harder to control up and down movements. However I dislike the more seesawing action of a 3 second balance when doing normal moves so halfway works for me.

I personally don't see myself getting a MoVi etc. anytime soon. My work currently calls for small, reliable gear and the Glidecam fits the bill. It takes some patience to get a good balance but once it's in it's a rocky steady piece of gear and delivers some of my favourite shots.

1 hour ago, IronFilm said:

Safety Not Guaranteed was shot on an F3
Interestingly is I believe it was shot entirely internally recorded and was done pre slog update.

The difference between that F3 camera they shot with and an F3 with slog and external recorder is like the difference between a 90lb weakling vs Arnie Schwarzenegger in his prime and on steroids!

Loved this film, looked great. Very interesting it was all shot internally.

Hi Andy,

I picked up the Nikon 80-200mm AF-S a few months ago after doing some research and coming across your original thread about the lens. Thank you - it's a special lens. I combine it with Brian's Metabones ULTRA and use it with the GH4 in 1080p and it performs admirably.

I actually owned both the Nikon and the Olympus 40-150mm for a few months, then came the financial decision to sell one. I did some testing and the Olympus is sharper (damned sharp) and it didn't ghost like the Nikon when pointing directly into light sources. My brain was saying keep the Olympus; it's newer, it's sharper, more contrast, is smaller, is lighter and has autofocus for day job and can double-up as a handy photographic lens for my m43 bodies.

But my heart wanted the Nikon; the colour, the contrast and mojo of the Nikon were just more appealing. Also, and sometimes we forget this, the handling of the lens was better. I enjoyed using the Nikon more. That combined with F2.0 with speedbooster and just had to sell the Olympus. I doubt I will ever sell the Nikon. I use it for wedding/commercial filming at the moment, but it's part of my Nikon "cinematic' set for when I find time to make a narrative film. Hope to add the 28-70mm to the set down the line!

Thanks to Andy for actively sharing all your knowledge, thanks to Brian for designing something that allows us to combined these beautiful optics with our preferred camera bodies! And as always thanks to Andrew for hosting this space to share the love.

Interesting post, Andrew. However, I do not believe Panasonic would change the sensor size in the GH line to S35 for many of the reasons already mentioned. I also don't want them too.

I've been using the GH line of cameras for my business for the last 4 years. They are small, have a lovely detailed image, and most importantly of all they have never let me down.

With the GH4 they finally got to a professional standard body. It is rock solid, has best-in-class battery life, it never overheats, and has no recording limits. Panasonic have played to their strengths beautifully. Apparently they sold way more GH4s than they were anticipating and it would be a strange move to throw that progress away when they now have a fan base. I hope to start make narrative films this year and will have no qualms using the GH4 for the job too where I can use my Nikon lenses with a speedbooster and achieve an S35 look if I desire.

Looking fantastic, Zak. Thanks for sharing.

You definitely have the vocabulary to express yourself - nice post =)

Hello,

From what I understand the Voigtlander 25mm v2 has exactly the same optical formula as v1 but as you alluded to has just been updated to include the click-less aperture. I read one post a while pack saying they saw slight improvements in the optics, which maybe is true as the v2 came out after Voigtlander had released two further lenses (improved manufacturing?) but I would take that with a pinch of salt.

I own the v1 of the lens and it's my favourite lens I own =) I did own the SLR 12mm T1.6 and although the image had some magic to it, using the focus ring felt like I was twisting pepper onto my dinner and looking down the barrel was a dirty experience that I didn't repeat. I sent it back too. So yes, I concur about the build quality. Using the Voigtlander is such a buttery, rewarding and enjoyable experience. The way a lens should be! The sweet spot is f/1.4 - 2.8. I only use 0.95 - 1.2 when I need the light or for effect.

How do you find the 17.5mm? Would love to pick one up at some point. Be great for you to have 2 lenses that match each other with their colour, rendering and operation.

Hi Lintelfilm,

Ah choices, choices!

I'm in a similar position to you. I use GH4s for my business with a mixture of native and Nikon lenses. I love the cameras but after 4 years of DSLRs I desire a camera built for video from the ground up. My main gripe with the GH4 is I get nervous if I have to go above ISO 1600, I know that I am then degrading my image beyond what I want for my brand. Fast lenses only get you so far.

Differently to you I film mostly events (80% weddings) so between these cameras it would be a no brainer for me to go for the C100 Mark 2. It's the complete package and I can just tell the ergonomics and workflow would save me time, and as we know time is money. However, I think it would be ideal for your work too, and the image is cinematic enough if you have a narrative up your sleeve. Looks like there has already been a price drop in the US for the Mark 2 and I'm excited to see if it drops any further after NAB and that extends to the UK. That's when I'll make my decision. My only concern is this would be a 3-4 year investment for me and 4K is coming whether we like it or not. I wouldn't want to miss a single job because I didn't have 4K, especially as I start taking on more commercial work.

Completely agree with Casey regarding lenses, definitely don't ditch your Nikons (they're beautiful for all the reasons he mentioned and can be adapted to almost anything), just start with a single workhorse lens for your new camera and take it from there.

Would love to know what you decide and why!

Hi Cassius,

I film the same things you do with the same cameras and my top upgrade choice would definitely be the C100 Mark 2 for the reasons mentioned above. It simply ticks every box for the work we do with no negatives, apart from of course the price tag =)

Hoping to invest at the beginning on the next season, as long as I've made enough sales! Fingers crossed for a timely price drop ;-)

Fantastic, thanks for sharing Ed. Your other post got me investigating colour charts.

One question... are you using an ND filter with the 7-14? If so how are you attaching it?

Great example, Kaylee. I haven't seen a side by side like this before. I've seen recoloured single frames from films, but a single frame from a film means very little when you don't have the context of the story.

The left hand side, definitely, because instantly in that first frame I was on edge because of the red, which I should be because this is a dangerous scene. Also in the first frame the whole background is washed out in red. The red is the element of contention, but also the red turns the human in a cage into an inactive background object, better highlighting the joker as the subject. On the right hand side there is almost too much detail about the cage (because of the colour) and your focus is torn; is joker talking to the guy in the cage or what? Is he going to raise his head? No, he's not, he's beaten, he's defeated. The colour in the left better communicates this.

Also the last frame. In the right hand image the splash under Joker and the coke can pull the eye away from what's important. They are great details to set the environment, but the colour on the left turns them into background objects leaving your subconscious to pick up the details while your eye is drawn to what it should be. Also the colour adds ferocity and more movement to the frame.

A fascinating and insightful thought. I haven't seen much of Broadchurch myself but I think I had a similar experience when watching Tree of Life. The imagery is mind-blowing, delivered through artisan cinematography, but I actually found it exhausting to watch because every frame demanded your attention. It was also a tiring mix of fluid shots and sharp cuts.

I found its portrayal of life, especially the growing up scenes with the brothers, wholly truthful and evocative in places, but the continual movement of the camera and breaking from abstract to real was overwhelming at times. I would liken the experience to reading a literary novel or visiting an art gallery. You can gobble up the craftsmanship of each paragraph and painting for only so long before you get art indigestion.

I watch such films and read such books to learn, but when the art overwhelms, or is stronger than, the story then I start to lose interest, nay, get angry. This may be the problem with Broadchurch, that the visual art is drowning the story, which is made all the more difficult for someone like yourself who is tuned to spot beautiful cinematography.

Good review. I was so close to buying an EM5 II. I wanted to use it alongside my GH4 for work but like many I just couldn't quite get passed the softness of the image. It would have been too much of a contrast against the GH4 shots. Hoping the EM1 II finally equates to an Oly body in my kit, which I'd love as my main stills body too.

Very interesting you find the a7s II handling soulless. It's so important for the pleasure of filming.

Exactly, it's like all the best features are spread across 10 different cameras =/, that's why Panasonic are still the best for my needs. They tick the most important boxes.

Man, what a great firmware update. I love my Olympus pro zooms and would love to buy an Olympus body to go with them, but alas I cannot give up the Panasonic video quality. Maybe the next models will tip the balance for me.

Hot damn, Volker, that is a great look you have struck upon. Definitely some 3D pop going on with that Minolta.

I always get torn with lenses, it's a tug of war in my kit bag between modern and vintage, head versus heart. My workhorse lens is the Oly 12-40mm. It's a veritable swiss army knife and delivers a clean and sharp image. On the same day of work I will use it and my Pana Leica 15mm alongside Nikon AI-S lenses and some days I'll fall in love with the images the Nikons deliver and other days I'll love the images the modern lenses deliver. It's my most internally debated kit choice, but when I find myself getting too hung up on it I reason with myself that I can get good shots with both so I close eBay and get on with some work =)

wolf33d, Mozim, thank you both for sharing your experience. I find FCPX very intuitive too so that would be my biggest fear of switching so thanks for answering that question. Will check out Color Finale and Oliver Color!

P.S. Just installed Oliver Color. It's awesome, thank you! Controls that make me feel like I'm in control =) (and all in one panel without tabs!) A very happy man right now.

Dam, I just watched a preview video on Lumetri and wish FCP X had this kind of panel. These tools are perfect for about of 95% of what I do and I find FCP X's colour board clunky. I can't move fast as I want to. However, I'm a big fan of FCP X and the magnetic timeline, I can work very quickly and not sure a switch to Premiere just for Lumetri makes sense.

Anybody switched? How do you find Premiere?

Fantastic, thanks for all the information, Neumann!