Fredrik Lyhne

Brian , Im using your Metabones XL speedbooster in a similar situation with a Nikon 28-70mm f2.8 (The Bourne Lens) to give me a f2 zoom . I'm DOP on a British Feature film Pandora and we are using this combination as it produces stunning images with your Metabones XL . I'm going to send you a PM about the Movie and Metabones . we are committed to shooting the whole movie with Metabones as it makes all the zooms f2 !! we are using the Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 and the 20-35mm f2.8 all with the XL for the exact reasons you have pointed out in you post , size weight £££ and image quality - which is amazing !!

So far its been really good, but admittedly all I've done is a lot of walking test shots. Its much easier to balance/setup than the Defy G2 I previously used, much lighter too. The gimbal weighs a little over 2 lbs with batteries, and my camera brings to total weight to just over 4 pounds. Comes with a nice padded case and an extra set of batteries. All of my tinkering has yet to burn through my first set, so battery life is looking pretty good. What sold me on the DS1 was the 32-bit board, higher load capacity than other one handed gimbals and positive user reports. I'm sure we'll see more gimbals at NAB and such, but I don't know what can be done to improve on the DS1 without adding to its size or cost.
The biggest con for me is the USB charging. I haven't bothered to look for other charging options for the batteries, but the manual says you'll get faster results with a dedicated charger, so there must be something available. Beholder claims 3-4 hours of shooting per charge, so two sets of batteries will easily carry me through any shoot with plenty of juice to spare - even if I only get a couple hours per set. My Mac Pro gives me a "USB Devices Disabled because its using too much power" message when I plug in the batteries which is odd, so I plug it into my wife's crappy old laptop.
I use it with the A7rII and at some point I'll put my A7s on it too. The DS1 combined with the IBIS makes for some crazy smooth walking shots and when doing dolly shots it looks like a slider. You can just turn the handle upside down for low shots or to simulate a jib movement. I'm going to take it on a boat to see how it handles waves at some point.
There's a seller on eBay that will take an offer of $650, I bought from them. No regrets so far.
Apologies to anyone interested in the Nebula for going OT.

Recording internally:
If your scenes will be lit and you'll have some control over ratios, I would try the Leeming LUT workflow:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?340808-Leeming-LUT-One-%96-the-best-LUT-for-the-Panasonic-GH4
This uses a specific tweaking of Cine-D, ETTR, and a custom LUT to correct to more pleasing colors. I've only shot with it once so far, very briefly but it seems pretty nice.
Otherwise I stick to Natural with most everything at -3 or -4. 
Recording externally, to 10-bit, I would use V-Log , and experiment with one of the many LUTs available for it. In particular the Film Convert profile seems very nice.

I shot a video for an artist called Vesperteen (check them out on Apple Music, or here). Shot 75% in V Log 10 bit, and 25% with C100. Check out some of the V Log stills below. Haven't worked on a final grade yet. These are just Cineon to Film Contrast LUTs applied.

I just finished a feature in which we used the Pix E5 extensively. For our main cams we had Fs7's with Speedboosters. But we wanted to use a Steadicam Tango which has a weight limit of 5 lbs. So we paired an A7s at the end of the Tango and Pix E5 as the operator's monitor. In short, the Pix E5 is bullet proof. In prep we tested Shoguns but found them too fiddly and power hungry. With the E5 we'd get a couple hours use with (2) NP 970 batteries. Also, their media system is well thought out. Pop out drive, stick it in computer, no intermediate interface. Also, noteworthy, it's at least a stop brighter than the Shogun which helped for brightly lit locations. The downside, no 60p. The interface is pretty simple. Buttons and touch screen. As a reference monitor, it'll take LUTs, display Histo, Waveform, Vectorscope, etc. 
I bet it becomes a standard "director's" monitor on movie and TV sets as they'll be able to review and que takes without having to summon the VTR guy and do it privately without everyone else watching. The union is going to hate this one. 

I like it very much. No doubt I would have given the same answer if I had choosen the VA or the Q7+ as it's my first recorder ever. They all record 10 bit prores  up to HQ and beyond (E5/E7 (4444XQ), 7Q+(raw)). I'm planning to combine my footage with my 3D work, hence I choose for a recorder that can deliver 4K in 10 bit Prores ...but for anything else I would be happy with the 'UHD Down Convert' from the GH4 ...it's that good and saves a lot of space . Talking about space I really like the concept of the mSata speed drives on the Pix-E's, they are great, no hassle what so ever, just like a normal usb thumb drive, only faster.
Oh and you don't have to use the monitor, you can just use it as a recorder. The Pix-E's let you create and save profiles. I made one with a black screen. Attache a luggage strap to one of the mounts and hang it around your neck/shoulder like a bag. HDMI cable to the camera and no one notices the differences ...for low profile shooting.
Btw 1080 straight from the GH4 to any recorder is not a good idea, very soft compared to 4K or UHD DownConvert.

I bought a Ninja Assassin specifically for V-Log, and despite my initial reservations it's been absolutely worthwhile. Small and light is great, but having that 7in screen means I just got it right more often, and that alone was worth it. And V-log looks AMAZING in 10bit -- skin tones in particular just looks so good. I did go back and forth over whether spending double what I paid for the camera (once you factor in SSDs and batteries) is a worthwhile investment, but while I could have sold all the m43 gear and bought a Sony, I'd then have to spend a ton of time learning a new camera system, find the pitfalls and ways to get around it, develop new workflows... and that just isn't worth it to me. I know the GH4 well enough now that it won't surprise me when I'm under pressure, having a big screen means I can see what I'm doing, and importantly when we're working fast my client can see as well, so there's no surprises at the end of the day.
Did I mention how good V-Log looks in 10 bit? Because it's GLORIOUS!

Hey Everyone,
 
Last month I finished editing my last job with my T3i (since then i've upgraded to the Nx1), most of my jobs are weddings, even though I like doing some of them, I'm burnt from having quite a few this summer. So I've been doing some tests lately with Luts and finally decided to grade a job with it, I very much liked the end result, got a "cinematic" feel, but theres always room for improvement, so I'd like to know what you guys think of the video in general (editting, grading, filming and so on).
 
Password : Memoryshop
Thank you guys  

Just got mine in. Man. Overkill on the packaging much? A sleeve for the key (on cardboard back), the manual, both inside a box. With some air cushioning put in another box, weighing in at 210gr total... express shipping too. They could've spared the environment a bit by just mailing it to me electronically or something. Geez.
Oh well. Fully unlockage! Now just have to pick my APS-C covering C-mount lenses up from the post office and give both V-LOG and those a try.

I'd rather buy some vintage zeiss, but that's me.

Well that took a bloody long time! But I've just this minute completed my new reel and site. It's not "announced" until Monday.... social media campaigns etc blah blah. But it's live! Check them here: 
View my new showreel and website!
Some info
Each and every image -  I shot, lit, edited, graded. A little directing. Very involved in creative ideas.  Core crew was mostly 4-5 regular people in these productions (Director, DOP, Production Manager, Spark, Make Up Artist).  For the geeks - cameras used are Sony F55, FS7, FS700, RED Epic, GH3, BM Pocket.  All images are music videos, but going for commercial/corporate work aggressively into the next year. (and still many music videos).  The aim is to have 100% new material for Showreel 2016. Max creativity required.  Anyway, if you like it or don't like it, whatever. Just thought I'd share.
 

Interesting article and thanks Andrew for these tests.
I have had the GH4 about a year now, I had thought of selling it and getting one of the newer Sonys, but after quite a bit of reading and deliberation I decided to keep it and not go with the current flavors of the month.
The thing is Panasonic are a bit like Canon, a bit more cutting edge and obviously geared towards the hobbiest and film maker with not a lot of money, but they basically have the same conservative approach as Canon, point being when they build a camera its pretty much reliable and works well without a lot of add ons and cluttered menus.
The GH4 for example never overheats, doesnt chew up batteries, runs forever on a single battery, has decent rolling shutter performance, gives a great detailed image with room to color correct within reason and needs only a few lenses.
I have even shot bands at night with just the Panasonic 12-35 2.8 (obviously no speed booster) and have obtained a very nice image even tho it was underexposed.
I learnt a long time ago that the more hurdles you have to jump through in order to be creative and get something in the moment, the less you will be inclined to do so, because of the amount of work you have to do to set things up in the first place.
And this is where I feel Sony may be over reaching and in too much of a rush, they have made a great camera the in the A7RII...but it overheats, has bad rolling shutter in S35 mode, and a more or less has a difficult Log to use, complex menu system etc...it seems to me that they have great techs, great sensors, but are in too much of a rush to capture the market, and that may work for a short time, but in the long term I dont feel it will.
Now if the V-Log turns out to be as good as many of the testers say, then the poor old underdog GH4 may just be the hidden gem in the pack, (Some owners of Panny and Sony cameras are already saying that) but I guess we will see.
 
I read an article on News Shooter that I totally agreed with from a pro News Camera Man that I totally agree with, its an interesting read...here
http://www.newsshooter.com/2015/08/07/sky-news-cameraman-andy-portch-reviews-a-year-shooting-news-with-the-panasonic-gh4/
Cheers
 
 

Yeah, that Alexa LUT does make for a nice look. It's little more contrasty than I'd like to go, personally. But an excellent starting point overall. Here's some more clips shot in the Natural profile (0, -5, -5, -2, 0) that I've applied my own custom LUT to. 
 
 

So for anyone who does not have the newest Premiere I have made available the LUT pack. (shhhh)
.cube: https://www.dropbox.com/s/u2see09x4a5s16c/GH4alexa.cube?dl=0
.3DL: https://www.dropbox.com/s/v3a0bbek7p5qmki/GH4alexa.3dl?dl=0
Instructions for GH4 profile:
Portrait
Contrast -5
everything else 0
0-255
Master Pedistal: 0
Shadows: 0
Highlights: -3

I took out my GH4 to a Ren Faire today testing out Portrait profile with 96fps HD. I've always used either Cine D, or Cine V, but wanted to try something different. So I shot everything with Portrait profile. After importing to Premiere CC I added Arri Alexa SL profile LUT. The colors looked really nice. I then tried just added some contrast to the original image and comparing the 2. Have a look and tell me that the Alexa LUT doesn't produce cleaner colors? Honestly do need opinions.
First is Alexa LUT. Second is Contrast only.
 

I don't think anyone expects that this camera will take customers from Nikon/Sony/Canon in terms of it's stills quality. However, it is a much needed progression for people already using m43. It may possibly tempt some hybrid users from other formats, but it's not cheap so who knows. They did hobble its features quite a bit on the video side unfortunately.
I will wait and see what GH5 brings, personally. I hope they include (real) video Ibis (and for 4K..) in that. It will be interesting to see if we are going to see a departure in sensor resolution though. I wonder if they dare go to say a 12MP sensor for GH5 to optimize video. That would leave me a bit in a sticky position though, as I like to do both, so I have to determine if a loss of stills resolution would be worth it. 

To me, these handheld gimbal stabilizers are bigger game-changers than the 4K/upped color space push. I'm just an enthusiast, so maybe the "gadgetry" aspect is what's appealing to me, but the effect that smooth motion has on footage is pretty profound.

Exciting to see and know that you can have both (4K + a gimbal) for around $4,000!

​Sorry if i was unclear. I'm very happy with the results! Was just expecting more faults to pointed out, as I know it's not perfect. But as Eduardo said: it's good enough for it's primary audience and that is what matters.

​Don't know if you have seen this video but I think it answers some of your questions.
 

Colors look great, lighting looks great, the food looks great.    My only suggestion would be for you to get a slider and use a couple slider shots to add some visual interest.   

Fredrik, your video looks great and it's clear. If your video is just a recipe, only thing it lacks is the text for what ingredients/measures are. I love simple things and in a recipe, the simpler the better. Some movements can add some fun, but are not necessary, not in a 50 seconds video recipe.
Then you can think you want to go a step further, so you need some environments, some props, maybe a sexy voice over, some sound effects, etc. the sky is the limit! ;-D

I asked for feedback and I'm not gonna cry if you don't like it. It's better that people are being honest than just pointing out the positives. Thanks everyone for the input!
Sekhar and j.f.r:  I've actually been testing shooting with camera movement lately and agree with everything else you said. Gotta keep learning!
Cinegain: I like to look at what really talented people do and learn from them. This video is obviously beyond reach for me but it's definitely inspiring and I think you make a valid point. 
I'm considering upgrading to a GH4 or a G7. Besides from the cropping, panning and zooming (4k to 1080p), is there any other major advantages like shooting flat profiles for example for this kind of work? 
Btw, this is just footage for my food blog and not professional or commercial.