Phil A

GH5 cage by LockCircle

Using the GH5 for quite a bit of photography and some little video clips. Using it with a combination of the (really great) Voigtländer 17.5mm f/0.95, Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 and the Samyang 35mm f/1.4 & 85mm f/1.4 both on a dumb adapter and a focal reducer.
My personal opinion: it's maybe one of the least emotional/passion inducing cameras I ever had, I don't feel any excitement about it... but... it's probably the most usable camera I ever had. Can 100% approve and would recommend to 95% of all DSLR/MILC users without hesitation if asked. It doesn't have mind blowing dynamic range, the low light is just ok, the colors are good but not Fuji good, it's comically big for a camera with such a small sensor. But it just is very well thought out (nothing is perfect). The swively screen, high quality EVF, touch screen works well, WiFi function very usable, AF-S perfectly fine for my photography uses, focus peaking & magnification very well implemented, rather good battery run time (eh, I come from Sony!). I had none of the issues people complain about on the internet so maybe I'm just lucky. 


I think the only drawback is the native lens system if you come from an APS-C / FullFrame system with a good choice of fast native lenses and are completely set on that look.

So what did people settle for by now? I'm considering getting a cage so I can mount a quick release plate via 2 screws but also to occasionally mount accessories like a field monitor, video mic or a top handle.
Looking at the market currently has a bunch of stuff but some prices are just silly for what a cage does (is it so expensive to CNC a piece of aluminium?) or badly fitting.  These seem to be the currently as of this post available cages I could find with a link to their product page (of existing) and a subjective opinion:
8Sinn http://www.8sinn.com/index.php/8sinn-gh5-cage.html - Around 199 $ for just the cage alone (ends up at 220€ in Europe).
CameTV - 298$ but comes with a riser for rod and a top handle.
Chrosziel http://www.chrosziel.de/neu-system-700-gh5/?lang=en - 295€ for cage and top handle, has an integrated Manfrotto compatible dove tail
JTZ DP30 - Minimum configuration is the cage with a top handle, riser with rods. Very modular as camera to cage, cage to riser and riser to base plate have quick release connections (looks more Arca Swiss than Manfrotto though?). Difference to other cages is that the cage has electronic connections with camera and top handle (and optional hand grip kit, etc.). Starts at 359€.
Lockcircle https://www.lockcircle.com/store/?p=robotskingh5 - Half-cage alone is already 439€, 539€ for full cage.
Movcam - Looks like a copy of the slightly earlier released 8Sinn cage, also roughly same price it seems.
Seercam http://seercam.com/shop/cube-gh5/ - Starts at 250$ for cage only. Has an integrated dovetail for their optional rod riser.
SmallRig http://www.smallrig.com/smallrig-dslr-cage-for-panasonic-lumix-gh5-1965.html - I had the A6300 cage and that was great for the money but this one seems to fit rather poorly on the grip side. Is it comfortable to hold it? Also got mixed reviews regarding access to the top control buttons. 89$
Tilta https://tilta.com/shop/tilta-panasonic-gh-series-cage-es-t37/ - 350$ and comes with cage, top handle, rod riser, screw-on rod holder and HDMI clamp. Camera mounts into the cage via quick release plate.
Varavon https://varavon.com/products/zeus-gh5-cage?variant=40977115270 - Cage only incl cable clamp comes for 219$.
Zacuto https://store.zacuto.com/gh5-cage/ - Comes with a hand strap and is going to cost you 495$.
...and then there are of course all the generic cages and half cages that are just a aluminium square to mount your cam into or are two plates connected with 15mm rods for height adjustment.
You could say there is something on the market for everyone, different form factors, features and prices points (~ 90 - 500$ for the cages alone). What is important though: not all of the cages allow to use the XLR audio adapter on top, especially when using the top handle.
I really like what Tilta and JTZ DP30 are doing by having the camera mount into the cage on a quick release plate. This allows you to quickly take the camera out of the cage and slap it onto a gimbal where even the small weight increase of the cage might be a deal breaker. On the other hand there is something to be said for really form fitting cages like 8Sinn and Movcam.

I bought the LockCircle with the Multiport lock and focal plane pin (for tape measure)...the workmanship is nothing short of amazing!

Random clips shot with GH5 and Olympus 25/1.2 in standard profile.

So what did people settle for by now? I'm considering getting a cage so I can mount a quick release plate via 2 screws but also to occasionally mount accessories like a field monitor, video mic or a top handle.
Looking at the market currently has a bunch of stuff but some prices are just silly for what a cage does (is it so expensive to CNC a piece of aluminium?) or badly fitting.  These seem to be the currently as of this post available cages I could find with a link to their product page (of existing) and a subjective opinion:
8Sinn http://www.8sinn.com/index.php/8sinn-gh5-cage.html - Around 199 $ for just the cage alone (ends up at 220€ in Europe).
CameTV - 298$ but comes with a riser for rod and a top handle.
Chrosziel http://www.chrosziel.de/neu-system-700-gh5/?lang=en - 295€ for cage and top handle, has an integrated Manfrotto compatible dove tail
JTZ DP30 - Minimum configuration is the cage with a top handle, riser with rods. Very modular as camera to cage, cage to riser and riser to base plate have quick release connections (looks more Arca Swiss than Manfrotto though?). Difference to other cages is that the cage has electronic connections with camera and top handle (and optional hand grip kit, etc.). Starts at 359€.
Lockcircle https://www.lockcircle.com/store/?p=robotskingh5 - Half-cage alone is already 439€, 539€ for full cage.
Movcam - Looks like a copy of the slightly earlier released 8Sinn cage, also roughly same price it seems.
Seercam http://seercam.com/shop/cube-gh5/ - Starts at 250$ for cage only. Has an integrated dovetail for their optional rod riser.
SmallRig http://www.smallrig.com/smallrig-dslr-cage-for-panasonic-lumix-gh5-1965.html - I had the A6300 cage and that was great for the money but this one seems to fit rather poorly on the grip side. Is it comfortable to hold it? Also got mixed reviews regarding access to the top control buttons. 89$
Tilta https://tilta.com/shop/tilta-panasonic-gh-series-cage-es-t37/ - 350$ and comes with cage, top handle, rod riser, screw-on rod holder and HDMI clamp. Camera mounts into the cage via quick release plate.
Varavon https://varavon.com/products/zeus-gh5-cage?variant=40977115270 - Cage only incl cable clamp comes for 219$.
Zacuto https://store.zacuto.com/gh5-cage/ - Comes with a hand strap and is going to cost you 495$.
...and then there are of course all the generic cages and half cages that are just a aluminium square to mount your cam into or are two plates connected with 15mm rods for height adjustment.
You could say there is something on the market for everyone, different form factors, features and prices points (~ 90 - 500$ for the cages alone). What is important though: not all of the cages allow to use the XLR audio adapter on top, especially when using the top handle.
I really like what Tilta and JTZ DP30 are doing by having the camera mount into the cage on a quick release plate. This allows you to quickly take the camera out of the cage and slap it onto a gimbal where even the small weight increase of the cage might be a deal breaker. On the other hand there is something to be said for really form fitting cages like 8Sinn and Movcam.

Did anyone try this under better circumstances?
The GX800 would be a great (= small & cheap) cam to shoot 4k24 from a small gimbal. 
I told my girlfriend that I'll buy her a camera so she can practice photography, while sharing my lenses (GH5). Secretly I actually want to buy a dedicated camera for my Crane so I don't have to take the GH5 out of a cage/handheld rig. With the GX800 being so light, I could use a quick release and the 14mm f/2.5 lens and still downgrade to the smaller Crane-M. If it does Cine-D would be amazing, but I guess I could also settle for Natural.
Really love what you're doing @BTM_Pix , stuff like this makes me wish I had paid more attention in university 

Bastards.

Depending on the lens, there are usually between 250-300 individual points that Panasonic cameras can drive the lens to from closest focus to infinity when in manual mode so there is enough precision there but the ballistics of it are a bit quirky. From an external control point of view there are only two speeds - the slow one which moves it in the individual increments and the fast one which moves it by a multiple of ten of those (so 25-30 coarse points from end to end).
Trying to move the focus point with a combination of only those two types of increments causes the weird acceleration behaviour because its trying to anticipate where you are going to end up.
If you want to do A/B focus transitions then this is where an external controller can potentially make things much better as it knows the ultimate distance and can calculate a smoother ride using the two speeds. It will always have some lumps in it as only being able to move one or ten steps is never going to be ideal but at least the overall issue can be masked with a slower acceleration and deceleration.
I've made some progress with this and it won't be long now before people will be able to try it themselves.

I've had my GH5 for about 3 months now and I'm loving the files i get from it, both standard profile and V-LOG L. When it's not working all rigged up (see picture at the bottom) it always stays in my messenger bag with just one lens, the Oly 25/1.2 which has become my all time favorite lens. Anyhooow, here's some random (as usual) shorts from every day life.

All rigged up. This setup has proven itself to be a very convenient run&gun solution!

If you plan to de-noise in post production, 4k would definitively be advantageous. 

I've only had my GH5 a few weeks, with very little time to spare on it...the menu system is enormously complex...this is not a pick up and go shoot camera...as something carelessly selected in one area, disables other things elsewhere...I will say though, that once you've configured it to your liking, the GH5 IMO is simply unequalled in so many areas and in comparison to cameras costing far more...I would use it without the slightest hesitation alongside a Varicam LT (which I consider the current Holy Grail of cinema cameras!)

You can't imagine how happy I am that it was the case of me just being dumb. Thanks, I have no idea why I was so blind not to figure that out. Love it.

http://www.43rumors.com/ft5-next-olympus-pro-lens-is-the-17mm-f1-2/
Knowing Olympus, it's going to be far sharper than it needs to be for a 16-20mp sensor and thus much bigger, heavier and pricier than an m43 lens needs to be.... But. This may bring me back to m43. See it's my favourite focal length and I think Panasonic/Olympus have the best IBIS and ergonomics in the industry. Honestly though it pains me every time they bring out a new expensive and needlessly heavy lens. The Fuji 35mm f1.4 is lighter and smaller than the Panasonic 25mm f1.4, with a nicer metal body. And of course much small than the Olympus 25mm f1.2. 

Hey all, just joined the forum and am excited to spend more time in this community. I recently finished up a film called "IN HAITI" that was the first project I shot on the Panasonic GH5. I absolutely loved the camera, especially the improvements over the GH4. I wanted to share it here and get people's feedback since it's still a relatively new camera, and if anyone has any questions I'm happy to talk about what I did and what my experience was using it. I shot in vLog at 3840x2160; a few shots were captured in 1080 at 180fps. The film was graded with FilmConvert.
As I said, I loved shooting with the GH5. I'd been considering several cameras, such as the FS7 and C300MKII, before pulling the trigger with the GH5, and have no regrets. In my opinion Panasonic really pays attention and they made very smart and necessary upgrades with the GH5.
 

Yes there is a way. If you use the joystick you can highlight and change the numbers.

Not me. I'm brutal and discriminating to all footage. 
Don't care where it comes from or who shot it, me included.
If I'm not willing to cut, then I'm not editing. 

Question GH5 people. Maybe I'm just too dumb but when you mount a lens that has no electronic contacts, you get prompted to enter the focal length. Below that, there are 3 preset focal lengths you can pick via touch (24mm, 35mm, 50mm). Is there any way to customize these 3 preset focal lengths to show something different? I can't find how but it would be a big flaw if not possible.

I've bought the 17.5mm after considering getting a Metabones SpeedBooster and some fast adapted lens and can only say I'm happy I decided this way. It's a great lens, both from a mechanical as well as an imaging standpoint. The downside? I now really lust to have the others!

Shot on the GH5 in 3 days. A concept trailer done having a zero budget for our upcoming first feature film.
I really like what I can squeeze out of the internal 10 bit V-Log footage. DR, lowlight and colors are really good.
Everything was shot with sharpening and nr set to -5 and a Tiffen Black Pro Mist filter applied in front of the lens (12-35mm 2.8 V1, 20mm 1.7, 42.5mm 1.7) to make it smoother. Colorgrading done in Davinci Resolve. Drone shots by the DJI Mavic (the internal sharpening is hideous tbh...).
 

Using the GH5 for quite a bit of photography and some little video clips. Using it with a combination of the (really great) Voigtländer 17.5mm f/0.95, Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 and the Samyang 35mm f/1.4 & 85mm f/1.4 both on a dumb adapter and a focal reducer.
My personal opinion: it's maybe one of the least emotional/passion inducing cameras I ever had, I don't feel any excitement about it... but... it's probably the most usable camera I ever had. Can 100% approve and would recommend to 95% of all DSLR/MILC users without hesitation if asked. It doesn't have mind blowing dynamic range, the low light is just ok, the colors are good but not Fuji good, it's comically big for a camera with such a small sensor. But it just is very well thought out (nothing is perfect). The swively screen, high quality EVF, touch screen works well, WiFi function very usable, AF-S perfectly fine for my photography uses, focus peaking & magnification very well implemented, rather good battery run time (eh, I come from Sony!). I had none of the issues people complain about on the internet so maybe I'm just lucky. 


I think the only drawback is the native lens system if you come from an APS-C / FullFrame system with a good choice of fast native lenses and are completely set on that look.

You're not really supposed to manually focus while flying the camera on the gimbal. So you basically have three choices:
A) a lens with auto focus (which rules out the vintage lens you want to use) on a camera with reliable auto focus (which rules out the A7sII)
B) set the lens to a small aperture with enough depth of field and use hyperfocal distance
C) set the lens to the desired aperture, focus it (you can put the gimbal into sleep for that if you fear it strains the motors) and keep the distance to what you film consistent

Yeah, with the GX85, there's a lot of good info in the highlights.  FWIW, I just expose "normal" and take it from there.
I like it okay too.  For me, it's not the most useable camera I've had, but it's solid and will get the job done.  It's a truck: utilitarian and incredibly useful.  Sportscars are more fun to drive, sure, but you can't haul a load of wood in 'em.  Sometimes, if not most times, you just need to haul wood.

Using the GH5 for quite a bit of photography and some little video clips. Using it with a combination of the (really great) Voigtländer 17.5mm f/0.95, Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 and the Samyang 35mm f/1.4 & 85mm f/1.4 both on a dumb adapter and a focal reducer.
My personal opinion: it's maybe one of the least emotional/passion inducing cameras I ever had, I don't feel any excitement about it... but... it's probably the most usable camera I ever had. Can 100% approve and would recommend to 95% of all DSLR/MILC users without hesitation if asked. It doesn't have mind blowing dynamic range, the low light is just ok, the colors are good but not Fuji good, it's comically big for a camera with such a small sensor. But it just is very well thought out (nothing is perfect). The swively screen, high quality EVF, touch screen works well, WiFi function very usable, AF-S perfectly fine for my photography uses, focus peaking & magnification very well implemented, rather good battery run time (eh, I come from Sony!). I had none of the issues people complain about on the internet so maybe I'm just lucky. 


I think the only drawback is the native lens system if you come from an APS-C / FullFrame system with a good choice of fast native lenses and are completely set on that look.

I quickly went to search their FB feed, here's the post from March.
I bought mine via Amazon when they had a sale on it back in November, so it was way before that whole "authorized dealer" mambo jambo. From the stores that have it in Germany, I had good experience with Marcotec in the past, I also think they're an authorized dealer (they had the official Smooth Q pre-order in Germany).