nahua

GH3 you can change ISO during recording. I hope this can be done on the G6 as well!

After about 3 hours of trying to get ML to install (after downgrading to 1.1.3) now I have dropped frames. I guess I have to get an (expensive) 1000x CF card. Recommended brands? I want to get Sandisk since they are reliable, but the Extreme Pro is rated at 90mbs. Lexar and Transcend both have 1000x 160/120mbs cards. This sucks because these CF cards are really expensive.

I just tried it out. Wow there's a lot of detail. I really like the frame with your dog. Just being able to pull up the exposure, saturation, and really important you can change the white balance too. Damn I'm loving this. Amazing job by the ML Team!

Is there a way to get the BIN file? I'd gladly test but I don't know twat about compiling. I can test the 5dmkIII vs GH2 and GH3. I might be able to get the BMCC too for a test. Can't wait to see more!!!

I can clearly see the difference in the shadow areas, even on youtube. This is great news. No matter how detailed the hack, the problem is the original codec. I've used Moon, but since I shoot a lot of lowlight the shadows are always garbage. This G6 will match my GH3 perfectly. I really can't wait to get my hands on this! Thank you very much Julian! These are awesome tests!

Wow this is really nice.  Looks like 70's Godfather footage or something.  Grading, flares, car and costumes - everything is really great!

I have high hopes for this camera too. I can't wait to dump my GH2s. Hacks are only good for the most extreme detail. But in reality, there's way less banding and better noise with the G6. And I hope I won't have to use the most expensive Sandisk cards and I can go back to using 32GB cards.

Although the filter thread is 72mm, the actual imaging area is smaller and rectangular.  Most L lenses and modern lenses have a front element that is too large, so you will see the corners of the imaging area.  Ideally you want a smaller lens more like the older 52mm fronts so that you don't see the edges.  Take a good look at the back of the LA7200 and you will understand.

Sorry I guess my reply was too late.  I don't know why it's just the 32GB or higher cards.  Maybe there's something in there.  But you'll just have to guess as to how much remains.  Not very useful, I figure you'll see the accurate count when there's less than 30min remaining.

The reason: you have an EU GH3.  Thank the EU for the tariff laws.  There are tariffs for anything considered to be a "video camera".  A "video camera" is classified as any device that can record over 30min continuous.  So camera manufacturers get around that by making it record for only 30min.  This is why any camera sold in the EU - Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Olympus - has a 30min record limit.  The SD card has more than enough space.  But you can only record continuously for 30min at a time.  Your camera will say 30min, until there is space left.  At 1080P50P 50mbit you should easily get 2 hours total.  BTW, anywhere but the EU has no limit.

Wow that's impressive footage for just walking around.  I thought there would be loads of jello, but the rolling shutter looks good.  Can't wait for this camera!

Judging by the video link I think this is shot in 60P Auto mode.  But it does look like the codec may be an issue.  I think the detail is there, but the codec (AGAIN) is holding it back.  This is strange considering the AVCHD on the GH3 has excellent detail.  Or, they recorded 60P with mp4 with is considerably worse than AVCHD.  We won't know until we get the actual files.  Just keep up hope, Panasonic hasn't let us down just yet.

Great review Andrew! I really like my GH3, and when I make enough money I'm going to replace my GH2s. Another thing to think about is how reliable the camera is versus a hacked GH2. No matter how stable the hack, it is still a hack and I've had my GH2s lock up on me at the wrong times on paid jobs. Very embarrassing. The GH3 is a real champ, so reliable and great picture quality. I am very happy with mine!

I just got the DR-60D this past Friday.  I have the Zoom H4n too, so I did a small test yesterday using both.  These are my observations:   DR-60D has more headroom on the highs.  The H4n can suffer some, especially when almost at 0db.  However, the H4n has a deeper low end, more fuller sound.  Not necessarily deeper bass, but it just sounds more robust.   For live sound, there is the dual recording feature which makes two copies of the recording, one at normal and another at up to -12db lower. This really helps when there's a sudden burst of sound during interviews.  This only works with two channels (one set) not all four channels.  I did use this and it worked very well.   Form factor is very different.  At least I have no fear of dropping the DR-60D.  I dropped my first H4n and it landed on the mics, crushing it.  So there is that fear.  The DR-60D has no internal mics, but it's easy to connect a small shotgun or other mic into the miniplug socket.  4 channel recording works well, and it's great to mix sound board with live ambient sound.   Overall I think my friend said it best:  DR-60D has very clean sound but it's more suited for studio-like sound.  H4n is more akin to live direct recording, with more ambient fuller sound.  Of course this is just straight to the recorder.  The sound can still be worked on a computer.   I'll keep both for now since I still need something for live concert recordings.  But for interviews, the DR-60D is just awesome.  I also have the 6AA battery pack, and it really does extend the life of the unit, especially when using phantom power for shotgun mics.  I think I got over 6 hours.  Way better than maybe an hour using phantom power on the H4n.

@ Andy: I know you're a long time user so I'm not going to argue too much. I used to run Quantum 9B too. Very stable. But I think at the very least you need to run a hack on the Panasonic V1.1 firmware. Much more options, much better matrix. So Quantum X is good, but I think Flowmotion is one of the best. Of course there's Moon, etc etc, too many hacks to count now. But in my 2 years working with hacked GH2s, none are completely stable. Even Quantum 9B crashed on me. Reason I switched to Flowmotion, with much more consistent results at a lower bitrate with almost no loss in quality and better spanning too. But time has moved on. The GH3 is just so much more the camera that works in a production environment. I just can not afford to have a camera crash on me. It's happened, and it's embarrassing to tell a client "sorry the camera crashed and I lost the data". I really like the look from both cameras, but really it's nitpicking to think that the GH3 isn't a good camera. It is good and it works.

The other thing is stability. My GH3 has yet to lock up. My GH2 has locked up often, no matter how "stable" a hack is. And then there's also the dreaded "out of space" or numbering error, where the camera says it can't record but there's still lots of space available. Oh and also the inability to play back clips. ISO bug too. There are a lot of frustrations with the GH2. Sure you can get great video, but there are compromises that you have to live with. If you're shooting anamorphic, remember that the GH2 is a 1.86x crop, GH3 is 2x crop. This does matter on how wide you can shoot with an anamorphic.

@ /p/ - I know what you mean.  I love my GH3 too.  But you might as well pre-order now, because by the time it comes out in 2014 you'll have made some money.  LOL  All kidding aside, this is what I want too.  I pre-ordered, but I expect at least a christmas delivery date.  This will finally replace my aging hacked GH2s.

  Yes and no.  From a practical standpoint, the tough magnesium body is a welcome addition.  The battery is amazing at over 3 hours for such a tiny thing.  The LCD panel swings out and has very accurate color, good for low/high shots for run-n-gun situations.  And although not RAW, the codec is very stable and delivers good quality.  I see the GH3 dropping in price dramatically, but don't count it out.  It could easily work together with the Pocket Cinema Camera.

Andrew your assessment is excellent as always.  I think your most telling statement:   One final thought. These cameras MUST be delivered. Blackmagic’s reputation cannot afford another BMCC 2012 situation. If they tell their dealers and customers July, it must ship in July and ship in large quantities.   This is the key.  I will be first on the list, but the reality is - can they deliver in a TIMELY manner?  I have no doubts about their technical prowess.  But can I wait for a year after the supposed delivery date?   All in all this is the "game changer" that we've been waiting for.  Big F-U to Canon, Sony, RED and ARRI.  Now let's see some real innovation instead of stagnation.

Creagle:   I've been doing multicam shoots with my GH2 and GH3 since it came out in December.  You can check it out on youtube:   http://youtu.be/gN-oI1GzSfU   I am using 2 GH2s with Flowmotion 2.02 hack, and a GH3.  The GH2's are both on tripods, the "wandering" camera (monopod) on the right side is the GH3.  Here are other videos as well:   http://youtu.be/OaCnWQt35CU   For steadicam, GH2 with Flowmotion hack, GH3 on handheld rig; concert two GH2s on left of stage, GH3 on right.   http://youtu.be/Yh14gC02sJQ   This one shot all anamorphic.  Wide front is GH2 LA7200, Closeup front is GH3 Sankor Anamorphic, Wide right is GH2 Eiki Anamorphic.   GH2s are set to Vibrant -2-2-2-2, Flowmotion 2.02.  GH3 is set to Vibrant -3-4-3-5, and I use mostly 1080P60P 50mbit.  In post I use Adobe Premiere CS6, with Fast Color Corrector.  Sometimes I have to change the hue of the GH3 to match the GH2.   I add saturation, GH2 about 120%, GH3 about 125-150%.  It all depends on the look of the GH2 since I can't change it too much, but the GH3 has much more latitude so it's easier to match it to the GH2.   I also use Neat Video to remove noise, and add a little grain with MB Looks.   It is very possible to get very good results with these cameras.  I hope this helps you with your project.

Considering this forum is focused on video, my original statement stands.  I think Leica should have just done a great stills cam rather than add video because they changed to a CMOS sensor.  And no, I don't think lightning strikes twice.  Canon is already going downhill, and Leica follows their lead?  I find it very confusing to say the least.  They may tout that they have video, but the times have changed and now every camera shoots video and are much more mature products.  I have no doubts about their lenses, but their cameras are sorely behind.  I wish them well really.  But there's nothing unique here and nothing that says we should fork out $$$$ when other cameras do much better, both stills and video.

This is a great video! Nice pacing, music matches very well, and the story is short but concise. I don't think you really need to sharpen the footage. In fact with the "noise" grain and a little softer edges, the footage looks very good, it doesn't look "video". I think really sharp edges can be too clinical. For something like this piece, sure the closeups (bag, sewing machine) should be sharp, but face closeups, wide shots can be softer. Overall I think you did a really great job!

  I look forward to this.  I don't want to bash Leica because it's clear the lens that Thorston is using is very good.  But as a test for the camera, it does fail miserably.  And let's face it, there are many full-frame options out there already.  I wish Leica would send you the camera for a proper test! 

"Gladiator" look is a reference to the Ridley Scott film Gladiator. The actions scenes have a staccato movement associated with really high shutter speeds over 1/1000 sec. Since most films are shot 24P at 1/50 sec, you get a more pleasing motion blur. But if you want to do slow motion, then you need to shoot at 1/100 or faster shutter speed. It's all in the look that you want to achieve. Slower shutter speed means more motion blur, faster shutter speed means less blur and more stuttering movement. Again play around with different settings to get the look you want. As for the A function, well it really is a stills camera first. So the legacy functions of A, S, M, and P are all there. You can also change the movie mode to shoot in S function. Go to movie mode on the dial, enter the menus, go to the camcorder icon menu, exposure mode and set to S. Now all you see is the shutter speed, the aperture value is gone. If you have ISO and WB both on Auto, then those icons disappear as well. So now all you do is set your shutter speed and everything else is on auto. In dark scenes it will automatically go for the widest aperture, then set the ISO for you.

OK sorry go with shutter priority (S) mode and set it to 1/50 for EU/PAL lights. Indoors the camera will automatically go to shallowest depth of field and change ISO to suit. Shutter speed can be multiples of 1/50 - 1/100, 1/200 work too (for slow motion, but can look jittery like "Gladiator" movie if used at 24P). Good luck!