kirk
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Everything posted by kirk
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Mid if you work outdoors... ground is terrible in the terrain.
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I agree on the usability of no-brand stuff ! There's a LOT of snobbery about what is needed to do a bit of filming. The no-brand guys make the tripods for the brands too. The GH2 is a very light camera (unless you rig it to hell with follow focus, mattebox, monitor, batteries, lights you name it), so as long as the head works smoothly you'll be fine. I had to get a stiffer set of legs to support my slider... the Velbon couldn't cope. But I loved the light weight of it... I hang my camera rucsack on a hook under the tripod... no blowing over...
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Velbon make some amazingly good "fluid head" tripods for the very low price. Not as sturdy as more expensive tripods of course, but the pans and tilts on my former Velbon were as smooth as on my present Cartoni.
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In addition to the slower shutter, using the vibrant color setting helps keeping noise down. And turning off the two "intelligent" modes too.
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Please start doing some basic reading of manuals and perhaps Andrews book before firing off more questions! It can/will be unnecessarily expensive for you to try to experiment buying lenses without even basic knowledge of optics and exposure, hacking before knowing the limitations of the unhacked camera etc. The manual and other litterature is a much better and systhematic place to find the basic answers than a forum. When you have passed this early learning phase, you will find this forum a very friendly and knowledgeable place full of well informed answers to problems beyond the basics.
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The GH2 didn't suddenly become a lesser camera with the introduction of the GH3... I'd go for the GH2!
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Good choice! Just bought my second GH2 ... Use them mainly for video. I'm in no hurry to upgrade B)
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First look at the new ReWo Blackmagic Cinema Camera Cage
kirk replied to Andrew Reid's topic in Cameras
Don't get me wrong... you make some fine cages (and I would have loved to have a GH2 cage if my budget had allowed)... -
First look at the new ReWo Blackmagic Cinema Camera Cage
kirk replied to Andrew Reid's topic in Cameras
Sorry Andrew :) But I still think this is overkill :-) -
First look at the new ReWo Blackmagic Cinema Camera Cage
kirk replied to Andrew Reid's topic in Cameras
The cage will probably not work with the shorter M43 turret? Anyhow, I can see the point of having a fixture for rails, for battery, follow focus and a mattebox, but the camera body, being a monobloc aluminum structure, is a cage in itself. There already are three 1/4 inch holes on top of the camera for handle, mic etc, and if you need side handles they can be fixed to the rails. Paying that high a price for something that already is there seems somewhat silly? -
Good to hear Jon. You could perhaps try and uninstall the hack and have a look at the quality the camera produces, then compare with the hacked. I began with hacking mine when I got it, tried without for a while, and never hacked again other than freeing the PAL/NTSC, ISO and time restriction. The GH2 is a magnificent tool even unhacked, and the various hacks can change that a fraction, but often at the cost of instability, more noise, time spent and more expensive cards needed. I'm sure I'll be stoned for this heresy, but just give it a chance and see for yourself ;o) Be sure to use a good screen when comparing though!
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[quote name='Axel' timestamp='1348819120' post='19134'] What I was trying to say is, that without shallow DoF there are other cameras to shoot a report with that will make your life easier. Instead of buying an additional lens (I didn't follow how much the Pana super zooms cost), you should think about buying a second [i]camcorder[/i]. [/quote] I understood that completely ;-) I was talking more in general... But it surely won't hurt using a GH2 for deep focus and still have the option of shallower focus at hand...
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There's no rule saying you can't work with wideangles and deep focus on a GH2 or DSLRs in general! This myth/fashion that only shallow depth of field (often with long parts where nothing is in focus while the operator is trying to figure where the subject is) is usable for "art" is weird.... And for documentary using a wide and getting REALLY close to your subject often can give a whole new, subjetive look to things, while having to worry about focus suddenly becomes less of a problem, so you can concentrate on your subject. And equally for cinematic situations you only have to look at all the stunning imagery from Emmanuel Lubetzky to see that there are two sides to a coin. Shallow depth of focus has its place of course, and it doesn't always have to be extremely shallow to work well. The best way to decide in the end must be to try both... get a 12mm or so, or perhaps use the 14mm on the kit zoom (even try it with the dreaded autofocus too!), and get a shallow, fast one (I have had wonderful results from an ultra cheap Konica AR 40mm f.1.8 with a 16 $ adapter) and shoot some footage with that as well... Then decide...
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The GH2 can carry my hefty Zuiko 11-22 mm plus adapter, so it should do fine. And enjoy the GH2! It is one heck of a camera... Edit... I just checked and the Samyang is even heavier than my 11-22, so I won't vouch for the carrying capability ;-)
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That Canon/BMC comparison should shut a few mouths in the Canon camp :D
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Guess I'm keeping my two highly beloved GH2's and stay content :P
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I thought Andrew was already working hard keeping this active forum and blog??
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[quote name='TJB' timestamp='1347912151' post='18386'] This needs more explanation. Now that I know it's there I still can't see it. [/quote] Took me a while, and only see it when shooting or if I turn off the manual focus enlargement... And on hard edges only.
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[quote name='Pierre_move' timestamp='1347902644' post='18374'] I think I wrote "perfect image". Sounds like you have trouble with semantics. [/quote] Well, you wrote you couldn't save the rest in post... so according to your own sematics you have 8 % perfect and 92 unsaveable... Then you state that 70 % of a "cinema" camera's shots are "great" (not perfect...). So you somehow compare 8% perfect with 70 percent great (and how the hell did you come to the 70% figure??)... so please tighten your semantics ;)
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[quote name='Pierre_move' timestamp='1347900314' post='18370'] 72mbit will magically change the "panny" colors and noticeably widen the dynamic range??? Aaw c'mon.... but hey... I didn't say this footage or the camera is shit. I had the GH2 as a toy for a year and in about 8% situations it produced something I would call a perfect image. But those other 92% frustrated the hell out of me and post production could never save it. The "Zacuto GH2" incident just fits in those 8% btw. A "cinema" camera performs great at least in 70% of situations. Oh and yeah.. again.. no logs and flats. [/quote] 8% usable shots from the GH2? Sounds like you have a lot to learn :P
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[quote name='Simco123' timestamp='1347788731' post='18209'] It is $1299 at launch. I expect it to drop to $800 in January. However it does not appear to have weather proofing according to Samys. [/quote] Samys states it is splash and dust proof in the description, so the "no" on weather sealing must be a mistake?
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GH2 ISO tests: Rethinking the ISO bug & ISO 320 cleaner than ISO 160?
kirk replied to QuickHitRecord's topic in Cameras
I'm soon a relic of the past, who still love my two GH2s, warts, bugs and all ;) I'm sure I'll be tempted by the GH3 but probably can't afford it until the GH4 arrives... And should money unexpectedly come my way, I'd probably wait for the successor to the AF100 (since I almost never shoot stills with the GH2 anyway)... -
My heavy, highly loved non-micro 4/3ds 11-22mm is weather sealed, but I'm pretty sure Panasonics 4/3-M4/3 adapter isn't... Hope they will make a new, sealed version. On rainy days I have been using these cheap plastic-bag-like rain covers with a drawstring around the lens with good results, but also would want a fully sealed camera of course...
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You should really spend a day shooting with a Canon/Niko and a GH2... perhaps rent or borrow one of each? A good prime on both... Then compare the feel, and not least the footage. Would make your final choice much easier! Concerning the small size and weight of MFT, I think low weight is a great bonus (even though my most used lens is heavy as hell). I vividly remember the pain of a couple of Nikon F2's with motor drive and a brace of lenses on your shoulder... When I was out shooting sunday I had a small photo backpack with two GH2's, a GF2 and a gang of lenses slung on one shoulder, my Cartoni with slider on the other, and still could move in the terrain with ease (and I'm an old fart ;o) And the resulting footage was spectacular :P
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I have shot quite a few unlit interiors of old mills, medieval chrurches etc, and have had great success using 1600 ISO. Especially when using the Vibrant setting.
