jonpais

The fact of the matter is, people are using those 'specs' each and every day, and not only geeky YouTube camera reviewers: 10 bit - check; unlimited recording time - check; V-log - check (btw, 8-bit V-log is useless, one reason it isn't available on the G9); world camera - check; ALL-I 400Mbps - check; 6K 24fps anamorphic mode - check. Now, I might not use each and every one of those features myself today. Maybe not even tomorrow. For instance, I don't shoot anamorphic. But if an affordable solution appeared next year that suited me (hurry up, Brian Caldwell!), for sure, I'd be shooting anamorphic. Do I care about ALL-I 400Mbps? Tried it, hated it - eats up storage space like nobody's business, and even my spec'd out iMac stutters. As a video guy, I shoot from the hip, and a decent LCD is important if I'm not using an external monitor. Like many, I've even disabled the EVF, as I've got no use for it. Yet, even though the G9 is a flagship model alongside the GH5, they've practically halved the number of dots on the LCD screen. Why? Then, there's the future firmware updates, which for all we know, could improve the GH5's color, focus acquisition and stabilization. Anyhow, we know about as much about the G9's prowess in those matters as we do about any future GH5 firmware updates - which is to say, nothing at all. We do know however, that the G9 continues to use contrast detect autofocus, not PDAF, so it would be foolhardy to expect an improvement of the magnitude of more than a couple milliseconds: still not reliable enough for paid video work. The primary benefit of the increased stabilization of the G9 will be with longer focal lengths - we're talking like 280mm - focal lengths, which by the way, I never use myself, and which I still doubt will be able to compete with whatever Olympus has got. And it's been shown that the much touted Dual IS has little actual benefit concerning the final result. What Dual IS has done is to eliminate the jitter of some of the lenses in their lineup, like the Panasonic 35-100mm, which shouldn't have been there in the first place. Improved color, sure - baked-in 8-bit color - which anybody will tell you is far from ideal for grading. Lower price? Seeing as the dozens of professional features of the GH5 were thrown in at practically no cost, I don't see a couple hundred dollars as being a deciding factor. ETC mode alone, which effectively doubles the number of lenses in your kit, is potentially worth thousands to a photographer on a budget or who needs to travel light. Same for internal 10-bit, which eliminates the need for expensive 4K external recorders and media. The G9 is aimed primarily at stills shooters who shoot sports and wildlife, not videographers.

Former Red and BMMCC user, accomplished cinematographer, colorist and RAW zealot, switches over to the GH5. @Fritz Pierre Thanks for recommending the Easyrig!

Good luck finding a GX80 for under $300.

Sony a6000

Matt Scott has been kind of an inspiration to me, even though I don’t shoot Red or Blackmagic and I don’t know my way around Davinci Resolve or Edius. A little while back, Matt uploaded files comparing the BMMCC to the Red Scarlet-X as part of a blog post of his entitled Red’s Dead, Baby... Red’s Dead. Small little problem...

Thanks, @kidzrevil. I don't work commercially, it's for my own enjoyment. My intention is to make some short films, nothing earth-shattering, just two to three minutes long; maybe with, maybe without dialogue; hopefully humorous. The G80/85 is a great camera, no doubt about it. I'm not about to sell it or anything - in fact, I still shoot with it. I mentioned earlier something about features I either didn't know about or thought I'd never use - one of them is the ETC mode on the GH5, which effectively doubles the number of lenses in your kit (though unfortunately, it doesn't have any effect on bokeh, just FOV). It's also much more convenient being able to monitor audio on the GH5, and the microphone levels are easier to see. And since I use an external monitor all the time now, the full sized HDMI out is nice to have. I use the 'my menu' feature quite a bit as well. The bulkier body works better with larger lenses, especially when mounting on a tripod. And on and on... @mercer The X-T2 video was shot around the Tet holiday, one of the most colorful times of the year in Vietnam; so I chose to shoot in B&W because of my contrarian nature.

Here's some of my personal work.

‘no brainer’ implies that any thinking person would come to the same conclusion. That’s why nobody ever says, ‘it’s a no-brainer for me’. Naturally, if a videographer dislikes the idea of dozens of useful features all thrown in at practically no cost (in fact, I paid more for my GH4 when it was released than for my GH5), I wouldn’t dream of trying to change their mind. But it’s been my experience that several features on past cameras that I thought I’d seldom if ever need, or wasn’t even aware existed, later turned out to be invaluable. Concerning improvements in color reproduction, stabilization and focus acquisition in video, we won’t know anything until reviewers get their hands on the G9. My own experience tells me these changes, while desirable, will be very modest and incremental rather than jaw-dropping. As far as TV sets go, even though I’m the only one for miles around with a 55” OLED does not mean I can’t shoot HDR and enjoy it for my own personal pleasure. Incidentally, the cost of an OLED TV is around 20% what it cost five years ago (LG's first 55in OLED set, the 55EM970V, cost £10,000 when it launched in 2013), and prices continue to drop.

The G86, scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2018.

Even if it were a viable solution, I'd hold off on purchasing the SteadXP, especially if it's not urgent and your primary reason for getting it is for its small size. virtualGimbal, a microSD to SD adapter that contains a 3-axis gyro sensor, will be coming to market soon enough. The creator says it's for those who don't want to purchase a 'full blown brushless gimbal', even though brushless gimbals have never been so small or affordable as they are today, don't degrade the image in any way, and not only reduce camera shake, but also help make expressive, enlivening camera movement possible, something electronic stabilizers can't do at present.

‘no brainer’ generally refers to questions that require little or no mental effort, so I agree that this is a no brainer - the GH5 is hands-down the better video camera. The GH5 outshines the G9 in just about every area when it comes to recording moving pictures: it’s got flat profiles like V-Log L and HLG, both offering two stops greater dynamic range than the linear photo styles, in addition to more flexibility in post. HLG firmly places the GH5 in the future, with many predicting HDR to have a greater impact than 4K. Even if you have no intention of ever delivering in HDR, HLG, like 4K, has other benefits, even if your deliverables are in SDR HD. On top of that, the GH5 has internal ALL-I 10 bit 4:2:2. It’s a world camera (not so the G9) with unlimited recording time. Also missing on the stills oriented G9 are 6K anamorphic mode at 24fps, master pedestal and many other features. For what it’s worth, the EVF and IBIS on the GH5 are already very good; but while the G9 has made improvements in these areas, it has taken a step backward with the smaller, lower resolution LCD. And when I’m not using an external monitor, I rely exclusively on the LCD for framing and focus.

+1 on ETC

@anonim Milvus?

@Terry Lee Welcome aboard, Terry. Only a few years ago, I thought speed boosted lenses were the way to go for micro four thirds bodies. This was before Leica, Olympus, Sigma, Laowa and other manufacturers started producing a number of fast, optically excellent m4/3 primes. Of course, now I'm in my honeymoon phase with cine lenses... First of all, those APS-C and full frame lenses are bulky and heavy. I'm not going to fib, I love the image out of the Sigma 18-35, and it's possible to find some genuine bargains now. Still, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Noktons. I would just ask (1) which camera do you own; (2) what do you shoot; and (3) do you have an external monitor? Because I find that even with focus peaking enabled, I can't for the life of me get critical focus with the GH5.

I thought as much. I'd say crazy to purchase this for video.

Wolfcrow denigrates HDR, calling it 'old wine in a new bottle'. And it's true that consumer cameras have been able to shoot ten or more stops of dynamic range for a while now (supposedly the GH5 can capture as many as twelve). But up until quite recently, we haven't been able to actually see that tonality - our displays have been limited to 100 nits brightness and five, or at most, six stops or so of dynamic range, depending on whom you read. And it's only recently that 500 nits and beyond is becoming the new norm (iMac 27" 2017, 500 nits; iPhone X, 726 nits). I'm not going to lie and say there aren't disputes over how brightness is actually measured, and it may well be that those incredible levels may only be able to achieved momentarily over a small portion of the screen, but so be it... But no way do I buy Wolfcrow's assertion that we should wait until our sets are capable of 10,000 nits to invest in the new tech, because even if we're only able to afford a display with a tenth of that brightness (1,000 nits), but are still able to realize a couple of stops gain in dynamic range, it's worth it to me. That's right - I'll settle for being able to see a mere nine stops of DR. I can wait until 2025 to see seventeen. Wolfcrow argues that even with today's brighter sets, you can't control the amount of ambient light in your viewing environment, which destroys any gains in DR. That clearly isn't true for everyone however. There must be at least ten people in the world who can view a Netflix program on an OLED screen in complete darkness without bright glossy white walls directly behind them. Of course, until I do a survey, I won't know for sure!

@Kisaha Professional colorists may scoff at the idea of using the Ninja Inferno as an editing monitor, but as of just last year, professional HDR monitors sold for as much as $250,000, and an affordable one could be had for about $30,000. I don't know whether I could get that much money for one of my arms or legs! An HDR TV may be the way to go, and that's exactly what Nick Driftwood used for his film 'Isobel'. However, unless someone can convince me otherwise, at the present time, I believe the Ninja Inferno is still the way to go for monitoring HDR when recording with the GH5. The Focus is already dated tech, and I fully expect most of the major players to be offering HDR capable monitor/recorders in 2018. Source A little over seven years ago, it would have cost some $30K to get Resolve; now anyone can download Resolve Lite for free.

Better yet, would @Superka be kind enough to share some of his footage?

Is that a typo, or is Wex really going to be selling the Olympus for USD $100 per mm? That’s pretty steep, isn’t it? If I were shooting video, especially with Panasonic, I’d definitely have to go with either the soon to be released Sigma 16mm f/1.4 (though I know you like your clutch focus) for around $400 or the incomparable Nokton 17.5mm (~ $800.00?).

+1 GM1

If you don't absolutely need the portability, I'd also forget about a MacBook Pro entirely and go with a desktop. You'll get way more bang for the buck, greater, upgradeable memory, more GPU, as well as a much larger, beautiful screen, all for less money.

Nice to see the Voigtlander 17.5mm getting so much praise. But @Phil A's video looks like 240p - nothing is sharp, not even remotely. But it doesn't look intentional. No definition or detail to be found anywhere. No character. No rendition to speak of. Yet Phil says it's a sharp lens. I don't know anyone who'd disagree with that, as the Noktons, with the exception of the 10.5mm, shattered resolution records for a while... So maybe it's a mystery wrapped inside an egg roll wrapped inside today's London Times. Or maybe he's just playing with our minds. This isn't IG, so why not share the high bit rate footage with us? Baffling. He does say it's a 'total sloppy hack job', so I guess we should just take him at his word. Unfortunately, I don't share Phil A's wish that the Nokton was an AF lens. Or, as he ruefully remarks, 'I wish there was a lens like that with AF'. Because if there were, and rest assured, one or two are coming next year, it wouldn't be a Voigtlander. The Nokton is something special to be savored, like a fine wine. It's not instant food. Certainly not something I'd be using with the app on my 4" iPhone screen. That would remove me too much from the whole experience. This lens is from another time, another place. Old world craftsmanship, that I'd go so far to say we don't even deserve. Since it's impossible to focus or adjust aperture with the remote app, I see little point in using it with what must be among the finest lenses for the micro four thirds system, or any system, for that matter. Far nicer than something like a Zeiss Milvus anyhow, and without question unique in a way the Leicas are not. Turning the unbelievably buttery smooth focus ring or aperture ring is what the whole experience of owning a Cosina lens is all about. Focus by wire would destroy all that. Manual focus is in fact the whole reason for the Nokton's existence. It is an act of rebellion. Against the fast food crowd. The push a button, here's your picture mentality. Actually, I'm puzzled why anyone would use the remote app with this lens, an external monitor for sure... But I'm sure someone can explain that to me...

Sigma 16mm f/1.4 E mount, just $449.

Here’s something I bet the GH5 can’t do. ?

One thing it’ll never be is a replacement for a steadicam, that’s for sure. I see shooters now every day - professionals, tourists and hobbyists - on the streets here in Saigon, using portable single handed gimbals. Why? Because they’re mainstream now: they can be bought anywhere, battery life is incredible, the devices are affordable, and they work. The DJI Osmo is also quite popular here. There are small drones now that fit in your pocket that can even be flown in what resembles a tripod mode. Aside from fixing shake, in the hands of a pro, gimbals turn camera motion into an art form.