jonpais

Great work, i really enjoyed both videos! It may be true that you lose the parallax effect when following or preceding the subject, but you can add interest if the quality of light changes as they walk.

The Panny zooms don't have DOF scales and focus ring has no stop Would focusing on my iPod be easier than using the touch screen on the GH4? I thought about a follow focus, but I'm a one-man band I've been thinking about getting a 7" Aputure monitor for that very purpose. Then I'll try to keep my zoom at 12mm... I also really like tracking shots with shallow DOF. I try not to stop any of my lenses down beyond f/8 because of diffraction issues. Loved Birdman!

I do mostly street photography and occasional portraiture, and I find the color and sharpness of the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 to be outstanding, and even without IS, it's quite usable with some sort of shoulder mount. The Sigma 50mm f/1.4, on the other hand, is next to impossible for me to keep steady, and I refuse to use it anymore except on a tripod or slider, unless the GH5 can perform miracles. I can't imagine the Sigma 50-100mm delivering clear images either unless mounted on sticks, and it's going to be heavy as all hell. Apparently the focus throw on the 50-100mm is quite a bit longer than on the 50mm, though, which is an important consideration for video shooters (however, there is a considerable amount of breathing, so not so sure about that either). The short focus throw on the 50mm makes it a poor choice for filmmakers who intend to do any focus pulling. I have to agree with some of the posters that a super fast moderate telephoto zoom is almost redundant, at least for the kind of work I do. Since purchasing a pistol grip stabilizer, I've been re-discovering just how good the relatively slow f/2.8 Panasonic zooms I got when I still owned the GH3 are. Even the Vario 12-35 f/2.8 yields very pleasing bokeh when doing tight close-ups wide open. I was tempted by the soon-to-be released Pan-Leica DG Summilux 12mm f/1.4, but the price is astronomical, and I think I'll wait for Sigma to unveil a fast wide u43, which I think can't be far away, as they just released a 30mm f/1.4. At Lenstip, they bemoan the fact that Panasonic has a partnership with Leica instead of Sigma, and I couldn't agree more. Anyhow, after watching the TCSTV review, I'd have to agree that although Sigma is offering an optically stunning lens at a reasonable price, without any weather sealing or OIS, the Sigma 50-100mm zoom doesn't offer anything I'd be remotely interested in.

I've been going crazy moving my camera around since getting the Zhiyun Crane, but I've got a question about the best focusing method to use. I'm shooting with a GH4 and Panasonic zoom lenses. I've been using AFS with continuous focus disabled in the menu, which seems to work fine with tracking and follow shots where I try to maintain the same distance from the subject, and it even works when panning and slowly tracking-in. But when I try circling around the subject, the camera completely loses focus (not sure if it was ever even in focus in the first place though~~). This evening, I tried setting the camera on manual focus and using the AF 'button' on the touch screen to set focus and move around, but that didn't turn out so well either. But I should say I was shooting in rather dim lighting at the time. I've been shooting at focal lengths from 12-35mm with the aperture anywhere from f/3.5-7.1 or so for most of my clips. Any suggestions?

I don't believe the new stabilizer referred to on the Amazon product page is a pistol-grip stabilizer, so we're talking about apples and oranges here. I would definitely recommend against overloading the Zhiyun Crane, unless you want to burn out the motors. I'd also contemplated using my Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 and Speed Booster XL, but it exceeds the weight capacity and I don't want to break my new toy. This afternoon, I tried placing the Zhiyun Crane on my Edelkrone Slider Plus Small (a really nice piece of kit, much improved over v1), and while the setup looks rather bizarre, the results were quite good. Because I'm still using a compact Manfrotto 190XPROB, I have to keep all the legs retracted and spread out to keep the tripod from toppling over when the camera reaches the end of the slider, meaning I can only shoot from below the knees, while the Crane gives me just the right amount of extra height. Since I was shooting in low light, I had to open up my Panasonic Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 lens to around f/3.5, with razor-thin depth of field. If I'd been shooting handheld, the results would probably have looked like mush (from camera shake), but with the stabilizer, all the shots are usable. As for focusing, I set the GH4 to AFS, and for the most part, no matter how much I moved around with the gimbal, the subject remained in focus. Tomorrow, I'm going to try out the 35-100mm f/2.8 with the Zhiyun. I've yet to find anything I don't love about this gimbal, one of the few electronics purchases I've made where I didn't experience buyer's remorse soon after. [Edit, 26.07]: It was pouring rain today and my gf/model didn't show up this morning, so I didn't have a chance to shoot with the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8, but I did try it out in my apartment, and it took around a minute or two to balance. It does work with the Zhiyun, and if you tap the camera or lens, there is no jitter whatsoever.

I went out shooting on the street with the Zhiyun Crane this morning, along with a GH4 and Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 and ND filter. It handles very well, but I can see it will still take a lot of practice to make really nice, smooth shots, since I've never done anything like this before with the GH4. While the gimbal is light compared to two-handed stabilizers, carrying this thing around all day is still not a piece of cake for me, which makes me glad I didn't spring for the Ronin M. I'm not even sure I would want a gimbal with a higher load capacity for that very reason - it could really become cumbersome, unless I had an assistant. Which is why I am also rethinking my choice of lenses. Up until now, I have been purchasing nothing but APS-C and full-frame lenses, but they are too heavy for use with the Zhiyun - so I may start looking into wide-ish u43 lenses again. Even my Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 and Speed Booster bring the weight over the limit of 1.2 Kg. Another reason for getting u43 lenses is autofocus capability, which comes in pretty handy when using a stabilizer. An added benefit of using a stabilizer is that many of the clips appear to be much sharper than what I've shot up until now: camera shake was destroying the resolution. I really can't recommend this device highly enough.

At around the 8-1/2 min. mark, this reviewer posts some very nice shots made with the Zhiyun Crane. So happy I didn't buy the Ronin M or Osmo.

I bought the Zhiyun Crane from Coog Tech: they have excellent communication and shipped my gimbal out almost immediately after paying through PayPal. The parcel arrived in Vietnam practically the following day and I picked it up at the DHL center here. I just put it together this morning, and balancing was a breeze: I just downloaded the App, but I'm not sure how to use it yet, though it looks very simple. Anyhow, just wanted to say the gimbal has outstanding build quality, is easy to balance, and does not shake or vibrate even when you adjust exposure on the camera. https://jonpais.wordpress.com/2016/07/21/zhiyun-crane-pistol-grip-brushless-gimbal-stabilizer/

Are you by any chance Zach? What relevance do your videos have to do with this thread?

Will you need permission to use the cameo videos by Sir Drum et al? hii

I'm really intrigued by the XT2, but I wonder about lens selection. I was just glancing at some tests of Fuji's wider lenses, as well as one test of a Zeiss Touit, and while the lenses appear to be solidly constructed, it seems as though their performance isn't extraordinary - but the price tag is. I've heard several reviewers recommend using Fuji lenses, as the bodies are optimized for them. Can anyone share their own experiences with Fuji or other glass for X-Mount cameras?

I went ahead and bit the bullet... The Crane can't be worse than my Nebula 4000, which it seems I can't even give away now.

@Mattias Burling I love your dog! Was the longish handle grip awkward to use at all? Did you do any shots holding the stabilizer at 45 degrees like in the Zhiyun videos?

Personally, if I were to do it all over again, I'd check out the Aputure LensRegain: a focal reducer and electronic follow focus all-in-one. I believe it costs no more than a Metabones, and has additional functionality, which can come in quite handy when shooting on a gimbal stabilizer like the DJI Ronin. According to Cheesy Cam's tests, the optical quality doesn't suffer in comparison to the Metabones, either. I was quite disappointed when, after paying over $700 for my Metabones adapter (incl. shipping and customs fees), it was unusable because the infinity screw had come loose. I had to take it to a local repair shop, where it took a technician around 30 minutes to adjust. And according to Lens Rentals . com, this is a common issue with Metabones, which is why they can't recommend the device.

@OP What exactly will you be shooting?

I agree with most of what you're saying, but I still insist that design is an important consideration, at least to me, and that goes for anything I purchase, whether it's a camera, a sofa, a computer, an audio recorder or even a lowly pair of sandals. I happened to walk into a Fuji store this afternoon, and some of their cameras just beg to be held. I'm not knocking Panasonic by any means though: my last four cameras have all been Panasonics.

@John Matthews While I agree that TCSTV may have been a bit dismissive in their review of the GX/85, it might be hasty to conclude that their test was superficial. I did feel, however, that saying the camera is obviously for amateurs who don't know their way around an NLE was a bit off: for sure the GH5 will have the very same ability to do 20- and 40-second pans and zooms of 4K clips in-camera. But apart from the lack of a microphone and headphone jack, the lack of weather sealing, a flat profile like V log Lite and a swivel LCD screen, I believe the GX85 battery is also lower capacity, and that is one of the things I cherish most about my GH4. And while I personally could care less about the absence of a microphone input and headphone jack, what TCSTV has to say about their usefulness for vloggers can't be denied. The built-in microphone did sound atrocious in their test: so much so, that it would be all but unusable in a situation where you had to grab and shoot on the fly. If I were a vlogger, I'd probably regret the lack of a swivel screen as well. Finally, I think TCSTV was also spot-on regarding the unexciting minimalist approach to the design of the camera. Concerning the design, I really hope that when Panasonic does release the GH5, they do away with the annoying, microsopic, mushy-feeling buttons.

? For one thing, Samsung is no longer in the camera business. For another, I don't think I'd want to be processing RAW for things like family gatherings. Lastly, a 6K consumer camera isn't in the pipeline for a couple of years yet, but there is no question, stills extracted from 6K ought to be amazing. For the time being, I occasionally make screen grabs from video clips shot with my GH4, and they look fine on a 27" monitor. But it isn't so much resolution as color that interests me.

I believe all the newer Panasonic cameras already have a built-in feature that allows shooting 4K video and selecting stills. To my knowledge, there isn't another manufacturer that makes it this easy. If I understand you correctly, I would just pick up Panasonic's newest camera, the GX80/GX85. And that way, you won't have to invest in more lenses. Especially if a good portion of your shooting is for your students. I consider the two Sony cameras you mentioned to be professional cameras. Do you really want to lug those things around at parties and family get-togethers? I know I wouldn't. Incidentally, if you're experiencing a lot of noise with the GH4, you might be underexposing a little. The sensor does not tolerate underexposure very well. I might suggest opening up the aperture a bit. And if you're doing a lot of low-light photography, a Metabones Speed Booster is a good investment.

I'm no expert by any means, but I've done recording outdoors with the GH4 where I had an assistant hold a boompole (I prefer the Rode) along with a Rode mic running into a Sony audio recorder. I used the camera's audio to synch using Plural Eyes, though I guess FCP X already has synch capability. I don't see the lack of a microphone input to be such a handicap, as on-camera sound is unlikely to yield very good results, particularly when doing interviews. Actually, using a shotgun mic on a boompole still captures tons of ambient noise - a lav mic connected to an external recorder would give far better results. The only scenario where I can see the lack of a mic input being a serious handicap is for a single-operator shoot. For the best sound, I would not use the Panasonic's built-in preamp anyway, even if it had a mic input.

Sorry Zach, but a salesman at Best Buy hardly qualifies as an authority I would trust when it comes to purchasing any electronics. And this is in no way meant to disparage your brother. [Edit] Actually, your brother's comment that any new Mac would do is exactly the type of nonsense I would expect to hear from a salesperson at Best Buy.

I'm stoked too, more interested in using it with a handheld gimbal than flying, though. But yeah, it's priced out of my league, since I wouldn't be earning money with it. Also, apparently, adding ND filters is going to mean fussing with balance all over again, one of the main reasons I'd be interested in this at all (I'm still trying to unload my Nebula 4000 because I never could get it balanced properly).

My sister says to have a look at the high end Radeon graphics card.