Fritz Pierre

I think so....and if you were under time restraints and depending on your location, a piece of aluminum flat bar and a metal worker cutting a slot in it would be quick...a bit of flat black spray paint and voila...an immediate solution...otherwise this seems ideal at $90 something...depending on your budget there are also some time lapse motorized gadgets that can give you a 360 degree smooth pan with adjustable speed...not unlike a product turntable, but turning the camera instead and they come with a 1/4-20 screw on top...(speaking from memory here) but I think these exist.

There are some long plates that also act as lens supports or large telephoto lenses.....if you mounted one of those on the tripod head as per Hans Punk's suggestion, and then mounted the camera where the lens support goes, it will put the sensor exactly at the eye position of a passenger...a little modification may be required (I've never used one) but it could be a sturdy rapid solution...any ratchet straps from a hardware store for luggage racks will work for securing the tripod... https://www.amazon.com/Sirui-TY-350-Telephoto-Support-Plate/dp/B00AZTCHI4 something like this

I think if Panasonic put a s35 sensor with a m3/4 locking mount capable of cropping to m4/3 also for use with their native lenses (ala JVC LS300) and some nd, xlr connections....kept the price point reasonable and made all other aspects modular...and SSD media instead of SD, they would hit it out of the ballpark, just as they're doing now with the GH5....I suspect the response to the GH5 which, if you ignore the AF crowd, and just look at how difficult it is to even buy one now, has been overwhelming and has affirmed for them that there is a market for this camera...and I suspect that they will come out with a camera that far exceeds the features and image quality at the price point they release at...they are already doing that with the Varicam LT...that camera produces image quality and features that can go up against any camera out there in the world....the Varicam 35 & LT are both Netflix accepted production cameras (Netflix is rapidly becoming the largest "studio" producing content if not there already), so Panasonic is well positioned with their Varicam line, the astonishing features and IQ they released in the GH5 (because they pay attention to what shooters really want and need) and now with the pending release of this smaller Cine camera, they will firmly establish themselves in the marketplace in that middle pricepoint that Sony and Canon are grabbing now.

Jonpais....do I sense some Leica love there????...

Firmware update for GH5....included is a fix for ghosting in VlogL high ISO footage...Panasonic is on it!!! http://av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/support/global/cs/dsc/download/fts/dl/gh5.html

Is this yours Emanuel?...

The colors out of this camera are lovely...and if you were going to use this for narrative, i.e. 2 to 3 people minimum to operate it, I think one would really see it shine...what's missing for me in a lot of these samples (in fact I would go as far as to say most) is critical focus...perhaps just an issue of web footage, but I don't see this when looking at Alexa or Varicam or Red on the web...the footage we're seeing could benefit greatly from a good focus puller...as you would have for narrative...a measuring tape....focus marks for actors to hit and a FP concentrating on nothing but maintaining focus...while the operator is concentrating on nothing but framing the shot....the color and various looks achievable in 10 bit grading is already obvious... The benefits and beauty of moving a camera properly! I think it's more out of focus than anything!

The only camera I've owned with IS was the HVX 200...so I have yet to really understand the freedom you can get with handheld on the G85, and when I get mine, the GH5...you produce beautiful stuff, but I imagine you paid your dues learning the fundamentals a long time ago to come up with this stuff...of course, as you stated, you shoot everything in manual anyway...and the GH4 new is still over $200 more than the G85 which I've never owned, but seems to produce even better images under certain conditions than a GH4....I record strictly to external in 10bit Prores so my needs are different...

I think for what you can spend on a new GH4 now...as a video camera it's pretty hard to beat...and as I've stated before...I don't believe in moving the camera a lot...IMO "movement" comes from the edit....keeping things dynamic...proper clip length etc....so I have to agree with you on this choice...especially about flying gimbals and it getting old...I remember when the Movi came out that was going to be the final word in camera movement...I have yet to see a single gimbal shot that even remotely approaches the skill of a good dolly grip or if following a runner or someone a good steadycam operator...there really are no shortcuts to excellence...but the GH4 can probably be bought on EBay for about 700 to 800$...at that price, it has a long learning curve for someone to learn film making from the standpoint of the camera.

Ken...do you think it's due to the 14-140 being a more "video centric" lens than the 20mm...I have the 4.0 version of the 14-140 and even it is noticeably smoother than the 20mm...and I think in all these AF tests the different results may well be due to the lenses used in the system...though I don't use Canon, I imagine the AF between a Canon mount Sigma 18-35 and a native Canon lens also differs significantly? Edit....just saw this

+1!!!...but I'm wondering if the IBIS is good enough on the GH5, that one can replicate a weighted locked off shot in reasonable wind on a long lens using either only a light travel tripod or monopod...or even just handheld?...my interest in IBIS is not replicating a steady cam or stabilizer, but a heavy duty tripod....with a monopod there would still be movement if it's windy, but my hope is the IBIS could deal with that adequately....or say a small slider shot by merely moving the camera on a smooth service (say a wooden floor) from left to right, by dragging the monopod across the ground, thereby keeping the vertical distance the same...for say 18 to 24 inches....

Same here....until I have the camera....when you're say shooting on a 28-70...I don't zoom, but I do use different fields of view on the zoom, so when I'm at 50mm on the manual zoom, do I adjust to wherever I am in FOV on the lens or do you average zooms out?

I think the workaround for this if I'm interpreting your post correctly, is that when you shoot on very long lenses you can put the GH5 on a much lighter tripod than one would normally get away with, and the IBIS will then deal with things like wind etc. on a long large lens...or is it concern about the smaller sensor you're talking about?... Even on a 400mm long lens in video...can you make it look locked off...especially in wind...I'm only asking about a few seconds and no camera movement like panning or tilting...or does panning help on a long lens....is it possible to actually replicate a locked off shot?

The thing not really mentioned often enough in this thread, as that is really what it's all about, in this or any camera, is the image quality...I have to say I was expecting a good image...Panasonic completely surpassed my expectations with the image out of the GH5!

I would say if you were to use the camera to shoot a low budget feature, the extra robustness of the GH line would be worth twice the cost for reliability...to be fair I don't have the g85 and still don't have my gh5...regarding the macro blocking I've chatted with 2 gh5 owners who used to have gh4s and both said the issue was gone...at least it's no impediment for narrative work...that's really where production design comes into play...and for those who say no budget for production design...I don't know how you'd make a film or a commercial without it...the considerations between the gh5 and say a Arriflex S35 or an Aaton S16mm are not that different between say wardrobe and scenic design...the considerations of need is different, though hardly realistic...it takes all aspects of image design to get the million$ image...or the studios would never have spent money on something unnecessary...good points about the camera in this review though!

Well let's face it...doing just Trumps weddings alone could be a career unto itself...providing he made an exception with you and actually paid you for the work you did...

The AF controversy seems to keep reverting back to the Panasonic Reps claiming that the GH5 AF is much better than the GH4...well...it is!...so nothing amiss there..I don't think I've seen a single line anywhere about someone blaming Sony reps for not disclosing that their cameras overheat quickly...lol...criticism seems to be as subjective as image quality...

Yes!...and at $250 more at f2.8 the Leica seems like incredible value...I forget whether you have the 12-60 Jonpais, but for a metal housing the 12-60 L is incredibly light...seems like the 8-18 would be a good vlogging lens for you or is it too wide?

So how do you use the Zebra feature...are Zebras not on if you turned them on?

Yes!!...I should never have bought the 12-60...now I'll be compelled to get this as the companion for that lens...the price is actually excellent for a reasonably fast very wide zoom by Leica though!...I had expected it around the 1300 to 1500 range...oh well...you can't take it with you one day....

And now the Leica/Panny gets the wider brother!...oh well...it's only money I guess!!...price is actually better than I expected https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1328548-REG/panasonic_h_e08018_leica_dg_vario_8_18mm.html/19115/KBID/10779/

Andrew...do you plan to review it and do a Guide?

You are right!.... I am frustrated by this and lashed out in a way I had no business doing!...however....that's no excuse...

Not meaning to state anything fake...nor offer a correct amount of time it takes for cameras that overheat to do so....I could not possibly care less about them than I do...hence my 3 min sarcastic statement.....nor was I even referring to either the GH5 or the A6500 in my response to Jonpais' excellent post on a professional approach, to taking the responsibility for producing a capture of the most important day in 2 people's lives...so why don't you reread my post quoting Jon carefully and with comprehension...I will say though,now that you went and mentioned the Sony overheating, that I also would never dream of bringing ANY camera, on a set to do work. If a camera is not reliable and mechanically sound, it is not part of my kit

+1 Jon!...just tell the bride & groom that you did not get their shots because your one perfect camera that can shoot in pitch black, but started overheating after 3 min had to be turned off for 10 min at a time, and you have a disaster on your hands that I personally would not want to be around for....and the emphasis is on "a once in a lifetime event"...no bring everybody back the next day for a reshoot...only sane way is with back ups for your back ups!