Fritz Pierre

Sorry to go back on topic here...Panasonic's big announcement is not another version of the GH5, and if it has something to do with the GH5, at all, it's probably a version of Vlog closer to the Varicam and EVA but of course, to match the DR of the GH5..and to those worried about whether the GH5 can deliver cinematic footage (is this even fucking English), do not buy a GH5...it is a complicated camera and in spite of the price, a professional tool...you will not be happy with it!

Well...that's the thing with the GH2...you can cut it with an Alexa...still have one that I will never sell.

Black & White on the GH2 is fantastic...and I think you still have one?...you have to test between the high and lower contrast versions which you like if memory serves correctly, but shooting with the Drewnet Long GOP 9 hack I personally love the result! Andrew also posted some lovely footage from the GH2 he shot in B&W...may be in his guide on the camera.

It will probably become clear when he tries to sell another SLRMagic Rangefinder??

Though you feel you don't need or want 4K, perhaps the article I copied from Reduser will explain why 4K to you....it has as much to to as anything that (although not to you) to most people the holy grail in digital cameras is to get to the look of S35....this is in both the image, and the projectibilty....where no digital camera can BE the same image as S35 film, camera makers and users can aspire to get as close to that image as possible....so perhaps to those who don't want or NEED 4K, this article somewhat clarifies why to others 4K matters...in simple terms, they are perhaps hoping to get closer to that holy grail! No matter how it is cut – film material always possesses the same performance data: the smallest reproducible detail (20 % modu* lation) on a camera film negative (up to 200 ASA) is about 0.006 mm. We can think of this as the size of film’s “pixels”, a concept that is well known from electronic image processing. And it does not matter if it is 16 mm, 35 mm, or 65 mm film: the crys* talline structure of the emulsion is indepen* dent of the film format. Also, the transmission capability of the imaging lens is generally high enough to transfer this spatial frequency (0.006 mm = 80 lp/mm) almost equally well for all film formats. The film format becomes relevant, however, when it comes to how many such very small details are to be stored on its surface – that is the question of the total available storage capacity. In the table below the number of “pixels” are indicated for the image’s width and height. Based on the smallest reproducible detail of 0.006 mm the table gives an overview of the storage capacity of different film formats. S16 2058 × 1237 pixels S35 4153 × 3112 pixels 65 8746 × 3835 pixels this is taken from a very detailed article about sharpness and resolution from Arri. +100!....I have never sat in a single production meeting where a DP has said, I can't get this shot because it's too dark or I can't get that steadycam shot because AF is not good enough...lol...the director wants answers in that meeting then and there...if the DP did not know, they would leave the meeting rather rapidly to be replaced by someone who did and could...there are no shortcuts to excellence...someone who rolls 200 takes on a digital camera just because the media is so cheap, is not accomplished....they are hoping for a fluke...and if they did get the shot, it would not be repeatable for them, because they'd have no idea what they did...again, there are no shortcuts to being good at something....and the camera can't do that for you either....it's easy to luck onto a shot that lasts 20 seconds and to post it on a forum and to receive lots of ooohs and aaahs...the expert can do that throughout a 21/2 feature and in that lies the major difference!

@Chrille...presuming you're actually asking for advice, I would say no, based on your impressions/ comments of the GH5 you should definitely not buy one.

When recording to the highest quality in the Atomos Shogun or Inferno the camera does not record to it's internal card...this has to be part of one's checklist to turn the HDM out display off whenever using an external recorder...it should NOT be assigned to a function button, as it's to easy to turn display on again by accident....reshoot is hands down the best option here...in this business ones only as good as your last job....if reshoot's out of the question, hand the footage off to a post production expert in this kind of damage control.

Perhaps try reading my post carefully again.

AF is not that bad at all though I don't use it....I did however play with it to see...the real problem IMO is people want to bypass the skills to operate a camera this complex and essentially want a feature loaded GH5 that acts like a point and shoot....the gimbal issue comes up a lot...the sollution, unless you're Martin Scorsese, making Goodfellas, shoot shorter takes and employ some of the skills steadycam operators have used for years...like locking focus in manual mode, and then maintaining a constant distance from the sublject....or using a lens in the case where this is impossible with a short infinity distance and shooting away...for those complaining about GH5 AF on gimbals, I suggest viewing some steadycam reels on Vimeo or YouTube....and try to imagine the obstacle course the operators are navigating to achieve their incredible results....without AF and a camera setup that weighs between 25 and 45 lbs...in other words, stop blaming the camera and developer your own skills....for run and gun, either learn to focus manually or put up with what it can do, which is not as bad as reported...with AF the skill lies in where you can use it with this camera and where not.

Panasonic only releases their GH cameras every couple of years...I doubt that this will be an exception...if the GH5 cannot shoot the scene due to low Iight, time to bring a light...this "release" is something else in my opinion.....+1000 for the EVA release with a M4/3 mount....preferably professional locking style...I have a feeling the grumbling about the EF mount continues to be downplayed...a huge mistake for Panasonic on this camera!

This is the one you want....I own two large tripods, but bought this for lightweight work....folds up to 16 inches in length and weighs under 4 lbs...with a little fluid head...not "Production" robust enough, but fantastic if you're only using it yourself....perfect for the G series or GH series Panasonic cameras! https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=Manfrotto+befree&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&typedValue=&Top+Nav-Search=

@Sage...your conversion luts look fantastic....great work...in a film the two cameras would be a good match...have you tried to push both cameras for say a colder look...or a blown out desert look for example...or does that push the GH5 codec too far in combination with the Alexa LUT?...also read your spot on comment about LED colors being much more inconsistent in color than daylight or tungsten on DVX...this is an interesting project and speaks volumes too of the capability of the GH5

The other aspect to the GH5 that's more rarely discussed but very relevant if you use the camera for production, is when you shoot in Prores HQ in 10bit 4:2:2 at 800mbps to SSDs you now have the image of a serious production camera IMO...yes...you add the mass off Vmounts, a rig, and an external recorder, but on sticks you now have a camera that still weighs far less than the big boys, but delivering IQ for any use, with large focus and exposure tools, and yet, can be stripped down to a small package rather quickly, for shooting in a location where say discretion is advisable...I love the modular nature of what many consider Frankenstein rigs...

+100 @jonpais....the GH5 is not a buy and shoot out of the box camera...it really is a complex and professional tool...like any of the Cinema cameras this is easy to get out of focus or poorly exposed footage with that will then look like crap...but for a crew, or an individual who gets it right, this is hardly a "prosumer" camera...it's just priced as one...

The original RED one was only rated at 9 stops maximum by DPs once it was out in the field....to talk about the GH5 with ONLY 12 stops, means that if it had 14 stops, that person would just have something else to complain about....oh wait....there is....the terrible AF??

Panasonic did make a single focus anamorphic adapter before....even leaving Leica out of it...if they made an Anamorphic lens without focus by wire, it would be interesting with the OpenGate...or 3/4 anamorphic aspect ratio...have to say though the PL12-60 and the PL25 F1.4 are very good lenses for the price...so an anamorphic zoom Sergio Leone style at say T2.9 and 25 -100 zoom would blow the market away! Panny could charge a lot of money for that lens!

Panasonic's announcement will instead be an "affordable" set of Panny/Leica anamorphic lenses!...to go with their Open Gate feature... At least that's what would get me excited...another camera lol...not sure what for?

Yes...but they also weigh 20+ lbs, so you have the weight on your shoulder to keep things steady for handheld...IBIS effectively turns the GH5 into a 20lb camera without the weight...as for image degradation, early concerns expressed were that the IBIS would cause excessive heat which makes the sensor noisy...heat is clearly not a problem for the GH5 series...I've not read any thread that claims to decernably prove that IBIS degrades the image on either the GH, G or GX camera series.

@Laurierperhaps you can clarify why you need a 1st AD on a fashion shoot and why a camera saves you from having to use a 1st? ....Does this mean you still use a 2nd and I'm curious about what they would do on a non narrative project!

Agreed 100 percent...there is some disastrous looking stuff out there shot on the Alexa....the idea that if I just have the right camera I can make a great film, means that person does NOT HAVE a great film in them....it's the camera and lighting and design department that create the raw footage to turn into something beautiful....the camera has it's place too, but the greatest camera in the world will not save a project in the hands of amateurs!

Unrelated to this thread, but the LS300 mount is where Panasonic completely missed the boat with the EVA1.

Yes...the Leitax permanent mounts are an excellent sollution....spendy but there's no comparison to an adapter!

@Zak Forsman a bit off topic but can you share your impression of the Gratical Eye?...your build out looks great!...also what adapter are you using on your Leicas, or did they come in an EF mount?

A couple of glitches I've had with FCPX....1: as I'm importing one selected file into the NLE, it suddenly imports everything on the card like a batch capture...I used to think it was the GH2 hack, but it does it with all my other cameras too. 2: I moved a few libraries to an external drive and got the same missing file red triangle of death as you...FCPX technical support discovered that what was missing was the grading done in post, after I moved the projects...they were small things of little importance, except personally for me. I now only open and work in FCP with all footage captured straight into an external drive and no longer see the problem of "missing files" occurring. The unauthorized "batch capture" still continues, though not consistently, and I still have no idea what triggers it?

I would imagine averaging the zoom range out and setting it at that...on longer zooms....say a 25 to 200, this is bound to cause more problems than say a 18-35...My advice would be test it....if you zoom during the shot (I don't, but opt for a doll/slider instead) you won't have a choice anyway...the better alternative in that case would probably be to shoot on sticks...still, only you know how you'll use the camera...I would test all your potential scenarios.