Thpriest Posted May 20, 2018 Share Posted May 20, 2018 Anyone tried the Vary-i loupe for the GH5? Does it make focussing easier? Whilst the EVF is very good my eyes get tired using it for long period and I find holding the camera up to my face a bit uncomfortable. Even with the focus peaking I sometimes find the GH5 hard to really nail focus in certain lighting conditions. Vary-i loupe I used to have a similar one for the Canon 700D back in the day. I always found it to be very comfortable to use, especially during long days of run'n'gun shooting like weddings and corporate events. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil A Posted May 20, 2018 Share Posted May 20, 2018 The LCD screen has worse resolution than the EVF. I tried another loupe but it was quite a bit worse for manual focusing than using the viewfinder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonpais Posted May 20, 2018 Share Posted May 20, 2018 For critical work, the LCD is useless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thpriest Posted May 20, 2018 Author Share Posted May 20, 2018 2 hours ago, Phil A said: The LCD screen has worse resolution than the EVF. I tried another loupe but it was quite a bit worse for manual focusing than using the viewfinder. 1 hour ago, jonpais said: For critical work, the LCD is useless. Hmm...I worried that this might be the case. I might have to really consider selling the GH5 and buying a second hand Canon C100 mk2. As I get older (43 at the moment) I find that my eyes get more tired on long shoots. I'm realling beginning to miss being able to punch in to check focus when filming as well as accurate one touch autofocus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonpais Posted May 20, 2018 Share Posted May 20, 2018 Tap to focus works well on the GH5. A good monitor only needs to cost a couple hundred, much less than investing in a completely new system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil A Posted May 20, 2018 Share Posted May 20, 2018 I'd get a field monitor such as the SmallHD Focus or the soon coming Atomos Ninja V, it'll be better for manual focus than either EVF or LCD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kieran Posted May 20, 2018 Share Posted May 20, 2018 9 minutes ago, Thpriest said: Hmm...I worried that this might be the case. I might have to really consider selling the GH5 and buying a second hand Canon C100 mk2. As I get older (43 at the moment) I find that my eyes get more tired on long shoots. I'm realling beginning to miss being able to punch in to check focus when filming as well as accurate one touch autofocus It's depends what's important to you and whether you already have EF lenses. The GH5 of course has 4K and IBIS. The C100 is HD only and no IBIS but has a larger sensor, Canon colour science - and if you have clients on set, they will be much more impressed by it visually, which makes them feel they are getting their money's worth. (when I use a dslr or mirrorless for video, I still get comments like 'oh, are you only shooting stills? When I have the C100 it gets lots of admiring looks and comments such as 'that looks expensive'). I set my C100 up using a 'cheat sheet' by the late Matt Davis. To check focus I push the button under my thumb on the handgrip and I get a magnified monochrome view with coloured peaking. I can easily move the view around with the little joystick on the handgrip and I can do all of this while recording too. As I'm also at the age where my near vision is not so good, when filming, I wear a pair of off the shelf 'ready readers' with a strong magnification so that my eyes can easily see at very close distance. I also have the G80 / G85 for when I need to go small or handheld or want 4K for reframing options. Not having a punch in option (except in manual mode) is a little annoying as it would be nice to check the autofocus is accurate - but I have come to trust it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thpriest Posted May 20, 2018 Author Share Posted May 20, 2018 Thanks for the replies! I had been using the C100 mk1 (without DPAF) for a while for weddings and corporate work. It's a lovely camera but it has a poor LCD and a minuscule EVF but the magnification whilst filming resolves a lot of problems but not all. After a couple of years I found it a bit heavy, especially on a wedding shoot (12 hours here). I bought the GH5 to go lighter and handheld. I use Canon APSC lenses with a speedbooster (Sigma 18-35 and 50-150 and I have the 18-135 and a 17-50) so lenses are not so much of a problem. The problem is that the GH5 is now becoming quite heavy and if I add a SmallHD Focus it will have become larger and heavier than the C100! The 4k is nice in the GH5 though. I still have a Canon C100 mk1 although it needs the XLRs repaired and that seems to mean sending it to Germany from Spain and will be expensive. I suppose a SmallHD focus would improve both cameras but I really want to go light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kieran Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 4 hours ago, Thpriest said: I use Canon APSC lenses with a speedbooster (Sigma 18-35 and 50-150 and I have the 18-135 and a 17-50) so lenses are not so much of a problem. The problem is that the GH5 is now becoming quite heavy and if I add a SmallHD Focus it will have become larger and heavier than the C100! The 4k is nice in the GH5 though. No matter how light your camera is, those lenses will always be heavy to carry around. If weight is an issue, have you considered M43 lenses for your GH5? When I'm lugging around my heavy Canon gear, I often wish I could just shoot instead with a couple of BMPCCs, smaller lenses and an external audio recorder, but unfortunately smaller is not better when it comes to making an impression on a client. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thpriest Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 Hi Kieran, lowlight is a problem for me. I have a Voigtlander 25mm 0.95 which is light enough and works well enough in lowlight but I would need to buy the 10.5mm, 17.5mm and 42.5mm lenses as well to have a decent range and that's over 3000€ here! The Lumix lenses are just too slow or have horrible MF and the fast Olympus lenses are as much as the Voigtlanders! That's a lot of money to spend on a M43 system when you add in that the GH5 and the XLR unit cost me around 2400€, there you have to add the cards, hard drives... It's a tough one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonpais Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 I'm sorry, but throwing a five-inch monitor on the hot shoe is not going to make the camera nearly as large or as heavy as a Canon C200. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kieran Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 35 minutes ago, jonpais said: I'm sorry, but throwing a five-inch monitor on the hot shoe is not going to make the camera nearly as large or as heavy as a Canon C200. He said the C100, not the C200. The C100 without a lens is actually a surprisingly light camera especially if you use the smaller size canon battery with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonpais Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 Who shoots without a lens? ?? 4 minutes ago, Kieran said: He said the C100, not the C200. The C100 without a lens is actually a surprisingly light camera especially if you use the smaller size canon battery with it. And the two Canons weigh the same! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thpriest Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 I'm talking about putting the monitor on the GH5. That would make the camera quite a bit heavier and unwieldy and getting to C100 territory, thus rendering one of it's pros into a con. jonpais 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonpais Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 You are joking, right? A 5” monitor suddenly makes the GH5 unwieldy? In fact, it is quite compact, even for a 61 year-old who never goes to the gym! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thpriest Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 jon, when you are working for 12 hours lugging around equipment, shooting handheld at times, believe me, that weight and size is a large drawback. Not everyone has the luxury of filming like you do. I wish it were so but it's not that way. jonpais and raphwoody 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kieran Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 11 hours ago, Thpriest said: I had been using the C100 mk1 (without DPAF) for a while for weddings and corporate work. It's a lovely camera but it has a poor LCD and a minuscule EVF but the magnification whilst filming resolves a lot of problems but not all. After a couple of years I found it a bit heavy, especially on a wedding shoot (12 hours here). What problems are you finding with the C100 LCD? And have you tried the magnified monochrome image with colour peaking setup? I find I can nail manual focus all the time with that setup. I do sometimes add the BM video assist to the camera for the luxury of a larger LCD - but it does add noticable weight. Have you considered the new BM pocket 4K? It's not out yet obviously, but it is compact, has a built in 5" screen and I expect it will be a pleasure to use. I've pre-ordered one and personally can't wait to get my hands on one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonpais Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 1 hour ago, Thpriest said: Hi Kieran, lowlight is a problem for me. I have a Voigtlander 25mm 0.95 which is light enough and works well enough in lowlight but I would need to buy the 10.5mm, 17.5mm and 42.5mm lenses as well to have a decent range and that's over 3000€ here! The Lumix lenses are just too slow or have horrible MF and the fast Olympus lenses are as much as the Voigtlanders! That's a lot of money to spend on a M43 system when you add in that the GH5 and the XLR unit cost me around 2400€, there you have to add the cards, hard drives... It's a tough one. You down vote someone for stating a fact now? Even with a monitor, a GH5 and lens combo will be significantly lighter and smaller in volume than a kitted out C100. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kieran Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 6 minutes ago, jonpais said: You are joking, right? A 5” monitor suddenly makes the GH5 unwieldy? In fact, it is quite compact, even for a 61 year-old who never goes to the gym! Jon, you're talking crap (and not for the first time). The C200 is larger and heavier than a C100. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thpriest Posted May 21, 2018 Author Share Posted May 21, 2018 The C100 hasn't got the sharpest LCD and the angles are limited. I'm considering selling the C100 mk1 and getting the C100mk2 because of the flexible LCD and useable EVF. jonpais 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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