JVC GYLS300 In 2019

[newfoundmass]

2 minutes ago, stefanocps said:

so what you use most gh5 or ls300? ls300 is really interesting tools. The best in the market as IDEA. Can t tell much about real use, a part the af not so good (as you state) and lack of stabilization

I use the GH5 for most projects it's the easiest camera for me to set up about shoot with. Just take it out, put in a battery, and slap on a lens and you're good to go. 

The LS300 meanwhile is more like a cinema camera, so I tend to use it in corporate, studio or interview settings. You could just throw a lens on it and go shoot, and it's not terribly heavy or anything, but for running and gunning the GH5 is just a better option. Overall though I decide which is the best tool for the job and go with that

Like when shooting with the LS300, for best results you should attach an external monitor since the flip out one is not good at all and the evf is awful. You'll wanna add the handle/audio interface for better ergonomics and controls. Getting some kind of shoulder rig or monopod is a good idea if you're don't hand held. Etc

[UncleBobsPhotography]

10 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

The default setting for MFT lenses is 85% of the sensor so it zooms in by 15% to match the coverage.

However, you can override that because with a number of lenses you can actually get to 95-97% so your FOV with a wide angle lens is actually a bit wider than it would be on an MFT camera.

The flip side is that you could also set it to say 75% if you have an MFT lens that has less than stellar performance at the edges.

 

And if you adapt APS-C/Full Frame lenses (without using a speedbooster) I assume you can use the whole sensor? This seems to give a lot of flexibility.

[BTM_Pix]

4 minutes ago, UncleBobsPhotography said:

And if you adapt APS-C/Full Frame lenses (without using a speedbooster) I assume you can use the whole sensor? This seems to give a lot of flexibility.

Yes, it acts as an APS-C camera would so you get full coverage with an APS-C lens and a crop of a full frame one but obviously you can also use a Speedbooster on the full frame lens to get a lot of that crop back as well as an increase in speed.

One aspect that seldom gets mentioned is that if you want you can actually use an APS-C lens on a Speedbooster to make it faster and then use the VSM to crop back into it to counteract the vignetting.

So, for example, I have a Tamron 16-300mm all purpose travel zoom that is a bit slow at f3.5-f5.6 but on a Speedbooster it becomes a far healthier f2.8-f4 and I set the VSM to 85% to take out the vignetting.

Ditto for the Sigma ART 18-35mm f1.8 it becomes f1.2 and the VSM at 85% maintains its field of view as though it were on an APS-C camera.

With a little extra reach as well of course courtesy of the additional zoom function.

[thebrothersthre3]

27 minutes ago, BTM_Pix said:

Yes, it acts as an APS-C camera would so you get full coverage with an APS-C lens and a crop of a full frame one but obviously you can also use a Speedbooster on the full frame lens to get a lot of that crop back as well as an increase in speed.

One aspect that seldom gets mentioned is that if you want you can actually use an APS-C lens on a Speedbooster to make it faster and then use the VSM to crop back into it to counteract the vignetting.

So, for example, I have a Tamron 16-300mm all purpose travel zoom that is a bit slow at f3.5-f5.6 but on a Speedbooster it becomes a far healthier f2.8-f4 and I set the VSM to 85% to take out the vignetting.

Ditto for the Sigma ART 18-35mm f1.8 it becomes f1.2 and the VSM at 85% maintains its field of view as though it were on an APS-C camera.

With a little extra reach as well of course courtesy of the additional zoom function.

That's pretty cool. Of course it takes out the possibility of full frame view with a speedbooster. But its a unique advantage. 

[Kisaha]

42 minutes ago, BTM_Pix said:

One aspect that seldom gets mentioned is that if you want you can actually use an APS-C lens on a Speedbooster to make it faster and then use the VSM to crop back into it to counteract the vignetting.

So, for example, I have a Tamron 16-300mm all purpose travel zoom that is a bit slow at f3.5-f5.6 but on a Speedbooster it becomes a far healthier f2.8-f4 and I set the VSM to 85% to take out the vignetting.

What a brilliant idea! We use the camera mostly with the Metabones EF adapter, but never thought of taking advantage of it like this! Bravo! I may try my 18-135 EF-S next time around. Earning a stop here and there is very important for this sensor.

As most people can see here, the LS300 is a camera with a lot of interesting and original ideas, it is not "just" another low cost camera. 

[BTM_Pix]

20 minutes ago, thebrothersthre3 said:

That's pretty cool. Of course it takes out the possibility of full frame view with a speedbooster. But its a unique advantage. 

I'm not sure I follow why it removes that possibility?

With a full frame lens you set the VSM scaling to 100%.

So a 50mm lens on a 0.7 speedbooster would then be 52.5mm FOV (50 x 0.7 x 1.5).

Not quite full frame coverage but very close.

And faster.

10 minutes ago, Kisaha said:

What a brilliant idea! We use the camera mostly with the Metabones EF adapter, but never thought of taking advantage of it like this! Bravo! I may try my 18-135 EF-S next time around. Earning a stop here and there is very important for this sensor.

Yeah, it certainly helps something cheap and cheerful like the Tamron, especially as it sharpens it up a bit as well which is important at the long end with that lens.

With it having IS it is actually a good all round solution for ENG stuff with the LS300.

That Canon 18-135mm would be very interesting regarding if the servo zoom add on could somehow be integrated.

[kaylee]

12 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

The default setting for MFT lenses is 85% of the sensor so it zooms in by 15% to match the coverage.

However, you can override that because with a number of lenses you can actually get to 95-97% so your FOV with a wide angle lens is actually a bit wider than it would be on an MFT camera.

The flip side is that you could also set it to say 75% if you have an MFT lens that has less than stellar performance at the edges.

thank uuuu

[thebrothersthre3]

49 minutes ago, BTM_Pix said:

I'm not sure I follow why it removes that possibility?

With a full frame lens you set the VSM scaling to 100%.

So a 50mm lens on a 0.7 speedbooster would then be 52.5mm FOV (50 x 0.7 x 1.5).

Not quite full frame coverage but very close.

And faster.

 

Ah I was a bit confused on if an M43 speedbooster works the same as an apsc(insert brand here) mount one. Makes sense.

[kye]

On 2/23/2019 at 4:20 AM, Alt Shoo said:

I was contracted to do a small Look Book for a popular “Influencer” son’s YouTube channel. It was filmed with a JVC-GYLS300 and a 7 Artisans 25mm lens. It was very difficult pulling focus with this rambunctious child moving about lol, but I got some decent shots. 

Nice video!

I make home videos for my family and that's a great one - I'm sure they were really happy.  One of the reasons I like doing projects like these is that that footage will have a life of maybe 100 years or more, and it will become more valuable to the clients over time instead of less valuable like a 2-year-old TV show or movie or doc that no-one remembers.

14 hours ago, BTM_Pix said:

The default setting for MFT lenses is 85% of the sensor so it zooms in by 15% to match the coverage.

However, you can override that because with a number of lenses you can actually get to 95-97% so your FOV with a wide angle lens is actually a bit wider than it would be on an MFT camera.

The flip side is that you could also set it to say 75% if you have an MFT lens that has less than stellar performance at the edges.

I'd also imagine that if you're adapting FF lenses they'd easily cover the whole sensor..  even with a 0.7X adapter?

8 hours ago, billdoubleu said:

I don't know why, but I have a strange fascination with seeing small lenses on large bodies and large lenses on small bodies. Looks cool!

Here's a pic to get you fired up..  SLR Magic 8mm on GH5:

and if that tickles you then you'll absolutely love this one..  Lomo 40mm on GH5 via an adapter and mounted in a hole cut in the body cap (it was a fixed lens with proprietary mounting thread so no adapters available):

[thebrothersthre3]

27 minutes ago, kye said:

 

Here's a pic to get you fired up..  SLR Magic 8mm on GH5:

and if that tickles you then you'll absolutely love this one..  Lomo 40mm on GH5 via an adapter and mounted in a hole cut in the body cap (it was a fixed lens with proprietary mounting thread so no adapters available):

 

Man that SLR magic is tiny. Mounting the lens via bodycap was a great idea, love the ingenuity. 

[Alt Shoo]

@kye I agree wholeheartedly! 

 

Regarding the Gyls300 VSM, that is one of the more useful features this camera has! I truly hope that JVC brings out a successor to this sleeper hit camera. To me, the color science is superb and that Alta Sens sensor is something special!

[BTM_Pix]

6 hours ago, kye said:

I'd also imagine that if you're adapting FF lenses they'd easily cover the whole sensor..  even with a 0.7X adapter

With a 0.7x adapter the overall crop factor is 1.05 so a 50mm gives a FOV of 52.5mm

[Alt Shoo]

Here’s a screen grab from an interview I filmed with the Gyls300 in Delaware. 

[IronFilm]

On 2/24/2019 at 3:31 PM, kye said:

Here's a pic to get you fired up..  SLR Magic 8mm on GH5:

That is my normal set up for my YouTube channel. 

Except with a G6 and not a GH5 ?

[Alt Shoo]

The JVC GYLS300 in 2019 is still very much relevant! It is so relevant that I’m wrapping up a documentary that is 90 percent filmed with it. Not diminishing the importance of this medium, but this isn’t a “Micro Documentary” that will be released on YouTube. 

It’ll be a feature length documentary that will have some historical merit within Hip Hop and Pop culture in general!! 

If it wasn’t for the ease of use and IQ of Gyls300, I truly would have had some difficulty capturing the moments I tried to highlight. I know it’s an older tool, but the technology is still useful and any skilled camera op, would be able to make this camera shine!

[Kisaha]

"Old tool" but it was pretty much groundbreaking upon release and forward thinking equipment stay relevant longer.

The codec is quite "thick" also, it is not basic 8bit dSLR video.

[Alt Shoo]

7 minutes ago, Kisaha said:

"Old tool" but it was pretty much groundbreaking upon release and forward thinking equipment stay relevant longer.

The codec is quite "thick" also, it is not basic 8bit dSLR video.

Yea 150 mb in 4k is also pretty decent. I would say that I filmed most of it with the internal codec and the remainder in Pro Res using the BlackMagic Video Assist 4K. 

[BTM_Pix]

Had an interesting chat with JVC at BVE Expo today.

They acknowledge the LS300 is a cult classic, which is evidenced by them selling more now than they did at launch.

They had it on show with a Ninja V which again they acknowledge as the solution to the achilles heal of the viewfinder.

It looks very well matched with it actually.

The slow burn of the sales over such a long time hasn't resulted in mega sales in total and as it such an outlier of a product for them there seems little prospect of a follow up anytime soon.

 

[Kisaha]

36 minutes ago, BTM_Pix said:

The slow burn of the sales over such a long time hasn't resulted in mega sales in total and as it such an outlier of a product for them there seems little prospect of a follow up anytime soon.

I hate it when hu-mans stop when they are ready for their breakthrough.

Samsung stopped when they delivered their first and only professional camera, when it was obviously quite ahead of its time, and JVC stopped in their first attempt for an interchangeable Camcorder/cinecamera. What a pitty..

Thanks @BTM_Pix.

[BTM_Pix]

2 hours ago, Kisaha said:

I hate it when hu-mans stop when they are ready for their breakthrough.

Samsung stopped when they delivered their first and only professional camera, when it was obviously quite ahead of its time, and JVC stopped in their first attempt for an interchangeable Camcorder/cinecamera. What a pitty..

Thanks @BTM_Pix.

I always got the feeling about the LS300 that it was developed almost like a research project.

Like a small team were spun off from the main development team to see what they could do if JVC decided to have a new division alongside the ENG stuff.

I think that is why it has got a lot of innovative features in it because they were seeing where they could go with it and weren't restricted by having to fit it within the existing range.

I think thats also why it has got a lot of features added to it over its lifespan as it is a bit of a passion project for the spun off team and whoever their project sponsor is within JVC.

It reminds me of the Xerox PARC thing in a way so maybe another company will come along and incorporate the innovation into their own products and make more of a commercial success of them like Apple did in that instancr.