How the GH2 and FS100 were setup for Revenge of the Zacuto Shootout

[Andrew Reid]

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[img]http://www.eoshd.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/gh2-in-a-heli-rig.jpg[/img]

Above: GH2 on a heli rig

Today the first episode of Zacuto’s 2012 shootout is aired. (Update: it is now live – [url="http://www.zacuto.com/shootout-revenge-2012/revenge-great-camera-shootout-part-one"]watch it here[/url]). This isn’t really a shootout in a technical sense rather a subjective and less scientific comparison whereby each camera is made to look as good as possible. Several leading cameras were used including the Alexa and Sony F65.

Zacuto have revealed in a technical document how each camera was setup, so we’ll take a look first at the GH2 and FS100 to see what settings were settled on for the shootout and who the people behind the cameras are.

[url="http://www.eoshd.com/content/8213/how-the-gh2-and-fs100-were-setup-for-revenge-of-the-zacuto-shootout/"]Read full article[/url]

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[MOONGOAT]

Colt Seman, not Semen. But thanks for the laugh :)

[Andrew Reid]

[quote author=MOONGOAT link=topic=848.msg6108#msg6108 date=1339772859]
Colt Seman, not Semen. But thanks for the laugh :)
[/quote]

;D Corrected! Sorry Colt.

Seriously this guy and Johnny did a superb job, really impressed with their other work too. #onestowatch

[piz]

I have a secret ... I often tell people my things are shot on a RED but in reality its a GH2.  Even RED owners whom I've shown my stuff to can't tell.  Please don't tell anybody.

[HurtinMinorKey]

[quote author=Andrew Reid link=topic=848.msg6109#msg6109 date=1339773147]
[quote author=MOONGOAT link=topic=848.msg6108#msg6108 date=1339772859]
Colt Seman, not Semen. But thanks for the laugh :)
[/quote]

;D Corrected! Sorry Colt.

Seriously this guy and Johnny did a superb job, really impressed with their other work too. #onestowatch
[/quote]

[img]http://www.spscriptorium.com/Season5/SBFSeaMan.jpg[/img]

[mrbrimm]

@piz what patch are you using?

I am interested in trying Driftwood's patch. Where can I get it?

[Andrew Reid]

Nick's patches are all here

http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/3454/driftwood-quantum-x-settings-series-5-cluster-v4-mysteron-crossfire-quantum-9b-sedna-etc.../p1

Quantum is actually quite old now. The updated ones are nicer.

[Juggernaut]

I was at the screening yesterday and was amazed at how well the GH2 performed - I had it down as the Epic in my list. the big note for me was that all the cameras looked great, even the iPhone to an extent.  the camera technology is level - what really made these cams shine were the lenses they used and the grading they got.  The ungraded footage of the GH2 was very surprising - it looked massively underexposed, but with Driftwood's patch they managed to really get into it and pull it up amazingly well. Had a great chat with nick Driftwood as well - he says there are interesting new patches on the way!

[Axel]

[quote author=Juggernaut link=topic=848.msg6117#msg6117 date=1339781316]The ungraded footage of the GH2 was very surprising - it looked massively underexposed, but with Driftwood's patch they managed to really get into it and pull it up amazingly well.[/quote]

I think what the film shows is that the GH2 boys pumped some fill lights into the shadows and then underexposed everything. If your sensor can't read 14 stops, you have to scale the values in front of the lens to fit into 5 or 6 stops. With a high bitrate hack, the shadows have much less noise (possibly the only effect such a hack has). So the whole thing can be brightened a little, and the highlights look fine and the Epic looses one of it's three advantages (frame rates and image sizes remain).

About the set-up: It may well mimic a real situation, but the extreme contrasts of outside and inside don't look natural to me. No?

[Per Lichtman]

Here is a link to the video alongside my comments so far. Will be updating throughout the day.

[url=http://perlichtman.com/pasdenapulse/wordpress/2012/06/15/revenge-of-the-great-camera-shootout-2012-my-impressions-on-part-1/]http://perlichtman.com/pasdenapulse/wordpress/2012/06/15/revenge-of-the-great-camera-shootout-2012-my-impressions-on-part-1/[/url]

Andrew, I will be adding a link to your blog shortly as I think it will help to prepare people for watching the video.

[Per Lichtman]

Axel, dealing with that level of extreme contrast is a normal part of my shooting. That is one of the reason I love doing HDR timelapse. :)

[Juggernaut]

[quote author=Axel link=topic=848.msg6124#msg6124 date=1339790058]

About the set-up: It may well mimic a real situation, but the extreme contrasts of outside and inside don't look natural to me. No?
[/quote]
Definitely.  The contrast was massively high on purpose to test the DR of the cameras to the limit.  It wasn't a 'real' looking scenario at all. 

[Axel]

[quote author=Per Lichtman link=topic=848.msg6126#msg6126 date=1339791135]
Axel, dealing with that level of extreme contrast is a normal part of my shooting. That is one of the reason I love doing HDR timelapse. :)[/quote]

Yeah, HDR timelapse is filed under "art" in my own view. This is [i]Desparate Housewives[/i] lit by Caravaggio. All the DPs say, be authentic, be a person, feel what you light. The mundane suburbia with the smalltalking neighbours does not fit the big contrasts. Arguable.

How can such a prominent show be uploaded out of synch? Do they not control the stuff before? I don't get it.

[PAVP]

I really like this shootout, because it's about results more than absolutes in the technical sense.  I'm much more interested in techniques and solutions to achieving the best image more than reading about how a camera can't do this or that.  Tell me what it can do under the best practices.  How to get the most out of a given camera.  Here we learn that the most important part of the equation is the skill of the DP and how we can achieve the best possible end product no matter what our cameras limitations or price. 

There will always be a cream of the crop camera which doesn't require as much help, but for the masses that can't get access to those cameras it's great to learn how to get much closer to the best possible image using better techniques.

[MattH]

Test A was the only one that looked decent to me.  All the others looked unnatural and over saturated, Like a kids tv programme.  A lot of them messed around with the colour correction to much, making the guy in the green shirt in front of the window look like he was in front of a blue screen.  So I am going to guess that A is the Alexa.  If A turns out to be the gh2 then the alexa dps fucked up and the gh2 dps are geniuses.

[riogrande100]

[quote author=Andrew Reid link=topic=848.msg6115#msg6115 date=1339779721]
Nick's patches are all here

http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/3454/driftwood-quantum-x-settings-series-5-cluster-v4-mysteron-crossfire-quantum-9b-sedna-etc.../p1

Quantum is actually quite old now. The updated ones are nicer.
[/quote]

Noob question: How do we download the patches?

[Andrew Reid]

H, F, C and B looked the best to me. Most of the others had issues with the actors being in too much shadow, and a colour temperature which was set too cool. Full review of the first episode soon.

[Per Lichtman]

[quote author=riogrande100 link=topic=848.msg6149#msg6149 date=1339868230]
[quote author=Andrew Reid link=topic=848.msg6115#msg6115 date=1339779721]
Nick's patches are all here

http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/3454/driftwood-quantum-x-settings-series-5-cluster-v4-mysteron-crossfire-quantum-9b-sedna-etc.../p1

Quantum is actually quite old now. The updated ones are nicer.
[/quote]

Noob question: How do we download the patches?
[/quote]

You have to register on the site - then you have access to them when you are logged in. It's a different system, since EOSHD make their settings available without any need to login.

[Per Lichtman]

Looking forward to your review Andrew. Send me a message when it goes up and I will link to it. :)

[AndrewP]

I wish someone would post the answers in spoiler tags, just for us impatient buggers that can't wait another month for the next part of the documentary.