Sorry, but I have to post this for Kyle as he started this thread!!

Kyle? You have a Nikon D750 and you obviously have a selection of Nikon lenses too. May I ask why you are looking at the FZ1000 bridge camera when all you really need is something like a used D610 body which could use your FX lenses

Is Nikon video really that bad for weddings? It seems crazy to go to a bridge camera when you already have Nikon lenses!!

I'm of course in the same boat ..I have piles of DX lenses (I use them already on my EA-50) but I'm hesitant to use Nikon for wedding video

Is there a reason why you simply don't get another Nikon body ???

Chris

First, I absolutely LOVE the video footage that I'm getting from my D750 w/ 24-120 F4 and 70-200 F2.8. It is phenomenal in to me.

My main issue revolves around the wedding ceremony. I like to shoot that with a minimum of 4 cameras.

Two of these I run from the back... which in some cases can be VERY far away. This is where the 600mm equivalent of the NX5 and XA20 come in very handy for getting close ups.

In theory, I could pick up a couple of Tamron 150-600 zooms and some D5500s for a cheap solution... but that goes against my idea of wanting to go smaller with those monster lenses.

A camera like the FZ1000 offers a 400mm zoom which is I think almost adequate to allow me to continue operating in the same manner I have now. Plus with 4K crop on 1080, I'd be at about the same range I'm getting now.

-- The other thing is, I'm probably doing a wedding out in Los Angeles in 2016, and I'm starting to think about how I'm going to get my stuff out there and I want to basically carry all the main gear with me in a backpack onto the plane... Hence something like 4 FZ1000's in a backpack with my Sennheiser wireless kits, and Tascam audio recorders would work.

Thanks Kyle

I was just asking as I have a fairly comprehensive collection of DX lenses so my logic says use the lenses and just buy something like a couple of D7100 bodies and stay the same brands as my still cameras. However when I see video quality like the clip below in 4K I know I will never get it like this on a DX Nikon so I'm pretty much convinced the FZ1000 is a good buy .... Watch this clip in 4K res on YouTube it is staggering !!!

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ 1000 4K IMAGE STABILIZATION test - YouTube

Here Chris, I think you might find this one interesting, a wedding shot entirely on the fz1000 with some gopro footage in between.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kqB5dGVCGCw

Well that answers a few questions Noa. I was impressed with the stabilisation apart from a couple of his dodgy quick position change shots, given that it was all filmed handheld, . Difficult to draw conclusions from the dancing shots as it was odd lighting and I would have closed the aperture up more to darken it down a bit.

I liked the end shots in the dark with the venue lit up and the overall clarity and sharpness of the video. Can't wait for mine to arrive :-)

Roger

Thanks Noa

From around your part of the world too!! Yes I have seen that one amongst many more. It's a pity the guy never had the camera on a monopod ...would have made it a lot nicer but the camera seems to handle weddings fine so definitely worth downsizing to!!

Give us your comments Roger when your package arrives. Will you still keep the FZ200??

Chris

RE: the wedding link:
Hey I want the "bunny phone" (cell phone case) as she walks up the aisle!! Interesting Gn'R violins, and looked nice, though I wasn't a big fan of the grading, but it's a "look"... definitely saw those things that lean me away from Panasonic, but I'm being TERRIBLY picky, it looked good. I'm sure it would pass muster for most clients!

The zoo video had a few weird pulsing spots, but overall looked quite good - that 4K definitely "pops", and that was one of the cleaner videos I've seen, so they've probably got down how to get best results with the camera. 4K is definitely coming in fast.


@Kyle and Chris - I know I jumped on both the RX10 and the AX100 as early as I could find 'em used and reasonable, wouldn't look back, no regrets. There are some simply stunning cameras available that don't require one to bring a huge "kit" everywhere. Feels odd at first, like you SHOULD be missing something, yet I can't argue with the results. Frankly if I were not coming from a place with lots of existing accessories and such, a flock of FZ1000's at $700 would be hard to resist! When a small, light camera can cover 80-90%+ of your "needs", it's not hard to start asking "why am I carrying all this other bulky heavy stuff?"!

One nice thing about going to 4K is one camera can replace several (wide, tight, just crop in as needed... sweet!), but as they come down and 4K takes hold we'll probably have to get more cameras again.... My last trip to the Target store, there were at least SIX 4K TV's on display, out of a wall of around 35-40!! They are COMING in the consumer realm, and FAST!!

I see that wedding was shot with the CineV profile (Panasonic I think still call them scene files) I don't really like the Cine profiles as they seem to be rather contrasty and it does shift colour quite a lot but each to their own. I guess I'm an oldie so I like bright saturated colours but it's not what I like, it's what the bride likes isn't it! The animal clip was what I call good colour .. the Cine colours seem to often overdo the skin tones. Each to their own.

I had the same issues Dave when I started using a GoPro as a wide camera (I actually use an SJ4000 now because it has a built-in LCD display which is useful for framing) and it's weird to put this tiny little box on a lighting stand and find out it captured better footage than your fancy big camera!!

However hopefully the days have gone where you have to have a huge big shoulder mount camera so the client recognises you as the official videographer and I now stop worrying that there is a guest with a Canon 5D3 with a $15K zoom on the front and I'm supposed to be the photographer ... Even my old DX Nikon still cameras are a LOT bigger than still cameras like Kyle's D750. Maybe one day things will come down to weddings done with 6 cameras all with remote pan/zoom/tilt and you sit at the back of the Church with a mini desk and monitors and control everything?

I must admit when I'm lugging my gig cameras into a venue and the photog waltzes in with one camera slung over his shoulder I do think to myself ..do I need all this back and forth carrying?

Hi Chris,

The comments from yourself and others about downsizing always makes me smile, because I downsized many years ago and always work fast and light. I have also maintained for years that apart from the odd 'anorak', nobody is the slightest bit interested in the size of your gear, only the end result. I find that I can get much more interesting shots with my small cameras as nobody notices me.

We have two FZ200s as Claire and I both use identical gear when we have two solo weddings on. We will hang on to them for a while to see how we get on with the FZ1000. Claire loves the FZ200 for very quick stills as well and in good light it can take some amazingly sharp pics and ditto with flash. If we both enjoy the FZ1000 as much and find as I expect, it lifts the quality much further, we will get another and ditch some of the other cams. We will also be upgrading our small Panasonic video cams next year even though they have been totally reliable as they are getting battered. Almost certainly to the latest equivalent as we want to stay small. It may cause gasps of shock and horror, from the purists, but we are also seriously considering an FZ1000 for all our joint photo/video packages to cover stills as well as I have been very impressed by the quality of pics I have seen, I love the idea of lifting missed stills from 4K and the fredom of a small single lens camera for the type of work we are doing.

A pair of FZ1000s on my double tripod plate for stills and video, plus a new small Panny video cam, would give me the ability to move fast and capture everything I need as I do now, but to a new level. We also carry 2xSJ4000s each, so just about every eventuality is catered for. A number of quick release clamps and grip mounts also enable us to put any of our cameras almost anywhere instantly, and wiifi monitoring via pad or phone on the new cams will give us remote view and control of everything.

As our Brides already love the quality and unobtrusiveness of what we do, I have absolutely no fears about changing to the other cameras and I have no interest in trying to impress others in the business with size, cost, number of lenses or way of working.

Can't wait for next season, 32nd season and finishing a complete re-equip :-)

Roger

Hi Roger

What can I say except "you are right" ..I think we get totally obsessed about having the biggest and the best ..When I mentioned I was changing cameras the first response was "So you will getting Sony FS7's then" I'm a firm believer in spending no more than 10% of my turnover on gear so buying two $9000 cameras simply doesn't fit into my plan at all. I admit it's nice to boast about your awesome cameras that cost more than your mortgage payment for 3 months but if you find something that will do the same job for a fraction of the price ..why not use it? If people laugh at you because you are using an SJ4000 .. I just ignore them and as you say brides don't care!! Shamefully I have to admit that in a few instances my little $100 SJ4000 actually had way better footage of the ceremony than the $4000 Sony!! I have an 8 week gap now on weddings so it's the best time for me to buy and sell and change!!

Chris

Hi Roger

What can I say except "you are right" ..I think we get totally obsessed about having the biggest and the best ..When I mentioned I was changing cameras the first response was "So you will getting Sony FS7's then" I'm a firm believer in spending no more than 10% of my turnover on gear so buying two $9000 cameras simply doesn't fit into my plan at all. I admit it's nice to boast about your awesome cameras that cost more than your mortgage payment for 3 months but if you find something that will do the same job for a fraction of the price ..why not use it? If people laugh at you because you are using an SJ4000 .. I just ignore them and as you say brides don't care!! Shamefully I have to admit that in a few instances my little $100 SJ4000 actually had way better footage of the ceremony than the $4000 Sony!! I have an 8 week gap now on weddings so it's the best time for me to buy and sell and change!!

Chris

Chris, I read through these forums and see all the discussions about Primes and shallow DOF, close up and telephoto lenses, focussing problems, plus all the discussion of highly priced cameras, difficulty shifting all the gear and I sometimes think 'Am I doing it all wrong?' Then reality kicks in and I remember that I have been doing this successfully for 32 years, working fast and light and with never any doubt from clients. I deliver usually on DVD and often get comments on the quality and clarity of the picture. I also get asked who the other camera person was to get the different angles, even though I invariably work solo.

What I am now wondering is whether others here are also looking at how I and a few others work and what you are proposing, and are also quietly asking themselves 'Am I doing it all wrong?'. A lot of the discussion on this forum is about higher and higher quality and striving to match cinematic style and impact using ever increasing amounts of equipment. We have companies using 5 cameras, several operators,, multiple sound recorders on everything to capture cinema quality sound and techniques learned from film school and blockbuster movies.

Weddings are not film sets with actors, they are constantly ebbing and flowing events, sometimes unpredictable and sometimes requiring quick reactions, and lateral thinking. They are days full of real emotion and an unfolding story, that is exciting to capture and a real challenge to reflect the atmosphere and emotion. In my opinion you cannot do justice to a wedding if you are constantly worrying about whether you have the right lens on or how you are going to set up the equipment in time, or get it moved to the next location. What about the guests being in the way or the photographer in the shot; forget about it it is all part of the day. By all means film the way that you are comfortable with but don't expect to use a wedding as a substitute for ambitions as a blockbuster movie maker.

Chris I am really looking forward to following your progress and thoughts on downsizing and how you get on with new gear :-)

Roger

Thanks Roger

I will order my first FZ on Monday regardless of whether the Sony's have a buyer at that stage as I want a decent amount of my Winter break time to investigate all the functions anyway.

I'll also be looking forward to your comments when yours arrives next week. Just for interest the 1000 goes for just under $1000 here and the 200 is just under $500 .... Hopefully the flagship model should be worth the extra cost

Chris

Chris I am really looking forward to following your progress and thoughts on downsizing and how you get on with new gear :-)

Roger

Same here - for next season I need to be able to carry all my gear to and from my car in one trip - If I loose my EA50 and start using the A7s as my main camera (once I decide on the 'right' lens) I might just be able to do it with no hit on the quality of my production :)

My local dealer here has a nice Beachtek audio unit that slides on the hotshoe of the camera and gives me two XLR controllable inputs for my audio. The one thing I did discover is once you set the FX1000 audio level and start recording you cannot change it but if you go thru a Beachtek unit it has it's own gain controls so you can raise signal levels ... that would also work well if you need to change a shotgun mic level ... they also make a neat little unit (also hotshoe mount ) that allows you to plug in two audio devices and it splits them via gain controls into the camera 3.5mm input ... the unit also has a couple of cold shoe mounts on it so you don't lose a mic mounting point either!!

An input volume control would be very useful, although I can live without the XLR connectors. I'll do a bit of research.

Roger

Hi Roger

Beachtek MCC-2 2-Channel Audio Adapter and Bracket MCC-2 B&H (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=962864&gclid=Cj0KEQjw-46sBRD7x6P0stibwbsBEiQAoMi4ZheBfc2oVLGbcYxphrJA2RHE27jQlsUHY83PP9thDUkaAv2_8P8HAQ&Q=&is=REG&A=details)

This mounts on your hot shoe and provides 2 channels with gain controls and also gives a few shoe mounts on top. It's great if you want to feed two inputs into the camera as it creates two channels ..one goes to the cameras left input and the other to the right input so when you edit you have the choice of using either channel, whichever sounds best.

Chris

That looks kike a useful device Chris that might be worth getting. I'll have a quick search as well for similar devices.

Had a bit of bad news today, my FZ1000 supplier has been over run with orders for the camera and has had to order a new batch which won't be arriving for another 3 weeks, so I cancelled the order and found another company who have it in stock and can supply for £50 cheaper in 4-7 working days. I'll just have to be patient a bit longer.

Roger

Hi Roger

No local dealers in your area ? I have my local guy here who is prepared to match any price within Australia for me (he was the one that had the Beachtek units too) I can get one for $909.00 which at the moment equates to 445.00 Stirling ... I guess you guys have to pay VAT too on cameras.

I can get a FZ200 here for $449 so that's 220.00 Stirling so the FZ1000 is double the price here but hopefully worth the extra money??

Chris

What I am now wondering is whether others here are also looking at how I and a few others work and what you are proposing, and are also quietly asking themselves 'Am I doing it all wrong?'.

As a 5 camera guy, with 7 Primes, a Jib, Slider and pretensions of capturing stylish looking shots :), am I asking if 'I'm doing it wrong'. Nah, not for a second. Todays Wedding, I'm filming a Marryoke and the Wedding. I shall be using probably all my primes at one point, also my jib, slider and plenty of shallow depth of field :) - wide shots too as I love variety. 5 camera set up for the church, 4 for the Speeches and 3 for the 1st Dance. A lot of gear I admit, but only 2 bags, one on my shoulder, 1 on a trolley. I love the look of Primes and wouldn't shoot a Wedding without them. Downsize ain't for me.

Mind you I'm gonna swing the other way and add more. I plan to get the RX10 Mark II as I lack a good run n gun camera for certain parts of the day like Brides arrival and the couples exit. I would never ever get any fixed lens camera or lens with a variable aperture. Both my zooms have a constant 2.8 and for Speeches the 35-100 is my best choice, but I'll use a Prime for some venues as 2.8 doesn't crack it.

Maybe some of you have been luckier than me, but I've filmed Speeches where even my f1.2-f1.7 prime lens has still pushed the ISO to 1600 or more. The last Ceremony I filmed, the lights were so low, the Photographer was pushing ISO even with flash, the Registrars complained they couldn't see to write the register and my 42.5mm 1.2 Prime lens saved that Ceremony from looking a noisy mess. Yes I have Neat Video, but the results can be varied and time consuming to render.

I'm sure the FZ1000 is a fine camera and with the right approach can get great footage, but I wouldn't even consider it for a B Camera as f4 at the telephoto means I'd never use it for anything other than wide shots, which makes the zoom lens somewhat redundant.

Hi Steve

If you are happy with your current gear and are getting good results, I cannot see why you would even ask the question ' Am I doing it all wrong' ... Sheesh some of us drive compacts, some drive 4X4's ..it's our choice. If you are driving a huge 4x4 and are struggling to park it and are tired of it guzzling fuel THEN you can think about getting a smaller car ..the reverse is also true of course ...you might want a bigger car.

You are happy with what you have and it works well so why even think about re-evaluating what gear you have ??

Chris

Steve you already have a thriving business and enjoy the way you work and the gear that you use. My comment was more geared at those who feel it necessary to match your level of equipment to get into the wedding market, or those who feel overburdened with the amount of gear they carry around.

When you read here about the levels of equipment that some people use, I think that in some instances there is a feeling that you have to match that to have any sort of chance. There is also perhaps a reluctance by some to talk about the fact that they use much more cut down equipment to achieve highly successful results. I think an opportunity to enlarge on that side of the business helps to encourage others into seeing that there are other ways to build a successful business.

Everyone can build their business and equipment to the level that they enjoy and are comfortable with, but to use Chris's car analogy you don't have to have a 4x4 to drive to the shops, but if it suits your needs then great :-)

Roger

I can only use the Fz1000 in the early part of the reception - they do NOT cope with low light. I've got two of them now and I'd be delirious is they were better in low light but they aint.

that's my real experience in real receptions - nevertheless one is hanging off my hip all day and I'm happy to use is as a primary camera during bride & groom prep. I use them for pickups during the ceremony and primary camera up till the speeches start, then just for pickups.

Thanks Paul

I cannot use my Sony's without lighting during speeches either so I'm used to that .. I have a CFL stand with an umbrella blasting the lectern with light for the A-Cam and then an LED light on the B-Cam for guests in the dark during cutaways ..I keep the light on the B-Cam for cake and first dance then I'm outa there. The venue usually has enough ambient light for bridal entry and guest tables but if not I use a light as a fill dimmed right down. I guess the GH4 with a super fast lens can do everything without extra light??

My Sony A-Cam only has a F2.8 lens on it hence the lighting requirement but it works pretty well.

I'm grabbing an FZ1000 next week anyway ..just for me!! If it doesn't work at receptions I'll just use it on the stedicam! My Sonys are a tad too heavy for the rig as the springs in the arm are a max limit so I need a cam for that anyway ..anything else is a bonus plus it's a spare stills camera!!

Chris

Hi Roger

No local dealers in your area ? I have my local guy here who is prepared to match any price within Australia for me (he was the one that had the Beachtek units too) I can get one for $909.00 which at the moment equates to 445.00 Stirling ... I guess you guys have to pay VAT too on cameras.

I can get a FZ200 here for $449 so that's 220.00 Stirling so the FZ1000 is double the price here but hopefully worth the extra money??

Chris

Hi Chris

Just noticed I missed this post. The nearest dealer to me is 90 minutes drive and their price has been reduced to £609, a couple of big department stores the same distance away are showing £649 and £629 and there is no guarantee they are in stock. The Dutch company were supplying me at £528 and now that they have a hold up I have cancelled and ordered from a Hong Kong based company with a UK warehouse for £478 . I did a lot of research on them first especially because of the big price difference and I have spoken to the UK customer support so am as confident as you can ever be online. I have had order and delivery information confirmed from the company and from PayPal.

Now keeping my fingers crossed and awaiting delivery possibly by the end of next week.

Roger

Hey Roger

Keeping my fingers crossed for you. I have a dealer I'm going right past in the morning so I'll pop in and see if they have stock ... I also found this audio adapter on ebay which is even neater than the Beachtek as it has AGC disable and has an internal headphone amp so that would solve any disputes about the FZ1000 not having a headphone output ..at least with this you can monitor incoming audio and also control the level on each channel during recording.

Brand NEW Mymyk Smartlynk Portable ON Camera TWO Channel Mixer | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/400937477583?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT)

Chris

Hi Chris,

Another interesting link on the Audio box, however I decided to look a bit laterally at the problem of audio volume. With the FZ200, the external mics that I use tend to give a higher volume than the onboard, so I will assume for the moment that the FZ1000 will have similar audio circuitry. I contacted my local music shop that I have used for thirty years and they are going to build me a simple small box with a 3.5mm stereo input socket a rotary volume control and a 3.5mm stereo output socket. Total cost will be no more than £10. I could probably do it myself, but they already have the components.

If it works as expected, I will be looking at a second one with two mono inputs, two volume controls and one stereo output. It should also be pretty straightforward to include a simple parallel battery powered headphone amp for input monitoring. The permutations are endless of course with perhaps one or two xlr inputs. I have also thought about contacting a local company with a view to 3d printing a custom box with hot shoe fitting.

Roger

Hey Roger ..I will build my own too ..easy peasy!! I'm happy designing mixers, buying components and soldering!! Places like Maplin have nice polycarbonate boxes that you can use too!!

Now the good news .. Just picked up the first FZ1000 ..battery is on charge .. I will give you my thoughts later

Chris

If you're using lighting you might be fine - I would love to use them all day - so easy

Hey Chris I'm jealous :-( Seriously though I'm looking forward to seeing how you get on with it.

Roger

I will do things seriously in the morning ..Just to see if it worked I tossed in a card turned the camera on and hit record !! Wow! I'm super impressed with the OIS ... I was just holding the cam in my hand and filming wifey in the kitchen and it was amazingly steady ..even my shoulder mount has a few wobbles!

Only afterwards I realised that I was in iA mode not movie mode and it was default 50i at only 17 mbps and the footage in our kitchen was excellent ..sharp as a tack ... I have to now set up the camera correctly ..!!

Paul, do you shoot 1080 in AVCHD or MP4 ?? Just for interest???

Impressed so far and I haven't even started!! More later ... Roger? yours will come soon!!

My mouth is watering already :-)

Roger

Hey Roger

Sorry for the delay but my Realtor is making me work !! I did get a chance to shoot some outdoor stuff in the back yard and the IQ is stunning!! I haven't quite figured out the AF side but in default if you capture the focus with the shutter button and then go for a walk the camera seems to automatically keep focus on track for you ... I still have to investigate all this when I get a minute.

I am busy making a aluminium frame for the B-Cam (I have two now!!) and what I did is make a t-shaped bracket that goes onto the tripod screw hole and I made that only 20mm wide and the frame sits forward of that. That way, you have access to the battery and card without having to remove stuff ... I'll also make a second one for the A-Cam so the QR plate is under the lens and also doesn't foul the battery door.

I have a black anodised light frame around the camera so I can offset the mic to the right ..otherwise you cannot use the EVF and I might need it in sunlight !!

What format do you shoot on the FZ200?? I like MP4 but each recording stops at 4GB period and you have to restart regardless of the time limit ..I haven't worked out how many minutes I get before the 4GB limit??

I'll post pics of my mods once they are done ! I'm getting there slowly!!

Chris

I like MP4 but each recording stops at 4GB period and you have to restart regardless of the time limit ..

The camera should automatically start a new file and keep recording up to the 29 minute limit. The only reason for it stopping before then is the type and speed of the card. I recall when getting my GH3 and experimenting with its top codec, that the Sandisk Ultra SD Cards cut out at 4GB's but the Sandisk Extreme kept going. I now use Transcend Ultimate for the GH4 and never had a stopped recording unlike some cards I've used.

Hi Chris,

Glad to hear the results are impressing you so far :-)

On the FZ200, if you are recording video, you can set initial focus with a half press, then it will maintain auto focus. If you press record without the half press first, it will hesitate a moment and focus automatically, then continue. The FS1000 is probably the same.

I always shoot in AVCHD mode, usually at the highest setting for weddings and one down for multi camera school shoots.

Roger

Here are some rough and ready shots taken with my FZ1000 to demonstrate high iso footage. Taken in my local church, on the North Cornwall coast. It really is a very dark church.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhYHc7DTAF4&feature=youtu.be
View full screen 1080

Hi Steve

That's what I thought too but the manual says AVCHD will run the full 30 mins and depending on bitrate, I guess it will split the file like the Sony Cams ... However it says that MP4 will stop recording when the file reaches 4GB or if the time exceeds 30 minutes whichever happens first ..I found that strange because in 4K it also records in MP4 BUT due to the huge files, it doesn't stop at 4GB but creates a new file like AVCHD. I have no idea why?? Any idea how to calculate a MP4 file size based on bitrate???

Thanks Roger for your input too! I was a bit surprised that I never had the camera in continuous focus mode yet after the initial set it kept focus perfectly and to prove it to myself I moved right up to objects and they were perfectly focussed when I did that so it must be focussing itself !! I'll examine the motion menu more closely once I get another Realty shoot out of the way tomorrow!

I send an email to Chris Hurd suggesting we could maybe have a sub forum in the Panasonic sector so we can discuss/help/request settings and issues for bridge cameras like the FZ200 and 1000

Chris

Any idea how to calculate a MP4 file size based on bitrate???


Hard to say; if it's VBR then it depends on what you're shooting. I read it's 20mbps for MP4 recording; if so you're looking at 25 - 30 minutes anyway. Unless you're shooting 50p, then the bitrate I think is double ??, which means half that amount. Looking at the specs, it seems AVCHD offers a better bitrate.

The idea of a sub forum is a good one Chris, there is one for LUMIX G4, G3 etc but not for the FZ range. I can see these cameras growing in popularity so a separate forum could be good.

Roger

Hi Chris,

Seeing as you have a collection of nikon lenses, have you thought of getting a GH3 or 4, even a used one, and a M4/3 to Nikon adapter? That way you could shoot the bulk of a wedding on the FZ and also have a "sexycam" for shallow DOF or low light. If you got a speedbooster you gain a stop of light as well. I don't have any Nikon lenses but I have a Nikon adapter. You're welcome to borrow my gh3 & adapter if you want to have a play as I have no weddings in August. We go on holiday for the month.

I run a GH4 with a EF speedbooster and Sigma f1.8 18-35 for dark receptions. Brilliant. The GH3 has a Voightlander 25mm f0.95 or an old 50mm 1.4 Pentax lens with a cheap adapter. Outside for ceremonies they both have the 14-140 zooms. Slow but outside, perfect. Love the reach. I'm not one for swapping lenses but it is unavoidable. I limit it to one swap, just before the reception, or during the photoshoot if it goes dark.

Thanks for the ebay mixer. Looks good. The beachteks are supposed to be good too. I run a juicedlink with xlrs. Frankencam, but reliable.

"There's always another new camera just around the corner". For me, I am very excited about the DVX200 coming out, I hope, in time for IBC in a few months. This camera is potentially my ideal wedding cam. Can't justify one this year though.

Here are some rough and ready shots taken with my FZ1000 to demonstrate high iso footage. Taken in my local church, on the North Cornwall coast. It really is a very dark church.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhYHc7DTAF4&feature=youtu.be
View full screen 1080

Thanks for posting those Colin, very enlightening. I'm surprised that you can go up to ISO 6400 and still get useable footage, the FZ200 would get nowhere near that.

Roger

Shot in 4k,.Rendered using youtube template in Sony Vegas 12. I must try some 1080 footage to see how that encodes

Thanks Colin

That's really good for a bridge camera!! I bet my Sony would have tons of noise !! I have an idea that you cannot get to ISO6400 in 4K mode only in 1080P ... I'm sure I read somewhere in the manual that 4K limits at 3200 ISO but I could be wrong of course!! Still super footage indeed .. I would fancy a wedding in that Church!!!

Thanks also Mark ... when I get to the stage of looking at anything else I'll give you a holler ...With a 2X crop factor on the GH cameras it will be hard to find anything wide enough in a Nikon that would work and be fast enough surely ? The best I have is a Tamron 10-24 at F3.5 ... All fast Nikon 18mm lenses would give a wide of only 36mm which might be tough for ceremonies!

Chris

I watched that church footage YT video in 1080 on my computer and at 6400, it looked good to me. Very usable. Thanks for doing that.

Thanks, Colin. Very useful.

With a 2X crop factor on the GH cameras it will be hard to find anything wide enough in a Nikon that would work and be fast enough surely ?
Chris

That's where a Speedbooster comes in - it refocuses the image circle to the M4/3 sensor so your lenses look the same in HD and cropped a bit in 4k. My cheapie Nikon adapter has no optics so yes, you'll get crop factor. Even a fast 50mm prime would be very handy, cropped or not.

My Speedbooster is Canon mount as the direction the focus turns with Canon is the same as ENG lenses. Nikon is opposite.

Hi Mark

Nikon DX lenses don't work on the speed booster as they vignette at wide angle ..you need to use full frame lenses with a Metabones unit. I was going to do that on the Sony earlier on but scrapped the idea cos I couldn't use full wide.

Chris

Thanks also Mark ... when I get to the stage of looking at anything else I'll give you a holler ...With a 2X crop factor on the GH cameras it will be hard to find anything wide enough

There is the Voigtländer nokton 10mm f0.95 if you want wide and very fast, other that that you have the Olympus 12mm f2.0 which is also a excellent lens and if you even want wider and fast there is the Olympus 8mm f1.8

Thanks Colin

That's really good for a bridge camera!! I bet my Sony would have tons of noise !! I have an idea that you cannot get to ISO6400 in 4K mode only in 1080P ... I
It's 4k Chris and the iOS was at 6400

Thanks Colin

I assume you were in Manual mode then ..I think in full auto it says max for 4K is 3200 but in manual mode it's unrestricted .. sorry still trying to get my head around all the menu settings ...In that case that image is awesome !! I'll catch up with menu settings soon enough so I know what I'm doing!! Anyway my Sony EA-50 with a 2.8 lens has a lot of noise!! and that Church was dark! I wouldn't like to do a wedding there!

Your clip was greatly appreciated and morale boosting too!!

Chris

Here are some rough and ready shots taken with my FZ1000 to demonstrate high iso footage.

What image preset did you use? Just asking because that outside footage had some harsh contrast with no detail in the shades, something you often get when using the vivid preset, I believe this camera can also shoot in standard or cinelike v preset which can make a big difference in such cases but also when you shoot inside a church so the camera can deal better with shadows and highlights.

Hi Noa

You can also change the colour curve profile to one of 3 presets or create a custom "S" curve ..plus the camera also has settings much like Nikon's D-Lighting which will balance out bright backgrounds ... that is probably the standard setting and the grass is really green due to all the rain those guys have!!