Anyone using the FZ1000 for weddings?

[Roger Gunkel]

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

[Chris Harding]

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

[Paul Mailath]

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

[Roger Gunkel]

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

Roger

[Chris Harding]

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!!

[Roger Gunkel]

My mouth is watering already :-)

Roger

[Chris Harding]

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

[Steve Burkett]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

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.

[Roger Gunkel]

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

[Colin Rowe]

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=FhYH...ature=youtu.be
View full screen 1080

[Chris Harding]

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

[Steve Burkett]

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

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.

[Roger Gunkel]

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

[Mark Whittle]

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.

[Roger Gunkel]

Originally Posted by Colin Rowe

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=FhYH...ature=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