Using the Panasonic Lumix FZ1000

[Steve Burkett]

Originally Posted by Roger Gunkel

I thought it was time to start a new thread on the FZ1000

Well it has been a week since the last one, so was wondering what was keeping you. :) Maybe short of a proper forum for the camera, we could simply label this one 'FZ1000 and Wedding/Event Techniques'. :)

I notice you didn't feel lack of water proof enough of a disadvantage to be concerned. After our summer, its easy to feel that way. Were you filming on the 24th and 26th last month? I was; on both days the Bride arrived in pouring rain. Despite a tree for cover for one and the church entrance gate for the other, my camera got soaked. The Photographer on the 24th got it even worse, his camera was simply dripping water from it by the time the Bride made her dash to the church.

I suppose it's tempting to hold back on shots when it rains, but it feels unfair on the Bride who has to suffer rain as it is without her video or photos being reduced as a consequence. So I'm intrigued as to your provisions in place should the weather turn.

As for your one big complaint on the fz1000, the zoom. Shooting with primes and the odd manual zoom, zooming is a technique I've stopped using for obvious reasons. Still with 4k, there's room for post zooming. On one Wedding, it looked so good, a client I showed the video to criticised me for walking back down the aisle with the Bride and the father during the entrance. I had to explain that I was standing at the front and the zoom back as the Bride walked down was done digitally. Probably wouldn't fool anyone here of course.

[Roger Gunkel]

I just uploaded a clip to youtube from the same wedding as the stills, shot at 1080 50p, taken straight from the camera and converted to Mp4.

YouTube

After some of the comments I have seen on line regarding burnout in high contrast etc I shot these while on manual, using the camera for stills, but taking quick clips in between using the sub record button.

The clip in the hall before anyone arrived, was to see whether it was possible to get a usable shot in an extreme lighting and contrast situation, with white chair backs to the fore in direct sunlight. You can clearly see the changes in exposure while I am filming, for those that wonder whether manual control without stopping the video filming is possible. I was in creative video mode for that one clip.

All four clips were taken using auto follow focus.

Roger

[Steve Burkett]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

There is an awful lot to be said for having a fixed zoom lens. I used to spend way to much time obsess It's like watching moving photographs or looking through a window & that's on my 30" 2560x1600 monitor so goodness only knows how much better it will look on a proper 4K screen.
.

My feelings exactly. I've become a big supporter of 4k and shoot all my Weddings with my main camera set to 4k. Footage on my 55" 4k TV is amazing. Ultra HD bluray disks are planned to be with us by the end of the year. So I'm looking forward to one day delivering in 4k as well as shooting in it.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Roger

Just got back from my Sunday wedding that was shot exclusively on FZ1000's from start to finish!! All I can say is WOW!! I'm suitable impressed ..Church footage is sharp and noise free (My Sony's would have struggled and given me a soft image! The reception was also shot on both cameras and the speeches were done without any extra lighting!! The only thing I did was pop on a video light for the first dance as they killed all the lighting ...The Panny also seems to handle LED lighting way, way better than my Sony's too!! At this time (midnight) I'm only uploading footage to the drive ..nothing else but a quick run thru the footage to make sure it's OK ... I'll post some stuff in the morning

Batteries last very well ..the B-Cam started flashing red at 9pm this evening after being used since mid-day ..the A-Cam batteries (ceremony and speeches) is still going strong!

Lastly for Pete .. I posted an easy mod for the battery door ..I can change mine without talking anything off ..even on a tripod!! I think it's in previous posts .. a simple aluminium plate!! I use my own rig on the B-Cam just a "U" section of aluminium square tube with foam grip handles ..so easy to make and use plus it supports both a videomic and a light when required.

Absolutely delighted at this stage!!!

My mod for the battery access is at : http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/panasoni...ml#post1894705


Chris

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Steve Burkett

My feelings exactly. I've become a big supporter of 4k and shoot all my Weddings with my main camera set to 4k. Footage on my 55" 4k TV is amazing. Ultra HD bluray disks are planned to be with us by the end of the year. So I'm looking forward to one day delivering in 4k as well as shooting in it.

I just saw the announcement an Ultra HD Blu-ray which will be shipping before Xmas. One nice feature they have included in the specs is called 'Digital Bridge' & is the ability to copy to another device i.e iPad I don't know how they handle the DRM so you cannot make infinite copies but they seem pleased with themselves over this innovation. Another innovation is High Dynamic Range which requires new TVs but sounds amazing too. High Frame Rate too if anyone other than Peter Jackson ever makes a HFR movie. Here is a good recent overview article Ultra HD Blu-ray: everything you need to know | What Hi-Fi?

NetFlix & other services streaming 4K is all very well but requires 20-25Mbps network so in the UK at least only a minority of people will be able to view. Ultra HD Blu-ray is going to be the way that most people feed their 4K TVs. NetFlix may be 4K but the bit rate is less than regular HD Blu-ray. The maximum bit rate for Ultra HD Blu-ray will be 108Mbps (66GB dual layer disc) or 128Mbps (100GB triple layer disc). The 4K image quality has got to be superior from disc.

[Roger Gunkel]

Originally Posted by Steve Burkett

I notice you didn't feel lack of water proof enough of a disadvantage to be concerned. After our summer, its easy to feel that way. Were you filming on the 24th and 26th last month? I was; on both days the Bride arrived in pouring rain. Despite a tree for cover for one and the church entrance gate for the other, my camera got soaked. The Photographer on the 24th got it even worse, his camera was simply dripping water from it by the time the Bride made her dash to the church.

I suppose it's tempting to hold back on shots when it rains, but it feels unfair on the Bride who has to suffer rain as it is without her video or photos being reduced as a consequence. So I'm intrigued as to your provisions in place should the weather turn.

I sure you can guess that after all these years and weddings there is very little that catches me out including rain, snow and anything else you chuck at me :-) Every camera that I use has a little pvc rain cover made up from damp course pvc. Cost me a few pence and I would trust it far more than getting rain all over my camera even if it was weather proofed. Usually they stay in my camera bag, but any sign of rain and they are in my pocket ready. I also keep a little pop out brolly in my bag that I have clamped to my tripod before now if I can't be bothered with the cover. I've yet to meet a Bride who is prepared to get her dress and shoes wet for more that a few seconds :-)

Roger

[Steve Burkett]

Hi Roger, actually my question had a purpose as even I don't like relying on weather proofing, a marketing term more than solid fact, as my only defence against the elements. I had a plastic cover, I hated using it. Might still have it but to be honest, so little of my Weddings get bad rain, I tend to chance it. The umbrella is a nice idea. I agree the Bride moves quickly but she also has an entourage to protect her, and of course when the car arrives, she's inside and I'm outside.

What I want is some Inspector Gadget umbrella, but what you suggest sounds interesting.

[Roger Gunkel]

Steve, most of the cheap popup umbrellas fold to about 6" long and just have a round knob at the bottom, so it's very easy to adapt a clamp or handlebar GoPro adapter to fit to the brolly shaft. I'm surprised nobody has marketed one although there might be a clip on pushchair (stroller) one on the market that would do the job.

Roger

[Roger Gunkel]

Here you go Steve as a starting point, there are probably others cheaper Height Adjustable Buggy Brolly - Dark Blue : Umbrella - The Buggy Brolly for Strollers, Buggies and Prams, umbrellas to keep Mum and Dad dry

Roger

[Steve Burkett]

That's perfect Roger. I admit not giving it too much thought; out of over 200 Weddings, I can count on one hand those where I needed an umbrella. Trouble is when that happens, you really need it.

[Steve Burkett]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

I just saw the announcement an Ultra HD Blu-ray which will be shipping before Xmas. .

I've been monitoring all things 4k and the new bluray player has me very excited. Can't wait before ultra hd and 4k content can actually be purchased. My internet signal is crap and as you say quality of bitrate isn't quite up to scratch. How long before recordable 4k or ultra HD is available and it becomes an option on my delivery.

Hmm.... Probably awhile. Though got 1 client awaiting 4k delivery via USB from a Wedding I shot in April.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Guys

Quick series of clips straight out of the camera and just a bunch of snippets of 10 seconds each from bridal prep thru to speeches (Don't panic it's only 90 seconds long) No extra lighting at all for all these events so they were shot in what was available only even the groom's speech. I was quite impressed that the groom's black suit and black curtains behind didn't fool the camera into over exposing. I shot everything in MP4 but only at 1080 not 4K!! Creative Video mode and main mode set to P so the camera chooses the shutter and exposure. This was our wet wedding yesterday .. on my computer the video of the bouquet actually looks sharper than the stills we took on our Nikons!!!

Wedding IQ Summary - YouTube

Chris

[Steve Burkett]

Nice footage and glad you're getting great shots with it. Outdoors shots suffers from the high shutter, sorry not a fan. Don't like it in my GoPro footage either. Though admit seen worse examples.

Other than that, some good looking clips. Seems to handle well.

[Roger Gunkel]

Looking nice and sharp Chris. I thought for a moment that the reflection on the roof of the limo was burnt out until I realised it had a white roof!

I've found the camera can handle just about everything I can chuck at it, although I prefer to use the M setting when I am in creative video mode as I find P tends to push the shutter speed up a lot.

Did you take the speech audio into the Camera with your radio mics and where was the feed taken from?

All looking good so far :-)

Roger

[Peter Rush]

Originally Posted by Roger Gunkel

Steve, most of the cheap popup umbrellas fold to about 6" long and just have a round knob at the bottom, so it's very easy to adapt a clamp or handlebar GoPro adapter to fit to the brolly shaft. I'm surprised nobody has marketed one although there might be a clip on pushchair (stroller) one on the market that would do the job.

Roger

I would love a larger version of one these

http://www.toxel.com/wp-content/uplo...umbrella12.jpg

but I don't think they exist