New Firmware Available!

Jeff Hinson · December 13th, 2011, 03:23 AM

Thanks Jeff...
Yep read through the manual last night...had weird dreams. ha

Yep, one does have to flip back and forth a lot. Found the link to the on line manual..so that will help too. Im mainly interested in the "video" capabilities of the GH2, so will try and tackle that first. I would have thought 60p would be high resolution instead of 720...Im a bit confused now on which shooting mode to chose ...but will iron it all out. I see a lot of threads pro and con..so will try them all. My little Nex 5N shoots 60p at full resolution, yet Ive seen great looking video from the GH2 shot a 720. I deliver on DVD anyway. Ive got a lot of reading/experimenting ahead.

Stick with me folks....ha

the other Jeff

Andrew Rowe · December 13th, 2011, 10:40 AM

Hi, Jeff (Hinson),

1280x720 is about half the resolution of 1920x1080 which has 50% more pixels both horizontally and vertically. Therefore, you can shoot twice as many frames per second for any given bitrate using 720 rather than 1080. Having the two settings gives you a simple choice:
a) double the resolution at half the frame rate versus
b) double the frame rate at half the resolution.

Interlacing is a compromise between these two options - high resolution and high shooting rate, albeit divided into two half-resolution fields - but interlacing has its issues in the age of flat screens and internet video (fine for DVD and broadcast though).

To shoot 1080p60 (compared to 720p60 or 1080i60) you would need to double the bitrate or else double the data compression (i.e. reducing the picture quality irrespective of resolution or frame rate). However, the GH2's 23.976fps ("24fps"), 25fps, and 29.97fps ("30fps") frame rates are fine for everything except slow motion, 3D and very fast movement (e.g. sports). We've only just got the 1080p25/30 option; 1080p50/60 I can live without.

Best wishes,

Andrew

Patrick Janka · December 13th, 2011, 04:57 PM

Other Jeff, I think you're a little confused. 60p is the frame rate. 720p is the resolution. p stands for progressive. The GH2 has a 1080i60i option, too, but generally you want to stick to progressive rather than interlaced (i). The only benefit to using 60p in 720p is if you plan to slow the shots down. Slow-mo works best the more frames that are available. For everything else you'll want to stick to 1080p at 24p or 30p. If you plan to move the camera around a lot (panning/tilting) then 30p is a better option because there will be less blur. The fewer frames in existence the more blur (24p).

Jeff Harper · December 13th, 2011, 05:45 PM

Patrick, 720 60p is supported on Bluray, and is why I like it, I've shot about 30 or more weddings with the GH2 using that mode and it is phenomenal, to me. It is arguable as to which mode is best, depending on who you talk to though.

My XA10 shoots 60i or 24p, and I prefer to shoot in matching modes, therefore 30p is of less use to me. Therefore I shoot in 60i or 24p, because all my footage is the same. Don't know what I said before that cause the confusion, but the above should be more clear, thanks for helping.

I should add that 1080 30p would be fantastic, would love to try it, but again, my main camera does not shoot 30p, so I choose a frame rate and resolution that all my cameras have. Since virtually all of my shoots are multicamera, this matching aspect is important.

Patrick, in reference to your comment about 720p being resolution, 720p is shorthand, and is not a complete description in and of itself. 720 refers to to resolution and the letter p refers to progressive frame rate but when used that way it leaves out the critical info of frame rate. Technically one should say 720, or 60p, or combine them for a complete description eg., 720 60p for example. If we say 720p here it is because we all know the GH2 shoots only in 720 60p, and we all know what we are talking about.

Martyn Hull · December 14th, 2011, 05:13 AM

For me mixing 720P and 50i in my BLU RAYS shows that 720P cannot match 50i for sharpness /resolution now i have the new HBR i hope this gives me even more sharpness resolution for my BDs,certainly playing the raw files via a card reader into my PS3 shows they play fine with as much resolution as 24P but i have never liked 24P,720P is the FR for slow motion and probobly DVD as it does edit well.

Waldi Krasowski · December 14th, 2011, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simon Wood

What does that mean for post-production though?
If I am editing genuine 25fps (from a different camera) and wish to drop in GH2 25p in a 50i wrapper to the 25fps timeline will there be a problem?

Most of NLEs will re-render, what takes time and is not necessary at all.

Jeff Harper · December 14th, 2011, 08:11 AM

To add to Waldi's comment, Simon, you can mix on the timeline, sure, but what you mix and how it works out will vary on your settings in your editing program, and will vary based on what you are mixing, and to what you are outputting. It can be relatively complicated if you need "best" results (say for a wedding or corporate video) until you figure out what you need to do and how you need to do it.

The approach I take to mixed footage, most of the time, is to convert mismatched footage prior to editing. I really like having matching footage on the timeline, I am fanatical about that, but other people mix footage on the timeline all the time. I just don't.

Nigel Barker · December 14th, 2011, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waldi Krasowski

Most of NLEs will re-render, what takes time and is not necessary at all.

It does depend on the NLE but if it doesn't correctly handle 25p within the 50i wrapper then the latest version of ClipWrap will fix that for you & takes only moments to re-wrap the .MTS file to a .MOV within a QuickTime wrapper divergent media, inc. - newest posts

Patrick Janka · December 15th, 2011, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Harper

Don't know what I said before that cause the confusion, but the above should be more clear, thanks for helping.

I was talking to the other Jeff. That's why I referred to him as "other Jeff" lol.

Jeff Hinson · December 15th, 2011, 03:58 AM

So now that I have the 1.1. update installed, if I select HBR movie mode...Im recording at 30p 1080 correct??

This "other Jeff" is always confused.........but Im hanging in there. LOL

the other jeff

Jeff Harper · December 15th, 2011, 06:00 AM

Wait, I thought I was the other Jeff! I feel cheated and confused. My head is hurting. I need a nap. When you guys make it to my age, you'll understand.

Jeff Hinson · December 15th, 2011, 06:11 AM

@ the first Jeff

hahaha.....glad to see you up and alert. Age does slow us down a bit though.

BTW: So now that I have the 1.1. update installed, if I select HBR movie mode...Im recording at 30p 1080 correct

the other Jeff :?)

Jeff Harper · December 15th, 2011, 06:19 AM

Jeff, sorry, I haven't done the update, don't have a clue. I'm anxious to do it, but I'm too bogged down with editing. The update sounds awesome, especially the audio improvement, that's what appeals to me as much as anything.

Jeff Hinson · December 15th, 2011, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Harper

Jeff, sorry, I haven't done the update, don't have a clue. I'm anxious to do it, but I'm too bogged down with editing. The update sounds awesome, especially the audio improvement, that's what appeals to me as much as anything.

I "should" be editing too, backlogged right now. But have to try out my new toy GH2...a real novice shooting with a camera. No photography background, so a lot to learn in the GH2 for me.

Have a good day,
the other Jeff

Jeff Harper · December 15th, 2011, 06:48 AM

The camera is a joy, but you really do end up learning more than you ever wanted to know about the principles of photography. The disadvantages of the camera are few, but bothersome. I strongly dislike it's size, and that's my single biggest issue, about which nothing can be done, of course. On the job, the camera looks foolishly small, very amateurish. I focus on the job at hand, and try to appear as if I know what I'm doing, and that is more important than having a huge rig, but still, I wish it were larger.

The size is as much of an advantage as a disadvantage. People are much more relaxed in front of the GH2, and actually will run up to it, rather than run from it, which is at first really cool, but this also becomes rather annoying at times. People will also think your taking photos, when you're handheld, so they will pose for a still photo, and that is really weird. So you have to interact and work with them. I'll speak up and say "hey it's video, wave for the camera!", or something like that, because if you tell them the wrong way they'll feel dumb and embarrassed, so you have to learn how to deal with that scenario.

If you're a wedding shooter you will find the camera changes the way you interact with your subjects, and that is a really great thing, and worth it's weight in gold. I use a "Y" extension, and mount both a shotgun and LED on the camera, and it can really shoot some great video. With the audio improvement, it will be even better.

The hardest thing at the beginning, is what you're going through right now, learning how to set the camera up for video, there are a few choices.

For a beginner, if you haven't already been told, put the dial on the movie icon. Choose your record mode in the menu. Choose Manual Movie mode unless you want 24p.

To get shooting immediately, you can use the Q menu button to navigate sideways to the S -P-M-A modes, and choose program mode, (I'm not referring to the dial on top of the camera) it will allow you to set white balance, but will do the rest for you, shutter speed, aperture, etc. You can record a wedding or anything in P mode, and you'll be fine. It's not ideal to shoot in P mode, but pretty darn close, and is a good way to start out. Some people recommend starting out in M mode, or S mode, etc, but I don't agree, because you also have to learn how to handle focusing the camera on your subject, and that in itself is a whole other thing.

So by starting in the P mode, you can shoot as if you're using a video camera, and then you only have to concentrate on focusing, which is another lesson for another day.

December 13th, 2011, 03:23 AM	#16
Jeff Hinson Major Player Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Down South, IN Posts: 422	Re: New Firmware Available! Thanks Jeff... Yep read through the manual last night...had weird dreams. ha Yep, one does have to flip back and forth a lot. Found the link to the on line manual..so that will help too. Im mainly interested in the "video" capabilities of the GH2, so will try and tackle that first. I would have thought 60p would be high resolution instead of 720...Im a bit confused now on which shooting mode to chose ...but will iron it all out. I see a lot of threads pro and con..so will try them all. My little Nex 5N shoots 60p at full resolution, yet Ive seen great looking video from the GH2 shot a 720. I deliver on DVD anyway. Ive got a lot of reading/experimenting ahead. Stick with me folks....ha the other Jeff

December 13th, 2011, 10:40 AM	#17
Andrew Rowe Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: London, UK Posts: 39	Re: New Firmware Available! Hi, Jeff (Hinson), 1280x720 is about half the resolution of 1920x1080 which has 50% more pixels both horizontally and vertically. Therefore, you can shoot twice as many frames per second for any given bitrate using 720 rather than 1080. Having the two settings gives you a simple choice: a) double the resolution at half the frame rate versus b) double the frame rate at half the resolution. Interlacing is a compromise between these two options - high resolution and high shooting rate, albeit divided into two half-resolution fields - but interlacing has its issues in the age of flat screens and internet video (fine for DVD and broadcast though). To shoot 1080p60 (compared to 720p60 or 1080i60) you would need to double the bitrate or else double the data compression (i.e. reducing the picture quality irrespective of resolution or frame rate). However, the GH2's 23.976fps ("24fps"), 25fps, and 29.97fps ("30fps") frame rates are fine for everything except slow motion, 3D and very fast movement (e.g. sports). We've only just got the 1080p25/30 option; 1080p50/60 I can live without. Best wishes, Andrew

December 13th, 2011, 04:57 PM	#18
Patrick Janka Major Player Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 623	Re: New Firmware Available! Other Jeff, I think you're a little confused. 60p is the frame rate. 720p is the resolution. p stands for progressive. The GH2 has a 1080i60i option, too, but generally you want to stick to progressive rather than interlaced (i). The only benefit to using 60p in 720p is if you plan to slow the shots down. Slow-mo works best the more frames that are available. For everything else you'll want to stick to 1080p at 24p or 30p. If you plan to move the camera around a lot (panning/tilting) then 30p is a better option because there will be less blur. The fewer frames in existence the more blur (24p).

December 13th, 2011, 05:45 PM	#19
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: New Firmware Available! Patrick, 720 60p is supported on Bluray, and is why I like it, I've shot about 30 or more weddings with the GH2 using that mode and it is phenomenal, to me. It is arguable as to which mode is best, depending on who you talk to though. My XA10 shoots 60i or 24p, and I prefer to shoot in matching modes, therefore 30p is of less use to me. Therefore I shoot in 60i or 24p, because all my footage is the same. Don't know what I said before that cause the confusion, but the above should be more clear, thanks for helping. I should add that 1080 30p would be fantastic, would love to try it, but again, my main camera does not shoot 30p, so I choose a frame rate and resolution that all my cameras have. Since virtually all of my shoots are multicamera, this matching aspect is important. Patrick, in reference to your comment about 720p being resolution, 720p is shorthand, and is not a complete description in and of itself. 720 refers to to resolution and the letter p refers to progressive frame rate but when used that way it leaves out the critical info of frame rate. Technically one should say 720, or 60p, or combine them for a complete description eg., 720 60p for example. If we say 720p here it is because we all know the GH2 shoots only in 720 60p, and we all know what we are talking about. Last edited by Jeff Harper; December 14th, 2011 at 08:21 AM.

December 14th, 2011, 05:13 AM	#20
Martyn Hull Major Player Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: England Posts: 444	Re: New Firmware Available! For me mixing 720P and 50i in my BLU RAYS shows that 720P cannot match 50i for sharpness /resolution now i have the new HBR i hope this gives me even more sharpness resolution for my BDs,certainly playing the raw files via a card reader into my PS3 shows they play fine with as much resolution as 24P but i have never liked 24P,720P is the FR for slow motion and probobly DVD as it does edit well.

December 14th, 2011, 08:11 AM	#22
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: New Firmware Available! To add to Waldi's comment, Simon, you can mix on the timeline, sure, but what you mix and how it works out will vary on your settings in your editing program, and will vary based on what you are mixing, and to what you are outputting. It can be relatively complicated if you need "best" results (say for a wedding or corporate video) until you figure out what you need to do and how you need to do it. The approach I take to mixed footage, most of the time, is to convert mismatched footage prior to editing. I really like having matching footage on the timeline, I am fanatical about that, but other people mix footage on the timeline all the time. I just don't.

December 15th, 2011, 03:58 AM	#25
Jeff Hinson Major Player Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Down South, IN Posts: 422	Re: New Firmware Available! So now that I have the 1.1. update installed, if I select HBR movie mode...Im recording at 30p 1080 correct?? This "other Jeff" is always confused.........but Im hanging in there. LOL the other jeff Last edited by Jeff Hinson; December 15th, 2011 at 04:53 AM.

December 15th, 2011, 06:00 AM	#26
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: New Firmware Available! Wait, I thought I was the other Jeff! I feel cheated and confused. My head is hurting. I need a nap. When you guys make it to my age, you'll understand.

December 15th, 2011, 06:11 AM	#27
Jeff Hinson Major Player Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Down South, IN Posts: 422	Re: New Firmware Available! @ the first Jeff hahaha.....glad to see you up and alert. Age does slow us down a bit though. BTW: So now that I have the 1.1. update installed, if I select HBR movie mode...Im recording at 30p 1080 correct the other Jeff :?)

December 15th, 2011, 06:19 AM	#28
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: New Firmware Available! Jeff, sorry, I haven't done the update, don't have a clue. I'm anxious to do it, but I'm too bogged down with editing. The update sounds awesome, especially the audio improvement, that's what appeals to me as much as anything.

December 15th, 2011, 06:48 AM	#30
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: New Firmware Available! The camera is a joy, but you really do end up learning more than you ever wanted to know about the principles of photography. The disadvantages of the camera are few, but bothersome. I strongly dislike it's size, and that's my single biggest issue, about which nothing can be done, of course. On the job, the camera looks foolishly small, very amateurish. I focus on the job at hand, and try to appear as if I know what I'm doing, and that is more important than having a huge rig, but still, I wish it were larger. The size is as much of an advantage as a disadvantage. People are much more relaxed in front of the GH2, and actually will run up to it, rather than run from it, which is at first really cool, but this also becomes rather annoying at times. People will also think your taking photos, when you're handheld, so they will pose for a still photo, and that is really weird. So you have to interact and work with them. I'll speak up and say "hey it's video, wave for the camera!", or something like that, because if you tell them the wrong way they'll feel dumb and embarrassed, so you have to learn how to deal with that scenario. If you're a wedding shooter you will find the camera changes the way you interact with your subjects, and that is a really great thing, and worth it's weight in gold. I use a "Y" extension, and mount both a shotgun and LED on the camera, and it can really shoot some great video. With the audio improvement, it will be even better. The hardest thing at the beginning, is what you're going through right now, learning how to set the camera up for video, there are a few choices. For a beginner, if you haven't already been told, put the dial on the movie icon. Choose your record mode in the menu. Choose Manual Movie mode unless you want 24p. To get shooting immediately, you can use the Q menu button to navigate sideways to the S -P-M-A modes, and choose program mode, (I'm not referring to the dial on top of the camera) it will allow you to set white balance, but will do the rest for you, shutter speed, aperture, etc. You can record a wedding or anything in P mode, and you'll be fine. It's not ideal to shoot in P mode, but pretty darn close, and is a good way to start out. Some people recommend starting out in M mode, or S mode, etc, but I don't agree, because you also have to learn how to handle focusing the camera on your subject, and that in itself is a whole other thing. So by starting in the P mode, you can shoot as if you're using a video camera, and then you only have to concentrate on focusing, which is another lesson for another day.