GH3: Buzz buzz b-buzz

[Ron Little]

Who are you calling a slut?

[William Hohauser]

Originally Posted by Chip Thome

Jeff and Don..... it was the Panasonic Leica 45mm. So, if anything should have been optimized for the system, I would think that one should have been. BUT, if it's nice out tomorrow, I'll try a few I have here and see if that makes a difference. The video from France linked to earlier in this thread, although done under sodium lights, the saxophone also is completely washed out. The white balance for sodium lights have to be taken into consideration and may be why the sax isn't a nice brassy golden.

William, now that you mention it, I now think remembering having some of those same issues with my GSs when I was shooting those. I wasn't that fussy back then, was more worried about blow out imagery, than getting colors perfect.

When I am on some of the stills forums and seeing some of the images guys are getting, the colors are stunning and just seem to jump out at you. I suppose the difference between a still and video is the amount of information each "image" contains though.

Anyways, that's my bitch du jour and the one thing I really would hope we can see corrected.

I am not surprised that the sodium lamp would wash out a golden saxophone since that color is right in the range of the sodium lamp. No contrast.

Still photographers have an arsenal of color correction techniques that video people can only get from high end software. Lately I've been seeing a lot of striking stills that are great to look at but are essentially supernatural in their color rendition

[Don Litten]

Originally Posted by Ron Little

Who are you calling a slut?

I'm still doing the research for a mini doc but the slut name came from a Canadian cop who told a group of women they wouldn't be raped if they didn't dress like sluts.
That kinda PO'ed them I think.
Richmond’s first “Slut Walk” brings up sexual assualt awareness | WTVR.com ? Richmond News & Weather from WTVR Television CBS 6

From one of my clips yesterday:
They all dressed up in interesting outfits and marched 2 miles in protest.

[Ron Little]

Wow, the ignorance of some people is amazing. Anyway, thanks for clearing that up.
Now back to camera talk. I hope this thing has 422 HDMI out. If it does I will really be interested in picking one up.

[Don Litten]

According to Panasonic, it doesn't Ron.

[William Hohauser]

I've read that the GH3 HDMI output is 4:2:0 (like HDV and XDCam EX) but since that color space is not in the HDMI standards that I have seen, I am not sure how that would work with other equipment. Perhaps the 4:2:0 is converted to 4:2:2 before outputting to the HDMI port but we are not getting any better color than what is recorded on the SD card. Unlike an AF100 where the SDI port is supposedly giving you video directly out of the image sensors before processing for AVCHD files.

If the GH3 puts out a clean 24p HDMI signal that I can record on an external recorder, I will be happier.

[Don Litten]

The last word I heard on it William, was that it would be a clean 4:2:0, 8 bit HDMI out.

[William Hohauser]

Regardless, it will be minus AVCHD compression which is a big help. What I really want a backup recorder on my GH camera in case the SD chip fails in any way. That's how I shoot with my HDV cameras (a FireStore disk) and with the JVC HM750 (it has dual chip recording)..

[Thomas Smet]

Keep in mind that many HDMI ports on even pro level video cameras put 24p inside of a 60i stream. So if you wanted to use an external recorder for 24p shooting you may have to remove the 3:2 pulldown with software. Not a huge deal but something to think about.

I have had cameras with 100% uncompressed 4:2:2 HDMI output for years but I never used them in that way because of the extra hassle involved. Honestly I have become a fan of the progressive flavor of 4:2:0 and find it to be very sufficient even for visual effects work. Most of the software I use can filter the 4:2:0 into 4:4:4 so it doesn't make as big of a deal for me. Sure a true 4:4:4 would be better but I can live without it with a bit of care. The difference between progressive 4:2:0 and 4:2:2 isn't as big as it once was. Well at least when dealing with progressive footage. 60i is another story but then again I avoid interlaced like the plague these days. If I need a 60hz video I shoot 60p instead.

[Jeff Harper]

Guys, I agree there are SO many variables to getting a great image from the camera.

First the LCD is unreliable, so I have to guess based on past experience. Secondly lenses each render colors so differently, IMO. Chip, I find the 45mm does tend toward less great color rendering, but my 12mm F/2.0 is always beautiful, as long as my settings are great. The 45mm has indeed produced images that looked somewhat washed out for me also. The secret I suspect is learning how to set white balance, etc., as needed for each lens to at least maximize the image quality. Then I find when I switch to the 25mm F/1.4 color can be too warm or cool, it it maddening. The 25mm can really drive me to distraction but at times it's just perfect, it depends on the light.

I have now moved to using primarily the Canon XA10s as my primary cameras for my weddings. I am not a cinematographer, and at my price point it is plain dumb for me to fool unnecessarily with lenses and cameras when I get absolutely stunning images with a real video camera. Images from the large sensor of the GH2 are gorgeous, no question, but I'm focusing more on getting the job done simply and efficiently. I don't have time in post to color correct mismatched cameras I"m so behind in my editing anyway.

The differences in colors with the various primes does drive me nuts, and it just saps my time and energy. For special projects, I will use the GH2 for sure, but for grunt video work like my weddings I am settling in to using the GH2 as third and fourth cameras, and the rest of the time they sit in my case.

[Alan Halfhill]

Originally Posted by William Hohauser

Once I attached the Varavon LCD EX-Supporter loupe, the GH2 became very stabile for handheld, even with non-stabilized lenses. I assume that the same will be true for the GH3.

Originally Posted by Kevin Janisch

Ergonomics alone may be worth it to me. Handheld with the GH2 is just as bad if not worse than handheld with the Canon XL2.

I find the opposite to be true. I use no loupes or rigs on my GH2. Just hold it like a still camera. Love the EVF. That is one of the strengths of the GH2 is that it is the only HDSLR that does not need a rig or loupe for shooting. And no extra cost.

[William Hohauser]

I like the EVF as well but while using the 20mm pancake lens I just couldn't stabilized the camera enough especially with manual focus. The Varavon GH2 loupe fixes that. Other loupes that mount directly behind the camera didn't excite me at all.

Also during a long job with the EVF where I couldn't relax from looking thru the viewfinder for long stretches, I found that I was breathing on the camera so much that condensation was collecting between the folded LCD and the body. That's not good.

[Kevin Janisch]

Stabilization is a major issue with my 25mm Takumar Super Muliti Coated Vintage lens (50mm after crop). Amazing footage, but holding her steady handheld leads to hand cramps very quickly. Will need a rig of some sort soon.

[Kevin McRoberts]

Try a Gorillapod as a simple handhold stabilizer... multiple ways to make it work for you. Cheap and multi-use.

[Mike Leah]

Originally Posted by Jeff Harper

Guys, I agree there are SO many variables to getting a great image from the camera.

First the LCD is unreliable, so I have to guess based on past experience. Secondly lenses each render colors so differently, IMO. Chip, I find the 45mm does tend toward less great color rendering, but my 12mm F/2.0 is always beautiful, as long as my settings are great. The 45mm has indeed produced images that looked somewhat washed out for me also. The secret I suspect is learning how to set white balance, etc., as needed for each lens to at least maximize the image quality. Then I find when I switch to the 25mm F/1.4 color can be too warm or cool, it it maddening. The 25mm can really drive me to distraction but at times it's just perfect, it depends on the light.

I have now moved to using primarily the Canon XA10s as my primary cameras for my weddings. I am not a cinematographer, and at my price point it is plain dumb for me to fool unnecessarily with lenses and cameras when I get absolutely stunning images with a real video camera. Images from the large sensor of the GH2 are gorgeous, no question, but I'm focusing more on getting the job done simply and efficiently. I don't have time in post to color correct mismatched cameras I"m so behind in my editing anyway.

The differences in colors with the various primes does drive me nuts, and it just saps my time and energy. For special projects, I will use the GH2 for sure, but for grunt video work like my weddings I am settling in to using the GH2 as third and fourth cameras, and the rest of the time they sit in my case.

Are you happy with the 24p on the xa10? Ive been wanting one for a while to use along with my gh2 and I shoot primarily 24.