Lumix G9 4k 60p Shutter Speed.

[John McCully]

On a sunny cloudless day late morning, the sun overhead and slightly behind me, I set the camera on a tripod about 200m from a busy intersection where vehicular traffic and pedestrians were passing by regularly. First I placed a Tiffen Variable ND filter on the Panasonic 14-140 lens fully zoomed, set the camera to F5.6 and the shutter speed to 125th of a second and eyeballed exposure by adjusting the ND filter. I shot a clip

I then removed the ND filter, set the camera to F5.6 and adjusted exposure using the shutter which was set to 800th of a second. I shot another clip.

The substantial difference between the two clips was shutter speed; one at 125th of a second and the other at an 800th of a second.

To my eyes, when viewed on a 27 inch 4k monitor, the two clips were indistinguishable.

Should there have been a visible difference?

[Steve Burkett]

John, the difference is in motion. Shooting at faster shutter speeds can make motion look more jerky. The higher you go, each frame is pin sharp with no motion blur and the results can sometimes look like stop motion. Better example is early fight scenes in Gladiator and Saving Private Ryan.

What counts in your favour is 1, you are shooting 60p that can handle higher thresholds of shutter speeds. 2, 800 shutter speed isn't too high and 3, if the scene contains little motion, you'll hardly see a difference.

Now I have to admit I hate the look of higher shutter speed. It just looks wrong to my eyes. Hasn't stopped me shooting it when I want the lower aperture, but I'm careful what I shoot. However others are less aware of it and don't seem too bothered by the look.

[Ron Evans]

As Steve says shutter speed is more noticeable at slower frame rates. If you are shooting at 60P then it is unlikely to be noticeable even for very high shutter speeds. I am sensitive to slow frame rates and even at a 180 shutter angle I can sense the slow frame rate. At higher shutter speeds the judder is very difficult for me to watch. You will notice more of a difference if you move the camera too. I thought New Zealand was a PAL system so wonder why you are shooting at 60P.

[John McCully]

Steve, thanks, well I found it interesting that to my eyes there was no difference, and there was plenty of movement of various speeds in the scene. The vehicles going past were buttery smooth, and of course that’s why I like 60p. No 24p herky-jerkies.

Ron, thanks, that’s what I concluded; at high frame rates high shutter speeds are hardly a problem. I shoot 60p rather then 50p here in New Zealand and that’s partly a hangover from my Canada years but perhaps more importantly my friends, family and myself view my output on 60Hz computer monitors furthermore I almost never shoot under artificial light particularly florescent light where flickering might occur. And while I freely admit I would be hard pressed to tell the difference between 50p and 60p for me the higher frame rate is preferable. And 30p is hugely better to my eyes than 25p. All my footage since day one has been 30p or 60p. Once upon a time I inadvertently purchased a camera here in New Zealand that only shot PAL. It went back immediately I discovered that fact. I believe the manufacturers now include both NTSC and PAL in gear destined for Oceania to forestall importing from places like B&H where several of my cameras were purchased. That is certainly the case with the Lumix G9 I purchased here just the other day. And what lovely 4k 60p footage it shoots -)

[Ron Evans]

I certainly like the UHD60P output from my GH5 and GH5S.