GH5(s) autoexposure

Ron Evans · June 20th, 2018, 07:09 PM

I use a similar approach with my GH5 and GH5S in the theatre. Setting aperture and shutter speed, auto gain, gain limit and use compensation to set the brightness I want in the image. Essentially clamping the exposure in a range when unattended.

Tom Van den Berghe · December 11th, 2019, 11:55 AM

I have the GH5s with the 14-140mm lens. I set it on autofocus for theatre (wide shot) but I noticed I hunts regularly.

Or is manual focus and peaking a better option? (don't know if you can peak the whole stage)

Ron Evans · December 11th, 2019, 12:44 PM

I always have focus set to manual and use touch focus to set the focus. This is especially important in the theatre because of the lights changing. I use the 12-60 on my GH5 and also like you the 14-140 on my GH5S. Since I use the Ninja V also I can watch to see if exposure is OK using false colour.

Tom Van den Berghe · December 11th, 2019, 01:40 PM

thx Ron for your quick answer. But the GH5S stands normally close to the side of the stage so I can't touch focus it when the show starts. Can you be a bit more specific?

Pete Cofrancesco · December 11th, 2019, 01:53 PM

You can’t leave a camera up close unmanned set to auto focus. It’s not the right type of camera. Traditional eng cameras are used because of their large dof. Before the performance start manually focus is set to the middle of the stage and is unchanged throughout. If the camera is up front and to the side it will be impossible to get everything in focus. If you leave it in auto focus the camera will hunt.

Ron Evans · December 11th, 2019, 06:37 PM

I shoot from the back for most of my shoots with just different framing. Both GH5 and GH5S have good WIFi app so you could just use that to touch focus when show starts. I often run my cameras with the WiFi app it is easy to use and controls almost everything on the camera.

Tom Van den Berghe · December 15th, 2019, 12:35 PM

thx Ron for the tip with the wifi. never used it before. I had again a theatre this weekend but didn't had much time to test out the app. Again the GH5S was near stage on the side and I could see the image
on my phone attached into the manfrotto smartphone clamp

I used face detection this time and so far I saw my footage on my pc I didn't see any "hunting".

June 20th, 2018, 07:09 PM	#16
Ron Evans Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,222	Re: GH5(s) autoexposure I use a similar approach with my GH5 and GH5S in the theatre. Setting aperture and shutter speed, auto gain, gain limit and use compensation to set the brightness I want in the image. Essentially clamping the exposure in a range when unattended.

December 11th, 2019, 11:55 AM	#17
Tom Van den Berghe Major Player Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: BELGIUM Posts: 405	Re: GH5(s) autoexposure I have the GH5s with the 14-140mm lens. I set it on autofocus for theatre (wide shot) but I noticed I hunts regularly. Or is manual focus and peaking a better option? (don't know if you can peak the whole stage)

December 11th, 2019, 12:44 PM	#18
Ron Evans Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,222	Re: GH5(s) autoexposure I always have focus set to manual and use touch focus to set the focus. This is especially important in the theatre because of the lights changing. I use the 12-60 on my GH5 and also like you the 14-140 on my GH5S. Since I use the Ninja V also I can watch to see if exposure is OK using false colour.

December 11th, 2019, 01:40 PM	#19
Tom Van den Berghe Major Player Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: BELGIUM Posts: 405	Re: GH5(s) autoexposure thx Ron for your quick answer. But the GH5S stands normally close to the side of the stage so I can't touch focus it when the show starts. Can you be a bit more specific?

December 11th, 2019, 01:53 PM	#20
Pete Cofrancesco Inner Circle Join Date: May 2004 Location: USA Posts: 3,005	Re: GH5(s) autoexposure You can’t leave a camera up close unmanned set to auto focus. It’s not the right type of camera. Traditional eng cameras are used because of their large dof. Before the performance start manually focus is set to the middle of the stage and is unchanged throughout. If the camera is up front and to the side it will be impossible to get everything in focus. If you leave it in auto focus the camera will hunt.

December 11th, 2019, 06:37 PM	#21
Ron Evans Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,222	Re: GH5(s) autoexposure I shoot from the back for most of my shoots with just different framing. Both GH5 and GH5S have good WIFi app so you could just use that to touch focus when show starts. I often run my cameras with the WiFi app it is easy to use and controls almost everything on the camera.

December 15th, 2019, 12:35 PM	#22
Tom Van den Berghe Major Player Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: BELGIUM Posts: 405	Re: GH5(s) autoexposure thx Ron for the tip with the wifi. never used it before. I had again a theatre this weekend but didn't had much time to test out the app. Again the GH5S was near stage on the side and I could see the image on my phone attached into the manfrotto smartphone clamp I used face detection this time and so far I saw my footage on my pc I didn't see any "hunting".