gh2 came in at DVinfo.net

Mike Leah · June 3rd, 2011, 03:54 PM

Played around with it for a little while shooting some video. Really like it although the manual that came with it isnt the best in my opinion but very happy with my choice.

Here are some assumptions I have made so far when it comes to settings etc, let me know if these are correct. Im new to anything other than a camcorder so ill learn from this camera. So far I only have the stock 14-42 lens.

1)setting the contrast, sharpness, and noise reduction to +2 was a huge mistake and seemed to cause a moire like affect with an electric look. Even the trees and concrete looked like crap. I changed all to -2 and things looked so much better. The footage went from unusable to very good.

2)To my eyes, a lower iso seemed to give the absolute best footage as long as there was enough light to where it wasnt too dark.

Somehow I got to where any iso over 3200(if i remember correctly) was not an option and blacked out. Is that with all movie shooting?

3)dont pan too fast especially when using 24p

4)Its a great camera. Cant wait to learn more and see what I can come up with.

Jeff Harper · June 3rd, 2011, 09:26 PM

Mike, I've seen the -2 setting recommended, but haven't tried it.

Ideally you want the lowest ISO possible at all times, but it is not practical to leave it at 100 at all times indoors especially. So set ISO a tad higher than you need, and just leave it and adust exposure using aperture and shutter, or run in program mode or aperture priority or shutter priority (within movie mode, not on top dial) and let the camera control what you want. But remember you can over or underexpose as needed using the dial if you run in Program mode, so you are not giving up complete control.

You'll get tired of the lens you have at some point. When you can move into a F/1.4 or something you will really go nuts with the increased brightness and detail of images.

And yes, we've all been complaining about the manual, it's really poorly organized.

Mike Leah · June 3rd, 2011, 09:47 PM

I'm considering getting the 20mm 1.7 next. The 14-42 isn't horrible but I'll def need some better lenses. Once I practice a little more I'll put up some footage for everyone to critique.

Nigel Barker · June 4th, 2011, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Leah

3)dont pan too fast especially when using 24p

For filming with any camera the speed of panning is a very important factor in the image. Most beginners try & pan too fast. Factors which will determine how fast you can pan include frames per second, focal length and shutter speed.

There are charts you can look up to check what is the maximum smooth panning speed. e.g. for a 35mm camera using a normal 180* degree shutter and a pan of 90 degrees (quarter turn of arc) a 50mm lens at 24fps should take a full 23 seconds to pan 90 degrees.

It is surprising to many just how slow a pan must be to be smooth.

Corey Graham · June 4th, 2011, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Leah

I'm considering getting the 20mm 1.7 next. The 14-42 isn't horrible but I'll def need some better lenses. Once I practice a little more I'll put up some footage for everyone to critique.

The 20mm is a must-have. The problem is that they're all backordered right now, with no end in sight. I managed to find one on Ebay for $450 with free shipping . . . I figured the extra $50 was worth it considering the current shortage. I just did some test shooting with it, and it's phenomenal. The only thing I don't like about it at this point is that there's no image stabilization in the lens . . . whereas the 14-42 does.

Jeff Harper · June 4th, 2011, 09:06 AM

Mike, the 14-42mm lens will work fine if you choose your project, subjects, etc carefully, that will be the key for you.

Your best footage will be taken in well lighted conditions. With some forethought you will obtain some great footage. Please share some when you can. It is a fun camera, thought it has so many settings it can become confusing at times.

Kevin McRoberts · June 4th, 2011, 09:30 AM

1 - recommended ISO's waver between the 160 multiples (160, 320, 640, 1250) and the 200 multiples (200, 400, 800, 1600). Consensus is that 250 multiples are inherently noisier (excluding 1250). ISO 800 and above also generate noticeably more noise, and shooting in ETC crop mode also amplifies noise - in fact, there's a trick where you can shoot ETC at ISO 800 or above in the "dynamic B&W" mode to replicate the look of old Tri-X film

Oddly, especially in incandescent lighting at ISO 800 and above, there's a noted "green shift" which occurrs once the record button is activated... the picture will turn noticeably greener. You can counter this somewhat by shifting your white balance slightly towards the magenta, or just fix it in post... but be aware that this camera will attempt to Kermitize everything for unknown reasons.

2 - Generally, shooting -2 on everything will give you the most latitude in post.

3 - With low ISO and a sharp lens, ETC mode is absolutely wonderful. Sometimes it's even wonderful with a not-so-sharp lens, and can make a lens with terrible vignetting or fringe aberrations useable.

4 - Lens-wise, although the 20/1.7 is nice, you can also get good results in other lenses of that approximate focal length and aperture. If the 20/1.7 isn't available, shop around at your local used camera store and browse through their selection of dirt-cheap second-hand all manual lenses. Sure, you might lose out on auto functions, but you may trade it off with a generally more manageable lens with an actual aperture ring and mechanical focus.

For outdoor or well-lit situations, the Lumix 14-140 is just freaking beautiful... and has great OIS. It's just a touch slow.

Anyway, those are my introductory thoughts on the camera.

Kevin McRoberts · June 4th, 2011, 09:36 AM

Since it double-posted my response and won't let me delete it, I'll think up something else knowledgeish...

If you're going to consider one of the currently perpetually unavailable $1000 fast normal lenses, consider the Leicasonic 25/1.4 instead of the Voigtlander 25/0.95. Owning neither, but having sampled both, I think the Leica is far more useable despite being nominally slower. But then I'm kind of becoming an aspiring Leica snob, so grains of salt and all....

Brian Luce · June 5th, 2011, 01:50 PM

My assessment of the great ISO debate is that 160 multiples are a little less grainy but have more chroma noise in the shadows and mid tones.

About ETC mode, another nice thing is that it greatly reduces the dreaded Jellovision, so it's especially nice for hand held work...

Mike Leah · June 6th, 2011, 09:38 AM

heres the first footage(boring clip) from the camera but it doesnt look too good. still have lots of practice and im definitely not using the cameras potential. Hope I eventually can. Used stock 14-42

YouTube - ‪shattered757's Channel‬&rlm;

I want to compare it to the footage I get after a few months of practice.

Patrick Janka · June 6th, 2011, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Leah

heres the first footage(boring clip) from the camera but it doesnt look too good. still have lots of practice and im definitely not using the cameras potential. Hope I eventually can. Used stock 14-42

YouTube - ‪shattered757's Channel‬&rlm;

I want to compare it to the footage I get after a few months of practice.

Hey, Mike. Your video was black from the half point on. I think your work area extended past your footage on your timeline. Also, you can't expect great footage from the 14-42 in a dimly lit living room with a couch devoid of color. I would do your test shots outside for now and look for vibrant colors.

Mike Leah · June 6th, 2011, 11:14 AM

yeah I hope to get some outdoor nature type footage soon to really test the lens. I'm having a lot of fun playing around with the settings and very happy with the camera so far.

Cant wait to get the 20mm 1.7 to test it out in low light.

yeah I originally had two clips on the timeline but the other looked even worse.

Jeff Harper · June 6th, 2011, 11:40 AM

Hey Mike, it is a great camera, you're going to love it more and more. It been months since I got mine, and I'm just getting the hang of it, it has been a very difficult road. I feel like I'm about maybe halfway comfortable with it, but will never be fully comfortable. There are too many settings to allow me to relax.

Keep posting.

Mike Leah · June 6th, 2011, 12:16 PM

Im more used to the point and shoot kind of thing but this will be a much better tool once I get the hang of it.

I dont expect to be decent with it for quite a while but enjoy it much more than any other camera so the learning curve is well worth it.

When it comes to getting sharp what I want sharp, the aperture throws me off more than anything I think.

June 3rd, 2011, 03:54 PM	#1
Mike Leah Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: east coast Posts: 91	gh2 came in Played around with it for a little while shooting some video. Really like it although the manual that came with it isnt the best in my opinion but very happy with my choice. Here are some assumptions I have made so far when it comes to settings etc, let me know if these are correct. Im new to anything other than a camcorder so ill learn from this camera. So far I only have the stock 14-42 lens. 1)setting the contrast, sharpness, and noise reduction to +2 was a huge mistake and seemed to cause a moire like affect with an electric look. Even the trees and concrete looked like crap. I changed all to -2 and things looked so much better. The footage went from unusable to very good. 2)To my eyes, a lower iso seemed to give the absolute best footage as long as there was enough light to where it wasnt too dark. Somehow I got to where any iso over 3200(if i remember correctly) was not an option and blacked out. Is that with all movie shooting? 3)dont pan too fast especially when using 24p 4)Its a great camera. Cant wait to learn more and see what I can come up with.

June 3rd, 2011, 09:26 PM	#2
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: gh2 came in Mike, I've seen the -2 setting recommended, but haven't tried it. Ideally you want the lowest ISO possible at all times, but it is not practical to leave it at 100 at all times indoors especially. So set ISO a tad higher than you need, and just leave it and adust exposure using aperture and shutter, or run in program mode or aperture priority or shutter priority (within movie mode, not on top dial) and let the camera control what you want. But remember you can over or underexpose as needed using the dial if you run in Program mode, so you are not giving up complete control. You'll get tired of the lens you have at some point. When you can move into a F/1.4 or something you will really go nuts with the increased brightness and detail of images. And yes, we've all been complaining about the manual, it's really poorly organized. __________________ "The horror of what I saw on the timeline cannot be described."

June 3rd, 2011, 09:47 PM	#3
Mike Leah Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: east coast Posts: 91	Re: gh2 came in I'm considering getting the 20mm 1.7 next. The 14-42 isn't horrible but I'll def need some better lenses. Once I practice a little more I'll put up some footage for everyone to critique.

June 4th, 2011, 09:06 AM	#6
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: gh2 came in Mike, the 14-42mm lens will work fine if you choose your project, subjects, etc carefully, that will be the key for you. Your best footage will be taken in well lighted conditions. With some forethought you will obtain some great footage. Please share some when you can. It is a fun camera, thought it has so many settings it can become confusing at times. __________________ "The horror of what I saw on the timeline cannot be described."

June 4th, 2011, 09:30 AM	#7
Kevin McRoberts Major Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Charlottesville, VA Posts: 700	Re: gh2 came in 1 - recommended ISO's waver between the 160 multiples (160, 320, 640, 1250) and the 200 multiples (200, 400, 800, 1600). Consensus is that 250 multiples are inherently noisier (excluding 1250). ISO 800 and above also generate noticeably more noise, and shooting in ETC crop mode also amplifies noise - in fact, there's a trick where you can shoot ETC at ISO 800 or above in the "dynamic B&W" mode to replicate the look of old Tri-X film Oddly, especially in incandescent lighting at ISO 800 and above, there's a noted "green shift" which occurrs once the record button is activated... the picture will turn noticeably greener. You can counter this somewhat by shifting your white balance slightly towards the magenta, or just fix it in post... but be aware that this camera will attempt to Kermitize everything for unknown reasons. 2 - Generally, shooting -2 on everything will give you the most latitude in post. 3 - With low ISO and a sharp lens, ETC mode is absolutely wonderful. Sometimes it's even wonderful with a not-so-sharp lens, and can make a lens with terrible vignetting or fringe aberrations useable. 4 - Lens-wise, although the 20/1.7 is nice, you can also get good results in other lenses of that approximate focal length and aperture. If the 20/1.7 isn't available, shop around at your local used camera store and browse through their selection of dirt-cheap second-hand all manual lenses. Sure, you might lose out on auto functions, but you may trade it off with a generally more manageable lens with an actual aperture ring and mechanical focus. For outdoor or well-lit situations, the Lumix 14-140 is just freaking beautiful... and has great OIS. It's just a touch slow. Anyway, those are my introductory thoughts on the camera. __________________ Freelance pudgy bearded lighting camera operator www.mcbob.tv

June 4th, 2011, 09:36 AM	#8
Kevin McRoberts Major Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Charlottesville, VA Posts: 700	Re: gh2 came in Since it double-posted my response and won't let me delete it, I'll think up something else knowledgeish... If you're going to consider one of the currently perpetually unavailable $1000 fast normal lenses, consider the Leicasonic 25/1.4 instead of the Voigtlander 25/0.95. Owning neither, but having sampled both, I think the Leica is far more useable despite being nominally slower. But then I'm kind of becoming an aspiring Leica snob, so grains of salt and all.... __________________ Freelance pudgy bearded lighting camera operator www.mcbob.tv Last edited by Kevin McRoberts; June 4th, 2011 at 09:40 AM. Reason: duplicate

June 5th, 2011, 01:50 PM	#9
Brian Luce Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,290	Re: gh2 came in My assessment of the great ISO debate is that 160 multiples are a little less grainy but have more chroma noise in the shadows and mid tones. About ETC mode, another nice thing is that it greatly reduces the dreaded Jellovision, so it's especially nice for hand held work...

June 6th, 2011, 09:38 AM	#10
Mike Leah Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: east coast Posts: 91	Re: gh2 came in heres the first footage(boring clip) from the camera but it doesnt look too good. still have lots of practice and im definitely not using the cameras potential. Hope I eventually can. Used stock 14-42 YouTube - ‪shattered757's Channel‬&rlm; I want to compare it to the footage I get after a few months of practice. Last edited by Mike Leah; June 6th, 2011 at 10:10 AM.

June 6th, 2011, 11:14 AM	#12
Mike Leah Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: east coast Posts: 91	Re: gh2 came in yeah I hope to get some outdoor nature type footage soon to really test the lens. I'm having a lot of fun playing around with the settings and very happy with the camera so far. Cant wait to get the 20mm 1.7 to test it out in low light. yeah I originally had two clips on the timeline but the other looked even worse.

June 6th, 2011, 11:40 AM	#13
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: gh2 came in Hey Mike, it is a great camera, you're going to love it more and more. It been months since I got mine, and I'm just getting the hang of it, it has been a very difficult road. I feel like I'm about maybe halfway comfortable with it, but will never be fully comfortable. There are too many settings to allow me to relax. Keep posting. __________________ "The horror of what I saw on the timeline cannot be described."

June 6th, 2011, 12:16 PM	#14
Mike Leah Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: east coast Posts: 91	Re: gh2 came in Im more used to the point and shoot kind of thing but this will be a much better tool once I get the hang of it. I dont expect to be decent with it for quite a while but enjoy it much more than any other camera so the learning curve is well worth it. When it comes to getting sharp what I want sharp, the aperture throws me off more than anything I think.