Avian Sample Footage [GH3]
 

A quick edit of some of the avian footage I have collected over the last 3 months. Everything, except 2 clips, was shot MOV 1920x1080 30p at 50Mbps. The 2 exceptions, which are annotated, were shot overcranked 40% at 24p. There are two reasons I went with the GH3. First being was to have a good general purpose family and vacation camera. Second being to compliment and extend the life of my XL H1. When you attach any lens on the camera, be it a M43 lens or third party lens with an adapter, you get an automatic 2x magnification factor. Example being when using a 400mm it becomes a 800mm, and then when you use the camera's 2.4x External Tele Conversion (ETC), you get a 1920mm as a 35mm equivalent. I have been shooting with my XL H1 for the last 7 years and will continue to use it in certain situations, but I have hardly used it since purchasing the GH3. So far I have been very pleased with the camera and its capabilities. Unfortunately you won't be able to view the video in HD at DV Info, but you can always view it on Vimeo, and it does make a difference.

Re: Avian Sample Footage [GH3]
 

Looking forward to getting my GH3! Nice footage there Don, surprised with the ETC that the image is still reasonably sharp at such a great focal length.
Do you use a shoulder rig for your camera to catch fleeting shots? I presume your using a external mic?

cheers

Adam

Re: Avian Sample Footage [GH3]
 

Adam,
Thanks for your compliment. According to Panasonic there is no loss of resolution when using the ETC function. I always use a tripod and small fluid head. I don't have an external mic, but it's next thing I'm going to get, along with extra batteries and card. For me there was a learning curve, but not that difficult along as you read and understand the manual. I put the PDF version of the manual on my desktop for easy access. I'm sure you will enjoy the GH3.

Re: Avian Sample Footage [GH3]
 

Absolutely stunning footage Don,
Looks like you are enjoying that GH3 of yours! I bet you're enjoying the loss in weight going from the XL H1. What is the difference between the ETC & the 2X digital converter? Is there any difference in the quality? Looking at it in HD on Vimeo, I could see any loss of quality between the two. Is there any difference in the footage straight out of the camera?
Thank you for posting this, I might have to go back & watch it again I think!
Regards,
Bryce

Re: Avian Sample Footage [GH3]
 

Bryce,
Thanks...I am enjoying the weight difference between the GH3 and XL H1, and that was the 3rd reason I bought it. The 4th reason was to get away from tape, but that created a whole bunch of other inconvenient problems. The XL H1 produces a great image, but using the same Nikon 80-400mm lens on the GH3 as I did on the XL H1, I did a comparison between the two cameras, and I can't stand looking at the XL H1 footage compared to the GH3. A friend in the UK did a similar comparison with his XL H1 and a GH3 and came to the same conclusion. The 2.4x Extended Tele Conversion (ETC) is actually a crop that only uses the central 1920x1080 pixels of the sensor, and with no loss of resolution. Digital zoom is just increasing the size of the pixels, but if your close enough to your subject, you shouldn't notice a loss in resolution, at least I didn't on the particular scene you mentioned. I don't know if there is a dramatic difference of the footage straight out of the camera or not. I have made Blu-ray discs directly from the timeline of both straight from the camera footage and the rendered QuickTime Movie files, and I can't see any difference in resolution.
Again, thanks....Don