Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

I have been wanting to get into the dslr world with the lightweight and incredible picture quality. Has anyone been using these cameras for filming weddings?

yep - started with 1 & now I have 4. My last 3 weddings were 90% GH1 and my next will be 100% GH1 (GH13)

Here are two videographers using the GH1 for weddings

Rusty Bryce Wedding Films

Psynema: Mind Over Media Blog Archive Martin & Rachel Slamon: GH1 Lumix Full Wedding

Yep here I am...have newer samples up for other vids

Psynema | Facebook

We shoot with two GH1s and a Panasonic TM700 camcorder (which we want to replace ASAP with another DSLR).

Here's one of our latest highlight videos, shot entirely with GH1s and graded in Apple Color.


My main frustrations with the GH1 are its noise and poor 1080p settings (I haven't hacked ours yet because I don't want to risk having a camera fail during a wedding!). The video above was shot at 720p.

I have used it a bit, but audio has been the big issue, how do manage that?

some black and white (GH1) shots here

We use portable MP3 recorders, which helps, but it's not an ideal solution. We're hoping to add another camera for next season, and better audio control will definitely be one of the criteria it has to meet.

Trouble is with all those audio clips make the production harder and adds to the production time. Things have to be done a on a budget and it does not allow that

So most of my sound comes from my JVC HM700 on board and radio mics and the sync the GH1 back to that

Kevin - Great work. Just a couple of questions. What kind of stabilizer are you using? I liked the shots of the bride selecting the candy, very smooth - was that on a stabilizer? Do you use a rig or go handheld at all? What lenses are you using - it seems there is some focus hunting in the church as the bride is either walking down the aisle or being given away. Any vintage glass? If so which are you using?

Again great job - I just picked up the GH1(nonhackable) with kit and a few manual lenses. Love it and think that a wedding is doable but I'd have a second video cam as a safety net. Would love to see more edits from the GH1.

Michael,

You're absolutely right about our focusing. It's something we're trying to improve with each wedding. We often shoot close to wide open since the GH1 tends to be rather noisy at high ISOs, and this often results in footage being not quite as sharply focused as I'd like it to be.

With regard to lenses, at this stage we were only using Panasonic lenses: The kit 14-140mm and the 17mm f1.7 pancake lens. Since then, we've picked up a few Nikkor lenses, which have performed well, though they're manual focus only. The Nikkor AF 50mm 1.4 performs quite well at receptions.

Other than that, we used a couple tripods and a Steadicam Merlin. The Merlin is ok. We didn't have room in our budget for a fancier steadicam, so we get by with it. It does come in handy when you need to be mobile.

:)

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

Pluraleyes: problem solved

and never realized you could embed on this forum...phew - GH2 with GH1 as 2nd cam - think I posted this before but as a separate link to part one

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

Here is a recent Wedding trailer of mine:


Shot with two GH2s and the 14-140 kit, 20mm and 14mm pancake Panasonic lenses.

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

Nice work John. Looks great.

Not picking on you at all, I just happened to look at your sample and not the others, so I'll ask you these questions.

This is the first GH2 footage I've seen. I notice a strange distortion in the image in the clip where the bride and groom enter the reception. What is that. Almost gets wobbly. Is that rolling shutter "jellocam?"

I notice that the GH2 also exhibits the camera flash problem with flashes showing on half the frame. I didn't expect that.

Anyway, loved the highlight.

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

Shot with a GH2 and XHA1.

YouTube - ‪Josh & Susy Waitzman - Wedding Highlight Reel‬‏ ...watch in 720p or 1080p =)

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

No that is FCPX trying to stabilize a shaky video. I expected them to enter on the the right but they came in on the left so I was side stepping with my shoulder rig on causing shake. Rolling shutter is a different effect and can be seen in fast camera pans where the scene seems to tilt.

Yep, kinda sucks. This was shot in 24p mode with a shutter speed of 1/50 second. At 1/25 it might look better as it should then fill the screen with the flash instead of just half.

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

Thanks for the info, John.

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

It's nothing to do with the shutter speed. It's because these cameras use a rolling shutter i.e. each frame is not a snapshot of a single point in time (this would be a global shutter) but the sensor is scanned line by line & this takes longer than the very short flash duration. In the example only half the lines of the sensor have been scanned while the flash is illuminated so it only shows in those line.

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

Even this insane Wedding Film form Tony Romo's Wedding has the flash/rolling shutter half screen flashes (near the end):

Amazing footage of Tony Romo's wedding - Dallas Cowboys Blog - ESPN Dallas

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

This is the guy hired to shoot it. Joe Simon Films on Vimeo

The quality of the footage is hard to comprehend, it was fantastic, thanks for sharing.

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

I guess you get what you pay for ... they start at $7k.

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

I've been working the GH1 and GH2 into my wedding productions. Here's a recent one, shot with the GH2 and HMC150 for certain shots. Mostly used the Olympus 14-54 on the GH2, which I love. Such an improvement over the GH1:

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

John, you are skilled with the camera, very good stuff.

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

Thanks Jeff!

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

Great job, John. Every time I see work like yours I get the urge to toss all my equipment in a lake =)

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

John, your video shows that the operator is more important than the tools, though tools are important, of course. You are using what is a not-so-great lens on the camera, but the results are great because of your techincal skills. I look forward to seeing what happens when you upgrade your lens.

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

Patrick, your work is improving quickly, keep it up. I'm so busy editing I am not learning at the pace I would like, and I'm frutrated also.

I've seen something you put up recently and it was light-years ahead of what you did months ago. I just shot a wedding Saturday and it was like I forgot everything I had learned in a week, there is so much to learn with these cameras, it's almost overload, but overall my work is getting better, and I know it, but just not at the pace I would like. I am adjusting shutter speed or exposure compensation, and then I neglect to frame the shot properly. I come home from a shoot exhausted. You have to move SO fast with these cameras.

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

Thanks Jeff. Funny you mention new lenses. I just received my Olympus 35-100 f2 this week, and will be hopefully getting the 14-35 f2 later this summer. Not to knock the 14-54 Mark II though - I really like it and find it quite flexible (especially with the telephoto feature on the GH2). I also use my Panny 20mm and Sigma 50 mm 1.4 a lot.

And Patrick, thanks for watching!

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

Didn't realize you had all of those lenses. I too use slower zooms when getting the shot is more important than getting best quality. Your new lens sound VERY nice, and I'm immediately jealous. How much did it cost? I didn't know about that lens, but it sounds very expensive, I'm guessing, $2500?

Edit: Just looked it up, wow, I was right on the money, $2499 at Amazon. Is it electronically compatible with the GH series? God that is a lot of money.

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

Yep, it's compatible with the four-thirds adapter. Allows for aperture control, and AFS auto focus kinda works (it's very slow). The thing is a beast, especially on the little GH2 body. Looking forward to putting it to use.

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

Thanks, Jeff =)

I heavily analyze everything people post on these forums to get new ideas for lighting, shot composition, etc. I can't beat myself up too heavily as I'm a relatively new videographer. Long road ahead!

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

John, I previously posted that you were working with a not-so-great lens, and I'm mistaken, sorry. You mentioned the 14-54, and I was thinking Panasonic 14-45 or 14-42, which while usable, definitely are not great.

You later said Mark II and I then realized I didn't know what I was talking about. For your shoot in the above video you were actually using a Zuiko. I looked it up and it looks nice for the price, Especially for wide shots. I would not hesitate to buy one for use in cramped quarters, for our work it would just be slow at times when light is low. Is that pretty much your experience?

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

Except for perhaps the dimmest of venues, I think it's fine for most situations, especially with the GH2 (since I can bump up the ISO higher than I can go on the GH1). On the wide end, it's great and reasonably fast. And I use the GH2 telephoto feature a good bit, so that I can double the focal length on the long end as well.

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

I have ALWAYS wanted to see the 14-35mm in action on a GH2, ditto for the 35-100. Had the Mark II 14-54mm, great lens, but found myself needing continuous AF for glidecam work so went with panny's.

Just curious, why'd you get the 35-100 first? Think I'd get the 14-35 for prep and the fact you can get a bit closer for receptions when it's really dark. 35-100 would be good for churches but you could probably do just fine with a 2.8 zoom or faster primes than f2 (most churches aren't too bad lighting wise vs. the reception)

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

Definitely agree, I'll use the 14-35 more day to day, but I just couldn't find it in stock anywhere, so went ahead with the longer lens and plan to get the 14-35 when I can find it. Which lens are you using with AF on the glidecam?

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I haven't had any Moire issues with my GH2, how about you wedding shooters who often film moire prone subjects such as bridal veils? Any moire problems?

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

Please post footage from both f2 asap! Don't think there's a single sample on the GH2/Gh1 with them.

Using 14-42 kit. It's really sharp luckily. I'd get a higher end 2.8 zoom, but none of them autofocus or not as well. Usually I use primes indoors or if it's too dark.

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

I use a Tamron 28-70mm F/2.8 zoom for receptions, works pretty well. No auto focus, but I don't mind.

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

How's the range? 2.8 is a bit slow though.

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

The Tamron is definitely not fast, it is certainly no F/2.0. But I went with the Tamron as well as a Sigma 18-50mm F/2.8 due to price. Keep in mind when I purchased these I was outfitting four cameras, not one or two, and price was a big factor for me. I also have a Canon 50mm F/1.4, the 20mm F/1.7 and 30mm F/1.4 to help out.

The zoom I listed above are far from ideal, but for someone who wants/needs a zoom, at around $400 to $500 they are pretty good. The Sigma cost me $400, and the Tamron I forget, but I think it was a little over $500, maybe $600. Not great lenses, but they are great values, and do the job. They are why I use light stands, and two to three lights at my receptions!

Re: Anyone filming weddings with a GH1
 

Here are screen grabs from wedding Saturday taken with a Canon 50mm F/1.4, a Tamron 28-70 F/2.8, and a Sigma 18-55/F/2.8.

Admittedly the conditions were pretty good, and not as dark as we may often enounter. The screen grabs are washed out, and the actual video has more contrast, but you get the idea.