Color/Exposure Shift on GH2

Waldi Krasowski · February 15th, 2011, 10:03 AM

Jeff - you helped me, I would be happy to help you. Feel free to ask me any question.
And maybe have a look at this:

Jeff Harper · February 15th, 2011, 10:13 AM

Very good, thanks Waldi. I'm going to watch this video this evening while I go step by step with him....but I can't really work with the EVF very well, my eyesight isn't so good for that, but I'm going to see what I can do!

Waldi Krasowski · February 15th, 2011, 11:01 AM

It does not matter if one uses EVF or LCD, they are identical and work both the same way.
PS
Not everything will work as on the video above (unless you attach a third party, MF legacy lens). However manual exposure correction and shutter/aperture will work the same.

Jeff Harper · February 15th, 2011, 11:23 AM

OK, I see. I am anxious for this evening when I can follow the video and a learn the step by step method of working with the camera, very good video...thanks so much for posting it.

Waldi Krasowski · February 15th, 2011, 05:22 PM

My pleasure. A guy in a video above is shooting pictures, but it applies to motion mode too.

Martyn Hull · February 15th, 2011, 05:30 PM

When i first had my GH2 colour change happened slightly but since setting my personal settings IE smooth
-1 sharpness -1 colour -1 etc it has not happened

Waldi Krasowski · February 16th, 2011, 02:40 AM

I've noticed that in a dim light or high iso - the color shift is much more visible. In a good light I almost see no difference.

Waldi Krasowski · February 16th, 2011, 03:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Harper

It is also reference here in the second image from top, lower right. Panasonic DMC-GH2 Preview: 3. Operation and Controls: Digital Photography Review

For me it is inconvenient to use it by touching LCD screen, so I use a physical rear dial instead. If manual mode is set (Menu/Motion picture/Exposure mode=M) the rear dial brings you to the aperture and shutter control. Push/click the rear dial and you switch from shutter control to aperture control. Do it again and you are back on shutter. Turning the rear dial to left or right changes the shutter speed or aperture. Observe the Exposure indicator (bottom middle of LCD) as it tells you how is your exposure at the moment, at a chosen shutter/aperture (and iso) combination. If underexposed you will see something like this:
"-3||||||0"
or if overexposed:
"0||....+3"

When your exposure is correct (due to what GH2 thinks is "correct"), exp. indicator turns into a little square diagonally divided, with +/-. Also the histogram turns white (instead of orange). So it is easy to get correct exposure by choosing any shutter/aperture that way. But to change iso - you must click the iso button (up arrow).

PS. I have been a long time photographer and I've been confused when I started to deal with videography, because of slightly different names and terms. So if you have no photography background please note: the exposure in photography is based on EV values (GH2 follows the same way). And 1EV value is like one F-stop of aperture (or a shutter). When you close aperture by 1 stop - you cut out 1EV of light. When you change shutter speed from 1/120 to 1/60 - you add 1EV more of light. In video terminology when amount of brightness is concerned the 1EV step is similar to about 4.5 Gain (approx.). And 100iso is 1EV less than 200iso, 2EV less than 400iso, 3EV less than 800iso etc. So respectively: when 100iso is like about 0 Gain so 800iso is like about +13.5 Gain (as 3EV = 3x 4.5 Gain more). And so on...

Hope it helps.

Khoi Pham · February 16th, 2011, 07:26 AM

I was looking at that evf video and as he change the shutter or iso, the evf does not change in brightness, is this how this camera supposed to work? if so this is crazy because I was about to get one but if the lcd or evf does not give real time feed back, there is no way I'm can use it.

Waldi Krasowski · February 16th, 2011, 07:50 AM

Khoi - you need to set first: Menu/CUSTOM/page4/CONSTANT PREVIEW = ON to be able to see how it affects an image in a picture mode. In movie mode you see it anyway.

Khoi Pham · February 16th, 2011, 07:59 AM

Ok thanks, I didn't think that the camera could be so popular if it didn't have realtime feedback.

Willis Chung · February 19th, 2011, 12:54 AM

Here is a quick test I shot w/ my iPhone4, pay close attention to the 1st 1/2 second and the histogram

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3078363/willis/GH2-Shift.MOV

Waldi Krasowski · February 19th, 2011, 02:12 AM

Willis - your screen looks quite good, it doesn't go green as much as mine, yours go just a bit darker after you pressed Record. What were your presets? Color profile like Cinema, Standard or what? Was "constant preview" set to ON?

Willis Chung · February 21st, 2011, 02:42 AM

yes it was set to on, my image settings were on SMOOTH, everything on -2, except for noise reduction.

I went to SAMY's CAMERAS the other day to test out their GH2 over there, their GH2's histogram (while recording) still covers the very left portion, even though it does darken the image while recording... however on my histogram, it's completely empty on the very left.

Waldi Krasowski · February 21st, 2011, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willis Chung

I went to SAMY's CAMERAS the other day to test out their GH2 over there, their GH2's histogram (while recording) still covers the very left portion, even though it does darken the image while recording... however on my histogram, it's completely empty on the very left.

So it seems some GH2 do have "shift histogram" issue, and some do not..? That's very strange!

Mine histogram jumps to the right (if I start recording), leaving some empty space on a very left, but image becomes darker on LCD... However, despite of that, the exposure is just right - I mean as right as I want it to be. The highlights blink on LCD exactly at the same point where they start to be clipped on a footage. At least one feature we can rely on :)

February 15th, 2011, 10:03 AM	#16
Waldi Krasowski Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Poland Posts: 106	Jeff - you helped me, I would be happy to help you. Feel free to ask me any question. And maybe have a look at this: Panasonic GH2 EVF demonstration on Vimeo

February 15th, 2011, 10:13 AM	#17
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Very good, thanks Waldi. I'm going to watch this video this evening while I go step by step with him....but I can't really work with the EVF very well, my eyesight isn't so good for that, but I'm going to see what I can do! __________________ "The horror of what I saw on the timeline cannot be described."

February 15th, 2011, 11:23 AM	#19
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	OK, I see. I am anxious for this evening when I can follow the video and a learn the step by step method of working with the camera, very good video...thanks so much for posting it. __________________ "The horror of what I saw on the timeline cannot be described."

February 16th, 2011, 07:26 AM	#24
Khoi Pham Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Dallas Posts: 747	I was looking at that evf video and as he change the shutter or iso, the evf does not change in brightness, is this how this camera supposed to work? if so this is crazy because I was about to get one but if the lcd or evf does not give real time feed back, there is no way I'm can use it. __________________ Khoi Pham www.proeditproductions.com

February 16th, 2011, 07:59 AM	#26
Khoi Pham Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Dallas Posts: 747	Ok thanks, I didn't think that the camera could be so popular if it didn't have realtime feedback. __________________ Khoi Pham www.proeditproductions.com

February 15th, 2011, 11:01 AM	#18
Waldi Krasowski Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Poland Posts: 106	It does not matter if one uses EVF or LCD, they are identical and work both the same way. PS Not everything will work as on the video above (unless you attach a third party, MF legacy lens). However manual exposure correction and shutter/aperture will work the same.

February 15th, 2011, 05:22 PM	#20
Waldi Krasowski Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Poland Posts: 106	My pleasure. A guy in a video above is shooting pictures, but it applies to motion mode too.

February 15th, 2011, 05:30 PM	#21
Martyn Hull Major Player Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: England Posts: 444	When i first had my GH2 colour change happened slightly but since setting my personal settings IE smooth -1 sharpness -1 colour -1 etc it has not happened

February 16th, 2011, 02:40 AM	#22
Waldi Krasowski Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Poland Posts: 106	I've noticed that in a dim light or high iso - the color shift is much more visible. In a good light I almost see no difference.

February 16th, 2011, 07:50 AM	#25
Waldi Krasowski Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Poland Posts: 106	Khoi - you need to set first: Menu/CUSTOM/page4/CONSTANT PREVIEW = ON to be able to see how it affects an image in a picture mode. In movie mode you see it anyway.

February 19th, 2011, 12:54 AM	#27
Willis Chung New Boot Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 15	Here is a quick test I shot w/ my iPhone4, pay close attention to the 1st 1/2 second and the histogram http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3078363/willis/GH2-Shift.MOV

February 19th, 2011, 02:12 AM	#28
Waldi Krasowski Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Poland Posts: 106	Willis - your screen looks quite good, it doesn't go green as much as mine, yours go just a bit darker after you pressed Record. What were your presets? Color profile like Cinema, Standard or what? Was "constant preview" set to ON?

February 21st, 2011, 02:42 AM	#29
Willis Chung New Boot Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 15	Re: Color/Exposure Shift on GH2 yes it was set to on, my image settings were on SMOOTH, everything on -2, except for noise reduction. I went to SAMY's CAMERAS the other day to test out their GH2 over there, their GH2's histogram (while recording) still covers the very left portion, even though it does darken the image while recording... however on my histogram, it's completely empty on the very left.