Re: Getting a video camera
 

Man Jeff, I'm glad to here you say that. From seeing your work, I think 24p will take it to a different level.

I have been shooting 30p since getting the FX's (wanted to shoot 24p but as you know, no native 24p in the FX's) and now that I'll be using the GH2 some, I for sure will be going all glorious 24p and using cineform to unwrap the FX footage. It will take a little different shooting style I know but I'm ready.

Re: Getting a video camera
 

If you went the direction of the new Panasonic ag130 however it does use 24mbits in the 720p modes. My hmc40 is basically the same camera with 1/4" chips instead of 1/3" and a lens that doesn't reach as far. I can shoot 720p 60p at beautiful 24 mbits/s in AVCHD that I really do feel blows away mpeg2 at 50 mbits/s. Thats why it is so hard for me to sell it due to it's low light limitation. The 720p 60p and 1080p 24p are such a great match for my GH1. They compliment each other so well as long as I have enough light. I would consider selling my HMC40 and buying the new ag130 but I just don't do enough live type stuff to justify the extra cost. I teach video production at a woman's college and we focus on more creative shooting so these days I do prefer shooting with my GH1. If I did more live work I would do it in a heart beat.

Which ever camera you choose remember to look at audio as well. Audio is something any DSLR really struggles with. Any video camera is going to launch your audio to whole new levels.

Re: Getting a video camera
 

Tim, I don't have any Panasonic video on my website, so you if you've been to my site, you're looking at videos that are generally two years old, and on my older site which is linked to cincinnativideo.com the videos are four and five years old!

Anyway, I am not interested in 24p in and of itself, it is of no interest to me in a general way. But my new camera shoots in 24p or 60i (I know I've already said that) and I would prefer to have matching footage.

But as you say, 24p is can be nice, but it also requires a specific technique which I know nothing about!

I feel I need to study the 24p question before going that route. I am increasingly a documentary shooter. I appreciate pretty, cinematic video, but have strayed further and further from it. I view the cinematic style as somewhat too vain for my taste, and I feel it is too feminine of a thing for my sensibiliteis. But that is not meant to disparage the talented guys that do it so effectively everyday, and I do admire those that do it well. I am striving to provide clean, straightforward, high quality video to brides, and a short highlight clip.

But as you say, the 24p might really take things to a new level, I don't know, I've never shot in it, so I don't even know what it would look like.

Do you shoot in 24p? What kind of caveats would you share with me regarding it? I know only that pans must be made very slowly, etc, but what else? Maybe I'll bring this up in the wedding video forum.

Re: Getting a video camera
 

Thomas, I find that with the GH2 and even the GH1, my audio is really not too awfully bad. With the GH2, I set the gain to lowest for receptions, put a rode videomic pro on it set a -10 db and all is well. I have a tiny Sennheiser (very cool little shotgun) and I set it to a minus setting also, and get great results.

For interviews and well wishes, I have to raise the level on the mic to 0 gain, but it works fine, as long as I remember to reset it to minus as soon if I reuse the camera for dancing stuff.

With all of that in mind, I'm looking forward to using the XA10 with it's XLR and volume controls. I just ordered a short Azden shotgun, and since it is phantom powered I don't have to keep wondering if the battery is fine, since there is no battery! So you are right, even though I am reasonably happy with my current audio, the XA10 should be very nice for giving me more control, and the circuitry should also handle distorted and "too loud" environments much better than the GH cameras.

The Panasonic Ag AC160 looks to be a very nice camera, and for lack of knowing much as to what is out there at the moment, I would grab one in a heartbeat if it was available, and I could afford it. If the 130 is comparable, that would be even better.

Re: Getting a video camera
 

Jeff, the rumor of a Panasonic GX1 camcorder with m4/3rds mount like the Sony NEX-VG20H with E mount looks interesting. If Panasonic comes out with the fast X lenses with power zoom then that will be a hot seller.
43 Rumors | Blog | (FT5) Panasonic will launch a GX1 by end of this year!!!
http://www.43rumors.com/ft5-hot-pana...mm-fast-zooms/

Joe

Re: Getting a video camera
 

24p and 30p are not that far apart in look. The GH2 does not have a true 24f 1/48th shutter speed as a mechanical film camera would have but 1/50 is close enough and 1/40 doesn't look too smudgy. As for panning, there are a few pan speeds that don't work well and you'll probably learn to avoid them but that's usually for environmental shots where you are not following a subject. As long as the subject commands a decent part of the frame, image stutter becomes less noticeable on pan speeds where it might be an issue.

Re: Getting a video camera
 

Here in PAL-land we normally shoot 25fps if we are shooting progressive anyway.

Re: Getting a video camera
 

So William, Nigel, could I safely shoot in 24p at about 50fps then without much experience at it?

My main concern I suppose would be when I go handheld with my 12mm F/2.0 lens, which I do an awful lot. As it is, the footage is so smooth and silky, it's like I'm on a steady cam, I swear. Anway there is still movement of course, but I love the look I have now with 720p.

I'm wondering how 1080i on my other cam will look deinterlaced and resized. Because I tend to like to stick with things that work, my instinct tells me to just stick with 720p and run the other cam at 1080i, but as mentioned the 1080 24p sounds cool, I'm just afraid of it.

Re: Getting a video camera
 

Stick with 60p for paying jobs and play around with 24p in the off-hours to see how it works for you.

Re: Getting a video camera
 

Quote frankly I would also suggest sticking with 30p. There no real need to shoot weddings at 24p or anything else besides cinematic fare. It's the DOF that's giving your work that touch of class not the frame rate. At least that's my opinion.

Re: Getting a video camera
 

Nigel, William, I think you might be right.

I shot a speech at a country club last night, used the GH2 with the 20mm F/1.7 (720 60p) and I shot with the XA10 at 1080 24p. The XA10 wasn't a second camera, I had an hour to sit and just shoot from the back and goof-off during the speech.

From what I can see, the 24p did not seem any different, except it was not as smooth when their was movement. Not a huge bonus, IMO.

I don't know much about 24p, of course, and last night was an informal test in low light. At any rate, William, your comment seems right on the money: it's DOF that gives video a more elegant look, not 24p so much.

On the other hand, 24p may lend itself to better low-light performance because it uses slower shutter speeds, at least from what I've read, but I don't know if that advantage is enough to offset any issues.

On the other hand, advantages in low light would be worth looking at, I might bring up the topic for kicks somewhere, but if you guys want to address that, that would be great also.

I should add here that the XA10 looked about the same as the GH2 last night against a 20mm f/1.7, I was very impressed. GH2 looked better of course, but only VERY slightly, and I didn't tinker with it at all like I should have before hitting record. The GH2 was 5 feet from the speakers, the XA10 was 50 feet, so the GH2 was at a significant advantage. Point: XA10.

Re: Getting a video camera
 

Hi Jeff
I have done the full circle now ..starting in 1080i at 17mbps and then trying weddings in 720 50P and then again in 1080 25P (remember we are pal here) and finally in 24P.

I agree with William, the frame rate is a minor part if you want "film-like" footage..the shallow DOF is the big thing!!

As I shoot weddings in documentary style I have gone back to shooting now at 1080i at 24 mbps and the footage is crisp, clean with no worry about motion blur and it downsizes perfectly too.

For stuff like weddings where there are no second takes, shooting 1080 i gives me the best security and absolutely consistent results. I really don't think any bride would even worry, let alone notice what format you have shot it but give her a blurry shot or lose focus and she will let you know in no uncertain terms!!

Chris

Re: Getting a video camera
 

Thanks for your input Chris, much appreciate you sharing your journey. What advantage do you see with 1080 60i over 720 60P? The 1080 part? 60p is so smooth! I also wonder how my 60i will translate when converted to 60p? (effectively I guess it will be 30p). You tried it?

Re: Getting a video camera
 

Hi Jeff

The main issue I had with 720 double frame was that even on my i7 preview quickly drops down to half resolution in Vegas while interlaced runs full frame all the time. I guess the processor has to work harder??? Yes, double frame is smooth but so is interlaced!! There may be a tiny amount of resolution difference but by the time it gets to the bride on DVD not even I can see it.

When I do 360's with the stedicam (I think Don calls them roundy rounds) double frame is a tad smoother but I don't really need to have to worry about format changes for a 15 minute photoshoot. I try to make the wedding experience as painless as possible.

Seriously just on this forum, one person says "What?? you are shooting in 1080i?? Why not progressive, it's so much better" ...the next says "You are shooting in 720 50P?? Why interlaced is just as good"

It's purely a matter of choice I think!! I did 7 identical test clips from 1080i to 720 25P and also Cineform transcodes, as well as Upshift transcodes and even DV-AVI (my cam can also shoot SD) I dropped them all onto a DVD and watched them in 3 banks of 7 clips each BUT mixed up so I lost track of which was which and let me tell you..you cannot say with absolute certainty which clip was which format!! The only easy one was the DV-AVI clip the rest were so close I just couldn't pick anything that stood out from the others!!! Try it sometime..it brings you down to earth with a bump!!

We NEED technical format discussions to keep our minds active here but in real life if you are going to downsize to a DVD there is really nothing in it!!!

Chris

Re: Getting a video camera
 

I have mixed 1080i with 720p and the big factor is the shutter speed. At 1/60 shutter both look identical although there are minor interlaced aliasing issues with 1080i that your clients will probably never notice. Remember that 1080i is really two successive 540p frames mashed together. My trick is to set the cameras' shutters to 1/30th which effectively forces the 1080i camera to 1080p. I just make sure that the 1080 camera model I'm using records a full resolution frame when in slow shutter. Most, if not all, do now but years ago that wasn't true. Also helps in low light situation. While the motion might be a little too blurry for sports, it works great for music, interviews and other subjects.

Re: Getting a video camera
 

24p has a different motion signature than 30p or 60. If you want your footage to look filmic, use 24p. It's really that simple. If you want a harsher, LIVE look, use 30/60p.