gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?

those who are using the gh4, what are you shooting?

docs? corp promo? event? music vids? interviews?

do you shoot 4k and down-rez internally to 1080?

what do you do for sound?

sound person or you handle your own double system?

do you rig up your gh4 or are you primarily on sticks?

biggest drawback using the gh4?

greatest asset of the gh4?

thanks in advance for any and all info.

(and i ask as a sony fs100 shooter of mostly indoor interviews)

be well.

rob
smalltalk productions/nyc

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

those who are using the gh4, what are you shooting?

Weddings, small companyvideos which including doing interviews.

do you shoot 4k and down-rez internally to 1080?

I only shoot 1080p if I need 50p for slowmotion, otherwise I shoot 4k, then downscale.

what do you do for sound?

I have a Tascam TM-2X for ambient sound and I rely on external audio recorders for all my other audio.

do you rig up your gh4 or are you primarily on sticks?

I use it on a monopod, tripod, slider, steadicam and handheld.

biggest drawback using the gh4?

Low light is not that great, I do shoot at 6400 iso when needed without having to clean up with neatvideo, eventhough there is noise visible it's a very fine grain. Wish the camera could shoot clean video at 12800 iso allthough 6400iso with a fast lens gets me through even the darkest weddings.

Cropfactor when shooting 4K, 12mm f1.6 is about the widest fast lens you can get for m4/3. 12mm is ok to use but I sometimes wish I could go wider while retaining the same f-stop.


greatest asset of the gh4?

Small, light (take a 5dIII and a 70-200 and compare that with a gh4 and the 35-100), fast autofocus, relatively cheap m4/3 high end lenses (compared to canon or nikon alternatives), very detailed image, will take about any lens with a adapter, several bitrates/resolutions/framerates to choose from.

Dof is more manageable, you can get very shallow dof but need very fast lenses (like f0.95), if I would put a gh4 with a 12mm f2.0 on a steadicam I wouldn't have much issue to maintain focus, try that with a full frame.

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

I would say ditto to Noa except 2 things.
1. I generally run sound directly into the gh4 through a sen G3 if there's only one source. I will run audio recorders if there's more.
2. My favorite thing is the accuracy and flexibility of the image. Usually when I see it in post, it is what I thought it would be. If not, I can adjust it to fit.

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

Typically corporate videos but also some live shows and events.

Shoot 4K for everything unless I need slo-mo which I then use with 60 or 96fps 1080.

Typically I'll use a Tascam DR-60 with a feed from the DR-60 in to the GH4 so that it records the same stuff. If the GH4 recording is good enough I'll use it, otherwise I'll sync in post (which is trivial since it's identical). The reason for using the DR60 is the dual recording more where I record a second copy 6db lower, just in case there are sound spikes.

Double system.

Primarily tripod mounts, occasionally hand rig.

Not dual cards, no XLR inputs (the XAGH is a joke - I'd buy it it it were $500, had internal batteries etc even without the SDI out - just an XLR input to the camera would be awesome).

Small, light, 4K, slo-mo, swivel LCD focus peaking, histograms etc. I'd love vector scopes and waveform monitors too, but here hoping the GH5 has that when ever it arrives.

Since getting the GH4 my C100 has sat in the bag more than it's been used, which is sad.

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

Currently. The Voigtlander 10mm f/0.95 is coming soon, along with the Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 early next year.

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

I expect that the 7-14 f2.8 to be very expensive considering the current f4.0 is already as expensive as the 42,5 nocticron which I think is too expensive (yes, I said expensive 3 times, thats how much it costs:)), I find f2.8 too limited for the gh3/4 at dark receptions, my current olympus 12mm f2.0 is my favourite lens on my steadicam and that Voigtlander 10mm f/0.95 would be a great lens as well, especially considering the extra cropfactor in 4k on the gh4.

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

Noa, would you need a steadicam to use the new Voigtlander 10mm f/0.95 for video?
Also—do you think the new Voigtlander would allow for a nice shallow depth of field? For interviews, would it be challenging to keep focus? (is it really, really exact in that sense)
Regards, Malcolm

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

Ofcourse not, it's just a wide lens, you can use that handheld, on a tripod or slider as well and you can get avery shallow dof with such a lens but only if your subject is not too far away from the lens. I would not use this lens for interviews, it depends a bit I guess, normally I"d use a 25 or 45mm for interviews but if I would be doing handheld and run and gun interviews and needed a very fast lens, then that 10mm would be great on the gh4 if you shoot in 4k. Only focussing will be challenging at f0,95 if your subject is up close.

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

Good, fast, cheap. Pick two.

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

For me 1080-60p ETC mode at 100mbps. No camera ever made at any price that can compare for long range wildlife motion.

Hahahaha Gary !!! Pick two is so true

That Voigtlander 10.5mm f/0.95 is going to be a very expensive lens at over $1600 USD if I'm not mistaken.

I also think that the crop factor of 2.49x in UHD 4k mode makes even the widest fast primes a bit too long to shoot hand held with the GH4. Putting them on a stabilizer just makes it so much easier to deal with.

Cheers,
Pete

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

I shoot handheld with my 12mm olympus lens without having to stabilise in post, I also shoot handheld with my 25mm but that one often needs to be stabilised in post

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

i have spent the past 2 weeks lurking/looking at various blog & forum posts extolling the virtues of the gh4.

i had the camera in my hands briefly while i was at the b&h booth during this week's ccw and liked the feel but did little else.

i am still worried about finding an adequate audio solution even though i own and use both the tascam dr60 and the sound devices mix pre-d.

from what i have seen on the web, i'm impressed.

i have seen footage that leans more towards "video" and footage that screams "film".

i shoot mostly for the web, public presentation venues (museums/hotels) and occasionally, broadcast.

i shoot lots of talking head footage, often working with smallish crews. most of the interviews are lit even though the lighting often mirrors the look and feel of "natural" or "ambient" light.

i cut in fcp7 on a mac pro running 10.6.8. this is the year i want to leap into mavericks os and finally decide between fcp x or premiere cc.

i'm getting closer to buying but feel no time pressure. i am much busier in the spring/summer/fall than in winter. i would like to be fully adapted to a new rig by the end of the march 2015.

i very much appreciate those who have shared their thoughts.

be well.

rob
smalltalk productions/nyc

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

One thing that I haven't noticed in too many mentions is the use of the GH4 as a second (unmanned) camera angle for interviews. I've done some 2-camera interviews - two angles on the same subject - using the A7s and the GH4 (both owned by the producer,) The less shallow DOF of the MFT sensor allows it to remain in focus through some minor movement by the interview subject when the GH4 has the wider framing. The editor can adjust framing in post if necessary because we record in 4K. Meanwhile the really shallow DOF of the A7s gives us the dramatic soft backgrounds, but requires constant monitoring and operator adjustment. Low light b-roll always goes to the A7s, while brightly lit most often goes to the GH4. Surprisingly enough the two cameras seem to intercut nicely with only a bit of post color adjustment. Yagh unit gives us XLR inputs for audio, so the GH4 becomes the audio master.

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

Actually the GH4 replaced my C100 as my main interview camera so I can punch in to the same shot, same eye line etc from the main shot without needing a second angle, but if I do want that then the C100 replaced my 5D3.

So now it's GH4 as main cam and C100 as second cam instead of C100 being 1st and 5D3 the second.

To be fair we in Europe have the disadvantage that the GH4 is still limited to 29m59s, so having it as the unattended camera is still problematic. I suppose if the Atomos Shogun gets around the problem then things could change. Either that or I'll have to nip across the pond and buy a US version of the GH4.

Having said that, I just had to return my GH4 under warranty because the EVF dies (it went 100%magenta - with no visible picture - the LCD was unaffected). Panasonic were made aware it was bing used professionally and turned it around in 2 days. So much for all the cries about Panasonic not having professional services, since they were as good a you can expect from CPS/NPS, of which I've had cause to use in the past. If I bought a US model I'm not sure what I would have had to do for repair.

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

Very true Dave. I've shot more than a few 2-camera interviews now using the GH4 with various cameras (AF100, C100, GH2). Even at ~f1.4, the subject stays in focus on a wide unless they really get to roving about.

While I haven't used it this way on a paid job, I have tested the 'eye tracking' autofocus on a MCU shot with the 12-35 @35 wide open, subject rocking back and forth. It did a very good job holding subject in focus.

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

It probably will not have a time record limit (haven't heard of any of the previous models having that), but the upside/downside being that you can't record internally if you want to do that. The problem is that, when the camera stops itself, the image will pause for a half second and this will get recorded on the Shogun (happens when you start/stop the camera after and before hitting start/stop on the Ninja Blade). The benefit is that you can get 10-bit out if you're not worried about recording internally.

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

Hi

I use the GH4 almost exclusively for wildlife videos

4k is my preferred choice of formats which i down scale in post.

96fps on slow motion is something i have used a bit.

a feature i liked was the variable frame rate and use the 2 fps to get a time-lapse right in the camera , have used this feature a bit till now.

a for wildlife most sound is externally recorded and zoom H4N is the one for it, i do have the rode on camera mic however still not used it.

i do not use a rig at all, use it on my tripod ,
Choice of lenses used have been the Canon 500 f4 L IS II, the canon 100-400, even the samyang 14mm f2.8
with a dumb adaptor as i have not had that metabones in stock

over all satisfied with this camera,

i just worry about the low light performance and nothing else.
best regards
vishal

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

This is the rig I use with my GH3 but will do the same thing with my GH4 when it arrives any day now.

I use a Fhugen cage with a JuicedLink Riggy micro mounted on top, a rode NTG1 feeding channel 1. I mount a Sennheiser receiver plugged into channel 2 when I need interview sound.

There is also a small arm attached so I can quickly mount a Lilliput 664 OP 7" monitor. On Miller or Libec sticks for interviews and wedding ceremony/speeches, the rest of the time on a monopod with a small Manfrotto video head. Hand held is possible but a bit awkward.

The Tascam may be a better option as you get a backup plus a direct feed, with the advantage that the backup is most likely of better quality that the direct camera recording. The JuicedLink is small and good quality but no backup and is heavy on batteries.

As with the GH3 I will use it for weddings and high end corporate interviews. What I don't like is not having an eyecup like on a proper video camera, so outdoors in Aussie sunlight it is very difficult to see the VF, and no ND so have to use Variable NDs.

I now use Premiere CC on my old 2009 Mac Pro but I gave it a birthday with an SSD boot drive and a GeForce GTX580 from Macvidcards so I can take advantage of the GPUs - a must have for Premiere IMO. I went with OSX 10.8.5 (Mountain Lion) as Mavericks gave me too many issues. I think FCP7 would be too painful if at all possible for a 4k experience.

I edit on Avid MC, Premiere CC and until recently FCP7 and CC is definitely my favourite and the only one I can cut 4k on anyway. The new JVC LS 300 might be worth considering if you want more videocamera features.

Cheers

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

Always amuses me when I see a HDSLR camera with all the bells and whistles on it, I often wonder why not go for a dedicated camcorder. Some guys I have seen walk around with a rig that looks like scaffolding or a well decorated Christmas tree. I am sure it all serves a practical purpose, but rather defeats the object of having a small portable camera.

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

I would say it has several benefits compared to a dedicated camcorder, one would be the fact you can use it as a dslr only making it really small in use or add on accessories depending on your needs, such a Fhugen cage is very small but allows easy attachment of mike or a separate monitor or recorder.
Another advantage is lens choice, low light advantage, shallow dof. A dedicated camcorder has it purposes if you do longer continuous shoots or want to have a powered motorised zoom, deeper dof, good autofocus but if you shoot more creatively a dslr is the way to go.

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

Yea I know. Frankencam I call mine! But - even with the cage and a 10x zoom lens on it is still smaller, lighter and less intimidating than my camcorder. The picture quality is the reason. I too would rather have a dedicated camcorder for sure.

Because of the light weight of the GH cameras and their lenses, I can carry around two bodies with different lenses on like the stills guys do. One of my cameras has no cage or rig and just a videomic on it so you hardly know it's there.

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

I forgot the size benefit, I have a lowepro backpack that would fit one dedicated camcorder but could fit 5 dslr bodies including 5 lenses.

Re: gh4 shooters: how do you use your camera?
 

Well, I do agree with the points being made, Last week I did a one man job with my Sony EX3 and it nearly broke my back just hiking the gear around. After that job I made my mind up to get an updated HDSLR (have the Nikon D90 which has never been used for video), so called in a GH4 from Panasonic, Will put it through some extensive tests this weekend, but I like what I see so far. The viewfinder is convenient and a delight to use, having previously used a Zacuto finder on a Nikon D7100 (loan stock from Nikon). As for the cage or scaffolding unit, well I am not so sure about all that, will see how I get on with the bare minimum amount of decorations.

Thanks for all your input, and thank you Noa for so many posts with useful information that has helped me decide that the GH4 may be the right camera for my needs.