Very nice 720/60P footage

[PappasArts]

Here is some very nice 720p/60P footage.

http://vimeo.com/5242968

[Douglas Villalba]

It is obvious that the biggest problem with this cameras is the focusing devices.

[Ben_B]

The focusing devices? You mean your hand? The thing has focus assist and auto focus, after that it comes down to how skilled you are.

[John Caballero]

Owners are reporting that the auto focus is very good with the kit lens.

[Ken7]

I wish there were more clips with the stock lens. Most clips seem to be with lenses other than the kit.

[PappasArts]

I wish there were more clips with the stock lens. Most clips seem to be with lenses other than the kit.


A lot of those older lenses have better glass then todays mass produced material.



However I hear that the stock lens is quite optically good. Slow ( f4 ) but other than that, good.


Aside for that, the above footage shows good 60P.....
.

[Ken7]

It is obvious that the biggest problem with this cameras is the focusing devices.

That doesn't seem to be the case from I've seen and read.

[PappasArts]

It is obvious that the biggest problem with this cameras is the focusing devices.


Uhhh! Devices... There's more than one......... 8-/

[Douglas Villalba]

The focusing devices? You mean your hand? The thing has focus assist and auto focus, after that it comes down to how skilled you are.

I meant LCD to actually see if you are in focus.

A lot of the clips that look soft are just out of focus.

With a shallow DOF focusing becomes more difficult. That is why in most productions a monitor is used.

From what I understand neither the GH1 nor the 5D have adequate monitoring systems.

[Super8]

what's up with listing the serial number of the camera? (look at the Vimeo page)

Are we becoming like RED users who list their number also?

funny.....

[paulgandersman]

no production i have ever been on was focused to a monitor, it was focused (generally) with a measuring tape or if its a crazy moving shot, the camera operator's eyeball in the viewfinder. monitoring is just for that MONITORING. i have been around plenty of crappy monitors that make the whole image look out of focus no matter what you do.

[Ben_B]

I have been on productions focusing with a monitor, it is easier than tape for digital production. Focus assist (zoom in) on gh1 should be fine.

[Douglas Villalba]

i have been around plenty of crappy monitors that make the whole image look out of focus no matter what you do.So you either work on big budget film productions or according to your comment on "crappy monitors" no budget productions.
In the middle is the digital productions and for those I use a Panasonic 8" monitor. The best 2K I've ever spend.

I have been on productions focusing with a monitor, it is easier than tape for digital production. Focus assist (zoom in) on gh1 should be fine.
I have seen great results using the camera's LCD, but I have also seen a lot of crap.
On a paid production you can't afford to risk it.

[John Caballero]

The EVF should be perfect for focusing. I like to isolate my vision from everything else around what I am shooting and that is why I shoot thru the viewfinder. That is the way it should be and precisely why Panasonic made shure to make it look the best. If somebody can't focus accurately with the GH1 EVF they should really have their eyes examined.

[Douglas Villalba]

If the EVF is good then Why is the video at the beginning of this thread out of focus? Why are so many videos out of focus?
NO EVF IS TRUST WORTHY!!!! Only an HD monitor is good enough to view focus and color for that matter.

[nathankw]

If the EVF is good then Why is the video at the beginning of this thread out of focus?

Well, we don't know whether whoever took these actually used the EVF (many people used to digital cameras probably use the screen).

With the expanded view focus assist there's no reason why you can't get perfect focus with the EVF. BUT the problem with that is that you can't use the focus assist when you're actually filming.

[Douglas Villalba]

Well, we don't know whether whoever took these actually used the EVF (many people used to digital cameras probably use the screen).

With the expanded view focus assist there's no reason why you can't get perfect focus with the EVF. BUT the problem with that is that you can't use the focus assist when you're actually filming.

I have notice that in this threads there are a lot of people. Some want to shoot video for fun or as a hobby. Some of us would like to have the feature of a RED for a fraction of the price.
In my case I think that mayor factor to wait is that you can't use an adequate monitor for me and the clients.
You can spend thousands on a production and have to reshoot a scene because it was soft.
I could use a DSLR camera for something but not for others. That is why I have 4 different HD cameras. There is not a do all camera, but making sure that you have the shot can't be compromised.

[Isaac_Brody]

In my case I think that mayor factor to wait is that you can't use an adequate monitor for me and the clients.
You can spend thousands on a production and have to reshoot a scene because it was soft.

This is a pretty critical issue and I've too noticed the amount of out of focus footage floating around. I just saw this piece which is in pretty sharp focus.

http://www.vimeo.com/5303730

I'm hoping that the large number of out of focus shots is just people who haven't read the manual or are being sloppy.

[Douglas Villalba]

This is a pretty critical issue and I've too noticed the amount of out of focus footage floating around. I just saw this piece which is in pretty sharp focus.

http://www.vimeo.com/5303730

I'm hoping that the large number of out of focus shots is just people who haven't read the manual or are being sloppy.
Focusing has been a problem even for professionals since the beginning of HD in any HD camera. The critical focus on VDSLRs have made it more obvious.
I remember in the early days of HDTV most of the TV shows in HD were quite often out of focus. How can you prevent it? Using a good monitor.
In the days of Film you would use a tape measure, but with VDSLR and a few inches of DoF a tape is also useless.

[Martti Ekstrand]

?

Umm, now I don't follow you. GH1 has the almost the same DoF as a 35mm film camera at same apertures, a tinsy bit deeper actually. Put on a prime lens with a good focus ring and you can tape measure exactly the same way as you would with a film camera. Add rails and a follow focus and it's business as usual for a AC.

I'm hoping that the large number of out of focus shots is just people who haven't read the manual or are being sloppy.

I was a bit tipsy actually after a friendly dinner when shooting 'Closing Time' so sloppy only begins to describe it - on top of not having read the manual. It was only a few days later I found that one can use the zoom focus assist with manual lenses to check focus points so I was using the EVF only in full image mode that night. Plus Canon lenses focus ring goes the other way of what I'm used to so I twisted the wrong way several times out of habit. And I'm not a camera man either, I'm a director/editor/motion graphics designer.

I'm sure a experienced shooter can get it working to near perfection with a bit of practice. Both the EVF and LCD are sharp as tack and the colours on both are pretty close to what I see back home on the computer screen. And if you need to review things precisely on set it does play back shots over HDMI with just two button pushes. I think that's how Kholi did on that Heineken shot that he had to retract the posts.

[Isaac_Brody]

No sweat Martti, I'm eager to see your next stuff. I thought for run and gun night shots you did a pretty good job. I'm not sure everyone is using the zoom focus assist though. I'm just jealous that I have to wait to get my hands on one. :)

[Martti Ekstrand]

You gonna love it I'm sure. It's by no means perfect but for me it has put the fun back into phuntography. I mean it. Really really mean it. It's...

FUN! FUN! FUN!

Now if I only wasn't so loaded down with the last-work-before-summer-mmmkay so I actually had some time to use it properly. Damn these pesky clients! Damn their eyes.

(In case any client wonders what I'm doing I'm dropping by here and posts silliness while AE renders on the work horse)

[PappasArts]

This is a pretty critical issue and I've too noticed the amount of out of focus footage floating around. I just saw this piece which is in pretty sharp focus.

http://www.vimeo.com/5303730

I'm hoping that the large number of out of focus shots is just people who haven't read the manual or are being sloppy.


Saw that last night, very good for just grabbing while walking the dog........ The Digital zoom assist is a great feature. I hear the VF is sharp as hell as it was on the G1; so in combination, they must work really well.....


.

[nathankw]

?
It was only a few days later I found that one can use the zoom focus assist with manual lenses to check focus points so I was using the EVF only in full image mode that night.

Can you? How?
I just got my Canon FD adaptor last night and suddenly realised that the automatic zoom assist doesn't work (makes sense as how does the camera know you're focussing).
If there's a way to do it manually that's great!

[Martti Ekstrand]

Press left key on the 'joystick pad' - yellow frame appears - click 'OK' - switch zoom factor with front scroll wheel - click wheel or 'OK' to get back to normal.
Cool thing is that you can move the yellow frame with joystick pad left-right-up-down before clicking OK so you can check focus from non-centered things if you have the camera locked down on a tripod.

[mattsand]

so the display doesn't have peaking then? it's the best way to judge focus imo, even the simplest implementation even though colored outlines are even better. with peaking you can easily judge focus even on a tiny 320x240 pixel 2" screen. i used to hang out in the hv20 forums and a lot of people were researching hd monitors to focus and hadn't even tried turning on the peaking, what a waste.

[Ian-T]

i used to hang out in the hv20 forums and a lot of people were researching hd monitors to focus and hadn't even tried turning on the peaking, what a waste.That's because you couldn't use the peaking and zebra functions at the same time. For me zebras was more important.

[mattsand]

that's a valid reason, but most people didn't know how to use that either. why spend 10 minutes to learn when you can spend $1,000 and a couple of weeks mounting a 15" diy monitor on your camera? :-)