GH2 any solution for shooting a dark scene with minimum codec mush ?

roei z

roei z

Veteran
Hi-
from all my experiments and reading it seems that there's no way of shooting ANY dark/low data areas with the current GH2 24p codec. or did i miss something?
this means that i just must rule out really dark scenes from my script ?
(i have some moments with lights turning out and a figure in a very dark shot)
i mean, if it was just higher noise with higher iso i wouldn't have any problem,
but i just can't think of any solution to prevent or minimize the codec screwing the low data areas. maybe post fix?

verdict/ideas/tips ?

danke schoen :)
 
Well if the areas are dark enough you won't see the codec breaking up...I love low-key lighting and haven't had much problem doing it on the GH2.
 
Well you could always soft light it for the figure in the dark and then adjust it in post. As far as lights turning out is it a continuos shot or two separate shots? If it is a continuos shot, perhaps don't kill the lights completely and do a similar post fix as the other shot. For two separate shots you can adjust the lighting for each shot without disrupting the visual continuity too much so you still get a usable image and get the effect you would like.

In short, light the scene so you get a good shot then adjust the shot to your liking in post. I second Ben though, I haven't seen the GH2's codec break up much yet.
 
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thanks.
most chances it will be a continuous shot, and the object will probably move, so just trusting the codec to 'behave' would be dangerous.
yea i thought about keeping a soft light and post fixing... that's why i'm curious to see a good example.
can you maybe link me to any GH2 footage you might find equivalent ? (or your own samples, even better!)
i suppose GH13 can handle this better so that wont do.
 
I'd go with GH2 over GH13 just for the better noise in low light here.

Here's a shot I took with the GH2 lit by just a lighter:
 
that one looks fabulous, indeed. but it's easier to grade a shot with bright face and total black.
what happens when the background is not completely dark and the object is sort of a silhouette ? it will cause a lot more codec artifacts.
i should just soft light it and darken in post? wouldn't that look 'posted' ?
 
he's left in the dark, and the camera might follow him a bit while he's moving in the dark. no, not leaving the room.
 
Well you always want as much usable image as possible in post so you have more latitude on either side of the scale. That being said it is up to you as a director and your DP to establish a visual style for the whole piece. If you already plan on doing color work in post then soft lighting it and darkening in post would blend with the rest of the piece. However if you are trying to shoot this in a more natural style then it would probably be better to shoot it as is. You don't want a scene or a shot to break the visual continuity unless it is intentional.

I can try and throw something together if I can convince my little brother to stop by.
 
That looks pretty good, the codec looked like it held up pretty nicely. I'll have to download it and check it out on the big screen.
 
just saw it native, i believe this can be post tweaked a bit and look fine. i might try to shoot some footage on my own to be sure.
 
I've got some noisy mush in some underexposed white areas in some of my footage but over all its pretty acceptable. Criticism I got was that the large blank areas were more distracting than the noise.
 
Also, I think it will probably help if you shoot with the cinema profile. I have tested it and it definitely has the least noise in underexposed areas compared to all the other modes. So you want cinema at -2 NR, -2 SH, - CON . And then play in post with curves and noise reduction to your liking. And remember to keep away from all overall controllers like the contrast slider which adds contrast to the entire image. you want to be able to control the shadows/midtones/highlights separately to get contrast where you want it.
 
or maybe just changing the dark scenes in the script to fit the GH2 ;)
highlights or even blown highlights look great with FD's
 
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