Would love to hear of your experiences using the AF100/101 for wedding work. Is the cam suitable for those instances during the day when you have to "run and gun" and more than likely have to utilise the autofocus? Also would like to hear about low light performance and any DOF issues during evening speeches etc.
Anyone using AF100/101 for Weddings?
- Thread starter AlexOlson
- Start date
I do not think the AF101 is ideal for run and gun. Reliance on autofocus and or auto iris is not a good idea with this camera because the Lumix lenses are great quality but a bit slow in all other departments. Having said that I have the 7-14 zoom and this gives fantastic pictures even when measured up against Nikon primes. There is no room for error with shallow DOF, but then that applies to any camera with the larger sensor.
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mkfotos.com
Well-known member
No, not yet, but I expect to soon.
I've done reasonably well already shooting on the run (with 561BHDV monopod) without AF, and have done very well shooting talking heads in low light at f/.95; at greater distances the DoF is of course more forgiving, therefore not an issue.
I've done reasonably well already shooting on the run (with 561BHDV monopod) without AF, and have done very well shooting talking heads in low light at f/.95; at greater distances the DoF is of course more forgiving, therefore not an issue.
I shot two weddings on it in full manual with Nikkor primes. Shooting weddings on DSLRs is quite trendy right now, and I get picked up by wedding companies as just a shooter with my AF100, since it gives the same look without so many problems. Large chip cameras work better in low light, and you don't have to bring in on board lights, which are more intrusive.
Doing a wedding as just a shooter is kind of fun. One quick day of work, and it fills in some holes. I still like commercials the most!
Doing a wedding as just a shooter is kind of fun. One quick day of work, and it fills in some holes. I still like commercials the most!
Yea. We just have one camera lock in with the focus set during the ceremony, and the second camera can roam around to get b roll. Pulling a focus doesn't end up being a huge deal. The speeches are a bit more fluid, but we basically do the same thing there too. All of the other footage before and after the ceremony is less pressure. I just try to make what I can out of "focus on red." Most of it comes out fine. Even with an ENG cam, you blow some of the footage. That is what you have to shoot so much more for a verite doc or this kind of stuff.
TonySegreto
Member
Is there a low profile shoulder rig you guys are using for shooting or what? I find that the zacuto / rail system type rigs tend to look a bit out of place in a wedding environment. I also imagine that your holding the camera mainly in your right hand, then doing punch zooms and focus with your left, how do yall counter balance and weight?
While were on the topic, anyone have an electronic zoom with a hand grip like a fuji or anything?
While were on the topic, anyone have an electronic zoom with a hand grip like a fuji or anything?
CineStill
Active member
Hi I shot a wedding using AF100 with a second camera operator using Sony EX3. I shot mainly tighter using the advantage of shallow depth of field while the EX3 operator was mainly on wider shots. The footage cuts surprisingly well together and unless you had a very visually aware client they are probably not going to notice the slight difference between cameras. I used nikon lenses and found the 24-70 f2.8 G lens the most useful during the wedding. If I was going to cover a wedding with 2 AF100's I would suggest one operator covering wides with something like Nikon 14-24 f2.8 and the other operator getting closer shots with 24-70 f2.8. With dark churches and reception venues you really need f2.8 or faster zooms. Outside the run and gun of the ceremony you can then get more creative with faster primes or longer lenses if you want. I think it would be quite hard to cover a wedding solo with just one AF100. It could be done but I would suggest setting up one safety wide shot with a camera on tripod for the ceremony.
While I have Redrock base plate, rails and lens support I found it best to remove the camera and to hand hold with as little weight as possible. I find having the EVF as black & white and the red focus assist invaluable for working quickly. While I don't own one, the other lens that might be ideal is the Nikon DX 17-55 f2.8 and of course the Olympus lenses (but the reported clicking sound when changing iris or zoom would worry me). Cheers
While I have Redrock base plate, rails and lens support I found it best to remove the camera and to hand hold with as little weight as possible. I find having the EVF as black & white and the red focus assist invaluable for working quickly. While I don't own one, the other lens that might be ideal is the Nikon DX 17-55 f2.8 and of course the Olympus lenses (but the reported clicking sound when changing iris or zoom would worry me). Cheers
I actually just brought a few different Nikkor primes and carry them with me in an accessible bag. I don't use rails. I keep everything as light as possible. I do, of course, keep a light tripod with me. All of the lenses I use are 1.8 and under. I don't necessarily open up the aperture up that much, but they are fast primes. I mostly start opening the aperture more when things get dark like the reception.
Doing run and gun with a large chip camera is interesting and different from an ENG camera, but I don't think it is that bad.
Doing run and gun with a large chip camera is interesting and different from an ENG camera, but I don't think it is that bad.
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I just shot a last minute wedding today in as a favor... It seems that someone flaked out, so I stepped in to help out a friend's family.
I used the AF100 and a GH2 as my B-Cam. The GH2 was on full auto with the Lumix 14-140 and then, during the reception, a Lumix 20mm and, at points, a Zeiss Jenna 180, and also a Sigma 10-20. The AF100 either had a Zeiss 85mm 1.4 or 50mm 1.7 on it. The GH2 was on a 501 head an a monopod with three feet to keep it standing. The AF100 was on beefy 2 stage aluminum legs with a 504HD head. There were moments I wished I had a second set of hands, but technically, there was no issue with the camera performance. There were certainly moments where the light was so low, that I knew if I had been shooting with an HPX170 or HVX200a, there's no way I would have had any picture exposed. I used the 180mm for candid close ups while people were dancing, and at a 2.8, it was as slow as I could allow without the footage being mission critical, and in extremely low light. I think the 14-140 can get you by for the ceremony, but to have the ability to quickly switch between a 28, 50, and 85, or throw the wide on. Ideally, this would be a two man operation. I think I balanced it well, but there were certainly moments where an HMC150 would have excelled for the one man run and gun situation.
My only complaint would be from all the flashes, the rolling shutter is pretty visible. I'd imagine there's a plug-in out there that would fix that, but it's something to be aware of.
I've never been a fan of zooming while recording, so that's a non issue for me.
Compared to run and gun with a traditional 1/3" ENG camera, the process is very different, but there is so much more potential for creativity, I wouldn't want to shoot one of these only an ENG cam. But, given one or the other, in the hands of a competent and well prepared operator, I think the AF100 can hack it. I still think a lens turret would help swapping lenses quickly and not missing a beat... Though I think I am sounding like a broken record at this point about the ol' turret.
I used the AF100 and a GH2 as my B-Cam. The GH2 was on full auto with the Lumix 14-140 and then, during the reception, a Lumix 20mm and, at points, a Zeiss Jenna 180, and also a Sigma 10-20. The AF100 either had a Zeiss 85mm 1.4 or 50mm 1.7 on it. The GH2 was on a 501 head an a monopod with three feet to keep it standing. The AF100 was on beefy 2 stage aluminum legs with a 504HD head. There were moments I wished I had a second set of hands, but technically, there was no issue with the camera performance. There were certainly moments where the light was so low, that I knew if I had been shooting with an HPX170 or HVX200a, there's no way I would have had any picture exposed. I used the 180mm for candid close ups while people were dancing, and at a 2.8, it was as slow as I could allow without the footage being mission critical, and in extremely low light. I think the 14-140 can get you by for the ceremony, but to have the ability to quickly switch between a 28, 50, and 85, or throw the wide on. Ideally, this would be a two man operation. I think I balanced it well, but there were certainly moments where an HMC150 would have excelled for the one man run and gun situation.
My only complaint would be from all the flashes, the rolling shutter is pretty visible. I'd imagine there's a plug-in out there that would fix that, but it's something to be aware of.
I've never been a fan of zooming while recording, so that's a non issue for me.
Compared to run and gun with a traditional 1/3" ENG camera, the process is very different, but there is so much more potential for creativity, I wouldn't want to shoot one of these only an ENG cam. But, given one or the other, in the hands of a competent and well prepared operator, I think the AF100 can hack it. I still think a lens turret would help swapping lenses quickly and not missing a beat... Though I think I am sounding like a broken record at this point about the ol' turret.
I shoot weddings solo and had the oportunity to use my AF102 for a big Vietnamese wedding on Saturday but, at the last minute decided to take two EX1s instead (love these cams).
The biggest problem I have with the AF102 is the lack of any fast wide-range zoom lens that are optically & electronically compatible with the M4/3" format. All my lens are Nikons and I have heaps of them! But as a wedding video producer what I really want is a good zoom that will give me the similar performance as the glass on my EX1 & HMC150 but also allow me to get shallow DoF when I need it (yes I know its a big ask.)
There are lot of small-mined people on this and other forums who look down on those of us that use auto-focus but, the truth of the matter is this, when you're shooting a bunch of bridesmaids heading down the aisle towards you at speed, and you're single-handedly trying to create two separate scenes (close-up & full length), auto-focus (with some minor tweaks on the lens barrel) can mean the difference between professional looking footage and experimental avant garde cinema.
I looked into getting a 2/3" ENG lens but the problem with those is that the image circle is too small and will vignette so you're forced to use a 2x extender which means you loose the wide end of the lens.
In my search for the right lens I've come across ebay sellers flogging these old PL mount Zeiss 16mm cine-film zooms (like this one: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/CARL-ZEISS-V...28535650?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item27ba40d562 ) and passing them off as compatible with large image block cameras like 5D, 7D, NEX & AF100. Well, anyone buying these amazingly fast lens thinking they'll just loose a few millimetres off the wide-end will be in for big dissappointment. Here's another one selling a Canon C-mount http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370496946218&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT - so if you're oggling these lenses make sure you ask lots of questions and most importantly buyer beware!!
I'm making the assumption that most people who shoot weddings would rather have a fast wide-range zoom than muck around with a bunch of primes, especially if their camera is rigged up on Rails & Follow Focus.
The biggest problem I have with the AF102 is the lack of any fast wide-range zoom lens that are optically & electronically compatible with the M4/3" format. All my lens are Nikons and I have heaps of them! But as a wedding video producer what I really want is a good zoom that will give me the similar performance as the glass on my EX1 & HMC150 but also allow me to get shallow DoF when I need it (yes I know its a big ask.)
There are lot of small-mined people on this and other forums who look down on those of us that use auto-focus but, the truth of the matter is this, when you're shooting a bunch of bridesmaids heading down the aisle towards you at speed, and you're single-handedly trying to create two separate scenes (close-up & full length), auto-focus (with some minor tweaks on the lens barrel) can mean the difference between professional looking footage and experimental avant garde cinema.
I looked into getting a 2/3" ENG lens but the problem with those is that the image circle is too small and will vignette so you're forced to use a 2x extender which means you loose the wide end of the lens.
In my search for the right lens I've come across ebay sellers flogging these old PL mount Zeiss 16mm cine-film zooms (like this one: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/CARL-ZEISS-V...28535650?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item27ba40d562 ) and passing them off as compatible with large image block cameras like 5D, 7D, NEX & AF100. Well, anyone buying these amazingly fast lens thinking they'll just loose a few millimetres off the wide-end will be in for big dissappointment. Here's another one selling a Canon C-mount http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370496946218&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT - so if you're oggling these lenses make sure you ask lots of questions and most importantly buyer beware!!
I'm making the assumption that most people who shoot weddings would rather have a fast wide-range zoom than muck around with a bunch of primes, especially if their camera is rigged up on Rails & Follow Focus.
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