GH3 Best Settings

T

Tim Naylor

Veteran
I've recently bought a GH3 package and in the process of testing it. While many things about it I love, I am still trying to figure out what's the best possible setting for latitude in color correction. Out of the box, I find most the custom looks disappointing. Most with too much saturation and contrast. Has anyone come up with a list of settings that most closely resemble a Log setting? If so please list along with other relevant info.

Also, I do my transcodes in 5D to RGB after some disappointing gamma shifts in Adobe Encoder and Compressor. So far the best I've come up with for transcodes has been Rec 709, Full Range.

Thanks
 
The GH cameras' output is relatively contrasty & will not produce Log-esque footage. Being 8-bit this is usually a good thing & your best bet is to capture footage that needs as little post correction as possible.

This is true of the much more sophisticated C300 too. While it can capture C-Log it's best reserved for matching multiple cams, & not for single camera shoots.

Though I've shot a good amount of footage on the GH3 I feel still haven't fully settled on the profile. Currently I shoot "Natural" at -4, -5, -1, -5.
 
Bern Caughey said:
The GH cameras' output is relatively contrasty & will not produce Log-esque footage. Being 8-bit this is usually a good thing & your best bet is to capture footage that needs as little post correction as possible.

This is true of the much more sophisticated C300 too. While it can capture C-Log it's best reserved for matching multiple cams, & not for single camera shoots.

Though I've shot a good amount of footage on the GH3 I feel still haven't fully settled on the profile. Currently I shoot "Natural" at -4, -5, -1, -5.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm shooting more tests today. So far, I found the images grade very nicely. Was able to pull alot more detail from the darks than I expected. I'm trying to get used to this more baked in approach. It's been a while since I sold my HVX. It's my first mini rig in a long time. Mostly, I've been shooting log stuff on the usual suspects (Canon, Epic, Alexa). I have a 5D but the lack sharpness, keeps it mostly a still cam for me.

So I'm pretty excited about the whole thing.

If anyone has more suggestions keep them coming. I find most of the threads people wax on about bit rates, rez, etc. No one seems to be talking about what I think is the most important aspect for audiences, flesh tone and overall color fidelity. While many find the Gh2 to be sacred, I rarely saw one on jobs, not because of it's arguably better specs, but mostly because of its less than stellar color rendition (and perhaps its unreliable hacks).
 
If your only using Lumix or Zuiko m4/3 lenses consider reducing your sharpness to -5.

While the 12-35/2.8 & 35-100/2.8 are my workhorses, I often use Noktor 12/1.6, & Nokton 25/0.95, both of which benefit from a bit of extra crispness, so typically compromise by keeping the sharpening at -4. There's just too much going on while filming documentary to get caught up switching profiles when swapping lenses.

If I leave the manual glass at home, usually for weight reduction, & use electronic primes (12/2, 25/1.4, & 45/1.8) then I typically reduce my sharpening to -5 for the duration of the trip.

Best,
B
 
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Thanks for the sharpening tip. Right now, I have Rokinon 7.5mm, Lumix 12-35 and 35-100. I bought this rig to do my own docs and shorts while not having to bring a full crew.
 
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