GH3 Brand new GH3, need help with settings!

[gutterball321]

I just got my GH3 today and its much harder to use than my GH2, it also seems much darker. I have an olympus 45mm 1.8 and shooting at 60p i know your suppose to set the shutter speed to 125... This is very dark unless I set the ISO to at least 1600, and then it gets grainy.

Questions:

1) So what are yall's favorite settings to shoot indoors in places like weddings or presentations where you cant control the light?

2) Is there a reason to choose AVCHD, MOV or MP4 over each other, I have seen no difference other than where the files are saved to the memory card?

3) I shot first presentation with AVCHD and forgot to check the other settings. The video looks like standard definition and is probably around 720x405. The video clips also end at 25 minutes and start a new file unlike the GH2 (is this just b/c I selected a small codec?)

4) also, are there not more options for ISO, 200-400-800-1600... The GH2 had a lot of inbetween ISO selections, Am I just not finding them on my GH3?

 

[Bruce Foreman]

I just got my GH3 today and its much harder to use than my GH2, it also seems much darker. I have an olympus 45mm 1.8 and shooting at 60p i know your suppose to set the shutter speed to 125... This is very dark unless I set the ISO to at least 1600, and then it gets grainy.

Set the ISO where you need it. If 1600 is grainy then you have your monitor sharpness, and perhaps brightness and contrast set too high. I shoot video at 6400 if I need to and don't have any objectionable noise or grain.

Questions:

1) So what are yall's favorite settings to shoot indoors in places like weddings or presentations where you cant control the light?

Full manual. This has to be set with the dial on top set to the "Motion Picture" icon. Then look for "Exposure Mode" in the menus, four choices: P, A, S, & M. Set to M for manual. Find CONSTANT PREVUE in the menus, set that to ON. Find EXPO.METER and set that to ON. Find anything that says "Intelligent" in the name and set those to OFF.

Now as you change ISO, aperture, or shutter speed the LCD and EVF will lighten or darken depending on which way you go. You can set exposure by appearance and also by the meter at the bottom.

2) Is there a reason to choose AVCHD, MOV or MP4 over each other, I have seen no difference other than where the files are saved to the memory card?

All those are H.264 in various "containers". I set mine to 50mbps MOV.

3) I shot first presentation with AVCHD and forgot to check the other settings. The video looks like standard definition and is probably around 720x405. The video clips also end at 25 minutes and start a new file unlike the GH2 (is this just b/c I selected a small codec?)

I don't have time to hunt through the menus to find where you may have gone wrong. Just go through them all and pay attention to anything that has to do with resolution. Be sure you have what you want set.

4) also, are there not more options for ISO, 200-400-800-1600... The GH2 had a lot of inbetween ISO selections, Am I just not finding them on my GH3?

They are there. Just go through the menus and look for the item that lets you choose the ISO settings, while you're at it look for the same thing with shutter and aperture settings. You want 1/3 step increments.

 

[gutterball321]

Thanks I think I figured it all out except I still cant find how to change the ISO settings.

 

[Bruce Foreman]

Red camera icon menu, 4th "page" (4/6), ISO increments. Two choices: 1EV or 1/3EV/

I have mine set for 1/3EV.

I don't see a menu item on any of the menus for configuring 1/3 increments on shutter speed or aperture. Looks like it's that way "out of the box".

 

[gutterball321]

thanks i got it... I dont take photos, just do video and for some reason you can only change this option in photo mode, but then it allows the change in video as well.