GH1 for wedding ceremonies vs Panny HMC-150

D

Dan S

Member
Ok, I currently have and use a Panny HMC-150 for wedding ceremonies, but only as a cover-shot sitting on a tripod in the back or balcony. I'm using my 7Ds for everything else. It's working very well, but seems silly to have a $3k video camera used ONLY for a cover shot during the ceremony. I also shoot entirely in 720p60.

So, I've been looking into the GH1 to replace my HMC-150 because of it's size, price, and ability to shoot 720p60 AVCHD (which isn't limited on recording time like my 7D is). I've heard some good and bad with the image quality. So, my question is... do you recommend the GH1 unhacked for this purpose, and this purpose alone? I won't be using it at a reception, but would likely for personal use on vacations and such. Business-wise, though, it will ONLY be a back camera for ceremonies sitting on a tripod the entire time, with no AF or zooming.

By the way, some ceremonies are outdoors and full of light, some are in caves. Most, though, are in average churches with decent/good lighting at the alter where all the action is. I need something with decent low-light capabilities, but it won't be used at all at a reception.

Any opinions from those that use it for this purpose?
 
I've used my unhacked GH1 as a main camera for wedding shoots and it performs very well. So as a static cover-cam I think it would do extremely well. In good lighting, the kit lens is fine and usable up to ISO 640 - I've heard even 800, but I personally haven't gone that far. Very lowlight conditions might require a fast lens like the Lumix 20mm/f1.7 or maybe a manual Canon or Nikon 50mm (I love my Nikon 50mm/f1.8, my favorite lowlight lens in my bag). The only bad thing with using a manual lens is the loss of auto exposure if that's something you require.

I also use my GH1 for travel and its light weight and compact form factor are definite pluses. Recently, I brought my camera with the 20mm attached to a concert where detachable lens cameras were prohibited, but security let mine through thinking it was a point-and-shoot (albeit one of the bigger ones).

If you're still not convinced, then consider how many other video-capable DSLR's exist that can shoot for over 12 minutes at 720/60p without the chance of overheating. GH1 is pretty much your only choice, well, unless you can wait for the GH2 coming out next month.
 
Thanks for your response! Yeah, I'm concerned about the slow speed of the kit lens. I'm thinking about either the GH1 with the 14-140 or the GH2 with the 14-40, both slow lenses. Sometimes with my 7D, I'm at ISO 1250 at 2.8, but rarely. I wish I could find a comparison of the GH1 directly with the HMC-150, but I can't expect comparisons to every camera out there. The 20mm 1.7 might be a good choice because it would be a 40mm equivalent, which might work well for the back of a church. So, you don't think going up to ISO 1200 creates useable footage?

Yes, I know there are very few options out there for 720p60. I don't know why. It's a perfectly useable HD resolution, but everyone is so stuck on 1080. I can use 1080 and then just convert it. I've done it a few times before.

We're also going to Disneyworld next month, and I think the GH1 would be perfect to carry around there. Much better option than my 7D.
 
ISO 1200? I wouldn't go above ISO 400!

This camera really is crap in low light mate. You would be taking a big risk using it for weddings without constantly keeping an eye on it / trying to control exposure on a shot by shot basis.

Great camera - but in low light you are better with the camcorder I reckon.

I get banding in all sorts of conditions.... as you get used to it you can mitigate the risk careful shooting - but sticking it at the back of a church is high risk (especially as you can't use AF on the pancake in that scenario because of focus hunting.)
 
Wow, I thought it handled higher ISO better. I've seen some footage at ISO 1200 and thought it looked decent. I would set the exposure, focus, iso... everything on manual in the back of the church and let it record on its own through the whole ceremony. I don't need any audio from it, just the image. That's what I currently do with my HMC-150; just set everything on manual and let it go. I wouldn't need autofocus at all for my wedding shoots.

Doc, you're saying the GH1 wouldn't be good for that?

I have an old manual Nikon 50mm 1.4, but 100mm equivalent wouldn't work for the back of a church. I have seen the old nikon 24mm 2.8 for around $100, which might be nice. I also have several fast Canon lenses, but the EOS lenses won't work with it, correct? Needs to be the older FD lenses?
 
Well if you are setting it up manual then the crap low light AF won't harm you. But the dreaded banding will.

Problem with EOS is the inability to change aperture as far as i am aware.

Pancake is a good lens.... wideish and fast... but it still gets banding when the light levels get below a certain critical level (around about when you are fully open... but the in camera metering says exposure 1 stop below what you need - especially on certain backgrounds.) Once you get to that stage you either need to put lights on the subject (impossible for a wedding) or up the ISO (which often times just makes things worse.)
 
Wow, that stinks about the banding. I wish I knew someone nearby that had one so I could see it and maybe test it. I know I can rent it, but for 4-days, it's nearly $200. I'd rather put that toward buying the camera.

I could live with not adjusting the aperture on EOS lenses, assuming it uses the widest setting. I could throw my 24mm 1.4 on there and that would help a ton. That lens is probably bigger than the entire GH1!

So the banding only appears when the light is too low? If I used a fast lens to bring exposure up, would that help eliminate it? Ceremonies aren't THAT dark all the time, just occasionally.
 
Banding is only an issue in severe low-light situations.
You might want to seriously consider the Panasonic 20mm 1.7. With it, you're going to be fine.
Also, if you're always shooting wide and manual, don't buy the 14-140 - a big waste of your money for that purpose.
That lens is great for its zoom range and auto-focus capabilities.
Get the GH1 with the 20mm, and you'll never ever see banding in a church.
 
I think the HMC150 might be overkill, and too bulky to be dragging around just for a backup/balcony/unmanned/wide wedding shot. You can use an HMC150 or a $200 palmcorder, and the gigs will pay the same. ;)

Since picking up a 2nd GH1 body, I've been using one as the backup/wide shot for weddings, with the 20mm f1.7 attached. Works great!! With a kit lens, you'd be just as well off with a $200 palmcorder...especially if it gets stolen or knocked over. :D

For those complaining about the 20mm f1.7 "hunting" when focusing, I must say that every single video camera I've ever had does this, and if you're leaving your camera in AF while recording...you're just asking for it. The difference is that missed focus us just less noticeable on a small-sensor video camera, since they have huge DOF.

With that in mind, you really don't want to shoot at f1.7 for this kind of shot. I'd rather stop down and bump the gain way up to get a bigger DOF, despite the fact most of my weddings are in caves. Nailing focus is hard enough on the tiny LCD, especially when the subject isn't even on the altar yet, and if everything else is out of focus in the shot, it can be ugly when you actually watch it on a big flat panel. (I shoot 1080/24p.)

I don't brave the hack for wedding work...especially for the balcony/backup cam. Besides the fact it could fail to write, it also usually stops recording once it reaches 4gb and fails to start writing a new file. But yeah, a wide shot in a crowded church can be a strain on the GH1 codec.

And in a reversal of problems, now it's my MAIN camera (GH1 with 14-140 or 45-200) that looks ugly compared to the backup camera! But now days I turn away most church bookings. Church weddings are a PITA, the rules are usually very strict here, the lighting is terrible, and the 14-140 is a big FAIL with it's zoom range and low light performance when forced to shoot 9 miles away from the altar from the back pew or balcony.

Here's a shot from the GH1/20mm f1.7. I think I had it stopped down to at least f5.6....way more probably since there was HUGE backlighting coming in from two sides of the room. There was no place in the back and no balcony, so I just put it on a light stand and hid it behind a structural pillar next to the windows. It did it's job...i.e. provide filler/cutaway for the long-edit. I rarely use any footage from the balcony cam in my 10-minute "highlights" edits. All I need is one single camera for that. The following pics are compressed/resized by SmugMug:



(let me try a larger size)

1056201177_XX3r3-XL.jpg
 
Last edited:
Thanks Jesse for your input. I agree, the 14-140 is too slow and too much for what I'm planning on using it for. I'd like to have a zoom so I can compose shots based on my distance from the alter, but I'd rather have fast glass. Maybe I can buy the GH1 with the 14-140 now for $1k, sell the kit lens and get the 20mm... with some leftover money!

swyzlstyx, you make some good points. I agree the hmc150 is overkill, and a bride couldn't care less. I was using a little Canon Vixia for the back camera, but the low-light was just too bad with the little 1/6 sensor. I had to stop using it and put my hmc150 back there. And if that's the only thing I'm using that camera for, just seems like a waste of a $3k camera. Sell it, get a gh1, and pocket the change. I'm thinking the GH1 would be a good choice right now... at least worth buying and exploring. It'll be way better than my little canon vixia.

Stills look good. Thanks for sharing them.
 
banding is worst apparently with older GH1s, newer are better. Mine @ISO 800 was pathetic before the hack. Now it looks great. Lpowell stable patch at 40Mbps is flawless. I am having trouble with rapid action one with 720p but 1080p works well.
 
I think I'm just going to wait for the gh2. Only concern is problems keeping them in stock. Better preorder.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top