GH1 Modes...

NorBro

NorBro

Major Contributor
I know this camera doesn't really have scene settings that you can really tweak like in the professional camcorders, but does anyone have any opinions on the best film mode?

Or maybe their numbers for the Custom settings they use?

Personally, I have been using the vibrant mode.

Thank you.
 
So far from what I've shot and seen smooth has the best color accuracy and overall most controlled look. Very useful for any color grading in post.
 
I like the results I've been getting with Smooth Mode: Contrast 0, Sharpness +2, Saturation 0, and NR 0.

Here is an un color corrected low light video I shot with those settings:



It's always fun to see the settings others are using.
 
NorBro said:
I know this camera doesn't really have scene settings that you can really tweak like in the professional camcorders, but does anyone have any opinions on the best film mode?

Or maybe their numbers for the Custom settings they use?

Personally, I have been using the vibrant mode.

Thank you.
Click to expand...

[Disclaimer: I do not own this camera yet, but I have been reading a bit.]

Search the forum I think you will find there is a commonly accepted setup that includes the smooth mode.

I saw a black and white test somewhere (Vimeo GH1 group maybe) that shows the modes. Vibrant was adding a bit of noise to the image. I could see where Vibrant would be a higher contrast image that pops in color and is pleasing to the eye though.
 
stav1606 said:
why sharpness to +2?
Click to expand...

I tried it out after reading a post by Barry_Green.

Barry_Green said:
I like cranking the detail up, it seems to preserve gradients and fine detail in flat areas. For example, I shot some footage of some seagulls, and there was a lot of fine feather detail in the wings, but after the GH1's compression got through with it, the whole wing looked like a gray smudge. So I took to cranking the sharpness up to +2, and the next time I shot seagull footage it was fantastic. It seems to introduce enough variation into the flat-ish areas that the codec doesn't just wash it all into one big smudge.
Click to expand...

Sharpness +2
I did some informal testing. It really helped to enhance the infocus details in my images, and helped them to stand out from the background. For instance the black lines on my Dilbert desk calendar were never truly crisp on -2 sharpness, and didn't reach the spot I preferred until I hit +2 sharpness. That test, combined with Barry's experience shooting seagull wings, encouraged me to leave sharpness at +2. I don't want my video turning into a smudge.

Contrast 0
I shot for a while at -2 contrast, as I saw that it was a setting many people were using in the forum. It was nice to have the extra dynamic range in the blacks, but the images always seemed somewhat murky, noise in the dark areas was more noticeable, and I was just all around happier with 0.

Here is an example video, shot in the same location on a different night, the only differences in the camera are that contrast is at -2, and I had to shoot more of it at higher ISOs to deal with the lower light that evening. I much prefer the image in the first video I posted on this thread.

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I AGREE


Noise Reduction 0
I didn't notice much of a difference when changing the noise reduction settings, so I simply left it at 0.

Saturation 0
I haven't done much testing of saturation yet, but haven't had any problems leaving the level at 0.

ISO
I try to keep my ISO at 500 or below. A tip I found at http://www.hotrodcameras.com/2009/06/06/17-tips-for-shooting-with-the-panasonic-lumix-dmc-gh1/

I have shot with it increased as demonstrated in the video above, and you can really start to notice noise creep into the image. (ISOs above 500 might be a good time to try increasing the Noise reduction setting, but I haven't tested it yet)

Intelligent Exposure
I currently have this set to off. I haven't tested it yet. But, Barry_Green, tried it out.
Barry_Green said:
Intelligent Exposure (on level 3, maximum) definitely gives a boost to the shadows, but again I don't think it gives a true measurable increase in actual dynamic range; maybe 1/3 of a stop but that's about it.
Click to expand...

There will always be more testing and tweaking to do, but I am happy with my settings for now.
 
After shooting a short film with movie lighting and shooting a ton of available light footage around town, here are my favorite settings:

For controlled lighting situations:
Smooth setting
contrast at 0
sharpness at -2 (for closeups of people and general shooting)
sharpness at 0 (for wide shots)
color at -1
NR at -1 (for shots 400 ISO and lower)
NR at +1 (for shots in the 640 to 1600 range)

For shooting around town:

Standard setting. Same other settings as above.

When setting Sharpness at 0 or higher, closeups of people don't look so hot...every pimple and blemish is accentuated. So, be nice to your actors...closeups at minus 2 sharpness!
 
Thank you for your settings dvbrother.
I can see how sharpness could be a problem with blemishes. :)
Why do you prefer -2 for objects/general shooting?
Why are you using -1 color, is it a personal preference, or were your colors exceeding range?
Do you notice a lot of difference when you adjust NR?
 
adamsterner said:
Thank you for your settings dvbrother.
I can see how sharpness could be a problem with blemishes. :)
Why do you prefer -2 for objects/general shooting?
Why are you using -1 color, is it a personal preference, or were your colors exceeding range?
Do you notice a lot of difference when you adjust NR?
Click to expand...

I like -2 Sharpness for general shooting because sharpness can be added in post, but it can't be taken away. When things get downconverted for the web, a little sharpness may be needed for clarity, but on a big HDTV, or movie screen, the sharpness may be too visible. However, wide panoramas or scenes where you really want the high resolution to "pop", adding sharpness accentuates that effect.

-1 color is just a preference, and now that I think of it, I may set it back to normal.

I've only really noticed a big difference with NR when it's set on +2, which can artificially soften the image. If you have plenty of light and can shoot at a reasonable ISO (say 640 and under), I'd stay away from a lot of noise reduction. It makes skin tones look like wax.
 
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