GH2 GH2 as b cam for Blackmagic digital cinema camera?
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KyleProhaska
Veteran
If you use Smooth -2-2-2-2 and make sure you run it through the right settings in 5DtoRGB you should be in good shape but for some scenes you'll have more trouble because of the DR difference. For scenes with more lighting control you'll be in better shape but I would definitely do some tests to see just how much leeway you have to match things later (on the GH2 end not the BMC end).
If you properly expose you can almost match any camera. GH2 with the Hack is a beast of a camera and honestly better IQ wise than an AF100, and Canon Dslrs. If you are shooting a feature you will have lighting and your shots exposed correctly, I honestly would not worry about it. The only thing the BMC would be better at really is if you were doing Green Screen work, if not you should be more than fine.
Make sure you have some nice glass for your GH2 as well as one of the latest hacks.
petrspetla
Active member
How can you be so sure BMC is good digital cinema camera? Did you work with it? 
I saw some footage from John Brawley and yes, some of shots look really nice (baby Alexa), but well... what about workflow and terrible noise?
I think you have to choose between 1080p 4:2:0 and 2,5K RAW. I know, its easy to match any cinema camera (Red, Arri) with GH2, but you would lose strength of it = DR, RAW...
And what about lightning. Its sometimes hard to light scene for more cameras. From one spot it can look awesome, from the other it can look like a crap.
I saw some footage from John Brawley and yes, some of shots look really nice (baby Alexa), but well... what about workflow and terrible noise?
I think you have to choose between 1080p 4:2:0 and 2,5K RAW. I know, its easy to match any cinema camera (Red, Arri) with GH2, but you would lose strength of it = DR, RAW...
And what about lightning. Its sometimes hard to light scene for more cameras. From one spot it can look awesome, from the other it can look like a crap.
How can you be so sure BMC is good digital cinema camera? Did you work with it?
I saw some footage from John Brawley and yes, some of shots look really nice (baby Alexa), but well... what about workflow and terrible noise?
I think you have to choose between 1080p 4:2:0 and 2,5K RAW. I know, its easy to match any cinema camera (Red, Arri) with GH2, but you would lose strength of it = DR, RAW...
And what about lightning. Its sometimes hard to light scene for more cameras. From one spot it can look awesome, from the other it can look like a crap.
Of course there is no way of knowing the results it will produce yet, but from what I've seen it is better than any other camera I own and I am willing to take a risk on it. Also, the most iimportant factor in my film is not the amount of noise in the shadows. For a film of this small size I am pouring my resources into what I believe to be more valuable facets of the production. My goal is to tell a great story and regardless of any kinks the camera will likely have, it is my best option now.
Seriously? The only thing a 13 stop Raw Digital Cinema Camera would be better for is green screen?
Noise is just how raw is, that's it, period. If you want to denoise then you denoise, if not yo udon't. That's what happens when you have a better camera, across the board.
Workflows' simple, whether you have the patience to deal with it is another story. It's not like the GH2 is plug and play, you still have to convert to something editable depending on your OS.
Why does he have to choose? They're both cheaply purchased. EVen the GH3 will be a cheap buy, so why not have both if you can? I will.
It's not hard... it's just planning. Multi cam shoots happen on large and small budgets. If you've actually done it before then it's not a big deal.
Don't just quote me out of context. If you pay attention to my first sentence I clearly said if you properly light each scene you can almost match any camera. The main advantage though being the BMC in green screen due to the extra res and latitude. Of course the BMC as of now spec wise or just what we have seen is a better camera. No one can doubt that, but my post is different than how you quoted me. We will soon see what the BMC can do.
petrspetla
Active member
Kholi, you didn´t understand me. I meant, that if he use BMC with RAW and GH2, he cant push image too far, because of GH2.
Image would be as good as worst camera at set. So tell my, why anybody would like to mix GH2 with BMC?
And noise? I heard BMC has terrible noise, but it was preproduction model, so its maybe better now.
Multicam is not hard if your cinematographer know, what is he doing and if you have nice budget.
Image would be as good as worst camera at set. So tell my, why anybody would like to mix GH2 with BMC?
And noise? I heard BMC has terrible noise, but it was preproduction model, so its maybe better now.
Multicam is not hard if your cinematographer know, what is he doing and if you have nice budget.
I wouldn't shoot cross coverage with a GH2/3 and Magic Cam, no. That's a different story. But wouldI use the GH2 to net inserts, cut aways, b-roll? Yeah. I get what you're saying now on this point.
This is RAW. Have you ever seen Alexa RAW footage before it'sbeen processed? I'm noticing not many have.
Noise is going to be there, the difference is that you can remove itand make it look like MK3 soft noiseless detailless footage if you want with the switch of a slider.
You can't do the opposite for most DSLrs.
RIght if you know what you'redoing then it really isn't difficult. I've multi-cammed jobs with DSLRs running both cameras by myself.
petrspetla
Active member
Kholi: I know there is noise in RAW. I worked with Red MX footage and played with Alexa, but i am just saying what i heard -> BMC camera was too much noisy and BMC promised they will fix it.
I guess they already did it when i saw this https://vimeo.com/47933090 , so i apologies.
To be honest, i never did lightning for multicam. I am used to work with just one camera and focus on details, but well, you are right. If you know what are you doing and you planned it well, its not difficult to light for multicam.
I guess they already did it when i saw this https://vimeo.com/47933090 , so i apologies.
To be honest, i never did lightning for multicam. I am used to work with just one camera and focus on details, but well, you are right. If you know what are you doing and you planned it well, its not difficult to light for multicam.
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Kholi, you are correct - I intend to use it to shoot inserts and additional footage on the fly in hopes that it may supplement the bmc footage, but definitely not cross coverage.
On my last feature which was shot on RED MX, I matched a couple of GH2 shots quite well and was hoping I could get away with the some technique in certain situations with the bmc.
On my last feature which was shot on RED MX, I matched a couple of GH2 shots quite well and was hoping I could get away with the some technique in certain situations with the bmc.
I did the exact same thing on my feature, and that was prehack GH2 along with hacked GH2. RED MX 4.5K. Cuts fine.
I'm also gonna use the GH2 (or GH3 if the timing is right) for slow mo. It'll definitely serve its purpose there.
For interviews, it wouldn't be a big deal to use the GH2 as a tight cam, either. Would cut just fine.
nyvz
Veteran
I think GH2 would make a great B-camera for the BMCC since it has a similar usable ISO range and similar sensor size and good price range for a b-camera. Use the GH2 when you need 720p60 or ETC or in scenes where the aliasing in the BMCC seems to be too much (no OLPF in BMCC so all detail smaller than two pixels aliases and causes color moire, whereas GH2 is super sharp with very little aliasing). GH2 will be a little more limited as far as DR, but for tigher shots where you are less likely to get speculars or practicals or a broad range of contrast in your frame, its probably a pretty good match.
Peter J. DeCrescenzo
Veteran
Using a hacked GH2 @ 1080p mostly for close-ups for intercutting with BMCC med & wides will probably work fine.
The audience subconsciously ascribes more detail & image quality to a CU than what's actually there. So you can often use a "lesser" video camera for CU and more easily get away with it. This trick has been used for decades.
It'll be interesting to see how hacked GH2 @ 720p60/50 (for slo-mo) looks intercut with BMCC @ 1080p. Difficult to guess w/o seeing some tests.
We shall see soon enough. Well, not soon enough for me ... ;-)
The audience subconsciously ascribes more detail & image quality to a CU than what's actually there. So you can often use a "lesser" video camera for CU and more easily get away with it. This trick has been used for decades.
It'll be interesting to see how hacked GH2 @ 720p60/50 (for slo-mo) looks intercut with BMCC @ 1080p. Difficult to guess w/o seeing some tests.
We shall see soon enough. Well, not soon enough for me ... ;-)
I wonder why everybody seems to be considering the BMC a true 2.5K camera when people always said the RED ONE wasn't a real 4K camera. Doesn't the BMC have a 2.5K CMOS bayer sensor?
About intercutting the BMC and GH2, color difference will give you away before resolution will, besides the GH2 is really sharp enough to intercut with pretty much anything out there. Color and DR are your main worries.
About intercutting the BMC and GH2, color difference will give you away before resolution will, besides the GH2 is really sharp enough to intercut with pretty much anything out there. Color and DR are your main worries.
Yes, as already said with RAW you can recover the image really well and come up with a pretty clean image.
My main dislikes with the BMC are 23.98-30p only, form factor, lens mount and lens choices, lack of professional features, no timecode, apparently no phantom power, can you monitor audio (?), sensor size (while M4/3 is still ok, the BMC is much closer to S16 than to S35 already), bigger problem with wide angle, the construction is yet to be tested, seems to be very menu oriented and a few other smaller things. The thing for me is that although the BMC shoots RAW it seems like it will be a pain to work with, specially in a demanding professional environment and will need lots of additional accessories that if you don't already have will increase the price of ownership beyond the illusory $2.5k. If the sacrifice will be worth it because of RAW and the announced 13 stops it is still to be seen. RED said the RED ONE had so many stops of DR but when the camera got to the hands of actual shooters tests revealed it was actually less. Same with resolution. The the RED workflow initially was a pain in the butt too. So let's see if the BMC will indeed be the holy grail many are preaching it to be. If it is and after all the paying beta-testers put out the reviews and it checks up, I may buy one too.