GH2 official discussion thread

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I am teaching martial arts. During the seminars I teach, I film my teaching.
So the camera is on a tripos ans "somebody" is behind it, who usually has no idea of filming.
So I want him to just use the follow focus mode and tell the guy to tap on me on sthe screen, so I am in focus, also when I move around.
That would be perfect for this situation. But it does not work.

Any help?

I can confirm this is possible. I have tried it with pancake and 14-42mm.
 
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Fiona, in the GH1 it's possible to activate both the LCD screen and EVF. So in the GH2 the same can be done probably. Maybe you should download the manual from the Panasonic site and check in there what it says about this.

When you press EVF/LCD button it switches between LCD and EVF, theres no option to have them both on.
 
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Yes, it is is because the the crop factors are calculated for the 4:3 std of the sensor, GH sensors are wider than normal 43 sensors so that in 16:9 mode its not a crop, its actually a 19mm+ wider sensor. Now the field of view in 16:9 stills and video mode is visibly wider than the 4:3 ratio in fact nearly 10% wider. There is some argument over if it behaves like a 1.8 crop because of the circle dia. of the lens, but anyway, crop or FOV it is 1.8 as the equivalent width or tele you will see in 16:9 ratio. So for example the 20mm f1.7 is more like a 35mm lens than a 40mm lens in video and the new 14mm 2.5 will be more like a 25mm(well it is) than a 28mm in video mode. Note, for landscape where I really want the wide factor in stills I always use 16:9 or 3:2(which is also about 3or4% wider than 4:3). This is why you dont want to listen to all these Canon guys about how much bigger their sensor are, in fact they are about 3mm wider than the GH sensor and they need to crop their sensor to get real 16:9, no wonder they have a nightmare with aliasing.

I raised this point in the Canon forum this evening, and some there are skeptical. Can anyone point me to a link that specifically compares the crop factor/FOV for the GH2 in 16:9 mode, versus Canon APS-C (cropped) 16:9 mode. Or, failing that, at least a diagram of 4:3 versus 16:9 on the GH2 sensor? Thanks.

Edit: this gave me part of what I was looking for - scroll down to 'Multi-aspect sensor': http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/DMCGH2/DMCGH2A.HTM
 
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If this whole 'follow focus' thing in video mode ends up being a reality, as in it could really do a realistic looking follow focus with no hunting or pausing to focus, then perhaps a sticky could be created once other users figure out the best method(s) of employing it.

Ragnar
 
I raised this point in the Canon forum this evening, and some there are skeptical. Can anyone point me to a link that specifically compares the crop factor/FOV for the GH2 in 16:9 mode, versus Canon APS-C (cropped) 16:9 mode. Or, failing that, at least a diagram of 4:3 versus 16:9 on the GH2 sensor? Thanks.

Edit: this gave me part of what I was looking for - scroll down to 'Multi-aspect sensor': http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/DMCGH2/DMCGH2A.HTM

Also, Barry Green, if I recall correctly, actually put lenses on both a GH1 and some flavor of Canon and proved that the crop factor based on FoV was not 2. I've actually done ALL the math with actual sensor sizes and he is correct.
 
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I raised this point in the Canon forum this evening, and some there are skeptical. Can anyone point me to a link that specifically compares the crop factor/FOV for the GH2 in 16:9 mode, versus Canon APS-C (cropped) 16:9 mode. Or, failing that, at least a diagram of 4:3 versus 16:9 on the GH2 sensor? Thanks.

Edit: this gave me part of what I was looking for - scroll down to 'Multi-aspect sensor': http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/DMCGH2/DMCGH2A.HTM

Look at comparing Canon 5DM2 sensor and GH1 sensor at http://www.abelcine.com/fov/

It says there is a 1.9x crop, not 1.8x or 2.0x (in 16:9 mode).
 
From the imaging-resource link I calculate 1.85 ....whether one rounds that up or down probably depends on which side of the m43/APS divide one's on :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)
 
I can confirm this is possible. I have tried it with pancake and 14-42mm. Select motion picture mode, options I have set, 24p, AFC, spot focus, pre af qaf, direct focus area off, focus priority on, shutter af on, all touch settings on, continuous af on, exposure mode m. Hit record. Use touch screen, should be a yellow rectangle showing you can change size of this, drag that to your focus point and it will focus to whatever that is dragged on, you dont need to touch set. I think the autotracking function is not available in video mode though only still, it actually says that in the manual in the notes not available when recording motion pictures. I dont think it works in IA either but thats limited to maximum 1080i, 24p is not an option in that mode and ive not managed to get it to work in that mode, it disappears when you press record. Facetracking works in video mode which might be useful to you if you dont have an operator behind the camera and it works well. But if you have someone choosing the focus point on the touchscreen behind the camera I think this works like you want. You can have it focus continuous on that point, or you can press the shutter and it will only focus then.

Thanks for your input.
The focus on touch, woks the described way.
But it does not follow.
As soon as something else is in ther yellow square, this will be in focus. and it does not follow the first object.
I will call Panasonic.
 
I can confirm this is possible. I have tried it with pancake and 14-42mm. Select motion picture mode, options I have set, 24p, AFC, spot focus, pre af qaf, direct focus area off, focus priority on, shutter af on, all touch settings on, continuous af on, exposure mode m. Hit record. Use touch screen, should be a yellow rectangle showing you can change size of this, drag that to your focus point and it will focus to whatever that is dragged on, you dont need to touch set. I think the autotracking function is not available in video mode though only still, it actually says that in the manual in the notes not available when recording motion pictures. I dont think it works in IA either but thats limited to maximum 1080i, 24p is not an option in that mode and ive not managed to get it to work in that mode, it disappears when you press record. Facetracking works in video mode which might be useful to you if you dont have an opertater behind the camera and it works well. But if you have someone choosing the focus point on the touchscreen behind the camera I think this works like you want. You can have it focus continuous on that point, or you can press the shutter and it will only focus then.
Inetresting...
 
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I raised this point in the Canon forum this evening, and some there are skeptical. Can anyone point me to a link that specifically compares the crop factor/FOV for the GH2 in 16:9 mode, versus Canon APS-C (cropped) 16:9 mode. Or, failing that, at least a diagram of 4:3 versus 16:9 on the GH2 sensor? Thanks.

Edit: this gave me part of what I was looking for - scroll down to 'Multi-aspect sensor': http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/DMCGH2/DMCGH2A.HTM

According to this graphic on http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/84...pect-ratiosthe sensor diagonal size does not change when the aspect ratio is switched. In all modes (4:3; 3:2 and 16:9), the diagonal is always around 21.6mm, and that translates in a 2X crop factor.
 
What do you want to know about crop and fov on GH1-2? The horizontal FOV in 16:9 ratio is much wider on an extra wide chip specifically designed for the GH1-2. They could in theory do the same on a Canon aps-c chip and just make the chip bigger than the circle dia. That is basically what Panasonic have done. So the std chip is something like 17x13.5 and on the GH2 its nearly 20mm wide I think by 13.5mm high. So in theory the crop is dictated by the circle dia, a you say 21.6 or whatever, however, we now have a new situation on the GH1 because in 16:9 mode there is no further crop of the sensor, you get the full width to the edge of the circle, anyway it translates to a 16:9 fov of nearly 10% wider, I cant remember exactly bit for ease the fov on a GH2 in 16:9 is about 1.8( I think I calculated it to 1.82 to be exact) Now is the crop also 1.8, there are different schools of thought here, I think there is a difference and in 16:9 it does function differently to x2, but hey it is what it is, but the fov is definatley wider in 16:9 and compares favorably to a Canon aps-c which is 1.6 native, but you could check to see if the fov changes from stills 16:9 mode to video, if they dont, then its still 1.6 fov-crop.
 
It would be nice that we don' t get again into the crop and fov of the Gh1-GH2. It has been discussed so many times and so many threads, to go through it is a pain. Barry has posted a sticky in the af100 forum to explain all this, please refer to it.
 
Thanks for your input.
The focus on touch, woks the described way.
But it does not follow.
As soon as something else is in ther yellow square, this will be in focus. and it does not follow the first object.
I will call Panasonic.

I dont think thats possible. That would be the autotracking function working in video mode. This mode doesent work in IA either, it switches to facetracking as soon as you hit video record. You have to move the yellow square once the thing you want to focus on moves out of it, so you need someone manually moving it on the lcd over the object. Facetracking works that way though.
 
I dont think thats possible.
Well, they advertise with this feature.
And the G2 soall have it as well.
That would be the autotracking function working in video mode.
Exactly.
This mode doesent work in IA either, it switches to facetracking as soon as you hit video record. You have to move the yellow square once the thing you want to focus on moves out of it, so you need someone manually moving it on the lcd over the object. Facetracking works that way though.
But when I teach, I am with a partner in front of the camera, so we face each other and stand with the side to the camera.
So no face-tracking possible there.

I think I will have to go with AF lock. That my help.
But it is not what has been advertised.

I have called Panasonic.
The hotline does not have the camera there yet.
they will send me a mail in the next days.
I told them to check out the G2 as well, which shall have the same feature.
 
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Looks like the Canon 5D just trumped the Gh-1+2. Now better low light and up to 76mbs.

http://vimeo.com/17462182

Nope, because the single biggest problem that Canon sensors exhibit is rainbow moire and this change does nothing to affect that. The difference in aliasing and moire compared to ANY Canon DSLR to any Panasonic DSLR is night and day. And I say this as a 7D owner who does not have a GH1 or 2. If it wasn't for the AF100 I've already ordered, the GH2 would be next on my list. I've examined A LOT of GH2 footage that has been posted and I've been pretty impressed with areas where the Canons would have had moire failure horribly.
 
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