GH2 GH2vk Unleashed
- Thread starter Sage
- Start date
They look very good indeed...
Reduce the bitrate to 32 mbit and you won´t get "blips"
awelgraven
Well-known member
I can play back my hacked footage (42 and 32 mbps) on my camera... and my class 6 cards seem to be holding up to very detailed wides.
Check the still image it shows for video playback in camera. Does it have all kinds of macro blocks?
awelgraven
Well-known member
Yes, the first second is garbage. But someone said a page or two back that hacked footage couldn't be played back in camera. But I can. Mine plays back fine.
cowpunk52
Veteran
I just installed the GH2vk hack and ran some tests. I shot outdoors at ISO 320, f/11 with a 1/400 shutter. I used a Sandisk Extreme class 6 SDHC card and got no recording errors whatsoever. Here is what I've found:
1) The hack will give you more noise in your footage, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I personally can't stand super clean footage, so I always put just a little film grain into my GH2 shots. The 42 mbps hack gives a noise profile extremely similar to the film grain that I add in post, so I don't need that extra step anymore. The macro-blocking is largely gone, and what's left is a very film-like and organic image - especially compared to unhacked footage. I'm actually quite surprised at how much it does look like film stock.
2) As far as resolution goes, I can't see a discernable difference between hacked and unhacked footage in a highly detailed static shot.
3) Motion is far more organic, I'm guessing due to the AVC codec having more bandwidth to record and not smudging things into macro-blocks. Looks really nice.
4) Footage can be played back in camera with my Sandisk Extreme Class 6 card.
5) The first second of every clip will be smudgy and terrible until the codec catches up. It was never more than 1 second for me. Allot time for this when you're shooting your takes.
The GH2 was already a great camera with a very nice codec. So far, the GH2 hack does not make the drastic difference that the GH1 hack had on that model camera, but the GH1 was far more crippled. What the GH2 hack does do, however, is take a very good image and make it really exceptional for those that want as organic a look as possible out of their GH2. I'm really impressed with the how nice it looks, especially after I apply a moderate grade.
I'm definitely looking forward to further developments in IQ, but I don't think people should get their hopes too high here. We're approaching the law of diminishing returns. The GH2's 24p footage at 24 mbps is really really good - but 42 mbps, it is truly beautiful, and if you want the absolute best, most organic quality this cam can put out right now, go for it. Install the hack. Enjoy your $900 cinema camera.
1) The hack will give you more noise in your footage, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I personally can't stand super clean footage, so I always put just a little film grain into my GH2 shots. The 42 mbps hack gives a noise profile extremely similar to the film grain that I add in post, so I don't need that extra step anymore. The macro-blocking is largely gone, and what's left is a very film-like and organic image - especially compared to unhacked footage. I'm actually quite surprised at how much it does look like film stock.
2) As far as resolution goes, I can't see a discernable difference between hacked and unhacked footage in a highly detailed static shot.
3) Motion is far more organic, I'm guessing due to the AVC codec having more bandwidth to record and not smudging things into macro-blocks. Looks really nice.
4) Footage can be played back in camera with my Sandisk Extreme Class 6 card.
5) The first second of every clip will be smudgy and terrible until the codec catches up. It was never more than 1 second for me. Allot time for this when you're shooting your takes.
The GH2 was already a great camera with a very nice codec. So far, the GH2 hack does not make the drastic difference that the GH1 hack had on that model camera, but the GH1 was far more crippled. What the GH2 hack does do, however, is take a very good image and make it really exceptional for those that want as organic a look as possible out of their GH2. I'm really impressed with the how nice it looks, especially after I apply a moderate grade.
I'm definitely looking forward to further developments in IQ, but I don't think people should get their hopes too high here. We're approaching the law of diminishing returns. The GH2's 24p footage at 24 mbps is really really good - but 42 mbps, it is truly beautiful, and if you want the absolute best, most organic quality this cam can put out right now, go for it. Install the hack. Enjoy your $900 cinema camera.
All I would like to see is the same shot, one @ 24 megabit unhacked and then another with the 42 or 32 Mbit/s hack. The same framing from a tripod, same exposure. I watch my footage on a 60" Sony LED/LCD tv and just want to know if this is all worth the hassle. A blip at the beginning of every clip is worse to me than the very minor if ever macroblocking, not to mention the cost of disk space. I shoot lots of videos of my kids and start and stop all the time. I think 15 clips with blips would drive me nuts, and I have yet to see any comparison videos of 32 vs 24 megabit.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for technology, and I have donated to the hacker's site - I just don't shoot 29.97 / 720p / etc. Only 24p 24Mbit/s.
Thanks - is anyone up to showing me the difference vis-a-vis two different clips?
Shawn
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for technology, and I have donated to the hacker's site - I just don't shoot 29.97 / 720p / etc. Only 24p 24Mbit/s.
Thanks - is anyone up to showing me the difference vis-a-vis two different clips?
Shawn
You can always play it back ok. However, the first second messing up is not a good thing. 32 mb/sec is plenty. Really the 42 mb/sec setting is overkill and it severely limits reliability.
Doesn't that violate the "180 degree shutter rule?" I always try to get the shutter speed to 1/50 and use ND filters outside. Why not lower at least the ISO back to 160 and adjust the shutter accordingly? Either way, I'd love to see comparison clips.
cowpunk52
Veteran
I'm uploading clips for you now. They are static shots, one is at 35mm and the other 105mm. ISO 320, aperture at f/11 and shutter is 1/400th. I'll go ahead and tell you, though, that if your purposes are primarily shooting home videos of your kids, then the hack probably isn't worth it.
Yes, it does violate the 180 degree rule, but I did it to really see if there was a difference in detail. The shots were done outdoors with mild wind and I didn't want motion blur to get in the way of my evaluation.
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cowpunk52
Veteran
I'm uploading a zip file (approx 250MB) with two folders (hacked and unhacked) that contain the original PRIVATE folders from my cards. Should be done uploading in about half an hour.
The hacked mts files hang up on VLC for me halfway through, but play just fine in Final Cut and I was able to transcode the entire clips to ProRes with no problem at all. Just FYI.
The hacked mts files hang up on VLC for me halfway through, but play just fine in Final Cut and I was able to transcode the entire clips to ProRes with no problem at all. Just FYI.
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cowpunk52
Veteran
Heavy grading will see a benefit due to less macroblocks. Highly detailed motion will definitely see a benefit. And that's about it. But the benefit isn't a night and day difference - and I'd challenge any casual viewer to be able to see it. The clips uploading now are static shots, but I'm about to do some motion shots at 160 ISO and upload those, too.
adammada
Well-known member
Yes - we can talk about the poor picture and beautiful. Vitaliy spoke of a photo-BQ for his announcements at 3.61D. No, I say!
It seems to me just before so he would have with the 3.61D the excellent 1080/24pN eliminated. . . and one would now 1080/60i with high MBit. . .
cowpunk52
Veteran
These are the static comparison clips:
320 ISO
f11
1/400 shutter
35mm & 105mm
Smooth Mode, everything -2
http://www.sendspace.com/file/c7xmem
320 ISO
f11
1/400 shutter
35mm & 105mm
Smooth Mode, everything -2
http://www.sendspace.com/file/c7xmem
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cowpunk52
Veteran
Uploading the comparison clips with camera motion now. Zip file is 500MB, so I had to find another host. Will take about 1 hour to upload completely.
In my opinion, the motion tests is where the difference between hacked and unhacked is most apparent. I shot at 160 ISO with 1/50 shutter at an f/5.6-8 split, this time in Cinema Mode, everything -2.
In my opinion, the motion tests is where the difference between hacked and unhacked is most apparent. I shot at 160 ISO with 1/50 shutter at an f/5.6-8 split, this time in Cinema Mode, everything -2.