GH3 GH3 with ProRes

[TheDingo]

I think Panasonic should have included the 10 bit 4:2:2 AVCLongG on the GH3 as the default recording format

...Say it was possible, but Panasonic wanted an additional $500 to cover the hardware/firmware changes to enable this and it would mean you would have to shoot with Micro P2 cards that start at $250 for a 32GB card. Would you be happy to pay for this feature?

 

[Martti Ekstrand]

In preparation for buying a cat to film at 4k, what other kit and crew requirements would you imagine I'd need?

Warm cream, lots and lots of warm cream.

 

[ErikTande]

Hey, have some sympathy for the people needing high-spec gear to shoot cat videos. I mean, have you ever worked with cats? Seriously, they're the ultimate prima donnas; never satisfied with anything. You pull out the 5D-mkII and they object, "that aliasing-ridden P.O.S. will make my beautiful whiskers all jagged.” So, you fire up the AF100, and then they invariably interrupt “How is the soft, mushy video coming from THAT thing supposed to truly capture my magnificence?”

Then, you break down and just hire a Red Epic along with $20,000 worth of Zeiss Master Primes. “Finally, some respect!” says the cat...until he looks at the dailys. “It's so sharp you can see my FLEAS!!!!” You just want to yell back “Well, of course we can see your fleas. It's 5k raw with primo glass. You can see EVERYTHING. That's the point. That's why it costs twice as much as my car!”

But...you hold your tongue. He's the talent, after all...the reason you're here. You know he's what the Youtube audience want to see. You know that the 10-second “Kitty Sleeps in Awkward-Looking Position Part XVII” will get 5 million views, easily, while your 30 minute, coming of age, magnum-opus short film, centering around a young woman's trials through an abusive home life, peer pressure, and the fact that she's a robot-zombie from the planet Zaltrax, goes completely unnoticed on Vimeo, despite all the months of effort you poured into it.

He knows this too. "Maybe I can just roto-out the fleas" you tell him. "Ok, maybe I won't pee on your clean laundry again tonight" he replies. "BTW, we're out of Fancy Feast."


Cats...they rule the world, I tells ya.

This is gold.

 

[Wesley Byram]

This is gold.

Thank you. I'll be here all night.

...because I have nothing else to do.

...I blew all my savings on gear to film my cat.

 

[Carlos_E._Martinez]

It's quite likely that Panasonic loses the gap it had with the GH2 and GH3 cameras to the Blackmagic Pocket.

And you can even use the same lenses!

 

[stoneinapond]

It's quite likely that Panasonic loses the gap it had with the GH2 and GH3 cameras to the Blackmagic Pocket.

And you can even use the same lenses!

You do understand that the GH series and the Pocket (which we still haven't got yet) use different sensor sizes......

 

[Peter J. DeCrescenzo]

Hey, have some sympathy for the people needing high-spec gear to shoot cat videos. ... Cats...they rule the world, I tells ya.

 

[TheDingo]

...The cat is a red-herring. It's the squirrel that is masterminding the whole operation!

 

[Fresno Bob]

I think you'll find it's that cheeky little cat on the other chair

 

[vtwiz]

It seems that people NEED to shoot 4K and RAW to make up for their poor skills. Reframing (cropping) of a wide shot to make up for poor shot selection or composition, grading the heck out if an image to make up for poor lighting or exposure.......
Unless you are shooting for theatrical release, there is no need for 4K or RAW.
The broadcast industry doesn't over scrutinise the fact that XDCAM is a long GOP format or dismiss it as unworkable. It shoots with it, edits it, grades it. I think the fact is that a lot of amateurs are getting hold of small DSLR's and expecting them to make up for their shortcomings whereas not many amateurs are getting hold of XDCAMHD cameras . Pros are generally shooting XDCAMHD and they know how to expose, light and compose. They don't need the huge data rates of RAW or 4K to save them in the edit suite.
the GH3 MOV codec is pretty darn good. I'd rather see the aliasing brought down to an acceptable level, a peaking function, zebras and 1080p global shutter instead of 4K rolling shutter.

 

[J.F.R.]

Reframing (cropping) of a wide shot to make up for poor shot selection or composition, grading the heck out if an image to make up for poor lighting or exposure.......
Unless you are shooting for theatrical release, there is no need for 4K or RAW.

You have no idea what you are talking about...... As a editor working on several projects there is a HUGE difference between 4k and 1080p and the creative possibilities one can achieve with 4k and delivering in 2k/1080p is something you are not aware of and if shown, personally would make you publicly apologize.

 

[vtwiz]

You have no idea what you are talking about...... As a editor working on several projects there is a HUGE difference between 4k and 1080p and the creative possibilities one can achieve with 4k and delivering in 2k/1080p is something you are not aware of and if shown, personally would make you publicly apologize.

I know exactly what I'm talking about.

i started in the TV industry 20 years ago as a trainee tape editor. Then switched to cutting on Avid. A few years later I did a complete role change and moved behind the camera. I worked in the film industry in various roles in the camera dept mainly on music video, commercials and features all shot on 35mm. Just because YOU do not agree with my views does not mean I do not know what I'm talking about. You will not get a public apology out of me as I know full well the advantages and disadvantages of shooting on Hi8 to Panavision to the GH3 and everything in between.
Yes, of course there are advantages to shooting 4K RAW but do 90% of the people here really NEED the cumbersome work flow that it creates or are they getting caught in the 4K RAW hype?
Cropping in post is not that big a deal if you know how to shoot in the first place. How much cropping in was done on 35mm? Not much, the grain structure doesn't take too kindly to a large amount of cropping in. Does this mean that great images or stories couldn't be made on 35mm? Of course not. Did it hold people back? No.
In my professional dealings with DP's and camera operators I find that the people complaining most about a cameras lack of RAW are mainly lesser experienced shooters on forums that have got caught up in the RAW hype. RAW is nice, 4k is nice but like I said, unless you want to deal with the cumbersome workflow, unless you are shooting for theatrical release , it's not really NEEDED. A colleague of mine brought his GH3 on set one day and showed it to me. I was extremely impressed with it for its size and price so I bought one which is why I'm here. It's a great little camera with a few operational issues and features lacking but the fact that it doesn't do ProRes or RAW is not (and shouldn't be) an issue for most here.