GH4 GH4 with cheap lens?

[phorus]

Hi,

I would like to ask about GH4 with factory lens, I think its Lumix 14-140 mm lens.
(I dont have any previous experience with lenses)

First I would like to ask, is this good enough lens? My main focus is picture quality, the clarity and colors. My previous camera is DVX100b, i would hope it would do alot better job in picture quality and hopefully in noise, etc?

What are the most common downsides i will see with this lens compared to more quality lens?

The camera would come with the lens, what else do i need to purchase for basic filming? For example ND filter?

About the GH4 camera itself, I had lots of trouble with DVX color compression (blocky red/blue) and some color bleeding around the edges. Are the colors more better and picture stays together?

Is there big quality difference in low light between DVX100b and GH4, if its some how comparable? (for example, how the camera sees in dark and the amount of noise, blotchines of the image?)

And last, I dont have any experience with cameras that has rolling shutter. What do you think, is the effect noticeable after when I have only used regular shutter cameras? Is the effect that bad and noticeable?

Thanks

 

[Jim Simon]

I find the 14-140 to be unsuitable for video use as it only opens to 4.0 at best (and closes to 5.6 at full telephoto).

That's just unacceptably poor for video use. I consider that any lens properly designed for video must open to at least 2.8 at all focal lengths.

 

[Vesku]

The current GH4 14-140mm kit lens is f 3.5-5.6. It has very sharp and good image but it has drawbacks in video use. Image stabilization is generally good but has nasty micro-jittering all the time when shooting hand held. The zooming is difficult because it looses focus very easily even with little zoom move. Tele end (above 100mm) is quite useless hand held because it has so much jitter/wobble than no post stabilization can correct it.

GH4 codec and colors are very good. In 4k and fullhd there is surprisingly little color bleed for a 4:2:0 codec. There is noise in high iso but it is fine grain, not blotchy or color blocks if using NR -5.

There is quite much rolling shutter in 4k. You must avoid rapid camera movements (image skews) and bad stabilization (jello) with 4k. Fullhd has much less RS, almost none.

 

[DPStewart]

I find the 14-140mm to be a great OUTDOOR daylight video lens. Park that baby at about F/8 and you will get SHARP video with pretty darn good color and image stabilization that may not be outstanding but sure helps.

But no - it is obviously a slow lens at f/3.5-5.6 so it is not going to do well indoors or in low light.

It's still my #1 lens for those occasions I need to make use of a deep depth of field and the image stabilizer and the auto-focus. You know - run and gun type stuff.

Plus, it will work on a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera.

 

[lovecameras]

c-mount lenses, many are great

 

[David W. Jones]

The 14-140mm zoom is the only native M4/3 lens I own, as it came with my GH1. As others have said, it is not a fast lens, but useful nun the less.

The majority of the time when I'm shooting with the GH4 I use a SpeedBooster/adapter and non-M4/3 lenses.

 

[ROCKMORE]

Hi,

I would like to ask about GH4 with factory lens, I think its Lumix 14-140 mm lens.
(I dont have any previous experience with lenses)

First I would like to ask, is this good enough lens? My main focus is picture quality, the clarity and colors. My previous camera is DVX100b, i would hope it would do alot better job in picture quality and hopefully in noise, etc?

What are the most common downsides i will see with this lens compared to more quality lens?

The camera would come with the lens, what else do i need to purchase for basic filming? For example ND filter?

I just got this G7 with the 14-42 kit lens and had to shoot a 4K cinema job the next day with no time to get adapters for my better, faster Canon lenses. Any port in a storm. The lens is slow with a variable aperture 3.5-5.6, but that's what lights are for, the detail is remarkable and yes even with a 5.6 42mm lens you can get narrower DoF by just getting closer to your subject.
These images are 4K grabs right off the timeline shot cineD with no corrections.
I have a 0.65 Speedbooster ordered for my Tamron 17-50 2.8 non vc, Canon 70-200 F4L and Tokina 11-20 2.8, and my complete set of Zuiko OM lenses from the 80s, but I have new respect for the M43 optics and electronics, even the cheapest ones. This commercial will run in theaters on a big screen this month, so I will have something more to examine in terms of production quality.
You will need a 2 or 3 stop ND fliter for sure since these cams only close to 200asa.
If you got better lenses use them, if you don't got them, then use what you got. Just get out and try. The day for excuses is in the past. Slim pickins for pixel peepers.
This day, it's not the lenses fault if you can't get a good picture.

 

[Mark Williams]

See the lenses in my signature. IMO a 2.8 lens is not necessary. Here is a video shot with them.

 

[David Del Real]

I just got this G7 with the 14-42 kit lens and had to shoot a 4K cinema job the next day with no time to get adapters for my better, faster Canon lenses. Any port in a storm. The lens is slow with a variable aperture 3.5-5.6, but that's what lights are for, the detail is remarkable and yes even with a 5.6 42mm lens you can get narrower DoF by just getting closer to your subject.
These images are 4K grabs right off the timeline shot cineD with no corrections.
I have a 0.65 Speedbooster ordered for my Tamron 17-50 2.8 non vc, Canon 70-200 F4L and Tokina 11-20 2.8, and my complete set of Zuiko OM lenses from the 80s, but I have new respect for the M43 optics and electronics, even the cheapest ones. This commercial will run in theaters on a big screen this month, so I will have something more to examine in terms of production quality.
You will need a 2 or 3 stop ND fliter for sure since these cams only close to 200asa.
If you got better lenses use them, if you don't got them, then use what you got. Just get out and try. The day for excuses is in the past. Slim pickins for pixel peepers.
This day, it's not the lenses fault if you can't get a good picture.

Nice, did you adjust CinelikeD settings in camera? If so, what were your settings?

 

[stoneinapond]

See the lenses in my signature. IMO a 2.8 lens is not necessary. Here is a video shot with them.

I know Mark likes the original GH1 kit lens, the 14-45, and I'm fully with him on that. It's a lovely lens that is a standout as far as the kit lenses go.

My current submission in the above "GH Still and Motion Gallery" was shot with V-Log L and the 14-45mm.

To paraphrase ROCKMORE, don't obsess too much about the glass.

 

[Jaime Valles]

The 14-140mm lens is a great all-around lens, but it's not good in low light. For outdoor daylight use it's excellent.

For indoor or low-light use, get a cheap Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 with a m4/3 adapter for around $100 on Ebay and you'll be set.

The GH4 has much, Much, MUCH better image quality than a DVX100b. Especially i you shoot in 4K and then scale that down to 1080. Rolling shutter is okay if you use lenses with stabilization, or if you're careful when going handheld and don't do a lot of fast shaky movements. This video I shot with the GH4 and GH3 using mostly prime lenses with no stabilization, as well as the 14-140mm lens (version 1):

 

[ROCKMORE]

Nice, did you adjust CinelikeD settings in camera? If so, what were your settings?

I set it to -4 contrast and -2 saturation but this is a new camera for me coming from Canon and sort of has a mind of it's own. I just checked the settings and somehow it's now set to 0 across the board. The results are pretty good. Since the lens is slow I used 2 lights. One 1000w Lowel Tota and a 1000w Lowel DP with 3/4 blue and 216 diffusion. I had the camera color temp set to 4500K which gave me a good mix between the gelled lights and available daylight. I've heard complaints about skin tones, but these results are quite nice and better than the Canons with Cinestyle.
All in all the camera is very easy to get a good starting point. Grading should be better. I'm looking forward to the Gh5, My 7 year old 2nd grader has his eye on the G7. He downloaded and installed the image apps to his tab and my galaxy in 5 seconds so I think there is a plan.

 

[phorus]

Thanks guys, thats very helpful information and clarifies many things

Are there any same price cameras that dont have the rolling shutter? Any suggestios?

 

[stoneinapond]

Are there any same price cameras that dont have the rolling shutter? Any suggestios?

No. Avoid situations that induce it or at least work around them. You would need to go to a global shutter which is more expensive and has it's own downsides.

At some point they should become more common.

 

[Jaime Valles]

Are there any same price cameras that dont have the rolling shutter? Any suggestios?

The only camera I can think of that has global shutter and shoots 4K that is somewhat close to the price of a GH4 that is available right now is the Blackmagic Production Camera (either in EF mount or PL mount) for $2995:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?N=10964119&InitialSearch=yes&sts=pi

Then there's the URSA Mini 4K which also does global shutter and is starting to become available (also $2995). It has the same sensor as the Production Camera (I believe) but in a much nicer camera body:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...inecamursam40k_ef_ursa_4k_digital_cinema.html

And the URSA Mini 4.6K will take a bit longer to finish, but it can also do global shutter (and switch to rolling shutter for better dynamic range). It's much more expensive, though ($4995):

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...inecamursam46k_ef_ursa_mini_4_6k_digital.html