GH5 gh5 autofocus

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stefanocps

Well-known member
Hello, it is time to upgrade form my GH3. Coming form Panasonic my first path is to go with GH5, it has almost evcerything needed for shooting video in planned situation adn also in a kind of run and gun. Only thing that seems weak is AUTOFOCUS, though i have read that firmware updates have make it better. My alternative is FUJI XT3, which have very good specs in all, but no IBIS. I would like a comment on this choice. How is the real situazion of autofocus with GH5 now? Also do you think is still a choice GH5 after 2 years it has come out and with newer project around? A good point with GH5 is that i could save money buying it second hand for example. Thanks for help!
 
You can not use the GH5 autofocus for anything critical where you have to have this shot, right here, right now one time. It's just not reliable enough. It will often at the most inopportune time pulse and lock onto the background even when you have a face taking up more than a third of the frame.

With that said the GH5 is an incredible camera. Too many features to list and the image is orders of magnitude above the GH3. You have lenses and know the interface to some extent. The XT3 looks nice but not nice enough to switch systems for me.

Cheers,
Pete
 
i often find myself in a situation of interview or with the need to record without planning and without possibility to repeat. Neither to be able to be all the time at the lcd monitor and refocus...that s why is crucial for me the autofocus. Not the i i fiolm animal or sport action, generally people...this thing with autofocus makes me so doubtfull
 
Here's my manual focus test using a fly by wire 42.5mm f/1.7

https://youtu.be/GbESNMYJmEk

I think using the touch screen autofocus with a punch in to manual when needed works incredibly quickly and there is never a situation where you can't do that before you hit record. Then it's up to you to keep the same distance to the subject. That can be the hard part if you aren't on a stabilizer or gimbal.

In any case I think the whole need to rely on auto focus is completely misplaced for run and gun. The manual focus tools of the GH5 are incredible if you ask me.

Cheers, Pete
 
stefanocps said:
i often find myself in a situation of interview or with the need to record without planning and without possibility to repeat.
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That's most of my work...very brief & unplanned soundbites with no second chances.

IMO, Canon's still #1 for this. Personally, I just don't want to worry about focus when shooting very shallow with moving subjects, and with the Canon when a face enters the frame it immediately gets tracked perfectly 99% of the time (with a good lens using the 5D Mark IV/1DX Mark II from my experience). You can touch the screen to transition from an area/face to another area/face seamlessly.

Some other companies besides Panasonic (although the S1/R looks promising with the right settings) may be an option too. Definitely Sony's newer mirrorless', Nikon's Z6/Z7, and Fuji's X-T3. Some others too, but it's generally either a bundle of Canon models that offer DPAF (even the HD-only ones) or the newer-ish technology from everyone else.

Like many I think the GH6 will have pretty good AF as Panasonic has made a lot of progress over the years.
 
Yes, put it like this. wWhat i would like to use is a camcorder like SONY AX700/NX80, for the possibilites to be ready quick, and autofocus, stabilization ecc. But this way i will have little control over the image, in term of DOF, and i find this important instead
So either i will use 2 tools, example AX700 and Panasoni G80/85 , so together i can cover most of my need, or i ll go a SLR that is more similar in term of quick usability to AX700. For what i have understood FUJI XT3 could be the one! Canon and Nikon are out of my budget
 
Really depends on which Canon...the SL2 body (HD, DPAF) is $499, and the new 4K EOS RP (not known if 4K DPAF is available) will be around $1300.
 
NorBro said:
Really depends on which Canon...the SL2 body (HD, DPAF) is $499, and the new 4K EOS RP (not known if 4K DPAF is available) will be around $1300.
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aahh i though you were referring to those you mentioned, so remaining well under 1500 for body what would you suggest, i never considered much canon for video?i am readin some specs for eos rp don't seems to have high end video spec, (in temrs of fps at least) while sl2 seems not to have 4k right?
 
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Yea, unfortunately no 4K DPAF in any right now besides the 5D Mark IV, 1DX Mark II, EOS R, and possibly EOS RP (will be announced in a few hours).

None of them do 4K/60p besides the 1DX Mark II, and the EOS R is the only one with external 10-bit.

C-Log and digital IS is offered in the EOS R (and the IS is actually not that bad, but it's not like Panasonic's/Olympus' IBIS). The 5D Mark IV has C-Log too.

All of them have crops in 4K with the 1DX Mark II's 1.2x/1.3x being the least.

Under $1500, the EOS RP would be the only 4K DPAF choice (if it has it).

If HD is okay, I can name some others.

Everything with Canon is a mix of tricks...60p here ($$$), 10-bit there (external), C-Log here in a better body (5D Mark IV)...just seems impossible to get everything in one camera for the time being although the EOS R is close if it had the 5D Mark IV's or 1DX Mark II's body (at least in my opinion).
 
NorBro said:
Yea, unfortunately no 4K DPAF in any right now besides the 5D Mark IV, 1DX Mark II, EOS R, and possibly EOS RP (will be announced in a few hours).

None of them do 4K/60p besides the 1DX Mark II, and the EOS R is the only one with external 10-bit.

C-Log and digital IS is offered in the EOS R (and the IS is actually not that bad, but it's not like Panasonic's/Olympus' IBIS). The 5D Mark IV has C-Log too.

All of them have crops in 4K with the 1DX Mark II's 1.2x/1.3x being the least.

Under $1500, the EOS RP would be the only 4K DPAF choice (if it has it).

If HD is okay, I can name some others.

Everything with Canon is a mix of tricks...60p here ($$$), 10-bit there (external), C-Log here in a better body (5D Mark IV)...just seems impossible to get everything in one camera for the time being although the EOS R is close if it had the 5D Mark IV's or 1DX Mark II's body (at least in my opinion).
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would not buy anything without 4k, so canon could be copnsidered only for this new model coming out. On theother hand fuji xt3 seems muche better tool
 
The Fujifilm's very popular. On paper - sans IBIS - it's a dream come true.

And it's getting a really good AF update in a couple of months.
 
in the meanwhile eos rp has been released, specs seems good a part that 4k is only at 25/30p while 2k 50/60. Why canon is always so tight with this?don't know about it beahve, but don't find it so exciting..do you?
 
No the EOS-RIP looks like a lemon - classic Canon segmentation with no decent AF in 4k and supposedly the old 6dii sensor which has rubbish DR and low res video
 
IMO, it's atrocious for video...forget about it. You just can't win with those people.

___

Might want to wait for the X-T30...will have sick AF and some other decent specs for a very good price if you were considering the X-T3 but don't really need 60p.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1459274-REG/fujifilm_x_t30_mirrorless_digital_camera.html

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Or the a6400 is loaded per usual with insane AF and everything else they already offered 4 years ago:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...ce_6400_b_alpha_a6400_mirrorless_digital.html
 
xt3 seems unbeatable now, no doubt, welll lack of ibis is the only downside part. Could consider xt30 also , is a good saving. Don't know how important are those specs that are in missing compared to xt3. Never had such feature before so..don't know how to consider them
 
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stefanocps said:
xt3 seems unbeatable now, no doubt, welll lack of ibis is the only downside part. Could consider xt30 also , is a good saving. Don't know how important are those specs that are in missing compared to xt3. Never had such feature before so..don't know how to consider them
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My experience with C-AF and the GH5 may be atypical, but it's worked for me pretty well in R&G shooting with the 12-35/2.8 v1 and the dual OIS/IBIS stab. Links to a Maine fun-house of sorts, and a lobster boat excursion below. I used a mod. large single area AF box. No MF used.

https://vimeo.com/242479409
https://vimeo.com/237814119

More recently I've been shooting mainly w/ the G9, which lacks the pro video specs of the GH5, but has 4K60p and even better IBIS...
 
Peter Berry said:
My experience with C-AF and the GH5 may be atypical, but it's worked for me pretty well in R&G shooting with the 12-35/2.8 v1 and the dual OIS/IBIS stab. Links to a Maine fun-house of sorts, and a lobster boat excursion below. I used a mod. large single area AF box. No MF used.

https://vimeo.com/242479409
https://vimeo.com/237814119

More recently I've been shooting mainly w/ the G9, which lacks the pro video specs of the GH5, but has 4K60p and even better IBIS...
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I have watched videos, af is good, you used a deep dof and that make the af mucb easier, isnt jt?
 
If you wanted to, you can really analyze a frame and see these little jumps/infamous Panasonic hunts.

For example, in the first link watch the sign to the left around 33 seconds or so, and keep your eyes on it until about 36 seconds where for a second or even a split second the writing comes into focus and then back out.

Just very unpredictable.
 
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