GH4 GH5 w/ MB Speedbooster + Sigma 18-35 vs A7sii w/ Canon 35mm 1.4 Lowlight

theillestmc12 said:
I was suprised on how the GH5 performed at 1600. Make sure to check out the downloadable footage to grade.
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...Not a fan of the lens flare from the SpeedBoosted Sigma 18-35mm lens. I think it significantly degrades the quality of the image. ( especially the last shot with the row of street-lights )

I would love to see this test done with a native m4/3 lens like the PanaLeica 12mm f/1.4 or the Voightlander 17.5mm f/0.95 lens.
 
Much better test than most but a few things I think would make it better:

Sony Slog 1600 ISO is native. GH5 vlog 1600 is not. While ISOs are same, it's not an equivalent test as GH5 above native ISO in vlog is poor. In addition, there's really no benefit to shooting vlog in any of the scenes shown here, or anytime shooting lowlight high ISO. As such any cinematographer would switch off to something like CineD.

As such, it would be helpful to see this done w/GH5 in CineD @ 1600 ISO. A7S could be left in slog since that's native, or could be moved to a picture profile in addition for a comparison.

Agree the lens flare looks worse on the GH5. Not sure if that's the Sigma or the GH5's handling of light sources at higher ISO, because another test exhibited this on the GH5 as well and I am pretty sure they weren't both using the Sigma.

All in all this was helpful. I appreciate seeing it with the lens setup they did on the GH5 as that is what you would use real world when trying to get good lowlight. I'd also be curious to see GH5 just set to 1.4 to match the Sony as well.

Regarding see it with a native lens, sure, that'd be cool too. I don't think it's detrimental to see it with a good speedbooster lens as this is a great and relevant test. Of course I use all voigtlanders, so seeing it with a native 17.5 voigt would be awesome.
 
TheDingo said:
...Not a fan of the lens flare from the SpeedBoosted Sigma 18-35mm lens. I think it significantly degrades the quality of the image. ( especially the last shot with the row of street-lights )

I would love to see this test done with a native m4/3 lens like the PanaLeica 12mm f/1.4 or the Voightlander 17.5mm f/0.95 lens.
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Haven't used Voightlander's 17mm, but do own their 25mm, & wide-open it blooms streetlights in a similar manner as the Sigma 18-35mm/SpeedBooster combo. Like you I'm not a fan of the look.

While out-of-town recently I got an additional assignment for a series of photographs, & instead of shipping my 5D(s) + lenses from LA I opted to buy the Leica branded Panasonic 42.5/1.2, & 12/1.4. I already owned the other PanaLeica primes, but these two new lenses have really raised the bar, & make the others feel like toys. I'll keep using the older PanaLeica's as they are some of the finest m4/3 optics, but now hope these get updated to be more inline with the 12/1.4, & 42.5/1.2.
 
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filmguy123 said:
Bern, any samples?
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Only just got the lenses & so far mostly used them on jobs I'm not at liberty to share.

Even though I'll likely use the PanaLeicas primarily for stills, or filming in lower light, I ordered a set of ProNDs, & Xumes, in both 67mm, & 62mm, that should be arriving tomorrow, so hope to be running informal tests soon.
 
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filmguy123 said:
Ahh I had done mine as lens > step up ring > xume > filter

So this is lens > xume > step up ring > filter?
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Best practice with the Xumes is to protect them from knocks that might dislodge the filter by using them inside a hood that attaches directly to the lens, which often means within bayonet mounted OEM hoods. Some of Mamiya's RZ 77mm rubber hoods have front threads suited to attaching Xumes, but almost no others do. I have a 77mm filter set that uses 80mm step-up Front/Cine Rings, Mamiya RZ hoods, & Xumes, but it's bulkier than I want for m4/3, so I primarily use a 58mm system that natively fits my workhorse lenses, the 12-35/2.8, & 35-100/2.8.

For the 12/1.4, & 42.5/1.2, I'm adding seperate sets of 2, 4, & 6, stop NDs, plus a Clear filter, both in 62mm, & 67mm. The PanaLeica primes are principally for my personal use, & along with a GH5, live inside a Peak Design sling bag, but will have secondary uses for on-set stills, & B-Roll. It's mostly a kit to grab on a day off, or after the job, but also suitable for B-Roll, & pre-production Scouts, so having a handful of NDs make sense.

There are lots of jobs the GH cameras can handle, but when practical I'll usually use my FS7, or whatever camera the production dictates, such as an ARRI. But even when filming on the other systems I always bring a GH kit, & often end up using some of it's footage in the cut. This pared down PanaLeica kit will fill this need for those days I don't want to drag around the full Monty.
 
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On a side note...The 12/1.4's hood is well built, & reverses nicely on over the lens for storage, but provides little shading if a filter is attached, & none when the filter is stacked on top of Xumes.

Would love Xume, or some 3rd party, to offer screw-in lens hoods with front threads suited for the Xume Adapters. Offer a variety of sizes, & models for different FOVs, & I'll back your Kickstarter.
 
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfIyJJYS7qQ

my quick and dirty test of the GH5 + sigma 35 1.4 + speedbooster XL at 1600iso.

I graded the final footage so it's a bit darker than what was shot. No NR and even added gorilla grain to it. You guys can get a sense of the noise at 1600iso. Used the 35mm fuji 4k gorilla grain and it didn't really do much since the 1600iso footage's noise matched it pretty well.

That alley was REALLY dark so I was pretty amazed at the results from the SB+art+1600iso combo.
 
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