GH4 Got my GH4... now what? Settings, setup, updates?
- Thread starter tampawolf
- Start date
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Mark Williams
Veteran
Forget all the flat settings you read about. Put it on standard profile and learn how to get accurate exposure and white balance. Follow mcbob's advice.
+1 to Mark and mcbob
Keep it simple. This cam definitely works better when you shoot in the middle of the road. Anything that moves you away from the middle is more often than not detrimental to the peak image it can create.
I shoot CineV at all zeros with 16-235 luminance, because I have a workflow that is effortless there. Others shoot Neutral or Standard with all zero's and don't have to do anything to the image in post. I personally think this is where the GH4 is most perfect. Anything that moves the image when recording and then has to move it back or changes it in post virtually always degrades the image it can create. Most of the CineD profiles with LUT's added in post are hideous IMHO.
Obviously others have produced some amazing images with settings that are not down the middle of the road, but more often than not anything out of that middle ground is tough to watch.
Cheers,
Pete
Keep it simple. This cam definitely works better when you shoot in the middle of the road. Anything that moves you away from the middle is more often than not detrimental to the peak image it can create.
I shoot CineV at all zeros with 16-235 luminance, because I have a workflow that is effortless there. Others shoot Neutral or Standard with all zero's and don't have to do anything to the image in post. I personally think this is where the GH4 is most perfect. Anything that moves the image when recording and then has to move it back or changes it in post virtually always degrades the image it can create. Most of the CineD profiles with LUT's added in post are hideous IMHO.
Obviously others have produced some amazing images with settings that are not down the middle of the road, but more often than not anything out of that middle ground is tough to watch.
Cheers,
Pete
Totally agree.
Go shoot some stuff. Play around with the settings. Figure out what YOU like and what works for YOUR workflow.
I shoot natural with sharpness down a couple of notches and (IIRC) +1 to the shadows, because that matches my "default" grade for my RED Scarlet. You don't really have enough data rate to be messing around with very flat profiles in my opinion, but your mileage may vary.
Go shoot an actual project, however small and figure it out from there.
Cheers, Hywel
Go shoot some stuff. Play around with the settings. Figure out what YOU like and what works for YOUR workflow.
I shoot natural with sharpness down a couple of notches and (IIRC) +1 to the shadows, because that matches my "default" grade for my RED Scarlet. You don't really have enough data rate to be messing around with very flat profiles in my opinion, but your mileage may vary.
Go shoot an actual project, however small and figure it out from there.
Cheers, Hywel
Steve Benjamin
Active member
Just get Dave Dugdales "all you need to know about the GH4" does exactly what it says on the tin!
Have to agree. Cinelike D - if used properly (with contrast at 0 or -1, pulled down sharpness/noise reduction (VERY fine grain) and saturation to -5, no highlight/shadows/iDynamic/mp adjustment what so ever) - and good grading, looks incredible. Almost BMCC/Alexa like.
Sol M.
Veteran
Shooting with the camera as much as possible is certainly the best way to become proficient with it, but out of the box, the GH4 isn't the most intuitive camera for video work.
Getting the camera set up properly from the start makes it easier to focus on shooting great images. Here's a series of guides on configuring the GH4 for video, starting with an overview of the different aspects of the camera you can adjust to configure it to your needs, followed by a quick-setup guide (under 5 minutes) and guides on customizing other features like function buttons, quick menu, custom profiles, etc.
Getting the camera set up properly from the start makes it easier to focus on shooting great images. Here's a series of guides on configuring the GH4 for video, starting with an overview of the different aspects of the camera you can adjust to configure it to your needs, followed by a quick-setup guide (under 5 minutes) and guides on customizing other features like function buttons, quick menu, custom profiles, etc.