How do you pull focus on your GH2?

B

binba

Active member
It sometimes seems like everything about the camera's design goes against manual focusing. The camera body and its mounting points flex and nudge in some focus pulling situations, and now I'm trying to deal with the disabling of all focus assists with the HDMI attached. It's pretty infuriating.

Is there any internal focus assist method, in any way, that can be enabled while recording and while HDMI is attached? Otherwise I guess it's back to tape measure and a $1,000 onboard monitor.

Thanks
 
This is excellent subject, for which I don't have a lot to offer. Except that I am currently evaluating the same thing. What I want is a motorized follow focus, that could be remotely operated by a focus puller. This follow focus needs to have hard stops that can be pre set or programmed. At f2 when I am following a subject for a movie scene in rather dim or diverse lighting, the depth of field can be only centimeters long depending on the distance to the subject.

Any advice or experience would be welcome.
 
Thanks for the response, Aki, I'd like to keep this thread focused though (pun... not originally intended ;-) I'm a rather experienced focus puller and own a lovely Petroff FF unit. To clarify, I'd like to keep the topic to How do you overcome the GH2's specific limitations, when it comes to focus pulling?

(As for a motorized remote FF, there are plenty of solutions, they're just not cheap. Look up Bartech.)
 
Good notes and suggestions. If you have a display connected to the HDMI, could the display have a magnification? Would that resolution be enough for focusing? Ideally the HDMI ran through the monitor to the recording device. On the display pressing a button would activate magnification.
 
MTF makes a mount that locks the lens and stops the camera from "nudging". You can use a DSLR follow focus on your lens, just know that there is a difference between film and still lens on the requirements of focus rings. To use a motorized focus, it is best used with a cinema lens (PL mount).
for simple focus pulls, I touch the lens for more specific pulls I use a follow with a 1st AC. and for critical and big budget, go for PL mounted lens.
 
The $300 Lilliput 5D-MII 7" monitor has been the answer for me. I only use it on shoots where focus is critical, (I can get it close just using the standard LCD). This monitor is a true 720p panel resolution, has one button focus peaking, and one button 1:1 pixel mode (plus false colors which I'm learning to use). All added up it's the perfect tool for me. I just use the $5 jar opener for pulling focus on my manual lenses and it works for me. Gives me much better idea of my focus positions.
 
The thread title was a bit confusing, it just reflected my mounting frustration with all the limitations that the GH2 presents. I ended up doing what blazer did and got the new Lilliput 5D-MII, a.k.a. 5D-II/O/P. At least until Sound Devices adds 1:1 pixel mapping to their PIX. BTW it's not a true 720p panel, rather "576p", but that still makes it the 3rd sharpest panel in the market (after the TVlogic 5.6" and the SmallHD), at a very DSLR-friendly price. What's the point of getting shiny new Zeiss lenses if you can't focus them right :-)

As for the mechanics of solid focus-pulling on the GH2, I posted in one of the existing threads.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top