GH3 i'm over GH3 - where to

M

malibudutchie

Well-known member
Purely from a video POV I'm over the number of peripherals and compromises I need to make this thing work. Yes, nice shallow DOF and quality pics, but the number of handles, grips, evf's, shoulder rigs, focus compromises, poor AUDIO unless you attach more stuff, poor zoom options, etc that I need to make shooting in day/night, from tripod to handheld has really make me feel like stepping back to video. Vdeo is easy, this is hard - to be good a it.Love the pics, but damn its always something that needs to be traded off. Take this of to add that, then the cable won't go in, etc, etc ... Maybe and older C100 or newer 300, or even the FS700.
Anyone else.
 
Having used them all, C100/300 and FS700 only give you better audio and picture options (pick either great slow-mo or no slow-mo). Neither has better zoom options and they need even more rigging and heavier-duty support gear depending upon how they're deployed. I think they're both ergonomically retarded except in certain applications (FS is great on a tripod or tucked at chest level, C### are great for short-duration head-level handheld B-roll - and that's it). But don't take my word for it, rent a few on some upcoming jobs and see how they suit you.

I love Sony's EA-50 in concept... their execution of a midrange power zoom (18-105/4) and the EA50 image itself aren't that fabulous though (IMO).

I added minimal grip doodads to my aged AF100 and am sticking with that until that certain-to-come-any-day-now hugemongoid contract that lets me dump megabucks into an F5 with a Fujinon Cabrio and a S16 or B4 zoom for those deep focus jobs... or maybe something as-yet-uninvented that I can actually afford.

'DSLR' wise, I'm looking forward to the "GH4K" to perhaps supplant my GH2
 
It's impossible to get everything you want in one camera, I have 3 and they all serve a particular need, a MFT-Black Magic Cinema Camera, a Panasonic GH3 and a Panasonic AG-HPX250. If I could keep only one..........and it needed to do almost everything the others did, I would keep the Panasonic AG-HPX250. Others may differ but for me a traditional video camera is hard to beat when it comes to earning a living in the video business.
 
Brother, you would hate the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. The GH3 is a breeze compared to that jewel!
 
SuperSet said:
Brother, you would hate the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. The GH3 is a breeze compared to that jewel!
Click to expand...

I had the Pocket Cam and hated it…..dumped it as quickly as I could….
I still shoot some with my GH2 but now I am using the Sony RX10 and love it….
It is not perfect but for all around video shooting it is hard to beat.
 
I really miss a good shoulder mount with eyepiece and a power zoom - I also have a follow focus but that needs silicon bands for the Oly 45 and 12 cause they're so small. If I use the follow focus I can't mount stuff underneath and the HDMI input is blocked and I can't use my varavon loupe which I love using, especially handheld. THe disappearing display bothers me when recording audio as I can't see the levels, although the Beachtek tells me it's OK. I know I'm concentrating on all the negatives but when I switch to something like my Z5 or an XD life becomes simple again.
 
It really depends on the applications you're using the camera for in the end. I'm a GH2 / G6 shooter so I completely understand where you're coming from. The GH3 and DSLR's in general are great for many types of videos, but horrible for others. From the sounds of it, you might just be using the wrong tool for the job!
 
I agree with Vardolos. There is no perfect camera. The question always comes down to 'what are you doing with it?"
I have quite a few but keep using the C100 the most for my client oriented documentaries. Best picture quality through a range of styles. I miss the mechanical zoom though, not for the zoom but to get in and out fast and accurately. HDSLRs are good in some spots, but for day to day shooting, they are a pain. But that G3 look is mighty clean. It's a standard I usually end up grading to, when I have it in a multicam setting.
 
malibudutchie said:
Purely from a video POV I'm over the number of peripherals and compromises I need to make this thing work. Yes, nice shallow DOF and quality pics, but the number of handles, grips, evf's, shoulder rigs, focus compromises, poor AUDIO unless you attach more stuff, poor zoom options, etc that I need to make shooting in day/night, from tripod to handheld has really make me feel like stepping back to video. Vdeo is easy, this is hard - to be good a it.Love the pics, but damn its always something that needs to be traded off. Take this of to add that, then the cable won't go in, etc, etc ... Maybe and older C100 or newer 300, or even the FS700.
Anyone else.
Click to expand...

I feel ya. I'm switching systems. Luckily I only have body and 2 lenses to get rid of.
 
Do you really need all of the peripheral accessories? Do they actually solve a problem or create new ones? These are questions I asked myself when dealing with these vdslr frustrations.

A couple of months ago I had a shoot where I used my hot rodded out GH2 -Zacuto EVF, rails , FF etc.. It was a pita. The truth is that for some shoots this stuff is neccesary and serves a useful purpose, but for many others, I now feel that it just gets in the way and really complicates things. Sure, audio and the need for some ND's often require certain accessories, but more often than not, alot of the other stuff is superfluous unless it is a film style shoot IMO. Frankly, I prefer my stripped down GH3 for handheld, compared to the shoulder contraption(s). Now, I typically use my GH3 , Panny battery grip (or with a Wooden Camera cage) and a Variable ND or small matte box .

Of course, if the shoot does not call for the shallow DOF look, or it is otherwise not a good fit for the GH3, then I'll use my HPX300.

All in all, dslr form factor brings some big compromises but also some strengths- one of which is it's small size. Unless, the shoot requires substantial accessories, I now inclined to go as stripped down as possible.

Otherwise, my next purchase will be a camera that has the shallow DOF but few if any of the challenges that the current form factor of DSLR's posess.

Horses for courses, your mileage may vary etc...
 
Wow Malibu, it wasn't long ago you were harping on about how I (or others) shouldn't complain about things like the disappearing display and that if we had a problem with things like that, we were no good at what we were doing. Funny how things change eh?
 
You've got 3 new sony's with the 1" sensor , integrated nd's and hopefully with the cx900 and ax100 , a better codec. Maybe these are about the best compromise so far.
 
As a later adopter of "DSLR" video shooting (a year ago), I am going to play devil's advocate here.

I think your situation really depends upon what you are shooting, but honestly...I am hardly carrying any more gear than I would with my traditional videocamera. The only additional item I have purchased (that I did not need/use on my previous camera) was a cage for ergonomics.

Everything else, I would still need on with traditional camera: shotgun mic, light, monitor, tripod, etc.
So perhaps your frustration lies with where/how you have to place things on or around the GH?

My view is that I have willingly traded ergonomics/accessory location for a system that allows much better flexibility in lens options, video quality, and DOF.

And, honestly, I like the ergonomics of this camera more. You can rig it like a traditional shoulder mount, or keep it bare for really unique handheld work. With a traditional video camera, you are more limited with where you can place it based on it's sheer size.

I'm not trying to convince you to stay with something that doesn't work for you. But to me, the benefits of the final aesthetic far outweigh the "frakenrig" necessities.

I'm sure you have experimented with different rigs, grips, etc. It has taken me almost a year of shooting to arrive at a setup that I really like for my uses. I have a cage that easily mounts my GH3, Rode VMP, LED light, and Small HD monitor. I simply slide my GH3 on to the Manfroto plate, plug in my mic and HDMI cable, and I'm good to go. I can either do handheld or just mound the entire cage on a tripod.

Looking at the C100/300 or FS700, I don't really see you doing a drastically different setup. Won't you still need to be swapping lenses, plugging in lights, mics, and monitors with these cameras?
 
8string said:
I agree with Vardolos. There is no perfect camera. The question always comes down to 'what are you doing with it?"
I have quite a few but keep using the C100 the most for my client oriented documentaries. Best picture quality through a range of styles. I miss the mechanical zoom though, not for the zoom but to get in and out fast and accurately. HDSLRs are good in some spots, but for day to day shooting, they are a pain. But that G3 look is mighty clean. It's a standard I usually end up grading to, when I have it in a multicam setting.
Click to expand...

Agreed: There's no 1 perfect cam ideally suited for every shooting style, production, budget or schedule.

Although I'm waiting for a Blackmagic BMPC-4K cam myself, and I'm a longtime GH1, GH2 & GH3 owner ...

Depending on what you're shooting, a C100 with a parfocal, constant-aperture zoom lens such as the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 (or Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 w. IS) might be a sweet-spot combination for less than $6K new (or less $ if used). Very nice-looking HD, very good in-cam audio via XLRs, built-in NDs, and a no-fuss physical configuration.

Or alternatively, we can rig DSLRs & HD/4K cams with extra-cost accessories.

There's no free lunch.

I'm hopeful the "GH4K" will be good, but I expect it to be an incremental (not radical) improvement on the GH3. Likewise the new Sony AX100. These may be good values for certain shooters & productions.

If Panasonic also comes out with a "big brother" GH4K (a pro cam based on GH4K tech), that might be very interesting. In other words, a much-improved version of the AF100. We'll see.

But again, there's no 1 perfect cam ...
 
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I totally feel your pain. I have a GH3 and all the trimmings and I love it, but I need to augment it with a traditional video camera. I just can't get the run and gun feeling I had with my DVX100a. I bought an RX10 and returned it. Great hybrid options, but didn't like the way it felt in my big hands and I hated the power/manual zoom. Don't get me wrong the RX10 is a great video DSLR, but I just need to whip around a highend palmcorder again. I've prebought the CX900. I'm hoping this will give me the balance of a larger chip - somewhat shallow depth of field video camera.
 
Peter J. DeCrescenzo said:
I'm hopeful the "GH4K" will be good, but I expect it to be an incremental (not radical) improvement on the GH3.
If Panasonic also comes out with a "big brother" GH4K (a pro cam based on GH4K tech), that might be very interesting. In other words, a much-improved version of the AF100. We'll see.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Fingers crossed that it is not a incremental upgrade, but a AF replacement.
 
I agree there is no perfect cam and there is a specific set-up for specific jobs. My pared down rig for handheld on the run outdoor shooting includes a varavon loupe, a beachtek pro and usually a 8 stop variable ND - that enables me to have good audio and shallow DOF when I want it. Unfortunately every time I change lenses I have to change step-up rings for my ND - thats a pain. I want to see VU meters on the run and I can't after 10 secs - good audio confirmation is a big deal for me. Forget any type of smooth zoom with DSLR's. If I add a simple follow focus cause I hate the little barrels on M43 lenses for manual focus then that compromises the whole set up on the bottom plate.
Having said that I LOVE the pics. Just shot this with in cam slo-mo ungraded and the quality still blows me away. https://vimeo.com/83729423. It's a DSLR dilemma for sure !!
 
Still have to buy the ND's, no caps for them when sitting on the lens, separate flags for sunlight unless you're using rails - small problem but another complication and bunch of trade-offs. A built in filter wheel would help.
 
I agree with what's been said here. There is no free lunch. Also, there is no perfect autofocussing camcorder-like big chip camcorder with 10-bit colors that shoots 4K on SD cards with XLR inputs, waveforms and focus peaking. Even if it would exist, it wouldn't cost less than $10.000.

So you have to decide, what is the most important aspect for you?

For me, it is image quality and price. The rest, I can work with. That's why I have a GH3 and Samyang prime lenses and a Speed Booster. IQ is hard to beat for the price, while still maintaining a simple workflow in post (i.e., no raw)

Heck, I'm even going to shoot a wedding next week with this setup. I have shot weddings before with the GH3 mounted on a Fig Rig with primes, but now with all manual primes. I will put a monitor on it, slap on an variable ND, carry my big bag of lenses around my neck and go for it.
Will it be hard and tiring? Damn yes. Focussing all the time for 12 hours is tiring and difficult. Carrying a bag with lenses, filters and batteries with you all day is hard. I will be exhausted. But I know it can be done and I know the image quality will be great and my clients will be happy. And I will have done it, once again, on the cheap.
 
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