GH5 Indoor Event Shooting - Low light Tips

S

smoke23

Active member
For those that film indoor events with the GH5/GH4. The lighting for the venue isn't great, but the stage will be lit. If you're shooting from a balcony onto a stage and want to keep everything in focus on stage, is it better to open your aperture all the way, then kick up the ISO or stop the aperture down to F/4.0-5.6, then increase the ISO?

Being that far away, will the hyper focal distance make a difference in keeping everything in focus? I would be shooting with either the 12-35 II or the 25 f/1.4. I want to be able to shoot wide 4K, then punch into the speaker on stage when need in post, I just want to make sure he'll be in sharp focus.

Thanks!
 
I use my GH5 in a theatre as a fixed full stage camera. Set shutter to 1/60, auto ISO, exposure compensation as needed and touch focus on the stage point where most of the action will take place. Using 12-60 f2.8 to f4. In this dark environment it is normally wide open at about f 3.3 for the 18mm that it is set at for full stage from the back of the hall. exposure compensation is usually -1 2/3 stops on the scale with zebras at 80% and I control with the WiFi app so easy to check. Also use Like709 to make sure that I have a better chance of managing highlights since it is all going to an interlace final anyway. Record 3840x2160 at 60P and edit on a 1920x1080 timeline with the other cameras for the multicam edit. Crop into the 1920x1080 is fine but I would not go in too far beyond that.
 
This is one of those times when advice won't suffice. You'll need to test it yourself and observe the results to know which is "better".

Which means you have to get in there ahead of the audience.
 
You won’t be able to create both a wide shot of the stage AND a punch in of speaker that feels right...unless your stage is very narrow. You will need some ISO in this situation most likely and that won’t look great if you punch in beyond 1080 and less than that will still leave your speaker looking very small in frame.

More info:

Is the speaker mobile or fixed?
What else happens on stage?
How deep is the stage?
How wide is the stage?
What’s the distance from balcony to stage?
 
Just to add to my earlier post. If you were looking to shoot full stage and then go in to the speaker waist up to head etc it will not do that unless you are very close. I use 4 cameras to shoot theatre for that very reason. Having the 3840x2160 is great to crop and pan a medium shot of the stage but not good enough for a closeup. For that reason it is good to have the UHD unmanned then the controlled cameras can do the closeups.
 
I would shoot at 24fps that will give you an extra 1/3 stop of light. I would also shoot Synchro scan 216° That will give you another 1/3 stop of light.
 
smoke23 said:
I went and looked at the venue yesterday, that's what I'm up against.
Click to expand...

Here's a similar venue I shot 3 years ago using my GH4 with a Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 lens that I borrowed from a friend. I think this was shot at 4K Cine-D profile 30p at f/2.8 1/60 at ISO 800. I was at the very back of the auditorium so the fast Nikon 80-200mm was the only way I could frame things tight enough. If I had my choice today I would use the same set-up with my GH5, but I would be shooting 10-bit. Audio was recorded with a small Tascam recorder connected to the main sound system.

 
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That looks like a similar distance that I shoot. I do not think you will have problems with not enough light. If the people in the audience can see them well on stage the GH5 will have no problems. I shoot UHD 60P shutter priority with 1/60 shutter and still have exposure compensation at between -1 2/3 and -2 with auto iso limit of 1600.
 
For this type of event, is it best to leave zebras at 100 from blowing anything out or around 75/80? I plan on shooting in Natural Profile.
 
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