Is the GH1 flinchy or is it me?

M

markyf

Well-known member
Only got my GH1 a couple of weeks ago. Was able to shoot a bunch this weekend, all handheld using the Panasonic 20mm 1.7, mostly on AFS. I watched all of my clips on a 70" Samsung right off the camera. Had shot using the "C" settings... shutter speed 1/50.

I don't know if it's my hand that's flinchy or the camera. Getting a lot of distracting little jerks and jumps in the frame. My only real reference is the DVX which I used handheld and I almost couldn't tell it was handheld, but I was able to cradle it against my body a bit.

To my eye it almost seems like the camera's image stabilization is trying to correct the handheld but actually making it worse. Not sure if this is possible. Also, from what I understand through the manual, you aren't able to make changes to the stabilization. Here's a bit of the footage I shot, although this is by far not the flinchiest:

http://www.vimeo.com/13853046
 
If you were using the 20mm f1.7 lens, it wasn't the "image stabilization" causing the problem. That lens has no IS system, and neither does the camera body. Your 14-140mm kit lens has the MEGA-OIS system, but not the pancake lens you used.

Let me take a closer look at your video and see if I can come up with any ideas.


UPDATE:

Okay, my internet connection is slow, and I could only watch the first twenty seconds, but that honestly looks like good old handheld camera "shake" to me.
 
I have not seen the video as yet but one thing to take note of is the size of the sensor and much lighter weight of the camera compared to something like the HVX. Everything on this type of camera is exagerated....that includes shakes (which many folks call micro jitters). Some sort of stabilzation is necessary for shooting DSLRs which are not the greatest for handheld work.
 
because of the relationship of your hands and the position of the sensor, it's VERY easy for every little twitch of the fingers to show up on your video.

Your fingers twitch fairly constantly. Try practicing holding the camera and using your arms to support it more than your fingers. Larger muscles twitch less than small muscles.
 
markyf said:
Only got my GH1 a couple of weeks ago. Was able to shoot a bunch this weekend, all handheld using the Panasonic 20mm 1.7, mostly on AFS. I watched all of my clips on a 70" Samsung right off the camera. Had shot using the "C" settings... shutter speed 1/50.

I don't know if it's my hand that's flinchy or the camera. Getting a lot of distracting little jerks and jumps in the frame. My only real reference is the DVX which I used handheld and I almost couldn't tell it was handheld, but I was able to cradle it against my body a bit.

To my eye it almost seems like the camera's image stabilization is trying to correct the handheld but actually making it worse. Not sure if this is possible. Also, from what I understand through the manual, you aren't able to make changes to the stabilization. Here's a bit of the footage I shot, although this is by far not the flinchiest:

http://www.vimeo.com/13853046
Click to expand...

One advantage the GH1 has is that you can use the VF instead of the LCD unlike other DSLR's. This means you can use the old still potographers trick of using your face and elbows for three point stabilization. When I don't want to do that I just hold it waist level in the palm of my hand. Works pretty good. The form factor won't let you use it like a dedicated video camera.
 
Has anyone tried the stabilization software out there? I have seen a few promo clips and I wonder how much generation loss do they have, I have some handheld shot I would like to eventually try this software on, but wonder if anyone else has tried and had positive results?
 
BrianBrook said:
Has anyone tried the stabilization software out there? I have seen a few promo clips and I wonder how much generation loss do they have, I have some handheld shot I would like to eventually try this software on, but wonder if anyone else has tried and had positive results?
Click to expand...

NewBlue stabilizer is highly decent, or so I've heard. Haven't used it myself yet.
 
I built a shoulder rig for handheld filmmaking, but it's too big and intrusive for me to feel comfortable using when I'm just shooting around (walking through parks or whatever.) Anyone got any solutions that they use?
 
Simple as you like, remove the center column from your Sherpa tripod, turn the quick connect plate 90 degrees and rest the whole thing on your waist band or attach to a belt.

Works like a charm.


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I've probably got half a dozen shoulder mounts and I only like three of them. This is one of my favorites because it is small and folds up so you can stick it in a camera bag or your back pocket. Fotodiox doesn't make them anymore but I'm sure some guy in Hong Kong is still cranking them out. I paid ten or 12 bucks for it a few years ago. GH1 is a perfect fit. Don't have a link.
 
Tried New Blue Stabilizer 10 day trial and initial default results were extremely disappointing so I tweaked a few dials and read the 1 page help file and results were WORSE! The footage isn't that shaky but the software ghosted/interpolated it to death and this WAS after I toned down the defaults-the promo video was WAY shakier so either I'm doing something very wrong or this software is bogus either way New Blue is overpriced and if I can't get decent results I might post my testing for evaluation.
 
I thought It was me but same observation. The New Blue Stabilizer seems like
it has a built in blur effect. Very unreusable!

I have so much success with virtualdub and deshaker by the way.
There are a lot of tutorials in youtube if you're interested.
 
I'm going to try Deshaker and virtualdub next-I guess like lots of things easier never really tranlates into better and that analyser looked SO cool!!!!
 
Just use a monopod when doing handheld. It keeps everything incredibly steady. It won't look like a stedicam of course but it will get rid of micro jitters and make the overall aesthetic quite nice if you enjoy the floating handheld look.
 
If you know you are going to use a software stabilizer in post, shoot at a higher shutter speed like 1/250 or 1/500. You then have blur free frames to present to your stabilizing software and the images processed will be sharp as a tack.

Motion blurred frames don't process well in software stabilizing programs.

Rambo
 
How does your monopod footage look? I'm worried that would be sort of inconsistent with traditional film grammar (moving side to side but not up and down), but I have thought about monopods as a reasonable option.

That Fotodiox mount looks perfect to me, though, really, I'll definitely try one out. Pretty comparable to traditional handheld footage?
 
Remember man... going from SD DVX to full hd 1920 HD, and the camera is so tiny, you see every little jerk. You need some form of stable shooting.

I use a bag of rice or beans or sand when I don't have a tripod, and I have made somenice homemade steady cams... anything that mounts to the camera with a nice counterweight on the bottom.
 
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