Landscapes with the Panasonic GH2

H

hubgam

Active member
winter_ex_prod_picture3.jpgwinter_ex_prod_picture1.jpgwinter_ex_prod_picture4.jpgwinter_ex_prod_picture2.jpgA few weeks ago we went out to produce a segment for the Santa Fe Tv Show with the GH2, SmallHD DP6, tripod and slider (with no head) for weight constraints. It was a bitterly cold day, and I wanted to keep the set up as light as possible, since it was just the two of us. When I got back and I uploaded the footage, I was amazed at how much detail the GH2 resolves (even compared to the GH13).

I have a GH13, and, in my opinion (nothing sciencetifically proven), to my eyes, the GH2 has better detail in wide, great DOF shots. I didn't see mud in the slides (although they are pretty slow). I just love how versatile this new camera is. I wish I had a chance to compare it side by side in an environment like the one you'll see in the attached video with the AF100, just to see how much difference there is between the 2 (if any). Just curious. If anybody has any comparables, I would love to see it.

www.vimeo.com/18377788

Carlo Zanella
www.santafetvshow.com
 
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Hi Carlo

Thank you for the photos. After our conversations this weekend, your photos are most helpful. I solved my jittery line issues, importing into FCP incorrectly. Now my GH2 is producing amazing video as well. Once again, thank you for your advice.

Dennis Kane
 
dennis kane said:
Hi Carlo

Thank you for the photos. After our conversations this weekend, your photos are most helpful. I solved my jittery line issues, importing into FCP incorrectly. Now my GH2 is producing amazing video as well. Once again, thank you for your advice.

Dennis Kane
Click to expand...

Thank you! Always glad to be of help.

Carlo
 
Hi Carlo

I notice you have what appears to be a large filter on the front of your lens. Is this a variable ND filter and if so what size is it ? It looks rather large, and I assume you are using a step down ring for use with many lenses. I plan to purchase a ND filter, so your advise would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Dennis Kane
 
dennis kane said:
Hi Carlo

I notice you have what appears to be a large filter on the front of your lens. Is this a variable ND filter and if so what size is it ? It looks rather large, and I assume you are using a step down ring for use with many lenses. I plan to purchase a ND filter, so your advise would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Dennis Kane
Click to expand...

I use a step up 77mm adapter and a 77mm 0.9 ND filter. In front of that ND filter there is an adaptor ring to put a square filter holder (taken off my old Formatt FM400 Matte box) where I can use 4x4 square filters (polarizers, gradiente filter etc). That gives me the most versatile system for outdoors...And if I really have light I need to get off my lens, I can always attach that matte box back into the square filter holder (a little funny looking in front of the tiny GH2, but I would do the job). If I find a picture of that set up, I will post it.

Hope this helps.

Carlo Zanella
www.santafetvshow.com
 
Dennis, do yourself a favor and get the Singh Ray Variable ND filter. You won't regret it. I have been shooting a short with it on my GH13 and I couldn't be happier with the results!
 
Beautiful work. There's one shot where you've zoomed in on the snowy mountain and I noticed waviness that I've experienced in my shots. I'm guessing you were using the ETC mode for that shot?
Alex
 
climber said:
Beautiful work. There's one shot where you've zoomed in on the snowy mountain and I noticed waviness that I've experienced in my shots. I'm guessing you were using the ETC mode for that shot?
Alex
Click to expand...
Thank you.
Yes alex, I was using ETC. But I was also zoomed all the way in (140mm) which (with ETC) equals to 560mm (and if it is the shot I think it is, I was slowly sliding (!!).
The GH2 is still an amazing camera that I thank Panasonic "every day" to let us have it for $999...
icon7.png


Carlo Zanella
www.santafetvshow.com
 
hubgam said:
Thank you.
Yes alex, I was using ETC. But I was also zoomed all the way in (140mm) which (with ETC) equals to 560mm (and if it is the shot I think it is, I was slowly sliding (!!).
The GH2 is still an amazing camera that I thank Panasonic "every day" to let us have it for $999...
icon7.png


Carlo Zanella
www.santafetvshow.com
Click to expand...

That's exactly how I've had the problem, zoomed in at 140mm with ETC. Which means you really need a bigger zoom lens like the 100-300mm. I don't want people to think, like I did, that your 140mm lens will do the trick with ETC.
 
Carlos,

As everyone has been saying, looks fantastic! Would you talk about the film settings and any post processing you did. Was any magic bullet looks used?

Thanks!
 
larrys said:
Carlos,

As everyone has been saying, looks fantastic! Would you talk about the film settings and any post processing you did. Was any magic bullet looks used?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Thank you again for all your kind comments.
Larrys, since I shot this about 6 weeks ago, I just went into the Vegas PRO10 timeline to see what I did...Well, to my surprise, no film looks used whatsoever. Most shots are indeed "untouched". In some clips there is simply a slight brightness/contrast adjustment (slight), and, except for the black and whites, everything is pretty much straight out of the camera, no sharpenss added, or any major color correction (except for the ending shot with the moon...).

Just want to clarify that the shoot took place during a "causal" hike with my wife, where I brought my new (back then) GH2 just to take some "panarama" shots to see it's capabilities and detail on wide shots with the stock lens. The segment wasn't intended to end up in the Santa Fe TV Show, but, when I saw the results, I decided to put it together.
That shows how amazing that camera is.

The camera was at all time in "smooth"mode, sharpness+2, contrast-1. That's it.

Yesterday I shot indoors with very low light at 2500 ISO, and the picture is fairly clean (useable): 2500 ISO??

Hope this answers your questions.

Best regards.

Carlo Zanella
www.santafetvshow.com
 
Carlo,

Thanks! You may enjoy my new website/video project. I shot all videos on the home page with my GH2. here's the link:

http://www.humans2humans.com/

I am about to announce a video contest on this site and the prizes will be a Rode VideoMic Pro and a beautiful Cage for the GH2!
 
larrys said:
Carlo,

Thanks! You may enjoy my new website/video project. I shot all videos on the home page with my GH2. here's the link:

http://www.humans2humans.com/

I am about to announce a video contest on this site and the prizes will be a Rode VideoMic Pro and a beautiful Cage for the GH2!
Click to expand...

VERY cool stuff. And I like the concept of your site. It's nice to see the different approach to filming in different cultural locations!.

Carlo Zanella
www.santafetvshow.com
 
hubgam said:
I use a step up 77mm adapter and a 77mm 0.9 ND filter. In front of that ND filter there is an adaptor ring to put a square filter holder (taken off my old Formatt FM400 Matte box) where I can use 4x4 square filters (polarizers, gradiente filter etc). That gives me the most versatile system for outdoors...And if I really have light I need to get off my lens, I can always attach that matte box back into the square filter holder (a little funny looking in front of the tiny GH2, but I would do the job).
Click to expand...
:thumbsup: that's how to get the job done. i'm selling 72mm and getting 77mm.
 
Really beautifull and the light was really good in this day, I got my GH2 yesterday and Iam interesting in landscape aswell since Iam already loving to shoot landscape images with my Nikon. I did test last year a little bit filming with my D90, but the video quality was aweful for landscape and i resigned.
Today I did some testings, just to see how exposure works with this camera and some basics since Iam a beginner.

One thing bothers me, since in landscape DOF is important but for the film look - which you really got in your video - you have to find a middle way I guess. My test videos today were shot 24p and 1/50 but I have no ND Fader so far and often I did shoot with f16-22. The video, even it was filmed in 24p with 1/50 did look look like from a videocamera and had not this nice film look like you have showed with your movie. I did shoot in cinema and all settings 0, will try your settings.

What f-stops did you use, or what was the smallest aperture ?

I have some graduated filters and will try them in the next days how it will work with the video mode, have to buy a cokin P holder first and hope this will work aswell like on my Nikon.

Thx for the film...awesome =)
 
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Btw are there any DSLR Video Tutorials/good webpages about landscape shootings. Iam open for tips n tricks as a beginner....
 
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