Minimize GH1 mud?

ustein

ustein

Well-known member
I know all has been discussed but sometimes hard to find.

First let me explain why I feel mud to be often a show stopper. I film often more static landscapes. The GH1 codec seems to take find rock detail and grass land as no detail and smudges it away. The opposite is the case, these structures have lots of fine detail. How can I influence the GH1 to avoid this? Or am I out of luck?

Thanks

Uwe
 
Get as shallow DOF as you can, less detail in the background means more for your subject...not great on wide shots I know...try to minimize movement, and I would also shoot with sharpness +1, and contrast -2. Noise reduction -2 as well. All these things will help you retain detail.
 
Is the mud usually in darker area?
I think GH1 needs more light. Try to raise ISO to 160 or 200 even on daylight.
Try some prime lenses with bigger aperture.
 
Blackout said:
Do you have an original GH1 or later model?
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I got the GH1 in early August.


>Is the mud usually in darker area?

Not really.

> and I would also shoot with sharpness +1, and contrast -2. Noise reduction -2 as well

Why sharpness at +1 the other parameters I understand.
 
I bought a GH1 a few weeks ago and have done some camera tests with it. The "mud" issue is VERY real unfortunately at 1080 even in full static shots. It seems to hit fine detail in shadowey areas. I was doing locked-off GV's shooting each shot at both 1080 and 720 - the 720 material (although being lesser resolution) had more actual detail than the full HD stuff which was mudding out on shadows of trees and river banks (even a promist filter wasn't helping), but to be honest, I'm happy with the 720p material and will just continue to use the camera in that mode.
 
i encountered mud for the first time shooting from inside a microwave that has all those little dots on the door glass. mud popped its head up when I surprised the camera by opening the door up. it was most prominent on the side with the most speed change (the opening side). the hinge side was fine. pitty cause it was a nice shot=)
 
kiguar said:
Is the mud usually in darker area?
I think GH1 needs more light. Try to raise ISO to 160 or 200 even on daylight.
Try some prime lenses with bigger aperture.
Click to expand...

I find the very opposite, that the GH1 is very light sensitive, and I have to ND it down to be able to shoot outdoors at a decent f8-f11 range (raw it was all the way down to f22 at ISO100!) as your shutter is only 1/50th sec.
 
i'm not gonna be stupid and plug my videos as great or anything, but my vimeo link is in my sig...if some of you can watch a couple....is there any mud?...i still don't have a clue as to what "mud"looks like, and i'd like to know if my GH1 videos have any....beware...if you don't like videos with kids or families and nice music, don't watch.
 
Chris Light said:
?...i still don't have a clue as to what "mud"looks like
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It's just areas of blurred out detail. I think it's just because of the way that Panasonic have implimented the AVCHD codec that highly detailed areas are just beyond the capture threshold. The same thing happens with MPEG 2 video if you use too low a bitrate, although that usually manifests itself as macroblocking. This would also explain whay the 720p footage is cleaner than the 1080 material.
 
I just posted a perfect example before where I guess MUD would show up for people that don´t really know how to work with the GH1. Those that really know how to shoot and pan properly are having no problem at all. Me included.
 
Chris Light said:
i'm not gonna be stupid and plug my videos as great or anything, but my vimeo link is in my sig...if some of you can watch a couple....is there any mud?...i still don't have a clue as to what "mud"looks like, and i'd like to know if my GH1 videos have any....beware...if you don't like videos with kids or families and nice music, don't watch.
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nice work- just checked out the easter vid real quick. Nope- no mud there, you're in the clear my friend. Beautiful family, congrats on the upcoming addition. Rockabye baby rocks right?! I've got an 8 mo. old and he cools out to some Beatles, Marley, etc. it's awesome.

Chris- what's your take on the Zaza?

Z
 
Energy80s said:
It's just areas of blurred out detail. I think it's just because of the way that Panasonic have implimented the AVCHD codec that highly detailed areas are just beyond the capture threshold. The same thing happens with MPEG 2 video if you use too low a bitrate, although that usually manifests itself as macroblocking. This would also explain whay the 720p footage is cleaner than the 1080 material.
Click to expand...

Yeah I'll be posting some soon- (MUD)-- I shot snowboarding in the mountains this winter- and while on the lift, which is lined with trees on either side, some of the detail of the trees gets lost, branches kind of mush together. Not so much macro blocking, but just a general loss of detail.

I shot 720P60 btw shutter at 1/125--still got the mush
 
John Caballero said:
I just posted a perfect example before where I guess MUD would show up for people that don´t really know how to work with the GH1. Those that really know how to shoot and pan properly are having no problem at all. Me included.
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Here is my clip:

http://www.vimeo.com/10916214

at 0:21 with the shot inside the microwave, how would I plan that shot to not get mud? I can't think of any solutions myself to avoid this particular scenario, falls into one of those grey areas of shooting for me.
 
Here is my clip:

http://www.vimeo.com/10916214

at 0:21 with the shot inside the microwave, how would I plan that shot to not get mud? I can't think of any solutions myself to avoid this particular scenario, falls into one of those grey areas of shooting for me.
Click to expand...

Ok. What does logic dictates if you think this 2 seconds of ¨mud¨ is not working out for you. Really. What would have to be done to not let this seconds ¨ruin¨ 99.98 percent of the remaining seconds. It is all about solutions here and there and the ¨problem¨ would be avoided. It is done all the time.
 
John Caballero said:
Ok. What does logic dictates if you think this 2 seconds of ¨mud¨ is not working out for you. Really. What would have to be done to not let this seconds ¨ruin¨ 99.98 percent of the remaining seconds. It is all about solutions here and there and the ¨problem¨ would be avoided. It is done all the time.
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Yes and I was just after your personal opinion to a possible solution for this particular scenario to avoid it if any that's all. It's not a typical quick pan or tree leaves shot. never mind.

My logic says I want a nice clean and consistent footage throughout. Can I live with that 2 seconds of mud, yes....would I prefer to have a cleaner image, yes too. If I was able to see this mud during the shoot I would try and figure out a way around it but I can't. It is only when you review the footage long after that you see and by then it's too late.

I wish finding solutions to problems were that easy, but such is life, not everyone shoots the same thing. I shoot and learn with a little bit of cheat sheeting on dvx.

My possible solution for this shot now that i think about it would be to tell the actor to open the door slower then ramp it up in post if i was that pedantic. That's the best that my beginner brain can come up with. Like i said this is the first time i have encountered mud and it is not something id like to see regularly in odd scenarios like say a detailed gate opening and the like.
 
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Yes and I was just after your personal opinion to a possible solution for this particular scenario to avoid it if any that's all. It's not a typical quick pan or tree leaves shot. never mind.
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You might have to take into account the lens, the aperture maybe. Did you try the shot with the kits lens with the same results? To me is negligible, to others maybe not but the fact is that you should not have any problems 99.98 percent of the time then! Well done video by the way.
 
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