Panasonic g7

prexdealer said:
For those who have one.

How easy is it to use and how flexible is the footage in post?
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As easy to use as any other m4/3 camera and as flexible in post as footage shot with most other cameras depending on your editing skills and software.

prexdealer said:
I know a lot goes into a shot beyond just the camera. But if you had limited resources like lighting, etc. can you still manage a shot that seems cinematic?
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Again, depends on your skills. A cinematic look is something pretty subjective and depends on a lot more than the camera. I'm seeing some awful sloppy work being called cinematic. I have mostly "native" m4/3 lenses that tend to render somewhat clinical but managing DOF and using diffusion I can shoot as soft as I want, but those two factors are only part of getting a cinematic look.


prexdealer said:
Can this be the primary camera if shooting a feature? Many of you seem to refer to it as a B camera. Or would the GH3 be better (same price roughly right now).

Thanks.
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Most preferring to use the G7 as a "B" camera do so because they have a GH4 that is the primary camera. The GH4 is a bit more flexible with more control features (such as headphone jack for monitoring audio), The GH3 is a fine video camera but the GH4 and G7 both can shoot in 4K UHD.

I have both the GH4 and the G7 and like them both. If I were buying right now and had neither I would not hesitate to snap up a G7 and start out with that.
 
prexdealer said:
How easy is it to use and how flexible is the footage in post?

I know a lot goes into a shot beyond just the camera. But if you had limited resources like lighting, etc. can you still manage a shot that seems cinematic?
Click to expand...

I've had this camera for 6 weeks. I shot 3 projects total of 15 days shooting and about 60 interviews with a shotgun and a jucedlink mixer. The image quality is very and detailed.
Cinematic is about the ability of the film maker these days. If you know what you want the G7 can keep up.
For post, my 2 year old i7 Lenovo gaming laptop with 8 gigs of ram is able to edit very easily on the road, I work at night in hotel rooms for my racing gig and have to upload interviews to youtube every night. I can edit and export files in Premiere cs6 from 2160 to 2160 in about an hour per minute of graded footage at 100mbs so about 20 times longer than 1080 to 1080, but well worth it. For editing I can cut at a fast pace almost as fast as 1080 with a little care.
I'm using the wifi now to control the camera on a jib at 14 feet up to monitor the shot and start/stop the camera on my smartphone so for $700 the bang for the buck is getting better all the time. Can't go wrong with this camera as a 4K transition camera that left HD in dust 6 months ago.
 
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And, now B&H is giving away a $150 gift card with the $600 package of G7+14/42 kit lens. Holy smoke, Batman.
 
John Godden said:
That's a tempting price.

What's the workaround(s) for not having an audio monitor?

thanks
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It does have small digital audio bars that show while shooting, but I bought a jucedlink 2 channel with XLRs years ago and it's moved from camera to camera. If you are planning to do proper audio recording it's essential to have a mixer. A jucedlink is a few hundred bucks and there are many used on ebay. You can spend 10 times more for a mixer, but the jucedlink produces a pretty clean signal.
I also shoot run & gun street work with an EV (Electrovoice) handheld dynamic mic plugged directly into the camera. I just set it and go. Usually OK for emergency. The G7 has an audio limiter which I normally would have turned off, but I really need it on when I'm not monitoring because I had a few really blown out audio signals. As long as there is some ambient noise AGC isn't an issue.
That said, get a mixer from the start. Once you have that control, you will never want to shoot without one where the result is critical.
 
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I’ve had my finger hovering over the “place order” button for a GH4 more than a few times lately. It really is time for me to go 4k, yet the cost of said camera along with the fact that the GH5 is “just around the corner” has stopped me.


I initially dismissed the G7 because of its < 30 minutes recording limit and while I do shoot events, given I always shoot at least 2 cameras, this isn’t really an issue. This thread has definitely got me thinking about a G7 but I have a few questions that perhaps someone can answer.


1. Low light capabilities. Is it better than the GH4? From what I’ve read elsewhere it seems this cam can use a higher ISO without being too noisy. True or false? (I do have both a 1.8 and a 1.7 lens)
I’m thinking about event shooting where sometimes the light levels aren’t so great and also an upcoming doc which I know will take me into some pretty dimly light interiors as well as night exteriors.


2. People say the viewfinder is good. Good enough to trust it without an external monitor in a run n gun situation?


I’ve often shot that way with my GH3 and while its EVF is poor and the LCD not too much better, using native lenses I’ve discovered that its auto focus can be trusted when the camera says the AF has been nailed. Its never let me down. So the second part to this question is, can the same be said for the G7?


3. Will it match a GH3, assuming of course, profiles used are the same?


4. With my GH3, when I shoot handheld, I don’t have a rig. I’ve found that IS works well enough on the lenses I use. Any issues with the firmware of this cam that may make IS unreliable?



Thanks for any insight you can offer!

PS I have a Tascam 70D so the lack of a headphone jack isn't a concern to me.
 
Jase said:
I’ve had my finger hovering over the “place order” button for a GH4 more than a few times lately. It really is time for me to go 4k, yet the cost of said camera along with the fact that the GH5 is “just around the corner” has stopped me.


I initially dismissed the G7 because of its < 30 minutes recording limit and while I do shoot events, given I always shoot at least 2 cameras, this isn’t really an issue. This thread has definitely got me thinking about a G7 but I have a few questions that perhaps someone can answer.


1. Low light capabilities. Is it better than the GH4? From what I’ve read elsewhere it seems this cam can use a higher ISO without being too noisy. True or false? (I do have both a 1.8 and a 1.7 lens)
I’m thinking about event shooting where sometimes the light levels aren’t so great and also an upcoming doc which I know will take me into some pretty dimly light interiors as well as night exteriors.


2. People say the viewfinder is good. Good enough to trust it without an external monitor in a run n gun situation?


I’ve often shot that way with my GH3 and while its EVF is poor and the LCD not too much better, using native lenses I’ve discovered that its auto focus can be trusted when the camera says the AF has been nailed. Its never let me down. So the second part to this question is, can the same be said for the G7?


3. Will it match a GH3, assuming of course, profiles used are the same?


4. With my GH3, when I shoot handheld, I don’t have a rig. I’ve found that IS works well enough on the lenses I use. Any issues with the firmware of this cam that may make IS unreliable?



Thanks for any insight you can offer!

PS I have a Tascam 70D so the lack of a headphone jack isn't a concern to me.
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I don't normally shoot anything over 800 ISO but this camera seems pretty clean up to 1600. If you have some fast lenses and add a speedbooster you should be good to go.
I've beed shooting with a hood loop for years and this EVF is way sharper. That with focus peaking is very reliable. I'm waiting for the GH5 but if it's the same resolution and the GH4 I'll pick one or 2 of them at what will probably be a great deal. This is about the same as when I started shooting with a Canon DSLR in 2009. It had a 6 year run where I just made money shooting and milking them to death. I think the Panasonic 4K cameras could have the same life span.
 
Panasonic G7 4K video touch-to-focus and focus peaking accuracy

Panasonic G7 4K video touch-to-focus and focus peaking accuracy

Hi Michael, I like your comments tremendously. Wouldn't you mind if I had a couple of additional questions. I am about to buy my first 4K camera, and the G7 with a 12-35f2.8 would be an excellent candidate.
Do you use touch to focus on the G7 during recording? How smooth (wiggle-free) is the focus pull this way?
Do you use manual focusing during recording? Don't you find lack of MF assist/screen magnification a severe limitation?
Is focus peaking (FP) accurate enough, in a way that MF is perfectly fine with FP?

Thank you so much, Miki
PS: The other candidates are GH4, Sony AX100/X70/AX33, Samsung NX1/NX500 and Canon XC10. If I wasn't so much touch-screen fan, I'd have a look on the Sony RX10ii/RX100iv/A7Rii/A7Sii, too. Any comment would be appreciated, I have elaborated my stile of shooting, but I am terribly open to adapt new techniques.
I have the Tascam 70D, too
 
Miklos Nemeth said:
Hi Michael, I like your comments tremendously. Wouldn't you mind if I had a couple of additional questions. I am about to buy my first 4K camera, and the G7 with a 12-35f2.8 would be an excellent candidate.
Do you use touch to focus on the G7 during recording? How smooth (wiggle-free) is the focus pull this way?
Do you use manual focusing during recording? Don't you find lack of MF assist/screen magnification a severe limitation?
Is focus peaking (FP) accurate enough, in a way that MF is perfectly fine with FP?

Thank you so much, Miki
PS: The other candidates are GH4, Sony AX100/X70/AX33, Samsung NX1/NX500 and Canon XC10. If I wasn't so much touch-screen fan, I'd have a look on the Sony RX10ii/RX100iv/A7Rii/A7Sii, too. Any comment would be appreciated, I have elaborated my stile of shooting, but I am terribly open to adapt new techniques.
I have the Tascam 70D, too
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I mostly focus before I roll camera because I'm always hunting for moments and that is the most accurate. The G7 has many focus profiles. I'm using face detection and it's very good because in run and gun interviews I need to lock on faces obviously. I will test the touch screen for rack focus effects, but that would be a more planned shot than I've been doing. I think the brain of this camera is amazing for a consumer camera.
I also considered Samsung, and Sony, but not Canon. I've been shooting canon since 2009 and although they were great, Canon failed to keep up miserably. The NX1 is an amazing camera, but in the end, a white elephant. The H-265 is not mainstream and many of my projects are shared with other post houses for editing and AE. If I sent them H-265 it just wouldn't fit in. Sony had a few disappointments as well. The A7 line is in change every month with new models trumping other new models a few months old rendering them obsolete. Panasonic has proven dedication to the GH line and after years all the cameras are comparable in many ways. This is how to make money in this game, first by driving the wheels off every camera you buy. Minimize the damage. My 60D was so successful at making money, I replaced my beat camera with 1000 plus days on the job and the rubber falling off with a new 60D up till I got the G7.
Another key component is the Speedbooster. Samsung won't have one and Sony FF cameras won't either. The Speedbooster is the bridge to many roads. I will be able to use my canon 70-200f4L with the 0.65 at about f2.4. My loyal and sharp Tamron 17-50 2.8non VC and the Tokina 11-20 2.8 plus 1 1/3 stop to about a 1.8. I do like my Canon mount lenses and they will also work with other camera bodies like BMD raw cameras.
 
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Thank Rockmore for your reply. I was hoping for a clean iso up to 3200 but even 1600 will be an improvement over the GH3.


Tomorrow I'm going down to a local shop to get my hands on a g7. If it feels right I'm going to go for it.


One of the things I'm going to check out is to see if this http://millerschneider.com/products/g-cup-for-the-panasonic-gh3-gh4 eyecup fits. (It does on my GH3 and apparently also on the GH4. Not entirely perfect, there is some vignetting around the edges but despite that, well worth it imo). I'd like to avoid using a loupe if possible. I did use one my GH3 which while it helped in daylight situations, didn't have the resolution to really assist with focus.


Wondering if you have checked out this user guide http://dslrvideoshooter.com/guides/g7-video-guide/ and whether you found it helpful. Apparently there's info in the guide about a low cost speed booster. In general I haven't read good reviews about anything beyond a metabones version but perhaps this one is different.
 
Jase said:
Thank Rockmore for your reply. I was hoping for a clean iso up to 3200 but even 1600 will be an improvement over the GH3.


Tomorrow I'm going down to a local shop to get my hands on a g7. If it feels right I'm going to go for it.

One of the things I'm going to check out is to see if this http://millerschneider.com/products/g-cup-for-the-panasonic-gh3-gh4 eyecup fits. (It does on my GH3 and apparently also on the GH4. Not entirely perfect, there is some vignetting around the edges but despite that, well worth it imo). I'd like to avoid using a loupe if possible. I did use one my GH3 which while it helped in daylight situations, didn't have the resolution to really assist with focus.


Wondering if you have checked out this user guide http://dslrvideoshooter.com/guides/g7-video-guide/ and whether you found it helpful. Apparently there's info in the guide about a low cost speed booster. In general I haven't read good reviews about anything beyond a metabones version but perhaps this one is different.
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Please take some 400, 800, and 1600 pics and let us know what you think of the noise.

FWIW, I have a G5 which is just "OK" (not really very good actually) at 800. I've waited to upgrade hoping for MUCH better from Pani. Perhaps the G7 is a significant upgrade (ISO wise) from the GH3/G5 era. ???

thanks
JohnG
 
Jase said:
Thank Rockmore for your reply. I was hoping for a clean iso up to 3200 but even 1600 will be an improvement over the GH3.


Tomorrow I'm going down to a local shop to get my hands on a g7. If it feels right I'm going to go for it.


One of the things I'm going to check out is to see if this http://millerschneider.com/products/g-cup-for-the-panasonic-gh3-gh4 eyecup fits. (It does on my GH3 and apparently also on the GH4. Not entirely perfect, there is some vignetting around the edges but despite that, well worth it imo). I'd like to avoid using a loupe if possible. I did use one my GH3 which while it helped in daylight situations, didn't have the resolution to really assist with focus.


Wondering if you have checked out this user guide http://dslrvideoshooter.com/guides/g7-video-guide/ and whether you found it helpful. Apparently there's info in the guide about a low cost speed booster. In general I haven't read good reviews about anything beyond a metabones version but perhaps this one is different.
Click to expand...

I just kept pushing buttons till something happened. (Monkey push button theory) The user guide is helpful but just as a starting point. One feature I haven't resolved is flickering when shooting timelapse. I shut off every automatic setting then tried long exposures but still getting a flicker.
For the speedbooster, personally I wouldn't waste time with knockoffs. I'm sure they all work to some degree, but in this case where I'm trying to achieve the highest IQ shooting 4k, even a fraction of loss is too much. I've heard reviews where focus can be off on other brands and of course the quality of the lens elements can't be as good. I bought a Century Precision 77mm 0.7 wide adapter in the 90's for a 70s Canon Scoopic 16mm camera with a fixed zoom. The lens in La was expensive, but I have used it on every camera I've owned since including the tiny Panasonic G7 14-42 kit lens with a 46mm to 77mm stepup ring. Works great giving me about a 10mm POV and actually impressed people who looked at the kit lens. It's worth the money to get the best glass if you plan to use it for a long time.
 
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