Preordered a GH-1, Changing my mind

BTW, regarding the stills, there are many professional photographers who believe that no other 35mm DSLR tops the 5D Mark II for image quality. President Obama's first official portrait was shot on the 5D MkII.
 
ydgmdlu said:
7) On your budget, there is no better lens than the Tamron 28-75mm F2.8, which you can buy for $300-350. It offers performance comparable to the Canon 24-70mm L. Some photographers actually prefer it to the L because of the extremely close performance at a fraction of the price. For a telephoto zoom, the best budget option is the Tokina 80-200mm F2.8, which is also comparable to L-series glass. It can also be bought used for $300-350 for the non-Pro version. (Note: The non-Pro version's front element rotates when you pull focus.) Both these zooms are about as sharp as primes. The only reason why you'd want to have primes in addition to them is if you find particular lenses that are faster, offer better color and/or contrast, offer better bokeh, and/or focus a lot closer. On your budget, these might not be important benefits to have, so the money could be better spent on other equipment.
Click to expand...

Do either of those lenses have image stabilization, you know?
 
ydgmdlu said:
there is no better lens than the Tamron 28-75mm F2.8, which you can buy for $300-350.
Click to expand...
This was my first EOS lens. It's a very sharp and high performance glass, about the same as the L series. Just two comments on it..

1) It has no IS, which can be helpful at times (sometimes not..)
2) The focus ring only turns a few degrees, so it can be harder to pull focus with. It's a bit sensitive.
 
ydgmdlu said:
I don't believe that they do, but again, you can't expect it on something that only costs $300-350.
Click to expand...

Darn. Looking for a zoom that'll cover FF with Image Stabilization. Was hoping that either of those had it. Something OTHER than L series glass.

Guess it's back to hunting for a Tamron 28-300 VC.

Sorry, back on topic.
 
what for? thought you were gonna sell up. you're not flip flopping are you kholi? I can't understand why you'd be selling it unless you need some cash. but I suppose if you have a red and a GH1 the MKII might not be necessary.
 
squig said:
what for? thought you were gonna sell up. you're not flip flopping are you kholi? I can't understand why you'd be selling it unless you need some cash. but I suppose if you have a red and a GH1 the MKII might not be necessary.
Click to expand...

I'm selling it because I don't like the camera. But first I need to make some money off of it. That means getting a 28-300 for a job that's run-n-gun.

Kholi said:
If you want my MKii, give it a week and I'll be selling it more than likely with my CF Cards etc for about the price of a new camera without all of that.
I just don't like it as a video acquisition tool, personally, but the image is awesome. I don't know if it's the lack of 24P, the Jello, the Fixed LCD annoyance or what but I just can't get into this camera.

Anyway, there you go.
Click to expand...


Just in case you were unable to compute what "give it a week" means, Squig. I know you got a lot on your mind, with your script-writing at and all.

Just helpin' you out.

Thanks for your inquiry.
 
Last edited:
Wow guys. I really appreciate all of these responses. Thanks to Kholi for that super in depth response. I do think that different cams are for different people, and the lcd thing is what I am most worried about to be honest. How easy would it have been to put it on a swivel? I mean come on canon! All the wiring would have been the same and everything.

Please link me to any possibilities as far as small lcds go. Do they need HDMI ports?

One possible solution I was thinking of is basically based around mirrors. Using mirrors and optics, low angle shots should be very doable, and you will still be taking advantage of the original resolution. The basic method would be placing a mirror at a 45 degree angle from the monitor to be able to see what the monitor is seeing. This is actually GREAT and simple as far as focuing, however, your image will be upside down. I don't suppose there is a way to flip the LCD image while recording is there?

So, what would be the best way to optically flip the image? How do the flip modules on 35mm adaptors work? I feel like this could really work. I've been playing around with mirror setups on a point and shoot still I have and I think this could work. I found some ways to flip it, but I am sure there is a specific optic, or setup that is used. A magnifier would also be very helpful. Honestly I think this has a lot of potential. Can anyone post some methods of optically flipping images? There has to be a method...

Thanks for all of the input.
 
Entity said:
Wow guys. I really appreciate all of these responses. Thanks to Kholi for that super in depth response. I do think that different cams are for different people, and the lcd thing is what I am most worried about to be honest. How easy would it have been to put it on a swivel? I mean come on canon! All the wiring would have been the same and everything.

Please link me to any possibilities as far as small lcds go. Do they need HDMI ports?

One possible solution I was thinking of is basically based around mirrors. Using mirrors and optics, low angle shots should be very doable, and you will still be taking advantage of the original resolution. The basic method would be placing a mirror at a 45 degree angle from the monitor to be able to see what the monitor is seeing. This is actually GREAT and simple as far as focuing, however, your image will be upside down. I don't suppose there is a way to flip the LCD image while recording is there?

So, what would be the best way to optically flip the image? How do the flip modules on 35mm adaptors work? I feel like this could really work. I've been playing around with mirror setups on a point and shoot still I have and I think this could work. I found some ways to flip it, but I am sure there is a specific optic, or setup that is used. A magnifier would also be very helpful. Honestly I think this has a lot of potential. Can anyone post some methods of optically flipping images? There has to be a method...

Thanks for all of the input.
Click to expand...

Search this:

Ikan 2.5" LCD (Spec-Comm)
Noga Arm (Heavy Duty might be best)
Hoodman for 2.5" LCD OR one of those EyePieces From Zacuto or Redrock
Composite Out
Small Battery Back (two rechargeables will do)

350.00 to 400 at the most.

It'll solve the Viewfinder issue and you get full range as far as versatility goes.

Just makes the camera larger unfortunately.

HDMI output is a waste of space to me unless it's uncompressed. Otherwise you'd might as well take advantage of Composite to SDI feeds and use a reliable connection.

Use Composite and you can beat the LCD issue and still be able to use the extra 2.5" LCD as a digital Viewfinder with one of those Eyepiece majiggers.

It Works, I've done it before.

At least the MKii has Live Video out during recording.
 
The 8" LCD that I linked from eBay has SVGA resolution (800x600) and actually has a built-in flip function. I have one myself. And it's only $93 shipped. What's a better value than that?

BTW, VGA gives a much better signal than composite.
 
Thanks guys. I am going to go with kholi's idea most likely, or maybe squigs. I think for now, a small monitor will fit my shooting style and my planned rig. I am dissapointed to hear that there is no HD out while recording though. So it's only composite that works while you record? Is that little 2.5 inch 480 by 234 monitor going to work for focusing? That seems awfully hard...

I was wondering, do those lenses you listed have autofocus in the still mode? And if not, would this be more expensive?

I am going to have to read through this all again and keep learning. I know I have even more q's, but I really appreciate this so far. So much info!
 
just keep in mind that the LCD glasses are useless for checking color rendition or accurate exposure. They're good for framing and focus only. I have to check if the framing is accurate.
 
Yes, I am leaning towards the small ikan LCD. It is approximately accurate though right? I wish there was a way to get the in camera light meter to show up. That is only in the viewfinder and not on the lcd of this camera right?
 
Entity said:
I am dissapointed to hear that there is no HD out while recording though. So it's only composite that works while you record?
Click to expand...
Not true. The HDMI-out works, but the output signal, while recording, is VGA resolution (640x480). Composite is 480i. My option is still the best value, if you care about resolution.

I was wondering, do those lenses you listed have autofocus in the still mode? And if not, would this be more expensive?
Click to expand...
The Tamron is an autofocus lens. The autofocus is slow and noisy. But it's the best that you'll find for your budget. Sigma makes a comparable zoom lens (that you can find in used condition for a similar price) that might have a better AF motor, but the downside is that its filter diameter is a whopping 82mm. It's a much heavier/bulkier lens also. The Tamron has been known to have AF accuracy issues. But most users don't have any major complaints about the AF.

The Tokina is a manual focus lens, and you won't be able to find it in an EF/EOS mount. But you won't find a faster or optically better zoom lens of that range for the money. If you want AF, then Tamron and Sigma have 70-200mm F2.8 models for $600-$700.
 
As far as your mirror idea goes, you could always just mount the camera upside-down and flip the recorded video in post.
 
ydgmdlu said:
As far as your mirror idea goes, you could always just mount the camera upside-down and flip the recorded video in post.
Click to expand...

That actually doesn't work if you think about it. I tried that too at first, but the LIVE lcd still looks the same recording upside down when you are monitoring it upside down (live), as it does when you film right side up. I think it's a bit confusing to think about. Also, I may consider a bigger lcd, but for now I want something more compact. Thanks though.
 
Kholi said:
Search this:

Ikan 2.5" LCD (Spec-Comm)
Noga Arm (Heavy Duty might be best)
Hoodman for 2.5" LCD OR one of those EyePieces From Zacuto or Redrock
Composite Out
Small Battery Back (two rechargeables will do)

350.00 to 400 at the most.

It'll solve the Viewfinder issue and you get full range as far as versatility goes.
Click to expand...

That's a good idea. You know it's a matter of time that someones going to make an electronic viewfinder for the 5D. Kinda like the RED VF. Now that would be awesome...


.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top