GH2 Run & Gun settings for fishing related video

ozfish

ozfish

Active member
I have just purchased a GH2 with a redrock microFinder loupe , Hoodman loupe and a Rode videomic pro. I intend to film in 1080/50i (Pal).

Filming a Fishing show on a rocking boat, with fish jumping does not give you a lot of time to set up a shot, I normally use my HPX172 and just run in auto, wide, as I host the show as well as do a lot of the filming, I need to pass the camera to the charter boat crew to film my intros etc so needs to be as easy as i can make it.
I will be travelling to Central America and due to weight restrictions and the duration of the trip(3 months) do not wish to take my HPX

1)What settings would you recommend on the GH2 to make it as fool proof as possible to get reasonable shots?
2) if running in iA is it possible to adjust audio level, I could only see this option on Manual mode, where I set the level to 1 and the Rode to 0db
3) If in manual what priority setting would be best given the above conditions, I have seen it written that shutter priority may be best and let exposure be controlled in auto.

Please note I am a complete novice with DSLR(Evil)
Regards
Ozfish
Western Australia
 
Wow, what can I say. Having worked on numerous outdoor TV shows including many national fishing shows, I can't imagine passing a camera to a charter boat crew member to shoot segments for a show, let alone shoot footage yourself while you are trying to be the host of the show.
And now you are switching to a GH2 and a Rode Videomic Pro which you are not familiar with for a 3 month long trip? Sorry I don't mean to be an ass here, but do you have any professional crew or gear like wireless microphones???
 
Hi... I'm also in Oz and have been filming with a Gh1 and Hpx302 for a adventure travel show... we have done allot of stuff it rafts while filming kayaking ... very rough stuff...

Firstly I'd have to say do it on the camera you know... the 172 is probably a all-round better camera for what your doing... ( I've had a 202 & 172)...

The GH2 as far as I understand has no 25p so is kinda useless for pal users ( although I think it does do 1080i/50... )..

I've held off buying a GH2 until Vitality comes up with a better solution for us PAL users...

I believe the GH1 un-hackable cameras will soon be a thing of the past... so you could probably get a GH1 relatively cheap...

Good luck...

Cheers LeZ
 
Hi David,
Thanks for the feedback, I do have wireless mics, a zoom h4n etc and would love to have the funding for a crew to travel with me on this trip but I dont.
I suppose the novelty of what I do is that I am a one man band and travel the world doing what I love to do ie Fishing. I have filmed in Australia, PNG, Vanuatu, Mauritius and have been picked up for Distribution by Victory Multimedia in the States and Flashback Entertainment in Australia.
I like to tag along on charters, film other anglers get all my shots and if I can catch the odd fish myself ,all well and good, not so much about me but the location, the fish and the characters I meet.
Here is a link to my youtube channel to give you an idea of what I get up to, no crew on any of these trips I make do with what i can get. http://www.youtube.com/user/ozfishwa

With that in mind what settings would people use so that there is a reasonable chance of getting useable footage. Note I will be using 1080/50i so I can Pan and follow jumping fish. I have Polarising filters ND filters etc
Regards
Ozfish
 
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Footage looks good on u-tube... I'm guessing that's with the 172???

The main difference I guess is the zooms on the GH2 will never be as smooth as the 172... also the CCD's on the 172 will probably out-preform the CMOS on the GH2...

Having said that you could probably get some really nice material from the GH2... the 14 -140 lens is pretty sweet and image stabilising does help... if there is a way to setup the H4n with the wireless kit that would give you some better audio...

I use the H4n inside a sony water housing with the receiver and have the sennhiser lav's on my talent in the water... (wrapped up inside a dry bag and folded inside a dry top)...

On the Gh13 I tend to drive it in manual mode shooting 50th sec and adjusting the exposure to suit... the last shoot I did on the Snowy River my ND I ordered did not turn up it time so had to shot F22 most of the day.... the footage turned out well... definitely no focusing issues at F22..

We had a screening last week on Fox / Aurora Channel Ch183 ( we have a screening tonight at 7.30 ... a little story about Kangaroos)...

Anyhow you can see the GH13 here... (they interview Darlo forever... the show starts about 1/2 way through)...

http://www.channelvision.com.au/shows/born-from-a-vision/?video=615

Cheers
 
Hi Lez,
I have the Sescom cable for the Zoom H4n but the handling noise without a suspension system is hard to take.
I believe Rycote has come out with one, need to get some practice in before I go, have a Billfish Tournament on next weekend so will try out a few things then. Also have a Gopro Hd in a troll housing that is giving me some good shots of fish strikes.
I will probably use the Rode Videomic pro for back ground stuff and try and set up the wireless and zoom for my intro's etc
Regards
Ozfish
 
Cool... would love to see the footage you get next week...

I don't have the H4n connected to the GH1 when filming ... I just record the wild sound to the H4n and sync later... the only issue I have is that FCP is based on frames per sec and the H4n shoots in millisec's so sometimes the audio is out 1/2 frame or so... for the final mix I send to protools or soundtrack pro which can slide the audio and sync correctly... ( I guess I should read the manual for the H4n and maybe there is a setting to record in SMPTE time code)

I don't think you will get as wet as we do... sometimes the raft flips in big holes and we're in for a swim... luckily so far we've not lost any electronic equipment due to flooding... but I can imagine one day smashing into a rock and losing the lot...

eaten up and spat out... http://youtu.be/YWamJ4Wh93U (ps ... there's a 7d inside a not so dry yellow dry bag... thank good they are weather-proof as the bag was saturated..)

If your on a boat... I'd just set up the H4n with the wireless Lav in the cabin and let it record... better to stop and re-start every so often to close the files off so if you do lose the recoding... if it's 2 hrs long and stuff's up you lose the lot... every 15mins or so and there's a good chance you'll get everything .. a good solid hand clap can be a good sync point for the H4n and the GH2..

I find filming takes care of itself generally... the audio is normally the issue...

I'm using a sennhiser evolution 100 with standard capsule in the water and a sennhiser G3 with Gold Capsule on land...

Cheers
 
Hi Lez,
Are you filming 50I or 25P with GH13, would you use 1/50 shutter for 50I as well?
Checked out your vid on the Snowy how cold would the water have been? I live in the Pilbara region of W.A and the water drops to 22 degrees Celcius in winter, not really a hypothermia risk.
Looking forward to getting the GH2 out and seeing how the footage turns out.
I agree audio is always the hardest thing for me to get well, it would be nice to have a crew to look after it, but I think I would miss doing everything myself, it is half the fun. My theory is "if no one buys my DVD's I will have plenty of beer coasters for my bar"
Regards
Ozfish
 
Yeah the Snowy can be cold.. I once went in the drink on the Colorado river and the water was only 4 degrees... floated about a mile downstream holding my HPX202 in the air so it would not get wet... finally got out and I was lucky that my smokes and lighter did not get wet... lit a fire very quickly.. the camera came to life after 4 days of drying out..

I tend to shoot everything with a 1/50th shutter 50i or 25p.. higher shutter speeds can make for choppy panning...

I'm sure you'll get to build a bigger bar with all the DVD's you sell...

Good luck.. if you've got any issues get in touch...

Cheers

www.les.herstik.com
 
hi ya ozfish howes it going up there i use to work at the brockman mine you probly know it? i use my GH2 in P mode auto iso and just hit the red record button seems to work well for what i do,i also have the panasonic mic with a windscreen which works well too.720/50 or 1080i50 looks the same on my 65 inch plasma.if you ever get down esperance way give me a bell.
cheers from roger
 
Hi Roger,
Actually working in oil/gas in Karratha. I was thinking the same re Manual video in P mode allows me to set audio to 1 and the Rode Video Mic Pro to 0db which has a Wincutter windscreen which fully encapsulates the Mic. Have ordered a Rycote recorder suspension kit for my Zoom H4n so should be able to use that with my Sescom cable and monitor audio as well.
Can also use that to connect my wireless lav, audio has always been my biggest issue on open boats, but somehow i have managed so far. Still learning every day
 
may i ask what sort of wireless mic you have i would like to learn more about this as i will be doing a trip to cape leveque in oct bit of fishing and 4wding,also have you looked at the panasonic SD 900 camcorder recoreds 1080 50p 28 mbts sec there a lot of positive stuff on the cam
 
Hi Roger
Have a Senheisser ew100 from memory, have not seen the Panasonic SD 900, My main camera is the Panasonic HPX172 which I love but as I will be basically backpacking arount Central and South America I went for the GH2 and a Kata packpack which looks like it will hold all my camera gear.
My HPX in a Pelican case weighs about 9kg so borderline for carry on size is ok but weight limit normally 7kg's so dont want to take the chance.
 
Hi... I've got both the ew100 and Senheisser G3 ... the G3 wins hands down ... although it's plastic compared to the metal ew100 ..

The G3 uses AA batteries also which is a big saving in the hip pocket... 9v are expensive .. I always try and use a new set for each shoot... even if it's a 10 minute talking head...

Cheers...
 
Hi Lez,
Maybe I have the G3's as mine takes AA's as well, and is plastic ,Alseimers setting in
No just cheked Ew 100 G2 which uses double A's
 
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