Thinking of swaping my GH3 to a AF101

F

funkytwig

Active member
Hi. Went from a Sony VX1000, to a PD150, a Z1 then to the GH3. I do corporate and documentary run and gun work and a bit of conference work. Recently I did some dinging and it looks like I can go from the GH3 to the AF101 without it costing me much as I would sell by beachtech, the body and possibly the Gini rig (looks like a simple extra handle is all that is needed). I would get a used AF101.

Apart from the messing about assembling the rig the two big problems I have with the GH3 is focusing and only being able to record 1/2 hour in a single shot (for conferences when the talks can be longer). I gather the AF101 has focus peaking, is it any good? I gather the inbuilt screen/viewfinder is not good enough for getting good focus. Is the autofuces any good, i.e. is it better/worse than the GH3?

Going from the GH3 to the AF101 seems like a good idea as I can use the same lenses. I have Panasonic 14-140, a 20mm prime and a 12-25 f2.8 (the later is the one I use the most). Are there any downsides I may not realise?

Lastly I am left handed, is this likely to cause a problem. I came across mention of a wooden handle from westside AV but cant find it, is this type of thing still available and would it work left handed?

Ben
 
Can you earn slightly more and keep your GH3 body? IMO it's good to have a hybrid still/video camera to complement the AF100 in doc situations. Used AF100/101's are awfully inexpensive these days for what they offer.

People will quibble about the AF100's image quality (especially if they're the sorts of people who prefer not to light anything and constantly put blown highlights in their frame), but I don't think anyone will argue the utter flexibility and utility it offers. For the sort of work you describe, the AF works splendidly. Having the built in XLR and up to 12hr+ record times certainly makes conferences easier, and with the 14-140, I find the AF100 just as flexible as and better-looking than the HVX/HMC150 cameras I'd also owned (to the extent I sold both).

Regarding focusing... the 14-140 and 12-35 both operate very well on autofocus on the AF100. The 20 does not (autofocus speed is very slow on the AF100). Manual focus aids such as focus peaking are very useful and helpful. The LCD is USUALLY good enough to focus by, best results can be had by turning the EVF to monochrome and setting focus peaking in red. I operated with a DP6 for a while, but didn't find the advantages significant enough to justify its weight/bulk.

Possible downsides of the transition:
- The GH3, IMO, has a better image out of the camera. Not so much better that you'll get paid any more, but highlight handling is better and it's sharper, colors are slightly more pleasing.
- The GH3 is smaller. You'll have to carry more stuff.
- The AF100 has no internal high bitrate recording options.
- The AF100 has only the most rudimentary 2MP jpg stills capability.

Regarding handles... Westside AV is username "olof" on DVXUser. Contacting him about the handles may yield something, they appear to have been discontinued on the web store. I don't know how you operate a camera left-handed vs. right-handed, but adding accessories to the AF100 isn't difficult.

For what it's worth, I got a simple Berkey handle wired with a tally switch and have been using that for two years. My "rig" is a simple homemade side-bolted trombone-like apparatus (shoulder support optional):
AF100 support.jpg
 
Thanks for that. I have very little work at the moment so having both is not possible. Interesting what you say about autofocus. so you are saying the 20 is a lot slower then the other lenses. Does the AF101 go a 50mb/s option. If not I guess it is not BBC compliant, although I haven't actually shot anything for them. From what you say it sounds like a bit step up. What I would really love is a GH4 and a AF101. Being able to push in to use 2 frame sizes from one shot would be great.

Ben
 
If you don't have the work, maybe rent what you need as you need it. Use the GH3 for low budget quick jobs where rental isn't in the budget.

The 20 is very slow auto focusing on the AF100... Slow enough that manual focus is the only realistic option. The 14-140 and 12-35 are lightning fast in comparison.

The AF100 only records in 24 or 28MBps AVCHD. It is not BBC compliant without a recorder, but again: if you don't already have that work, no sense buying that gear (your GH3 isn't BBC compliant either). Rent if you do get such a job, or if you opt for the AF, then rent a recorder.
 
mcbob said:
If you don't have the work, maybe rent what you need as you need it. Use the GH3 for low budget quick jobs where rental isn't in the budget. .......
Click to expand...

OK, just did a shoot with the GH3 and vowed never to shoot with it again. It was a bit of a nightmare shoot and most of the problems were down to it not being a proper camcorder.

Have asked olof about the handle they supply and looked at the one you use. Think I need to look for a budget one (at least for now). How is it fixed to the camera? Sound great with the shoulder mount. May just get a handle for not and look to add solder support later. The trigger sounds lie a great idea. Where did you get it?

I saw a used AF101 for sale but it had over 800 hours on it, is this a lot?

Ben
 
Last edited:
I think "hours on the camera" is a little outdated metric these days, a holdover from the days of tape. Unless we are talking truly massive hours to where the sensor is depleted, I don't think "hours on the camera" is a useful metric, rather what's important is the general state of the camera and whether it's been abused and so on. You can try to use "hours on the camera" as a proxy for how banged up it must be, but that's really not very useful, because some people take good care of their gear and it'll be immaculate years and years down the road, and some are abusive and a pretty new camera can be badly banged up. So, to me, modern chip based cameras are not usefully measured by "hours". YMMV.
 
OldCorpse said:
I think "hours on the camera" is a little outdated metric these days, a holdover from the days of tape. Unless we are talking truly massive hours to where the sensor is depleted, I don't think "hours on the camera" is a useful metric, rather what's important is the general state of the camera and whether it's been abused and so on. You can try to use "hours on the camera" as a proxy for how banged up it must be, but that's really not very useful, because some people take good care of their gear and it'll be immaculate years and years down the road, and some are abusive and a pretty new camera can be badly banged up. So, to me, modern chip based cameras are not usefully measured by "hours". YMMV.
Click to expand...

Yes, that was my thinking. Thanks for replying. I guess 800/8=100 (days) so for a camera that is 3 years old that simply indicates it is not used that regularly.
 
It's a simple 15mm rail-style handle. I drilled 4 holes in a ~4" piece of 1/8" aluminum bar (painted black) and bolted it to the AF100 body on one side and to a Cinevate rail block on the other (others would work, that's just what I had). It thus has side-mounted rails to which I attach the handle, follow focus, and/or shoulder support.

The Berkey handle with the switch was bought built like that used through a DVXUser member, but such a thing could be constructed with some wire, a 3-pole button switch, and the proper cable ends - I used instructions found in DVXUser to put a tally switch in the stock plastic side handle.

For whatever it's worth, you could try operating the camera for a while with just that stock side handle. With the smaller/lighter Lumix lenses, the camera doesn't grow nearly as front-heavy as it does with larger glass that I tend to use. One of the best AF100 operators on this board also used a "DVTech Multirig" for his... you can get the nonunion Chicom "DSLR Rig" knockoff for ~$80 via eBay or other outfits.

With all solid-state cameras, it ain't the hours... it's the mileage. A 1500-hour studio camera will often be in better condition than a 150-hour warzone documentary camera. Find out how it's been used, get a notion of its working condition, and go from there. For whatever it's worth, I bought my AF100 used from a drone helicam pilot who'd just been whizzing it about over South American rivers, but it has still worked splendidly for three years.
 
Thanks, thought that may be the case. Can't quite picture how you connected rails system to camera. One thing I have noticed is all the plates which mount on dual 15mm rail system are DSLR (they don't have the pin that stops it swivelling) or did you not mount it to the bottom. The 14-140 is the heaviest lens I have so I guess it will be OK to use the built in Handel, at least initially.

Am I also correct in thinking you dont get a rocker switch zoom (no big deal bot would of been nice).

I am also wondering if you still get stepped aperture (apposed to smooth changes as in the Z1 and similar cameras.

Dont get me wrong, I am sold on the idea and currently looking for as used one, was just wondering. I am actually quite exited;).

Ben
 
I neded up buying the camera and have had a few hours to play with it. Wow, ime impressed. Nice ot be escaping from DSLR hell;). The B&W viewfinder with red peaking is great and the flip out is actually quite good. I dont do that many shoots (I am mainly an editor) and recently I have been geting so fed up with the GH3 I haven't been enjoying them. I am sure this is about to change;).

Thanks everybody for taking the time to reply and making me feel welcome here.

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