GH4 "What's the deal with 2x and 4x??" clean?

W

wwjd

Well-known member
GH4: anyone determin if the 2x and/or 4x zoom settings while shooting 4k is clean? I thought 2x looked okay, but haven't tested 4x yet - scared to assuming it is just digital zoom adding pixels, making a mess....
 
No to both for my needs/quality standards. But if you needed it to get a once in a lifetime shot it would be better than nothing.
 
Doesn't it work better in HD mode where it crops in on the sensor, staying pixel to pixel, instead of DIGITALLY? maybe I'm mixing that up with Canon...
And maybe that doesn't work at all in 4k?
 
My testing just didn't produce the quality I wanted. At 2x seemed I used a native mount Oly 75-300 lens shooting hummingbirds and there was what appeared to be excess grain. My solution was simply to get closer. If you have a GH4 just test it yourself.
 
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I shoot a ton in 2x 4k and occasionally in 4x. 2x is significantly better than 1080 ETC mode imho. Most of my stuff is shooting critters in the wild where reach is of paramount importance. Getting your content to full screen way more valuable than the slight difference in sharpness you get from full 4k viewed in 1080. I've watched my 4k 2x shots on a 75" sony 4k display and it's simply stunning.

Here's one that has both 4k 2x and one straight 4k shot in the third wider scene.
https://vimeo.com/141442817


Here's one that's all 3000mm and 6000mm equivalent focal length. Super soft in the 4k 4x stuff, but almost completely untouched cineV footage converted to 1080.
https://vimeo.com/139020372
There's one scene at 2:25 that is straight 4k for comparison. The scenes from the 3:40 mark are the most perfect clips of elk ever taken by any camera :)

Obviously YMMV, but this camera in 4K 2x is untouchable for this purpose at any price!

Cheers,
Pete
 
I was thinking when I played with it, 2x was still pretty good even in 4K, but wondered if others had tested it out. Thanks, pete, I'll check out your stuff after work.
 
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