Jorden Mosley
Forum Replies Created
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If you’re looking for a comparison of the cameras’ video quality there was a video test done by Andrew Reid with the vg900 (video output identical to A99), plus the gh3, Blackmagic Cinema camera, 5DIII, gh2 (hacked) and the FS100.
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The EOSHD Blackmagic Cinema Camera Shootout – 2.5K Version from Andrew Reid on Vimeo.
As for what to pick. Different tools are going to meet different needs. I’ve done a lot of research on these cameras and here’s how I break it down:
5DIII
Pros:
Unrivaled lowlight performance (IMO usable up to ISO 12800), full frame (easier subject isolation), moire filter, high bit rate video files (higher than the gh3, headphone/mic jack, and lots of lenses made for the EF mount.Cons:
Costs the most, weighs the most, doesn’t resolve as much detail as the GH3/GH2, limited clip length, 60fps is only at 720p and fixed LCD screen.6D
Same as above but minus the headphone jack and moire filter. But costs $1,000-1,200 less and weighs less.A99
Pros: In-body image stabilization (which makes every alpha mount lens you put on it stabilized), also full-frame, tilt/swivel screen (only full-frame camera that does have it), headphone/mic jack, good auto focus for video mode (but limits f-stop to f/3.5), 60fps at 1080p, also has a headphone/mic and is weather sealed and weighs around the same as the 6D.Cons: low light performance no where near the same league as the 5DIII/6D:
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Also has no moire filter, doesn’t resolve as much detail as the GH3/GH2,limited clip length and video bit rates are significantly lower than the 5D/6D/GH3 which means less wiggle room when color grading in post.GH3
Pros: Significantly cheaper than the 5D/6D/A99, unlimited video clip length (will record up to battery/SD card runs out), resolves a lot more detail than the other cameras, moire filter,tilt/swivel screen, most versatile lens mount system (which can save you a lot of money on lenses), 60fps at 1080p, with the right lens also has good rack/auto focus for video (at any f-stop), high video codec bit rates,headphone/mic jack, weather sealed, and a camera body/lens selection a lot smaller and lighter than the others:
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Cons: low light performance also no where near the 5D/6D and slightly worse than the A99, and more depth of field due to smaller sensor (subject isolation more difficult to achieve, not impossible, just not as easy as a full-frame camera).
Summary: If you’re shooting a lot of situations where you don’t have control of the lighting (indoor events or at night) than go with the 5D/6D. If you’re recording long takes/speeches and carrying gear all day long, go with the GH3. If you’re doing a lot of run and gun and don’t always have the luxury/time of setting up a mono/tripod then go with the A99.
Keep in mind that all these cameras could ultimately work in those scenarios but it would require different equipment/accessories in order to accommodate the weakness of each camera in said scenarios.
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Whats the highest aperture on your lens? But even with that factor, chances are it was just too dark of a location. With the few times I’ve played around with a 60D I found going past 1600 or so creates too grainy of an image for my tastes. As a GH2 user I deal with low light issues all the time (even when hacked).
As good DSLR and Mirrorless cameras perform under low lighting, the reality is you still gotta light for these cameras to get a good exposure/picture. I’d suggest (if your budget allows) to pick up a dimmable LED camera light to mount to your camera.
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That kit lens in my experience will work for wide shots (at 14mm) but not good for a shallow depth of field due to low aperture (3.5-5.6). That pretty much applies to most kits lens really. In addtion to the 14-42mm I own and use:
Of all my lenses though, I use the 50mm 1.8 the vast majority of the time. If I were to recommend just one lens that is cheap and could be used for narrative work it would be that. Jason would be the guy to ask for the Nikon lens info though.
As for SD cards, just make sure it’s rated at class 10 and no lower than 16gb. If you hack the GH2 to higher bit rate it will take up more data per second, thus reducing your record time (another reason why don’t like to hack mine).
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I can only comment on the Polaroid ND filters, since they’re the only ones I’ve used on my minolta lenses (GH2). I bought them used on amazon and was presently surprised that I couldn’t see them taking much if any sharpness away from my primes.
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It’s very plausible to do a low to no budget feature on it. Pick up the body, get a set of older lenses (I use three old AF Minolta lens), and purchase an adapter for those lenses for micro 4/3. If you pick up a t2i or t3i you’ll pay less for the body, but you’ll likely pay a lot more for the lenses and thus pay more total for a camera and a set of lenses in comparison.
From a shooting standpoint, no moire or aliasing (so you don’t have to worry about certain wardrobe or locations causing issues),high quality digit zoom, a record time that will run till the SD card is full (hours), and if you wanted to you could hack it to get insane bit rates as well (though I prefer using unhacked, as the image quality is still very pleasing).
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For the adapters question, I use my GH2 with some old Minolta lenses (50mm 1.7, 28mm 2.8, and 70-210mm 4.0) with an adapter that allows me to adjust the aperture from an aperture ring on the adapter itself. When you use an adapter you lose auto focus. But when I shoot video I prefer manual focus anyway. The only case I can think of where you can’t adjust the aperture is with canon ef lenses. But recently there’s been a few manufacturers that have made some that can do that to some extent. For me I’ve saved a ton of money on lenses by picking a GH2.
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That’s the one. Cowboy Studio, Ephoto, Adarama, etc all sell it. The on difference between the brands is that some have quick release plates and others don’t.
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If your thinking about a shoulder mount for your DSLR, you may wanna consider a very inexpensive hands free shoulder mount:
You can get these off amazon for 20-30.00. I own one myself for my GH2 and it stabilizes the camera greatly. I’d say get your Eyecup and this in your purchase.
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If focusing is the concern you could do a couple of things: decrease the aperture on your current lens to have a greater depth of field which will give you a greater area of focus (I assume you knew that already and wanted to keep the high aperture to have a shallow dof and more light). Which leads to my other suggestion in getting a follow focus. You can pick up a traditional one for around 150-200.00, or you can use something a lot less expensive like a rubber jar opener or zip tie.
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Before I bought the GH2, I worried about the crop factor and lens as well. But once I got it, it became a non-issue.
First, your not just limited to Panasonic lens. With the mount type of a gh2 (micro 4/3) its the most versatile mount out there. I’m currently using old Minolta AF lens with an adapter that has an aperture ring. The image quality is still great. We’re talking about lens’ that you could buy at a small fraction of the cost of modern lens. With an adapter you can mount so many variety of lens (new and old) from various manufacturers that you couldn’t on a Canon with an adapter. That alone has saved me thousands of dollars.
Second, on paper the crop factor (1.6 vs 2.0) maybe be significant but in reality its not all that different. I got 28mm 2.8 (that’s a close 50mm equivalent)that I use the very rarely. What I mostly use a 50mm 1.7, 70-210 4.0, and 14-42mm (kit lens that comes with the gh2) to cover all the kinds of shots I need, whether it be close ups, medium, portraits, or wide angle.
For a guy who was in your shoes not too long ago, I dodged a bullet in picking the gh2 over the 60D or T3i. For the work I do the very limited record time, moire, worst rolling shutter distortion, and cost of the lens would have forced me to get a gh2 down the road anyway.