With the Black Friday deals around at the moment, it may seem odd to go for the ageing GH5s, a camera with dated specs maybe, but let me explain (hope I can anyway, ‘cos it’s done).
The cage was already floating around, a rare and poor fit for the G9.1, a better one for the GH series. Obviously too busy to find the right body cap :).
I bought the GH5s for a little less than the BMPCC4k (it is usually dearer). I could have bought a G9II for a little more, but as I said at the beginning of this journey, I was after something that grew my space and the GH5s adds a low light MFT, All-i capable camera, with a different crop factor (1:1.8) and BMVA compatibility.
It is in effect a third low light option, a P4k with AF and another decently priced, but quite powerful MFT option. It does offer something that I did not have.
To be honest, if the G9 Mk1 could record longer and had Log, shutter angle and wave forms built in it would have done, but as it does not, the GH5/GH6 or GH5s were the best cheap options.
The P4k was frustrating.
Native B-Raw, was the lure and the chance to buy the camera and a Video Assist to give me two B-Raw cams at a premium price was a strong incentive, but the P4k was annoying me with it’s needs and the shape of my kit was fighting it’s relevance.
The GH5s gives me 3x better battery life out of the box, a lot of “lesser” codec choices than BRaw or ProRes (All-i, VLog-L), the equal best MFT low light performance available, the ability to shoot stills and comes with decent AF and a view finder, in other words it is a hybrid, but a video-centric one. I also liked the smaller profile, the swivel screen and compatibility with existing accessories (several G9 batts and a cage at hand).
Another small benefit, the GH5s is a 1.8 crop, so the Hope 16, 25 and 50mm lenses become 28, 45 and 90mm’s which to a lens are a better fit for my needs than the 2x crop of MFT.
Matched to the new Hope lenses (I have added the 16), it sits well. The slightly older interface, curves and layout are refreshing, reassuring even.
When comparing the two, I often responded better to the P4k B-Raw footage, looking for that tell tale sign I guess, the secret special sauce, but sometimes I did not, I liked the sharp and clean look of the Panasonic and that was regular All-i V-Log-L footage vs B-Raw. With the GH5s and BMVA, I can have both options with colours and curves that match my other cams.
My intent is to go with 10bit/422/.Mov/V-Log or V-Log-L as my realistic bread and butter, 1080 or 4k as needed, the G9II and GH5s in All-i (B-Raw or ProRes as an option) and the S5’s in Long-GOP.
This will give me a good baseline and that cinematic footage option and if I want it later, another BMVA will give me matching B-Raw cams or three with ProRes.
It is a little more expensive this way, but the above options, as well as the option to not do this at all and just go with the Lumix cams as is, or even go down the Ninja-V/ProRes only road, are a justifications.
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In other news, the struggle to make the G9II a gimbal camera without a gimbal went a step further today.
It seems that if I use a handle on either side of it, I can walk and pan very smoothly. This came from often getting better results with the top handle and also steadying with a side handle. I mounted two in a moment of inspiration and found the elusive “Ninja” walk was much easier to do with two hands on the camera. Not perfect, but a little weight may help.
On that walk, shoes make the difference. I was practicing bare foot and found the jolt almost uncontrollable, then put on my Merrill MOAB’s and true smoothness was realised.
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Looks like “mr no rigs” here has had a major turn around.
With no fewer than 4 serious video options (bought as such), my thoughts have turned to making this semi random cluster into less of a cluster ………, well you know.
The Commercial kit, meaning the kit that I can trust no matter what.
The S5II is the endurance machine.
Complete with the brand spanking new RigidPro full rig, this thing is out to impress. The rig allows power for everything needed with 4x D-Tap outlets from the master V-mount unit, as well as several outlets from the battery itself.
I have grabbed a Smallrig 99 watt/hour battery and a few Blue Kondor cables, so the camera (dummy batt), mic (C-type) mic (via camera) and monitor (7.5V) are all powered for literally hours on one battery.
Being fan cooled, it is now the “all day” camera, limited only by card life (256gb at the moment, which is about 4 hours of good quality 1080p).
This will be the general purpose work horse my “ground zero” for commercial jobs and I will use the solid and easy to use Lumix-S lenses.
The G9II is the movement specialist.
With the best stabe and AF, lens selection and the best baseline internal video specs (ProRes, All-i, full Log) and high frame rates plus plenty of slo-mo options, the G9II is the logical camera for all movements.
The rig is a simple cage and three handles as well as the option of a weighted base.
This is the second work horse, mated with fast primes and the Leica zoom.
The Cinema kit, the support kit to above, but more for artistic and personal jobs.
This kit has the potential to outshine the more reliable set above, being able to record in B-Raw or ProRes with the Video Assist, but it lacks the easy pathways of above.
The S5 mk1 is the “eye” camera with an extended eye cup, a basic rig designed to be either hand held (held to the eye) or used on a tripod, it’s weaknesses are mitigated and it’s strengths supported. It will be the cine-lens specialist as the S5II is better with AF glass, but either can support the other as needed.
The GH5s is a little like the S5.1, a tripod and manual focus lens specialist, although there is nothing stopping it from using AF glass or being hand held. Like the above kit, this is the All-i capable movement specialist, not so much moving itself, but handling a busy scene.
A thoroughbred video option, it can mate with the BMVA for B-Raw or ProRes or simply be used as another MFT machine. It stabilises fine with a stabilised or heavy lens. It is effectively a Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera 4k.
Mixing formats is odd I know, but it is how it is, so best make the most of it.