Monthly Archives: March 2022

Panasonic GH5, Panasonic GH6, videography, Wildlife

Matching GH5M2 and GH6

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Today I went out with both the GH5M2 and GH6 to shoot some roll for my new project.

I have tested the GH6 in my light box and surprisingly CineD2 has changed it is now correct but also more saturated. So to avoid issues I shot both cameras in V-Log. Most readers know I am not a fan of log footage however today they conditions were pretty decent so I was at base ISO and I did not mind closing the aperture as I was shooting birds and landscape.

Lumix GH5M2 set up

I shot the GH5M2 in default settings in VLOG without manipulating exposure. The camera has a tendency to overexpose and I let it do it.

I set up color temperature to daylight to avoid differences and shot All Intra 30fps at 400mbps on a tripod. It was windy at times.

Shot sunrise then the pond that is the target for my long lens work.

Lumix GH6 set up

I used the same settings of the GH5M2 but shot at 60 and 120 fps using the new codecs of the GH6. I did not use dynamic range boost.

As I used a very long lens I had set up a plate for the tripod but I still got occasional shake as I was fidgeting the remote shutter.

As the camera has a lag to start recording I ended up shooting many blanks. I realised the lens is far too long for birds in flight but good for detail shots.

Putting it together

I combined footage in Final Cut Pro and used the standard VLOG to V709 LUT. I then added vibrancy and sharpness.

Each scene was corrected for exposure individually not pre-cooked LUTs were used.

This is the resulting video

I used slow motion from the GH6 at 50% and 25% speed this is really a great feature for wildlife. The only thing missing is a pre-roll

All in call the cameras when the GH6 has dynamic range boost off look very similar and this is because GH6 levels are clipped.

Let me know what you think

Monitoring, Panasonic GH6, Uncategorized, UNDERWATER VIDEO, videography

Panasonic GH5M2 and GH6 HDMI Lag Optimisation

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Key Facts

  • The camera live view is one frame behind due to the image processing pipeline, faster refresh rates reduce delays
  • HDMI latency does not depend on cable length
  • Most monitors have low latency
  • HDMI can carry audio and video and those need to be synchronised: if one of them is slower than the other a delay is introduced to match up
  • Resolution plays a role but not as important as others

GH5M2 and GH6 Lag between LCD and HDMI

  • The camera LCD has a resolution of 960×640 pixels and a refresh rate of 60 fps that can be reduced to 30 fps
  • When recording the camera shows the live view on the LCD with a delay of c 1 frame from real life
  • If you go into the menu HDMI Recording Output and set Sound Output  OFF you can see the real lag between the LCD and the HDMI
  • This lag is typically 2 frames from the LCD 
  • As frame  rate drops the lag increases
  • When the Sound is disabled the lag of the GH6 is generally better than the GH5M2
Measurements Results

Video Tutorial with my recommended settings

Items shown in this video

1. Atomos Shinobi: https://amzn.to/35DmFhD

2. Manfrotto 290 Xtra: https://amzn.to/3sSYggF

3. Manfrotto Light video head: https://amzn.to/3vTCHPc

4. Smallrig Monitor Mount: https://amzn.to/367f22z

5. Smallrig HDMI cable: https://amzn.to/3sVwNe9

6. Panasonic GH6: https://amzn.to/3HTUZlv

7. Panasonic 10-25mm 1.7: https://amzn.to/3KtxAcn

8. Atomos Ninja V: https://amzn.to/3MEKia0

HDMI Optimisation Wrap Up

  • Monitoring has acceptable delays from live time 50-150ms
  • Audio recording introduces a delay of 65ms on the GH5M2 and 35mm on the GH6 
  • The GH5M2 lag  of 190ms in 24p is too high and should be reduced to 160ms
  • There is a bug in the 30p mode on the GH6 as the lag is higher than 24p this needs to be corrected
Panasonic GH6, Uncategorized, UNDERWATER VIDEO, videography

Panasonic GH6 Power Solutions

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The GH6 has the same USB power capabilities introduced in the GH5M2.

In this video I show you what I use with my cameras.

Initially with the GH5 I could only use a dummy battery kit and this will continue to work however it may have challenges with mechanical shutter or very high bitrate codecs of the GH6.

Therefore the recommended solution is a PD Power Bank

Pay attention to the checks you need to do as your power bank needs to deliver 9V 3A which usually means at least 45W better 65W

US

1. Dummy battery kit: https://amzn.to/3sFarxp

2. 65W PD Power Bank: https://amzn.to/35Kh6gW

3. Cheap USB Power Bank: https://amzn.to/3IVhM1u

4. USB C Cable: https://amzn.to/3tnsreQ

UK

1. Dummy battery kit: Currently Not Available

2. 65W PD Power Bank: https://amzn.to/3KgGfih

3. Cheap USB Power Bank: https://amzn.to/3HBGDGk

4. USB C Cable: https://amzn.to/3sGBmcj

Panasonic GH6, Uncategorized, UNDERWATER VIDEO, videography

Panasonic GH6 my preliminary key observations for Underwater use

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I was able to have a 1 hour hands on session with Lumix yesterday and try some of the GH6 features.

Key points

  • Beautifully engineered machine
  • 1 stop dynamic range increase appears to be true
  • LCD design with tilt will make easier to see underwater
  • Records ProRes 422 HQ to CFExpress Card
  • Support HDMI 2.1 (playback only)
  • Battery same as the S5 and newer GH5M2
  • Battery consumption 25 to 35% higher in MP4
  • Significant HDMI lag if you use a recorder (1/4 of a second)
  • Will record to USB with a future firmware update
  • Will record prores raw externally with a future firmware update
  • No battery grip

I am going to do a longer write up once I have tested the camera for land wildife use however I have the following concerns

  1. What is the real battery life when you record ProRes to card instead of the low quality MP4, will it last at least one dive?
  2. HDMI lag is horrible just received confirmation that HDMI recording is capped at 4K resolution This proved to be a red herring as the lag is decreased from the GH5 series see here https://interceptor121.com/2022/03/10/panasonic-gh5m2-and-gh6-hdmi-lag-optimisation/
  3. The lag of the HDMI can be reduced if you use only a  monitor with a few tricks and it only needs HDMI 1.4
  4. The USB recording will be powered by the camera and the battery is already small

My recommendations for a professional grade housing would be:

  • Recording to card either 4K@60 or 5.7@30 depending on your use case
  • Optional monitor to run in 1080p to reduce lag HDMI 1.4 is sufficient
  • PD Power bank inside the housing so you are sure you will not run out for an entire day of shooting

For photography a classic housing would work but then who is going to get this just for photos?

Stay tuned for more information. If there is something you want to know about the camera use the comment feature here.