Tag Archives: Panasonic

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The other day while working with @BluSkyFilms helping with a Real Estate Video, I watched as he tested out the new CAME-TV Prophet Gimbal. One thing I noticed was how many times he let go of the gimbal handle every time he needed to Start and Stop video. This could literally be hundreds of times in a full day shoot. Because most people don't want to deal with wires on a stabilizer, here's an inexpensive Wireless Panasonic Remote I think could really save a lot of time and improve efficiency on the job. It's about $25 dollars and I can verify that it does work with cameras like the Panasonic GH4 / GH5.

You can mount it to the handle of your gimbal allowing for for easy Start/Stop video controls. What i've done is to add a strip of industrial double sided tape to the front, and lay a velcro strap over the top. This will let you mount it to just about any type of handle, and it's not permanent. Available on Amazon (here).

panasonic wireless remote
Learn-More-sm Wireless Shutter Remote for Panasonic GH4 GH5 Camera

26 Comments

Here's a side by side video test showing samples from a Panasonic GH3 with and without the new Lens Turbo Focal Reducer. We used a newer Rokinon 85mm T/1.5 Cine Lens [Nikon Mount] + and old Nikon 50mm Pancake. With the Lens Turbo adapter we were able to achieve a wider field of view and an increase in exposure.

Obviously YouTube has added compression to the video, but if you want to be a pixel peeper, you can download a better version of this edited video from my Vimeo Channel (here).

I think the image quality achieved from this (Speedbooster alternative) adapter delivered decent results for the price. The Metabones Speedbooster will run about $489 dollars (here), versus this Lens Turbo which can now be found under $139 US (here).

Of course we're just using a consumer grade Rokinon Cine Lens, and an old $50 dollar lens from eBay. There's no doubt this adapter won't match up to the quality of the Metabones products. Anyone using serious glass worth thousands of dollars might as well pony up the extra cash for the Metabones MFT M43 Speedbooster (found here).

Metabones Speed Booster MFT M43 Nikon Adapter
find-price-button Metabones SpeedBooster Nikon to M43 MFT

If you're a casual video shooter looking to get a wider field of view and increased light through your common glass, I think you'll be happy with the Lens Turbo. I'll probably go out and take a bunch of high resolution still images on the next outing, but for now let's hear a few comments about these first video test results. What did you guys think so far? [Comment]

For more info, you can find the Lens Turbo MFT Focal Reducer adapter available now via eBay (click here).

Mitakon_AI_m43_MFT-Nikon_Focal_reducer_speed_booster
find-price-button Lens Turbo Focal Reducer Nikon to MFT Micro Four Thirds Adapter

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Cyber Monday Deals

I can't wrap my head around all the deals this weekend, but as far as what I think might be of interest to this audience, here's a short list.

Adobe Lightroom V5. (expires in a few hours).
Great Deal especially if you're working with RAW images (or even CinemaDNG files).
Adobe Lightroom V5 $121.00 Now just $72 dollars (found here).

Rokinon Lens Deals.
They seem to be promoting these quite a bit today (and selling quite a few).
Rokinon 14mm F2.8 Ultra Wide Lens - Choice in Mount $279 (found here)
Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye (Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Sony) $199 (found here)

Panasonic GH3 Save $300 OFF
Probably the most full featured MFT Video & Photo Camera. It rocks.
Panasonic GH3 Camera -$300 OFF Cyber Monday (found here)

Sigma Macro Lens - ALL MOUNTS -$300 OFF
Portraits or up close details. Great for Wedding & Event Coverage.
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS Macro Lens -$300 OFF - Cyber Monday (found here)

Canon Powershot S110 -$100 OFF
Nothing beats a solid pocketable camera. If you can't afford the $750 Sony RX100, the Canon S110 for just $219 (today) is my next suggestion.
Canon Powershot S110 - Cyber Monday (found here)

Seagate 3TB Drive + THUNDERBOLT Dock
These are so awesome, I own three. If you're working with SSD Sata drives (BlackMagic Cinema Cameras), you can dock directly to this and start editing. Once you work with Thunderbolt Speeds, it's hard to go back to USB. Sucks for me - I paid over $400+ each. Today, you can get it for just $199.
Seagate Backup Plus 3 TB Drive + Thunderbolt Dock Desktop External Hard Drive (found here)

Sandisk Extreme PRO SDHC / SDXC 32GB - 64GB
A must have for the BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera to shoot RAW. 64GB will give you about 20 minutes of RAW on the BMPCC, time to stock up. They are now up to 30% cheaper than when I purchased them.
Sandisk EXTREME PRO SDHC / SDXC Up to 30% OFF (found here)

Canon 70-200mm F/2.8L IS II
Newest version. Originally $2499, now down to $2K. But wait, could this also qualify for the current Mail-In-Rebate for an additional $300 OFF bringing it down to just $1700?
Lens Listing: Canon 70-200mm F/2.8L IS II - Checkout Price $2K (found here).
Mail-In-Rebate: Additional $300 OFF (found here)

[Keep checking back as i'll be updating through the day].

Panasonic 20mm F/1.7
find-price-button Panasonic 20mm F/1.7

The popular Panasonic 20mm F/1.7 lens is available again at B&HPhoto Video, which is about $50 dollars cheaper than the nice markup elsewhere (Amazon). The 20mm F/1.7 is as popular as the 50mm for a Canon DSLR. Nice shallow DOF and good focal distance (2x on Micro Four Thirds). Would go great with the latest G3 camera if you were lucky to grab one.

5 Comments

Is smaller really better? That seems to be the trend lately for many camera manufacturers like Sony and Panasonic. Recently Sony announced the NEX-C3, what they called the 'smallest interchangeable lens camera'. Before it was even availble, Panasonic didn't wait too long to steal that thunder. The new Panasonic GF3 (I just bought the GF2 - wth?) comes in just a tad smaller and takes away Sony's short lived title.

As for smaller Interchangeable Lens cameras go, my bet is the GF3 will be the better performer on the market with it's already huge following in the Micro Four Thirds world. There also seems to be more support and compatibility for adapting any type of lens. Right now, i'm having fun with the GF2, and it's been a blast using those inexpensive C-mount lenses. So if you're current DSLR is weighing you down on vacation, these are the new smaller models that are both available for Pre-order via Amazon.

Panasonic GF3
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Panasonic Lumix GF3 Compact ILC

Sony NEX-C3
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Sony Alpha NEX-C3

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Yes it's an amazing camera if you can actually get a hold of one. Retailers are always out stock, and even if you can find a GH2 it's going for a pretty nice markup. Samy's seems to have 1 single Black (Body only) in stock for regular price. Here's your chance to save $200-$300 dollars on this beauty compared to going eBay rates. Lucky takers, follow the link below:

black-gh2
find-price-button Panasonic Lumix GH2 Black - Body Only

3 Comments

If you've got a Panasonic GH2, or other Micro Four Thirds camera, you'll know what this lens is. It's been tough to track down lately when they went out of stock because it's just that awesome for a MFT camera. Luckily I grabbed mine months ago, and it's been on the GH2 as the primary lens. My GF2 also came with the 14mm Pancake, which is another popular and highly recommended lens for these MFT cameras. More than likely this new shipment of the 20mm won't last very long, so if you've been waiting patiently here's a chance.

Lumix 20mm F/1.7
find-price-button Panasonic Lumix 20mm F/1.7

14 Comments

The Panasonic GH2 seems to have an almost cult-like following. Die hards from previous GH1 models are lovin' the upgrades the GH2 brings to the table. The great thing about these Micro 4/3 cameras aren't just the ability to adapt any practically any lens, but also the quality of Video they provide. Unfortunately it's still a tough camera to find, and always out of stock. This slow availability of cameras is not helping them gain more market share, which I see was a problem with the Nikon D7000. Still, if you have to have the Panasonic GH2 (as of yesterday), there's a few listings at the big auction site, with a very minimal markup.

panasonic-gh2
find-price-button Panasonic Lumix GH2 Body

Once you've picked up your GH2, you'll want to get a wide angle lens with good aperture. Best bang for the buck is Panasonic's 20mm Pancake lens F/1.7. Great lens, fast, and sharp. I just purchased one (I know i'm late) and it's been a top performer for photography. I'm still not a fan of Panasonic's focusing for video, but the quality of this wide lens is exceptional.

Lumix 20mm F/1.7
find-price-button Lumix 20mm f/1.7 Aspheric G- Series Lens

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If you were as caught up in Canon HDSLR world as I have been, you might have missed the hacks going on with the Panasonic GH1 HDSLR . Originally introduced with very low bit rate video quality, I didn't think it had a chance to compete with the Canon 5D Mark II. Others believed in the unit and created hacks on the firmware. Apparently the hardware is capable of much more, with a recent hack that puts the video capture bitrate over the Canon 5D Mark II. I'm not going to get into details, but I'm betting Panasonic is staying quiet allowing 'others' to develop freely for them while they sit back and learn some new tricks. They are probably right on top of all these firmware hacks, testing it out, taking in a thing or two, and planning on releasing a killer HDSLR soon thanks to some clever DSLR video hackers. Check out the original article for more information.

With this recent firmware hack (there are a few caveats), you can grab a GH1 for less than a Canon 7D and capture Video bitrate higher than the Canon 5D Mark II. Check out the pricing on the Panasonic GH1 over at BHPHOTOVideo.com.

panasonic-gh1-bhphoto
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The above video and Reference to original article here: https://www.eoshd.com/content/250-50Mbit-1080p-MJPEG-on-the-Panasonic-GH1