In this episode of cinema5D Essentials, Li-Lian and Johnnie discuss how to monitor audio if you have a camera with no headphone jack. Bear in mind that you still need a microphone input in order to be able to use this tip.  Saramonic SmartRig+ What can you learn in this episode? Some of the recent small, video-capable mirrorless cameras like the Sony a6500/a6300 and the FUJIFILM X-T20 are equipped with a microphone input but lack a headphone output. This is a major concern when needing to monitor audio during shooting interviews, or when wanting to control audio in general. One of our solutions is to use the modestly-priced Saramonic SmartRig+ 2-Channel XLR Microphone Audio Mixer. In this episode we take a closer look at this device. Saramonic Smart Rig+ Pros: 2 professional XLR inputs Separate gain control knobs for each audio channel Can be used with a smartphone or a DSLR/Mirrorless camera It provides a standard 48V phantom power Better pre-amps then most DSLRs Offers a headphone jack to monitor audio Saramonic Smart Rig+ Cons: No headphone volume adjustment, which can get quiet at times No battery level indicator You monitor the sound that comes into the Saramonic, which is not necessarily what makes the camera is recording. Love this new episode and looking for previous ones? Look no further. Click here to see all our previous episodes. Music was kindly provided by Art List. What solution do you use when monitoring sound with your camera?  Do you have any special tricks to help combat the absence of a monitor jack ? Let us know in the comments section below.

Leica has announced an update to its compact, sleek mirrorless line. Like its predecessor, the Leica TL2 sports an APS-C sized sensor, but takes a moderate step forward in the video market by offering up to 4K 30p. In typical Leica fashion, the new TL2 mirrorless camera oozes class in its aesthetic design. Built from a single block of aluminium, it features sleek chamfered edges and fancy pop out strap locators – it’s a thing of beauty. The previous TL was a medium-performing APS-C mirrorless camera. Compact, touchscreen, pop-up flash, 1080p video. With the TL2 Leica has concentrated on user experience, increasing its speed in operation through menu support and ISO performance, removing apparent distractions with the omission of a flash and, perhaps most importantly to our readers, upgraded to 4K video. The TL2 is very simple in design: two scroll wheels, one shutter and on programmable button. The new mirrorless camera is once again very reliant on the 3.7″ smartphone-esque touchscreen display. Back in December 2015 we reviewed the Leica SL, the TL2’s bigger, full-frame brother – certainly a quirky camera from a video perspective. Like the SL, the Leica TL2 features 4K up to 30p video, but this time in APS-C form. We’re interested to see how this performs and whether the increased ISO performance of the TL2 has solved any of the noise problems we encountered on the SL. The Leica TL2 has a faster processor that enables higher-resolution video as well as providing photographers with faster, more accurate auto focus, the aforementioned ISO performance and faster menu navigation. The top hot shoe will give viewers access to an external viewfinder or flash if required. Like the TL, the Leica TL2 relies only on an in-built microphone for audio. It does, however, have HDMI output via a type D (micro) port, and a USB-C connector allows fast data transfer and direct battery charging. The TL uses Leica’s L-mount system, a growing line of compact glass which currently includes 23mm f/2, 35mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.4 and 60mm f/2.8 macro primes, and 11-23mm f/3.5-4.5, 18-56mm f/3.5-5.6, 55-135mm f/3.5-4.5, 90-280mm f/2.8-4 and 24-90mm f/2.8-4 zooms. Leica M-series and R-series are also available through adaption. Leica TL2 – Tech Specs Lens Mount: Leica L Camera Format: APS-C (1.5x Crop Factor) Pixels: 24.96 Megapixel (actual) 24.24 Megapixel (effective) Max Resolution 24 MP: 6016 x 4014 Sensor Type/Size: CMOS, 23.6 x 15.7 mm File Formats for Still Images: DNG, JPEG Movies: MP4 Memory Card Type: SDXC/SDHC/SD Image Stabilization: None Video Recording: NTSC Video Format: 3840 x 2160p at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080p at 60 fps, 1280 x 720p at 60 & 120 fps Video Clip Length: Up to 29 Minutes Audio Recording: Built-In Mic (Stereo) Focus Mode: Continuous-Servo AF (C), Manual Focus (M), Single-servo AF (S), Touch AF & Shutter Autofocus Points Contrast Detection: 49 Display Screen: 3.7″ Touchscreen LCD (1,300,000) ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100-50000 Shutter: Electronic 30 – 1/40000, Mechanical 30 – 1/4000 White Balance Modes: Auto, Cloudy, Daylight, Flash, Halogen, Manual, Shade Continuous Shooting: Up to 20 fps at 24 MP for up to 29 frames, up to 7 fps at 24 MP for up to 29 frames Flash: None External Flash Connection: Hot Shoe Internal Memory: 32GB Connectivity: HDMI D (Micro), USB Type-C Wi-Fi Capable: Yes Battery: BP-DC13, 7.2 VDC, 985 mAh Dimensions (WxHxD): 5.3 x 2.7 x 1.3″ / 134.0 x 69.0 x 33.0 mm Weight: 12.52 oz / 355 g without battery You can currently pre-order the Leica TL2 using the links below, in both black and silver colour.

At this year’s NAB, we had a little chat with FUJIFILM’s general manager Toshihisa (Toshi) Lida about their current product range, and especially about their plans regarding video-related cameras. Let’s see what they have in store for us filmmakers. State of Play FUJIFILM clearly wants to take aim at the cinema market. With the introduction of their FUJINON MK18-55mm T2.9 manual zoom lens (you can read our review of that lens here) they followed the concept of developing a product as compact and lightweight as possible. This meant making a few compromises. Firstly, they choose to limit the mount options to X-mount end E-mount only, as they require a very small flange distance. The chances of an EF mount version becoming available in the near future therefore seem to be very small, but who knows? FUJIFILM also seem to be very aware of their customers’ needs and wishes. The FUJINON MK18-55mm T2.9 X-mount manual zoom lens at NAB 2017 Delivering a compact product at an affordable price also means that the lens is currently a fully-manual device without any electronic connections. For now, this means no data flow between lens and camera, although FUJINFILM intends to implement an electronic interface for this purpose in the future it will be reserved for the X-mount version only. This makes the FUJINON MK18-55mm T2.9 and MK 50-135mm T-2.9 an entry product with a lot of potential for future versions. The (Video) Future of FUJIFILM The company has been quite busy for the last 6 years developing a variety of cameras such as the FUJIFILM X-T2 (read our review here), XT-20 (read our review here), or the X-Pro2 (review here). Though all three can shoot video, they are clearly aimed at the stills photography market. However, one thing is clear: FUJIFILM is capable of building very decent lenses. They have a massive lineup of X-mount lenses but, as mentioned above, they keep exploring new fields with products like the freshly-introduced FUJINON MK18-55mm T2.9 manual zoom. A new FUJINON MK50-135mm T2.9 is also in the works and be ready to ship soon. As Toshi Lida puts it: The customers love our glass, the lenses.” That claim is mostly related to their lineup of still lenses. But with such an expertise in making quality glass, there’s a lot of potential for upcoming (indie) cinema lenses, as well! More Video Features The FUJIFILM GFX 50s is the latest and greatest (and actually biggest) FUJIFILM mirrorless camera, featuring a massive 51.4MP medium format sensor. What’s interesting about it is that, despite being a stills camera, the GFX features Full HD video recording and, even more astonishing, an audio input jack. Why would you need an audio jack in such a stills camera who’s video capabilities is not a priority ? And if this beast is supposed to be a video camera after all, then can it do in the future better then Full HD? FUJIFILM GFX 50s. Maybe the fine folks at FUJIFILM have yet to make up their mind about developing a proper video camera with all the features you could ask for, but I think that little audio jack might be an indication of the path FUJIFILM is willing to explore regarding the video side of things. Actually, they already have everything that’s needed, they just have to put these things together. Maybe the solution is a more diverse lineup with more options, following the model established by Sony, who are leading the way with their line of a7 cameras: an entry-level model, an R model for stills photographers, and an S model for video shooters. Conclusion Granted: since FUJIFILM has made no concrete promises yet, the future of their video-related products is speculative at best, though there does seem to be a silver lining. Toshi Lida seems very positive about their future as far as video-capable cameras and lenses are concerned. Hopefully we’ll see some killer products at some point soon that will compete with established products like the Sony a7 / a9 line. What are your thoughts about the current line up of cameras and lenses by FUJIFILM? Share your ideas in the comments below!

We wrote about the Manfrotto Nitrotech N8 Lightweight Tripod Head two weeks ago when they first presented this innovative design. The Nitrotech N8 was on display at NAB 2017, and we had a chance to take a closer look with product marketing manager Giuseppe Dilauro. Manfrotto Nitrotech – A Lightweight Tripod Head for Cinema Cameras At NAB 2017 we got to see the Manfrotto Nitrotech N8, which is currently the only model of the series. It supports a maximum payload of 8kg, but the special feature is that it can support lightweight cameras as well due to its innovative Nitrogen piston, making a dedicated lightweight tripod for your a7S obsolete. Now you have one lightweight design for all your cinema cameras (up to 8kg) in one package. The idea is quite convincing as many people shoot both with heavy as well as lightweight cameras nowadays, but can rarely afford two dedicated tripods. The Manfrotto Nitrotech N8 is affordable and can fill this market niche. What more can you ask for? If this lightweight tripod design is up to the challenges of a regular shooting day is yet to be seen in our upcoming review, but it was certainly a popular product at NAB 2017, attracting the looks of many of the visitors. The Nitrotech N8 is available now and a version for heavier cameras is already in the works.

Film Power has announced a new single handheld gimbal stabiliser. The Nebula 5100 3-axis boasts a new high-torque motor for ‘no-balancing’, extended battery life, hidden cable design and 360° unlimited rotation on all three axis’. Pistol grip-style handheld gimbals are becoming quite popular nowadays. It’s only natural given their fuss-free design and vastly smaller footprint than a conventional cross-barred gimbal. They suit small mirrorless cameras down to the ground, and Film Power has been making them for some time now. The Nebula 5100 is their latest revision, continuing their more concise battery-in-the-handle design. Nebula 5100 – Main Updated Features A new generation motor with built-in encoder for all 3 axis’ High torque, no need for balancing, 8-10 hours battery life 360° unlimited rotation on all axis’ One key back to midpoint & one key recording Supports direct charge Like the previous Nebula, the 5100 has a max payload of up to 2.5kg and is a cable-less design. The latter feature is an advancement, however, as all internal cabling impressively supports 360° of unlimited rotation. 360° of tilt rotation is of course limited to shorter camera setups, and will probably nearly never be used due to the inevitability of getting both yourself and the gimbal in shot. However, the technology is there so you don’t get too lost in orientation when switching between standard and underslung modes. The one key back to midpoint feature helps with this also. The Nebula 5100 features a new generation motor with built-in encoder, with a higher torque that requires ‘no balancing’. I personally wouldn’t take this too literally, as it probably means that the margin for error in balancing is greatly decreased; a more balanced gimbal will always perform better than one with the camera just thrown on. The increased torque gives you more flexibility with being a bit ‘rough’ with the gimbal – subtle focus adjustments and simply moving the camera into place on the tilt/pan axis can now be achieved. Just like previous single-handed gimbals from Film Power, you have a joystick for axis control, a quick-release plate and a ukulele-esque carry case. Last to mention is the included direct charge port for the new longer 8-10 hour battery. You no longer have to remove the battery like every product ever, you can now charge from a pole-tap connection from the handle. If you like the idea of this, more for you… The Nebula 5100 is currently available for pre-order. Link will follow.

 [UPDATED:] This article has been updated. Read the update notes and clarification HERE. The Panasonic GH5 is one of the most highly-anticipated compact cinema cameras of the year. It is the first of its kind to finally break the barrier towards a compact form-factor 10-bit 4K acquisition in the realm of (somewhat) large sensor cameras. Here is our lab analysis, where we will evaluate all the pros and cons of the new GH5 sensor, with a focus on the new 4K 10-bit mode. Panasonic GH5 Review After a short delay, here is our long awaited Panasonic GH5 lab review. Also check out the preliminary hands-on that Graham did in January. Even though we try very hard to give you an objective view of the product reviewed, please note that all information and conclusions written in this article reflect the opinion of the author. We recommend that you always try and test any product for yourself and find your own conclusions based on your technical requirements before you use them. Panasonic GH5 with a Speedboster Ultra and the Zeiss 50mm Cp2 Macro Lens In this Panasonic GH5 review, I will run the usual tests I do here at cinema5D, and invite you to check several important sensor attributes like dynamic range, sharpness and rolling shutter performance. I will also try to examine the low-light performance and take a particular look at 10-bit. We test all cameras with the same Zeiss 50mm Cp2 macro lens (more on how we test HERE). In the case of the Panasonic GH5, the lens was attached via EF-mount with the Metabones Speedbooster Ultra adapter, which in my experience gives me excellent optical performance. For the dynamic range test I use a DSC labs XYLA-21 transmissive test chart, and to measure sharpness I used a combination of a subjective chart and a huge 8K Imatest ISO chart. Let’s get started. The Panasonic GH5 Introduces 10-bit 4K That the Panasonic GH5 introduces 10-bit color depth is this camera’s most interesting feature, and one that had many filmmakers (including myself) excited for the last couple of months. But looking at the camera’s specs, there are other attributes to like: Slightly larger sensor area than the GH4 5-axis internal image stabilisation Internal 10-bit 4:2:2 in 4K (up 30fps) Internal 8-bit 4:2:0 in 4K (up 60fps) Up 180fps in 1080p Dual SD card slots No recording time limit V-Log Gamma (paid upgrade $100) Affordable price A firmware update later this year will bring 6K photo mode, anamorphic recording as well as internal DCI 4K 10-bit with a 400mbit all-I codec. Currently, we’re stuck with 150mbit, which is fine too and should give us great results. But let’s go into 10-bit color depth right away. I was really eager to test it and expected to see silky smooth skin gradations and footage with rich color information from Vlog recordings. After all, many of us have been shooting 8-bit color on most of their productions and the step up to 10-bit should make a huge difference, going from millions to 1.1 billion colors of file information. Furthermore, many were frustrated with Vlog on the GH4, so let’s try to see how the performance was improved on the new model. [UPDATED:] Panasonic GH5 10-bit & Vlog I was impressed when I first saw GH5 10-bit footage. With the right coloring or LUT, the results looked more organic and filmic than most of what I had seen in the area of small form-factor cinema cameras that shoot 8-bit. But after trying Vlog and tweaking the colors a bit more, I also found that skin tones were not as realistic as on larger cinema cameras like the Panasonic Varicams or cameras like the Canon C300. That said, I found that the 10-bit images from the GH5 still gave me much more control over my colors than other small form factor 8-bit cameras available today. To get a better idea of how good the 10-bit quality of the Panasonic GH5 really is, I did a subjective side-by-side comparison with a few other cameras in a post production workflow suitable to the camera’s price tag. Workflow At the time of my review, 10-bit files from the Panasonic GH5 were incompatible with Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects and Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve, which is the software that I use on a Mac Pro, 2013 for video editing. The only way to get footage into the editing software was to first transcode it in a different app. I used Apple’s Final Cut Pro X. In an effort to make my tests as “real world” as possible, I chose the familiar Apple ProRes HQ codec, not only because it is widely used by professionals in 10-bit environments and external high quality recordings, but also because it was used as the recording format of the Canon C700 that I compared the Panasonic GH5 to and, because it is described by Apple as a codec that preserves “… visual quality at the same high level as Apple ProRes 4444 but for 4:2:2 image sources.” and “… supports full-width, 4:2:2 video sources at 10-bit pixel depths, while remaining visually lossless through many generations of decoding and reencoding.”. Adobe Premiere Pro & Apple ProRes HQ Import Error The consequence of using this codec however led to incorrect results when evaluating the Panasonic GH5’s 10-bit Vlog performance as it affected my files in a way that introduced an unexpectedly large quality loss within Adobe Premiere Pro. It seems like the quality issues previously found in my original test were caused by an error of the Adobe Premiere Pro software in connection with the Apple ProRes HQ codec. While the reasons for the error have not been clarified, anybody who intends to use Adobe Premiere Pro in connection with 10-bit files in Vlog recorded on the Panasonic GH5, should consider the conversion steps carefully. Using the Apple ProRes HQ codec on a daily basis, I was surprised that the conversion affected the Vlog files from the Panasonic GH5 in my initial test so severely. After reevaluation, it has become clear that the Apple ProRes HQ codec is more than capable to hold the 10-bit information Vlog requires and the error in connection with Adobe Premiere Pro needs to be reported and investigated. Furthermore the Panasonic GH5 in Vlog mode exhibits a magenta / green color shift in some parts of the image, that was further exaggerated by said error. Panasonic told us they have been studying the color shift symptom in V-Log, including the compatibility with each of the color grading apps. And that they will make an announcement on their web site when they release an updated firmware to improve performance. The exaggerated color shift was also visible during recording on the camera itself, in preview mode in Final Cut X, as was also present on native footage from the Panasonic GH4. However in 10 bit mode on the GH5, the color shift is much less severe and can be controlled much better than on the GH4. Comparing the cameras We had a Sony FS7, Canon C700 and Canon 1DC available at cinema5D HQ. Two of those cameras shoot 10-bit internal, and one of them is in fact a seriously expensive and high end camera (C700), so that should give me some perspective. Panasonic GH5 Skin Tones Vlog – Minimal Grading, 10bit I recorded my hand and face to see how the sensor would interpret skin tones. The color depth was set to 10bit, I shot in V-log and did a rough grade to match the other cameras. I tried to only work on curves, but had to reduce the overly pinkish red tones in order to keep the skin tones natural. The window on the left is a 150% crop of my cheek with a 25% boost in saturation, so you can see the color separations more clearly. The image from the Panasonic GH5, when treated correctly seemed to have  a good amount of color depth to work with for me, even though the colors were not ideal right out of the box. Panasonic GH5 Skin Tones Vlog – Minimal Grading, 8bit Here is the same shot in 8-bit mode on the Panasonic GH5. Color gradations seem much poorer and remind me of images I’ve seen shot with the Panasonic GH4. It is true that a flat gamma like V-log greatly diminishes color information in exchange for extended dynamic range and softer highlights and shadows.  Clearly the 10-bit codec is the one to choose when shooting Vlog on the Panasonic GH5. Canon 1D C Skin Tones – Minimal Grading, 8bit Here’s the Canon 1D C, shot in C Log Gamma. I can see a similar kind of reduced color information there as on the GH5’s 8-bit recordings that I did. The resulting images have large areas with a single color. However the overall skin color seems more harmonious and natural than on the GH5. Anyway, the 1D C is an outdated 8-bit camera for many, so let’s move on to other 10-bit cameras. Sony FS7 Skin Tones – Minimal Grading, 10bit Here is the Sony FS7 with an Slog-2, 10bit recording in XAVC-I and there is certainly smoother color, almost comparable to that of the GH5’s 10-bit files, with skin tones that I find just “ok”. I could still make out some color artifacts in the skin, and bit depth seems to be a bit less than I had expected. Color depth of the GH5 seemed a bit nicer to me. Canon C700 Skin Tones – Minimal Grading, 10bit Here is where it gets interesting. The Canon C700 is a camera that comes in a huge form factor and with a high price tag. It is a serious moviemaking camera and the latest flagship Canon C model that also shoots 10-bit ProRes HQ in 4K DCI, so that’s what I chose for this shot. To me, this one gave me the best skin tones, neutral and harmonious colors and even though recorded in ProRes HQ, only minimal color artifacts and a color depth similar to that of the GH5. 10-bit Test Conclusion Panasonic GH5 Skin Tones 10bit compared to other cameras The bit depth on the GH5 when shooting in Vlog at 10-bit seemed very good to me. While I didn’t like the skin tones so much and found a slight color shift (white surface shades sometimes exhibited a magenta / green tone for me), it still gave me a lot of color information that I could work with. Here is how the 8-bit codec compared to the 10-bit codec of the Panasonic GH5 looked like in my tests. I graded this with the official Panasonic Vlog to rec709 LUT and increased contrast: Panasonic GH5 10 bit color depth. Many people had hopes that the GH5 would solve many of the problems everyone had had with Vlog on the 8-bit GH4. To me it seems like those problems were addressed with the new 10bit 422 recording option. It looks like the 8 bit codec still suffers from a similar color shift as seen on the GH4. Panasonic told us they have been studying the color shift symptom in V-Log, including the compatibility with each of the color grading apps. And that they will make an announcement on their web site when they release an updated firmware to improve performance. 8-bit / 10-bit Quality in PP “Neutral” Looking at a different picture profiles I found that the color gradations looked nice even in 8-bit mode, and nicer than on most other 8-bit cinema cameras I’ve seen before. Panasonic GH5 – Picture Profile: “Natural” – Nice color gradations As you can see in the shot above I used PP “Natural”. The results were pleasing, both in 10-bit as well as in 8-bit mode, when converted using a high quality codec like Apple ProRes 4444. Even when I pushed the image’s contrast I saw that there was a lot of room for grading before the image finally fell apart: Panasonic GH5 – Picture Profile: “Natural” – Contrast Pushed The difference between the 10-bit recording and the 8-bit recording in a picture profile other than Vlog seemed minimal. When I pushed the contrast to the extreme (image above) I could spot where the colors break apart, but they did so very similarly on both recordings. 8-bit mode looked good to me and if you shoot in any codec other than 10 bit, I would actually recommend to avoid Vlog for now. In 10bit however, Vlog is certainly recommended. Dynamic Range Now let’s focus on another important camera attribute – dynamic range. A good dynamic range rating allows us to capture a larger range of shadows and highlights in high-contrast scenes – an important property when it comes to evaluating a camera intended for filmic use. Our software was very strict with the GH5. We always take noise into account, because in all honesty, a very noisy image can only be recovered up to a limited degree as image information is quickly lost. With our usual SNR threshold of 1/0.5, our software measured a rough 10 stops of usable dynamic range on the Panasonic GH5. This is a slightly sub-normal rating. Both the Sony a7S II and the Fujifilm X-T2 have a higher rating. Here’s a screenshot of the dynamic range of a few popular cameras: Panasonic GH5 Dynamic Range Test We can see that the sensor’s total dynamic range is higher than those 10 usable stops, but in a real world scenario I think the noisy shadows will have to be cut away in grading. When used correctly, this camera can still produce admirable results. On a subjective scale – and if you don’t mind some noise in your images – I think this camera can give you 11 usable stops when you’re careful. You should just try to avoid underexposure on the Panasonic GH5. [Update:] Many people suggested that they would be able to use noise reduction in order to get back more image information. While I personally find this unrealistic, it might be interesting for those people to know, that the total patch range detected by the software (regardless of considerable noise) was about 18 stops, the same as on the Sony a7S II, while it is 20 on the Arri Alexa. I hope this information is helpful for those who prefer to draw their own conclusions in this segment. Noise and Low Light In terms of noise and low light, I found that the camera actually doesn’t perform as bad as many feared (the GH4 had rather limited lowlight capabilities). In my tests the camera actually seemed to produce those same 10 stops of dynamic range at both ISO 400 and ISO 800. Quality only slightly degenerated at ISO 1600, and was at its breaking point at ISO 3200. At ISO 6400 the image clearly has much more noise and the color in the dark areas shifts towards pink and green. I think I would only shoot beyond ISO 3200 with caution. In this image you can see a 100% crop of dynamic range steps 6 to 14: Panasonic GH5 Lowlight ISO 800 to ISO 6400 On top of that, the MFT sized sensor and MFT mount also allows us to use the Metabones Speedbooster Ultra, which gives us an extra stop of exposure range and nice super35 shallow depth of field. So even though the out-of-thebox lowlight performance is only average, the Speedbooster can help us out a bit and for me, improves the overall look as well. Panasonic GH5 and Metabones Speedbooster Ultra Rolling Shutter The Sony a7S II suffered from strong rolling shutter problems, a phenomenon also referred to as “jello”. The rolling shutter phenomenon that we see on most CMOS sensor video cameras is also present on the Panasonic GH5, but is much less severe in comparison to many other cameras. In my experience, after having tested the rolling shutter of over 50 different cameras, smaller sensors usually give us better rolling shutter ratings and the Panasonic with its MFT sensor seems to follow that pattern as well. I used a rotating chart and measured the horizontal distortion of a vertical line to evaluate the total delay of sensor line readout. Image Quality Image Detail is the aspect where the Panasonic GH5 performs very well. To me the overall image looked organic with very nice detail, comparable to cameras like the Fujifilm X-T2 or FS7. 100% crops for Image Detail In terms of aliasing, the Panasonic GH5 also seemed to perform very well. In comparison to the FS7 though, I thought it was a bit weaker. “Horizontal resolving power” could be observed on this crop of our 8K test chart where lines couldn’t be separated as nicely as on the FS7. Panasonic GH5 Vertical Aliasing Panasonic GH5 vs. Sony a7S II – Subchart Image Details The Sony a7S II has a problem with contrast areas. This is where the camera’s image gets soft and loses detail for unexplained reasons. The Panasonic GH5, in comparison, seemed to resolve all aspects of image detail quite nicely and seemed to outperformed the a7s II in that regard. I think this becomes very clear in the shot above. The slight grain (noise) on the Panasonic GH5 looked nice and filmic to me. When using Vlog, I found it was important to set Sharpness (S) and Noise Reduction (NR) to -5. This gave me the best quality on the Panasonic GH5. Otherwise the image would look oversharpened to me and noise reduction didn’t control noise in any significant way for me when set to 0. 180fps Slow Motion It is nice that the Panasonic GH5 gives us the option to shoot 180fps in HD resolution in such a small form factor. However, as on most other cameras this feature seems much better on paper than in reality, because the true resolution and quality seemed to be much less than 1080p in my tests. Panasonic GH5 Slow Motion 180fps Image Quality compared to 25fps. 100% crop. As you can see the quality in HD resolution was very nice in my tests, whereas in slow motion mode, at 180fps, the image had visibly lower resolution and leaned more towards an actual 720p. Also I found the image exhibited the magenta / green color shift when used with Vlog Gamma, so I would only use slow motion with one of the other picture profiles. Conclusion This has become a very long winded article and countless hours we spent checking, testing and retesting, but some of the issues I found required some investigation and explanation and I hope you found these findings useful. In conclusion I think it is no doubt that the Panasonic GH5 is a very tempting offer when you look for an affordable, compact cinema camera that can potentially produce some great looking footage. There is a 10-bit option, 4K has nice details and 180fps slow motion is also there. In practice I found that some of those features are a bit less convincing than others, but overall the GH5 is a camera that is an intriguing allrounder that many will choose. Log gamma has become the goto option for filmmakers who want high quality cinematic results and avoid the “digital look” that some of those cameras can produce. Also it offers the most flexibility in grading and opens up a world of possibilities in terms of LUTs and camera matching. Fortunately in my tests it eventually turned out that Vlog seems very capable with the GH5’s 10-bit mode. Even though I was not fond of the skin tones and the color shift, it seemed like the bit depth of the camera can actually match that of other and more expensive 10-bit cameras out there and gives you a lot of room in grading. This is great news for any filmmaker on a budget, because this camera has a lot in store. If you are happy with the colors of the GH5’s Vlog, then I think the GH5 is currently one of the most convincing offers as an affordable cinema camera. Even though most of its sensor performance (detail, dynamic range, lowlight, 180fps) was only average to me, there are several aspects to enjoy too: The internal image stabilization was a pleasure to use for handheld applications, it gave me a very cinematic handheld look, the peaking is very useful and special features like the histogram and anamorphic recording options make this a more cinema capable camera than most other small handheld devices before. The introduction of 10-bit in this form factor is certainly a game changer and I hope we’ll see more cameras like these pop up in the near future. Until then, the GH5 is definitely on our top recommendations list. All in all, if you had your money set on 10-bit, the Panasonic GH5 certainly seems like a convincing option, doing away with most of what people didn’t like about the GH4 and presenting a great compromise between Blackmagic’s and Sony’s offerings at a very competitive price. Pro’s Good 10-bit 4:2:2 color depth in comparison to other 10-bit cameras MFT sensor works very well with Metabones Speedbooster Ultra for nice shallow depth of field. 5-axis internal image stabilisation Advanced video shooting functions like peaking, histogram or anamorphic mode Very nice quality 8-bit mode! Up to 60fps in 4K Good image detail Up to 180fps (Quality is not up to 1080p standards though) Good rolling shutter perfomance Dual SD card slots No recording time limit Affordable price Con’s reddish Skin tones and sometimes magenta / green color shift, especially in 8 bit. Dynamic range is limited Lowlight is average 180fps mode has less quality than actual 1080p MFT mount has limimtations (Some Canon lenses did not work with the Metabones Speedbooster) MFT sensor is smaller than industry standard super35 (But gives you a great price and can be improved with the Metabones Speedbooster Adapter) cinema5D instaLUT B1010 applied to Panasonic GH5 10bit Panasonic GH5 LUT – cinema5D instaLUT FREE This LUT is made for VLOG ON THE PANASONIC GH5 only! Vlog is a paid upgrade on this camera. This LUT is ideal for people who don’t want to tamper around with colors too much or who want to get a nice and filmic basic look in post. This LUT imitates our instaLUT B1010 that we first used on the Arri ALEXA and DJI Inspire 2 here. Download: #ulp-inline-IxNEP7RygKew7As3 .ulp-submit,#ulp-inline-IxNEP7RygKew7As3 .ulp-submit:visited{border-radius: 30px !important; background: #b61219;border:1px solid #b61219;}#ulp-inline-IxNEP7RygKew7As3 .ulp-submit:hover,#ulp-inline-IxNEP7RygKew7As3 .ulp-submit:active{border-radius: 30px !important; background: #900f14;border:1px solid #900f14;}#ulp-inline-IxNEP7RygKew7As3 .ulp-input,#ulp-inline-IxNEP7RygKew7As3 .ulp-input:hover,#ulp-inline-IxNEP7RygKew7As3 .ulp-input:active,#ulp-inline-IxNEP7RygKew7As3 .ulp-input:focus,#ulp-inline-IxNEP7RygKew7As3 .ulp-checkbox{border-width: 1px !important; border-radius: 30px !important; border-color:#ffffff;background-color:#ffffff !important;background-color:rgba(255,255,255,1) !important;}#ulp-inline-IxNEP7RygKew7As3, #ulp-inline-IxNEP7RygKew7As3 .ulp-content{width:724px;height:293px;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-315{width:724px;height:268px;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-315{background-color:#f7f7f7;background-color:rgba(247,247,247,0.9);border-radius:0px;z-index:11;text-align:left;padding:0px 0px;;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-316{width:724px;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-316,#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-316 * {text-align:center;font-family:'arial',arial;font-weight:700;color:#b61219;font-size:22px;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-316 .ulp-checkbox label:after{background:#b61219}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-316{border-radius:0px;z-index:12;text-align:center;padding:0px 0px;letter-spacing: -1;;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-318{width:724px;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-318,#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-318 * {text-align:center;font-family:'arial',arial;font-weight:400;color:#383838;font-size:14px;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-318 .ulp-checkbox label:after{background:#383838}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-318{border-radius:0px;z-index:13;text-align:center;padding:0px 0px;letter-spacing: -1;;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-317{width:300px;height:3px;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-317{background-color:#b61219;background-color:rgba(182,18,25,0.9);border-radius:0px;z-index:14;text-align:left;padding:0px 0px;;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-319{width:480px;height:32px;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-319,#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-319 * {text-align:left;font-family:'arial',arial;font-weight:400;color:#383838;font-size:15px;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-319 .ulp-checkbox label:after{background:#383838}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-319{border-radius:0px;z-index:15;text-align:left;padding:0px 0px;;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-320{width:480px;height:32px;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-320,#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-320 * {text-align:left;font-family:'arial',arial;font-weight:400;color:#444444;font-size:15px;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-320 .ulp-checkbox label:after{background:#444444}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-320{border-radius:0px;z-index:16;text-align:left;padding:0px 0px;;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-321{width:490px;height:37px;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-321,#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-321 * {text-align:center;font-family:'arial',arial;font-weight:700;color:#ffffff;font-size:17px;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-321 .ulp-checkbox label:after{background:#ffffff}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-321{border-radius:0px;z-index:17;text-align:center;padding:0px 0px;;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-322{width:724px;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-322,#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-322 * {text-align:center;font-family:'arial',arial;font-weight:400;color:#383838;font-size:9px;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-322 .ulp-checkbox label:after{background:#383838}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-322{border-radius:0px;z-index:18;text-align:center;padding:0px 0px;letter-spacing: -1;;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-323{width:50px;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-323,#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-323 * {text-align:left;font-family:'arial',arial;font-weight:400;color:#000000;font-size:14px;}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-323 .ulp-checkbox label:after{background:#000000}#ulp-inline-layer-IxNEP7RygKew7As3-323{border-radius:0px;z-index:19;text-align:left;padding:0px 0px;;} DOWNLOAD OUR PANASONIC GH5 instaLUT B1010 Please enter a valid e-mail address. We will send the download to your inbox. SUBMIT We hate spam! Your e-mail will be stored with cinema5D.com exclusively and you can unsubscribe from our newsletters at any time. To get our Panasonic GH5 LUT we ask only that you subscribe to our newsletter and in turn you will get the download link sent to your e-mail. This is a double opt-in and will not work with fake e-mails. Your e-mail address stays with us. No spam or third parties and you can of course unsubscribe if you don’t like the weekly newsletter whenever you receive one. We hope you will enjoy our future content and stay on board. Here are a few shots where you can see the LUT applied to Panasonic GH5 footage. These shots have the look applied with no other modifications.

Since the annual Inter Bee (International Broadcast Equipment Exhibition) is taking place in Sony’s home country, it’s time to catch up with the company and chat about their latest developments. How about X-OCN – their new compressed raw codec – announced half a year ago, for example? Sony’s X-OCN Codec It’s been a while since its initial announcement, but the newly developed X-OCN codec by Sony seems to be very promising. The first and only application for this codec for the time being is with the so-called AXS-R7 recorder module, which is designed especially for the Sony PMW-F5 and F55 range of cine cameras. You can read all about this recorder in this article. As a tiny refresher, X-OCN stands for eXtended tonal range Original Camera Negative, and if you’re thinking of RED’s signature compressed RAW workflow called REDcode, it’s actually not that far off. X-OCN offers 16-bit of latitude straight from the sensor but it’s capable of outputting significantly smaller filesizes than pure RAW footage. The Sony F5 camera with an AXS-R7 recorder attached. For now this is the only way to record X-OCN. As time went by, news about X-OCN quickly became quiet. Blackmagic announced DaVinci Resolve support for this new codec, but other than that, nothing. At this years Inter BEE – taking place in Chiba City, Japan – our very own Johnnie Behiri took the opportunity to talk with Sony’s Yutaka Okahashi about this promising codec and its possible future applications. X-OCN in Mirrorless Cameras? Since X-OCN is a high-end codec, it seemed unlikely to see this technologly implemented in Sony camera models further downstream, such as their popular mirrorless lines of cameras. Anyone interested in a Sony A7s II with compressed RAW recording? Well, Mr. Okahashi mentions exactly that… after a little push from Johnnie. But it seems it could be possible to implement such high-end technology in the somewhat lower end cameras (from a F5 perspective) in the future. For now, though, these models live in a X-AVC universe. This codec comes in different flavours, caters 4K as well as HD and is widely implemented in NLEs. But it is a compressed format, far off from RAW. If we think of the $7,000 Sony AXS-R7 recorder as a proof of concept, maybe things will get interesting in the not too distant future. What about forgetting compressed formats altogether and going all in, with the full sensor latitude in a pocket-sized camera? Now that sounds like a bright future, indeed. Let’s hope that Sony is listening. As Johnnie puts it: The rule is very simple. If you don’t make it, somebody else will make it.” What do you think about his type of codec? Does it seem promising to you or are you happy with the current compressed formats available in mirrorless cameras? Let us know in the comments below.

2016 is slowly but surely coming to an end and, despite opinions that the DSLR or Mirrorless camera market is dying due to the introduction of more affordable, large-sensor, dedicated video cameras, the market is blooming with new shiny alternatives. Just look at the FUJIFILM X-T2, the Olympus E-M1 MII  and the upcoming Panasonic GH5. The manufacturers behind all of those cameras like to emphasise the video capabilities they’ve built into their new creations, making it clear that it was not just an afterthoughts or accidental move, but rather an important add-on to their good to excellent photo equipment.  Personally, I love these type of cameras. They allow me to travel compact, avoid unnecessary customs declarations and delays, they attract less attention, are modestly priced for the most part, and can be very versatile when adding additional equipment. We can talk bits, bytes, codecs and resolutions all day long, but at the end of the day the video quality coming out of these small devices was simply unheard of until a few years ago, especially for the price. They also can and will suit most of the indie video productions many of us are doing. That said, there is generally that “hit and miss” aspect to most of these releases, both past and new, as they lack at times some essential features. Making the Dream DSLR or Mirrorless Camera Come True Here at cinema5D we participate in constant meetings with distinguished manufacturers, and we do our best to communicate and deliver an accurate picture of what we think is needed in order to make that “dream DSLR or Mirrorless camera”. This time, we’ve decided to approach our audience and ask the help of the community in order to define and fine tune what are those “essential features” we are looking for. Because we all work differently and have different approaches to filming, the answers are bound to be diverse, so in order not to keep the discussion concise, we decided to make a small list of features that we think might increase the functionality of cameras such as these. We ask you folks to kindly vote for those that will help you in your work as creative operators. Rest assured, we will be submitting the results of this poll directly to the manufacturers, including a link to this article so that your voices can be heard. Let’s see if we can help make the “dream DSLR or Mirrorless Camera” a reality!