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Updated w/more footage: Epic and GH2
  • kholikholi

    Limited time only, because I know this is gonna go south.

    The settings are on the vimeo, but here they are again:

    EPIC @ 3K 120FPS 8:1 Compression HR Zoom @ 3.5 Soft FX 1/3 ND 0.6

    GH2 Standard -2-2-2-2 Zeiss Ultra Prime

    Not supposed to be a guessing game, I think it's pretty obvious which one is which so I didn't label them.

    This isn't a verus -- it's for my own testing to see how they cut together. Epic's compression goes higher than 8:1, so the quality isn't indicative of what the camera is fully capable of. There's no contest in 4K or 5K (downrezzed to 1080/2k). What-so-ever.

    I didn't shoot tight and wide, I grabbed something almost similar to what the Epic was shooting. Anyone can cut together a tight and a wide, try wide and a wide.

    Form your own opinions, but for a limited time only. I'm gonna rip it down in a few hours. Video will not be available for download, sorry guys. Next time though, cause I'm gonna do some more testing as we get closer to project dates.

    Second one:

    [vimeo]36254775[/vimeo]

    Download from the vimeo link for a limited time.

  • 72 Replies sorted by
  • simonstar66simonstar66

    @thougts2uk

    I always use the nostalgic setting with everything but saturation turned to -2

    Of course the GH2s exposure latitude is nowhere near the Epic but if you take care not to clip higlights the shots can be matched to RED quite well in the grading.

    I think Nostalgic offers the best latitude and the smoothest highlights. You have to grade out the warm tone later or adjust the Kelvin setting.

  • thougts2ukthougts2uk

    What is the best hack for using the GH2 as a B camera for the RED? I am gonna be shooting a short film on RED and want to use the GH2 as b camera for some difficult shots, mainly running through the forest army style. Is it also best to use Smooth -2 -2 -2 -2?

  • kholikholi

    @liquidfy

    The first is the original GH2 image, the second is the matched-to-Epic image.

    @nathannguyen

    Nah, no denoise, just color adjusted really quick.

  • tmcattmcat

    @simonstar66

    Everything about that video is great besides the content. I hate fashion ads so much I can't even

    some people actually ride bikes.

  • liquidifyliquidify

    @kholl, I think your matching must be off. The second seems significantly darker than first. Or maybe my screen is bad.

  • TrackZillasTrackZillas

    @simonstar66 Really I can't tell the difference all shots looks like it's from one camera.

  • simonstar66simonstar66

    Hi everyone

    Instead of starting a new topic I'll hijack this one as the theme is somewhat similar.

    Here a fashion video we shot with the RED Scarlet and the GH2 as a B-Camera.

    The GH2 holds up pretty well. Can you spot the GH2 shots? It's about 10% of the video.

    Scarlet was on 3K 49fps with a Angenieux Optimo Rouge Lens. GH2 with GOPstoppa patch (- I think. Not 100% sure) on 80% mode with a Nikon 50mm lens.

    Graded on Davinci Resolve

  • EbachervilleEbacherville

    i do have to say the GH2 for a "cheap" camera holds up well to a camera 10x more.. at some point you have to split hairs... but the GH2 blows away anything in its price range. this is like comparing a Caddy to a Kia.. if the Kia is even marginally close.. its a win for people seeking great results for low bucks. I shoot on low buck ENG cameras at work.. and the GH2 is half the cost with glass, and blows them out of the water.

  • nathannguyen59nathannguyen59

    hey kholi. I was wondering if you ever used neat video on this footage? because it looks pretty darn clean to my eye.

  • kholikholi

    @Reckless

    I should've mentioned that I did some quick matching myself. image image

    Keep in mind, 3K and 2K are not strong indicators of Epic's power (of course). If you were shooting 24/30, then you'd use 5K, and even at a 12:1 compression it would murder GH2 Hack.

    Still, they would cut together. For 5K to 1080 comparisons I'd want to get right in the same space, same frame, etc. But, cutting it together, well I do have some footage of that and they cut just fine @ 1080/2K.

    B-Cam's no issue, it's A-Cam status if that's what you've got or you need the stealth.

    bbefore.png
    720 x 406 - 452K
    bafter.png
    720 x 405 - 433K
  • RecklessReckless

    I did a quick color correction on the clip for fun. It certainly wouldn't be hard to get the colors and skin tones to match up if I spent more time on it. Although the difference in resolution does show (but this is between 3K and 720p so what would you expect) I would certainly not be opposed to using the GH-2 as a B-Cam to an EPIC for Broadcast television or web, Joe public would never notice the difference in resolution and I doubt a client would unless you pointed it out to them, it is less apparent with motion. I would love to play around with uncompressed files or see some 1080p compared to the 3K.

    Epic.png
    1920 x 1080 - 2M
    GH2.png
    1920 x 1080 - 2M
  • LittleDLittleD

    @shaveblog You made my day. ; )

  • chauncychauncy

    I'd prefer the model naked next time. Just so we can check the skin tones more throughly.

  • sebbensebben

    @Shaveblog Word dogg.

  • disneytoydisneytoy

    This illustrates the state of CMOS maturity. Look what is possible for $700. CMOS sensor, Processors, codec, HDMI out, touchscreen, audio etc.

    Look at what magic lantern did emulating the HDRx feature in Epics.

    And things are only getting better. This is a big camera year. d4, D800, C300, 5dmIII, 7DII, GH-3, and more. The bar is rising. Hopefully Panasonic engineers keep up the good work. I'm glad the GH-3 most likely won't be announced until Photokina is a good thing.

  • ShaveblogShaveblog

    @littleD

    Nobody said it but man you best be PACKING HEAT when you say that in MY house. "Red beats the crap out of the GH2"? Whigga PLEEZ. Ima get up in ya grill so fast ya be all like huh wha who engaged EX TELE MODE all of a sudden except nobody engaged it G that's just how fast and how hard I be vehemently defending the honor of a giant Japanese conglomerate and an inanimate piece of metal and plastic I happen to own and therefore feel emotionally attached to. Ya best blee DAT.

    Take yo punk-ass RED re-badged GoPro and git yo ass back to reduser, beeyotch. Sheeeeeeeeeeeet.

  • LittleDLittleD

    Hum...anyone said that the Red beats the crap out of the gh2 already? Only natural, but has to be said.

  • kholikholi

    @Reckless

    I'll take a look at it today. I'm just going to assume that it's several generations of compression and not recording above 8:1 for this stuff.

    But, actually, 2K is ton more blockier/artifacty than 3K, and especially 4K or 5K. 3K than 4K, 4K than 5K.

    The higher you go, the more tighter the ratios, the better the compression.

  • RecklessReckless

    @kholi thanks, I don't think there is anything wrong with the R3D file I just wonder when what the trade off is for converting to 1080p. If you shoot at 2k you lose resolution but the file is smaller so less compression, less compression artifacts. If you shoot above that 3-5k more resolution but bigger file so more compression, more artifacts, theoretically.

  • kholikholi

    @Reckless

    Let's see here... the RED stuff's third generation. Meaning it came from R3D files to Pro Res LT, then from that to X264. The GH2 stuff's also third generation, Pro Res LT to X264 for web.

    If you're seeing a lot of weirdness in the Epic footage, it's probably not there in the R3D (raw). I'm also not very good at compressing material. =P

    @rajamalik

    If it's close/similar for you, then that's all that matters. =] Go forth and create.

  • rajamalikrajamalik

    @kholi oops this video proves similarity,..nice work

  • RecklessReckless

    @kholi what compression settings do you use before you upload to vimeo? I was playing around with the footage download in after effects a little bit and I noticed that the Epic footage has a lot of strange artifacts in the blue channel that are not present in the gh-2 footage. Obviously this isn't very scientific seeing as it is compressed and I am not trying to start any sort of versus argument but it does seem a little strange and it has peaked my curiosity.

  • plasmasmpplasmasmp

    Great job on the videos. Still waiting for Al mount scarlet to arrive to the same kind of tests and stuff. I don't really think you'll have a DSLR that produces a better picture than a scarlet or epic in the next 3 years or so, but at the same time, you don't really need a Red for every situation. So finding the best way to make them compatible and being able to cut between them is the best information to get out right now.

  • B3GuyB3Guy

    its 100% night shooting . . . a dark office, a club exterior, and a limo interior.

  • kholikholi

    GH2 is first, Epic is second.

    Download from the vimeo link for a limited time.

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