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Beginners: Basic hacks questions
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  • @Mr_Moore

    Many thanks, the comments I've been reading here finally make sense to me.... Some of the options will require research -- e.g., the Auto Quantizer choices -- but at least I know what everyone's talking about now.

  • Launch PTool and load the GH2 firmware. Then double-click the line that says “Patches for end users.” Click the little black disclosure triangle next to Interface, Movie related restrictions, and so on. Depending on the setting you’ve loaded, some options will be enabled, some disabled.

    You can enable or disable an option by clicking the widget to the left of its name. If you select and option by clicking its name, several fields at the bottom of the window will become active. They show the original value of the selected parameter and the value imposed by your settings (it may or may not be different from the original value).

    Spend some time exploring the interface and familiarize yourself with it.

  • @Mr. Moore:

    I do indeed click the letter corresponding to the desired patch, but there's no display of "checkable" settings after that. I am supposed to have an opportunity to check or uncheck options, after clicking on any given patch?

  • I just installed Driftwood Quantum 100 v3 on my GH2 (using the new ptools and firmware 1.1). But I am confused about which settings in the camera to use to access the various patch settings, especially now that the new firmware adds a fourth movie setting (HBR). Can someone please tell me how these camera settings map to the patch settings?*

    • Manual Movie Mode

      AVCHD (1080i)
    
                FSH: ______________
    
                FH: _______________
    
      AVCHD (720p)
    
                SH: _______________
    
                 H: _______________
    

    • High Bit Rate: ______________

    • 24P Cinema

      24H: _________________ 
    
      24L: _________________                
    

    • Variable Movie Mode: _____________________

    *Or direct me to a thread that covers this info--GH2 Patch Vault posts don't clearly explain how camera settings map to each of the patches.

  • Click a green letter at the bottom to actually load the settings.

    That’s a little shortcoming of PTool. There’s not visual indication of which settings are currently loaded as opposed to which are simply sitting in the same folder as the PTool app.

  • Could someone kindly explain what "checked" and "unchecked" options are under 3.64d? When I open the "ini" files, I see certain options "checked" (the word "checked"), but from some of descriptions offered elsewhere, it sounds as if there's an actual matrix or grid, where you literally check off one item or another. When I load ptools, the only available checked box is "version increment", with the letter ovals going green, depending on which patches are in the folder. Am I missing some option?

  • I notice one poster saying that the iso bug has gone when you patch 1.1 with the new ptool. So my question is - whilst we wait for v1.0 patches to get tweaked so they're good for v1.1, can I still simply remove iso limits, get rid of the iso bug, and lose the 30min record time by applying the patch now, and adjust bit-rate at a later date? Thanks.

  • I have a question maybe someone here can help me with. I have not yet purchased a Video capable Digital camera. I use a G1 for still Photography shots quite a bit, which i bought body only over a year ago to use with all my legacy glass. My next upgrade purchase was planning to be a GH1 when i have the money, especially when recently (past few months) i find myself wishing i had something for video also. I thought about getting a cheep Olympus E-PL1 kit for the interim, that i could give to my mom to use and i would borrow it when ever i needed to do some video, till i can afford a GH1. But someone contacted me offering to sell me their Panasonic G10 Kit super cheep, less than what I would pay for a used E-PL1. I am wondering if that's a better way to go. I know there is a 7minute HD recording time limit on the E-PL1 and don't think there is a hack to change that. And i believe there is not a HD recording Time limit on the G10, plus its kit lens has OIS for video. I don't know which camera tho, Is a better one for video. I'm not sure if i should take the person up on their offer

  • I'd be perfectly happy to contribute to a documentation effort, if that's any help.

    I can imagine this picture :-)
    Make yourself good habit - download PDF camera manual first.

  • Handy, thanks.

    I'd be perfectly happy to contribute to a documentation effort, if that's any help.

  • I'll tell you all possible scenarios right now. You can switch between 25p and 50i already with the official 1.1 firmware, but it will be at stock settings. You can switch between hacked-high bitrate 24p and 50i. You cannot right now switch between hacked 25p and 50i. Also, the new ptool that I mentioned in my previous answer, is actually already released for public http://personal-view.com/talks/discussion/2317/ptool-v3.64d-topic this means that right now, you can switch between patched high bitrate 24p, patched high bitrate 50i as well as 25p but in stock bitrate, all on the same card. Give it a few days and you maybe able to alternate between hacked 24p,50i and 25p.

  • That does indeed answer it, thanks.

    Will it be possible - and I appreciate this may not be known yet - to be in a situation where I can switch between 25p and 50i, or will that just mean reflashing the thing back to manufacturer's firmware?

  • @Phil_Rhodes

    About 25p, I'll try and explain your question. Right now, if you choose to install the official newer panasonic firmware which includes progressive 25p, you will get the stock bitrates which is about 25mb/s but very efficient and good for a lot of stuff, so no hack with 25p. So basically at this moment, if you want to shoot with a patched/hacked GH2 with high bitrates that go from 44mb/s to 200mb/s you have to shoot 24p or 30p (via the 80% slow mode and with no sound). Having said that, my understanding is that in a matter of days, a new ptool version will be released which will be based on the newer 25p firmware, therefore allowing higher than stock bitrates, just like it is now for 24p. The beta is already released to testers and should be ready for public in a matter of days.

    hope this answers it.

  • Try doing some reading Phil its better then bitching and banging your head against a wall. You will find out what you need in this thread

  • What on earth is this forum for?

    Am I allowed to ask about 25p modes here, or will the topic be deleted or closed as it has been the last two times I've attempted to do so?

    This will be my last attempt to ask some entirely innocent questions; there's a limit to how long I'm willing to keep banging my head against the wall!

  • About slow motion, is it possible in mjpeg to shoot over the 30 fps?

  • Also it's not so much about the settings you use but the Color Profile, most people go with Smooth.

  • @gregsage no one who follows the directions properly has had problems hacking their gh2. 422 is not possible at the moment and probably never will but with driftwood's patches its not an issue, though of course like any 420 you should expose properly. Quantum 9b renders colour very very well. If you desperately need 422 for something go with a fs100 and nanoflash or similar as a rental; otherwise accept that 420 is a limitation of cameras for this price but its not that big of a limitation at high bit rates because you have so much detail you're getting much better colour rendition to begin with.

    ABOVE ALL IF YOU CARE ABOUT PROPER COLOUR, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A QUALITY GREY CARD AND YOU DO MANUAL WHITE BALANCE IN THE EXACT LIGHT YOUR SUBJECT WILL BE IN WHEN YOU FILM.

  • Used Quantum v9b on a commercial this week with good results. Used Nikon prime glass and the Panny 14mm for wide stuff. Looks really good. Shot 1080/24p and 720p on the same card, Sandisk 32GB/30mb. The only hiccup I had was with ETC mode, would record 4 or 5 seconds and cut itself, said it was a writing speed error. Much thanks to everyone that's worked developing these hacks.

  • @gregsage Ok, I see. Yea color is VERY important for me as well though I'm also working as a colorist. So what's the best patches for fast motion, color info and audio? (I'd also like an answer on a patch that gives you best information quality in the picture)

  • Well, stable is a major factor too. I can do external capture if necessary, but with the greenscreen, color info is a major concern. Audio is not.

    Fast motion is for dance scenes too.

    Frankly, color is the biggie.

  • Is there a simple answer to these questions? What patch gives you absolutely best quality in good light? (Not looking for patches with best ISO) What patch gives you best scenes for color grading?

    Edit: Are there any downsides with Driftwood 176 mbps besides the file sizes? Like if it's not so good in post production like color grading, or if it's not doing that well when you're using a moving camera or filming a moving subject etc?

    Otherwise I guess, highest bitrate = best quality, which will be Driftwood 176 mbps? (Even though I know it's not that stable)

  • Well, I'm sure this is going to sound stupid, but I've read many many MANY pages on the subject, and still not clear as so much of the info is old, and so many scattered threads.

    My understanding is that there is still no way to get 4:2:2 out because it is blocked somehow, correct? Is this only correct for the card capture?

    Read somewhere that this was true of gh2 or later phones... so does that mean that gh1 now CAN do 4:2:2?

    Also, about to pull the trigger here, but I'm a musician, not a videographer, and it's a TON of info being digested very quickly, so are there any other cameras I should be aware of. I've already done my research on the fs100, hpx170, hf100, etc... just wondering if there's any other still camera hacked or otherwise that might be a better fit for shooting music videos indoors on a tripod with a greenscreen... and whether I should also be considering gh1.

    thx.

    Oh, and I've read a number of times that ANY gh2 is hackable... and yet there's scattered hints out there that that may not be true, so just to be sure, I'm looking at buying one in the next 48 hours... is there ANYTHING besides the normal used gear stuff I need to be aware of in terms of model number, etc?

  • A wonderful beginner video for DSLR video shooting (with Nikon D7000)

  • @gameb the easiest solution is to invest in ClipWrap -- remove the avchd wrapper and in the process of doing that it will automatically detect and merge spanned files.

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