What's so good about all these new Cluster X settings? In simple terms, after looking at the rate control, quantisation and scaling matrices found in the GH3, Nikon D800 and Canon 5DMKIII I decided upon a radical approach to find out if the GH2 was capable of getting near their very low QP values (which range from predominantly 1 to 30 depending on the detail and luminance of the subject).

What I found was (and this had me concerned before) was that Panasonic's implementation / or ptools labelling!) of rate control using the GH2's quantisation parameter isn't too clear. I needed a way of having a minumum Quant and a desired maximum quant. Strangely with Initial Quantizer = 30, Quantizer for 1080 modes = 3 (+-2 can offer a QP of 1 !) and Quantizer for 720 modes = 30 I could sortof achieve this!!!!

With 720 using B frames (switched on in the 720 encoder 1 settings as = 3) Quantizer for 720 modes seems to work as a highest Quantisation setting (high is worse, low quant is best) together with Initial Quant of 30 (don't worry about such a high starting value here - after the first frame it settles straight back to lowest achievable (best) for the scene. Subsequently, Quantizer for 1080 modes = 3 gives me my lowest desired (best quant) for each opt 24p, 1080i, HBR and 720 modes.

This quantizer rate control now seems to work as in newer High Profile Level 5 (5.1) cameras such as the 5DMKIII and Nikon D800 (and seemingly the GH3) and when matched with a new softer looking matrix - as analysed on the Canon 5DMKIII (with adjustments) - brings a degree of softening to the over sharpe Pany lenses.

I'm also sure that 1080i/FSH?HBR modes work better with half the coded picture buffer size of 720p modes (indeed I switched off 720 Bottom setting (the buffer amount as in automatically works it out) whilst offering a fairly low buffer in bitrate settings in 'patches for testers'.

In summary, the range of QP will be (certianly in 1080p24 modes) from 1 to 30 - often staying very low (less than 10) all round. I believe (although only tested by myself) that the result offers extremely good looking 720p modes (probably the best ever), certainly superior 24p with Intra & Long GOP, and great looking HBR/FSH and iA mode control (though further strenuous tests may well be required). High dynamic functions work it seems too.

All the new Cluster X series settings for each GOP attached below have been tested on the notoriously sharp Pany OIS lenses. Give me feedback.

Its as simple as A, B, C, D, E, F ! Each .ini setting in ptools for Cluster X Series will equate to setA ('DREWnet' 12/15 GOP), setB ('Nebula' 6 GOP), setC ('Spizz' 3 GOP), setD ('Moon' 1 GOP/3 GOP). Any updates will stay on these sets.

"Cluster X Series isn't for pussies!" Driftwood 2013

If you enjoy these settings please don't forget to donate to personal-view by clicking on the link above. Gratitude and thanks to Vitaliy Kiselev.

I have a GH2 with MD rokkor vintage lenses, im gonna shoot mainly music videos (with a lot of moving shots, slow motion, low lights and exterior) and some short films in the future. 30min of clips is enought for me I need quality but i really like the vintage look, im lost there is too much patch and informations, so i call your experience, what is the best possibility for me ?

Thank you for your help

Here is the patch I am looking for

O yea by the way here is my winning StarWars/Pringles ad 3rd down on page.. shot with GH2 and Flow motion V2 patch 1080p 24p nostalgic -2-2-2-2 Lumix 14mm 2.5 Samyang 35mm 1.5 Konova slider. http://www.usatoday.com/story/popcandy/2013/05/08/pringles-star-wars/2143867/

Thanks in advance for your help.

All tested with GH2 + Sandisk SDHC 32GB 45MBps card

I did not test spanning because I do not need it.

seta = modified FlowMotion 2.02 with high datarate for both 1080p 24p and 720p 60p, gop3 for 1080p 24p and default Panasonic gops for other modes, long gop for 720p is more stable than short gops. avoids the diagonal pattern (rain) noise in 1080p 24p, the other modes needs transcoding with 5DtoRGB free software before editing to avoid the diagonal pattern (rain) noise in dark low light. (best choice, workhorse)

setb = modified FlowMotion 2.02 with high datarate for 1080p 24p and mid datarate for 720p 60p, gop3 for 1080p 24p and default Panasonic gops for other modes, long gop for 720p is more stable than short gops. avoids the diagonal pattern (rain) noise in 1080p 24p, the other modes needs transcoding with 5DtoRGB free software before editing to avoid the diagonal pattern (rain) noise in dark low light. (for low speed cards)

setc = modified FlowMotion 2.02 with mid datarate for both 1080p 24p and 720p 60p, gop3 for 1080p 24p and default Panasonic gops for other modes, long gop for 720p is more stable than short gops. avoids the diagonal pattern (rain) noise in 1080p 24p, the other modes needs transcoding with 5DtoRGB free software before editing to avoid the diagonal pattern (rain) noise in dark low light. (for low speed cards)

setd = modified FlowMotion 2.02 with high datarate for both 1080p 24p and 720p 60p, gop3 for 1080p 24p and gop9 for other modes, avoids the diagonal pattern (rain) noise in 1080p 24p, the other modes needs transcoding with 5DtoRGB free software before editing to avoid the diagonal pattern (rain) noise, more noticeable than in the previous patches in this list. (highest quality for 720p)

sete = conservative settings with just datarate and gop changing, high datarate for 1080p 24p and mid datarate for 720p 60p, gop3 for 1080p 24p and default Panasonic gops for other modes, avoids the diagonal pattern (rain) noise in all modes.

setf = conservative settings with just datarate and gop changing, mid datarate for both 1080p 24p and 720p 60p, gop3 for 1080p 24p and default Panasonic gops for other modes, avoids the diagonal pattern (rain) noise in all modes. (for low speed cards)

I know the GH2 hack topic has been discussed extensively on this forum and thanks to @driftwood for the great work, but as a noob I was hoping someone can help break down some of the benefits of the following Hacks that seem to be very popular. I want to get the best quality video and stills possible without compromising stability.

From my research these seem to be some of the most popular hacks out there: TerraQuake, Mysteron, Sedna, Quantum...

My main reason for purchasing the camera is to shoot a music video in the park. Lots of greens and earthy colors during the daytime. Yet I want to create my own versatile Cam for great video and stills while being stable.

Not sure if any of the patches I mention can produce stunning images and video in this setting. Would that same patch be good for shooting low light indoor settings? Also, maybe a silly question but do these hacks work with video and stills?

Quantum 9b looks like it does great with lowlight:

Please keep in mind I will be using a 64 GB SDHC Class 10 UHS-1 Flash Memory Card 95MB/s.

I found this link very useful, for noobs attempting to hack their GH2: http://www.sam-mallery.com/2011/11/an-ez-guide-to-hacking-the-panasonic-gh2/

I'm looking for experienced filmographers who can direct me accordingly - pros and cons.

Any help would be extremely appreciated and help relief a lot of anxiety accompanying this process ; )

Thank you all!!

This is the FAQ to read if you're trying to read the forums, and finding a lot of technical stuff and acronyms that are going right over your head. It won't make you design hacks as good as Driftwood's or Sanity or Cake, and it won't tell you which hack is the best one to use. But if you read it, you will understand what I-frames and P-frames are, what GOP is, what intraframing and interframing are, and a few other details that'll help you follow some of the discussions here.

http://www.personal-view.com/faqs/gh2-hack/hack-terms-faq

thanks, g

I'm an imagination person first. There's a theme park carnival universe in my head / heart - then I'm an an actor, then a writer, then a director, then a DP and then an editor (I think... the orders of those things switch around a lot - and I'm not including music or broadcasting or hosting which I did a lot of too).

Somehow after or before or quantum sideways of that I have something to do with the Thrice Great Okapi but let's not get into that now. Why must you readers always distract me? Oh wait, you haven't read this yet. It's me who's distracting me. So sorry, let me get on with it:

As the title says. Digital Film Making Finally Beats Chemical Film Making.

I just viewed Prometheus. This article is not so much about the movie plot or merits. It was OK. OK it was a little better than OK... I'd say 3 stars out of 4 for you geeks out there. It was dark and highly predictable in that same way that so many sci fi movies are with their ominous shots of Halo like activity that we've seen so many times before but it was a [i]fairly[/i] good movie none the less and the visuals are amazing!

The focus here is that it was shot, edited, and projected entirely digitally. No chemical film. Remember when CDs had AAD, DAD, DAA OR DDD? Well this was the DDD of motion pictures (and then in 3D too so really it's almost DDD+3D). I viewed it in 3D on dual 8K digital projectors from a digital source (it was shot on Red Epic digital cameras with Zeiss Ultra Prime and Angenieux Optimo Lenses) and I was so impressed that it led me to write this column that will only be appreciated by hard core film or motion picture buffs, fellow film makers, or total and absolute techy nerds.

I apologize to my regular 'wacky guy with a hat" audience about the extreme levels of techy geek I am about to enter but I am compelled to write on this for my film making friends. We really need to change that terminology to 'motion picture' or 'movie' making, because old school film making is finally really dead and unnecessary. OOPS I just blew my whole article away! That was a huge spoiler... oh well ...crap...so anyway I thought I'd give the above disclaimer, and now having done that... here we go!

Chemical film is finally dead. Let me make it clear I don't say this with any sort of hatred of chemical film like it is some witch or beast that needed to be slayed. I LOVED the look of it, but it was/is just way too expensive. People who had the money liked this fact as it keep them in some sort of elitist control club. I did not. I used to have fantasies of stealing panavision film equipment when I found out they only rented and didn't sell film cameras and related equipment. I say this as a LOVER of the motion picture 24p chemical film look who has been on a loooong (add as many o's as you need to make that long really looooong) quest to make movies that looked like what...well... movies looked like... well.. at the movies!!!

I was not once ever satisfied with my 60i vhs or 8mm or hi8 or super v or even later with supposed masters work on the digitally shot and digitally projected movies from the Star Wars fiascos to the IMAX lies (especially in 3D) until now.

Watching Prometheus on dual 8K projectors was the first time I could sit closer than mid row and be absolutely immersed in the entire film without seeing the artifacts of digital film making or 3D problems. The picture was as detailed as I have ever seen - other than some outstanding real (chemical film) IMAX 3D films - but nearly the same, and there were no pixels, the brightness was excellent, the 3D did not flicker. I mean seriously - holy s*%t it finally works! Give someone a gold star sticker!!!

DEEPER INTO THE TECHY GEEKY WORLD OF MOTION PICTURE MAKING - FORMERLY CALLED FILM MAKING in part II:

I like the look of pappa arts settings or anything that will at least give me no rolling shutter in at least 720p, I have worked out its pretty much impossible to avoid in 1080p...

Any help would be much appreciated.

Here are the settings I am using at the moment...

thanks to anybody out there on this growing community

I'm looking for advice on which patches to use. I would like to be shooting 1080 25p Pal. I'm looking for a patch which is reliable for long takes, documentaries. A patch which is good for motion and doesn't give the strobing effect when panning or moving the camera around, I will be shooting on a shoulder mount a lot. I'd also like to be able to project the final production. Am I looking for too much out of this tiny camera?

I also need advice on settings. Because I want PAL 1080 25p does this confine me to shooting in HBR mode only? I see a lot of work has been done in the cinema 24p setting but I need 25fps and therefore this is useless for me, advice appreciated.

I have tried many of the patches and so far find Flow Motion V2 to be the most stable in my limited experience. Some of the other patches freeze the camera when I'm in HBR mode or don't span, I'm probably missing a setting.

Finally this is what I'm using:

GH2 Nokton 25mm Zeiss 28, 45, 50, 180mm Takumar 135mm 1x Scandisk 30mb/s 16gi 1x Scandisk 95mb/s 64gig 3X Transcend Class 10 16gb

I'm really looking forward to hearing any advice, especially from people who shoot in PAL land. Thanks guys.

Albi

Stable !!! Suppose, I will do a payed gig with it. I need to have some reliable camera. Playback in camera. Would be nice if it works with 25P, 50P and 24P.

Allso it would be nice if I can use the ETC.

Maybe some of my questios are silly.. I'm sorry for that. Cheers, Arie.

My issue: With all the various patches, it's quite overwhelming. Unfortunately, I have VERY limited time to play around and test prior to the shoot dates.

What is the best "all around", go-to patch as of current? I've seen tons of great samples displaying Driftwood's patches. There's just so many...

I'm working with some Zeiss ZF lenses and Transcend Extreme 16gb cards. Looking to possibly include some 60fps shots for slow motion and time ramping here and there as well....

Any help is extremely appreciated. Thanks everyone.

A sticky topic with a table, all usable patches and they basic characteristics. A simple settings wiki.

i.e:

Name of the patch - bitrate - GOP - minimum card speed to use - minimum card speed to spann - image characteristics (detail, motion, high ISO, timelapse....) - reliability modes - patch download.

This can help the community organization, help new users and avoid the useless topics like: "what is the best patch to shoot my beauty neighbor?" What is the best to shoot my dog?"...

:)