Sunday May 3
11:35
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 Video Tests
I’ve uploaded some video samples to You Tube, illustrating program, aperture, shutter, and manual modes, and autofocus.
You Tube has screwed up the encoding of the videos therefore I have removed the links and added some rapidshare links instead.
Some observations on video controls:
1. Once video starts, you can’t change ISO or mode (ie aperture to shutter) or focus type (spot, matrix, face). You can switch between manual and autofocus and (except manual) use exposure compensation – but see note 6.
2. In manual modes there is no auto ISO.
3. The max ISO you can select is 1600. In a dark room, switching from 100 to 1600 (before recording, of course) you can see the on-screen image getting lighter. Interestingly, if you switch to auto ISO the image is brighter than ISO 1600, implying that in Auto the camera can select levels above 1600.
4. In autofocus mode (I used spot focus), when you move the camera it will try to refocus after a slight delay (about one second). Sometimes it will go past the optimal focus point and then return back to it. It’s unlikely you’d want to use this for a “professional” video, because at times the effect doesn’t look good.
5. In autofocus mode, half pressing the front shutter will lock focus so you can move without the camera changing focus, but…
6. Half pressing the shutter, using the dial at the front, pressing in the dial at the front, and turning the dial which controls focus mode (AFS, AFC, MF) all result in sounds in the audio. In manual focus mode, turning the focus wheel sometimes results in clicks in audio – it isn’t consistent.
7. In aperture mode, I’ve noticed that changing aperture to a smaller aperture, the image gets darker then slightly brighter. I get a similar reversed effect when changing to a larger aperture, and again similar effects when changing shutter speed. Changing exposure compensation is smoother.
These videos are all copyright. You may link to this webpage but no embedding the videos in other websites without permission.
Video 00006 – Shutter priority mode
Video 00007 and Video 00008 – Aperture priority mode
Video 00009 – Full manual
Video 00010 – Program priority mode ISO 100
Video 00011 – Program priority mode ISO 1600
Video 00012 and Video 00013 – Focus test
RAPIDSHARE for 00006-8
RAPIDSHARE for 00009
RAPIDSHARE for 00010-12
RAPIDSHARE for 00013
Update: This was to be the first in a series of tests – outdoor, indoor, night, ISO. However I ended up returning my G1 – click here for details.
If you are looking to buy a GH1, click here
for the latest price and availability.
Click here for my G1/GH1 index page.
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Nikon D700
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Nikon D90
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Panasonic DMC-G1
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Panasonic DMC-GH1/G1HD (check availability)
Hej,
The problem with your video’s is on all of them. Have you maybe uploaded 60p footage, cause it looks like the video lags behind the audio. Maybe youtube can’t deal with that…
great work but they are useless!!!!
we need the original files!
the sound is shit and also the motion is trash
dont use youtube!
upload to rapidshare and all these sites the original files!
great work but youtube destroyed it
we cant even hear your very useful information!
Please upload the original files and never use youtube again
Started to upload to Rapidshare
in the note 6 you say sounds in the audio when pressing the controls. are these sounds beeps or sounds from the mechanical pressings? do you think using a external mic away from the camera will solve this problems? thanks
The noise is like a clicking noise – I think it is from mechanically turning the focus ring.
I downloaded your videos from rapidshare and your tests are very usefull to see the image quality. The compression only breaks down in fast motions or in light changes.
I would like to see some very low light footage in iso 1600 and in auto iso to see the camera selecting levels above 1600 like you said in note 3. can you upload this?
thank you very much for the footage.
VLC 0.9.9 doesn’t seem to decode the video of *.mts files but the audio is ok. any suggestions? thank you very much.
I tried VLC also and it didn’t work. I’ve not explored anything else yet (and possibly wont because I returned my GH1), but I’ve heard Nero Showtime (a paid product) and the K-Lite pack (Google “K-Lite Codec Full”) both work.
when you shot a avchd 1920 x 1080 movie the field of view is the same as when you take a still picture? example: when the lens is at 14mm you see in the movie the same you see in the still photo or in the photo there are more filed of view?
Yes, same FOV.