Tag: Lumix GH4

Lucas Pfaff: JTZ DP30 Cage and Shoulder-Kit | Filmmaker System REVIEW

“The JTZ DP30 Filmmaker System offers a great set of classic rig-parts in a high-end fashion. JTZ is the high-end brand from Fotga!…”

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The JTZ DP30 camera cage and shoulder- mount kit for mirrorless cameras like Panasonic’s Lumix GH5S, GH5 and GH4.

Commentary

Every so often I wonder whether I should look further into the idea of shoulder-mounting mirrorless hybrid video cameras in order to approach the way I once used the Super 8 and Super 16 movie cameras on which I learned cinematography.

Then I take a serious look into the prices and the carrying weight of contemporary shoulder mount systems and set that idea aside for another day.

Until I came across Lucas Pfaff’s series of videos on the JTZ DP30 system.

JTZ, Lucas Pfaff tells us, is the higher-end brand of Fotga, the Chinese camera accessories makers whose DP500 follow focus device is used by documentary moviemaker Sol March of Suggestion of Motion.

Neither Fotga nor JTZ appear to have their own websites or retail through B&H Photo Video, so the only recourse is to buy from Amazon or ebay.

Meanwhile I will be looking for videos and other reviews of the JTZ DP300 in action on location to see how it bears up in the field.

Links

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Austrian manufacturer Angelbird makes more affordable V90 SDXC cards than Panasonic’s own alternative and they are reportedly just as reliable.

Clicking on these affiliate links helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled: Stories of Creativity, Innovation, Success’.

  • Angelbird 64GB AV Pro UHS-II SDXC Memory Card – B&H
  • Angelbird 128GB AV Pro UHS-II SDXC Memory Card – B&H
  • Angelbird 256GB Match Pack for the Panasonic EVA1 – B&H – special promotional packaging of two Angelbird 128GB AV Pro UHS-II SDXC memory cards that are just as usable in other cameras than the AU-EVA1 that also have UHS-II SD card slots.
  • Panasonic 128GB UHS-II SDXC Memory Card – B&H
  • Panasonic DMW-BGGH5 Battery Grip – B&H
  • Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H
  • Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H
  • Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H

Lucas Pfaff: Return of the display loupe? VARY-i cage for GH5s Review

“Nifty, well fitting cage for the Panasonic GH4, GH5 and the new GH5s! A remarkable little set!…”

VARY-i Cage Combination for Panasonic Lumix GH4, GH5 and GH5S with multi angle LCD viewfinder loupe and two VARY-Grips.

Commentary

When I first got back into photography and video with the then revolutionary Canon EOS 5D Mark II, thanks to the advice of my partner who worked in Canon’s R&D division at the time, I looked at several LCD magnifying loupe options online and in Sydney’s inner city professional camera store, now sadly defunct.

None of the solutions available then completely solved the problem of needing to view the camera’s LCD in order to effectively focus and shoot video, and so I set aside the idea of handheld video for a while until a chance encounter with a Panasonic GH3 in a duty-free store, which led to purchasing the GH4 when it became available.

Despite not investing in one at the time, I always thought there might be more potential in the loupe concept if done right and that they could be more affordable than the incredibly expensive third-party electronic viewfinders and graticals that have appeared to take their place.

Lucas Pfaff’s video look at the VARY-i loupe plus case combination for Panasonic’s Lumix GH4, GH5 and GH5S make it look like a very attractive solution for handheld video with the GH5’s in-body image stabilization (IBIS) or the GH4 and GH5S with Panasonic lenses with optical image stabilization (OIS).

Links

Help support ‘Untitled’

Austrian manufacturer Angelbird makes more affordable V90 SDXC cards than Panasonic’s own alternative and they are reportedly just as reliable.

Clicking on these affiliate links helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled: Stories of Creativity, Innovation, Success’.

  • Angelbird 64GB AV Pro UHS-II SDXC Memory Card – B&H
  • Angelbird 128GB AV Pro UHS-II SDXC Memory Card – B&H
  • Angelbird 256GB Match Pack for the Panasonic EVA1 – B&H – special promotional packaging of two Angelbird 128GB AV Pro UHS-II SDXC memory cards that are just as usable in other cameras than the AU-EVA1 that also have UHS-II SD card slots.
  • Panasonic 128GB UHS-II SDXC Memory Card – B&H
  • Panasonic DMW-BGGH5 Battery Grip – B&H
  • Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H
  • Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H
  • Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H

Atlas Releases Affordable, Quality Orion 2x Anamorphic Prime Lenses, 40mm, 65mm and 100mm T2, in EF and PL Mounts

Atlas Lens Co. has released the first three lenses in its Orion Series of relatively affordable cinema quality anamorphic prime optics, comprising 40mm, 65mm and 100mm focal lengths, all at a maximum aperture of T2 and with a choice of Arri PL or Canon EF mount. 

The Orion 40mm T2 lens may well make an excellent first anamorphic lens for anyone wishing to explore or seriously shoot in the CinemaScope Anamorphic format on Panasonic Lumix cameras like the GH5 and GH4, whether renting or purchasing the lens.

The makers recommend adapters for those wishing to use the Orion Series lenses on cameras without EF or PL mounts:

An Interchangeable Mount System means you can use Orion Series Anamorphic lenses on any PL Mount camera one day, and any compatible EF,  E-mount, or Micro 4/3 camera with appropriate adapters for your next shoot or second unit.

One possibility may be to attach an Orion 40mm T2 to your GH5 or GH4 via a Metabones EF-to-M43 Speed Booster or Smart Adapter, thus obtaining different effective focal lengths from the one lens.

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Clicking on these affiliate links and purchasing through them helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled: Stories of Creativity, Innovation, Success’.

  • Metabones Canon EF Lens to Micro Four Thirds Camera T CINE Speed Booster XL 0.64x (Fifth Generation) – B&H
  • Metabones Canon EF Lens to Micro Four Thirds Camera T CINE Speed Booster ULTRA 0.71x (Fifth Generation) – B&H
  • Metabones PL Lens to Micro Four Thirds Camera T Adapter (Black) – B&H
  • Metabones T Smart Adapter for Canon EF or Canon EF-S Mount Lens to Select Micro Four Thirds-Mount Cameras – B&H
  • Metabones T Speed Booster XL 0.64x Adapter for Full-Frame Canon EF-Mount Lens to Select Micro Four Thirds-Mount Cameras – B&H
  • MTF Services Ltd PL to Micro 4/3 Adaptor – B&H
  • Novoflex PL Lens to Micro Four Thirds Camera Adapter – B&H
  • SLR Magic PL to MFT-Mount Adapter – B&H
  • Vocas Micro Four Thirds to PL Lens Mount Adapter – B&H
  • Wooden Camera MFT to PL Mount Pro for Panasonic GH3/GH4 – B&H

VARY-i Releases VARY-GRIP for Even More Grip and Stability with VARY-i Cage Combo for Panasonic Lumix GH5 or GH4

Accessories maker VARY-i (what do those capitalized initials actually stand for?) has released the VARY-GRIP (yet more mystery capitalized initials?) for its loupe-plus-cage combos for the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4, adding extra points of contact and thus further security and stability when shooting on location. 

You can have any colour VARY-GRIP that you want as long it is red, white or black. Gimme two in black!

I think I shall go easy on the initialisms and simply refer to this intriguing new item as the Vary-Grip, otherwise it will look like I am shouting all the time.

Although I have yet to try any of the Vary-i products, they look like an effective combination for shooting outdoors in the sort of low-angle laser beam sunlight that is outside my window right now in high summer Sydney, Australia.

VARY-i VARY-GRIP with and without VARY-i Cage Combination GH5

Links

Help support ‘Untitled’

Clicking on these affiliate links and purchasing through them helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled: Stories of Creativity, Innovation, Success’.

  • Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H
  • Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H