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ASA Rating of GH2 Sensor for Use with Incident Light Meter?
  • qwerty123qwerty123
    I want to know what to set as the ASA / ISO Rating on my handheld incident light meter for use with the GH2. Ilya Friedman over at Hot Rod Cameras did a test with a DP on the gh1, and determined that:

    "Even though the camera rating says 100 ISO, you get the best “to eye” image of of what you’re shooting if you actually rate you light meter at 640 (which I think it close to the native ASA of the camea. To repeate- set camera at ISO 100, and the base exposure of your meter to 640. ...Same thing works with a higher ISO, 400. Instead of placing the GH1 at 100, you’ll set it to 400 and your meter at 2500."
    Source: http://www.hotrodcameras.com/tips-and-tricks/gh1-film-look-new-tips

    I'm having trouble finding info about the gh2 in this regard. Anyone know of any sources or, better yet, how to do a test to determine this?
  • 6 Replies sorted by
  • EOSHDEOSHD
    I know Illya great guy and interesting tips. 5500k for best skin tones? We could test that... One of the things I have always found with the GH1 and GH2 is that they give a yellow cast to skin and maybe this is a way to help that. Checkout the Rio Carnival footage on Vimeo shot on the GH2 for an example of that.
  • MrAnthonyMrAnthony
    @qwerty123: How to test...well, you could set your light meter to ISO 640 and your camera to ISO 100 and see if you like the look. Or you could just underexpose your camera by 2 to 2-1/2 stops and see if you like the look. if you do, great...and if you don't, well there you go.
  • qwerty123qwerty123
    @MrAnthony Yeah, that's the obvious way. But I was looking for something a bit more scientific and precise. How do we know precisely how the GH2's ISO rating translates into the standard ISO index rating on light meters used throughout cinematography?
  • davhardavhar
    I don't get how you can play with exposure like that in digital. In film, yes, because you can then print up or down but you have to have the latitude which we certainly don't have with the GH2. So for me this doesn't make sense. You're just going to under expose into mud.

    The AWB, however, is something I'm playing with, because on a sunny day my footage is ugly blue with spotty pink people. The colour sucks. So I either go by eye with the K scale or balance a white card.
  • BuellerBueller
    Try balancing to a white card through a 1/8th minus green gel.
  • stoneystoney
    @Bueller why didn't I think about that? thanks!
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