I thought this worked okay when I first tried it, but I've had no joy since. Anyone else experienced this problem?

I don't actually want to create a multi exp, I simply want to use the overlay to align individual shots to create tracking movements of larger objects like buildings. This is where I think Panasonic missed an opportunity, with what would make a useful creative feature.

If there was an onion skinning preview that just engaged an overlay with the previously taken shot, it would open up some really interesting opportunities.

Is there any good way of adjusting for variable light conditions while keeping aperture, ISO and shutter angle locked?

Vari ND's with gears? Is it ever done in cinema, and if so, how?

I found this: http://www.fujifilm.co.jp/corporate/news/articleffnr_0727.html very cool and usable looking vari nd from fujinon, but it looks like its for smaller sensors than m43

So, any suggestions? Or do I have to just face the facts and start playing around with auto shutter/aperture?

I want to make the following picturew iwth the GH3:

http://www.daveyjphoto.com/tagged/long-exposure

and here the tutorial:

http://www.daveyj.ca/fireworks

2 problems I have with the GH3 there: When I want to make a picture that starts out of focus, it automatoically focusses what I push the button. I have set the menue from "Focus" to "Release" but no difference. OK, I can search for a target elswhere and then refocus or use manual focus mode, so that is possible.

But the 2nd problem is a hard one: When I do a longe time exposure, for example 3 seconds or also "B" Bulb mode, during the taking of the picture, the live viwe is gone. So how can I refocus then? I have to do it blind, trying before hand where it is is focus like written in the tutorial, but he used a 5D Mark II. So he has a mirror. We don't have one and still have no picture.

Does anybody know, how to keep the picture on the screen while taking the picture? Any assistance would be helpful.

(Possible before December 31st, beause ther I would like to try it :-)

I really wish there was a way to completely lock all exposure controls while shooting video on these little cameras. Is there anything on horizon or techniques for an exposure lock while shooting with the GF 2 or 3? This auto ISO is giving me a headache.

All tests were done with the following settings (-2,-2,0,-2) except Vibrant (-2,-2-1,-2), using a gray card, my hand as skin tone, a piece of skin tone colored felt, and color swatches consisting of primary colors, black and white, sky blue, and earth tones. Attached are stills from one of the Skin tone tests

Cinema - while it does render pleasing midtones, and really handles white highlights very well, skin tone highlights turn greenish and blow out very quickly. Shadows falloff very quickly. The result is a very cinematic look in the midrange but leaves you a very small tolerance in terms of DR. If shooting a flat 2:1 style scene this may actually work very well for you.

Vibrant - Terrible shadow response. Even with the saturation set to negative 1, the boost in color vibrance is nothing that can't be reproduced in post with less chroma smearing shooting Smooth which has a better shadow response. Vibrant stretches it's highlights, and compresses it's midtones in a way that is very hard to undo in post. Everything Vibrant has to offer can be achieved in post shooting with Smooth.

Smooth - The most even response curve of the bunch, handles shadows and highlights very well, no chromatic aberrations above 75% like some of the other modes, low grain in shadows down to 20%. Best overall shooting mode.

Nostalgic - GREAT Shadow response. Stretches shadows and mids evenly, very decent skin tone, but begins to break down above 70%, heavy highlight compression. Very warm, but this can be compensated for in the white balance by adding blue, and a little green.

----more to come.

I recently purchased the GH2 and must say that despite all the great features and quality I am somewhat disappointed by not only battery performance but also the crippled Bulb mode.

At this point I am evaluating the camera and trying to throw it into my 'real world' tests as much as I can. One of thie things I set out to do this year will or should involve long time exposures. Now, I have the feeling that I might not need 6hr exposures, but even the missing more than 2min exposures setting is a bit troubling.

I have read through various forums, guide, etc. but have only found a few references to bulb mode exposures for STILL photography. While it seems that you cannot change the firmware to allow for longer exposures, I often see a mention of using external remotes, but it seems often a 'should work scenario' answer.

Has anyone used a specific remote (maybe the one available from Panasonic) to do a longer exposure maybe over 10min or even longer? A) what gear did you use and B) how did you work with the GH2, and C) would you mind sharing an example of such a shot?

I'd hate to return the DH2 just to get a bigger DSRL for a feature that should be included in a camera of this price range and performance level.

Thanks in advance.

Below you will find a user friendly freeware solution where you can extend the dynamic range for AVCHD timelapses, slow motions and freeze frame videos. This solution invites your creativity to work with different time measures at one location.

Don't worry that it's based on Avisynth scripts as they were created automatically and in most cases you even don't need to modify them. You also need AvsPMod which is the basis of this user friendly method.

Install the TimelapseVid.py and ExposureFusionVid.py files into the \AvsPMod\macros folder or subfolder. You will find then as soon as you freshly start the AvsPMod application and enter the menu "macros". For the ExposureFusionVid script you need to download a fuse/fusemask plugin which you will find at http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=152109. Save the fusion.dll file into the Avisynth\plugins folder.

In my opinion this macro method has a lot of potential to be optimized by this community. I hope you will have a lot of suggestions to improve it. Maybe you have ideas for other procedures....

The following video should demonstrate how it works.

==== TimelapseVid.py ====

This procedure is focused on a simple 360 degree shutter angle timelapse workflow. It has similarities with the methods used by @GH13Timelapser discussed by http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/595/mjpeg-fps-setting-for-timelapse-on-gh2/p1 but can run now with AVCHD files like *.MTS. Also @balazer described AviSynth Overlay methods in http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/1559/avchd-1080p-time-lapse/p1. The resulting script of this macro is based on Avisynth TemporalSoften.

First you will be asked for the video file which should be converted into a timelapse or averaged frame video.

The second dialog box (see attatched picture) will ask you to enter used shutter speed, the frame rate of the resulting video, the timelapse rate and GOP. The generated script will take care about the correct GOP at given Shutterspeed. Usage of Group of Pictures (GOP) at different shutter speeds with 24p and Panasonic GH2 was discussed by @duartix at http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/comment/39686#Comment_39686 and http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/2396/gh2-motion-fluidity-360%C2%BA-shutter-test-on-slow-shutter-speeds./p1.

Put in the third dialog box the name of your script. It is recommended to save the *avs scipt under similar name of the video that in future you can trace back what you have done.

In AvsPMod you can check what you have done. Please also read the comments in the script to learn how to optimize your results.

Now you can use this *avs script in Virtualdub, MeGUI or whatever to create the final timelapse video file.

Comment: You can create an "averaged frame video" by just set TimelapseRate to Framecount. You end up in a video with just one frame. It could help for example to clean up a market place with moving people. This averaged frame should be over- or underexposed and can be used for subsequent Exposure Fusion procedure. In the Exposure Fusion procedure it would be converted into a freeze frame video with exactly same number of frames of the reverse exposed timelapse.

==== ExposureFusionVid.py ====

ExposureFusionVid is a user friendly solution to improve the dynamic range of the timelapse. You can even work with different time units at one location. You can combine timelapse, slow motion or freeze frame videos with each other. Important is that one video has to be overexposed and the other should be underexposed.

First you will be asked for the first video and subsequently for the second. If you have created an "averaged frame video" you have to open it by the first dialog box.

Then you will be asked for the name of the *.avs script which should be saved.

In AvsPMod you need to check the script for further optimization. Read the comments. You will see that there are two different mask methods which can be applied for the fuse method. Play whith them until your reach the best result.

Again, now you can use this *avs script in Virtualdub, MeGUI or whatever to create the final video file.

==== SlowMoVid.py ====

SlowMoVid.py can be used for progessive as well as for interlaced videos. If the base is progressive motion estimation will be derived by mvtools. If the video is interlaced QTGMC or Yadif will at the first step take care about deinterlacing. Subsequent motion estimation will be carried out by mvtools.

==================

You need to install following plugins in your Avisynth plugin folder:

GScript.dll download from http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=147846

MVtools2.dll download from http://avisynth.org.ru/mvtools/mvtools2.html

RemoveGrainSSE3.dll download from http://www.removegrain.de.tf

Yadif.dll download from http://avisynth.org.ru/yadif/yadif.html

Fusion.dll download from http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=152109