Best Slow-Motion settings for GH5

Here is what I find to be the best settings for slow motion / HFR high frame rate, on the Panasonic GH5
There are side by side comparisons near the end, so you can se for yourself the actual differences.
4K 50p
4K 60fps VFR
FHD 10 bit all intra 50p
FHD vfr - 180, 175, 150, 125, 100, 87, 75 and 62FPS
Here is a surf edit with the settings for each shot displayed - • FIRING SURF! Cornwall ...
If anyone wants a link to the out of camera files, let me know i will upload them to drop box when i get time.

[@biscuitsalive]

You can jump straight to the side by side comparisons at 12:40 (it’s in 4K so use that for a close look)

[@braveclyde]

I was thinking of the highest slow motion frame rate I can go for my GH5 without the quality dipping and then I found your video. Thanks bro.

[@TheDotanG]

That was great, very clear. Thanks!

[@ShiftDawgie]

This is a great video brother. Just purchased a GH5 and it's life changing. Sending love from Devon

[@biscuitsalive]

its a great camera, still use it more than anything else and have several cameras

[@Quixpeed]

thanks a lot for taking the time elaborating this

[@Nqrgaard]

Nice and detailed explanation 👍

[@laurenthenry]

Nice video ! Very instructive !

[@wayneavanson]

This video has been most helpful, many thanks.

[@biscuitsalive]

You are quite welcome.

[@ThisisDigitalden]

At last … sometalking in PAL , great video, just and finally moved from GH3 to GH5 this is a massive help , cheers, next pint is on me haha

[@MGeezy90]

Great video. Thank you Sir!!

[@rapbisnar]

thank you so much for presenting your tests!

[@frankinblackpool]

Now that I have my new toy, this has proved exceptionally helpful. :-)

[@biscuitsalive]

Good to hear. Gh5 is so easy to use for slow mo.

[@frankinblackpool]

@@biscuitsalive now that I have set my camera to 400mbps capture sizes, I'm guessing that my stash of 64Gb cards will only hold roughly 20 minutes of footage. And as big capacity SD cards are expensive, is it best to get an external SSD card?

[@catalinadude6218]

Great video

[@tubekane]

Great information, thank you very much

[@biscuitsalive]

You are welcome.

[@real_joey]

Thank u so much for this ....

[@robbyboyo]

Nice

[@zooskifilms]

Thanks for the video. You mentioned the advantage of having audio when shooting 4K-8bit-50p, but you also get auto-focus as well. I'm trying to figure out why anyone who wants 4K slo-mo would shoot VFR 60fps (over 29.97 or 24.98) vs. direct at 4K-8bit-59.94 (I'm in USA)? Unless it looks like crap when you bring it in to your editor with project set for 23.98 or 29.97. I'm using FCPX, my 59.94 footage in a 24.98 project looks jumpy (like it was shot at a high shutter speed - but was shot at 1/60th). Cheers!

[@tobie180]

When using the 4K 8bit 150m 50p, how do you achieve the slow motion effect in post?

[@gianfrancofoscoli6113]

Carissimo, intanto ti ringrazio e mi complimento per i tuoi video molto esaustivi. Visto che sei un esperto, ti faccio una domanda banale per te ma come avrai compreso non sono esperto e non riesco a trovare la soluzione: quando sei in modalità video AFF come fai per abilitare la ghiera dell’obiettivo al fine di spostare il fuoco da un punto all’altro? Praticamente così come è impostata se giro la ghiera non cambia il fuoco devo per forza andare a cliccare sul touch dello schermo… Invece io vorrei farlo con la ghiera dell’obiettivo, anche perche sul mio Ronin SC combo ho il motorino del focus. Premetto che sul menù ho già attivato AF+MF ma non funziona. cosa altro devo regolare? Grazie per il tuo aiuto

[@jackssketchbook]

I find the same sort of results with the GH5s, but with an extra (even lower quality!) top range up to 240fps with a slight crop. Thanks for the video :) The 1080 on these cameras is also great so if you're looking to match slow motion shots with normal speed shots, in a graded v-log project, I'd definitely consider the 1080 for the 422 10bit for matching the grade across the different frame rate footages.

[@biscuitsalive]

Thanks for that. I have used the GH5s. But not anywhere near as much as my GH5. Yep I’m also slowly getting won over by 10bit FHD over 4K 8bit. It varies. If I need a bit more reach and reframe. (When lens isn’t long enough) I prefer the 4K than the full sensor Excrop in 1080. I think the noise is more visible in 1080 so it gets a bit “mushy” quicker in FHD than in the 4K. But for skin tones /colour the 10 bit is better.

[@nickruddle1528]

Super explanation, thank you. BTW can you remember what was the music at the end?

[@carlosescobar7257]

any tips when panning surfers? cheers

[@PreetiGills]

Great video! Thank you for making it. I am just super confused because I have no problem to get it into slow motion but then it's extremly blurry! For example if I put my hand infront of the camera, it's very very blurry and looks totally out of focus. Only the background seems in foucs and I have no clue how to fix this. Would you have any idea on what is going on?

[@jdmann5012]

Maybe you're in manual focus mode?

[@skymakai]

Are the VFR options recording 10-bit to an external recorder?

[@evibevideoproductions3469]

what is the difference in image quality between 120 fps VFR but from mode 1080 30p vs 120 fps mode 1080 60p ? NTSC Thank you for your video !

Really useful! Thanks! Do you record with 180 shutter angel all the time in slowmo? If not why and what do you choose? Thanks for your time!

[@biscuitsalive]

I shot in 180 DS most of the time. But if I need to catch something quickly I do have my custom wheel/dial set up to 4k50p 4k60vfr And 180vfr Fhd All with automatic shutter. That way I can quickly flick between them and grab a shot without worrying about exposure. With slow motion the shutter speed isn’t quite as important. As human actions are slowed down anyway the motion blur isn’t quite as noticeable. But most of the time I manually dial in 180 shutter speed. But please remember that’s for natural light. In artificial light shutter speed is way more important. Or you can get strobing unless using video studio lights. For slow mo under non studio electric lights I would recommend using 50p for PAL or 60p for NTSC areas. With shutter at 180deg. You can get away with a few other frame rates. But you may need to fiddle with shutter speed lots and do test to check. Some lights are worse than others.

@@biscuitsalive wow! Thank you very much for your detailed answer! Awesome!

[@biscuitsalive]

David Skaliczky no probs. What goes around comes around. I learn lots from KZbin myself. So it’s good to pass on what I know too.

[@daveleooo8119]

just finished watching your surfing videos, truly amazing quality im thinking of purchasing the GH5 with the Laica 50mm-200mm lense what *video editing software* do you use? im new to videography ,i also plan to record in slow motion 90% of the time thank you for uploading, your videos will make my new hobby easier to understand

[@ShiftDawgie]

Premiere pro

[@konstantinlapshin5010]

That lens will be 100-400 equivalent on the GH5. Make sure it's fast, at least f/4.0. Gh5 is not spectacular in low light, keep that in mind

[@tomnason1480]

Would this camera be able to slow down a dice roll enough to see the rotation of the dice as well as see the dots while they are rotating ?

[@biscuitsalive]

180fps played at 24fps is 7.5 times slower.

[@yuvaldax1]

Hey thanks for the Tutorial Question about GH5 - I can't use the auto focus in the VFR mode (196fps) - is there any way to make it work?

[@velocite]

This video has been most helpful. In part because it's in PAL and in part because it's told in a clear and precise manner.. The auto focus in 4K50p is worth noting because if you're shooting handheld with your eye out of the viewfinder its good to know that the camera is onto the focus....my 2c.

[@biscuitsalive]

Thanks for input. Yep i often forget about autofocus as I simple don’t use it for video. (Unless I’m using my Sony on a gimbal)

[@velocite]

biscuitsalive have you ? will you ? do an Atomos Ninja ext recorder working with GH5. be great to get your take on it.

[@biscuitsalive]

John Buck I used to have one. They are great. Super clear tools. Makes focus and exposure pretty much hard to get wrong. Also the larger screen helps spot noise levels. (Hard to spot dancing iso shadow noise with EVF or camera screen) So yes i do recommend them. Also prores is SO much nicer to edit in. Computer just effortlessly deals with prores during edit and for export. I sold mine as it was loading me down a bit. Extra battery, cage, angle arm to mount it, hdmi cable etc. If there is more set up time I found I would shoot less or miss shots. But if you have your gear set up in a studio most of the time. Then deff get one. If you scramble up and down cliffs carrying gear and want it light and quick. Then maybe don’t bother. Also I shoot a lot of casual stuff out in public and you don’t get looked at twice with a Gh5. Add a monitor and cage and cables etc and you are much more likely to get asked what you are doing etc. So pros and cons. But as a screen and a tool the atomos external monitors are brilliant. Ninja V is a good size and is clearly visible in bright light etc.

[@velocite]

@@biscuitsalive i'm going to be shooting out in the wilderness (so not a studio set-up but also not a discrete run and gun shoot with low profile) i can see the benefit of more storage and prores codec..etc is compelling but i hear you..more gear to carry and set up means being less responsive. are there are other ext recording options that r smaller, that you've tried..? thanks for quick reply

[@biscuitsalive]

John Buck there are a few options. But I think if you are going for any external recorder a ninja V atomos is the way to go. Amazing screen. Easy menus. Not too big not too small. They can be a bit battery hungry. But the batts it uses are cheap and easy to obtain. Have you got the option to hire one for a weeks shooting? That’s the best way. Although if you buy second hand you prob will be able to sell it for about what you bought it for (minus eBay tax). They are pretty robust so as long as you buy one with clear photos in the ad (of it working and look for dead pixels /scratches etc) They it should be a safe option. I bought my one S/H and sold it on again after a few months and only lost about £50 Other consideration is storage. Prores isn’t as bad as raw. But it will fill up hard drives quicker than h.264 out of camera files. So if you shoot long takes often expect to buy more external storage solutions too.

[@nickbankiyan-monfard7453]

Can you not shoot at 36 or 48FPS on PAL?

[@Shayler78]

Great images. How do you get your slow motion footage looking so smooth? I live in UK so have to use PAL system frequency , which has limited codec options - doesn't even have 24fps, only 25fps. Also, I have to use 100fps variable frame rate with 360 shutter speed, or else I get black lines moving up screen if I try to use any other variable frame rate than 100fps. When I import 100fps footage onto a 25p timeline in final cut pro and slow footage by 50 % it is not smooth. What am I doing incorrectly? Thanks

[@biscuitsalive]

Hi. Regarding the region. That only really matters when filming in artificial lights. (Outside of delivery for broadcast in that region.) So filming in daylight you can shoot in any region. But I do stick to PAL. (Living in UK myself) With variable frame rate it allows shooting in many frame rates regardless of region. I often shoot in 120p in variable rate. With output at 25p. Remember to set your shutter to half the duration of interval. If you want smoothest most “cinematic” results. But it does depend on subject speed. And taste. I often shoot shutter faster than the 180deg rule of thumb. But by default I have my camera set to 180degrees shutter. (So for 120fps the shutter is at 240SS.... Or 120SS for 60fps. Etc.

[@Shayler78]

@@biscuitsalive Hi, thank you for responding. Yes, I’m aware of that information. Turns out the issue is with my external Atomos Ninja Inferno monitor/recorder - it does not record or playback in slow-motion. So when shooting slow-motion I won’t be able to use my monitor/recorder. The GH5 cannot export slow-motion footage recorded internally to a monitor. Does anyone know if there is a camera & monitor combination that does?

[@Shayler78]

My solution is: I will just use Atomos Ninja Inferno as a monitor when I’m filming in 120fps-125fps, etc, then unplug HDMI cable to watch slow-motion footage recorded in-camera in GH5. Bingo.

[@KimCruz1]

hey thanks for the video this is great! I was wondering how to set up the GH5 to record at 120fps with the best settings? Is it the same as the 125fps? Also, does the gh5 convert the VFR file to a 25fps or 30fps file like the G9 or does it retain the 120fps video?

[@biscuitsalive]

yes i believe 120fps vfr is the ntsc version of what i have in pal at 125. and yes, gh5 conforms vfr in camera to whatever rate you are in 24/25/30p (so it plays back in slow-motion in camera, and straight out of camera)

[@KimCruz1]

@@biscuitsalive ok thanks! is there an option to not conform in camera and does it matter? having never used the VRF feature it seems as though the quality would be better if it wasn't conformed but I really don't know...

[@biscuitsalive]

Kim Cruz no in vfr it always conforms it. Or you can choose 50p or 60p which comes out at the higher native playback speed. (This isn’t a vfr option. Just a different quality setting option)

[@KimCruz1]

biscuitsalive thanks so much man I really appreciate it!

[@JasonSmith-sy3ht]

What aperture do you generally use for keeping surfers in focus? Or do you have other focus tips to share when shooting from the beach?

[@biscuitsalive]

Probably between f8 and f16 for these. (With ND)

[@biscuitsalive]

Jason Smith best tip for focus is get a bright external monitor. Have that always punched in. And use the back of camera for overall composition. Even then I probably miss focus slightly maybe one in 10 shots. It just happens when you are grabbing action quickly

[@henariel]

which lens u used for film the surrfing?

[@biscuitsalive]

I buy new lenses often. But the core remains for the most part- kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4uZlaOYirGMb5Y

[@thehoodian]

How do you get all these options on the GH5? I am trying to get slow motion on my GH5, but I want to keep the audio. For some reason, that is not an option on my GH5 and I am not sure why. Is there anyway you can help?

[@biscuitsalive]

Turn on VFR?

[@thehoodian]

biscuitsalive yea I have VFR on but to keep it at 60 fps or more, for some reason, I can’t keep the sound. Is there a way to keep it at 60 fps, but keep the sound on, is what I’m trying to say?

[@ShiftDawgie]

What lens are you using to shoot surfing with on your GH5?

[@biscuitsalive]

I think this was mostly canon 70-200 2.8 vii But other lenses too. There’s a gh5 lens video on my channel if you have a look

[@ShiftDawgie]

@@biscuitsalive Just watched it brother thanks! Looks like it's pumping tomorrow!

[@ShiftDawgie]

@@biscuitsalive Could you do a video on your export settings in premiere. Don't too many people online talk about PAL & 25/50 fps film making, would really appreciate a reply to this and also a video on the topic.

[@biscuitsalive]

Shift//Dawgie hey. I honestly think the standard KZbin 4K preset in premiere is fine. I tend to do that and double the bitrate. If you really want the best out of Vimeo and KZbin etc. It’s probably better to investigate into what sort of shots work and what struggles. Rather than export settings. What I mean is examine what types of video look amazing. And figure out why they work when faced with the the terrible bitrate available. Tom Scott did a video about bitrate if you want the basics explained. But put simply shots that change quickly generally look terrible regardless of how good the original footage is, or how you export it. Scenes with fast moving camera, with lots of detail, moving water, falling snow, crowd scenes etc. All these kill the bitrate and compression raises its ugly head. But slow moving shots or static shots, with little change or change that only happens in a small proration of the frame. They can look great. All that bitrate is being used in the key frames, allowing lots of detail, and compression is not so noticeable. That’s why all you tubers that want beautiful footage love slow camera movements or slow motion. It isn’t just an effect. It actively aids the compressions limitations. Hope that helps.

[@ShiftDawgie]

@@biscuitsalive Thanks brother that's very helpful. WhoIsMattJohnson also has some great advice on this topic too, he's a fantastic wedding filmmaker and KZbinr

[@biscuitsalive]

Also here’s a little vid just on 180fps (In case you want more info on that frame rate) kzbin.info/www/bejne/nae4kp54eJaGfpo

[@pauloancarvalho]

Can we use Manual Exposure with VFR?

[@biscuitsalive]

Yes. Just choose “M” in the mode. :)

[@pauloancarvalho]

@@biscuitsalive Great! I was checking out the G9 and the newly g90 but they seem to offer only auto-exposure. I just found your video looking for GH5 VFR to ask this. But amazing video settings breakdown! Keep up the good work and thanks for taking the time to do it. ;)

[@tcbb-minit9135]

Good job ... when you edit the video you use a TL in 25p (on Premiere Pro), and you export in 25p... I think?

[@zefyrosclub]

I am new in GH5, Variable frame rate is not highlighted. Why?

[@biscuitsalive]

You are probably not in a record mode that allows VFR. (It says when selecting mode beneath) Also you need VFR turned on.

[@ChessBoxin]

If I choose 120fps what is shutter meant to be at?

[@Renaldo868]

double so 240 shutter or something close. but i recommend shooting with shutter angles so no matter ur fps ur angle will be 180 always

[@Renaldo868]

@Paye ta Disquette yea. It's on the GH4 and GH5 and other cameras built for video like cine cameras

[@matthewdavies269]

Are the terms p and fps the same?

[@biscuitsalive]

P = progressive, its just a term used to separate interlaced footage (that was prevalent not so long ago) to progressive frames, which records info for every single frame. FPS is just Frames Per Second. so not mutually exclusive.

[@matthewdavies269]

But people seem to use the two terms interchangeably, even in this video. No?

[@biscuitsalive]

Matthew Davies the ones shot in “P” higher than 25p have to be slowed down in post. The ones shot in VFR are already slowed down in camera. (So P never looked like slow-mo on preview)

[@aquissuk]

Tried to keep up, but loads went over my head. Think I need a dummies guide or more camera time.

[@biscuitsalive]

Sorry about that. I was aiming at people that know the Gh5 pretty well already. But wanted to up their slow mo game. (The camera been out a long time now so wasn’t aiming at new owners.) Have a good play around with all the settings. Often useful to get clips in every format/option and then have a good look at them on your computer. That will give you a good idea of what’s what. Remember to pop something in shot that is moving to get a feel for the slow down effect. (People walking past is useful) And make notes about what settings you are using whilst filming. You think you will remember. But then when they are in computer you may forget what you did. (That’s what happens to me at least) :)

[@aquissuk]

@@biscuitsalive Oh don't apologise, it's great content, it's merely my lack of knowledge. I’ve owned the GH5 since the first couple of weeks that they came out, as my first ever real camera, but just don't get enough time with it. I do find the menu system a little messy, so I hope a future firmware release will make things easier.

[@biscuitsalive]

Martin Pitt personally I find the Panasonic menus much better than most other brands. Certainly much better than Sony menus. But there certainly is a LOT of options. This is one of the cameras strengths. But also means the learning curve can be a bit longer. Make sure you assign your most used option to the my menu page. That way you won’t get annoyed searching for options as much.

[@ginganinga112]

Really helpful video! Just sent an email to the address on your YT page! :)

[@biscuitsalive]

Il look for that tomorrow. :)

[@killll]

nice vid, but jesus fukkn christ why the heck did you not set the audio to mono :D

[@biscuitsalive]

:) what’s wrong don’t you like me chatting into your right ear? :D Yep I forgot to do that. Didn’t even use a mic. Just talked into sony a7iii as that was handy. Some of my vids have production value. Some are quickies like this one.