GH4 Review - Tips & Cinematic Tests

[@MatthewWilliamsFly]

How I was worried after getting this cam that something was wrong with it because in low light it was terrible. Dialled in your settings and Im so much happier. You are a life saver!

[@WideEyedPictures]

We have a GH4 and have been very happy with it. Thank you for providing additional information about the camera for everyone - it's much appreciated.

[@SomebodyPickaName]

This is the best video that I've seen that talks about this camera. Very good info, and thank you for showing your settings to use.

[@TomAntos]

Thanks for the nice comment. Glad to hear you find the settings useful

[@FlophouseFilms]

Another great review, thanks Tom. One thing I liked about this review was all the behind the scenes shots you included. I like being able to see what equipment you're using for each shot . Thanks again.

[@Batesphotos]

Thanks for the review Tom! I was on the fence about a purchase but after seeing your review I purchased the GH4 a month ago and this camera ROCKS! Thanks again!

[@anthonycarrillo8390]

you convinced me after a month of trying to decide which camera to get, thank you Tom!

[@DigitalDreamStudios]

Thanks Tom Antos picked up a gh4 and sold my 6d as my a-cam. ..thankfully metabones and fast glass makes it a lot more capable than it already is. ...getting great results with this setup

[@SullyCortez]

tom omg thank you sooooo much for this video. I truly appreciate the way you really went in depth with not only the proper camera setup, but tips on 'how to be a better cinematographer'. Hope you do more on the GH4 in the future! Maybe some anamorphic work?

[@EVOlutionHTC4g]

Thanks Tom for another great video. I was kind of getting tired of all the spec videos out there. To be honest with you, I learned more about how this camera works on this video, than I have on others.

[@AntosMedia]

Yeah watch pixel peeping spec tests can be boring and doesn't really tell you if the camera produces the kind of look that suits one's style. I always test camera based on the esthetic look it produces. Same with lensers. For example I use some old OLD Nikkor lenses on my camera because I like the colors it produces... Specially the skin tones and how it softens the image without making it look out of focus. Those lenses for sure aren't the sharpest but I prefer them over some expensive cine glass. Thnx for watching! Glad you liked my review

[@labamba3011]

Wow, thanks for the review. I ordered it based on your review only to find out the GH6 just came out and this video is 8 years old!

[@fearlessartistproductions5469]

Thank you for the GH4 masterclass Tom!

[@TomAntos]

You are welcome!

[@alecweinstein]

Great review Tom. You have become a fantastic contributor to the camera community.

[@MalMilligan]

Excellent review. I just looked at one today and I'm renting it next weekend for a test run. I do want to see with the next version is going to be like as this technology is already 2 years old. I was in Tom's NYC film class... if you get a chance to attend one of his classes, we had a blast.

[@user-007-_]

Beautiful work brother 👍

[@melfeliciano8449]

Hi Tom, I just discovered your channel while looking for GH4 reviews. I want to thank you for sharing all this knowledge. This is a great review/tutorial. There is one thing that most reviewers get wrong. The GH4 is not the only nor the first dslr style camera to offer internal 4k recording, the Canon 1DC was first. Can't wait for your review on the Sony A7s. You mentioned in one of your replies that when compared to the GH4, the A7s produces a more "digital" look. I always thought it was the opposite. It would be cool to do a comparison video between these two cameras "Tom Antos style". Cheers!!!

[@DoubleD72]

I pretty much have already had my mind set on this camera but after watching this video I am not extremely sure and excited to go ahead and make the purchase. Thanks Tom. Great video.

[@teddybrawl]

BEST Video tutorial out there for GH4 cinematic settings and tips! Thanks so much! Subscribed!

[@nuqikent]

Man, you are a stud. Happy to have happened upon your vid. insight just the way I need it feed (explained) to me. Thank you, Tom.

[@aMajorProduction]

Appreciate you making this video man, buying my GH4 tomorrow this covered literally everything I wanted answered

[@CBSuper]

Great review, it's nice to see opinions and user experiences.

[@MagusHellwalker]

Great video and thanks for the tips on setting up the GH4. I agree there is a lot of conflicting setups out there and your configuration is definitely the best. Thanks.

[@TomAntos]

Spooner Studios Thanks!

[@Ramiroocampo]

What an outstanding good review! I keep coming back here again and again....

[@TomAntos]

NewSongs4TheWorld Thanks! Happy to hear you like it.

[@Ramiroocampo]

Tom Antos Hi Tom. So I bought a GH4 now :-) But all my shots are super noisy - like the one I uploaded on my channel yesterday (steadycam test). Do you know how I can reduce that noise? I was using your settings but I guess I didnt truly understand them...

[@faiolapat]

Great video on the GH4, best one so far.. I have the GH3, but you sold me on getting a GH4..Tom, keep up the good videos

[@Zarefukhan]

Beautiful review Tom, you rock. I've just sold my 70D and now waiting for a side by side comparison of samsung NX1 and panasonic GH4.

[@SGCinematography]

Very inspirational man, would love to be able to shoot with you and learn so much!

[@DanielNChinchilla]

6:04 I've noticed that if you take Noise Reduction (NR) to -5, it will become more noticeable as grain rather than noise.

[@TechTheNoob]

Hey just watched this at work while jamming to music, You have a soothing voice and are very informative! :) thank you!

[@danrackham5667]

Such a helpful tutorial, thanks Tom. That will really help me make my videos better with my new GH4. Thanks

[@vengadorsky]

dat sound gain is gross.

[@docucause5821]

agreed. It hurts

[@Mintykiss2]

Love this very thorough review with image and video comparison!! Thank you so so much for your time and for sharing this!! :D :)

[@KocaMetallec]

Great reviewer you are Mr. Antos ! :)

[@TomAntos]

Thnx!

[@MagnumDB]

7:24 - Master Pedestal pushed up to +15? Are you sure? I've heard that adds all kinds of noise. Do you still shoot with Master Pedestal at +15? You keep curves flat in this video but have you since found yourself doing a reverse S curve to boost shadows and bring down highlights?

[@ryanbazan]

Best review ever. Thanks and keep up the great work Tom

[@TomAntos]

Thank you Ryan!

[@angeldustcinema7348]

Awesome. Nice to hear from someone who is actually using it.

[@maomao180]

Regarding master pedestal, even Panasonic reps have said it's used for matching different cameras as opposed to increasing dynamic range.

[@deankumar]

I love this camera due to the internal 4k recording, image quality, slow mo, flip out monitor, super long battery life, etc... I use this cam on most of my shoots. Only downsides in my opinion are: trying to achieve that very shallow depth of field due to the crop factor, trying to get super wide shots due to the crop factor, and the terrible low light performance possibly due to the crop factor (its not that bad but it could and should be much better). However, there is a solution to improve these downsides. The metabones adapter. I haven't personally bought one yet but the adapter will increase the amount of light going into the camera effectively lowering the f-stop to tackle low light shooting, i will be able to use my full frame canon glass so i'll be able to achieve a shallower depth of field and the adapter will of coarse reduce the crop factor if i'm trying to get wider shots. Although i bought a sony a7s recently and i have to say the image quality on that camera is far greater than the gh4 in my personal opinion. Although i still shoot with the gh4 a lot more because i find it more convenient to use in most situations.

[@renehuwae]

I prefer to set the Highlights and shadows (respectively) to -2 and +2. Yes, there will be more noise, but less noise than when boosting shadows in post, because the boost happens before the compression. You can always crush the blacks a little more in post and get rid of the noise.

[@bobbyschandra]

Thanks Tom, what lens were you shooting with for this footage and did you do a filter in the dry lake seen it looks beautiful?

[@TheDrumRollStudios]

thank you for putting this out there. I thought my Gh4 was broken when i tried shooting equal to some of the stuff i have seen out there. the low light is still too noisy for my tastes,but you helped me be able to get much more out of my new GH4. thanks!

[@pietervanhofwegen]

Nice review. The only downside is that I recommend to set the luminance levels to 16-235. It's better to record in the broadcast safe levels and to avoid super whites and blacks

[@derryk1]

Thank you Tom for that wonderful review it was the best one yet for this camera. All your reviews are very well done and highly detailed which enables me to make a more wiser purchase and not getting stuck with saying should have, could have, would have. I have done that too many times in the past with video equipment and this stuff is too expensive to be making those costly errors. I am adding this Panasonic to the top of my wish list now over the Sony A7s which had caught my attention recently. I can see this camera in my production bag in the next month or so and perhaps that Sony as well as a second camera. I still have my eyes on the Blackmagic 4K camera which I would use for more substantial projects. I have see your other reviews, tips and work on Vimeo, good job all around, keep up making it look good. Cheers!

[@infamousfanclub]

Great video. That thing looks awesome.

[@piramidaproductions1420]

You are very good at what you do. Thank you for all your help.

[@CarriageReturn]

Fabulous review Tom. One of the rules I completely ignore in my film making is that people don't have any attention span these days and you have to make it short and snappy. perhaps if you want a million 'likes' but if you're giving valuable info on a long term investment you can please a focused set of viewers by giving them ALL the info. Quality not quantity. This is a great example. Thanks!

[@shaftman20]

This is a dope camera and I'm definitely buying this camera for my short films and cinema films , yu gave the best explanation about this camera , love all yur videos and I wana b knowledgeable about film like yu tom antos, Ima definitely spread da word about yu , keep doin wat yu do

[@robsquad_films]

thank you for your gh4 settings, I have been noticing grain especially in 96fps. I look forward on trying out these settings today on a shoot. thank you!

[@joeytryst]

Great review touching on all the stuff that matters most for cinematography.

[@reticulan5]

Hi Tom, I have been taking stills and videos of the behind the scenes of the feature film "The Legend Of Ben Hall" currently being filmed in outback Australia. The footage of the costumes and stage coaches etc of the1850's/60's look very filmic on my GH4. Quite a few people (professional) have commented on the surprisingly sharp images. TV stations have even taken footage of my GH4 to promote the film and do stories. I have also shot many 96 fps shots where the outlaws are being chased through a rainforest downhill by police and bounty hunters. In the foreground I caught the steadicam operators running with guides and the sound man with a boom swinger. It all looked so fluid and powerful. The actual movie is being shot on 2 Red cameras (Epic and Scarlet). 200 I frame in Mov is so clean and I can only dream of what the 4K with a Atomos Shogun would yield. To those worrying about a video look. I have shot in freezing damp conditions and in near desert like heat with the most gorgeous dark blue sky. It really looks film. Want shallow D.O.F take Toms advice. A speed booster and EF adaptor and Canon glass and your there. Doing action shots and blocking. MFT gives a bit more room for error. Remember Avatar and the Star Wars movies shot in digital. They used 2/3rd inch sensors which is only a 1/4 of the size of GH4's. All the best Tom. Rick Idak [e-mail] Rick Idak Star Now.

[@AntosMedia]

Id love to see the footage you shoot in Australia... sounds like a nice production. Where could I see it?

[@reticulan5]

TomAntosFilms The film Tom will be realised in May 2015. 150 years after Ben Hall was captured and shot dead. Email me direct Tom I would be more than happy to send some pics from the set/behind the scenes. [e-mail]

[@storyfirstfilms149]

What profile and setting did you use to get great imagery? I too am from Australia where can I see your film?

[@ChristheFreelancer]

I assume the cinematic shots are filmed in neutral and color graded in post?

[@Newyorkhoje]

Great information! Thank you for helping me to finalize my decision on my purchase!

[@vjtk]

Thorough and well produced review!! Thank you so very much. Only suggestion is use a wired mic next time :) I just discovered your videos and website...love it!

[@bignoknow]

Thank you for this!

[@williepadin]

Hey Tom! As usual, your expert advice is awesome for all of us. I have a question, I have seen in many videos that Cinelike-D is really hard to edit in Post. Can you share your experience as far as the complications you find during post? Which software you use for color correction and grading? Thanks very much!

[@Micwiltor]

Thank you for the great review Tom!

[@BikuDAA]

Awesome review!!! Very helpful!!!! You rock, man!!! :)

[@DavidLane79]

Do you have links to the music videos that you did with the Lumix GH4 camera?

[@ariush_music]

that was awesome , btw , whats that rig on your shoulder ?

[@alexraaen]

After this video I did a comparison between Jame's Miller's settings and Tom Antos' settings. Tom's definitely has more dynamic range. Its immediately noticable, however the question was as follows: The flatter you go with the GH4 the more noise there is. So did tom find a way to increase the dynamic range as much as possible while adding the least additional noise as possible? I think he did. I will say that when scaled up to 200 percent there may have been the slightest increase in noise when switching to toms settings, but I really do consider it so small that its negligible. So now I use tom's settings and I'm ready to enjoy the extra dynamic range. I wish I could tell you how many stops it was but it would be a flat out guess. Its noticeable though.

[@IzharAshdot]

Thank you Tom!

[@sschulak07]

I find that if you set highlights and shadows to all negative values it reduces low light grain significantly but on the same note you lose HDR quite a bit as well.

[@chinitopinoy1726]

Panasonic should loan you a GH6 to review! :)

[@Hawkeye_PPG]

Tom great stuff as always! Great videos - seriously! I was curious what lenses you used for the desert shots and the video on top of the mountain with the rapper in the beginning?

[@topviewfilms5523]

Best Review I have seen! Great job man!

[@BIGBALKANBROTHERS]

thanks bro, very nice review and thanks for taking the time to show us..i will also buy a GH4 for my filming

[@TomAntos]

Peter Bosse Thanks. Best of luck with your new GH4. I love mine, it's a great camera.

[@kuttychattan1]

Excellent ....thank you for all your effort...looking forward for more of your videos.... SN

[@dv8production360]

Great review man! I know what my next pay check is going to 🙏🏾

[@Edgesofearth]

- Aaaaand sold. Thanks for the info!

[@YeeiPlay]

Thank you... this is my next camera

[@Traidmarc]

Quick question everyone, is the s1/40 sec. referring to the shutter speed?

[@MrRich-nn5vk]

+Traidmarc TMG Yes.

[@Traidmarc]

+Maurice Rich thanks 👍

[@thehungryfilipina2450]

Great video, very informative. Keep it coming

[@BenFox01]

Yo Tom! Hows it going? Brilliant vids as always :) R u stilling using ur GH4 these days? Or more A7s2? Thanks man

[@TomAntos]

GH4 all the way!

[@BenFox01]

Hahah Appreciate!!

[@TheTrifeone]

great stuff man really enjoyed this,, definitely going to invest in this camera

[@yotiep.1072]

Looks good to me man,keep up the good work

[@ReelMediaStudios]

Awesome review! Thanks Tom!

[@WarrenRoddy]

Tom, great review as always. I'm ready to pull the trigger on either the GH4 or the Samsung NX-1. I produce low budget documentaries, commercials typically around beaches and surfing. I like the M4/3 for getting the longer shots of the surfers but I hear great things about the Samsung. Any review forthcoming or thoughts between the two cameras?

[@NoVisionMedia]

Great review Tom!

[@danbielinski5666]

Awesome video, Tom, thanks so much for it. I'm thinking of buying a gh4. Do you mind telling me which 3 lenses you used to shoot the music videos? You help them up, saying how lightweight they were, but you didn't say which they were. The footage looked amazing.Thanks!

[@FRANKRICECOLD209]

Good Stuff Man Can't Wait To Get Mine

[@temporarymomentary]

What happen to your mic ? It has a strange background noise

[@kwlonly]

I almost stopped following ur trail after waiting so much to hear about GH4 from ur side....but it seems like u've made a triumphant return though :P ;) lol, jokes apart, This IS Great Review btw..informative and inspiring...as always :D

[@SwitVideoProduction]

Very nice review.Thanks, Tom.

[@enricomughetti739]

Thank you for the video, it made me consider the idea of purchasing one, so well done! But what do you think about the G7?

[@moreapropos]

Very helpful video. I am just confused about the System Frequency setting. I see you set yours to 24 Hertz, but does that mean you only plan on releasing what you are shooting as a film? If you were planning on releasing your footage as a DVD or for broadcast, would you then use 59.98 Hz? What happens if you shoot with a frequency setting of 24 Hz and decide you want to release for broadcast or on a DVD? Can you still do that? I always understood, for example, with the Black Magic Cinema and such, that you should always shoot 23.97 fps and not straight 24 fps unless you were doing CG work and were going to telecine later. It is all kind of confusing. Thank you very much for these tutorials!

[@IanBFootage]

Excellent review, Tom. Thank you.

[@mattpro6715]

Hey Tom, great insightful video, one question, which lens were you using for the video shoot on the LA hills? Not sure if I missed it in the video. Thanks a lot!

[@FatManVapeReviews]

Have you done a video where u go through each setting individually for best quality, including write speed, frequency, resolution, and in-settings ?

[@love4musicuk]

Great video Tom. I found it very useful :)

[@TheEditingResource]

I love my GH4 :) no more bmcc? Also, make sure you don't call it a dslr as it is a mirrorless. Great review, thanks for taking the time to make it. I don't agree w +15 master pedestal though, especially on the cinelike settings. I much prefer natural w contrast and sharpness all the way down and master pedestal at +4 or +5. After plus +5 I find significantly more noise and the shadows turn to grey

[@mitchtearle3]

the best reviewer ever... EVER...

[@BreePhatty]

great video....i love watching your videos!!! but i was wondering where about is the dry lake bed in cali that you shot at? thanks

[@TomAntos]

its north of LA. just google map it and you'll find it.

[@hughan00]

Thanks, Tom, for this great video. What you're getting from the camera is simply fantastic. Now, a question: is there any chance you'd put something together on *how* exactly you work with manual exposure? Wouldn't that necessitate constant setting changes... almost to an extent that you'd end up missing the shot? Is it realistic to work with ME all the time? Do you *ever* work with AE?... Would really appreciate your thoughts on this.

[@MrRevoltOfficial]

Something about all these 4k cameras is this strange, almost deliberate, look of a brightness coating on the image -- not desaturated but a flat/dull color -- with a white gloss over it. Also the blue. Blue seems to be quite dominate like everything is through an 80A. I don't get it. While is does look more cinematic, it still looks like that "video look" (this could be due to the dof, though).

[@TheJWC56RSA]

Thanks Tom - good info. Now please do a RENDER session too. Show us from scratch how you render the GH4 clips, what codec you use and tell us what PC (specs) you use. Your videos looks super smooth! I render my GH4 clips with Vegas 12 Pro to a M2TS format and get some strange "dropped frames" in the output file. I use a 280Mbps U3 Sandisk card in the camera which plays smooth via HDMI. I want to buy the Came 3 axis gimbal (7500) - will it help deliver super smooth video while using the GH4??

[@emmanuelmarthol3156]

Hey, I'm an inspired filmmaker and I brought the Gh4. What lens should I get and why? I'm very new to filming, I never shot a camera before. To be honest, I'm a beginner, and what should I get with my GH4 to film a lot of projects with great quality? Also, can you use this Camera to take great pictures, and hows the sound quality on this camera? What're the best sounds equipment should I get with this camera? Lastly what lights equipment would go great with this camera? Thanks for all your help.

[@NicoleEspadera]

Hi Tom! Thank you so much for creating this video! It's really helpful and I'm actually getting a gh4 next week! If you don't me asking, I was just wondering if you know any cheap lenses that can be compatible for this camera? If so, please let me know! thank you so much! *Subscribes*

[@dheerajpateriya]

Cool .. I was wondering between the 5D M2 and GH4, but i guess after getting advise from you ;) I'm gonna go for GH4 Thank sman

[@BLThackrey]

needed a replacement for my BMPCC as it got destroyed .. just ordered the gh4 body . wish I could wait a month or so for the price drop ( gh5 in March ) but need a camera by next week for a council backed project .. lucky I have my MTF lenses and adapters ..

[@waipahutube]

Wow GH4 looks pretty impressive. How does the camera perform as a still camera? Do you hook up XLR mics? I'm thinking of getting Canon 7D mk2, I guess this GH4 blows it away. Awesome videos!

[@west6081]

Hey Tom: Great video on the GH4. I noticed the rig you use in your videos. The follow focus and the mat box. Where can I get a mat box for my GH3?

[@TomAntos]

Steven Cross Follow the first link in the description and you'll see where you can buy it. Thnx!

[@1barnet1]

Ali Polaris Considering the 70d is actually the only Dslr of the 2 Jokes aside It's great 4k(GH4) vs 720p looking 1080p(70d)

[@1barnet1]

Vs the A7 it's easily the GH4. vs the A7s well that is a tough one. Depends on priorities. 4k vs 1080p internal (Gh4 wins) Slog 2 vs Cine D(A7s wins) Low light king vs not so much(A7s wins big time) flip-out vs tilty screen(Gh4 wins) Connectivity(Gh4 wins) Depth of field(A7s)

[@1barnet1]

If your new well don't spend this much. Panasonic g7 offers 80% what the gh4 offers. Including 4k. Start there or even cheaper with a second hand panasonic gh2. Get out there find out what these features do first. Make sure you buy a variable ND filter and use twice the shutterspees of the framerate. And start shooting

[@1barnet1]

The A7s does shoot 4k. But only with an external recorder that retails at 1999,- dollars.

[@marcelon9042]

Great video man! Quick question: you said you had cinema lenses. Can you use all of those on the GH4 directly, do you need the metabones speed booster adapter, or you can have both options? I'm not sure if there are cinema MFT lenses. Planning on getting a GH4 but still have some doubts about the cinema lenses thing. Thanks tomatoes! Hahahaha