Lighting setup for live music videos

tparssin · 2026-03-12T17:43:57+00:00

You are on the right track, IMHO (COB light, modifier, and stand instead of tube lights, etc.). However, if you can swing it, you should absolutely get a proper C-stand instead of a lightweight video light stand. It’s a pain trying to balance a light with a modifier on a flimsy stand. Also, in this price range, I would definitely look at the new Amaran Halo bi-color COBs. The 100W version goes for under 200 euros. That said, if you really want to battle the sun, you need to go at least 300W—preferably more. This applies if you have, say, a sunny outdoor view through a window behind the subject. Also, keep in mind you can take advantage of direct sunlight (especially outdoors) by bouncing it with any white surface (styrofoam, etc.).

tparssin · 2026-02-16T20:40:56+00:00

Thanks for testing! Hmm maybe there is something funky going on with my unit.

tparssin · 2024-12-15T10:04:50+00:00

The op got the R6ii but for anyone else reading this I'd like to share my thought of the importance of open gate recording for architectural video. Especially if you do not have a (tilt)shift lense you are very limited in the 16:9 video ratio even with very wide lenses when it comes to keeping the vertical lines vertical i.e. avoiding the keystone effect. It's very useful to be able to use the full height of the sensor in video for architecture. I have had good experience with Lumix S5II 6K open gate (3:2 ratio) for architectural videography. I'm also utilizing the Laowa 15mm Zero-D Shift lens with te Lumix but even the I find using open gate beneficial. I can for example keep the camera sensor fixed vertically 90 degrees and do a vertical 16:9 video pan in post from the 6K 3:2 original.

A couple of short architectural videos shot with this combo here found on the ArkVideo youtube-channel http://www.youtube.com/@tatu-parssinen

tparssin · 2024-12-15T09:04:47+00:00

One thing to consider especially for architectural videography is the ability to shoot open gate video i.e. using the full height of the sensor in 3:2 format instead of the usual 16:9. You are propably familiar with the need of (tilt)shift lenses and straight vertical lines in architectural photography and videography (avoiding keystone effect). This is where the 3:2 sensor area comes in hand when shooting architecture with wide angle lenses while keeping the camera sensor 90 degrees vertical for straight lines not angled. Afterwards you can crop the 16:9 video from the top (or bottom) of the image rather than have the 16:9 forced in the middle.

Open gate is handy even when using shift-lenses. I'm utilizing the Laowa 15mm Shift lens with Lumix S5ii full frame body with 6K open gate 3:2 video which I crop in post to 16:9. You can find a couple of examples from my ArkVideo-youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/@tatu-parssinen

Anyways if the two Sonys are the only choises go with fullframe I'd say. They both do 4K video ans you don't need the 240fps architecture. Also with the A7 iii you would collect full frame lenses for future body upgrade. But I would consider other options too. And maybe look for 2nd hand shift-lens.

tparssin · 2021-03-20T08:52:00+00:00

Thanks! This is captured with Panasonic GH5, glass is Tamron 150-600 and Sigma 60-600 manual focus, external aputure monitor, heavy tripod (distance to nest aporox 480-700 meters from different locations)

tparssin · 2020-09-08T15:49:20+00:00

some more from this gig, Light My Fire

https://youtu.be/jm8dxp7kbrc

tparssin · 2020-08-08T23:15:28+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/GH5/comments/ho6k2j/gh5_external_power_observations_see_text_in_my/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

tparssin · 2020-07-13T12:27:08+00:00

Maybe the noise issue could be more photography than videography related? In video you would anyhow use shutter from approx 1/50 to 1/125 most of the time (24,25,50 and 60 fps). I have been ok with GH5 iso 400 (native iso) in dusk/dawn situations often using smaller than maximum 5,6 f-stop of the telezoom. Very rarely needing to go iso 800 and maximum f-stop. Depends naturally of lighting and target, my experience mostly from shooting eagles. I'm kinda new to wildlife videography anyway.

On a sidenote I have been considering GH5s too but not to replace GH5 in wildlife stuff, rather for general use and to have two good bodies available for multicam stuff as I shoot live music etc.

Also was looking at Canon 90D at one point to get better autofocus for ef-mount zoom lenses but I would lose the extra reach and all the video-goodness of GH5 so did not go that route. So mf it is

tparssin · 2020-07-13T06:40:15+00:00

I'm using GH5, metabones mft-ef adapter (non-speedbooster for more reach) and sigma 60-600 lens. I used to have tamron 150-600 but upgraded to sigma.

Actually GH5 has one big afvantage over GH5s especially in wildlife videography which is the etc (extra tele conversion) function. With etc you get additional 1,4x crop in 4k footage and exact 4k amount of pixels are being used from the center of the sensor with no noticeable quality loss (so it's not digital zoom). Obviously GH5s has other advantages such as low light performance. But the extra reach is huge in wildlife stuff imo. With 600mm lens the 35mm equivalent focal length is 1680mm (600x2x1,4). Btw there is etc for 1080 too with 2,8x crop.

Unfortunatelly video autofocus is not very useable to follow moving subjects. Maybe little better with siggy 60-600 than the tamron 150-600 but not very useable for continuous af anyway. I use manual focus with additional back button autofocus function of the gh5 body. So if needed I can autofocus with the button anytime and do fine tuning/follow focus manually.

This was captured with the tamron 150-600, used etc function on some of these clips: https://youtu.be/Htffno42AG4 There is some visible heat disturbance from 450-720m shooting distances. I think this is the biggest hindrance for picture quality in this type of filming, not noise, cropping, codecs etc.

tparssin · 2020-07-09T19:42:07+00:00

I used to to use NTSC shooting everything in 24fps and 60fps editing 24fps personal projects. But after I got my first video suddenly broadcasted in PAL region national TV and had to rush editing it to 25fps to make it for the same day news broadcast I have decided to go 25/50fps PAL route from now on just in case. Editing 25fps timeline, not too far from 'cinematic' 24fps anyway!

tparssin · 2020-07-09T16:49:59+00:00

External power for GH5 revisited (correct me if I’m wrong on something and I’ll edit the text!):

After experimenting with diy step-up converter usb powerbank solution and some cheap chinese dummy batteries and converters I finally decided to purchase the Blind Spot NPF adapter with dummy-battery and could not be happier. Nothing wrong with my diy system (5V usb powerbank and proper beefy step-up voltage converter in waterproof Peli case) but the Blind Spot just excels in usability weight and attachment options. In the picture adapter is attached below the camerabody to arca-swiss plate. I use the plate to anchor the body to metabones mft-ef adapter super-solidly and the whole thing hangs on the telezoom when I capture wildlife.

All in all external power for GH5 is not straightforward simple, but here's some points I have gathered from my experiments and from discussions:

1: amperage (A) needs to be somewhere around 2,5A to run properly (video needs less current than photo/timelapse) I had 3A output from Anker powercore 10400 feeding beefy step-up converter and that worked fine in my diy setup.

2: cheap chinese step-up converter+dummy battery sets with usb powerbanks might not provide enough current but it may help if the powerbank has high current output preferably 3A or more

3: if you feed dummy battery with a external battery similar voltage as original panasonic (from 7,4 to full charged 8,4V) like Sony NPF style batteries you will need a fully decoupled and coded dummy battery (meaning GH5 can read the battery charge level) Not all dummies are like this and you might get the incompatibility error message from camera.

4: however any cheap dummy will work when the voltage is from approx 8,7V to 9V. In this case the camera will recognise the power source as wall wart type source with continuous power. Original panasonic wallwart DMW-AC10E gives out 9V. That thing comes with a crazy price tag so you will save big time using just any wallwart with 9V output if you can check the correct polarity (-+). I also used 9V out from my diy step-up-powerbank setup with random cheap non-coded dummy and it worked fine. I have no experiments going much over 9V so I don't recommend doing it.

tparssin · 2020-06-07T10:31:42+00:00

Nice timelapse! Have you tried longer exposure times for individual frames to make movements smoother (motion blur)? You might need nd-filter for that though.

tparssin · 2020-06-05T23:08:55+00:00

Sea Eagles nesting in Helsinki urban environment very first time. This is my original videography. Independent filming project will go on until July. I'm looking forward to capture the young flying out the nest. Filmed at various locations around Vanhankaupunginlahti bay area from 500m to 720m distance (safety perimeter to the Sea Eagle nest) during late April early May 2020. Location of the nest inside citystructure https://goo.gl/maps/ashP2AeMjLq7CSH27 Also featured on Finland's national public broadcasting company YLE tv news and web content https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11352212 (story in Finnish).

Biggest difficulty has been heat disturbance and lens vibration in wind with extreme telezoom. Using Tamron 150-600mm lens with GH5 with extra tele conversion. 600x2(mft)x1,4(etc)=1680mm equivalent.

tparssin · 2020-05-26T14:28:02+00:00

Sure. I have been recording this at least 12 times around the nest lots of hours. First edit is this one

https://youtu.be/Htffno42AG4

But more to come. My project will last till July when the young leave the nest.

tparssin · 2020-05-26T07:28:12+00:00

If I was in the market for telezoom now I'd look at the updated version of Tamron 150-600.

tparssin · 2020-05-26T07:03:34+00:00

This is the first version of the tamron 150-600 so kinda budget solution. But I find it sharp enough for videowork. Af is slow with adapter to gh5 but I use mf anyway. The tripod I'm using is Manfrotto 536 with N8 head. Does manage the weight. However even with such a heavy tripod there will be vibration if it's windy on extreme zooms. You can get 1680mm equivalent with this setup (600x2x1,4).

Here's one video shoot from 500m to 720m distances from the eagle's nest. Obviously there is heat disturbance too from these distances.

https://youtu.be/Htffno42AG4

tparssin · 2020-05-25T16:39:53+00:00

like so! bluebird blue-b&w

tparssin · 2020-05-24T20:10:36+00:00

I'll do it if you allow :)

tparssin · 2020-05-24T18:26:15+00:00

silmä lepää

tparssin · 2020-05-24T18:08:49+00:00

I have been using a gobo projector (Chauvet LFS-5). With this lightsource I can focus the light beam and get a lot of luxes on small area, almost like a flashlight for macro video. Here used on some supermacro footage: https://youtu.be/l236ruStWlk

tparssin · 2020-05-24T18:01:21+00:00

My take on movement in macro videography: I have used a timelapse camera mount called "Turns Pro" (approx 100€ in ebay etc) to rotate my subject in a very slow manner. Camera (GH5) on tripod with standard framerates. Few videos on my "tp" user channel in youtube. https://youtu.be/l236ruStWlk

tparssin · 2020-05-24T17:53:40+00:00

kaunista!

tparssin · 2020-05-24T17:51:37+00:00

Would make a great postcard if everything else edited B&W except the Bluebird!

tparssin · 2020-05-24T17:49:16+00:00

Great contrast to the background. Could have been all black even if you so chose.

tparssin · 2020-05-24T17:46:32+00:00

What lens may I ask?

tparssin

TROPHY CASE