Contradictions, Because It Seems I Can
I am on record as not liking AF in video, for de-rigging, rejecting gimbals and other trivialities.
Time to contradict myself, or in a few cases not.
AF may actually be preferred, even enabling for some rig options. .
My video set-ups as they stand are;
The Panasonic S5 with cine lenses, follow focus and big 7” screen for tripod work. It looks the biz, it is the biz and for interviews, pans etc, this is my “A” cam. The S5 mk1 has better rolling shutter for pans than the S5II, especially in Super-35 mode and the video quality as I use it is the same as the S5II.
As an added bonus, this ungainly looking rig even works well on a slider with the centre of balance being middle of the handle.
This rig makes logical allowances for average AF performance, playing to the cameras strengths, which is my theme here.
My main general purpose “money maker” is the S5II with my set of Lumix-S lenses, crossing easily into most shooting forms, stills or video. This acts as my “B” cam to the cams above or below, or my main camera if I only have one. With little effort it can be either of the cameras above or below.
The G9II is the movement camera.
It has the best stabiliser and AF performing by a hair over the S5II, has the best rolling shutter, slo-mo and All-i as an option to cope with background changes with more and smaller lenses to choose from. On paper this is my best video cam, but I have concentrated on it’s main features, the ability to be handled successfully.
This kind of made itself. At over 2kg, the base rig is well balanced, tight and substantial with camera, mimicking true cine camera heft. If needed, a 5" monitor and/or mic can be added to the front cross-bar or the top handle and a body strap to take some weight. The 8-18 allows me to apply the best stabilising and still have decently wide angle as well as being better balanced than the 12-60. Results from the combination of G9 stabe and weight of the rig looking for all the world like a real gimbal, without any of the B.S. that entails.
I can adjust the shoulder pad at back for better balance or replace it with a chest pad, then extend the lot, switch the weights under the hand grips to the back and use it as a shoulder rig. I do not use the hand grips otherwise, normally using them as counter weight arms and the same with the shoulder pad, which is usually a stabilising point, top handle, hand under with thumb touch AF on the screen..
Unlike a normal gimbal rig, I can use or ignore it, I don’t need special skills or thinking, it is not fragile or restrictive, in need of balance or of rigging up especially. In seconds I can have the camera or lens swapped out, or remove the camera for tripod or slider use, no issue. It also folds flat and goes into a flat pocket in my sound bag, backpack or rolling case.
The long shoulder mount is comfortable and allows me to see either a 5” monitor or the camera’s own screen.
These, including my actual mechanical gimbal, previously all needed manual “zone” focussing thanks to less than trustworthy AF, that was before the G9II. Now I can use reliable AF as needed.
Another option is to add a central handle under the camera and focus the lens by hand, like a big cine cam and I would shorten the shoulder rig for that.
The big change is AF, which has made some early, less than wise purchases come into fruition.
Touch AF is the norm for hand held, or face/body detect AF with screen monitoring for my shoulder rig. M43 is also ideally suited to manual zone focus, giving me all I need on a wide angle at f4 or 5.6 to move around a subject, or shallower if I want that deliberate in-out thing.