Photo Ewen 📷Biggest achievement this weekend: a new pic for my LUMIX page :)
Testing out a few lighting setups this weekend.
#Photography #Cinematography #LumixGH6 #Lumix #LetThereBeLight #BeautifulBokeh
S★m V★rm★@ewen been meaning to ask you: that depth of field is just epic… Wondering what kind of lens that was? And are you affiliated with LUMIX in some way? Thx
Yes I've been a LUMIX ambassador in Australia for many years now. Have run lots of workshops and online events with them. Good blokes.
Glad you enjoy the shallow depth of field. Most of those images you see were shot with the Sigma 35mm f/1.2. It's an amazing lens and can get in very close. Some of them may have been taken with the Panasonic 50mm f/1.4 too. That's an interesting lens with completely over engineered image quality. Was my first L Mount lens actually!
f/2 is my jam.
@ewen thanks for taking the time to break it down!
I have never owned a full frame DSLR or anything similar, but I can clearly see that it's the next level for me. That bokeh and depth of field is really what separates "real" photography from everything else in my mind. I think I understand enough that I could make something of the extra control, it's more that I can't quite justify the expense since it's not really what I do for a living 😅However it is on my mind all the time...
@ewen the camera that currently has me the most intrigued is the new Sony ZV-E1, and perhaps their F4G 24-70mm lens. That might be the sweet spot for semi professional videography, with the capability of doing some next level photography as well…
I hear it's an excellent camera if you're not into photography!
Always a trade off between quality and convenience when it comes to lens selection. Thankfully for me, most people will buy the convenient lens instead of a fast prime. f/1.4 and f/4 are worlds apart.
@ewen very coincidentally I just watched a video where a YouTuber called Jeven Dovey highlighted the trade-offs, and now I am relatively certain that I would prefer a (or a couple) fast primes rather than a 20-70. The F4 lenses can make everything look more like a mobile camera, and I'm looking for the opposite.
He also talked about how clients cite depth of field as the reason to hire a photographer, which lines up with my comment earlier about it looking more photographer-y 🤣
Drop me a link please :)
I've long believed that working with prime lenses helps your mind-set. You stop thinking about the lens and focus on the scene. You shoot with what you have. Zoom lenses can make you lazy, and hence less creative. They make photography easier, not better.
And yes, f/4 is pretty dull in my view. I'm taking my old 50mm f/1.2 for a spin next week and hoping to make the most of that sweet sweet bokeh.
@ewen very interesting! Just like in music… Sometimes having limitations you have to work around brings something out of you.
Do you usually have an assortment of ND filters with you when you are using fast lenses?
Here's that link!
https://youtu.be/8rNzq0NLiKo
F1.4 vs F4 - Can You Really See a Difference?
Yeah the simplified setup definitely liberates my creative brain. Have experienced this over and over.
I typically only need an ND for video work, unless I need slower shutter effect such as panning on motorcycles on the streets of Hanoi :)
For video I keep an ND64 handy, that's it. I just need to get in the ballpark for the 180° shutter angle. Even then, the only footage you really notice is when something moves quickly.
Let me check that video link!
Mike Goodwin 🇨🇦 
@ewen thanks for the reminder about this section of your site. I just re-read the post on custom settings for the G9 and think I may just take you upon the offer of the download. Thanks!
Wonderful! If there's a mismatch on the firmware version you're running let me know. I probably should check and update my G9s to the current version, and then I can give you a fresh copy of my settings.
@ewen thank you. I haven’t checked my firmware in quite some time. I guess I should do that first before moving forward.
@ewen will do
@ewen for some reason it will not install. The camera sees it. When I click in, it shows a black screen with a box around “Load the camera settings G9EWEN”, but then it just goes away. I’m currently running Firmware V2.0.
Definitely a firmware mismatch. Would be great if they updated the firmware to report useful information in this situation!
I'm going to grab my G9 and update to V2.7 now, and then drop you a link to a new ZIP file with the settings.
https://av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/support/global/cs/dsc/download/fts/dl/g9.html
@ewen Thanks. I finally got around to upgrading to V2.7, and updating my lenses as well. It's been so long since I've done an update that I completely forgot how. 🤦🏻♂️
I just realised my G9 is currently on firmware V2.0 as well. Have saved a file of the settings before I upgrade to V2.7 :)