Best Camera for Wedding Videography
If you’re anything like me, you have probably had your seasons of heavily researching camera bodies especially when the latest models are announced and released. You pore over the specs, bitrates, and sample footage. You wonder, will it overheat? How will its ibis (or lack of ibis) perform? How much storage will I need for saving its data? You compile documents outlining the pros and cons of various cameras and convincing yourself that an elusive dream camera must be out there somewhere.
But what if that dream camera is the one that you already have? It’s truly alarming how natural it is to take for granted what we already have as we are looking for greener pasture. In my case, the camera that I have had for years and am finally starting to acknowledge as being my proverbial dream camera is the Panasonic GH5.
Why the Panasonic GH5 is the Best Camera for Wedding Videography
I understand it is a bold stance to say the GH5 is the best camera for wedding videography, but after renting and purchasing other cameras I have come to the conclusion that for me, the GH5 has checked off the most boxes of what I’m looking for. It is important to note that my shooting style and workflow could very well differ (and could differ significantly) from yours, but in the following sections I would like to make a case for why I believe the GH5 is still a great choice for wedding videographers.
Contents:
i. GH5 in Low Light
ii. User Experience + Intuitive Features
iii. Custom Settings
iv. GH5 Picture Profile for Beautiful Footage Straight Out of Camera aka Stop Overgrading Your Footage
v. Minimalist Gear Kit
i. The GH5 in Lowlight
This is one of my favorite items to discuss as it is largely accepted that the GH5 is unusable in lowlight. This is mainly due to its micro four thirds sensor which doesn’t allow as much light to reach the sensor as its full frame counterparts. What is rarely mentioned though is that there are trade-offs with the sensor size and how it affects aperture and depth of field. Stick with me as I attempt to make the case that the low light performance can be boosted because of it having a smaller sensor.
Firstly, we need a basic, high level view of aperture. The aperture is the name of the opening in the lens that opens or closes incrementally to control the amount of light coming in. The specific size of the opening is referred to in measurements called f-stops. The lower the f-stop, the more open the aperture is, thus more light comes in. To further complicate things, lenses are sometimes known as being “fast” lenses. That is referring to that lens’ ability to open up to a wide aperture, thus allowing more light to come in. It has nothing to do with the “speed” of the lens.
List of Common Full Stops: f1.4, f2, f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8
Each full stop you open up to on the lens’ aperture doubles the amount of light let in to the lens.
So opening up from f2.8 to f2 doubles the amount of light let in, providing a brighter image and reducing the need to raise the ISO.
In regards to ISO, it is a function of the camera attempting to increase the brightness of the image. As you increase the ISO you will have more image “noise.” Noise refers to the image starting to fall apart and essentially starting to look pixellated and less clear. With ISO, calculating brightness is easier as you simply double the brightness when you double the ISO.
So going from ISO 400 to ISO 800 doubles the brightness of the image.
You can now start to see how the aperture and ISO can work together and can compensate for one another.
If you want to keep your ISO from going too high, you would work on opening up your aperture to wide f-stops such as f2 or f1.4.
Now to the benefit of the GH5 here (or any camera with a micro four third sensor) - your depth of field with a micro four thirds sensor is effectively doubled that of a full frame camera at the same f stop.
For example, shooting at f2.8 on the GH5 gives you the similar depth of field as shooting at f5.6 on a full frame camera. So if both cameras were at the same f-stop, you have more of the frame in focus with the GH5 and its smaller sensor. The larger sensor has more of the shallow depth of field look, and is a large contributor to what is referred to as the “full frame look.” But essentially you can create that nebulous “full frame look” on the GH5 by opening up your aperture extremely wide such as to f1.4, f1.2, or even (in the instance of my favorite lens series) f0.95.
Now combining all this information regarding aperture, iso, and depth of field, we can start to see how the GH5 truly compares in low light. The following comparisons will show what settings are needed to have essentially the same image.
Please note that this isn’t meant to be a technical discussion of depth of field as a quick google query will show you pages and pages of arguments for or against certain terminology. This is simply meant to be a practical look into how these components relate and interact to produce roughly the same image in terms of brightness and depth of field.
Aperture & ISO Settings to Achieve a Similar Image
Full Frame Camera: f5.6, ISO 1600
Panasonic GH5: f2.8, ISO 400
Full Frame Camera: f 2.8, ISO 3200
Panasonic GH5: f 1.4, ISO 800
Full Frame Camera: f 2, ISO 6400
Panasonic GH5: f0.95, ISO 1600
As you can see in the comparison above, with a “fast” enough lens you can really control your ISO on the GH5 while still having a comparable image to a full frame camera.
Now in regards to the max ISO on the GH5, I have found that ISO 2500 is as far as I want to push the GH5. At 3200 the image looks quite poor, at 2500 there is a significant amount of noise but I am perfectly content with it as I add film grain in my editing workflow anyway and the noise produced at ISO 2500 has a fairly pleasing visual quality to it, dare I say organic and film-like. And f1.4 is where I like to stay on the Voigtlander lenses but I am open to going to f1.2, or f0.95.
So taking that ISO threshold of 2500 and sticking with f1.4 we can plug in the numbers to see how it compares to a full frame camera, you get these results:
Full Frame Camera: f2.8, ISO 10,000
Panasonic GH5: f1.4, ISO 2500
For achieving similar depth of field and brightness, the GH5 can perform comparably to a full frame camera set at f2.8, ISO 10,000.
And if you want to push things a bit further, you can also drop your shutter speed a tad without overly noticeable effect. I am content to lower my shutter speed from 1/125 to 1/100 or even 1/80 while shooting 60p footage if I’m in a pinch and it is truly dark.
Going Light-Free with the GH5
Switching to a light-free kit, I have shot one whole year of weddings now with this setup and have found that there is truly only one situation where the GH5 simply fails in regards to low light. And that is if there is no light. So if getting to the nitty gritty, the GH5 can truly perform in all low light settings. It only fails in no light situations. I have come to accept this “flaw” as how often do we find ourselves needing to film in “no light” situations? I know that I just went a whole year without encountering any. If it is completely dark to the GH5 then it is completely dark to the human eye, and that is not a reasonable setting for a wedding.
// an example of the GH5 from a low light ceremony and reception
ii. User Experience & Intuitive Features
The overall ease of use with the GH5 is probably my favorite feature. Put simply, it just works - every - single - time. I am never worried about overheating, screen issues, fumbling through poorly laid out menus, or building out cumbersome rig. In this section I will lay out various features that have proven to be real assets in how I film weddings.
Groundbreaking IBIS
Panasonic has the market on amazingly smooth ibis (in body image stabilization) performance, and the GH5 was the camera that really swung that door wide open. Their newer full frame models also boast incredible IBIS, but the original pioneer was the GH5. Having used the GH5 since its release, I was ignorant as to truly how good its ibis technology was until I toyed with other camera bodies that featured ibis. My findings are in line with the general consensus: other camera manufacturers feature ibis that can help take out the jittery footage, but the Panasonic tech truly allows you to use your camera in ways not possible without a gimbal.
For example, this footage was shot with the GH5 and Voigtlander 42.5. I simply dollied right with the camera in my hands to emerge from the row of candles as the bride and groom started their recessional. (This is also an example of the GH5 in lowlight, as this was a dim winter’s evening ceremony, with minimal overhead light.)
This ability to go free from a gimbal allows you to focus much more on the actual composition of the image. It is also simply a joy to shoot gimbal-free, not to mention saving the toll on your body from wielding a gimbal all day.
No Recording Limits and Long Battery Life
One of the strangest happenings in the camera industry was the inclusion of recording limits in order to squeeze through loopholes in various tariffs and taxes based on the classification of photo vs. video cameras. While those taxes may not exist anymore, it is still rare to find a DSLR style camera body without a recording limit. The limitations now stem from overheating issues due to the large sensors on many cameras and the high bitrates that they are recording.
This is yet another benefit to a smaller sensor: it takes less energy to function, thus avoiding overheating and features an impressive battery life. Though I should mention that a smaller sensor doesn’t always equate to longer battery life (for example the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera which requires rigging up external battery solutions).
When filming a live event, I do not have the time to give a second thought to concerns over recording limitations and battery life. I simply need my cameras to work - and to keep working - regardless of the length of the ceremony or the temperature.
Ergonomics and Menu Systems
This is largely subjective, but the GH5 simply feels right in my hand. For me, it has the Goldilocks effect where it isn’t too small (and therefore difficult) to hold and balance such as a Sony body, yet it isn’t too large and chunky like the Panasonic S1. It has the right heft and weight to hold and balances well with my favorite Voigtlander lenses. The right hand grip is the perfect size for my hand to securely wrap around, and is a feature I really appreciate in any camera.
Panasonic was rather generous with the amount of physical function buttons on the camera body itself. Customizing these buttons allows you to have all your primary settings accessed instantaneously. As with any camera, as you develop your muscle memory you are able to toggle through your zebras, focus peaking, white balance (+ more) in a breeze. I have my GH5 setup to have any settings that I frequently adjust programmed to physical buttons, then I have my custom menu setup for items that I adjust occasionally but I don’t want to accidentally bump such as picture profiles, record quality, double slot function, synchro scan, etc.
Combing through the menu folders is intuitive with the GH5 and Panasonic is widely known for their ease of use in this regard. This is something that other camera manufacturers would do well to emulate.
Frame Rates and Bit Rates
The GH5 changed the game upon its release in 2017 with its ability to record 4k video at 60p (frames per second) without an additional crop. That is something that many cameras still cannot achieve, and many of the cameras that can record 4k 60p do so with an additional crop which makes lens choice and frame rates a complicated matter. Not to mention the issue of overheating and recording limits for many of the cameras with this ability.
So if you are looking for a camera that can shoot slow motion at 4k, the GH5 is still a bonafide contender even 5 years into its lifespan.
The GH5 also provided higher bit rates than many of its competitors of the time, with many of the internal 4K modes recording at 150 Mbps. The extra data recorded allowed for better detail in the image, and that data is prominent in moments of small, fast details with confetti/rose petal tosses being a prime example.
I have found that for my usage, shooting at 150 Mbps is my ideal bitrate. It strikes the balance of giving enough data, without giving too much. Recording at extremely high bit rates will fill your storage much faster and tax your editing process. I believe that the GH5 nails the balance of image quality without requiring outrageous storage solutions.
I will touch on this later but I prefer to shoot all my footage 8bit vs 10bit. There is a strong case online suggesting that there is no real benefit to shooting 10bit with the GH5 unless shooting in LOG, which is something I strongly advise against on a wedding day. Recording in 8bit also makes it easier on your computer while editing.
Synchroscan
Synchroscan is one of the more unique features of the GH5 and is one that is rarely needed but is such a blessing when in a situation where it’s required. If you have filmed a number of weddings you will undoubtedly have experienced reception lighting that causes flickering or rolling lights as you record. This is due to frequency issues of the lights (typically inexpensive led lights). Being that we don’t control the ambient lighting at receptions, there is little we can do in regards to the lights themselves. This is where Synchroscan comes in. This setting allows you to incrementally adjust your shutter speed to match the frequencies that alleviate the issue.
iii. My Custom Settings
As you will see throughout this guide, my goal while filming is to have my footage how I want it to look before I even start editing. It is rare for me to adjust footage in post, and that is the result of ensuring I get it right while recording. My custom settings help me to quickly make adjustments to reach that result.
My Custom Physical Function Buttons
To change these, simply press and hold the button for a few seconds until the menu appears.
Fn1 Monochrome Live View (allows you to view the image in black and white while still recording full color)
Fn2 Peaking (essential for checking focus, I prefer to use the High setting for more accuracy)
Fn3 AF Mode/MF (allows you to crop in to check focus before recording)
Fn4 Zebra Pattern (check for overexposure issues, I prefer Zebra 1 at 50% and Zebra 2 at 85%)
Fn5 LVF/Monitor Switch (physically control the viewfinder/display)
My Custom Menu
This Menu allows you to save your own menu with the settings you like to keep handy and easily accessed. Referred to as ‘My Menu,’ it is found with the sub-menu user icon. Upon selecting ‘My Menu’ you can then enter ‘My Menu Setting’ and ‘Add’ your menu items. Below is my list of items in my custom menu.
Photo Style (My picture profile is further outlined in the next section, but I use:
Natural: Contrast -2 Sharpness 0 Noise Reduction -5 Saturation -2 Hue 0
Rec Quality (I use MOV, and record at 4k 8bit 150M 60p for the whole day. The one caveat being if it is a little dark in the reception I will switch over to 4k 8bit 100M 24p for the speeches)
Double Slot Function (I typically use backup recording up until the Ceremony at which point I will switch over to Relay Recording)
Mic Level Adj
Zebra Pattern
Synchroscan
I recommend turning on the ‘Display from My Menu’ setting within the ‘My Menu Setting.’ This will then access your custom menu whenever you press the Menu button.
iv. GH5 Picture Profile
Again, my goal with my picture profile or ‘Photo Style’ as Panasonic refers to it is to achieve my final image in-camera. I don’t want to spend hours polishing color while editing, which far too often results in overgrading the footage after color grading fatigue. I also want the image to appear simple, true, and not overly stylized. This has led to me experimenting with various picture profile settings until I found the one that worked for me. This isn’t a technical argument for hues, rgb, skintones for all the parameters I have chosen rather it’s simply what I have found to look right for me and my style of work.
I use the ‘Natural’ picture profile as do many others shooting on the GH5. I then adjusted the parameters on the Natural profile just a small amount to help give a more film-like image that’s less contrasty and saturated. Regardless of what you choose, bringing your ‘Noise Reduction’ down all the way is advised as it prevents the camera from attempting any noise reduction that can cause image problems that are much more problematic than noise in my opinion.
Natural
Contrast -2
Sharpness 0
Noise Reduction -5
Saturation -2
Hue 0
There are arguments that you can achieve greater dynamic range with Cine-D especially in lower light settings but I have found that Cine-D gives quite a bit more noise in the shadows than Natural.
Rely On Your Eyes More Than Your Tools
I do appreciate the use of Zebras for a quick double check on exposure, but ultimately I trust my eyes with what I’m recording. Fortunately the GH5 has an excellent display screen which lets me trust what I’m seeing. The only adjustment I made to the display is changing the ‘Monitor Luminance’ setting to ‘2’. Having the luminance at 2 seemed to translate the best to having what the footage looked like on screen vs what was actually recorded.
I have found that trusting my eyes has given me better results than when I was using an external monitor (even while utilizing false color). When using an external monitor I started to rely on the histogram/ire readings rather than the intuition of what I was actually seeing.
With the GH5 I have found that the best results come from slightly “underexposing” the image. When skin tones are too bright they have a smooth, ‘plastic’ like feel. That is a problem I had while attempting to use an external monitor to achieve “textbook perfect” skin tones. Though technically correct, they just didn’t look right and that was resolved when I opted against using those tools and simply examined what I was seeing on the camera display. Now as I film, I will adjust my camera settings based on how it looks to me on screen. Sometimes I will glance down and see that I’m at least one stop “underexposed” on the EVF meter, and that has seemed to be a fairly consistent indicator that my footage is where I would like it to be.
Stop Overgrading Your Footage
I believe this is one of the biggest struggles while editing - putting too heavy of a grade on your footage and ending up with footage that is way too stylized or simply too punchy/contrasty/mushy. I have been there. And when you are caught in the middle of it, it’s hard to see it, as your eyes seem to adjust to the look and it almost appears normal until you do a side by side comparison with the original footage. LUTS are by and large the most guilty culprit for this as videographers want to emulate the look of the industry trend setters. But LUTS are rarely a one-size-fits-all solution for your footage, and typically people will apply them with much too high of strength. I have personally stopped using LUTS, though I do use a subtle application of Film Convert grades mainly for film grain or for black and white edits.
Moving away from reliance on LUTS has helped me appreciate the GH5 more and more, as I am able to achieve a beautiful image in line with my style strictly out of camera. This is not only an efficiency boost but I believe that it speaks volumes as to the nature of the video content in terms of how it will age over time. Rather than being dated by industry trends, the simple, organic feel of the footage will maintain its watchability over the years.
// footage straight out of camera with the sole addition of film grain
iv. My Minimalist GH5 Kit
My philosophy on filming is defined by simplicity and being able to capture moments as they are happening, rather than relying on posing. That being said, I require all my gear to fit in one standard sized bag. I have my main GH5 on a monopod with an external viewfinder and the rest of my gear is on my back. View My Kit
//
GH5 - Voigtlander 42.5 - Monopod - Manfrotto Tilt Head with Quick Release - Viewfinder
GH5 - Voigtlander 10.5
Compact Tripod
Joby
G85 - Panasonic 20
(2) Tascam DR-10L
(2) Sony TX650
Tascam DR-40
XLR to XLR
1/4 to 1/4
My Main GH5 Setup
I prefer to use the Voigtlander 42.5 for the entire day for the consistent look of the focal length and for its ability to quickly create multiple compositions. Even with the GH5’s incredible IBIS I still prefer to have the camera on a monopod for a few reasons. I like the look that it gives when rigged with the viewfinder, I enjoy the tripod-esque footage you can achieve, and it is a nice counterweight when adding movement with the GH5 to help give more fluidity to the footage.
I love using an external viewfinder as it is a simple addition that truly gives a unique look to my setup. It also is very useful with magnifying the display screen for checking focus, and it also helps with viewing the screen when shooting in sunny situations. Adding an additional point of contact also increases the stability of the footage.
In Conclusion
Let gear serve you in the way that you work and don’t be afraid to strip it all down to the basics. At the end of the day we are documenting a true, real, enduring event so choose gear that supports your ability to be ready for all the moments.
Warmly,
Drew Barrett
*affiliate links included // as always, I pledge to only recommend kit that I use and love