This post is brought to you by Panasonic and the LUMIX GH5. Learn more on Panasonic’s website.
There are tons of new features on the GH5 that make it ideal for YouTubers. With those features comes a bunch of different ways to set up your camera. But not every channel benefits from the same settings. Let’s take two creators, Casey Neistat and Dude Perfect, and discuss what gives them their look. We’ll talk about the best settings and features that suit their unique style of of storytelling.
Casey Neistat: The Film Look
Known for his daily vlogs in New York City, Casey Neistat is constantly moving and shooting. Casey tells stories with a cinematic feel. His aesthetic leans a lot on visual storytelling. To achieve a cinematic look to your video, start with your framerate. Classic film cameras shoot 24 frames per second, so you should set your camera’s shutter speed to 24. Higher frame rates give a smoother feel, offering a more real life feeling video, but it won’t look as cinematic.
Casey’s also known for shooting video with great color and composition. Fortunately the GH5 offers 10-bit 4:2:2 bit depth color space. Simply put, 10-bit video captures billions of colors where as 8-bit only offers about 16.7 million. The more colors, the more control you have over your color during editing. Currently, the GH5 is the only camera under $8k to offer 10-bit 4K video, which is probably why it’s Casey’s current go-to camera.
Those Frames Tho
Next, let’s look at Dude Perfect, a channel that has a much different aesthetic than Casey Neistat. Dude Perfect creates fun videos of trickshots and more. Sports, let’s play videos and action is all best captured at a higher frame rate. Shooting at a frame rate of 60 frames per second will give a more fluid video that will capture fast action better. The GH5 is one of the few cameras that will shoot 4K in 60 frames per second, so you’re covered.
The content that Dude Perfect produces is a mix of real time video and slow-mo. Slowing down 60 frames per second to 24 will give you a two and a half times slow motion when played back at 24 frames per second. To slow down even more, shoot in HD and the GH5 opens up to 180 frames per second! Slow down 180 frames per second to 24 and get a seven and a half time slowmo! That means two seconds of video, when slowed down, will become fifteen seconds. Say you want to produce in 60 frames per second, then you will have a three times slowmo when you slow 180 to 60 — perfect speed for instant replays!
Universal Settings
Regardless of how you plan to use your GH5, there are some settings that are more universal. The most usable picture style for video that you don’t plan to grade is Natural. It gives you the more real color palate. Don’t forget that there’s also an upgrade option to the GH5 for V-log. It basically gives you video that’s easier for color manipulation. It’s not for everyone, but anyone who wants only the most beautiful video should get it.
Lastly, you’ll find all the shoot assists a video shooter needs in the GH5. Use the histogram to help you get perfect exposure. Turn on focus peaking so you know if something is out of focus. And if you need to change between frame rates and keep the same exposure, turn on Shutter Angle — a rare feature in cameras at this price.
The Panasonic Lumix GH5 offers an extensive list of options for YouTube creators. With the possibility to shoot 10-bit 4K video or 180 frames per second in HD, its features are rich.
Learn more about the Panasonic LUMIX GH5.
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