Photography: A “quick walk” through Manila with the Lumix GH3 Camera from Panasonic
The cool Panasonic Lumix GH3
Out now in Sports + Travel Magazine - Singapore and Hong Kong
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to test the Panasonic Lumix DMC GH3 16.05 Megapixel Camera for Panasonic and Sports + Travel Magazine in Singapore. - A DSLR-like Micro Four Third System.
I only had a couple weekends to shoot, but for a camera this small and lightweight, this little marvel performed extremely well;
I actually fell in love with it!
I am not going to beat around the bush, but rather get to the point right away; for me a camera has to perform, including in extreme conditions.
In this post I am not about to embark on a technical and complicated test review I rather talk about the things that made me fall in love with this little marvel.
Of course before I went walkabout I quickly flipped through the manual that I found easy to read and not complicated at all, I was in no time up and running.
I really like the Magnesium alloy body, it is dust and splash proof and the
buttons and dials are well located.
Now shooting in a city environment did not give me the extreme conditions but I did manage to test the Lumix GH3 during a tropical downpour one day.
Most of my settings were on Aperture Priority using ISO 200 in most cases; see below some of the settings underneath the images.
The Lumix GH3 has a fairly fast autofocus and processing of the images with a high end SD card is just great.
But what really surprised me was the Image quality, shooting RAW and JPG for comparison and using only Aperture 3 for the post processing.
Very sharp and colors are natural and true, no Photoshop or any other software was used.
Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
The late afternoon tropical monsoon rain had just stopped and I was at the right time at the right spot for this amazing view of Makati City, Manila’s Business district.
Lens-LUMIX G VARIO 14-140/F4.0-5.8
ISO 400
Focal Length 48mm Length (35mm) 99mm
Exposure Bias: -0.33 ev
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/1600
Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Spot
Auto White Balance
Great Image quality when used with the LUMIX G VARIO 12-35/F2.8 lens or the LUMIX G VARIO 14-140/F4.0-5.8 lens.
I liked in particular the 12-35/F2.8 lens; small and fast, a perfect companion for everyday use and ideal for street photography.
With just these two lenses you can almost cover everything, I had one mounted on the camera and put the other one in my “pocket” ideally suited for those of you who like to travel light.
Besides these two lenses, Panasonic offers a great range of other lenses fit for any type of photography.
For those of you who like the feel of a bigger camera there is the extra Battery Grip available with all the controls and additional power, available separately for the LUMIX GH3.
Oh… before I forget the LUMIX GH3 has a build-in powerful popup flash that performed just great and of course you can always get an additional flash and
mount on the available hot shoe.
Another very cool feature is the WiFi capabilities, very nice indeed, now you can use your iOS system like iPad or iPhone and Android to control your camera remotely.
I love also the swivel screen perfect for your low angle shots or shooting in awkward positions the screen is sensor activated and switching from Viewfinder to Live View is very quick. But if you don’t like this then you can always turn it off very easy.
Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Sunset at Manila Bay
Lens-LUMIX G VARIO 12-35/F2.8
ISO 200
Focal Length 35mm Length (35mm) 70mm
Exposure Bias: -0.33 ev
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter Speed: 1/30
Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Pattern
Auto White Balance
Hand held
Very handy and cool is also the viewing of your images using the touch screen, so much faster and easier than the conventional scrolling.
As mentioned above, for me a camera has to perform without getting to complicated and the Lumix GH3 does exactly that with great image quality, a superb range of lenses and other accessories.
Then of course there is the exceptional HD Video capabilities, super high quality and the camera is easy to use when shooting.
See below some more images taken with the Panasonic Lumix GH3.
I have no hesitation to take the Lumix GH3 along for any assignment be it in the desert or taking it for a walk in the busy streets of Varanasi in India.
GD
Original above and cropped image below, very high quality and sharpness
Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
China Town Manila - Great details and very true colors.
Lens-LUMIX G VARIO 12-35/F2.8
ISO 200
Focal Length 19mm Length (35mm) 39mm
Exposure Bias: -0.33 ev
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter Speed: 1/400
Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Spot
Auto White Balance
Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
China Town Manila - Great details, sharp and natural colors.
Lens-LUMIX G VARIO 12-35/F2.8
ISO 200
Focal Length 17mm Length (35mm) 35mm
Exposure Bias: -0.33 ev
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/640
Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Spot
Auto White Balance
Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Binondo Church Manila - very good in high contrast and low light situations sharp and natural colors.
Lens-LUMIX G VARIO 12-35/F2.8
ISO 200
Focal Length 17mm Length (35mm) 35mm
Exposure Bias: -0.33 ev
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/640
Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Spot
Auto White Balance
Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Shooting out of the car window along Manila Bay (Image is only cropped)
Lens-LUMIX G VARIO 12-35/F2.8
ISO 200
Focal Length 16mm Length (35mm) 32mm
Exposure Bias: -0.33 ev
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/640
Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Pattern
Auto White Balance
Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Here is an interesting one of my son Brandon using the Pop up Flash in auto mode.
Lens-LUMIX G VARIO 12-35/F2.8
ISO 200
Focal Length 35mm Length (35mm) 70mm
Exposure Bias: -0.33 ev
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter Speed: 0.31250s
Flash fired, automode
Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Pattern
Auto White Balance
Hand held
Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Shooting in pouring rain at Fort Bonifacio
Lens-LUMIX G VARIO 14-140/F4.0-5.8
ISO 200
Focal Length 54mm Length (35mm) 112mm
Exposure Bias: -0.33 ev
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/640
Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Spot
Auto White Balance
Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Nice color and details of the Graphics at Fort Bonifacio
Lens-LUMIX G VARIO 12-35/F2.8
ISO 200
Focal Length 23mm Length (35mm) 47.0mm
Exposure Bias: -0.33 ev
Aperture: f/8
Shutter Speed: 1/200
Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Spot
Auto White Balance
Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
My son Jason using only available light from the window
Lens-LUMIX G VARIO 12-35/F2.8
ISO 400
Focal Length 33mm Length (35mm) 68.0mm
Exposure Bias: -0.33 ev
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter Speed: 1/60
Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Spot
Auto White Balance
Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Intramuros, the old Spanish part of Manila - pleasant contrast
Lens-LUMIX G VARIO 12-35/F2.8
ISO 200
Focal Length 24mm Length (35mm) 48.0mm
Exposure Bias: -0.33 ev
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/320
Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Pattern
Auto White Balance
Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
At the American cemetery - I switched to the black and white setting on the GH3
Lens-LUMIX G VARIO 14-140/F4.0-5.8
ISO 200
Focal Length32mm Length (35mm) 66.0mm
Exposure Bias: -0.33 ev
Aperture: f/5.0
Shutter Speed: 1/60
Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Spot
See below the basic specs:
Magnesium alloy body with weather sealing (dust and splash proof)
ISO 200-12800 (extended range of ISO 125-25600)
6 fps continuous shooting
AF speed of 0.07 seconds
1.7 million dot equiv. 16:9 ratio OLED viewfinder (873 x 500 pixels)
614k dot 3" OLED rear screen (640 x 480 pixels)
Full HD 60p/50p video with 30p/25p option
MOV (h.264), MP4 and AVCHD formats
Video bit rates of 50Mbps in IPB and 72Mbps in All-I compression modes
Timecode support in MOV(H.264) and AVCHD formats
3.5mm mic socket and headphone socket
Four channel wireless control for the optional DMW-FL360L external flash
PC socket
iOS and Android app control via Wi-Fi
Photography: Two minutes interval and a split second, the beauty about natural light.
“I love the simplicity in Nature” - GD
One afternoon during my recent trip to Cambodia (March 2013) I spotted this old, almost forgotten boat at the outer moat at Angkor Wat.
It was getting late and it didn’t look like to be a great sunset at this amazing historical site, but then I caught a glimpse of this old boat resting at the edge of the outer moat that surrounds Angkor Wat.
Subtle clouds and sky reflecting in the water, surrounding the boat in an ever fast changing light.
It didn’t take very long before the afternoon beauty had disappeared completely, but I got my images in an ever changing natural light.
I guess visitors to Angkor Wat that afternoon left disappointed since there was no real magic sunset over the main Khmer Temple, everybody walked right past the real beauty, except for me.
"I am blessed since birth with the very best and most technologically
advanced camera on earth... my Eyes." - GD
Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Time: 5:48:27
Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Time: 5:50:39
Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Time: 5:52:09
Split second…
“Be ready when the Light is right…you have only seconds,
but this is the moment that counts.”
- GD
Copyright all Rights reserved. Mandatory credit with image use:
© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
The image above was taken on the way to Battambang, Cambodia about a year ago when I spotted these children playing in the rice fields.
It was very late already and the sun was just about to disappear, we stopped the car and I managed to get a few frames catching this boy playing with a ball in the last light of the day.
A split second…and one frame only.
"Light is Photography… photography is light." - GD
Fine art and signed limited edition high photographic quality prints are available upon request or via my Photo Shelter Gallery (see the LINK below) perfect for office or home decor.
View more images here taken in natural light and amazing reflections on water or land.
APERTURE 2 Tip...where do I find my Camera info...this is nice if You like to compare DATA...very cool & not only for the Pro's...
A cool little Aperture 2 Tip...
Where do you find at a push of a button YOUR Camera Info when you like to compare your shots after the shoot in Aperture 2.1
See the provided screen shot below, the small drop down menu (small red circle) is where you find ...Show and Hide Camera & Color info...the red oval shows you the data, you have to be in the adjustment mode/panel.
This is very useful when comparing shots, what might have gone wrong or right...You can also move your Cursor over the image to get the color Value in between the images, the grey area will show you the Camera info. Play around and you find this is a very useful addition in Aperture 2.
You can also move your cursor over your Thumbnails... for those of you who are still in the early stage of Photography this command is great for analyzing your images quickly.
Try it out and have some fun...Aperture is not only great for the Pro's but it can help you to take better images by quickly finding out what went wrong or right.
GD
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http://www.deichmann-photo.com/home.html
