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Reliability and Recording Times (GH2)
  • devinpickeringdevinpickering

    Hello friends, I need your help - This weekend I have been mounting my gh2 and various lenses to a few different locations on a biplane for a documentary I have been working on. Everything that has to do with the rigging and mounting has been no issue at all so far - but I am having major issues with the camera stopping recording in the middle of a clip. I'm running the new "Apocalypse Now" firmware from driftwood - should I go back to the stock firmware to make sure that the camera will record for what I need? I Only need 15 minutes here but there's obv lots of motion. Is there a better patch out there that will work no matter what?
    I'm relatively new to the GH2 community - PLEASE HELP! I would really appreciate it - will be filming tomorrow and would really like to not waste another day.

    I'm also using a Sandisk Extreme Pro 32gb 95mbs SD card

  • 50 Replies sorted by
  • herbycamerherbycamer

    Hi. What version of Apocalypse now are you running?Drewnet GOP12, Nebula GOP6 or BOOM Intra?... What mode? FullHD :24P ( H or L), HBR 25/30p, FSH 50i Or HD: 720 50/60p If you are using BOOM intra, spanning file don't work, and you can only use 24p H mode. If you are using Nebula, not sure about spanning file in all mode, but it don't work in HBR mode... If you are using Drewnet, i think spanning file is ok for every mode, but you have to test it with your setting to be sure. Cluster 6 seems to be more reliable too. But there is some topic about GH2 aerial shoot over there, take a look, it will be very useful for you i think. http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/4554

    good night

  • devinpickeringdevinpickering

    Hey - thanks for the link - very helpful - I'm running Nebula GOP6 in 24P(H)

  • devinpickeringdevinpickering

    would Flowmotion 2.02 be more stable? I might give it a shot, not too sure how good or tested the spanning on Apocalypse is right now - I know using the stock settings would not be ideal....

  • inqb8trinqb8tr

    @devinpickering I'd go for something extensively tested. I guess that you don't have the luxury of retaking too many shots when on a plane. Try canis majoris or sedna from driftwood.

  • thepalaliasthepalalias

    @devinpickering If you don't have much time to test, then here's the short scoop.

    • No Adverse Affects by mpgxsvcd should just as stable as the stock firmware.
    • That card should be able to handle settings a lot more demanding.
    • Flowmotion 2.02 is one of the settings I would probably rely on in that situation to take advantage of that card's extra performance but (and this is VERY important) make sure to read the full description!

    Flowmotion 2.02 and Sanity 5 both have very important operating notes on what you should (and should NOT) do with them. This will save you big time if you don't have time to test extensively yourself - but DO try to test first.

    Anyway, Flowmotion 2.02 is one of the settings I have found spans most reliably.

    If you had mentioned which modes you were shooting in, I might feel comfortable suggesting another setting.

  • devinpickeringdevinpickering

    Thanks everyone for your advice and help, another very frustrating day!!!! AHHH. Tried flow motion 2.02 last night, spanned for over a half hour which is way more than I need - so I strapped the camera to the plane again today - pressed record, waited 10 sec. to make sure it was recording. When he landed - I went to get the camera and the EVF was blank screen - never seen that before. The camera was still on - but black screen. Not a good sign, so I went to look through the playback and the clip I JUST saw before - totally not there. Now I just rushed back home to check the card for write errors or corruption, sure enough There is a 2gb file that wont play or transfer off of the Sd card. I'm running Rescue Pro Deluxe to see if I can get the file off of the card, so hopefully I might be able to recover something....I don't know. All in all I've spent a lot of money on lenses and mounting gear only to not have a frame of footage yet after 2 days of shooting. I'm wondering given how much I need these shots, if I should either go back to the stock firmware, or maybe find some other camera that will actually record something. Any more advice would really help me out - Thanks everyone.

  • devinpickeringdevinpickering

    btw I'm shooting in 24p H mode

  • inqb8trinqb8tr

    Your SD card might be bad, try debugging from there.

    Edit: Just saw this:

    Tried flow motion 2.02 last night, spanned for over a half hour

    So card probably works, it's strange.

  • herbycamerherbycamer

    @devinpickering -Flow motion is very stable, tested and re-tested... Very strange... It seems to be not a setting issue... Maybe you have to take a look at the vibrations of the plane or cold... a 2Gb file in 24p H ( flow motion is a 100Mb/s setting i think) don't make a very long clip... You can try Cluster 6, a very stable setting too... I know that some people here are using 720 50/60p for aerial shot because motion is more smooth. Good luck.

  • onionbrainonionbrain

    I've done two aerial shots in the past five months, one on an octo-copter and one in a helicopter -- and what I'd recommend is as follows...

    1) Use 720/60p with a higher shutter speed -- starting at 1/120th.

    2) Use Driftwood's Cluster V6 12/15 gop variation. I believe it's the most heavily tested recent patch from Driftwood, and most importantly, the approximately 50 Mbps 720/60p from it is gorgeous -- some of the best looking 720/60p I've seen from any camera (yeah, it blows away the 5D Mark 3's ALL-I).

    3) Obviously, keep your lens wide.

    4) In an ideal world you've got a gyro-stabilizer. If not, try to find one to rent.

    That's my two cents. It's worth exactly what you paid for it. Good luck.

  • devinpickeringdevinpickering

    I was able to get the file out - it looked incredible and was everything I hoped it could be - EXCEPT - it stopped recording a little less than 4 mins. into the clip - just 3 minutes too soon to capture the aerobatic routine I needed!! So it didn't even span because it stopped recording... whyyyyyyy

  • devinpickeringdevinpickering

    I'm going to be going up in a Cessna on Tues. to do some more testing... then I'm going to try again next weekend. I'll debug my SD card, or maybe try a different one.. I'll try the 720p 60p mode... not ideal as I'm not really looking for slow motion here.. I'm really curious though - does anyone think that the stock firmware would work instead? It's such a shame I can't seem to figure this out - I'm also going to look into the vibration issue, but from what I can see, there seems to be almost no vibration in the shot (mounted in the center of the biplane, the least wind and vib.)...

  • herbycamerherbycamer

    You can give a try to Cluster 6. I know that there's some false Sandisk Card on ebay or other site. Check your card or try another if you can. Reload the patch to be sure is a good option too. Can you restart your cam without remove battery when it was happening? (sorry for my bad english) JB

  • devinpickeringdevinpickering

    yes I could restart the cam after without removing the battery - no prob there

  • devinpickeringdevinpickering

    @onionbrain - would you say that 1080p mode stops recording more often than 720p?

  • MeierhansMeierhans

    24p seems to be the most tested, 720p causing most troubles. Anyhow, it depends alot on settings. Make sure to read into the tread of the most used settings, there is some things to like iDynamic you should really keep switched off. Most important: Before you plug your cam to a plane again make sure to test your settings in depth. An easy way to stresstest is to set short shutter, high iso and point it to a running TV. If there is worst flicker and the whole screen is in focus and the sharp pixels hurt your eyes... then its just right. This will make sure the codec does not go to sleep and you will know if the setting you chose is able to span even when codec is pushed.

  • StrayStray

    Aerobatic routine.. hmm.. I know you say it quit before then but does anyone know how many Gs the GH2 can pull before it gives up and stops working ? I know there are specialist cameras for high G work, and you're maybe not pulling very high ones but maybe its something to consider. You may even have to consider operating temperature if its outside the plane

  • thepalaliasthepalalias

    @devinpickering Try the stock firmware first and see if it works.

    You should not be having the issues you are referring to if you are shooting with manual focus, IR off, I Dynamic off, a reasonably low ISO (2000 or below) in 24H with most settings, let alone with Flowmotion 2.02.

    By the way, are you having a second person use a wireless release(with the receiver plugged into the 2.5mm jack) to start and stop the recording? Or are you just starting before you take off?

    Btw, were both the LCD and the EVF black or was it only one or the other? If one of them was turned on, what may have happened is that there was an interruption to the power from either G forces or some form of sudden turn, etc. If the battery got jiggled, the camera would have turned off and then back on again and the recording would have been interrupted (or lost entirely).

  • devinpickeringdevinpickering

    Thank you @Meierhans, I was trying to find a way to crash it before.. I'll do what you suggested and see if I can recreate the problem. I have been reading that Cake might be a better option for more stability.. what do you think? I still believe my SD card could have been corrupted somehow...I'll try a different one on Tuesday and be sure to post my results.

    All of the "auto" settings were off. I'm attempting to capture a 1968 Great Lakes Bi-plane performing a basic aerobatic routine, we're only pushing around 1G of pull, and the temp. is pretty normal on a sunny 70 degree day, not going more than 80mph. I did test it on a rail on my car close to 70mph on a bumpy road with no problems a few times, and I've been spanning up to 20 mins. without a hiccup running flowmotion 2.02 at ISO 160. :( - I'm using the Lumix 14mm btw @ around f5 with shutter set to 125th of a second.

    Either way though, @Stray has a good point - I really...really, reaally hate the idea of using an action cam, but I might have to if the GH2 just can't handle a 10 minute flight...so close yet so very far! It was so very cinematic and beautiful, just not long enough. We'll see what happens Tuesday.

  • Jim_SimonJim_Simon

    "I'm also using a Sandisk Extreme Pro 32gb 95mbs SD card"

    I've had some issues using AN with that card as well.

    Definitely get the 64Gb version. Has worked flawlessly for me in 24H so far on three shoots.

  • devinpickeringdevinpickering

    @thepalalias By the way, are you having a second person use a wireless release(with the receiver plugged into the 2.5mm jack) to start and stop the recording? Or are you just starting before you take off?

    I just hit record before it takes off.

    @thepalalias were both the LCD and the EVF black or was it only one or the other?

    I turned the LCD off, had it turned into the camera, also had all touch settings turned off. the EVF was on when I hit record - when it landed I saw the EVF was black - i looked and saw that the camera was still on, so I tapped the shutter button and the display came right back, only when I went looking for playback, my file was not there (in the camera).

  • inqb8trinqb8tr

    I tapped the shutter button and the display came right back, only when I went looking for playback, my file was not there (in the camera).

    Camera went to sleep since it was not recording or doing anything, its normal. You might as well turn sleep off, but that shouldn't change anything regarding your problem.

    I'd try the stock firmware and get a shot, later load some settings and retry, if possible.

  • thepalaliasthepalalias

    The problem you are having is both odd and atypical. I would probably just try the factory stock settings to rule out the possibility that your specific GH2 (or card) is a lemon or something.

    Things just are not adding up between the symptoms and equipment in this case and I am sorry to hear you are having that problem.

  • devinpickeringdevinpickering

    Thanks @thepalalias - I think you're right - it's all about eliminating variables. I'm leaning towards using the stock firmware next weekend and see if I can get it.

  • devinpickeringdevinpickering

    interesting note - I ran a few card recovery programs - Panasonic's software found 37 .mts files, a lot of tiny ones (less than 50mb) from other days of shooting, but also a few 200mb+, even a few 2gb and 4gb files. I've been shooting with dslrs for a few years now, never really ran into a corrupted card, I guess it must be corrupted now, tell me if I'm wrong.

    Now for the weird stuff: I found one 4mb file that has a few frames of when he is in the middle of an aerial maneuver that is def. way past when it stopped recording in the other 4min clip that got cut off, which makes me wonder. Did it actually stop recording or not? I can't tell as no other software that I've tried has found anything more than these clips. But even if it's only a few frames, why would there be a clip from a minute later if it stopped recording? Just thought I would share this anomaly...

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