Shooting at 60fps is indeed at half the data rate on a per frame basis. It's basic math. Same 50Mbps distributed over more frames means there is less data per frame. The caveat though, is that the compression algorithm is usually good enough to make the difference almost invisible. There might be more macroblocking or artifacts in a busy scene because of the lower data rate but I haven't seen anything too noticeable.

Filming at 60fps also means you will need more light/ bigger f stop to avoid higher ISO, so for some situations it may not be as good as a lower frame rate.

I use Mercalli to stabilize shots, and I use the "keep border" option which prevents warping. I've never tried other software, but for me Mercalli is practically flawless. It only misbehaved when trying to stabilize deinterlaced footage, and that's not the program's fault, it's because deinterlacing is not a perfect science.

Smaller focal length means handheld is more stable. Handheld is much easier with AF. When I use my Voigtlanders for video, I have to be extra stiff with my arms and body while maintaining focus. Mercalli really saves the day provided you're not filming an earthquake.

@Mistas

Filming at 60fps also means you will need more light/ bigger f stop to avoid higher ISO, so for some situations it may not be as good as a lower frame rate.

You see less noise with 60P than with 30P or 24P because noise is so rapid that it is hard to see. It averages in eye and brain.

I have tested it and that is how it works. Difference is small. easy to test itself. Needs original files to examine.

@maxr

I made my tests with high end plasmatv. It may behave differently than a computer LCD. Differences are more clear. All videos shows so much better in generally with plasma too. Less noise and more sharpness and clarity. Like GH3 becoming Alexa just by changing a monitor :)

Also if you watch high iso 24P footage with a good frame interpolation to 60P there is less visible noise and of course smoother look but that is a different matter.

@maddog15 yes. "Problem" is you've got HUGE amount of fine detail and if you add the noisier All-i, well that's what one gets. Recently I runned into similar issues, aggravated with badly underexposure and in-built WB. In my shitty tests custom target WB showed better results, even noticeable and more accurate in/with camera display =)

I downloaded it and yes, it does have a lot of noise. It looks like a shoot at +600Iso on my Gh3. Iso200 looks much cleaner on mine unless it's really really dark. That's what I can tell you as intensive Gh3 user, as soon as I played the clip all that noise is what I saw first. I don't shoot as flat as you either though.

@maddog15

I'd like to ask a favor if any of you have the time. I dropped my GH3 and hoping I didn't cause problems. Camera is fine... only fell a couple of feet. Not dents or scratches BUT....

I dropped mine 8-10 meters, straight onto rocky ground. It did not turn off, and it worked perfectly afterwards. It did get a few scratches, the manual lens got its UV-filter dented, the eggtimer plastic half was scrathed (it fell because a timelapse eggtimer split in two, and this was probably the most dampening part), and the protection of the internal flash - the part with the "Lumix" text - broke straight off and the flash looked mangled (never tried it before getting the camera repaired). But otherwise it was fine. I took a couple of weeks of photos before repairing it. Obviously the flipscreen was not out and about during this mishap, and I was lucky with how my camera hit the ground, but know that if you aren't really unlucky, a two feet drop is likely to be nothing. Yes, I also lost the EVF mussle, so it was probably also part of the lucky crashdown dampening...

The eternity for my camera to drop from the mount on the fence to the rocks below was hell. I doubt my heart did a beat for that duration. Then I remembered that all it took was money and I would be back in business, and I managed to stagger down to inspect the damage. Boy was I surprised...

@maddog15, fantastic video! :)

Is that your preferred settings now? I am getting dizzy from all the suggestions in this thread :)

@maddog15

Nice job ... liked the winter "feel" to your grade.

@rNeil @matt_gh2 Thanks guys. I really appreciate the feedback. Good and Bad!