GH2 Cake v2.3: reliability and spanning in 720p, HBR, 24p, and VMM at 2-2.5x stock bit rates

feha

I tested spaning on HBR/PAL works great ... Extreme HD video 32GB / 30mb/s Update: Also tested with Cinema 24p , it spans OK ... ETC mode spans OK ...

some screen shots below using Cake 2.0 Lens: 14mm 2.5 pancake Exposure mode A: Aperture control at 2.5 , ISO: auto, Film mode: Vibrant 0,0,+2,0 Dynamic contrast on (standard) Pictures taken from raw video via GH2 save image function, no grading ... I'm impressed, thank you for these great settings @balazer

safari

feha ...Amazing screen grabs. I would like to see the video..:)

feha

@safari, sorry i cant post the video, filmed this at home. But there will be a real video soon with other theme :-)

rikyxxx

@feha

WOW!!!

feha

Here comes another test video Video is waiting online on vimeo ... You can download raw mts at vimeo

GH2 hack, Cake 2.0 settings, HBR - 25p PAL ,Test Video

"GH2 Hack, Cake 2.0 settings from @balazer Lens: Canon FD 50mm f/1.2. Aperture: 1.2 Exposure Mode:M shutter speed: 1/50 ISO: 160 (controlled lights 2x ZDV-96) White Balance: Auto Film Mode: Vibrant 0,0,+2,0

HBR 25p / PAL"

rorykane

Gonna' enjoy a little cake tonight. @balazer Which picture profile settings would you recommend for your new setting? Thank you

feha

THANK YOU : @balazer Here comes controlled light, test videos

"GH2 Hack, Cake 2.0 settings from @balazer Lens: Canon FD 50mm f/1.2. Aperture: 1.2 Exposure Mode:M shutter speed: 1/50 ISO: 160 (controlled lights 2x ZDV-96) White Balance: Auto Film Mode: Vibrant 0,0,+2,0

HBR 25p / PAL"

balazer

Thanks for the tests, feha. I'm pleased to hear that HBR mode is working well so far. HBR mode is a challenge to work with. Of course it's impossible for me to test all of the conditions that people will shoot with, so I just need to trust that I actually understand how the encoder works and hope I got the settings right. :) Everyone else's settings that I tried I could crash within a few minutes.

rory, I don't have any picture profile recommendations for Cake. The encoder should be able to handle whatever you set. I use Standard -1,-2,-2,-2 generally.

safari, Vegas will blend frames if it is doing frame rate conversion. Make sure your imported media frame rate matches the rendering frame rate exactly. (e.g., 23.976 and not 24.0; 29.970 and not 30.0. Just select the presets from the pull-downs, and Vegas will use the appropriate full-precision value) Also, set the project properties to match, so you get an accurate preview. If you actually want to do frame rate conversion, the video event's resampling setting will determine how it's done: force resampling means blend frames; no resampling means don't blend.

feha

@balazer i like using Film Mode: Vibrant 0,0,+2,0 as it gives nice contrast and colors already, often less need for color grading in my videos and shooting purposes.

feha

@balazer, how would i apply only matrix form other settings as @driftwood ? what part of settings consist just matrix ? Would this destabilize Cake 2.0 ?

jam

Comparison of Orion Sedna AQ1, Gopzilla3 Sedna AQ1, Cake and Sanity

Not sure where this topic belongs. I, like many, are puzzling about which firmware to use for various purposes. To start, I compared these four firmware settings under typical daylight conditions with a complex subject, my spouses studio. Light: Mixed artificial and indirect. ISO 160, f1.7mm F20 Panasonic lens @ F2.2, 24p, 1/50 shutter. Film mode Standard -2-2-0-2. Ir and Ic off.

These are ungraded screen grabs taken from the source file in Premiere Pro 5.5, adjustments at all (no level, color, etc. adjustments).

My conclusion: For this kind of environment (good light, high detail subject, not too much contrast) the higher bit rate firmware gives little advantage for the non-professional. I have a much more demanding series of tests with a more challenging environment (high contrast lighting, large areas of similar color/texture, a reddish wall, etc) that does show significant differences. Also as Driftwood has pointed out, stock firmware is good as well.

Finally a note to the noobs like me: Be careful that you reload the original firmware or reset all options before you run PTools - you can (and will) get some very strange results if you inadvertently mix settings!

Thanks to all for these remarkable tools, of course especially VK.

feha

@jam thanks for the test, frankly I don't see much difference ?! "Standard -2-2-0-2-2. Ir and Ic off." Also where do you find 5 parameters in "Standard" ?

duartix

@feha : Using a higher quality matrix will have a similar effect to lowering the quantiser. Surely it can break it. Can it be counteracted by raising the quantizer? Who knows? You have to test. Is it worth it in the end? It depends on what they do... The matrix settings are found in "Patches for Testers\AVCHD Movie Mode\Scaling Tables"

balazer

I don't know anything about matrices. Knock yourself out. I'm perfectly happy with what the stock matrices are doing.

feha

@balazer , sure :-) @duartix thank you ... I am happy with Cake 2.0 for now and won't touch and mess with it :-)

jam

@feha Sorry -2, -2, -0, -2. I, too, saw little difference. After exporting the sequence and viewing at full resolution, the only discernable difference I see is in motion with panning. Orion X Sedna AQ1 matrix has less "judder" in 24p, especially at highlighted vertical edges, than any of the other firmwares. But, my video head (old Manfrotto) is not the best, nor am I (old as well) the best technician. I also filmed some movement (Gambel Quail) using ECT mode with the 14-140 lens and Cake yielded a very smooth and clean image.

Rambo

feha >re stock matrix> sure:-) ....Haha ..lets give Panny some credit!!

safari

Nice @feha ....colors are great ...I like your Gini rig too...do you use that with the GH2 also? I have one but haven't tried it with the GH2 yet.

duartix

@jam :

Using a tripod with fixing plates will give you a much more consistent test environment. Your shots aren't equally composed nor equally focused, making it very difficult to draw any conclusions at all... :(

jam

Agree. Frame grabs from stationary image, but focus point does differ. Should have picked one object to focus/frame on. That said, i think you can say there aren't large differences in resolution. So for me helpful as going on extended trip with only a laptop sans my 8 tb raid. Actually, the Manfrotto has a fixing plate, albeit petite (if you mean the mounting plate on camera). The rig is very stable when locked down, so vibration not an issue.

feha

Great, lets go out and shoot some real life video ... @safari yes i use it with GH2 ...

feha

I tested spanning on Variable frame rate 300% works great ... Extreme HD video 32GB / 30mb/s

leejb4

Any Updates On Cake 2.0? How are you guys liking it? Anyone have test videos shot with it?

oronce

I tested spanning on Extreme HD video 16GB / 30mb/s with Panasonic lens in violent movements. It spans for close to 50 minutes. it's great. I have a doubt. Being a pal country guy I tried HBR and Variable FSD 25p, my computer is old and I can't really check the difference. Waiting for the new computer! Is there a difference? Thanks and a great bravo to balazer who solved my duration problems. Thanks to every great tester & creator and hacker of this site.

duartix

@oronce : Unless you are using an extremely high shutter speed, violently moving the camera will not tax the encoder because there will be a lot of motion blur. There are 2 things that will tax an encoder: detail and non linear motion. Mix them both and it's better than a torture chart. Surf, grass or trees under wind are usually tough subjects...

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