It doesn't work with an external monitor connected: I'm in AFS and a single press of the AF Lock button should focuses the subject and lock the focus.

I press the button, I see AFL on the display but the camera doesn't focuses. I shut off the external monitor or I disconnect the hdmi cable and everything works again.

The strange thing is that the setting I normally use for macro (AF-Lock: AF-ON) works perfectly. I found several post on the net. It's not the cable and not the monitor. Do you know if a workaround exists? I have the latest fw.

P.S. I forgot to say I'm a underwater videographer, so the camera is inside an uw housing hence no magical Jedi tricks as touch screen AF or manual focus for WA shots.

• Bird feeder (£3) - to make the frame. Length 33cm. Diameter 6cm (the cage is metal, but not too robust. I might replace it with a much tougher mesh from one of those metal mesh bins http://www.ebay.com/itm/190683027361)
• 2 round tea strainers (£3) for the FRONT and BACK end caps
• 2 plastic jars with diameter 6cm (£2) - I will cut off the caps so as to make both end caps of the blimp to easily screw onto the frame
• 300mmX200mm of Ultra fine mesh (£4) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fine-Stainless-Steel-wire-mesh-Insect-Reptile-Vent-Vivarium-/110876648077?_trksid=p3984.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DRIC.CFNPRP%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUA%26otn%3D5%26pmod%3D110876648077%26ps%3D63#ht_500wt_1077 This will be used predominantly at the front of the construction. Fine mesh will go inside the frame. It will be last layer that the wind will travel through, and hopefully by then it will be completely broken. I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE IF THIS FINE MESH WILL AFFECT THE SOUND TRANSPARENCY. I really need your advice here. PLEASE HELP!
• Micro fiber cloth OR nylon stockings (£1) - this will go inside the birdfeeder, after the fine mesh
• 6 Rubber bands (£0) - to hold the mic inside the bird feeder in X pattern
• 2 fluffy faux-fur lady's ankle warmers (£5) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300698800758 hopefully these are good, thick and tight enough fake fur to block most of the wind. I will just saw the ends of these fluffies together, to make them into "bags". They are 40cm long, so should hold the entire blip pretty nicely. If you can find any better material on eBay please post a link.

So what do you think? Will it work?

I'm especially concerned with a small (6cm) diameter of the birdfeeder, but I hope that adding the fine mesh should supplement that like in this video

Or am I wrong?

Based on cages initially built by hand, this next generation cage will be CNC'd and even more feature-rich than the previous generations, as well as incredibly light weight and well-balanced!

While the design is nearly complete, I am still open to ideas and suggestions people here might have. We addressed many of the issues often experienced with other cages on the market and added a few extra features never before seen such as a relocatable grip option!

What have been your experiences as they pertain to editing, grading, and graphics work? Is there a way to do this that's less hack-y (i.e. prone to user error)?

There's also a product on the market called the 'BizonBox', but it appears that it may be a case of false advertising.

http://www.atomos.com/ninja-star/

From the press release.

The dimensions of the Ninja Star are slender at only 3.5″ wide, 2.3″ tall and 0.8″ deep and it weighs a fraction of a normal recorder at just 100grams (3.5 oz). The Ninja Star can record in both HD and Apple ProRes to capture pristine, 422 10-bit images straight from any camera sensor directly to inexpensive first generation CFast media with up to 3hrs Apple ProRes for $250. It also features Timecode and Start/Stop Trigger along with Audio Line-in.

I am less interested in 4k 8bit 420 in H264 than in 10bit 422 in a codec that keeps more shadow information. I made my mind when I saw this video a while ago.

There's a thread regarding the type of card it uses: http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/10110/cfast-storage/p1

That being said, it's still 100$ saved. Is there any real advantage in terms of speed of an internal SSD VS one connected via thunderbolt?

also will editing on the internal drive fragment it? maybe that's a stupid question but it is what I have heard in rumor around the internet.

I'd like to record the audio on 2 separate (!) audio channels (Mic left, wireless right), directly in to the camera (GH4) If a audio backup is placed on a recorder that is even better.

For years I looked into stuff as the Zoom H6 / Tascam DR-100, etc. I like that the sound is recorded extra (as backup), but it is too much for a one mans show run 'n gun. I also don't want to sync in post. (as an editor will need to do that , and won't be happy with this) . I thought of the DR60, but it is big, complicated, bad batteries, etc. and I don't know if it can feed a stereo audio (separated) channel to the GH4?

So probably you'd suggest a Juiced Link / Beachtek preamp, because a pre amp is important, right?

But the GH4 pre amp (set to the lowest -12) is okay right? So I'd only need to get both channels in the camera. I found the Beachtek MCC-2, and didn't see anything here on the site.

What's your thought? Will this work for my purpose? Or is this not reconmended for a 'pro' . The money isn't the biggest issue, but the 'easy handy workflow' is.

My Pros: - no batteries, small, 3 hot shoes, (receiver, mic, light) - perhaps possible to put below the camera - cheap

Cons: - Would a pre amp be much better? - Mini jack vs (balanced?) XLR (would that be much better)

I also have a sennheiser shotgun with XLR, but it is quite big for the GH4. As the VMP already has 3.5 and sennheiser wireless also has that cable, that seems more logical (and smaller).

• Samsung SDI Battery Cell
• Can Choose 7.4V, 8.4V, 12V Output Power / 10,400mAh High Capacity
• Can Use Dual Voltage Outputs, 8.4V and One out of 7.4V, 8.4V and 12V at the Same Time
• $220 shipped

Price: see above
Shipping: Includes free shipping for US/Canada/UK/Australia&NZ/Western Europe. Contact for other regions.
How to buy this thing....

Seems like a more cost-effective alternative to the Switronix PB70 for those looking to power a camera and monitor from the same source, but I haven't seen anything written about this yet. Has anyone used one?

is it possible to get a surface pro tablet/laptop to be used as a monitor/external recorder? Would be a perfect solution as an external 10 bit 4:2:2 recorder/Monitor because has an amazing full HD monitor and fast 64GB/128GB/256GB SSD drives.

Any solution for this? Any ideas?

Thanks for all the response to my last question on external recording.
You have been great in helping me understand if it is viable to record 25p externally.

My research has since uncovered other methods, and subsequently other questions.

I've been thinking about HDMI output from the GH2, and conventional wisdom has it that the camera's output is good enough only for monitoring purposes. But there are some who argue that GH2's HDMI output is clean enough for recording, despite lingering red channel issues. Whichever way you compare it with MTS recording on SD cards, the images are invariably sharper and richer in detail.

Considering this, which method then produces better footage: hacked 25p MTS then transcoded via 5DtoRGB to ProRes 422, or external recording via HDMI to ProRes 422?

I am working in a 25p environment. Cheers