bubffm

Forum username: bubffm
Real name: Burkhard
Posts: 504
Active years: 2015–2025
Primary forums: Video Gear and Technique, Shooting Technique/Workflow/Editing, Photography Gear and Technique
Specialization: Panasonic GH-series underwater videography, Indonesian dive destinations

Community Role

bubffm (Burkhard) was a dedicated underwater videographer who joined Wetpixel in 2015 and became one of the community’s most active voices on Panasonic Micro Four Thirds video systems and Indonesian diving. With 504 posts across a decade, he contributed detailed technical knowledge on the Panasonic GH5 and GH5S cameras, Gates and Nauticam housings, lens selection for video, and color grading workflows. He regularly shared trip reports with embedded video from destinations including Raja Ampat, Triton Bay, Wakatobi, Fiji, and South Sulawesi.

Burkhard’s posts revealed a methodical, technically curious approach. He would test different picture profiles (Cinelike-D, V-Log, HLG), compare white balance approaches (manual vs. auto), experiment with diopter adapters on dome ports, and share his findings in detail. His transition from a Sony AX100 camcorder in a Gates housing to the Panasonic GH5 in a Nauticam housing documented a videographer’s evolving toolkit during the mid-2010s transition to mirrorless systems.

Notable Contributions

Panasonic GH5/GH5S Advocacy

bubffm was one of the first to post about GH5S rumors in December 2017, sparking a 41-reply discussion about Panasonic’s video-centric variant. He correctly anticipated that the GH5S would share the same body dimensions as the GH5, meaning existing underwater housings would be compatible — welcome news for the underwater video community. His technical analysis of the camera’s potential low-light improvements and the competitive landscape against Sony’s A7S line demonstrated deep knowledge of the video camera market (^[1]).

Sony AX100 Camcorder Underwater Use

His 2016 Raja Ampat trip report detailed first-time use of the Sony AX100 in a Gates housing, including extensive discussion of white balance techniques, picture profiles (“SoftHighkey” for Log-style grading), FixNeo DX3000 video lights, and the SAGA flip-adapter system for switching between wide-angle and macro on the Gates GP34 dome port. The thread provided practical, tested information for other AX100 shooters (^[2]).

Triton Bay GH5 Video

His Triton Bay trip report (February 2018) showcased the GH5’s capabilities with multiple lenses: Panasonic 12mm f/1.4 Summilux, Panasonic 7-14mm, Panasonic 12-35mm, and Olympus 12-50mm for macro, all with Nauticam CMC-2 diopter. The thread included detailed discussion of Cinelike-D vs. V-Log vs. HLG picture profiles at various frame rates and bit depths, and his transition to DaVinci Resolve for color grading (^[3]).

Lens and Port Configuration

bubffm started a detailed technical thread on using the Panasonic 12mm f/1.4 Summilux behind Nauticam 180mm and 140mm domes, discussing extension ring requirements and the limitations of Nauticam’s N85 port system for larger MFT lenses. His observation that “Nauticam’s N85 system reaches its limits on far too many lenses these days” reflected a broader community frustration with port compatibility (^[4]).

RAW via HDMI Discussion

In February 2019, bubffm posted about the emerging RAW-via-HDMI technology, noting Nikon’s strategic move to be first with ProRes RAW output on the Z6. His analysis that this could “catapult their Z6 right at the top for mirrorless cams to consider for video” and his prediction that Sony and Canon would be last to adopt the technology showed strong understanding of industry dynamics. The thread drew detailed technical debate from Interceptor121 and others (^[5]).

Activity Profile

• Peak years: 2017–2019 (GH5 era)
• Total threads started: 44
• Comments on articles: 10
• Forum focus: Video Gear and Technique (~60%), Shooting Technique/Workflow (~25%), Photography Gear (~15%)
• Gear progression: Sony AX100 / Gates housing → Panasonic GH5 / Nauticam housing → GH5S
• Dive destinations: Raja Ampat, Triton Bay (West Papua), Wakatobi (South Sulawesi), Fiji
• Top threads:
  • “GH5S Rumours…” (41 replies) (^[6])
  • “Raja Ampat on Sony AX100 4k Camcorder” (16 replies) (^[7])
  • “Triton Bay, West Papua with Panasonic GH5” (15 replies) (^[8])
  • “RAW via HDMI is coming!” (15 replies) (^[9])
  • “Panasonic 12mm 1.4 Summilux with Nauticam 180 and/or 140 Dome” (13 replies) (^[10])

Timeline

• 2015-09: Joined Wetpixel
• 2016-03: Posted Raja Ampat trip report with Sony AX100 in Gates housing; first trip with 4K camcorder underwater (^[11])
• 2017-09: Explored Panasonic 12mm f/1.4 Summilux lens for GH5 underwater use; transitioned from 7-14mm zoom (^[12])
• 2017-12: Posted GH5S rumors, sparking discussion on next-generation Panasonic video features (^[13])
• 2018-01: Confirmed GH5S dimensions match GH5, meaning housing compatibility (^[14])
• 2018-02: Published Triton Bay trip report with GH5 and four different lenses (^[15])
• 2019-02: Discussed RAW via HDMI technology and implications for underwater video (^[16])
• 2025-10: Last recorded activity on Wetpixel