GH1 Warranty Claims?

[kato]

I have a newer GH1 and am really having a hard time dealing with the banding. I started a warranty claim and wondering if anyone has had success with Panasonic?

Do they consider the banding a defect?
Do they repair or replace?
How long does it take?

I don't want to be without my camera for too long especially if they don't fix it...

[Sun]

The banding is normal and can be fixed post production.

[Lpowell]

I started a warranty claim and wondering if anyone has had success with Panasonic?

Do they repair or replace?
How long does it take?

If Panasonic's Texas repair facility handles your GH1 the way they did mine, they'll simply replace the main logic board and sensor, and send it back in about a month, no questioned asked or answered.

[Fool4UAnyway]

If Panasonic's Texas repair facility handles your GH1 the way they did mine, they'll simply replace the main logic board and sensor, and send it back in about a month, no questioned asked or answered.

Did they actually replace things in your own camera, or did they replace the complete unit, as you wrote before?

And is your repaired (or new) camera (still) hackable?

[kato]

The banding is normal and can be fixed post production.

It's not "normal", it's an issue. It takes an excessive amount of NR to remove banding. It's not as easy to remove as typical noise is.

[Lpowell]

Did they actually replace things in your own camera?

Yes, Panasonic repaired the original camera with a refurbished logic board that contains unhackable v1.34 firmware.

[kato]

...and when you got it back it had less FPN/banding?

[Lpowell]

No, it had a typical amount of banding both before and after. I sent it in for repair of the SD card slot.

[MR Fanny]

banding is a known issue so in a sense it is normal. it is as pansonic would say "within tollerance" so chances are you will be without camera for a period and not have much resolved for the effort. ways to avoid banding is shoot below 800iso, avoid underexposing, shoot in normal or dynamic in dimly lit scenes so saturation masks banding, use lighting when allowed.