GH2 Almost ready to buy a GH2 - but a few questions first

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djkoz

Well-known member
I am about to invest in a new video camera and I am giving serious consideration to the Panasonic GH2. However, I have a few questions I need answered before I decide if this camera is the right one for me. If you have extensive experience with this camera and are able to answer even some of these questions I would appreciate it.


  1. Do I have to be concerned about a brand new model GH2 having modified firmware that would prevent the implementation of the hack?
  2. Is it worth buying the kit lens, Lumix 14-42mm? What lenses would you recommend? Does autofocus work with them?
  3. If I shoot using the hack, does Premier and/or Vegas natively handle the video?
  4. Is the auto focus good enough to use if videoing moving objects, such as cars, birds, actors or a band
  5. How long can I continuously record (assuming I don’t run out of space on the SD card) before the camera starts to overheat or causes other problems. I may periodically have the need to record a long lecture or a concert.
  6. Is the GH2 capable of slow motion and time lapse video?
  7. It is my understanding that when using the hack the GH2 is capable of capturing broadcast quality video. Is this correct?
  8. My understanding is that when used with a hack and the audio is fed into the GH2 from the Zoom H4N you get professional quality sound that is synced to the video. Is this correct?

Thanks very much for your help.

Dan
 
djkoz said:
I am about to invest in a new video camera and I am giving serious consideration to the Panasonic GH2. However, I have a few questions I need answered before I decide if this camera is the right one for me. If you have extensive experience with this camera and are able to answer even some of these questions I would appreciate it.


  1. Do I have to be concerned about a brand new model GH2 having modified firmware that would prevent the implementation of the hack?
  2. Is it worth buying the kit lens, Lumix 14-42mm? What lenses would you recommend? Does autofocus work with them?
  3. If I shoot using the hack, does Premier and/or Vegas natively handle the video?
  4. Is the auto focus good enough to use if videoing moving objects, such as cars, birds, actors or a band
  5. How long can I continuously record (assuming I don’t run out of space on the SD card) before the camera starts to overheat or causes other problems. I may periodically have the need to record a long lecture or a concert.
  6. Is the GH2 capable of slow motion and time lapse video?
  7. It is my understanding that when using the hack the GH2 is capable of capturing broadcast quality video. Is this correct?
  8. My understanding is that when used with a hack and the audio is fed into the GH2 from the Zoom H4N you get professional quality sound that is synced to the video. Is this correct?

Thanks very much for your help.

Dan
Click to expand...

No it's not.
 
I am about to invest in a new video camera and I am giving serious consideration to the Panasonic GH2. However, I have a few questions I need answered before I decide if this camera is the right one for me. If you have extensive experience with this camera and are able to answer even some of these questions I would appreciate it.
1. Do I have to be concerned about a brand new model GH2 having modified firmware that would prevent the implementation of the hack?
No. Panasonic tried that with the GH1 and Vitaliy broke the block. I think they have figured out that the hack actually sells cameras for them, so they have not tried to block it on the GH2. They did a firmware upgrade for all GH2s a month ago and Vitality has hacked that too. We all owe a real debt of gratitude to Vitaliy.
​

2. Is it worth buying the kit lens, Lumix 14-42mm? What lenses would you recommend? Does autofocus work with them?

Yes, the kit lens is worth it (they're almost giving it away for free - $900 body-only at Amazon, $900 with the 14-42 at Unique Photo). And yes, the autofocus works with it. On which lenses I recommend - that will depend on your requirements. Some people swear by inexpensive old Nikon or Canon FD glass and manual focus and aperture, but it sounds like you need autofocus, so I suggest you stick with micro 4/3 or 4/3 system lenses (with a $106 4/3 to m4/3 adapter). I think that Panasonic m4/3 lenses are too slow (usually f4 and above), so I'm now buying old 4/3 system lenses. I have an old Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 for 4/3 I found on eBay and I'm looking at a used Olympus 11-22mm f2.8-3.5. I don't use my other glass much any more. The Panasonic 14-140 is not very good indoors without lights and my manual lenses are too much work.
​

3. If I shoot using the hack, does Premier and/or Vegas natively handle the video?

Yes. You can test this by going to the GH2 group on vimeo and downloading hacked footage & importng it into your editor. Several folks have made their tests available for download (e.g., http://vimeo.com/26839184)

​

4. Is the auto focus good enough to use if videoing moving objects, such as cars, birds, actors or a band?

Yes, it works, but...it's not as reliable as a camcorder. I have had the best luck with face tracking and AF-C (continuous), but it doesn't work very well for me in low light, even with the 14-140, Panasonic's best video lens. You will probably get a lot of passionate opinions on this :-)

​

5. How long can I continuously record (assuming I don’t run out of space on the SD card) before the camera starts to overheat or causes other problems? I may periodically have the need to record a long lecture or a concert.

The US model of the camera will record until the batteries run out or until you run out of memory on your card. Mine gets warm after about 35 minutes, but it does not overheat and it does not shut down.
​

6. Is the GH2 capable of slow motion and time lapse video?

The GH2's 720/60p resolution and frame rate setting gives acceptable slow motion (see: http://vimeo.com/18201199 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0XOkXotYbo). It also has a variable speed mode (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAXdT1znjhg). There is no intervalometer for time lapse, but that's a simple problem to solve with something like this $35 remote timer.
​

7. It is my understanding that when using the hack the GH2 is capable of capturing broadcast quality video. Is this correct?

JJ Labritakis' hacked GH2 footage is good enough for local news topicals and promos at the CBS affiliate in Sacramento, CA - see: http://vimeo.com/26660515 (intercut w a Sony EX1), http://vimeo.com/26792465, http://vimeo.com/28535496, http://vimeo.com/30831352, and http://vimeo.com/30832089 ... and the stock GH2 is good enough for the UK's SkyNews: http://www.dslrnewsshooter.com/2011...ear-with-the-panasonic-af101-and-gh2-cameras/
​

8. My understanding is that when used with a hack and the audio is fed into the GH2 from the Zoom H4N you get professional quality sound that is synced to the video. Is this correct?

Hacked or unhacked, if you use a $34 LN2MIC cable from the H4N to the mic input of the GH2 (and you remember to hit record on both the Zoom and the GH2 :-)), you will get two separate tracks - if properly miked, and the levels are set correctly, both will be darned good - but the H4N's will be better.​

​


I hope this helps, Dan.

Good luck with your decision - please let us know how it goes!

Bill
 
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4. Is the auto focus good enough to use if videoing moving objects, such as cars, birds, actors or a band?

Yes, it works, but...it's not as reliable as a camcorder.
Click to expand...

one of the biggest mistakes a DSLR user (especially a NEW DSLR user) can make is to expect their DSLR to replace or behave anything like a traditional camcorder. there are some shared areas, but for the most part they are different tools for different uses.

that when using the hack the GH2 is capable of capturing broadcast quality video. Is this correct?
Click to expand...
"broadcast quality" is kind of an outdated term. and dont let any hack of a salesman try to sell you a camera based on that term. though each network/affiliate/broadcaster has their own rules about what they will accept, ive been shooting for nearly two decades with everything from vhs up to the recent crop of DSLRs and ive yet to have anything refused.
 
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Honestly, if you're not looking to customize a rig, play around a little bit and "make" the gh2 behave like a regular camcorder, and just want something that just plain works out of the box as expected... you're probably going to be slightly frustrated. I'm obsessed with my gh2, but I understand the drawbacks clearly, and I make no mistake... this is NOT an actual camcorder. If you ever plan on buying a non-panasonic lens, be prepared to pull focus manually, following the subject as they draw nearer or farther from you. If you want to use the auto-focus/ focus tracking function, just be prepared to wait a second while it catches up to whatever you want to capture in a different focus plane, it's definitely not as quick or nearly as precise as it is manually. It's like buying a cheap car; you throw a bit of money at it, supe it up... and you've got yourself a vehicle that can hang 'performance wise' with cars that cost 2/3x more. It's fun and definitely worth it.
 
djkoz said:
I am about to invest in a new video camera and I am giving serious consideration to the Panasonic GH2. However, I have a few questions I need answered before I decide if this camera is the right one for me. If you have extensive experience with this camera and are able to answer even some of these questions I would appreciate it.
  1. Do I have to be concerned about a brand new model GH2 having modified firmware that would prevent the implementation of the hack?

  2. Is it worth buying the kit lens, Lumix 14-42mm? What lenses would you recommend? Does autofocus work with them?
  3. If I shoot using the hack, does Premier and/or Vegas natively handle the video?
  4. Is the auto focus good enough to use if videoing moving objects, such as cars, birds, actors or a band
  5. How long can I continuously record (assuming I don’t run out of space on the SD card) before the camera starts to overheat or causes other problems. I may periodically have the need to record a long lecture or a concert.
  6. Is the GH2 capable of slow motion and time lapse video?
  7. It is my understanding that when using the hack the GH2 is capable of capturing broadcast quality video. Is this correct?
  8. My understanding is that when used with a hack and the audio is fed into the GH2 from the Zoom H4N you get professional quality sound that is synced to the video. Is this correct?
Thanks very much for your help.

Dan
Click to expand...



1 - All cameras are the same, you can go from one frimware to the other freely, even back to 1.0 with no problem.

2 - I would recommend having a Lumix lens as a goto lens. Autofocus works even while recording.

3 - The hack doesn't change the recording format, only the quality within. There is a plugin for Final cut 7 to handle natively, FCPx is native. I'm not familiar with Premiere but hear a lot of people using it.

4 - Autofocus is good. It's like every autofocus, it pumps sometimes but nothing major. Totally usable.

5 - There is no time limit on the US version of the camera. The european has a 30min that you can remove with the hack. Video spans on good fast memory card. Some hacks don't span (high bitrates dont span) No overheat on GH2. You can use it for concert recording and will run out of battery before running out of shoot time. (PS: you can also use DC power or external battery like Dolgin plate)

6 - SloMo 30% in 1080P24. 60P in 720. Time lapse 300% 1080pspeed or longer with with a remote (still frame timer). No sound while using variable speed.

7 - It captures imager close to AVCintra quality, avoiding all kind of compression aberrations and mud. It is still a 10 bit for color space (already pretty good) GH2 have been used for TV broadcast and TV channels. So yes.

8 - Sound quality from camera is not ideal. It has AGC (auto gain control) which changes automatically. What you do is record on an external recorder (H4Nor other), then resync the sound in post with PluralEyes or other method. You can use the sound from the camera and plug a mic to it etc, but it is not good enough for a Theatre sound system. More for documentary style. It is not terribly bad, just not ideal.

Hope you will enjoy this new toy as much as I do.
 
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Post a reply to the thread: GH2 Almost ready to buy a GH2 - but a few questions first

Thank you all very much. This has been quite helpful.

Dan
 
My number one recommendation is shoot with the camera before you hack it. Everyone expects the hack to transform their camera into something magical leaving unhacked cameras by the wayside. Find out what you like and don't like about the unhacked footage and then pick settings that alleviate those issues.

So many people assume that the highest bit rate hack is the "only" one to use. They install it and then find that it doesn't work with their memory card, lens, or particular situation. It doesn't matter what the footage would look like if all you get are write errors.

Try one of the more stable settings before you jump right into the extreme settings. There is a very good reason why Panasonic doesn't allow their cameras to shoot like the hack settings do. It is called reliability. Reliability will always trump theoretical image quality in my book.
 
If you haven't tried the AFC with the new firmware version 1.1 then you are in for a VERY pleasant surprise when you do try it. AFC is not perfect now. However, it is completely and totally usable now. I sold all of my MF glass once the version 1.1 firmware came out. It is that big of an improvement.
 
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