Barry's GH1 vs. T2i comparison?

http://www.dvxuser.com/articles/article.php/26

Assume '7D' means 'T2i', since the video functions are pretty much the same.

I thought there used to be a link at the top of the DVXUser page that said 'Articles', but I can't seem to find these now except through Google.

Summary: GH1 is better if you are doing 'video' type work, such as events and personal stuff, Canon is better for digital cinema, where you have time to set everything up. Note that the hack has reduced the mud issue considerably, so the GH1 is much more viable for cinema now.
 
I'm trying to do research on the two. They are the only ones in my budget right now, but they seem to be "similar" but at the same time very different in their pros and cons. I don't do anything but narrative work (features/shorts) and I'm looking for the best option for that vs. price/ease of use.
 
Well, remember, that article is a bit out of date now that the GH1 is selling (or has been selling) for $950, making it much less expensive than the 7D, and now with the hack the video quality is substantially improved over the 7D. At the time I wrote that, I had a real tough time deciding between them, but now it's a no-brainer, the GH1 is the superior device for videography and for most digicine uses. Only thing the 7D really holds over it now is the monitor output (which, if you need it, is still a huge thing).
 
Barry_Green said:
Well, remember, that article is a bit out of date now that the GH1 is selling (or has been selling) for $950, making it much less expensive than the 7D, and now with the hack the video quality is substantially improved over the 7D. At the time I wrote that, I had a real tough time deciding between them, but now it's a no-brainer, the GH1 is the superior device for videography and for most digicine uses. Only thing the 7D really holds over it now is the monitor output (which, if you need it, is still a huge thing).
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yeah, thats still a toughie.

I've personally not used a monitor alot as it is.. but thats still a tough one. Its like one of those things where if I had it I'd probably use it, but if I didn't something would come up where I'd need it and wouldn't happen.

I also read somewhere that the T2i/7d's would be able to produce a more cinematic image than the GH13. I have no interest in filming anything but narrative work with this camera, and MAYBE some music videos. No weddings or anything like that. Does that change anything? Also, how big of a pain is the pulldown on the GH13?
 
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Azmyth said:
I also read somewhere that the T2i/7d's would be able to produce a more cinematic image than the GH13. I have no interest in filming anything but narrative work with this camera, and MAYBE some music videos. No weddings or anything like that. Does that change anything? Also, how big of a pain is the pulldown on the GH13?
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There's no reason a T2i/7D would be able to produce a more cinematic image than the GH1/GH13. The only edge I can see them having is a tiny bit more dynamic range, but I think the overall IQ is quite a bit better on the GH1.
 
thisisapocalypse said:
There's no reason a T2i/7D would be able to produce a more cinematic image than the GH1/GH13. The only edge I can see them having is a tiny bit more dynamic range, but I think the overall IQ is quite a bit better on the GH1.
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We'll you've proven that as far as I'm concerned. Dispatch as well is one of the most cinematic things I've seen on here in a while shot on a DSLR. I know most of that came down to the lighting, which I watched a BTS video on vimeo from it and their lighting setup was very simple. We've used similar many times.

I've seen cinematic stuff done with the T2i as well, but its a smaller, less durable (from the looks of it) camera that doesn't have a flip out LCD.

let me ask you this. How has not being able to use an external monitor effected your shoot?
 
The Canon cameras give you more options to adjust the look in camera, giving you better dynamic range if that's what you want, or other changes. However, those are clearly built as still cameras. The reason my second HDSLR is a 7D is that I'm also a photographer, so I use it for that. And mud was a major issue when I bought it.

The GH1 is much more user friendly for video, has a lot of cool features of its own, and can use a wider range of lenses. So there's that. At this point I recommend the GH1 for your needs, as an owner of both.
 
I'm still in the dark about what the GH1 "hack" actually does for the quality of the video. Would someone mind giving me the rundown?
 
You can increase the bit rate to significantly reduce the compression artifacts in fast pans.
You can choose native 24p instead of 24p with pull down added.

In other words, it's a totally new camera.
 
It's not really possible to overstate how significant the improvement is. It really is completely night and day. It makes the GH1 totally razor-sharp and much crisper than the Canons, it removes almost all concern for compression artifacts, you can even use 4:2:2 in MJPG mode, and it gets rid of the 24p-within-60i recording, so it's native 24p, and you can also up the audio recording bitrate if you want to.
 
Oh wow, that is night and day.

One of the downsides for me was the pulldown, but I guess that solves that issue. So the only things left to consider are the lack of external monitoring, and the smaller sensor.
 
Smaller than what? It's almost the same size as 35mm cinema film. It's smaller than the 5D, yes, but it's nearly the same size as the 7D/T2i. It's 4x bigger than a 2/3" camera or a Scarlet.
 
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