Canon is listening. Will Panasonic Follow?

Guys, guys this is ridiculous. You know what... the indie filmmaker community is only a tiny percentage of all the potential GH1 customers. All the others are photo enthusiasts, pure consumers. They don't care about all these issues. After I bought the GH1 two of my work mates also bought one, just for fun. None of them EVER talked about "mud" or "fixed" pattern noise or any other issue. They use the camera for what it is, nothing more and nothing less. And that's the main customer group of the GH1.

You got to be realistic about the importance of all your whining. It means nothing at all. The GH1 sells very well and I bet Panasonic is very well aware of all the issues and I'm also pretty sure if they can fix one or the other issue they will do it but neither MUD nor FPN will be fixed. And I can tell you why, because Panasonic knew about it right from the start and they accepted it. It was their decision to put the camera out knowing that it's operating at its limits accepting all the flaws it has. It was carefully considered as good enough for the average customer and that's what it still is.
 
the Gh1 was not officially launched in the US till July 09. Although, not incredible, 2 firmware updates have been launched for the gh1. yes, to lock out 3rd party batteries, but also a slower shutter speed and better autofocus for the lens. but whatever these comments are great.
 
they'll do what feels right to them according to their business plan. they'll listen, and they'll take it to account. but what makes more sense right now, re fashioning their existing camera that might very well have serious limitations they can't do much about, or concentrate on their next line of product that may effectively cut into this line of camera but give us what we want? they'll have their demographic they want to aim to, they'll do what they see fit with all our comments in their notebook. time will tell, they know they have serious competition, and even more down the line with so many other companies. how many people are really complaining and yelling at nikon? their d90 still sells, and a lot of ppl just wrote them off as they don't matter cause we have gh1 and 7d's, and 5d's, and 1d's.

i'm sure panny is doing intensive r&d to accomplish a lot of these things, keep their customer loyalty, and still maintain a proper business model that's kept them a successful company this whole time. just because we don't understand why the camera can't do something doesn't mean they don't for very good reasons.
 
Ozpeter,

The only market research I've done is...

A couple weeks back someone was selling a GH1 and adaptor on Craigslist (New York City). I already have a Gh1, so I wanted to know if he would sell the adapter separately. I then proceeded to ask "Just out of curiosity, why are you selling your GH1". He responded that he likes the 7D better.

Almost every other day there is someone selling the GH1 on Craigslist. Why would this be, when the camera has only been out for a few months? I might be making assumptions, but I'm pretty sure he's not the only one who is selling for the 7D
 
But they will just be trading one set of problems for another. They are both HDSLR's and they both have separate problems. Personally I couldn't deal with the added aliasing and no swivel out LCD myself but they are both comparable. What I find crazy to me is the number of complainers that bark the same bark over and over in all the threads. I wonder what the point is? Why not just send the concerns to Panasonic and stop repeating the same thing over and over? It's like they want the people that actually like the GH1 to come out and say "Alright guys, you got me, I actually hate this camera and I'm going to sell it. Silly me for trying to fool you." Not gonna happen here so why does it keep getting thrown on here? It's strange. I mean there are countless threads about this already so why are new ones started every week all saying the same things over and over? :violin: Some I think are just upset because they got a paying gig and once they did what others said not to they got pissed and started a whole chain of threads to feel better about their mistake. Least that is how it looks to me. Anyway... I'm off to work on my screenplay instead of saying the same thing over and over again myself. Have fun in this bash war. If anything it is entertaining to see despite it getting old. :kali::badputer::violent5::nads:
 
i for one wish panasonic would come out with a firmware update that makes the gh1 give backrubs. i'm so pissed off panasonic didn't include this feature. maybe gh3?
 
Car3o said:
i for one wish panasonic would come out with a firmware update that makes the gh1 give backrubs. i'm so pissed off panasonic didn't include this feature. maybe gh3?
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I dunno...that sure is asking a lot...maybe it could be done with a firmware update and a new folding out LCD panel with a slot to insert various backscratching attachments, we'd need an extension arm and a motor as well...but geez, they've held out on us so much already, I don't know what would get them to start listening to what we really want now...and of course, these upgrades should all be free and sent to all of us via FedEx overnight. I think you're being overly optimistic about it appearing on the GH3, I can't imagine we'll see this until the G6/G7...man we're all such suckers!
 
Oooh, here's another idea!

Get yourself a GH1, make a great film with it...truly great, push your limits creatively, work within the cameras limitation (this can often be a really *good* thing creatively), sell your film (as after all, it's going to be great) and then when the time comes to make your next film, you'll be able to get whatever camera you want...that perfect camera...which...doesn't exist! Can you believe that 35mm film cameras don't have lcd panels that show you exactly what the finished product is going to look like in real time? Can you believe that they use FILM that has to get developed? Then scanned in for editing? You've got to run dual system sound too! My God, the 35mm film camera makers are really running a racket! Somebody really needs to put them in their place!

Content is everything, would any of us care and/or notice if our favorite films had been shot on GH1s instead of whatever they were originally shot on? I'd bet you a fair number of those film directors/producers back in the day would have dumped their film rigs for just a lowly GH1 and thought it was the most amazing thing they'd ever seen...things will get better and better over time, but if you've got a film to make, you can make it today on GH1, and if its good, then nobody is going to care what camera you shot it on...notwithstanding the fact that the GH1 is a damn good camera!
 
Car3o said:
the firmware won't be out until 2010 fell. that's just shy of two years. boy oh boy.
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That's exactly my point. Canon is making an effort to communicate with their consumers.
Why are allot of you upset and taking this as a GH1 bash? It isn't.

The sad fact is, w/out a little noise, Panasonic(consumer side) will not do anything.

And thank you Barry for pointing out this is Panasonic consumer division issue, and not denying that they have been unpleasantly quiet.
 
thisisapocalypse said:
Content is everything, would any of us care and/or notice if our favorite films had been shot on GH1s instead of whatever they were originally shot on? I'd bet you a fair number of those film directors/producers back in the day would have dumped their film rigs for just a lowly GH1 and thought it was the most amazing thing they'd ever seen...things will get better and better over time, but if you've got a film to make, you can make it today on GH1, and if its good, then nobody is going to care what camera you shot it on...notwithstanding the fact that the GH1 is a damn good camera!
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Good point.

One that comes up again and again. One which is quite obvious really. But one not relevant to the discussion of bugs and the attitude of Panasonic towards these issues, which frankly sucks. I am not bashing Panasonic's know-how and achievement with the GH1 especially at that price point, but something stinks in their strategy to ignore customer demands for firmware updates. Either that or the demand simply isn't large enough.
 
But they will just be trading one set of problems for another. They are both HDSLR's and they both have separate problems. Personally I couldn't deal with the added aliasing and no swivel out LCD myself but they are both comparable. What I find crazy to me is the number of complainers that bark the same bark over and over in all the threads. I wonder what the point is? Why not just send the concerns to Panasonic and stop repeating the same thing over and over? It's like they want the people that actually like the GH1 to come out and say "Alright guys, you got me, I actually hate this camera and I'm going to sell it. Silly me for trying to fool you." Not gonna happen here so why does it keep getting thrown on here? It's strange. I mean there are countless threads about this already so why are new ones started every week all saying the same things over and over? Some I think are just upset because they got a paying gig and once they did what others said not to they got pissed and started a whole chain of threads to feel better about their mistake. Least that is how it looks to me. Anyway... I'm off to work on my screenplay instead of saying the same thing over and over again myself. Have fun in this bash war. If anything it is entertaining to see despite it getting old.
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+1 and one does really need a good sense of humour to keep reading these threads.

Panasonic just announced a new firmware update for the LX3, how long's that camera been out? Even if they don't update the firmware for the GH1, I really couldn't give a ****. The camera does far more than I could hope it to, considering the cost and size. What's more I think it's entirely reasonable to think that Panasonic might not have crippled the camera on purpose to protect the broadcast division, but instead, the broadcast division could well have been consulted to help create a small functional little camera, that can be carried in a small bag, can shoot in low light, takes pretty much any lens out there and let's face it, it's IQ can give a lot of far more expensive cameras a run for their money.
I personally think that most of us here are as close as we are ever likely to get to a free lunch and while there's nothing wrong with asking for improved functionality, suggesting that people have been somehow misled into buying this camera is a bit of a joke.
 
AdrianF said:
I personally think that most of us here are as close as we are ever likely to get to a free lunch and while there's nothing wrong with asking for improved functionality, suggesting that people have been somehow misled into buying this camera is a bit of a joke.
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+1

I'm producing my first feature (have done lots of shorts before in the pre-HD days during college...Sony PD150s, Canon XL-1s) with the GH1 this Winter, and up to this point there's just no way I could have done it with this sort of quality, this versatility, and this sort of money...this camera will give me an image good enough to compete with the big boys at Film Festivals, I simply could not be happier.

I consider myself fairly new to this all still, and I've been doing photography/video for 25 years, I've processed a hell of a lot of film, sat there digitizing video on old school Avids, used all the first generation DSLRs that cost insane money, and delivered pictures that looked like poop...all that sort of thing...and that stuff, which wasn't all that good...was still really expensive, and miles away from broadcast/hollywood quality...now we have an slr sized camera with iso 400 that acts like its 2500, can take any lens you can throw at it, and it costs $1500 with a lens, about $800 without it?

If you were new to digital photgraphy and hadn't put up with the pain of the gear for the last 20-30 years, I think I get that...but coming from a predominantly film background for still photgraphy and a vhs/vhs-c/8mm/Hi-8/MiniDV background for video, I'm just in absolute awe of how fast we've gotten this sort of quality, and at the price we're getting it. Just 10-12 years ago the early HD cameras cost 50-100k and you had to carry around 10 lb recorders in order to shoot...10-12 years later, we've got the GH1 sure, it's more compressed, but it weighs like 2 lbs and costs $800-900 for the body.

I think if you take a step back and look at the product life cycle development of these things over a period of greater than...oh I don't know, a year...say 5 years, 10 years (which really isn't that long a time) it really puts in perspective just how much these camera companies have given us in such a short amount of time.

The GH1 is as free as a lunch gets, in my opinion.
 
15 months? That's a long time to wait to have your dangerous 3rd party batteries disabled. :)

AdrianF said:
Panasonic just announced a new firmware update for the LX3, how long's that camera been out? Even if they don't update the firmware for the GH1, I really couldn't give a shi*.
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You don't care if they improve the product? Had you said that 20 years ago we'd still be shooting on Hi8 tapes.

$1500 is not a free lunch, not even to someone in America. African kids are still making movies their imagination. Now THAT is a free lunch.
 
If somebody that wants to make movies on the cheap doesn't even have $1500 for a great camera for the price like the GH1 then he/she should stick to pencil and paper and spend his/her time writing a great novel instead. It is a lot cheaper and as creative . You can write great things if you just push your imagination. In the meantime he/she can go flip burgers to earn the aforementioned $1500 for the camera and then start shooting blockbuster movies.
 
$1500 and it does all this yet there are people that expect it to do as much as a professional HD camera? I think the meaning of "free lunch" is expecting to have a firmware update that will add features with no additional cost. Bah here I am waisting my time on this thread again, off to sleep I go.
 
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