Canon is listening. Will Panasonic Follow?

Nitsuj said:
It's not so much the hardware but the craft of cinematography and of course the direction that leads to memorable images in a film.
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You nailed it. It's those people that always see an amazing video and then go. ""I need to get the lens you have so i can get that great hard working look you got"" It's ridiculous; it's no different when the same lenses in Panavision's rental have shot the best movies; and as well have been used on the worst pieces of crap too. You won't here people who actually "DO" ever say. "" Man your last movie that won Best picture was so amazing that I need to get your lenses you rented so I can get best picture the following year. I mean come on. I have read this so many times on here with lenses. It's the Man, not the camera or the lens.

It's like this video shot using Canon FD primes.

http://vimeo.com/6942561

There FD primes, not the best, not the worst, however the reason this GH1 production looks good, is the Man behind the camera 100%; Not the lenses or gear!


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Ben_B said:
I've heard the sensor is native 60 which might be why 1080p uses a pulldown...
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That's impossible. There's no possible way of obtaining true 24p (doesn't matter if it's "24p native" or "24p in a 60i wrapper") if the source is 60p or 60i. Furthermore, the fact that the degree of jello changes as you change frame rate modes proves that the camera is scanning the sensor at different rates to achieve different video frame rates.
 
If someone doesn't support this, there's no need to knock the attempt. But I'm sure everyone will be in line to download a firmware update that offers any of the features we all are asking for, if they happen to get released. Correct?
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You're correct, but I don't think anybody is knocking the attempt for a firmware update, well I'm not. I think all that some of us are saying here is, this camera is what it is. It's not a Canon 7D or a Varicam or a DVX or whatever. It comes with it's own strengths and weaknesses, just like all cameras do and it's pretty pointless IMO, to expect the camera to be updated to try and match the specs of another.

If the firmware update doesn't come, then I don't think we've got much to moan about. 2010 looks like it's going to be an even more interesting year, judging by what is coming from Red, Ikonoscop, Canon etc. Maybe the GH2 is around the corner? Either way there are increasing options for using different bodies for different purposes and I would quite happily keep the GH1 'as is' to shoot along side one of these others.
 
JerryB said:
I understand what you are saying about talent over gear (this is no new concept). No one can open the box without any experience and produce Christopher Doyle images. I just don't understand some peoples stance. I think the overall consensus is that this camera is amazing for the price (why does this keep having to be repeated), but there are some features that hopefully could be added (much like canon did) that would make everyone's life a little easier. A firmware update with native 24p will not produce a better cinematographer, but it will produce a simpler work flow and possibly smoother 24p image.

If all the 5D Mark II buyers sat down and said, "this is the best we're gonna get and that's final", then there would be no manual controls or future native 24p. I don't understand why everyone won't rally together in supporting the possibility of more features. I don't think anyone would be making such a fuss over firmware updates for this camera if there wasn't a history of a similar camera getting them through consumer feedback (5d). The consumers had to RALLY TOGETHER to get them.

I also don't understand the "price" theory. The Mark II runs for $3500 new with the lens. With the new firmware update for 24p it seems impossible to find something comparable for that price. When you factor that the GH1 has a smaller sensor, lower bit rate, 4:2:0 color space and slower stock lens, I think it's somewhat reasonable at $1500 to have 24p native.

If someone doesn't support this, there's no need to knock the attempt. But I'm sure everyone will be in line to download a firmware update that offers any of the features we all are asking for, if they happen to get released. Correct?

I have not stopped shooting with the camera because there has not been a firmware update. I'm actually loving the camera more and more each day (the more primes i get) and only spending a very small amount of my time dreaming about new firmware for the camera.
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You are correct JerryB but you also must see the certain people that come to these forums to say "My paid shoot was messed up because of this and that" and are blaming Panasonic for not coming out with a firmware update. If the issue was known before the shoot and discussed at length then why shoot in those circumstances? Or the other people that are saying "If Panasonic wants to keep me as a customer they will listen" as if that particular individual is the main reason they made the camera. It's falling into the lines of "The customer is always right!" which I think is BS. There are countless times a customer blurts out something they demand but don't understand the actual process involved with doing what they ask. And it's not that they ask or submit a suggestion, they try to rally up people that they believe should think the same way they do. If you don't think the same way then oh my Lord you are insane. And then you have the others that simply complain for complaining sake. The cynical vortexes of negativity that have either failed at what they tried or never tried at all. So they must push their frustration out onto others that are trying so they can feel better knowing it wasn't them but the equipment or other circumstances.

See the thing is there is a freaking sticky post in this very forum about this very subject yet you have countless posts being started that ALL say the exact same thing. Which brings me to my original point of why does this keep happening? It's like I am stuck in a time warp and see the same exact thing week after week? So I should send myself the winning lottery tickets.
 
I agree. The point here is to see how the GH1 could be upgraded in the same way the 7D and the 5D where- through software. Native 24p and maxing out the AVCHD codec to 24mbs or 25 are theoreticaly possible through firmware. What we want is for Panasonic to be back to its older form and be king of costumer feedback and support.
 
The 7D hasn't been upgraded through firmware at all yet. And the GH1 already has been, slightly, they took the maximum burst FPS rate from 3.000 fps to 3.500 fps.

So if you're wondering if they can and will upgrade it, apparently the answer is "yes" seeing as they have already done so.
 
For the market the Panasonic perceives the GH1 is aimed at, and selling mostly into, would the kind of firmware update people here are asking for (people I suspect represent a smallish proportion of the camera's market) make any kind of commercial sense? We have to remember that Panasonic are running a business not a charity, and while fixing actual bugs is one thing, providing capabilities beyond the advertised spec which was in force when we put down our money, is another.
 
It puts the camera back into the news and on all the tech blogs...it's good from a marketing standpoint. Places might go back and review the camera again with the new firmware. Dealers have new information to use to sell the camera and might order more. The company will sell more...all with a product they already have developed, manufactured, and saturated throughout the pipeline...at no additional cost to them outside of developing and QAing the firmware...a fraction of the cost of developing a new camera, or allowing them to start to clear out inventory of the old camera in preparation for the launch of the new model...it could be great for them on a number of levels.
 
Ben_B said:
It puts the camera back into the news and on all the tech blogs...it's good from a marketing standpoint. Places might go back and review the camera again with the new firmware. Dealers have new information to use to sell the camera and might order more. The company will sell more...all with a product they already have developed, manufactured, and saturated throughout the pipeline...at no additional cost to them outside of developing and QAing the firmware...a fraction of the cost of developing a new camera, or allowing them to start to clear out inventory of the old camera in preparation for the launch of the new model...it could be great for them on a number of levels.
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Word(s)! :thumbsup:
 
Out of curiosity, is there a reason there's no 720p 24p? Or MJPEG 24p for that matter? It seems like that'd be a pretty easy "fix" if they don't want to mess with bitrates and AVCHD.
 
I realize this is getting beat to death, but... I'll beat a little more. I sent a link of the petition (plus request for 24p in 720 & 1080 AVCHD) to the Panasonic customer support representative maybe a week ago for the second time since when the petition first was posted. I got a response back today from Panasonic saying, in quote...


Dear MR ********

Thank you for your inquiry. Unfortunately this firmware is not available.
However this has been requested and hopefully will be available in the
near future. Thank you for contacting Panasonic

Thank You,
Panasonic Consumer Support


This to me seems very promising and maybe ends this forum with answering, "Yes, Panasonic is listening, there just not being very vocal about it." Seems like a pretty positive response.
 
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RUN! Zombie horse from hell! We just keep beating it and it keeps getting up! It won't die and now it's pissed! Aaaaaaahhhhhh!

But seriously I believe that is a good response. Thanks for sharing.
 
I think we need to limit what we want of Panasonic because requesting them to do to many things at the same time may prove to be problematic. Having native 24p output as well as some form of video output should be the top priorities. All I’m saying is have them work on those first.
 
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