GH2 Deals...

[nyvideo]

As has been pointed out in other contemporary posts, if you Like Panasonic on Facebook right now you can get the GH2 with the 14-42 kit lens for $650. In my state they add ~$50 tax. BH has it for ~$750 with no tax.

Yes, there were great short-term deals late last year, but these are reasonable prices.

The question is: Do I buy one now and start using it and get FD lens adapters for all my 4 pieces of old Canon glass?

There's a lot of buzz about the GH3 being announced next week or in the next few months. However, it may be a year before that camera is on store shelves.

I know the answer before I even post - and it's what I would counsel someone: "If you need it now, buy it now. If not, wait. Something newer, faster, smaller, better (...) will be coming out tomorrow."

Hmm...

 

[Sol M.]

The price is not far off from the deals late last year. Sell the lens (since you're going with FDs) and end up with an even better price. The GH3 will likely be released late this year, but if history has taught anything about GH releases, availability will be incredibly low until about this time next year. The GH3 will be better in some ways, but it will still take a fair amount of time before it's hackable like the GH2, so the GH2 will still likely deliver better images for the next 1.5 to 2 years.

I would not be waiting on a GH3 if you plan to shoot any time soon. At the same time, there will always be sales (there seem to be similar sales every 60-90 days).

 

[Stroh]

also, if you do decide to invest in a GH3 down the line, you will have the perfect companion body to shoot with, 2 cameras are always better than 1.

 

[ChipThome]

I own three GH1s right now and am looking forward to the GH3. I popped on the $650 price tag, was cheap enough to get me going. I also am looking at when I get a GH3, the GH2 is more likely to be a better match, than my hacked GH1s would.

I am pretty confident a GH3 announcement won't happen until Photokina, just like the GH2. As others have stated, I also am anticipating supply to absolutely suck until well after the first of the year.

I popped on the GH2 deal the night it was first put up. Delivery then was 1-3 days and the next day it was estimated at 4 weeks. In other words, Panny blew through the stock on the shelves, most likely, far faster than they thought they would. This leads me to believe that unlike the GH1s, there will be no glut of GH2s near the end of it's production run. Two of my GH1s were built 4 months after the GH2 was announced. So Panny had a crapload of cameras to bale out of. This drove those blow out GH1 prices as low as $300. If there is no glut, this price point of $650 with a lens might be close to about as good as we are going to see.

 

[CRFilms]

I know, I got one GH1 for $350 then the next for $300....problem is now I feel if I don't get a GH2 for close to that, I'll feel ripped off. :crybaby: :tongue:

I suspect we'll see GH2 body's for around $500, maybe high $400 by year end, that's as low as that will go. I could live with that...I'll wait till then.