GH2 GH-2 Best Accessories Recommendations

H

hollyburgh

Member
I just purchased a GH-2 after reading and seeing all of the awesome footage it is capable of making. I am hoping to hear some recommendations for the best gear to have for it. Cages, Matte Boxes, Follow Focuses, Lenses, Microphones ... Any and all recommendations will be greatly appreciated. Pictures and prices would also be helpful. Thank you!
 
The great thing about the GH2 is it's ability to accept nearly every old lens. I would suggest investing is this area first.
 
I actually just purchased the Voigt 25mm and I already see the possibilities! Such a fast lens! I am looking at some old lenses too, but the Voigt took a lot of my budget away. I will keep looking for more lenses on eBay.

Thanks for the recommendations. Any cages or matte boxes that aren't cheesy that are also affordable?
 
Depends: how do you intend to use it, and what do you already have?

My 3 best recent accessory purchases were a Sigma 50-500, Nikon PB6 macro bellows, and an AC adapter. Such things may or may not be of any use to you.
 
My intentions are strictly for Video; Independent Films and Music Videos mainly. I already have the AC Adapter, Nokton 25mm, Lumix 20mm 1.7, kit lens Lumix 14-140 and a few filters for the lenses. That's is it so far.

Are the Sigma and Nikon lenses recommended good for video, or more preferred for photo?

I am really trying to find a nice Cage, Follow Focus and Matte Box right now. All can be pricey... the ReWo Cage is super sexy but almost $700. There has to be something as nicely designed that is more affordable. I can't seem to find a Matte Box under $500 and I really don't know what to look for with a Follow Focus.

I come from the Film/Camcorder World and this is my first DSLRish camera. Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated.
 
I've been looking at the Proaim 6" cage and rail system just because it is cheap. I have no interest in a matte box so I was just looking at the basic cage set up then grabbing handles and a shoulder pad to add for those types of shoots.

I have no idea about quality but have read that the finish on these Proaim products from India is rough but serviceable. I will gladly trade some rough finish for hundreds of dollars less as I don't care about looks.
 
RatLabProductions said:
I've been looking at the Proaim 6" cage and rail system just because it is cheap. I have no interest in a matte box so I was just looking at the basic cage set up then grabbing handles and a shoulder pad to add for those types of shoots.

I have no idea about quality but have read that the finish on these Proaim products from India is rough but serviceable. I will gladly trade some rough finish for hundreds of dollars less as I don't care about looks.
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Thank you. I am looking into it. They actually have full kits and bundle packages. Not sure how sturdy they are. Does anyone have any experience with their products. Are they flimsy or strong and durable? They actually look decent and are reasonably priced.
 
hollyburgh said:
Thank you. I am looking into it. They actually have full kits and bundle packages. Not sure how sturdy they are. Does anyone have any experience with their products. Are they flimsy or strong and durable? They actually look decent and are reasonably priced.
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I've got the Pro aim cage. I chose the nine inch over the six inch because of a large matte box I needed the top space to mount a Ninja and an H4n inside the cage. It's strong and sturdy and comes with carbon fiber rods. The finish is not terrible either. Lots of config options. Good value for under $200 bucks.
 
holly - Good review of the Proaim here.

Right now, I'm shooting with a poor man's "rig" comprised of a $9 Adorama C bracket, but I am looking for a cage too. In addition to the Proaim, I am looking at the

1) $273 CPM Film Tools cage (review here), and

2) the $400 TRUSMT DSLR Cage Extreme (review here).


As a "matte box", I'm using a $50 Cavision square lens shade and a couple of adapters ($8 62mm to 77mm and $20 77mm to 100mm).


5439368387_94f89b5691.jpg

I'd like to use 4x4 filters, but real matte boxes are too expensive, so my next upgrade will be either:

1) a $125 wide screen lens shade, $20 77 to 105mm step up ring and $110 4x4 filter frame, or

2) a $120 Proaim MB95, which has a 4x4 filter holder and French flag, and an $8 step up ring from my 62mm diameter lens to 72mm.


Hope this is helpful and congratulations on the new camera,

Bill
 
Another option for your filtering needs could be the Cokin P filter accessories. They are resin, not glass, but if your on a tight budget they'd do and the reviews are pretty good.
 
brunerww said:
holly - Good review of the Proaim here.

Right now, I'm shooting with a poor man's "rig" comprised of a $9 Adorama C bracket, but I am looking for a cage too. In addition to the Proaim, I am looking at the

1) $273 CPM Film Tools cage (review here), and

2) the $400 TRUSMT DSLR Cage Extreme (review here).


As a "matte box", I'm using a $50 Cavision square lens shade and a couple of adapters ($8 62mm to 77mm and $20 77mm to 100mm).


View attachment 45837

I'd like to use 4x4 filters, but real matte boxes are too expensive, so my next upgrade will be either:

1) a $125 wide screen lens shade, $20 77 to 105mm step up ring and $110 4x4 filter frame, or

2) a $120 Proaim MB95, which has a 4x4 filter holder and French flag, and an $8 step up ring from my 62mm diameter lens to 72mm.


Hope this is helpful and congratulations on the new camera,

Bill
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Bill, thanks for the suggestions. I will look into these.

Heads up on the Trusmt Cage... If you read on the PTools site more in depth on the forums you will find some people that were not happy with how it fits the GH-2, even though it supposedly was designed for it some have had to put shims and other devices to level it. I was very interested in it before reading that it doesn't actually sit well because it seems like it is built very well and comparable to the ReWo for a lot less. If anyone should know anything different about the Trusmt please post. It's a nice cage.
 
Has anyone found a suitable Matte Box for the GH-2 with Nokton Voightlander lens? Most of the more affordable ones on eBay are not for 16:9 frame ratio. Can anyone recommend anything?
 
hollyburgh said:
Has anyone found a suitable Matte Box for the GH-2 with Nokton Voightlander lens? Most of the more affordable ones on eBay are not for 16:9 frame ratio. Can anyone recommend anything?
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You mean, there are matte boxes specific for 16:9?!
 
Yes, I have found some on eBay that actually give you a choice between 4:3 and 16:9. I haven't bought any of them so I only get this info from reading their description. Some of the brands I have found are Fotga and ProAim. Not sure of the quality of either and hoping someone can provide first hand feedback. They are not cheap, around the $300-$330 range, but are actually much more reasonable than some very high end brands like Chroziel... So definitely more affordable than those and they also have comparable features like 16:9, 2 filter trays and even a swing away for easy lens changes. They seem big for a GH-2 though and don't know how it would work with one and if step rings or something else may be needed to make them fit a GH-2?

I have seen other matte boxes on eBay as well that seem smaller and are less expensive. Wondering if they would fit the GH-2 better. But, the smaller, less expensive ones are not specifically 16:9 ratio. Honestly, I am not sure if that is common or not or even if it really matters. Do you know? Will it vignette if not 16:9? Or will it work just fine and they don't need to be exactly 16:9?

Any feedback from anyone out there will be much appreciated. I am hoping to make a purchase soon.
 
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