GH2 GH1 vs GH2 Question

F

francheezie

Active member
Hey everyone,

I'm getting back in the production world after a couple years working on another business, and want to see what people recommend when it comes to the GH1 vs. GH2. The last camera's I used were a DVX100a and a Sony HVR-V1U, and it would be great to record decent audio directly into the camera, which I believe the GH2 does. Also does the GH2 have live HDMI out? If anyone has a solid link to a feature/comparison list that would be great.

We're going to be shooting music videos, sketches, commercial parodies, and it would be great if I could DP everything without a s**tload of technical learning curve. Any insight would be awesome, thanks.

- Ben
 
I dunno about the GH2's audio ability, but it has video out. That's how you can hook up a ninja for better video quality.The way I see it is this: if you own a GH1, the GH2 isn't worth the extra money. If you don't own anything, GH2 is an amazing buy.
 
Have both a GH2 and GH1.

GH2 has:

1. 2.5mm audio in jack to record sound from external mics and other sound gear (Zoom, Juicedlink boxes etc.)
2. AGC level controls. Can't switch off, but can certainly lower the levels.
3. HDMI out: yes, but for monitoring only. At this point in time, you CANNOT record video on an external device like the Atomos Ninja. however, with the recent GH2 hack, you can get AVCHD videos up to 42mbps (IIRC).

4. Funky video codecs. For PAL users, no 25p.

GH1:

1. More "sensible" (for lack of a better word) video codecs, but also crippled AVCHD implementation, especially in 24p mode.
2. Stable, hacks have been out for quite some time so you know what you are getting.

3. No HDMI out. No AGC controls. You do get the 2.5mm audio-in jack.

Hope this helps.
 
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chinkster said:
3. HDMI out: yes, but for monitoring only. At this point in time, you CANNOT record video on an external device like the Atomos Ninja.
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This is absolutely untrue.

Where have you been? People have been doing it now for the last several months. I'll simply just refer you to the "HDMI Capture Problem SOLVED - AviSynth RULES!" thread.

EDIT: By the way...here is a very cool looking video by Martin Beek from a GH-2 / Ninja capture. Too bad it's not a Vimeo plus account. But I did happen to download the original file "before" it was converted to MP4 by Vimeo. Still..it looks great.


 
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In the dollars and cents department the GH1s are climbing in sales price as they disappear from the market. A month or two ago they were stupid cheap which made them the better purchase IMO. Now, the GH2 is the better bang for the buck as the price spread is no longer that large.
 
An important difference, if you aren't wedded to 24P, is that the GH2 in 1080i mode produces 60 (or 50) unique fields per second, whereas the GH1 is producing 30P (or 25P) inside an interlaced wrapper.

Related to this, the GH2's sensor updates twice as fast as the GH1's, so autofocus with Lumix lenses is faster, and the LCD screen exhibits less 'tearing' of the image when the camera is panned.

(Regarding 25P ... the hacked GH2 can now produce 720p25, however still no 1080p25.)
 
Ian-T said:
This is absolutely untrue.

Where have you been? People have been doing it now for the last several months. I'll simply just refer you to the "HDMI Capture Problem SOLVED - AviSynth RULES!" thread.
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OK, thanks, yes I stand corrected... IF one is willing to jump through the hoops to get HDMI out to recorders like the Ninja, then by all means be my guest. (Look at the 1st post in the thread referred to above. I read it when I first got my GH2... nothing much has changed in terms of caveats). Wonderful for hackers and folks who like to tinker, and in fact, in my younger (ahem) days, AviSynth would, indeed, rule. Now, I just want to get on with the job. So it's not for me, because I want to spend my time shooting and editing to get the best story I can. YMMV.

@GrahamH: thanks for the info regarding 720p25... good enough for broadcast work! ;-)
 
fran,

I have both cameras (unhacked), and the GH2 blows the GH1 away in low light.

And whether or not you choose to record it, the GH2 sends live HDMI out in record mode, the GH1 does not.

Not to mention the GH2's Extended Tele Converter (ETC) mode, superior audio controls, on-screen audio meters and brighter viewfinder.

Out-of-the-box, the GH2 is the better camera (it should be for $200 more -- the GH1 with 14-42 lens is $750 at Amazon, GH2 with the same lens is about $950).

These are both great video cameras -- especially with the silent autofocus on the 14-140mm lens, but there are some things you may miss from your camcorder days:

1. Power zoom -- still camera lenses don't have them - or even decent manual zoom ring stalks (you can buy one separately from Panasonic, though, for $30)

2. Parfocal zoom lenses -- the focus plane changes on still camera lenses as you zoom in or out

3. Headphone jacks -- again, standard on camcorders, but missing on these cameras.

Good luck with your decision,

Bill
 
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chinkster said:
OK, thanks, yes I stand corrected... IF one is willing to jump through the hoops to get HDMI out to recorders like the Ninja, then by all means be my guest. (Look at the 1st post in the thread referred to above. I read it when I first got my GH2... nothing much has changed in terms of caveats). Wonderful for hackers and folks who like to tinker, and in fact, in my younger (ahem) days, AviSynth would, indeed, rule. Now, I just want to get on with the job. So it's not for me, because I want to spend my time shooting and editing to get the best story I can. YMMV.
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True, true.. Hope I didn't come off as a but head. But you're right...that workflow isn't for everyone.
 
Great stuff everyone, having not owned the GH1 it's looking like I'll just go for the GH2. Better performance in low-light, live-HDMI preview (and recording if I really need to), faster autofocus, audio monitoring and more are definitely worth the extra $200-$300.

Thanks again, heading to Samy's to check this sucka out!
 
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