GH1 vs T2i

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I'm specifically here because I haven't made up my mind - the gh1 has a lot to offer.

The compression scheme has received a lot of negate bad reviews from users.

To be honest, I don't know enough about compression schemes to really know the difference.

In the end, as long as one of the 10 shots I shoot (I shoot pretty close to a 10 to 1) for any given scene looks pretty, then I'm golden.

john
 
Ive been searching vimeo like a maniac!!! Checking out short films and test footage from all the dslr's. I gotta say the gh1 has the nicest footage im never bored on the gh1 forum. Sure some gems pop up for the 7d now and then but not enough. The flip out monitor is perfect for me since its a small budget. Heck im used to shooting 16mm and looking through the eyepiece. I make my purchase in april it will be either the gh1 or.....the scarlet? Checkout this awesome horror trailer i found on vimeo shot on the GH1.

http://vimeo.com/groups/gh1/videos/9995692
 
MadHMC150 said:
pete, I think you are saying dsrls are not for eng, event, etc right? I agree and that is what I use a "video" camera for. Which is why I vote GH1 if I have to use a non-pro camera.
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Yeah, pretty much. I suppose one could technically get away with using the 7D, T2i for that type of work. But if that's where a lot of my gigs were coming from, I'd definitely go with a dedicated video camera. Can't comment on the GH1 though having never used it. Sounds like it's better suited for that stuff than the Canons though.
 
lee caropolo said:
Ive been searching vimeo like a maniac!!! Checking out short films and test footage from all the dslr's. I gotta say the gh1 has the nicest footage im never bored on the gh1 forum. Sure some gems pop up for the 7d now and then but not enough. The flip out monitor is perfect for me since its a small budget. Heck im used to shooting 16mm and looking through the eyepiece. I make my purchase in april it will be either the gh1 or.....the scarlet? Checkout this awesome horror trailer i found on vimeo shot on the GH1.

http://vimeo.com/groups/gh1/videos/9995692
Click to expand...

Congrats on your GH1 purchase!
 
That footage was... not impressive. Massive grain. Some perhaps was added in post (it's clearly meant to look like the original TEXAS CHAINSAW), so perhaps not the best example.

I hate grain, and it was something my JVC 100 excelled in.

I look the look of the T2i footage I've seen - very filmic and clean enough for my purposes. But I'm weighing all the options right now. The opinions here mean a lot to me.

john
 
Hi jdv i think they were def going for that 70s grainy look. It looks like they shot with available light. Some of the shots could use some punch! back light, kicker ,etc. My thinking is what an achievment to actually finish a feature with this cam in a forest of all places! Its cool that we have so many choices!!!
 
For sure! The movie actually looks pretty sweet - I was only talking pure camera geek stuff.

john
 
jdv said:
That footage was... not impressive. Massive grain. Some perhaps was added in post (it's clearly meant to look like the original TEXAS CHAINSAW), so perhaps not the best example.

I hate grain, and it was something my JVC 100 excelled in.

I look the look of the T2i footage I've seen - very filmic and clean enough for my purposes. But I'm weighing all the options right now. The opinions here mean a lot to me.

john
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I owned a Gh1 and now own a T2i. They are both excellent cameras but the T2i is simply better. I mostly record in 1080 24p, here's what the workflow is like for both cameras.


GH1 = ( Final Cut Pro ) Log and Transfer to convert your files to Pro Ress 422, then you have to remove 3.2 pulldown


T2i = Convert Files to Pro Ress 422 and your good to start editing, that's one less step.


Gh1 uses a more compressed format with it's AVCHD. We all know that something that is more compressed looses image quality. The GH1 is cropped 2x as opposed to the T2i which is 1.6x, what this means is a nightmare.

GH1 has the advantage that you can record until your card blows up, but realistically I will never shoot 1 take longer than 12 minutes and even then you just press the record button again.

GH1 has the flip out screen which is a + and that you can also look inside of the view for excellent takes. This is one area where I give the + to the GH1. On the flip side you can connect an external monitor to the T2i for live record view and monitor like that which is something you cannot do with the GH1.

In a perfect world a great DSLR would incorporate everything, but as it stands you choose how you can. I hear this argument of the GH1 $800 lens, but the truth is it is from Panasonic which is heavily priced in the first place.

No way in the world would I pay $800 for that lens as opposed to some Nice Canon Glass. For that kind of price there is no reason in the world why the aperture is not fixed. I can achieve the same results with a 18-55 and 55-250 for half of the price = Fact.


At the end of the day use what you want, I owned a GH1 and liked it a lot now I own a T2i and love it
 
You obviously have made your point about the camera being great for YOUR needs...

Now for other people like myself.... who has a client paying them $$$ for their equipment and services... would never touch a canon t -whatever and and probably loose a client, $$ or both if I cut out a little footage every 12 minutes of an event, saw purple/green aliasing, couldn't focus on any fast moving objects, couldnt see my LCD screen when shooting......

Also no extra steps with 720/60p or 30p footage...

Lastly, GH1 kit lens is so much better then having to carry around 3+ canon lenses... Been there done that.

Both the GH1 and the T2i output SD footage while recording right?

Crop really 2x on the GH1? 4/3rds...?
 
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MadHMC150 said:
You obviously have made your point about the camera being great for YOUR needs...

Now for other people like myself.... who has a client paying them $$$ for their equipment and services... would never touch a canon t -whatever and and probably loose a client, $$ or both if I cut out a little footage every 12 minutes of an event, saw purple/green aliasing, couldn't focus on any fast moving objects, couldnt see my LCD screen when shooting......

Also no extra steps with 720/60p or 30p footage...

Lastly, GH1 kit lens is so much better then having to carry around 3+ canon lenses... Been there done that.

Both the GH1 and the T2i output SD footage while recording right?

Crop really 2x on the GH1? 4/3rds...?
Click to expand...

I also have people paying me $$, I just shot two videos this past weekend with the kit lens and made about $500 in a 1 1/2 days work. When you are shooting you carry a bag with you, so 3 small lenses is not that much.

Also you need different lenses for specific shots as their is not one that does all. Yes you are correct there are no extra steps with 720p, but for 1080p there is like I noted which to me is un-acceptable.

The Gh1 does not output while recording, the T2i does SD while recording. Yes the GH1 has a 2x crop, which is worst than 1.6x on the Canon. Ideally I would love to have a Full Frame and not either of the crops as they are both bad.

I have shot and worked on several projects, no client in the world is going to watch any scene for 12 minutes straight, even a wedding. At most I would set up a B cam and switch back and forth. Or hit the record button 1 second after and continue shooting....

Purple and Green do not exist in anything I have shot and even then you always color correct your video. + where did you get the strange thought that you cannot focus on a fast moving object? I am more than sure with your experience you know how to manually focus.

In the end I don't get paid by Panasonic or Canon, I speak because I owned and have worked with both. Regardless no more post from me here as I am basically sharing my experiences here.


T2i might not be a "Pro" camera to you but since I bought it I have already made my money back and have more shoots lined up now....
:thumbsup:
 
N.E.S. said:
I owned a Gh1 and now own a T2i. They are both excellent cameras but the T2i is simply better. I mostly record in 1080 24p, here's what the workflow is like for both cameras.


GH1 = ( Final Cut Pro ) Log and Transfer to convert your files to Pro Ress 422, then you have to remove 3.2 pulldown


T2i = Convert Files to Pro Ress 422 and your good to start editing, that's one less step.


Gh1 uses a more compressed format with it's AVCHD. We all know that something that is more compressed looses image quality. The GH1 is cropped 2x as opposed to the T2i which is 1.6x, what this means is a nightmare.

GH1 has the advantage that you can record until your card blows up, but realistically I will never shoot 1 take longer than 12 minutes and even then you just press the record button again.

GH1 has the flip out screen which is a + and that you can also look inside of the view for excellent takes. This is one area where I give the + to the GH1. On the flip side you can connect an external monitor to the T2i for live record view and monitor like that which is something you cannot do with the GH1.

In a perfect world a great DSLR would incorporate everything, but as it stands you choose how you can. I hear this argument of the GH1 $800 lens, but the truth is it is from Panasonic which is heavily priced in the first place.

No way in the world would I pay $800 for that lens as opposed to some Nice Canon Glass. For that kind of price there is no reason in the world why the aperture is not fixed. I can achieve the same results with a 18-55 and 55-250 for half of the price = Fact.


At the end of the day use what you want, I owned a GH1 and liked it a lot now I own a T2i and love it
Click to expand...

Yeah but if you don't want the lens buy the camera for $1200 and sell the lens, even if you get $600 for it you still got your GH1 for $600, or you can hunt for a body-only. Also that lens is great, some of my favorite things I've done have been shot with it. Some of my favorite unsung features of the lens are that it can focus very close (2ft at 280mm equivelant is pretty darn nice.)

Also I view the crop factor as a double-edged sword. Yes crop factor can be annoying, and it means you have to buy wider glass and use wider glass which means you don't get quite the DOF...but the crop factor and the short flange distance mean you can use a huge variety of glass on the camera, and it also means that your fast telephotos are much cheaper (assuming you just want the FOV.) I was using a Nikkor 60mm macro: on the GH1 it's a 120mm that can focus basically on something touching the front element. Freaking amazing. Makes things huge. While it's true that a lower crop factor is usually desireable it isn't always....and on a somewhat random note it's sort of nice to be able to easily calculate equivelant focal lengths :D

As for something longer than 12 minutes, you often need that for certain event, documentary, and interview shooting. Also lets not forget that the Canon sensors can overheat independent from the 12 minute limit, and screw you over.

That said, the GH1 and the 5D cut great together so I imagine the T2i would do the same...I could totally see someone utilizing both...and they're so cheap!

Oh, as for the pulldown removal, that's a pain in the ass...but it's not that bad. I really really really wish I didn't have to deal with it, but I am happy to if it means I get to use this camera and all its great unique features.

Also AVCHD and H.264 are the same compression scheme (h.264) just packaged differently, as AVCHD structure for the GH1 and as a .MOV for the Canons. The difference is that the Canon cameras have a huge bitrate to compensate for the short comings of the codec...which is great! It works pretty darn well. But technically your statement is false, to the best of my knowledge. Also one nice thing about the GH1 and AVCHD is that the file sizes are much smaller which means you can hold more on a card and it means that your archive is much much much smaller...which is nice but yes, I'd rather have more robust footage :D

The thing that annoys me most about the GH1 post workflow is the way AVCHD sequentially numbers clips which means you have to be very careful with keeping records of your transcoding on long projects or else you really won't be able to reconnect later if you lose your main drive...of course the HMC-150 does the same thing and it shoots amazing video as well....we just have to adapt to it, there are plenty of ways...you just have to be organized.

I really need to start quoting for each part I am addressing like Barry does :D

Oh btw, N.E.S., thank you for contributing a thoughtful post to the discussion. Glad to have you here.
 
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I know I need to raise my rates....... Sometimes though I just need to put some food on the table and help the local artist out. Also Ben B great post + I agree with you 100%.


Whenever panasonic releases it's new version of the GH1 I'm more than sure it will fix all problems ( which are few ) that I have with the camera, problem is I know it's going to be expensive ( $1500+ ).


Also I shot all day on Saturday and ( crosses fingers ) did not have any heating issues or did it even come to mind. So in the End I truly feel there is no better camera than the other as they are pluses and minuses to both. What I can say is that I am happy with the T2i and if in the future if there is a camera that would better suit my needs than I will buy it, but for now I am happy.

I'm Done here as I have stated my opinion, thanks everyone as well for putting in their $00.02. Now lets get back to shooting!
 
Thanks for sharing your opinions...

Its just funny when you refer to your t2i as the 'King of dslrs' like its a fact you can prove...
 
For 1080p recording the T2i is the better camera
All my clients expect 1080p, when I use to tell them we are shooting in 720p, a disappointed look glazed over there faces.
Although Im sure they couldn't even tell the difference between the 2?
Ive used both cameras, I think the GH1 is a very noisy camera, I cant stand the banding or ghosting.
I also dont like shooting in 720p, and I dont like the extra steps you have to take in post to shoot 1080p
With the T2i I haven't noticed any of the side effects, like miore.
the images are so clean, and perfect.
The 12 minute record time is not a problem at all, I mainly shoot music videos and short films, and I never have to record longer than 12 minutes.
Even when I shoot weddings or documentarys, I always have a 2nd camera usually an EX1 on a wide shot so I can always cut back to that safety shot in case I miss something
 
Daniel Carruthers said:
Ive used both cameras, I think the GH1 is a very noisy camera, I cant stand the banding or ghosting.
I also dont like shooting in 720p, and I dont like the extra steps you have to take in post to shoot 1080p
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If your GH1 is overly noisey then you're not using it right. The GH1's ISO ratings are different than the other cameras, therefore at ISO 800 it will be much noisier than a Canon at ISO 800....it will also be around 6.4 times brighter. As for banding, if your footage is 3-stops underexposed (8 times less bright then it should be) it's probably already unusable. I would suggest some faster glass. I've shot in available light on a street at night in a town with no banding.

I am sick of hearing about extra steps for 1080p. It's an extra step. What about the extra steps you need to shoot with the Canons? Like buying a Z-Finder, or going to the doctor when you develop back and neck problems from bending over to look at that tiny screen when you're camera's on a tripod.

Both cameras have extra steps...I'm just happy that for my GH1 extra steps (or rather step) means literally 3 clicks on the computer, whereas for the Canon it means having to deal with tons of crap like recording limits and overheating and ergonomic difficulties while shooting.
 
Relax people. You ask which is better and you're going to get emotional responses from owners. Neither is "better" it just comes down to personal preference.
 
I also must note that the T2i is NTSC and PAL, not sure if that is a plus or not but I guess would help if you are somewhere in the world and able to use both formats.
 
N.E.S. said:
I also must note that the T2i is NTSC and PAL, not sure if that is a plus or not but I guess would help if you are somewhere in the world and able to use both formats.
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That is very nice. Wish my camera did that, though not a deal breaker for me.
 
Ben_B said:
If your GH1 is overly noisey then you're not using it right. The GH1's ISO ratings are different than the other cameras, therefore at ISO 800 it will be much noisier than a Canon at ISO 800....it will also be around 6.4 times brighter. As for banding, if your footage is 3-stops underexposed (8 times less bright then it should be) it's probably already unusable. I would suggest some faster glass. I've shot in available light on a street at night in a town with no banding.

I am sick of hearing about extra steps for 1080p. It's an extra step. What about the extra steps you need to shoot with the Canons? Like buying a Z-Finder, or going to the doctor when you develop back and neck problems from bending over to look at that tiny screen when you're camera's on a tripod.

Both cameras have extra steps...I'm just happy that for my GH1 extra steps (or rather step) means literally 3 clicks on the computer, whereas for the Canon it means having to deal with tons of crap like recording limits and overheating and ergonomic difficulties while shooting.
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Im aware the GH1 ISO ratings are more sensitive to light than the canon
And for the GH1 I was using canon FD primes f 1.4 and f 1.8
Im more than capable of achieving a correct exposure with lighting
heres a link to my demo reel if you want to judge my work.
www.dancarruthers.ca

I just find the t2i gives cleaner images.
I wish I had some side by side comparisons, but I remember using both cameras in my apartments dimly lit hall way, and the GH1 was a mess at 640 iso
the canon t2i I went up to 1600 iso and it looked a lot cleaner.

Also to me the extra step in post with the GH1 wasnt a huge issue, but a lot of what I shoot gets handed off to an editor, and I have to tell him that hes gonna have to take extra steps in post before he can edit.
Most editors dont like that, and I mean editors not a 1 man do it all editor/director
Also I got a good external monitor for my T2i that solves the problem.
I found the flip out monitor on the gh1 to small and low resolution,plus you cant even monitor out!?
sure it cost me extra money,but its a good monitor I can keep on using on any HD camera.
I dont always shoot on DSLRs
 
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