GH2 Deficiencies - A list of findings

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jraphael

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Howdy Folks,

I'm the relatively happy owner of a new GH2 and lots of auxiliary goodies.

In course of learning this machine I have also learned of some aggravating defects and wanted to share a simple list. Please feel free to add to this list if you have used the GH2 and learned of more issues.

NOTE: If these bother you, I suggest you fill in a complaint with Panasonic CS. Just tell them to fix the bugs in their firmware.

do that here: http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/support/Contact-Us.2

Anyways:

HDMI

* Only outputs at 1080i.
Nothing else. It doesn't matter what your settings are. In fact it will change your settings if you use it.

* When Connected, Disables 720p
If you connect HDMI, it disables 720p. In fact, it disables the entire REC. MENU menu. This means that if you have HDMI connected you can only record in 1080i and 1808p 24fps (Manual and Cinema Modes respectively)
NOTE: This is pretty annoying if you are trying to shoot and monitor slow motion.

* Disables EX. TELE CONVERSION if connected
Nuff said.

GAMMA SHIFT
There's an annoying gamma shift when you actual start recording. Basically you lose contrast and can suddenly see way more shadow detail. It also seems to go a bit greener.

Hope this helps you. If you've got a bug to share please do so.

I'm hoping we get an firmware update soon (which will also help along Vitaly's project).
 
These aren't bugs, Panasonic implemented these for a reason. But it's always good to let them know what you're not excited about with the camera.
 
There's no gamma shift. It's just the difference between live view and the higher quality of recording. Not a bug to me. Every camera has limitations. Creativity is not just an aspect of art but an aspect of using the tools you are given to make what you want or what a client wants.
 
Personally, I don't find yet another list of "so called" deficiencies helpful.

What would be wrong with a "Here is how I created a great image today with my GH2" list?
 
Yeah that's an awful lot of nitpicking for a $1K camera that shoots such awesome video. You'll find those features and a lot more fixed if you pony up for an AF100.

Noah
 
I am convinced that the GH-2 camera displays have 2 modes:

"Monitor Mode" : Which is always displays a bright image no matter how you've set the camera.

"Record Mode" : Which displays the actual settings you've selected to shoot with, which might be badly under-exposed or over-exposed depending on what you've chosen.

This is why the image can look great in "Monitor Mode", then you press the record button and the camera switches to "Record Mode" and things can change severely.

So rule of thumb is to always confirm your settings in "Record Mode" when starting a new set-up.
 
TheDingo said:
I am convinced that the GH-2 camera displays have 2 modes:

"Monitor Mode" : Which is always displays a bright image no matter how you've set the camera.

"Record Mode" : Which displays the actual settings you've selected to shoot with, which might be badly under-exposed or over-exposed depending on what you've chosen.

This is why the image can look great in "Monitor Mode", then you press the record button and the camera switches to "Record Mode" and things can change severely.

So rule of thumb is to always confirm your settings in "Record Mode" when starting a new set-up.
Click to expand...

Ahh (slaps forehead) the Monitor vs. Record make perfect sense. Thanks TheDingo!

Sorry if this list came off as bitchy. I think it's a really great camera, I just find it useful to know any piece of gear's limitations. I thought others might appreciate those limitations in list format.
 
jraphael said:
* When Connected, Disables 720p
If you connect HDMI, it disables 720p. In fact, it disables the entire REC. MENU menu. This means that if you have HDMI connected you can only record in 1080i and 1808p 24fps (Manual and Cinema Modes respectively)
NOTE: This is pretty annoying if you are trying to shoot and monitor slow motion.
Click to expand...

Huh... I didn't know this.
So my new SmallHD external monitor is useless when I'm recording overcranked 720p @ 60 fps?
 
iHartVideo said:
Huh... I didn't know this.
So my new SmallHD external monitor is useless when I'm recording overcranked 720p @ 60 fps?
Click to expand...

Short answer, yes.

I think the workaround is to rehearse and prep the move, then pull the cord during actual shooting.

Panasonic CS got back to me and basically said buy a pro camera if you want HDMI out. That's fair, but disappointing. I'm hopeful once Vitaly and company break open the firmware we can address this, but for the time being, slo mo is going to take just a bit more care.

Cheers,
Josh

PS the Small HD is pretty flippin' awesome anyways. Something else to be aware of is the scanning seems a bit slow on the HDMI out. i.e. the Small HD will make it appear as though the rolling shutter is much worse than it actually is. Just a heads up.
 
Lee Saxon said:
Which is the one and only reason the GH2 has those deficiencies, and THAT is the problem.
Click to expand...

That might be regarded as a "glass half empty" appreciation.


My view is that the GH cameras are affordable consumer video devices (and stills, obviously) that enjoy an indirect trickle down benefit of the technology developed for the specialist, professional niche cameras with large price tags. As a result, we get GH cameras that are limited but still amazing.

That might be regarded as a "glass half full" appreciation.
 
PJF said:
That might be regarded as a "glass half empty" appreciation.


My view is that the GH cameras are affordable consumer video devices (and stills, obviously) that enjoy an indirect trickle down benefit of the technology developed for the specialist, professional niche cameras with large price tags. As a result, we get GH cameras that are limited but still amazing.

That might be regarded as a "glass half full" appreciation.
Click to expand...

I'd be completely content and happy if the GH2 was actually limited by hardware or something. But the fact is that it's fully capable, so I feel like I'm getting cheated. Which also means, that if Panasonic needs to cripple a $1000 camera to make a $5000 camera seem viable, then their $5000 cameras are also seriously under-perorming. It's like a double-whammy wake up call that we're not getting the best dollar-to-tech ratio we could be... I really want to purchase a AF-100, but with the performance of DSLRs these days, I feel like I'm paying for 2-year old technology already, no matter how many "professional" bells and whistle is has.

I've shot on the GH2 and AF-100 and while they're both great cameras, I really like the smaller DSLR form factor and I honestly believe that the GH2 resolves more detail and has better exposure latitude. It's not like we're asking for EVERY feature the AF-100 has, just clean HDMI out for an external recorder... People would still buy the AF-100 over the GH2 for corporate/documentary/ENG work, since the form factor is more suited to that type of stuff, but we really need clean HDMI out if the GH2 is going to be called a "true-hybrid" camera.

I read a quote somewhere on here that the AVCHD 24mbs was the best they could do for the price. Really? Didn't black magic just release a uncompressed 10-bit capture deck with removable SSD slots for $350? And isn't the Ninja monitoring and recording direct to pro-ress for around $900. And then isn't the GH2 using basically the same codec? Why are we not seeing tech like this in these cameras yet? Does it not fit into their "product tech tiers" or something? I guess the AF-100 developed a few years ago, so I guess there COULD have been some break through a year ago that allowed these third-party companies to build these devices so cheap... but if the "next" AF camera doesn't have something like removable SSD drives or RAID CF cards for uncompressed recording then they're really going to run the risk of falling behind.
 
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And isn't the Ninja monitoring and recording direct to pro-ress for around $900. And then isn't the GH2 using basically the same codec?
Click to expand...

Forgive me if this isn't what you meant to say, but it looks like you're saying that the GH2 has the same codec as the Ninja. It doesn't. It uses a visually lossy, long-GOP codec, whereas the Ninja uses a visually-lossless implementation of Apple ProRes.

Dave Shapton
Atomos
 
cinemandude said:
I really want to purchase a AF-100, but with the performance of DSLRs these days, I feel like I'm paying for 2-year old technology already, no matter how many "professional" bells and whistle is has.
Click to expand...

Me too. I appreciate that we can get a camera as awesome as the GH2 for a grand these days, but that doesn't change the fact that there is no engineering reason they can't give us the AF100 for that and the AF200 or whatever for 5 grand. It's just a choice made to keep their R&D costs relatively low I suppose.
 
cinemandude said:
I'd be completely content and happy if the GH2 was actually limited by hardware or something. But the fact is that it's fully capable, so I feel like I'm getting cheated. Which also means, that if Panasonic needs to cripple a $1000 camera to make a $5000 camera seem viable, then their $5000 cameras are also seriously under-perorming. It's like a double-whammy wake up call that we're not getting the best dollar-to-tech ratio we could be... I really want to purchase a AF-100, but with the performance of DSLRs these days, I feel like I'm paying for 2-year old technology already, no matter how many "professional" bells and whistle is has.

I've shot on the GH2 and AF-100 and while they're both great cameras, I really like the smaller DSLR form factor and I honestly believe that the GH2 resolves more detail and has better exposure latitude. It's not like we're asking for EVERY feature the AF-100 has, just clean HDMI out for an external recorder... People would still buy the AF-100 over the GH2 for corporate/documentary/ENG work, since the form factor is more suited to that type of stuff, but we really need clean HDMI out if the GH2 is going to be called a "true-hybrid" camera.

I read a quote somewhere on here that the AVCHD 24mbs was the best they could do for the price. Really? Didn't black magic just release a uncompressed 10-bit capture deck with removable SSD slots for $350? And isn't the Ninja monitoring and recording direct to pro-ress for around $900. And then isn't the GH2 using basically the same codec? Why are we not seeing tech like this in these cameras yet? Does it not fit into their "product tech tiers" or something? I guess the AF-100 developed a few years ago, so I guess there COULD have been some break through a year ago that allowed these third-party companies to build these devices so cheap... but if the "next" AF camera doesn't have something like removable SSD drives or RAID CF cards for uncompressed recording then they're really going to run the risk of falling behind.
Click to expand...

I think you speak for many of us. It's that sense that functionality has been taken away that grates at you. That all said, the GH2 is an amazing camera with some amazing capabilities as is.
 
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