GH2 official discussion thread

About the availability, I've asked Amazon France, and they've no idea about when the camera will be in stock. I guess I can abandon all hopes to get it before christmas.

Update: Few minutes after posting this article, Emmanuel Pampuri informed on his blog (http://pampuri.net/2010/11/30/le-gh2-nouveau-est-arrive/) that a store in France just got GH2! (« Pour les plus pressés d’entre vous la boutique de Photo Lyon Numérique a été livrée ce matin … les GH2 sont donc arrivés !!! »). Good news I guess :)
 
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Really looking forward to this :D Sicne this means, shipping to Slovakia may occur soon as well.

Thing I´m a bit worried about, is the price. Someone stated that a NTSC version costs 1500 dollars (with 14-140), and said, that´s a lot.
Well, so far, watching preorders, the price for PAL GH2 was 1500 euro, which is aporx. 500 dollars more tahn NTSC for no obvious reason!
Same story here with the Mac stuff (ipod classic costs twice the US price. But that stuff can be ordered from the US. Unfortunately, not the GH2 thanks to these idiotic unswitchable NTSC/PAL restrictions... :(
 
One store in Germany has on his website, that the GH2 will available in the 49th ween which will be next week.

We will see.

Vitaliy, do you think that this is the first batch of PAL GH2s will have problems ?
Or are these problems solved?
 
Sage said:
Taking a look at his rolling shutter example in the same review, it really strikes me a many times improved over the 5d... don't know why he likened it to that model. Its more on the t2i level.
Not perfect, but pretty good rolling s.
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*sigh* I don't understand why people just don't do a simple experiment to test the rolling shutter differences. Mount the cameras on top of each other, calculate the vertical FoV and setup the same FoV on both cameras (also making sure to get the sensor at the right position on both which is easy), then, just pan them fast in front of a surface with exactly parallel lines. You can then take those videos into Photoshop and easily figure out the angle of the distortion with relation to each other and develop at least a reference scale between models. This way, you can easily tell which cameras is faster and by how much.'

I plan on doing this with the AF100 and my 7D when I receive it, but it would be nice if others did these tests that have multi cameras. I checked the local camera shops and they do not rent GH1s so I was unable to try this myself.
 
grimepoch said:
*sigh* I don't understand why people just don't do a simple experiment to test the rolling shutter differences. Mount the cameras on top of each other, calculate the vertical FoV and setup the same FoV on both cameras (also making sure to get the sensor at the right position on both which is easy), then, just pan them fast in front of a surface with exactly parallel lines. You can then take those videos into Photoshop and easily figure out the angle of the distortion with relation to each other and develop at least a reference scale between models. This way, you can easily tell which cameras is faster and by how much.'

I plan on doing this with the AF100 and my 7D when I receive it, but it would be nice if others did these tests that have multi cameras. I checked the local camera shops and they do not rent GH1s so I was unable to try this myself.
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Excellent suggestion.

In addition to the above, be sure to test right-to-left and also left-to-right pans. Video from CMOS sensors typically skews less when panned right-to-left, so the differences (if any) may be instructive.
 
Peter J. DeCrescenzo said:
Excellent suggestion.

In addition to the above, be sure to test right-to-left and also left-to-right pans. Video from CMOS sensors typically skews less when panned right-to-left, so the differences (if any) may be instructive.
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actually, they skew exactly the same in both directions. The read/reset is a given fixed interval. I also wanted to add, use a clap board or loud impulse sound to align the videos as well.

I'd love to see someone do this with the GH1/GH2.
 
Borwsing the web, a question occured to me:
Do you think that GH2 3D photo ability and the 3D video inability is simply a firmware matter or its just simply not possible?
I´d like to know more about these things, but no one seems to be excited by this 3D feature at all :D

I know that it´s not possible to view 3D video and images for most of us (me included) but it could be quite interesting for example, for a client to make 3D pictures of their wedding etc. or someone who just wants 3D.
3D´s not that hot at this time thou, hopefully the (near) future will be different. Then the GH2 will have a "gigantic con". :)
 
Well... it's not common to see 2D pictures with good depths from good lighting. 3D pictures by noobs... no thanks. I read that it would take a special LCD and a pair of special glasses to take full advantage of 3D picture. Seems too costly. 3D video... I heard it's the hardware limitation. It seems too early about getting excited about 3D... other than watching 3D Hollywood movies.
 
Sorry if this has been covered previously, but does anyone know if the GH2 supports expanded focus during recording?
 
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Richy Lacey said:
Sorry if this has been covered previously, but does anyone know if the GH2 supports expanded focus during recording?
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To the best of my knowledge, no, the GH2's "MF Assist" focusing/magnification feature can't be used while the cam is in video record mode.

(Or, if it can, it hasn't been reported by early GH2 owners.)

Refer to the note at the bottom of page 85 in the DMC-GH2 user manual:
http://dlc.panasonic-europe-service.com/EUDocs/
 
Peter J. DeCrescenzo said:
To the best of my knowledge, no, the GH2's "MF Assist" focusing/magnification feature can't be used while the cam is in video record mode.
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That would be a real pity.
I've found from shooting with GH1 users that a lot of the time their focus is way off during due to the lack of MF Assist.
Kinda detracts from the benefit of shallow DOF shooting.
 
Richy Lacey said:
... I've found from shooting with GH1 users that a lot of the time their focus is way off during due to the lack of MF Assist.
Kinda detracts from the benefit of shallow DOF shooting.
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There's not anything really unique to the GH2 concerning this situation. Do any large-sensor HD cameras in the GH2's price range have live focus assist (magnified live image) during recording?

Meanwhile, the GH2's 1.5MP EVF is higher res than the GH1's EVF, and both are higher res than the new 1MP LCD on the Canon 60D (and most other DSLRs). For a less-than-$1K US camera, the GH2's hi-res EVF is one of its best features. With practice, pulling focus with it gets easier (but never easy).

Further, you have the option to use the GH2's live full HD HDMI output connected to a full HD res external monitor for critical focus. Or use a follow-focus rig operated by a skilled focus puller. There's no free/inexpensive technological fix for easy focusing. Shooting in-focus HD video is hard, period.

The good news is that the m43 format's minimum narrow DOF is less narrow than with APS-C or full-frame 35mm digital still cams. As a result, pulling focus is much easier with a stock GH2 than with APC-C or FF DSLRs.
 
Peter J. DeCrescenzo said:
There's not anything really unique to the GH2 concerning this situation. Do any large-sensor HD cameras in the GH2's price range have live focus assist (magnified live image) during recording?
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True, but it's a relatively basic feature that I can't imagine would be too hard to implement, and could make a huge difference to critical focusing.
 
Richy Lacey said:
True, but it's a relatively basic feature that I can't imagine would be too hard to implement, and could make a huge difference to critical focusing.
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If it were "easy" (inexpensive) to implement I would expect it to be common on cameras in this capability/feature range. Since it's not common, I suspect it's not easy or inexpensive to do.

I believe there are much more expensive cameras (with features otherwise similar to the GH2) which offer magnified live view during recording. All are welcome to buy them.

Meanwhile, I'm really really glad the GH2 has such a relatively sharp built-in EVF for so little money.
 
 
stonebat said:
For so little money? For less money! Amazon Japan latest price drop from 149,800 Yen to 112,500 Yen.
http://www.amazon.co.jp/Panasonic-%E3%83%87%E3%82%B8%E3%82%BF%E3%83%AB%E4%B8%80%E7%9C%BC%E3%82%AB%E3%83%A1%E3%83%A9-F4-0-5-8HD%E5%8B%95%E7%94%BB%E5%AF%BE%E5%BF%9C%E9%AB%98%E5%80%8D%E7%8E%87%E3%82%BA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%83%AC%E3%83%B3%E3%82%BA%E4%BB%98%E5%B1%9E-%E3%83%95%E3%83%AB%E3%83%8F%E3%82%A4%E3%83%93%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A7%E3%83%B3%E3%83%A0%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%83%BC%E4%B8%80%E7%9C%BC-DMC-GH2H-K/dp/B0043XY8QC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291164141&sr=8-1
That's 25% price drop from the initial retail price. 25% price drop from $1499. You do the math.
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Very nice!
That's only 835€ with the 14-42mm. It'll never be that cheap in Europe, but here's hoping it indicates an international improvement in price.
 
Peter J. DeCrescenzo said:
If it were "easy" (inexpensive) to implement I would expect it to be common on cameras in this capability/feature range. Since it's not common, I suspect it's not easy or inexpensive to do.

I believe there are much more expensive cameras (with features otherwise similar to the GH2) which offer magnified live view during recording. All are welcome to buy them.

Meanwhile, I'm really really glad the GH2 has such a relatively sharp built-in EVF for so little money.
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A fixed position EVF isn't always the most practical thing to work with on shoots.

Guess I'm just spoilt with the always available MF Assist on my HMC151 :)
 
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