GH2 GH2 Starter Kit

Z

Zero40305

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Im sure a post has been made to the effect of this, but im buying a GH2 in the morning and id appreciate some feedback from the community.

At this point I plan on getting the standard GH2 kit w/ a 14-42 lens. I also plan to get the 25mm 1.4 lens when B&H gets comes back in stock.

Im on a 1,100 budget (Not Counting the 25mm Lens) and id like to hear suggestions for cheap lighting solutions, as i can't pay for a 3 light set yet.
Also any lens, accessories, cages, mics, tripods. Not necessarily in the budget, but something at reasonable pricing that i can work towards as I do jobs.

I will be doing low-end commercial work (local commercial projects in ATL) with this camera, as well as my own narrative projects. I have been using an HV20 for a few years now...
However, I hardly used it during the last few years of college, as i could check out equipment from my school's A/V cage. I just really need a more versatile tool for filmmaking.
The GH2 seems to match my style of shooting, and it gives me plenty of range for the diverse projects i will be doing.

Any and all feedback on how i should build my rig up, or any tips for someone new to the GH series would be much appreciated. Thanks in Advance!
 
GH2, some SD cards, 3-4 batteries, Gorillapod (for tabletop and handholding aid), maybe a VideoMic Pro, a couple of ~$10 5-in-1 reflectors... at that point, your budget is blown.

Do you already have an audio solution?
 
I was planning on renting from a good friend who does audio rental. How terrible is the onboard mic if i dont want to check out equipment?
What would be a good mic to have as an all-purpose solution?
 
I would recommend the Olympus 12mm f2.0 lens. I held off getting it for the longest time because of the price, but I got it recently from ebay for $760 and it's a fantastic lens. Great for steadycam video work. The autofocus works well and the wide angle is nice to hide some camera wobble. And it's good in in low light at f2.0. I also have the Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4 which I use for photography mainly. Am thinking about getting the Olympus 45mm f1.8 but I think I will wait to see the quality and price of new but yet to be relased Panasonic 35-100mm X lens
 
Zero - Congratulations on your decision to buy the GH2. Sounds like the right choice for what you want to do.

Assuming a budget of $1100, renting your audio equipment, access to editing software, and clients who want smooth, in focus, well-lit pro video and sound, I would start with:

GH2 w 14-42 - $900 - high resolution shallow depth of field video with fast autofocus in video mode - unlimited video clip length, no overheating

Tripod w fluid head - $119 - steady shots with smooth pans

3 light umbrella kit - $60 - you'll need this indoors to supplement the relatively slow 14-42 lens, at least until you can put together the $600 for your 25/1.4

As soon as I could, I would start putting together my audio kit. I started with an inexpensive Azden camera mounted mic and a Zoom H1 external recorder, but if I had to do it all aver again, I would start with a wireless mic. For recording actors/talent voices, nothing beats a lav, in my opinion. Straight into the GH2, a wireless lav sounds just fine.

Best value for money is the Audio Technica VHF with lav mic for $130. You'll also need an $8 mono to stereo adapter and a $6 3.5mm to 2.5mm adapter.

Hope this is useful - good luck with your decision!

Bill
 
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One comment suggested a lavalier mic. That's not a bad idea. It's key to remember that for commercial and narrative work, get your microphone close to your talent's mouth (~18"). Even if you're shooting by yourself, for a seated interview (or talking head) you can purchase an inexpensive mic stand with a boom (e.g., http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MicStdFBoomL/ ) and suspend your mic just out of sight of the camera. This will give you better sound even with a low cost microphone, than a camera mounted $1000 microphone that's 10 or more feet away from your talent.

Good luck.
 
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