GH2 will _not_ included in Zacuto's 2011 Great Camera Shootout!?!

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Peter J. DeCrescenzo

Peter J. DeCrescenzo

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According to this detailed post by Zacuto's Steve Weiss, the new 2011 Great Camera Shootout will _not_ include a GH2:
http://reduser.net/forum/showpost.php?p=720659&postcount=39

No explanation is given for this omission. I hope the GH2 is not mentioned in Steve's post simply by mistake, a typo.

According to Steve, the following cameras are included in the 2011 GCS tests: "35mm film, Arri Alexa, Weiscam, Sony F35, Phantom, RED One MX, Sony F3, Panasonic AF100, Canon 5D, 1D and Nikon D7000".

It appears the 2011 GCS tests were performed well after the GH2 started shipping in the US. Although the GH2 continues to have very limited availability, it's been possible to buy one in the US since at least mid-December 2010 (I received mine 12/17/10). And GH2 cams have been more readily available from shops in Canada & the UK for at least a few weeks before that.

Even if Panasonic's consumer products division declined to provide a GH2 for testing (and I don't know if Panasonic was asked, or refused, or not), why didn't Zacuto & Robert Primes ASC test one anyway? Even if Zacuto wasn't able to buy a GH2, it's not believable that one wasn't available to them -- even if they had to borrow one from an early end user. Heck, I would have lent mine to Mr. Robert Primes ASC if he had asked! :happy:

Especially given that the 2011 GCS will include Canon & Nikon DSLRs, the failure to test a GH2 is (IMHO) inexcusable. It would be fine with me if the test showed the GH2 to be a dog (I trust Mr. Primes & his staff to conduct a fair test), but at lest test it!

Grrrrrrrrr!!! :Drogar-Thinking(DBG

Steve, tell me it isn't so!

See also "Coming Soon":
http://www.zacuto.com/original-web-content
 
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I would also like to see the GH2 included. I do understand that the cameras they are including are all much higher price points, but price should have no place when comparing current popular equipment.
 
Maybe they picked a price cutoff point. Notice no 7D, or t2i, or 60D, etc. Panasonic does not have a camera in the price range of the 5D or 1D. I think they should have included it as well, as I think it would be a good test, I'm just guessing why they didn't.
 
I'm hoping the omission is a mistake, but I'm honestly not surprised. The GH1 was treated as an afterthought in the first shootout with no attention paid to getting the best image from the camera. Their tone toward the GH1 was also very dismissive. My point is not that the camera should have "won" the shootout (I love it, but it has serious issues), but that it was set up to fail. Also, I'm probably in the minority, but I find shootouts to generally be time wasters. It will get Zacuto some attention, though, no doubt.
 
ghosttv said:
Probably they are afraid of it. And they knows people who boughted $700 camera won't pay $4,000 for their junks. It's fine. Lol!
Click to expand...

Maybe. Definately an unpopular decision as GH2 is so far the biggest bang for money there is.
 
Top 10 possible reasons _not_ to include GH2 in Zacuto's 2011 Great Camera Shootout???

10. Sells for under $1,000 US.
9. Relatively large image sensor with a 1.18 crop compared to Academy 35mm cinema film.
8. Easily mounts pretty much any lens, including >$100K US prime cinema glass, either m43 directly or via relatively inexpensive adapters -- without any need to permanently modify the camera body.
7. Relatively high resolution built-in EVF (>1.5M dots!), obviating the need for an add-on LCD loupe or higher-res EVF in many/most cases.
6. Full raster 1920 x 1080 live HDMI output for semi-critical monitoring of most (but not all) shooting modes during preview & record.
5. Fairly clean compression in 1080p24 and 720p60/50 modes, generally not prone to artifacts when camera is appropriately stabilized.
4. Somewhat less moire artifacts compared other popular HD-DSLRs.
3. Awesome Extra Tele Conversion mode adds huge reach to every lens, with greatly reduced alias/moire & rolling shutter artifacts, and little added noise at lower ISOs. And stereo mic input w. level control, articulated LCD, full manual & auto controls, and ...
2. Relatively small, lightweight m43 camera body and native lens form factor. Never overheats!

And the number 1 possible reason _not_ to include GH2 in Zacuto's 2011 Great Camera Shootout:

1. Panasonic's professional products division delivered a suitcase full of cash to Zacuto to encourage them not to put the GH2 up against the AF100! :-)

Just joking of course!

But, will it float?!
 
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Rick Burnett said:
Maybe they picked a price cutoff point. Notice no 7D, or t2i, or 60D, etc. Panasonic does not have a camera in the price range of the 5D or 1D. I think they should have included it as well, as I think it would be a good test, I'm just guessing why they didn't.
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That was my initial thought. But the D7000 is comparatively priced, so there goes that argument. I think many "professionals" are just plain blind to any camera that isn't Canon or Nikon branded.

Their loss as far as I'm concerned.
 
Zacuto's Z-Finder did not fit the GH1 properly, and they have chosen not to offer a model suitable for any Panasonic G-series camera. I don't believe Zacuto actually expects to be regarded as an impartial testing organization and their omission of the Panasonic GH2 is consistent with their established marketing priorities.
 
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I was not happy with how the GH1 was treated in last year's shootout, but I have to say in this case I don't see a conspiracy. It's not DSLR-themed this time around, and the AF100 is the logical Panny choice to compete against the big boys. Can't wait to see how it does.
 
Talk about a snub!
Given that many would consider the gh2's image to be more filmic than the af100's, it should be in there most definitely.
 
Where do you get that the D7000 is in the same price category as the GH2? It's still over $1200 for the body alone. Don't get me wrong, like I said, the GH2 should be considered, to be honest, I would take the 1D out of the test. I can see the 5D since it is a FF sensor, but the 1D just makes no sense to me. If you are doing video, even though the 1D is cleaner, I don't see any advantage to using it over the 7D. I have used it, and I didn't like it as it was bigger, and the price difference didn't offer me anything I thought I was missing. The 7D worked well enough in low light for all applications I tested it on.

Has someone asked them? Maybe that is the best thing to do.
 
I loved GCS2010, and even without the GH2 I'm sure GCS2011 is going to be interesting (just not nearly as interesting).

It's a big time bummer that the GH2 isn't included, however, in my mind, this as an opportunity for someone out there. Someone motivated enough should go for it and make the shootout that we want to see. It's a hell of a lot of work (and it will be expensive), but I really hope someone jumps on this. It will be interesting to watch the uber-expensive cameras battle it out in the GCS2011, but it's still not the production that every single DSLR-video user wants to see.

The 5D mkII is a few years old, and the 1D is even older (if I'm not mistaken). I want to see the Great Camera Shootout 2011. The GH2 vs. GH13 vs. T3i vs. D7000 vs. 60D vs. etc. etc. etc. It's got to have the 35mm movie cameras too.

I don't have the time or resources to do this. I hope someone else does.
 
Rick Burnett said:
Where do you get that the D7000 is in the same price category as the GH2? It's still over $1200 for the body alone. Don't get me wrong, like I said, the GH2 should be considered, to be honest, I would take the 1D out of the test. I can see the 5D since it is a FF sensor, but the 1D just makes no sense to me. If you are doing video, even though the 1D is cleaner, I don't see any advantage to using it over the 7D. I have used it, and I didn't like it as it was bigger, and the price difference didn't offer me anything I thought I was missing. The 7D worked well enough in low light for all applications I tested it on.

Has someone asked them? Maybe that is the best thing to do.
Click to expand...

Since GH2 bodies are not officially available in the US other than from Panasonic themselves, here's a comparison with "kit" lenses.

D7000 DSLR Camera Kit with Nikon 18-105mm DX VR Lens - $1499.95
Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera with 14-140mm Lens- $1499.95
EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera Kit with Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM AF Lens - $3299.00


Addmitedly, the Canon lens is superior, but I think you have to agree that the Nikon is closer in price to the Panasonic than the Canon, even if you consider body-only costs.
 
stoneinapond said:
Since GH2 bodies are not officially available in the US other than from Panasonic themselves, here's a comparison with "kit" lenses.

D7000 DSLR Camera Kit with Nikon 18-105mm DX VR Lens - $1499.95
Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera with 14-140mm Lens- $1499.95
EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera Kit with Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM AF Lens - $3299.00


Addmitedly, the Canon lens is superior, but I think you have to agree that the Nikon is closer in price to the Panasonic than the Canon, even if you consider body-only costs.
Click to expand...

Wow, there is a lot of discrepancy of pricing out there! With what you have posted, I'd agree. The D7000 I was looking at were a lot more.
 
Lots of cameras are left out. I'm kinda glad because I don't want to spend 10 hours watching it. I guess it's not a camera comparison unless there are some calls citing corporate conspiracy and a group of people too invested in their gear to think straight feel unduly jilted. Last year it was the Redusers; I guess this thread will be this year's amusing read.
 
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