Low Light Streaks - Is my camera faulty?

ok, i've read through about 30 pages of this thread. Thanks to those who've taken time to look into the banding issue.

My new GH1 has some kind of low light banding.

BUT it is only viewable when RECORDING. It is a very visible red line going from the top to bottom about 20% in from the right hand side. It shows up always on ISOs above 400.

I can't see any line at all until i hit record and then in under exposed areas i can see this red line. It is viewable with the resulting movie clip.

Does this sound like a different issue?
 
i don't get it. never had a problem with banding, while others see it right out of the box. maybe the japanese models are immune to it.
 
Its pretty bad on mine, the red line is fine when i've got a well exposed image, but if i'm upto 1600ISO even on a reasonably lit room i can faintly see the red line. Thats as well as what look like darker 'smudges' or banding both vertical and horizontal. The 'smudges' are always there, but the red line is only there when i hit record.
 
nobbystylus said:
Its pretty bad on mine, the red line is fine when i've got a well exposed image, but if i'm upto 1600ISO even on a reasonably lit room i can faintly see the red line. Thats as well as what look like darker 'smudges' or banding both vertical and horizontal. The 'smudges' are always there, but the red line is only there when i hit record.
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it's 1600iso man. why? that's just recipe for banding at that high of an iso.
 
I only went up to 1600 so i could see how bad the RED LINE gets, but i can see it as low as ISO 400 if its an underexposed shot. 'Banding' on the other hand, goes away completely if i'm under around 800 ISO.
 
Red line sounds like a sensor defect independent from banding, in which case you should send it back...how about posting some screen grabs here?
 
Ben_B said:
Red line sounds like a sensor defect independent from banding, in which case you should send it back...how about posting some screen grabs here?
Click to expand...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40538854@N08/4151029836/sizes/o/

You can see it on the right hand side, a vertical line. IT ONLY APPEARS WHEN I HIT RECORD. The other faint 'banding' you can see in this shot i can cope with but this red line is bothersome.

This shot is of my wall at ISO 1600, Shutter 300 (so as to make it dark) using the kit lens, but i also get this when using my FD glass.

I would send it back but i'm about to go away for a month travelling (and filming) and bought the camera now so i could use it while i was away.
 
ok, good to know.

I was given an extended warranty so i guess it could wait until i get back from travelling but i'd kind of prefer to have it fixed before i go. How long does anyone think it'd take panasonic to replace/fix this?
 
Search for posts by designbydave here, I think he gave some details on how it went down. But largely I think it can vary greatly depending on your location.
 
my banding was terrible when new but over time has almost gone completely

I also found shooting low light with DYNAMIC setting helps reduce noise even with the newly found 32000 ISO setting
 
Mattsan said:
my banding was terrible when new but over time has almost gone completely

I also found shooting low light with DYNAMIC setting helps reduce noise even with the newly found 32000 ISO setting
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I'll have to give that a try then.

3200 actually boosts the EV so if anything it reduces the streaks - just void under exposure while your sensor adjusts
 
The shop i bought it from ("ASK" in London's Tottenham Court Road), were very cool and swapped the body for me. It now seems MUCH MUCH less noisy in the LCD screen when at low light, as well as the horrible red line now being GONE!! I'm also seeing a lot less of the 'banding' i was seeing, so maybe the sensor in my first camera was just all round pretty dodgy.

Thanks to "ASK" for being very cool and swapping the body with no argument.
 
Thanks to "ASK" for being very cool and swapping the body with no argument.
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Perhaps that's the same body which is being passed around all the people complaining in this thread! I do wonder (in general, not in relation to "Ask" in particular) how often returned stuff (apart from totally dead) actually gets sent back through the supply chain for repair, and even if it does, how carefully it's checked at the repair facility before being repacked and resold.
 
BANDING GONE

I was owner of one of the first GH1s in EU. I also observed huge banding, what I noted earlier in this thread. I sold that GH1.
Few weeks before, I bought new GH1, also PAL. I have installed most recent firmware. Few days ago - I recorded few samples in low light, the same room as tested with first GH1 I owned.

There is huge positive difference! Almost no banding at all, and that one that exists, is only in darkest areas, but anyway, is much more smaller than with my first GH1. It just doesn't bother you, as it was earlier.
 
sourcekings said:
feels like id take it back and get a canon 7d
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Not at all, feels like waiting for the next iteration. It is a ground breaking camera and I hope Panasonic takes into consideration the faults of this one and corrects them for the next one.
I would not change all the positive aspects of GH1 for a Canon one.
I love everything about my GH1, the articulating screen, the battery, the follow focus, the intelligent auto, the amazing lens with 10 times zoom, the size and weight of the body, the lack of mirror etc. The only thing I would like improved is the codec and perhaps a better dynamic range which i hear is already announced for the next sensor.
 
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