Newly manufactured GH-1 better than older ones?

R

raymondluo

Well-known member
I am told that since the fall of 2009, manufacture of the older GH1 sensor was transferred to the new Tonami plant to get things up and running there. Unforeseen circumstances resulted in a worldwide shortages of the GH1 at the same time period of the cross-over. These are now resolved and the plant is ready to produce the new GH2 sensor and other new Lumix G series image sensors. As a side note, I have noticed that newer stock of GH1s produce a slightly better image with less codec break up and banding than in the GH1's whose image sensors were produced at the older fab.
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eoshd .com/entry.php?29-Panasonic-engineer-reveals-workings-of-GH2-dual-exposure-sensor


Hmm now would that be true with you guys?
 
Can't say anything about sensor manufacturing but in general electronic components like new CPUs, memory chips and LCD panels are typically yielded with less faults after a couple of weeks/months when the manufacturing process at plants has been fine-tuned for the specific item.
 
it happens all the time. Industrial production of a model evolve with the time, even if consumer is not aware. Firmware, optimization, fine tuning....
It happens too that sometimes early models are better than the late ones, when optimization goes too far.
For example, it happens very often that first series of LCD monitors come with MVA or IPS technologies and get good reviews, and few month later, quality is decreased (lower quality panels) or even specification are changed (cheaper TN panel used)
if you used to fix stuff, you know there are revision number for everything (motor, printed circuit, electrical layout) and each revision is supposed to "fix" something (could be a bug or making the thing cheaper).
 
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thanks for that nosys70--but can anyone confirm if there is a concrete difference between older GH-1's and newer ones--in terms of lowlight issues??? I've got one of the first or second batches-- do I need to buy a newer one?? If the lowlight banding was signicantly reduced I would gladly pick up a newer one.
 
Low light streaks almost gone (barely visible), when in the same poor light conditions I had them in my first GH1 strong. Also in photos - ISO 800 became more useable.

Let other people who had in hands 1st part and 2nd share their opinion.
 
this sounds stupid, i know, i know panny is not going to confirm this at all, but if this is true and can be proven somehow, dont you guys think that panny should at least try to correct the issue for the people who bought that first patch of dslr's, its only fair..its a matter of how to prove it ..thats tough..to be honest with you guys, my whole issue with the gh1 was not the codec but rather the banding in low light..this news kind of piss me off ..
 
Well, I got the first GH1 sold here in Sweden in mid June and have very little problems with fixed pattern noise compared to other people's examples posted here so I think it's a per item issue.
 
i think the examples people posted were people that expected way too much or didn't know how to operate the camera. i've still yet to see the dreadful fpn on my grandfathered version gh1
 
Please post some clean examples from this new batch. Not that I'm doubting your results, only as Car3o suggested I think it's more that people learning how to better shoot to avoid underexposure and minimize codec breakup.
 
I have a GH1 that has noticeable banding. I recently bought it and it came with v1.2 firmware. i don't know what the manufacture date was, is there a date code on it somewhere?

The banding seems to be there all the time but is more noticeable with higher ISO, although even in bright rooms I can notice it on bland, neutral colored, surfaces at lower ISO.

How bad was your banding to begin with? I'm wondering if mine is considered "bad" or "good" in relation to yours.
 
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Ok?

Ok?

Car3o said:
i think the examples people posted were people that expected way too much or didn't know how to operate the camera. I've still yet to see the dreadful fpn on my grandfathered version gh1
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I get kinda upset when people said this type of stuff. If you haven't seen the dreaded FPN, Great. But the FPN is (rather "was", before I just sold the camera) a issue for me. FPN wasn't major when I use certain techniques, but it just shouldn't be there at all. Any pro camera video or photo I've used will produce a grain or video noise at it's worst setting or high ISO. Thats fine, thats expected. I love to shoot photos using natural light, the FPN does appear (even in daylight pictures, it appears) . When I shoot video indoors under low light (everyone has their opinion on low light) the FPN appears.
Again, it doesn't appear all the time, but to me it just shouldn't be there. Noise and Grain, Yes. But a FPN, No.
It's OK to have certain expectations in a $1400 ( for those that paid that much) when you can use a $200 point and shoot camera/w video and not receive that weird pattern.
Even those that don't know how to operate a camera, that's what the AI mode is for (way to $$$$ for someone that don't know how to use a camera, but some of those people bought it anyway, that's no problem). Even in AI mode you get the FPN.
Regular grain and noise will be fine, and expected, but that pattern should be considered a flaw. I also consider the GH1 as a DSLR camera with video.

No time to proofread, but hopefully, you know what I'm saying.
Oh yeah, I've used the stock lens (kinda happy with it), 20mm 1.7 (real nice in low light) and several Olympus OM lens 24mm 2.0, 28mm 2.8, 135mm 2.8, 50mm 1.8 etc.... ( those are great )

Just my 2 cents.

I'll probably watch this year of combo cameras and read allot of reviews(I'm in no rush, I'm still enjoying my Olympus E 500 and my Canon HV30) and buy a camera in Nov or Dec. I know this category in HDSLR's will be ever growing. I'm not the type of person to keep buying the next new model. If I spend a certain amount of money on something it shouldn't have flaws in it that cheaper cameras don't have.
2 more cents
 
I just have in hands small camcoder, known from well managed low light and cheap. Sanyo FH1. Final result in low light similar to GH1, but zero banding. Zero.
Just decreased resolution, the same as with GH1.
 
Yeah that's what I thought too. I've been messing with it according to the "burn-in" method that some people swear works and I'd say that I think it works too at this point. The color banding is almost completely gone at this point. Very very strange.
 
Svart said:
Yeah that's what I thought too. I've been messing with it according to the "burn-in" method that some people swear works and I'd say that I think it works too at this point. The color banding is almost completely gone at this point. Very very strange.
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yet another confirmation that banding is an animal.
burn those animals away!
 
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