GH1 Panasonic camcorder with the GH1

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pmk396

Well-known member
Hi all,
A guy and I have started filming live bands playing at gigs and we're both using GH1s. What we need is another camera (like a camcorder) as a third camera that can film away by itself for the wide shots. Can you recommend a Panasonic camcorder, or any other brand (under $1,000) that would match up ok with the footage recorded from the GH1? I'm thinking something like a Panasonic SD90 or something similar. Any suggestions?
 
How about a .. GH1 - that's what I use, throw a 32Gb card in and your good to go. You might need to change the battery or power the camera if you can't get to it.
 
Hi and thanks for the reply.
The reason that I don't want to go for another GH1 is because I'm looking for a camera that is smal,l compact, and can be hooked up at the back of the gig venue where, once it's set up, I can simple hit record and leave it to work away by itself. On my GH1 (PAL version), it automatically stops recording if it has been constantly recording for more than 10-15 minutes. With a camcorder, I can hit record and leave it there only having to check on it occasionally.
 
Hi bruner,
I'll definitely check the Panasonic TM900 out. I know that therer are a couple of variants, like the SD900. Thanks for the advice.
 
If you want to go super cheap you could get the TS3 and that's a waterproof camera. I have the TS1 and that's a great camera and I've intercut quite a few band shoots with this and the Gh2 and the HMC150. The only thing I'm not sure about is if the TS3 does 24p or not. I know my TS1 only shoots 30p, but that's worked for most of my stuff and at 200 bucks it's a super steal. Maybe check that out...
 
pmk396 said:
Hi and thanks for the reply.
The reason that I don't want to go for another GH1 is because I'm looking for a camera that is smal,l compact, and can be hooked up at the back of the gig venue where, once it's set up, I can simple hit record and leave it to work away by itself. On my GH1 (PAL version), it automatically stops recording if it has been constantly recording for more than 10-15 minutes. With a camcorder, I can hit record and leave it there only having to check on it occasionally.
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10-15 minute recording limit??

Are you perhaps using a super-cheap SD card?
That sounds like a spanning problem to me, similar to the limitation of the Canon DSLRs (which don't span at all, and just shut off when the file reaches full capacity of 4GB). I've never encountered a recording limit on the GH1, and that's partially why I have one. Within 4 hours of owning it, my first gig using it was to have it set up on a tripod in the back of the room, plugged into the wall outlet, running on a 32GB class 10 card, and recording for 30+ minutes. Which it did perfectly.

There are plenty of things a camcorder does better (servo zoom, handheld ergonomics, etc), but for what you are describing I don't see why another GH1 wouldn't be just as good if not better.
 
You could always hack it with stock firmware, just remove time limit and max iso, leave bitrate alone. Should be as stable as stock that way.
 
brunerww said:
Sadly, our friends in Europe are forced to buy camcorders for unlimited clip length. Pretty sure the unhacked EU (PAL) version of the GH1 is limited to 29 minutes 59 seconds of recording time.

Bill
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Still, a half hour is VERY different than 10-15 minutes. There aren't many times I'd ever have to leave a camcorder on for more than a half hour at a time (my daughter's school performances don't even last that long). What are trying to do, run a security camera out of this? ;)

Even still, a very simple patch can be applied to remove that limitation, as CRFilms mentions.
 
pmk396 said:
Hi and thanks for the reply.
. On my GH1 (PAL version), it automatically stops recording if it has been constantly recording for more than 10-15 minutes. With a camcorder, I can hit record and leave it there only having to check on it occasionally.
Click to expand...

well then something's wrong! my PAL gh1's all record to the limit of the card in 4Gb contiguous files - I put them up the back of the venue on a light stand and forget them - mind you mine are hacked
 
tired said:
well then something's wrong! my PAL gh1's all record to the limit of the card in 4Gb contiguous files - I put them up the back of the venue on a light stand and forget them - mind you mine are hacked
Click to expand...

Even without the hack, they record to 4GB or 29:59, which ever happens first. Due to the stock bitrate on the low side, I think you'll hit 29:59 first every time.
Unless the card is super fragmented and/or slow, in which case you might run out of buffer and end recording early (never seen this happen, but pretty sure it can).

Either way, the limit mentioned earlier sounds like a Canon thing.
 
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