GH2 Thinking About Selling My Canon 60d for a Panasonic Gh2 = Opinions Please

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vision_filmz

Carbonite Member
Just tired of seeing everyone with a Canon camera that I want to use something different.

My only real concern for the Gh2 is lack of a battery grip and finding a good wide angle lens. If this is possible I am ready to sell my 60d. Please help me out

Thanks

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Also due to the smaller size of the camera + more cropped compared to the Canon it seems that it is a lot harder to stabilize making handheld work more difficult?
 
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vision_filmz said:
Just tired of seeing everyone with a Canon camera that I want to use something different.
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Not a good reason.

My only real concern for the Gh2 is lack of a battery grip and finding a good wide angle lens. If this is possible I am ready to sell my 60d. Please help me out.
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Don't know about a battery grip, but the new Olympus 12mm is outstanding, although pricey. There is also the 7-14mm from Panasonic that many people like but I have not had personal experience with it.

Please, before you do anything rash, see if you can borrow a GH2 to see if it will give you what you want. Unless you have money to burn.
 
There are a plethora of benefits to the GH2 IMO, but maybe not for you specifically. So do some research and make an educated decision based on your individual needs.
 
stoneinapond said:
Not a good reason.



Don't know about a battery grip, but the new Olympus 12mm is outstanding, although pricey. There is also the 7-14mm from Panasonic that many people like but I have not had personal experience with it.

Please, before you do anything rash, see if you can borrow a GH2 to see if it will give you what you want. Unless you have money to burn.
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Excellent post, maybe a knee jerk reaction on My part, but Im truly ready to set myself apart from people locally in my community. Maybe I should upgrade completely and get a AF100 or Fs100....
 
If you really want to be different ... shoot standard def, all natural light and make an awesome film
 
If you're use to the dof from a 60D then switching over to the GH2 will be a bit of a shock. Initially I would see my GH2 footage and think, well I could get this from an EX1 if I tried hard but the more time I spend with the little guy the more I've grown to love it.

My biggest complaints with the GH2 come from it's stills which I find to be average at best & frustratingly hard to get right. When shooting stills I reach for my D90 but was really hoping to have one camera take care of both for me.
 
J Davis said:
If you really want to be different ... shoot standard def, all natural light and make an awesome film
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Best. Post. Ever.

All jokes aside, the GH2 is an amazing little camera. It definitely produces better video than the 60D, assuming you are shooting 1080p 24fps. I don't use any other mode currently, and I am waiting for the 'hack' to stabilize before I attempt to implement it. The video is so impressive that I use it as my A-cam on most shoots. I have an HMC150 that I love dearly and use for all my glidecam footage, and anything I want to shoot at 60fps for slow motion, but for any steady shots, I use the GH2.

http://vimeo.com/27301872 <-- I didn't shoot this but its a great comparison. Look at the moire at 1:40. You'll notice everything else.

Others have said wisely that you should try it out first. Don't jump on the bandwagon just because you want to avoid Canon. I'm with you though... Too many people buy a 5DmkII and instantly believe they can deliver compelling video. The truth is it is JUST A TOOL. Not every shot needs a Glidecam, and not every shot needs crazy depth of field. Sometimes a client wants to see the people in the background! (IE: wedding video, grandmother who recently passed away is in the background)
 
How different is the DOF between these cameras? Also is it possible to have a wide lens such as something like the Tokina 11-16mm on a Gh2? Don't have a lot of money for a lens, just the standard $400-$600 rite now. Not really worried about the Picture side, I used to have a Gh1 and the only thing I hated was having to convert the files to achieve 1080p 24fps. What is the size comparison between the 60d and Gh2?

Do battery grips exist for this camera? If not any descent stabilizing methods that people use?

Thanks
 
vision_filmz said:
How different is the DOF between these cameras? Also is it possible to have a wide lens such as something like the Tokina 11-16mm on a Gh2? Don't have a lot of money for a lens, just the standard $400-$600 rite now. Not really worried about the Picture side, I used to have a Gh1 and the only thing I hated was having to convert the files to achieve 1080p 24fps. What is the size comparison between the 60d and Gh2?

Do battery grips exist for this camera? If not any descent stabilizing methods that people use?

Thanks
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If you watch that vimeo video you'll see a DOF difference... I don't know about the Tokina lens, but yes, there are many wide angle options for the GH2. I have never ever had an issue with not getting something in the frame.

With a hacked GH1 you don't have to convert the files for 24fps. If you had a GH1 then you know the size of the GH2 (same). Battery grips... You seem to like them a lot, the battery lasts well and just buy a spare or two? It's really not a big deal. Or buy the AC adapter and monkey rig it to a RED Brick or something if you really think the standard batteries won't last, lol. If it's just the extra grip you want, then yeah... There are a ton of options.
 
Andor said:
If you watch that vimeo video you'll see a DOF difference... I don't know about the Tokina lens, but yes, there are many wide angle options for the GH2. I have never ever had an issue with not getting something in the frame.

With a hacked GH1 you don't have to convert the files for 24fps. If you had a GH1 then you know the size of the GH2 (same). Battery grips... You seem to like them a lot, the battery lasts well and just buy a spare or two? It's really not a big deal. Or buy the AC adapter and monkey rig it to a RED Brick or something if you really think the standard batteries won't last, lol. If it's just the extra grip you want, then yeah... There are a ton of options.
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I have always been used to shooting with a Battery Grip, since I work handheld. Canon MarkIv, t2i, 60d etc. I just want to know if some kind of grip exists for the Gh2 as I could not find one? I have seen some mock ups for the Gh1 but never anything you could actually buy??
 
I just want to know if some kind of grip exists for the Gh2
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not that im aware of.

at the end of the day. i greatly prefer the GH2 over the 60D (but you probably already know that) but the thing about the GH2 is that its not as easy to use as a 60D is. having owned both. and comparing each with their kit zoom lens. you can basically turn on the canon, point it at something and generally get a good "cinematic" looking image. with my gh2 it wasnt that simple. there was something about the image (with kit lens) that i just didnt like. i know some people are really happy with the lumix glass. and it may well have just been my personal taste. but it just didnt taste right to me. and i felt limited by it being sooooo slow. what is it? like 4.5?

so i went out and bought a good micro4/3 to nikon adapter and slapped some good old fast nikon glass on the front. and my whole perception changed. i was getting things that i actually like better than the canons gave me. both video and stills. of course old manual glass means NO autofocus and no IS. just you and your eye. but really, for what i do with it. that doesnt bother me.

i would guess that from all the posts that you and i have shared. that you would probably prefer the canon. it feels WAY better in your hands and achieves the look you always talk about. with a whole lot less effort.
 
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Never has so much tosh been spoken by so many.GH2 is a step up for video it was for me anyway over my previous 550D,plus unless stills are a priority they are fine.
 
ethan cooper said:
If you're use to the dof from a 60D then switching over to the GH2 will be a bit of a shock. Initially I would see my GH2 footage and think, well I could get this from an EX1 if I tried hard but the more time I spend with the little guy the more I've grown to love it.
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With the same lenses, the DOF difference is not that big. The sample video posted is not a good comparison, partly because different lenses were used and partly because they do not get exactly the same framing to compare with. The video makes DOF differences seem more apparent than they truthfully are.

vision_filmz said:
How different is the DOF between these cameras? Also is it possible to have a wide lens such as something like the Tokina 11-16mm on a Gh2? Don't have a lot of money for a lens, just the standard $400-$600 rite now. Not really worried about the Picture side, I used to have a Gh1 and the only thing I hated was having to convert the files to achieve 1080p 24fps. What is the size comparison between the 60d and Gh2?

Do battery grips exist for this camera? If not any descent stabilizing methods that people use?

Thanks
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Sorry, but there's no battery grips available. If I remember correctly from looking at my old GH1 there's no way to attach one without ripping off the battery door - so it looks like the camera was never designed with a grip in mind. 60D is much bigger than the GH2. Even the 550D is quite a bit bigger. It is exactly the same size as your GH1 was. As for wide lenses, you can get the Tokina 11-16 in a 4/3rds mount and then use a micro 4/3rds to 4/3rds adaptor (From Panny or Oly). It will give you electronic control over the lens but I don't know how well AF will work, even in stills mode. It will let you adjust aperture through the camera body though.
 
deltoidjohn said:
With the same lenses, the DOF difference is not that big. The sample video posted is not a good comparison, partly because different lenses were used and partly because they do not get exactly the same framing to compare with. The video makes DOF differences seem more apparent than they truthfully are.
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I thought technically no matter the crop the depth of field remains the same. It's just how cropped in you are is what the difference is.
 
bronxjragon said:
I thought technically no matter the crop the depth of field remains the same. It's just how cropped in you are is what the difference is.
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Someone with actual technical knowledge can correct me if I'm wrong but I was under the impression that to get equivalent DOF from 4/3 as APS-C you have to cut the f-stop in half. So a 7D set to f 4 has the same apparent dof as a GH2 set to f 2. If I'm wrong just pretend I never said anything.
 
I sold my t2i to buy a gh1 then sold that for the gh2. the two biggest reasons i switched over was:

1. the ability to use cheap canon fd lenses. no way i could have afforded as sweet a set of primes with t2i.

2. the damn t2i overheated on shoots so many times it would slow the process way down. Have they fixed this issue with the 60D?

a couple other differences are the evf (never use it) high res external monitoring (sweet!) af(blah blah never use it) lack of moire and aliasing.

two things i miss about the canon are the color profiles right out the box (can you guys use that cinestyle film profile thats out for the 5d on 60d?). the canon colors look better to me. The build quality! 60d feels indestructible in my hands compared to my little plastic gh2.

Here is a post on 43rumors.com about a cheap battery grip coming soon from china. take it for what its worth.

http://www.43rumors.com/next-hacked-gh2-footage-batterygrip-for-the-gh2-coming-in-late-july/
 
The tokina 11-16 is a really nice wide angle lens. The 7-14 is really great but it's slow at an F4. Who cares what people are using. I also think that getting a shoulder mounted rig is way way better than any handlegrip and that always seems like a tool of the photographer and not the video guy..


I too like the options that I have for lenses. I've pretty much used everything on my GH2 and the AF100. The AF100 is a sweet camera and I have the option to use one whenever I want, but sometimes the GH2 is just so convenient and also so stealth like.. Sometimes it's nice to look like a tourist.


I also don't want any lookyloos when I shooot.. nikon or canon people coming up to talk shop because most of them are rank amateurs anyway. Cameras have become smarter than people.
 
vision_filmz said:
I have always been used to shooting with a Battery Grip, since I work handheld. Canon MarkIv, t2i, 60d etc. I just want to know if some kind of grip exists for the Gh2 as I could not find one? I have seen some mock ups for the Gh1 but never anything you could actually buy??
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Hi, there is a battery grip option for GH1, so maybe those guys will bring out a GH2 version. I use that on my GH1 and it works very well although it could be more solid, it can turn a bit no matter how tightly you screw it on.

But as you are a Canon user and as I recently helped out at a shoot where two 7Ds were used, just relax. If the GH2 performs anything like the GH1 batterywise, you´ll be set with 3 batteries, like for a day. I couldn´t believe it when I saw how fast those camera operators worked themselves through theirs on the 7Ds, ridiculous!
 
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