GH2 To buy or not?

K

krljacobs

New member
Hi,

first and foremost I'd like to thank you all in advance for helping me. Secondly, I apologize if this thread is not in its right place.

Now, my "problem" is as follows. I am a enthusiast for many years now, I like to make movies, I like to take pictures as well. I have had a DSLR before but I do admit I was not into it that much. With not into it that much I mean I didn't really know a lot of specific things or technical things when it comes to photography or filmmaking. However, I do know now what f stops are, what aperture is,...

I have been eyeballing the GH series by Panasonic ever since the GH1 and GF1. Today, I am unable to make a decision regarding whether I should buy a GH2 or not. Money however, is not the issue. I have the money to buy the GH2, good equipment (manfrotto tripod and video head 501hv, ND filters, circular polarizing filters,..) even the lenses I want (Nokton 25mm .95, Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 and Nikkor 50mm f/1.4). So money is available, and even buying this I still got a healthy reserve and I see no big expenses in the near term (1 year) except my trip to the States (90 days). Now the reason I'm saying this is not to show off, in the contrary, it is because I question my need to buy this.

I really like to make little video's like here (http://vimeo.com/18339851 or http://vimeo.com/25420734 or http://vimeo.com/26611738). Just as a hobby or even a job later. I'm still fairly young and just finished college. The only thing holding me back is the price tag. I know from the bottom of my heart that the GH2 is worth its price but I still have something keeping me from hitting the buy button, 2500 euro is quite a big number even when you can afford it. I don't know what, maybe I'm afraid I will feel guilty when I buy it and not touch it for days. I know, asking you guys to make the decision for me isn't the way to go. That is why I ask for arguments both positive and negative that you guys may have to keep me from buying this or to give me the last boast of confidence to pull the trigger and get the GH2.

So the key points here are:

-Cash is no problem other than a big trip to the States
-Have always been into filmmaking and stills just not compulsive
-Would be my first real 'dslr' camera
-I am young, graduated (has had nothing to with this subject however) and would not mind if I could turn this hobby into a job or a second job


I know it's not an easy task to do, but I would really appreciate it.
 
2500euros?.....fark me! buy it on ebay for 670euros, hack it to whatever language you need and spend the rest on booze and hookers. but in all seriousness, you mean all up with everything yeah? i suggest you just start off with the body and the 25mm and go from there. if you still enjoy it you will find the will and need to buy the other gear as you progress. if not you can flog them both off and lose a couple bucks cause the lens will hold its value.
 
I've made big gear purchases that I later regretted, but the GH2 is not one of them. It's okay if you don't use it everyday. What's great about a camera is that you will need it eventually, and when you go and grab it for some task, you'll love the fact that you have such a great camera.

I would recommend getting the 20mm pancake lens and a small camera case. The sweet thing about the GH2 is that it gets so small that you can bring it with you just about everyday without much effort. I do it all the time. I've used the Canon 7D and other larger HDSLR cameras before, and even though they're nice to shoot with, I would never be motivated to carry around one of those large suckers everyday. They're way too large and heavy.

For what it's worth, I also have the Manfrotto 501HDV and I don't regret buying that one either.
 
As a long time pro videographer, the dslr gear, (the GH2) has been new to me. No internal ND filters, lenses w/o motorized zooms that can't hold a constant arpeture, aaargh! That said, I'm currently I'm shooting theatrical (i.e. dark) performances with the 14-42 (very slow) kit lens because that's all I can afford right now. And I have to match the GH2 footage with that from an Sony FX-1 HDV camcorder. It's like I've asked this camera to do some of the most difficult jobs with the least amount of support- and yet it still gives me great footage. With your lenses, filters, etc., you will have one GREAT camera!
 
if you want a DSLR, a GH2 is by far my all around favorite. yes, all DSLRs have their good and bad points. but for me the GH2 has the least bad.

if i were primarily a stills shooter, id probably go with a canon. but i did extensive side by sides with a GH2, 7D, 60D and an hpx170 with sgblade adapter. and found that the GH2 gave me the image i wanted with the least hassle or compromises.

something ive come to really appreciate about it is that you can easily toggle between the lcd screen and the evf as needed. simply by putting your face up to the eyepiece

one drawback (with any DSLR) is sound. in order to achieve typical pro sound. its generally advisable to use an external recorder (or attach a beachtek or juicedlink interface). not a deal breaker, its just one more thing to niggle with.
another thing about DSLRs (and you may already know this) is they are best suited for locked off shots. when you start moving the camera, the jello-vision and artifacting can easily get out of hand.

from your explanation and the vimeo examples youve posted, i think a GH2 would serve you well.
 
Hi,

My first advice is BUY IT! Also the price tag seems weird, as the camera is half the price (1499 US dollars = 1059.2893 euros) for the 12-140mm package (which I would advise you to get instead of the shooter zoom). If this is the real price, as said before, get one on ebay and Hack it (you're gonna want to hack it anyway if you're serious about filming with it)

About your hobby becoming a job later. Are you considering going to a film school?
 
I looked at your list and I must admit it's a list I wouldn't buy, not right out of the shoot anyways. All I see are pricey manual short primes, no long lenses, no walkaround auto focus lenses in the pile. When you open up those fast primes you get some beautiful DOF and bokeh. When you open up those fast primes you also have to deal with a depth of the focus plane that's also razor thin. That's when you go"hmmmm which ONE do I want in focus, her eyes or her nose or her hair?". When you stop down those pricey fast primes to get a more usable focus plane you still have a very nice lens, but lots of other stuff is equally as nice at f2.8-f11 for far less money.

I agree with buying the camera now and the legs and head. I disagree with all the primes "right out of the shoot" and would go with maybe the 14-140 and one prime, to get in the game.
 
As the thread title poses the question, 'Should I buy a GH2', my own answer has to be, no - not at the moment.

The Sony Nex 7 is (apparently) imminent and (again apparently) will be quite a camera - more than enough to knock the GH2 off its perch, if the rumours translate into reality.

Either way, we should know before August is out, so I'd hold on and see what Sony offer.

Rumoured specs, so far, include AVCHD 2 (28mbs) 50 & 25p (for Pal users), very HQ EVF, 24mp sensor (APSC, as well) focus peaking, and other goodies that will be very tempting.

For me, I'm just hoping that it also as in-body IS. As it is, I'll probably dump Panasonic for Sony - but if it does have IBIS I'll run to the store and camp outside ;)
 
Depends. How long can you wait? I'm not holding my breath for the Sony, but Canon might step into the ring again with an update to the 5D MK(III) sometime between now and end of October... yeah, it's more money, but it's still good to have as a comparison before making a final decision. Remember, whatever you buy is going to need lenses. So that's another thing to look at - which system allows you the greatest and most economical choices for key lenses you are going to use on your projects.
 
OldCorpse said:
Canon might step into the ring again with an update to the 5D MK(III) sometime between now and end of October...
Click to expand...

Don't hold your breath. I don't think we will see it till next year.

The Gh2 is a bargain at $1k. Buy one, a couple primes and make some videos.
 
I would like to thank all of you for your replies. Buying one in the States would be a good idea and one I had not considered before. I will have to look into the warranty and such as in Europe, or at least Belgium where I live, the law states you are entitled to 2 years warranty on new products and 1 year on second hand. Don't quite know how Panasonic handles warranty and if this is worldwide, just like it's the case with Apple products.

About the Sony, I'm personally not fond of Sony products, at all. I dislike them to say the least.

I have been looking at the GH series for a long, long time. Over a year and a half to be precise, I know almost everything about it. The thread is not about should I buy this or that but should I buy a GH2 or not given my skills or absence of skills and what I want to achieve and create, period. I'm really focused on the GH2 and really do not want any other dslr (other than the 5D and 7D but which are a tad too expensive for my liking).

Phenixone said:
Hi,

My first advice is BUY IT! Also the price tag seems weird, as the camera is half the price (1499 US dollars = 1059.2893 euros) for the 12-140mm package (which I would advise you to get instead of the shooter zoom). If this is the real price, as said before, get one on ebay and Hack it (you're gonna want to hack it anyway if you're serious about filming with it)

About your hobby becoming a job later. Are you considering going to a film school?
Click to expand...

No, I have not considered it and have no such plans. I just graduated from the University of Ghent and at the moment enjoying a big nice holiday before trying to get a job. And with my hobby becoming my job later, it is not a goal really. More like a dream, I'm happy to keep this as a hobby but would not cry if I could turn it into my job or at least generate some cash with my hobby.

And over here, the GH2 with 14-140mm costs $2000, the 14-42mm is at $1250.
 
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I bought a second-hand GH1 recently (after much procrastinating over what to get,) and I'm very happy with it. To me, a GH1 was the better option because of the guaranteed 1080p 25 and (currently) better hack-ability.
I was considering a GH2 for a while, but the lower price of the GH1 won me over. I prefer to invest in lenses with the tight budget I have.

No confusion intended, but I think a GH1 and the very best lenses you can afford would be the better option. Lenses keep their value. Bodies do the opposite.
Bit if you are definitely going for autofocus then you may want to go with the GH2, as the AF zooms are slow and you may need the extra high ISO performance of the GH2 to get an usable shot in some situations.
 
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