GH2 What do you guys think about the new HDSLR from Nikon?
- Thread starter JoeJITSU
- Start date
The "Joy Ride" short is beautifully made, but as Andrew Reid points out the video has a few minor flaws...
First impressions of the $2999 Nikon D800′s video mode
My guess is that the hacked GH-2 still reigns as king of the DSLR/EVIL video cameras, but this Nikon might have better dynamic range. We won't know for sure until the benchmarks start showing up.
I am glad another DSLR video camera is on the market, as competition will only help to raise the bar for all manufacturers.
First impressions of the $2999 Nikon D800′s video mode
My guess is that the hacked GH-2 still reigns as king of the DSLR/EVIL video cameras, but this Nikon might have better dynamic range. We won't know for sure until the benchmarks start showing up.
I am glad another DSLR video camera is on the market, as competition will only help to raise the bar for all manufacturers.
As I start doing more photography, I'm very receptive to the idea of a full-frame DSLR that pulls off video better than the 5Dmk2, and photos far better than the GH2. I already have the glass for it, just need the body. I have my AF100 and HVX for straighter video shoots over 30 minutes, which seems to be the only major stumbling point in the new Nikons.
I'll wait a good while to see whether this or the D4 have practical problems with overheating, aliasing, moire, or any other foibles. If it was clear and I had 3K to invest, I'd love to slap my old Vivitar zoom and a VMP on one of these and give it a whirl about town.
I'll wait a good while to see whether this or the D4 have practical problems with overheating, aliasing, moire, or any other foibles. If it was clear and I had 3K to invest, I'd love to slap my old Vivitar zoom and a VMP on one of these and give it a whirl about town.
I look at it that to get the features I want, I have use the Vixia HF G10 and the GH2 together. The G10 has the wide dynamic range, low aliasing, focus touch tracking, etc; the GH2 has the DOF, super sharp lenses, hackable bitrate, slomo, etc.
Not going to buy something new unless it combines these features, which this does not. If the Canon v3 has the same color profile as my camcorders, may have to give that look but the Panny has been small, reliable and fits all my legacy glass plus the 20mm and 45mm which are legends.
That is nice vid, though. OTOH the moiree on Andrew's site is hideous.
Not going to buy something new unless it combines these features, which this does not. If the Canon v3 has the same color profile as my camcorders, may have to give that look but the Panny has been small, reliable and fits all my legacy glass plus the 20mm and 45mm which are legends.
That is nice vid, though. OTOH the moiree on Andrew's site is hideous.
JoeJITSU
Veteran
My apologies, I thought this camera was going to be under $2000. WHoops!
RossVisuals
New member
Jester2138
Well-known member
I thought it looked very disappointing. Soft, smudgy, and riddled with artifacts and aliasing. Meh, I'll take a GH2 at a fraction of the price.
That said, I've always been a fan of the Nikon "mojo." I think their sensors or color processing must be very nice. But in video it's ruined by crappy technical quality.
That said, I've always been a fan of the Nikon "mojo." I think their sensors or color processing must be very nice. But in video it's ruined by crappy technical quality.
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Yeah I kinda expected better as well. Then I went back and watched some 5dmark2 stuff and the D800 footage held up well in comparison. I am going to get one as soon as I can afford it.
Exactly my thoughts! I do like the nikon photo mojo, but apart from the "joy ride" being well done and pro I can't say I'm impressed by the look of it.
This was a very, very well done video. Editing, camera work, everything was superb. Overall though, aside from that great Nikon mojo... I still think the gh2 blows it away as far as producing a cinematic image. It still boggles my mind how after more than a year this camera is still impressing me to the point where after watching the latest from the newest DSLRs, I'm still impressed as ever with my gh2. That said, I will always be on the lookout of something to take the crown away from Panny, whether that be the gh3 or another brand, I'll be there.
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Danielvilliers
Veteran
For me I don't see anything truly impressive about this video. I see lots of missed focus shot, very in vogue full frame missed shot video. I saw colored moire on the bridge, but I think it is better than the Canon because with all those bricks I guess we would have seen a ton more moire. The resolution was not much more than the Canon much lower than the gh2. Now the low light I cannot comment because I don't know the lighting condition, so nothing conclusive and to some saying C300, the later has much better resolution. I did saw aliasing also, but again better than the Canon but nothing compared to the gh2.
In terms of dynamic range you could not do worst than the shot with the candle and the keys it was blowing completely as the flame moved with some very dark crushed background. Some complain about the videoi quality in certain shot and for me it was due to a slow shutter speed perhaps to counter the lighting condition of the streets. The shot in the hospital was really horrible. The ones in the room and the mother and the baby, did anyone see how much there was blown out where the light was hitting. Perhaps they could have lit the room more so as where these spot hit the exposure is not that much contrasty to keep some detail. Perhaps they could not because she was having a baby but it the end it is some horrible lighting condition to show the camera.
I really don't understand NIkon, they do their promo video of the suppose low light king D4 in full daylight (The one with the climber, mountain biker, etc.) and the one with the high resolution camera in complete darkness. If you look well there is almost no lighting in this video. In his room it is completely dark, in the streets it is steet light and the hospital it is the hospital light. The other video with the blind child is so compressed on vimeo that you can't judge the footage again. Untill we can clearly see other footage it is as if Nikon has taken Canon 3 year old dslr video quality as the aim and just did the basic minimum to just top it. Even if they know that Mr Canon update is just at the corner with the launch of the Canon 1dx and that video wise they could find them-self as a non contender in the hybrid dslr again for the next 3/4 years. The only thing impressive is the lack of jello for what I have seen in the different Nikon video.
Don't be fooled by my rant. In the next months I am getting a D800, a true beast in photography and if what the video we have seen confirm my fears for the video quality. My hacked gh2 will still be my video camera buy far.
In terms of dynamic range you could not do worst than the shot with the candle and the keys it was blowing completely as the flame moved with some very dark crushed background. Some complain about the videoi quality in certain shot and for me it was due to a slow shutter speed perhaps to counter the lighting condition of the streets. The shot in the hospital was really horrible. The ones in the room and the mother and the baby, did anyone see how much there was blown out where the light was hitting. Perhaps they could have lit the room more so as where these spot hit the exposure is not that much contrasty to keep some detail. Perhaps they could not because she was having a baby but it the end it is some horrible lighting condition to show the camera.
I really don't understand NIkon, they do their promo video of the suppose low light king D4 in full daylight (The one with the climber, mountain biker, etc.) and the one with the high resolution camera in complete darkness. If you look well there is almost no lighting in this video. In his room it is completely dark, in the streets it is steet light and the hospital it is the hospital light. The other video with the blind child is so compressed on vimeo that you can't judge the footage again. Untill we can clearly see other footage it is as if Nikon has taken Canon 3 year old dslr video quality as the aim and just did the basic minimum to just top it. Even if they know that Mr Canon update is just at the corner with the launch of the Canon 1dx and that video wise they could find them-self as a non contender in the hybrid dslr again for the next 3/4 years. The only thing impressive is the lack of jello for what I have seen in the different Nikon video.
Don't be fooled by my rant. In the next months I am getting a D800, a true beast in photography and if what the video we have seen confirm my fears for the video quality. My hacked gh2 will still be my video camera buy far.
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Same here, I'll be seriously considering the D800 for photography... I'm practically salivating just thinking about it. What a steal @3k, this will be the camera in photography for quite a while I think.
John Caballero
Veteran
The Nikon D800 images look fantastic, stills and video. If you are a pro it will be very rewarding.
Of course you can't judge the camera 100% based on these samples. Obviously, we have to wait until it's out and has been tested by many people. But, having said that, this is a video focused forum, and from that point of view, I don't immediately see - at least based on samples so far - that it's time to toss the GH2 in favor of the Nikons - either the D4 or D800. And it goes beyond image quality - quite simply, this is a different price bracket. You're talking 3 times the price of a GH2 for a D800 (and forget the D4!). Let's wait and see - it's quite possible that a GH2 with a good hack is still a better video camera than the Nikons. It's looking that way with the new Oly too, though again, we can't make the final judgment until the cams are out. So what remains? At this point, I guess everyone is waiting on Canon. And Canon can deliver in two different ways. If they come up with something spectacular with the 5DmIII - well, it'd better be heads and shoulders above the GH2, because otherwise who is going to justify paying $2K-$3K for a camera that's only 5% better than a hacked GH2. But I'm more interested in what Canon has in store for us that they hinted at when they revealed the C300 - a DSLR factor cam with fabulous video. We'll see. Because guess what, Sony shot their wad, Nikon too, Oly went and unless Canon really delivers, all we got left is the GH3 to take on the hacked GH2. On the one hand it's sad. On the other, it's testimony to what a great tool the GH2 was and continues to be.
noelsphoto
Active member
Beatiful camera. If the GH3 can make good pictures and even improve on video. Then I'm still holding off. I wish they can show something soon to go with their excellent rumored lenses.
I wonder if this d800 is hackable.
I wonder if this d800 is hackable.
j1clark@ucsd.edu
Veteran
If the D800 proves to be a reasonably stable camera, I'll probably buy the body for the Wife. She's been waiting for some thing to move to from the Nikon line for some time. I on the other hand will probably get a GH-3 body, if it ever comes out and is a combination of betterment, rather than a plunge deeper in to 'point and shoot consumer'.
As it is, I'm still with the GH-1, unhacked...
As it is, I'm still with the GH-1, unhacked...
Lammy
Well-known member
I honestly think if they had switched that Nikon D800 and used a hacked Panasonic GH2, and used equivalent lenses and the same rigs, then the Joy Ride video would have looked better.
Dynamic Range, although better on the D800 isn't a big factor for this video because it's all very crushed. High ISO neither too because they're using fast glass. Rolling Shutter, although impressive on the video, is all stabilised via their rigs anyway and if anything I think abit of skew in the super fast shots would add to the effect of warp speed.
The GH2 would have less moire, sharper and crisper details (D800 you can see the mush and fake sharpness squigly lines), and a more filmic grain quality.