GH1 Video Noise
 

Just purchased a GH1 online and am having trouble with video noise: shadow areas and very saturated colors have tiny moving specks. The LCD viewer also displays the same kind of noise (sorry don't know the right technical term).

Performing some tests under different shooting conditions to determine when this problem occurs: footage of a MacBeth color chart shot indoors at 720p was very noisy compared to the same footage outside. Footage is logged directly into Final Cut Pro from the SDHC card.

I'm primarily a still (bird) photographer just learning about video. I plan to use the GH1 primarily to shoot video through a spotting scope (digiscoping), so it's performance under unusual conditions and high ISO is critical.

I used a Lumix G1 very successfully (for digiscoping) before selling it to buy the GH1. Before the G1, I used a Sony Cybershot N1 to shoot SD video and stills through the scope.

Video from from my Canon 7D has been noise free even in low light. I've seen beautiful examples of Lumix GH1 footage on the web, so I am wondering if I have a defective camera. I'll continue tests today to decide whether or not the GH1 needs to be returned.

Any help or comments about GH1 noise would be greatly appreciated.