Talk me into the GH2 please

[Jeff Hinson]

Ive always shot video with camcorders. I recently bought a NEX 5N and love using it for video shooting...so much better than lugging around a large camcorder. This is my first experience shooting video with a camera.

The downside to DSLRs shooting video is the short time limit before overheating etc. I read where the GH2 can record continuously for 140mins...true?

I see a hack is around to allow 60p shooting too as well as other feature upgrades.

Does it perform as well as the..
Canon 5Dmkii
Nikon D7000
Nex 5N, Nex 7

I need a DSLR that produces great HD video and can record for over 1hour....under $3k

Jeff

[Kevin McRoberts]

On a recent shoot (4 back-to-back youth football games), I had the GH2 plugged into AC power and loaded with a 64GB card. It rolled straight through two games at a time (~4 hours) and never overheated.

In fact, it's never overheated.

It can shoot 60p stock, albeit 720p60. I am not aware of a hack enabling 1080p60. Important feature upgrades with the hacks include improved noise handling at high ISO, removal of video ISO limitation, enabling intra-frame recording, and increased recording bitrates to reduce compression artifacts. Downsides can include lack of in-camera shot playback, shot duration limitations, and highly increased video file size. Cost/benefit is your call.

As far as I know, the GH2 is the only game in town for long-format video recording in this form factor. As to quality, arguments for and against either will persist from now until all these models are long since obsolete.


Some other opinions:
UPDATED with T3i/600D: Which… “Video DSLR” to buy? | Philip Bloom

[Jeff Harper]

A downside to the GH2, IMO, is it's tiny size. It looks like a toy, and in no way resembles a professional piece of gear. It's almost more of a gadget than a camera. But the results are great, and 720 60p is nice, but so is 24p.

It has kinks, or whatever you call them. Color shifting is a nagging issue, particularly indoors in low light, it is not always wysiwyg and that is probably the single biggest issue for some folks.

I personally long for acamera as capable as the GH2 in a larger format, like the 60d. However, the continuous shooting feature of the GH2 is something I couldn't live without, having gotten used to it.

It shoots great video, no matter how you slice it, but it can take a minute to get familiar with it's quirks.

[Shawn Clary]

Other downsides is moire and aliasing, but it's much less than any other DSLR type camera (short of the AF100, and I've owned both).
I hate not being able to adjust white balance and ISO while recording - say you walk from one room to another and the wb gets out of whack due to drastically different lighting. For example, following a bride/groom from indoors to outdoors. With the AF100 I can hit the WB button / adjust ISO during the recording and I don't miss a beat - with the GH2 I will have to stop, adjust WB, adjust ISO, and start up again. Not a huge deal; it's one of those things that you don't think about until you have it.

Also, I'd like to have focus peaking and built in ND filters as well, but you can't expect everything at this price point.

[Jeff Harper]

Shawn, my experience with the GH2 is a nearly complete lack of moire. I've never experienced noticeable moire using the camera, ever. And I've hear others pretty much say the same thing.

I had what I thought was moire once, on an Indian wedding video, and it turned out it was my TV, not the video.

[Kevin McRoberts]

My biggest problem with the GH2, as I hand-hold frequently, is CMOS jello wobble... however, I've shot every Canon DSLR, and the GH2's CMOS troubles are a fraction of theirs. If you shoot in 720p, wobble decreases significantly.

[Jeff Hinson]

Being a novice....Im concerned about the lack of wide angle lenses without breaking the bank.

I shoot events..which the kit zoom lens may handle, but I also want to shoot music videos. I need an equivalent lens to my Sony 5Ns 16mm...from what I read about the GH2..Id have to find an 8mm lens to get the same wide angle shot..............is this right? Every lens I seen for the GH2 are very expensive.
Maybe I misunderstood the post.

Please advise and thanks,
Jeff

[Kin Lau]

The Sony 16mm on a NEX is equivalent to a 12mm on m43, not 8mm. This is using the 1.5x crop factor for the NEX, and the 2x crop factor on the m43 system.

So the Sony 16mm only has a field-of-view 15% wider than the 14mm on the GH2 in stills mode.

But due to the way the GH2 sensor is designed, in video mode, it's actually _wider_ than in stills mode. Only the GH1 and GH2 have a sensor like this, the rest of the m43 cameras don't have this feature.

So in video mode, I would say that the Panansonic 14/2.5 is pretty well the equivalent of the Sony 16/2.8 on the NEX.

[Joe Ogiba]

The GH2 in 1080p video mode has a crop factor of about 1.83 vs 1.5 for the Sony 5N so a 12mm lens on the GH2 will show an even wider FOV than a 16mm on the 5N. There are two fast 12mm lenses for the GH2 and are much faster & sharper than the Sony 16mm F2.8 E mount lens.
GH2 sensor 18.8mm x 10.6mm in 1080p mode:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5130/5...bb59985e_o.jpg

Sony E 16 mm f/2.8 Image resolution:
http://www.lenstip.com/upload3/3334_nex16_res_lpmm.jpg

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 12 mm f/2.0 ED
Image resolution:
http://www.lenstip.com/upload3/3434_roz.jpg

12mm GH2 videos on Vimeo:

Loving Lake Tahoe (SLR Magic 12mm f1.6) on Vimeo

EXCLUSIVE ! MFT Wide and Fast ! Noktor / SLR Magic Hyperprime 12mm f/1.6 The Daylight tests on Vimeo

Noktor 12mm f/1.6 VS Olympus 12mm f/2, the quick test on GH2 !!!!! on Vimeo

Jesse & Heather on Vimeo

[Jeff Hinson]

Ken,
That's great news to my ears. :>)
Thanks so much,

Jeff

[Jeff Hinson]

Joe...
Thanks for the videos and information.
My GH2 is on order.


By the way Joe.....you are lucky to have such a great "model" to experiment with. Im trying to talk my bashful grand daughter into being my model. ha

Jeff

[Jeff Hinson]

Is there an adapter made that will allow me to use my Nex 5N lenses on my GH2?

Have searched and cant find one available.

Thanks,
Jeff

[Bill Bruner]

Jeff -- congratulations on the GH2, I think you'll enjoy it. Smart move to go ahead and buy it without waiting for me to post those comparison videos with the VG20! You're going to get better video image quality for less money.

To answer your question - for some reason, there aren't any NEX to micro 4/3 adapters. On the other hand, you can use your GH2 lenses on your NEX-5N in manual mode with one of these:
Olympus Micro 4/3 43 to Sony NEX-3 NEX-5 Adapter silver | eBay

Hope this is helpful,

Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution

[Jeff Hinson]

Originally Posted by Bill Bruner

Jeff -- congratulations on the GH2, I think you'll enjoy it.

Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution

________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks Bill....
I read all the specs, reviews, comparisons and clips I could find. More pros than cons. I like the camera format over a camcorder anyway;so the search was for a camera with great video AND long record time. The GH2 fit the bill. I do like my Sony 5N and will keep it as "b" cam for still and short video clips, unless I like the GH2 enough to get another..then I will sell the 5N.

I had great hopes for the VG20-5N combo possibilities. Im sure others were thinking the "combo" would work for them too. Sony probably sold a lot of 5Ns and preorders for nex7s for that reason. Anyway, Ive quit stressing over the decision of VG20 now....and on with the show.

See ya around the forums...Im sure I will need some help. ha
Jeff

[Kin Lau]

Originally Posted by Bill Bruner

To answer your question - for some reason, there aren't any NEX to micro 4/3 adapters. On the other hand, you can use your GH2 lenses on your NEX-5N in manual mode with one of these:
Olympus Micro 4/3 43 to Sony NEX-3 NEX-5 Adapter silver | eBay

The adapter says that infinity focus is achieved, and I don't see any optical elements, so that means you cannot have a NEX->m43 adapter without an optical element.

In other words, if it works in one direction, it won't work in the reverse.