Hi guys,
ok, the little movie is up, stoked about it
http://www.mikekobal.com/blog/?p=215
in case you are interested, very short test clips, shot within minutes, technical, mainly shows depth of field difference, ungraded, not creative.
Panasonic Lumix GH1: Test Clip on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/5623066)
cheers,
Mike

The low-light clip had a lot of noise with the GH1 at only iso400. Do you think faster lenses will help or is this an iso200 and lower camera? Also, if the GH1 shoots 60i, it will not be able to use 1/30 shutter effectively so in that respect it loses one f-stop of sensitivity.

About what I expected - the 5D has more detail, less noise and shallower depth of field, but the GH1 is close enough that once you consider the price difference it's a great option if you're on a tight budget.

However, considering the total cost of getting into a 5D (lenses, audio, etc) I think we're talking about two entirely different markets here... and the better test would be against some of the 3-chip HDV cameras, as I'm guessing that's more the type of choice potential purchasers would be making.

Mike,

The color difference is pretty strong. What method of white balance did you use? If it was a card, the result could vary depending on the angle at which is was held, etc.

Or, do you find that this color difference is consistent in various venues?

Do you think you could get a similar DoF from the GH1 if you opened up the aperture (and decreased exposure?)

Yup, it is noisier then the 5D. But it shoots 720/60p. I think that is awesome. as for white balance I used AWB on both cameras just to see how it compares/differs. I bought a 35mm lens adapter on ebay and am waiting for it to arrive. I think one can achieve very good results with the GH1 as long as one keeps the shortcomings in mind. High speed lenses will definitely help, planning to use the 50mm 1.4 on it, but we have to keep in mind the 50mm will become a 100mm. I am uploading a little movie I just shot with my friend Kayla in Brooklyn and I am stoked with the camera. will post it here later. running out, if you guys are curious, it shall be up in about 30min ..ok, its up http://www.mikekobal.com/blog/?p=215

I missed that the GH1 shoots in 720p instead of 720i. That would make it a nice compliment to the 5D with it taking over for sports and long shots while the 5D handles low light and beauty shots.

BTW, there is a bunch of loud popping in the audio track, much like a single-sample click, that bounces from left to right and center all throughout the Kayla video. It made it impossible to listen to the music. I haven't had that problem in other videos. I know it's not the GH1 as it is music added later, but for your viewers and future jobs you might want to find out what is causing that so it isn't a recurring problem.

Marcus:

There is no such thing as 720i. All 720 video is progressive.

Dan

You know, Dan, I knew that but somehow I saw 60p in one of the posts and jumped to 1/60 shutter from 60i on my V1. I remember liking that the V1 can do 30P at 1/30 to get more exposure in dim situations. 60p is a different story and would be a nice addition to the beautiful colors and DOF of the 5D. I could see mixing 60p slomo from the GH1 with shots from the 5D. I don't mind mixed media as long as they have significant differences and these cameras certainly are different but both visually interesting.

I can see the same block noise and 'dancing blocks' as this guy does:
Panasonic Lumix GH1: Test Clip on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/5623066)

"I just loaded both of these clips in to a Beyonwiz DP-P2 PVR connected (via HDMI) to a Panasonic 50" PZ850 series Plasma, and viewed @ 2metres.

Canon 5D2 - nothing to report, asbsolutely rock solid, no artifacts any where in the picture - looks like a DSLR still shot.

Panasonic GH1... oh boy.. where do I start...
GH1: 0:0 to 0:12 - very noticeable sharpening contours in the sky - this is the low light 'mud' effect every one is talking about. Lots, and I mean lots, of dancing block artifacts in the sky. It doesnt' look good at all.

Lots of dancing blocks in the red areas of the Arizona can at both infinity and close focus"

The blocks are really quite bad and now I have seen them I cannot get them out of my head. The difference between the 5D and the GH1 looks to be very, very obvious. I would avoid the GH1.

Yeah- this comparison makes the GH-1 look like rubbish. Thanks Mike, I'm glad I invested in 5DmkII's.

Marcus:

There is no such thing as 720i. All 720 video is progressive.

Dan

Certainly, you could make something 720i.

Firstly, I apologise in advance if I seem like a GH1 hater. but, I feel it is worth while sharing.

Vertical banding and streaks can be found at all ISOs on the GH1. Read this entire thread:
Low Light Streaks - Is my camera faulty? - DVXuser.com -- The online community for filmmaking (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=174654)