Ive got a zillion questions...the manual seems to have been written by my worst enemy. Maybe someone from Sony. ha

Ive got a lot of questions and I dont want to bore everyone with newbie questions. For those that want to help those of us that are basically starting from scratch with the GH2...thanks.

Gotta go right now, but will post questions tonight.

Jeff Hinson

Search first then post if an answer isn't available.

First, make the manual your friend. If you read it cover to cover, with your camera close for testing, this thread will be very short.

I haven't updated this for the new firmware update, but attached to the post below is a summary from what I learned from the GH2 manual:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/panasonic-lumix-gf-gh-series/490557-gh2-cheat-sheet-videographers-new-still-photo-cameras.html

James,

Many thanks. Looks much better organized than the manual.

D

As someone who has been in your position, my advice would be to begin with the settings we discussed earlier, and then shooing every thing you can. Closeups, handheld, whatever. Then download the footage and edit it. The editing is where you learn the most about using your camera, as you see all of your mistakes there. It also helped me learn how to deal with the footage, as I was very inexperienced with HD footage.

I started out getting shots of my cat, and I went to the park a LOT and shot flowers, waterfalls, the sky, people milling around everything. I made little music videos out of the footage, posted them on Vimeo. It was such a novelty at the time, the footage was so clear and nice. I once shot video of a family playing Frisbee, that was really difficult, but helpful.

Focusing is paramount, obviously. I use the setting that gives me a square focus area onscreen, and focus by depressing the shutter halfway. As I change subjects, I push the shutter to focus as needed. I personally do NOT use auto focus, hardly ever, almost never. You turn that off in the menu, and I think on the stage left side dial, you put it on AFS, I believe, not AFC, but whatever, the main thing for me is I don't use manual focus as much, as it's too imprecise while rolling with that little screen, for me.

Anyway, we have all been where you've been, so don't feel like the lone ranger.

I should add there are guys here that are much better shooters than I, and they likely use the camera differently than me, but that's ok. I had to have a system that was simple and helped me to not miss shots, and while not a perfect methodology, it will work in a pinch.

?

Just a few posts and it's already helping me and others too, Im sure.

I am where most of you were sometime back...so "any tip" certainly helps.

Im learning the importance of "custom" white balance rather than using the preset. The little WB button is great on the GH2, scroll with the wheelie thing, and 'sample" the actual light hitting the subject for WB.

Im using the 1.1 update, HBR 30P setting for now.
I think I did set the focus to AFC...so will change that today.

A note on the "exposure" while using Program mode. Im assuming the GH2 sets exposure, but gives you the latitude to adjust plus or minus 3 steps.

I don't like the "video record start" being on the shutter button. But I can probably change that in the menu somewhere. Its too easy to hit the shutter button to focus, and stop the recording.

Great advice and thanks much.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________
.......did I say Im up at 3am taking clips of the blinking lights on the Christmas tree?....it's driving the AF crazy....a quick flip to manual focus, now to find the exposure lock button. : ? O

JH

You can't turn off using the shutter button, but you can use the button with a red dot as your record button. But for focusing while recording you will learn eventually learn how to push the shutter halfway without turning recording off, or more importantly you will learn how to double check to make sure you didn't stop recording when you focused using the shutter button.

After you've missed a first dance because you accidentally turned off recording, you'll remember to double check a lot better. This is one reason at the beginning I ran up to five cameras, shooting with these cameras can be tricky. You'll feel particularly foolish to have been focusing, following a subject, only to find you were not recording at all. After a time or two of that you'll be good, and your eyes will instinctively go to look for the red dot every time you focus using the shutter button. But be careful, because when you stop recording the dot doesn't disappear right away, and it can fool you into thinking your recording, but in reality you've just turned it off. Ideally after you've focused, wait before you leave the camera unattended and watch for a few secs to make sure it's still running.

Long story short use the tiny record button for stop and start. After you focus using shutter button, make sure you didn't stop recording by accident.

I haven't updated this for the new firmware update, but attached to the post below is a summary from what I learned from the GH2 manual:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/panasonic-lumix-gf-gh-series/490557-gh2-cheat-sheet-videographers-new-still-photo-cameras.html

James, do you plan to update your cheat sheet for the new firmware? Any time soon? Pretty please? ;-)

D

Yeah...found out I "cant" shut off the shutter button start/stop function.
But that's OK....been messing with cam today, and ALL your suggestions have really helped me take some cool video.
Im actually getting pretty good with the shutter/focus button.
I have an interview shoot next week and Im gonna use the GH2 with external recorder. I tried natural light and LED light on cam today. The P mode and WB, worked well with both.

Moving along...confidence is building.

Thanks,
Jeff H.

Great, glad you're feeling better. You can experiment with running in other modes anytime. For now you can actually use the camera, and that's the primary thing.

A slightly more complicated feature, but very helpful is the AE/AF button that Nigle B recommends a lot. If you're outside, or anywhere say in a backlit situation, you can aim the camera at a spot that will give you proper exposure, push AE/AF lock, and you're set. It's not exactly that simple, but that's kind of how it works. You have to choose in the menu if you want both Focus and Exposure locked when your use the button, as you have a choice, but you get the general idea. It kind of gives you a kind of manual control without using manual settings, and can be a huge help when running in Program mode.

Dennis,
It wouldn't be that difficult to update for the new firmware... I'm just not seeing that much to change: 1) in NTSC land, just adding the 30p "High Bit Rate", 2) I'm trying to grasp the Half Press Release feature, 3) the Touch Screen On/Off feature, 4) and the ETC mode for both photo/video now. Other than that -- and the power zoom features which I can't access as I don't have the zoom lenses -- there really isn't much to note unless I missed something.

With the 1.1 Update mine turns on instantly now instead of a couple seconds as it was before.

Dennis,
It wouldn't be that difficult to update for the new firmware... I'm just not seeing that much to change: 1) in NTSC land, just adding the 30p "High Bit Rate", 2) I'm trying to grasp the Half Press Release feature, 3) the Touch Screen On/Off feature, 4) and the ETC mode for both photo/video now. Other than that -- and the power zoom features which I can't access as I don't have the zoom lenses -- there really isn't much to note unless I missed something.The new V1.1 firmware also improves AF, powers on more quickly & has reduced colour shift on the LCD when engaging record. It's well worth upgrading.

So ETC now works for photos also? That is VERY cool, didn't know that. All in all, I highly doubt that there has ever been an update that increased usability to any camera this extensively before. It seems to be almost groundbreaking in that way.

Im doing better one day, then confused the next.

I seem to understand as Jeff suggested the Pmode set up and can make movies.
The relationship between the q.set menue and the main menu-set button is confusing.
Im using the new HBR 30P setting...which appears in the "main" menu, but not in the q.set menu. So I find myself going back and checking to make sure Im recording video at 30P HBR.

Also using the Pmode w/HBR clicked I cant snap "photos" while filming, since the shutter button controls the video start/stop. If I want to take photos, I have to go to M/A/S and set up everything. It would be nice to snap pictures with the same color/iso etc as used in the movie mode.

Moving on...

Jeff

It would be nice to be able to do that, but forget it, that's pushing it. To snap a photo switch to p mode on the dial up top, leaving movie mode completely, snap what you need and go back to movie mode on the dial.

If you're using p mode on the camera dial for photos, it will come out nearly the same anyway.

Hey...I must be learning something...thats how Ive done it. With dial, from movie mode to Pmode on dial.
Works fine.

Thanks,
Jeff
GH2 test on Vimeo

A few questions to those shooting weddings with the GH2.
__________________________________________________

What size capture card are you using? 32gig or 16gig.

Has the stock battery lasted through most of the ceremonies you've shot.

How many batteries do you normally take per camera to a wedding shoot.

Is there a larger battery available for the GH2. I purchased an extra "off brand" battery. It does not show the battery life bar on the LCD or VF...bummer.

Thanks,
Jeff H.

Setting the LCD/VF for WYSIWYG.....

The reason Im asking this question is that last evening I shot some pics inside, composing with both the LCD and VF to what looked like a good setting. But upon viewing, the pic was way too dark. My battery was low, and worked better after replacing the battery.

Is there a correct calibration procedure you've found for the LCD/VF for WYSIWYG?

Thanks,
Mr. Questions

32GB cards, only Panasonic batteries. I must know how much life is left, the generics are unreliable. For professional work they are not suitable, for me anyway. I have two generics and they are only for emergencies. I take about 10 batteries, and I have a power strip with chargers on it to ensure I always have enough at the reception.

Never had the screen go darker for low battery, so can't help you there.

Thanks Jeff Harper...

Valuable information as usual.

SOLD THE 5N. Will order another GH2. BHphoto out of stock, but Im in no hurry.
Undecided if I should Iget another kit zoom or the kit wide angle.
Opinions ?

Jeff

People differ on card size. Many say smaller is better because you can't lose as much if one goes bad or if you lose the card. I feel larger is better because I don't have to change cards at all, thereby eliminating the prospect of losing a card, as it's stays in my camera till I get back to the studio and remove it.

It's all a matter of opinion.

Kit zoom? If you shoot weddings, you wont use the kit lens you have, except for outdoors. Get the 25mm F/1.4 and you'll freak out when you see what it can do. Or get the 12mm F/2.0.

Yeah Jeff....regarding the 25 and 12mm lenses. Should be great in low light.

It amazes me how you can do a "solo" wedding shoot, working 3 or 4 cams. When you have time let me know your typical positioning of the cams. I assume you have one on the bride side of the alter, another on the groom side, one set back somewhere for the wide shot. Are you carrying another for the run and gun clips?
I assume each has a 32gig card in them, and the standard GH2 battery.

Do you have assistants or really running solo.

Im nosy, I know. But would like to start shooting weddings and need more confidence.

Thanks Jeff

I run completely solo. I used an assistant three times this year. I have other shooters that do some shoots for me. Where you put the cameras varies with the location. Back and front of course. Normally I run 4 cams every wedding. I use a magic arm type thing in the rear when I can, or even in the front. It's complicated choosing camera position, and I only know when I arrive where I'm going to put the two "extra" cams. I use a real video camera as the main camera and since then my life has become much easier.

The kit lenses are for the most part useless to me for weddings, completely useless. They look very nice in well lit conditions, they beat out a videocamera everytime, but only with lots of light, and weddings are rarely well lit. Your first lens should ideally be a standard lens, it just makes sense, and the 25mm is 50mm effective which is the most basic of all the focal lengths for shooting. Or you could get a zoom like the Olympus 14-50mm F/2.8-3.5, but you end up with the same problem, it's an amazing lens, but for indoor it's limited. Or you could get an faster zoom that's f/2.8 or faster all the way through, but those tend to be expensive, and even f/2.8 is still not enough for most receptions, though you can make it work pretty well, just not ideal.

The 25mm is enough that if you had no other lens you could shoot an entire wedding with it if you had to in any ligthting situation. You'd have no closeups, etc but you'd have crisp clean images with great color rendition and instant auto focus and you'd rarely miss a shot.

Thanks for the info Jeff...

I think I will go ahead and order a 25mm. I have a 50mm Pentax f1.2 (100mm on the GH2 I assume)..could use that too.
I assume Panasonic has a 25mm for the GH2....will check it out.

I have to make things work right now with two GH2s (25mm,50mm,and kit zoom) plus my XHA1 Canon camcorder. Maybe after a few weddings under my belt, I can afford a better set up.

Which camera are you hand-held with during the ceremony; the camcorder or the GH2?

Thanks,
Jeff

Actually Jeff I'm never handheld during the ceremony. I can't abide shaky footage during the vows. I use the XA10 down front for everything, including closeups of the bride's face during the vows, but that's just me. I use the 45mm F/1.8 for the groom shot on the other side.

I'm truly not a particularly killed shooter, which is why use some of the methods I do. But nevertheless my methods are probably a decent starting point for someone new, and from there as you grow you will learn where to tweak things and change methods to fit your own style.

I'm hoping to post a cool video soon that will show the 12mm in use for you along with the XA10. It is from my last wedding of the season, and it was the wedding where everything came together for me for the first time all season. It is frustrating I had to use an entire wedding season to settle on lenses, I went through about 12 of them. It also took me almost the whole season to realize I couldn't survive another season without a videocamera, and late in the game I got the XA10.

Jeff Harper...
Have you posted this yet? Would love to see it.

Thanks,
Jeff
+++++++++++++
"I'm hoping to post a cool video soon that will show the 12mm in use for you along with the XA10. It is from my last wedding of the season, and it was the wedding where everything came together for me for the first time all season. It is frustrating I had to use an entire wedding season to settle on lenses, I went through about 12 of them. It also took me almost the whole season to realize I couldn't survive another season without a videocamera, and late in the game I got the XA10. "

No, but I will. The 12mm looks awesome, I'm sure you'll it when you see the footage.

It is frustrating I had to use an entire wedding season to settle on lenses, I went through about 12 of them. It also took me almost the whole season to realize I couldn't survive another season without a videocamera, and late in the game I got the XA10.
______________________________________________________________________________________

Interesting.............
to me is the reason for adding the videocamera. I assume it's because of the motorized zoom to capture the "alter action" without having to get in their faces. Is there another reason?
If you had to do it over, and had the budget, would you have opted for more XA10s and less GH2s?

Waiting for Santa,
Jeff

Well Jeff, my case is a bit complicated, but I'll give you my perspective. Everyone's way of doing this thing is different.

Which route you go should really depend on your goals. That is the main thing. If you do not have a goal or style of shooting, then it's a crapshoot. Regarding DSLR style cameras, a lack of knowledge about lenses will can also cost you a lot of money, unless you choose exceedingly carefully. I know this from painful and costly mistakes I've made.

I got into the DSLR thing strictly for financial reasons. I had sold off all of my gear during the winter two years ago due to personal issues two years ago. But, I had bookings to fulfill the next spring. So I had to buy cheap cameras and rent gear for a year. It was like I started all over again, it was a very difficult period on every level, personally and professionally.

This past January, I was facing another season with junk equipment, and knew I had to do something. At that time the forums here were buzzing about the Canon t2i and GH1/GH2. The GH2 had just been released.

I saved my money and bought the GH2 with the 14-140mm kit lens. The lens was useless in poor lighting. I sold that lens within a week and bought a Canon FD 50mm F/1.4 and a 85mm F/1.2, and eventually bought over a dozen lenses, and a second GH2 and two GH1s.

It was pure hell shooting most of the season with the GH2s, as I was new to the whole thing. I didn't know about the P setting, and I screwed up a lot of shots unnecessarily. With the P setting you truly do not need anything more to get good solid footage, but I didn't know that then. I have since learned to control the camera manually pretty well, but when I get in a jam, I just flip it to P mode and all is well. For starting out, it is truly all you need. Eventually you will learn more as you go, so no need to rush that.

Anyway, the Olympus 12mm F/2.0 came out, and it was the beginning of a whole new day. That lens was a life saver. Easy to focus, stunning images, etc. I also bought an Olymput 12-60mm which was gorgeous for outdoor work, but not so good indoors.

But yes, to answer your question, try this: focus on a bride as she comes down the aisle with the GH2. You can do it. I learned how. But what a mess it can be.

Video cameras with proper zooms are absolutely essential for my work, no question.

There are those who shoot with ONLY DSLR cameras, and some of these guys get over $5K per wedding. But I don't shoot cinematic style. I shoot documentary style, basic weddings. I give my customers an uninterrupted long form wedding video, and I take a lot of pride in that, I don't miss much if anything, and they get a complete doc of the day. This is difficult to do with DSLR style cameras. It can be done, I have done it, but it's not my idea of fun. This past season was the single biggest challenge I have ever faced, and I'm not exaggerating.

So long story short, yes, this year I will shoot with two video cameras, probably two XA10s and then two GH2s. All problems will pretty much be over at that point, aside from matching up cameras in post.

Jeff, if you shoot basic weddings you do not need the GH2. BUT, if you buy the right lenses at the beginning, you will obtain some stunning footage. LENS CHOICE IS THE KEY. Chant that over and over, do not forget it.

I am an videocamera operator who happens to use the GH2. I am not a DSLR shooter. If this is you, then keep your lens choices basic. No single lens is the perfect solution, you must build a kit of lenses that cover all focal lengths. That is why I recommend the 25mm F/1.4, and the 12mm F/2.0 so highly, they are both amazing, easy to use, and will enable you to do what you need to do.

If I were you, I would start with either a GH2 with a 12mm or 25mm lens, then get a Canon XA10 or AG130. I would forget the 2nd GH2. Get it later if you still want it. The XA10 will blow your old videocamera away, and your life will be much easier, and you can focus on shooting, instead of fiddling with your camera.

Jeff, listen to Jeff. he knows what he's talking about.

I come from a professional videographer background as well and you can't beat a good video camera to get the shot. Certainly the GH2 and other DSLRs are unbelievable values and I really like working with mine but there's a point where they are still really still cameras and not up to the rigors of event filming with a single camera. You usually need multiple cameras to cover the limitations of a DSLR as they are sold right now. I just did a successful three camera interview for broadcast with two pro video cameras for close-ups (JVC three CCD camera) and the GH2 fitted with the 20mm lens as a wide shot. Looked fantastic and the DOF of the 20mm made the wide shot that much nicer. But the video camera lens allowed us to smoothly zoom in and out during the interviews and hold the focus which DSLR lenses can't do. Yes, some people don't like zooms during the shots but I find them useful to highlight the subjects as they speak.

I am experimenting with the new Panasonic power zoom lenses for the GH2 which seems promising but they are not built like a decent video camera zoom which has years of design into ease of use for the operator.

Jeff P. and William,

I figured this all along. My venture into DSLR shooting was basically for music video shooting and the DOF effects interchangeable lenses can provide.

Weddings are a very stressful shoot, and a true camcorder can cut the stress down over using DSLRs ....I can see that now from my limited experience using the G2. As both of you say, the GH2 has is place, for both extended video shooting, as well as stills. Used correctly it adds additional clips to help make a wedding video interesting.

My initial equipment list for this season will "have" to be the GH2 w/25mm lens, the XHA1 and hopefully a XA10(lights,uhf xmtr/rcvr/couple of small audio recorders)....that's it until I make some money.

Thanks for all of your help...
Jeff

Harper, I would probably suggest the Panny 14mm f/2.5 over the Oly 12mm f/2. There's only minor difference in focal length and light gathering ability, but a huge difference in price.

You 3 essential lenses should be along the lines of:

Panny 14mm f/2.5
Panny 25mm f/1.4 or Voigtlander 25mm f/0.95 (no autofocus, though)
Canon FDn 50mm f/1.4

Harper, I would probably suggest the Panny 14mm f/2.5 over the Oly 12mm f/2. There's only minor difference in focal length and light gathering ability, but a huge difference in price.

You 3 essential lenses should be along the lines of:

Panny 14mm f/2.5
Panny 25mm f/1.4 or Voigtlander 25mm f/0.95 (no autofocus, though)
Canon FDn 50mm f/1.4

Like Patrick, I highly recommend the Lumix 14mm f2.5, and use it more often than the Lumix 20mm f1.7 for indoor/outdoor low-light.

Patrick, you are right, those lenses would work, sometimes.

F/2.0 and F/2.5 don't seem that much different unless you shoot a lot of weddings. But even f/2.0 is marginal at times in low light.

If we're talking optimum choices, the 12mm is a superior lens in every way, and extremely sharp. It is a Zuiko. Yes it costs more, but you get more, a lot more. You can switch to manual focus on the barrel of the lens by pulling on the shaft, and not even switch it on camera, because it communicates with the camera. It is an amazing lens.

The Canon is not a bad choice, I had one and got rid of it, it's color rendition was unreliable when coupled with the GH2 in low light. The Panasonic 45mm F/1.8 is a better choice, in my opinion, because it's made for the camera. Jeff H has said he doesn't want to use adapters, for which I don't blame him. The Panasonic 45mm F/1.8 has a blindingly quick auto focus and is really well suited to the Panasonic. In fact it's made for it.

Jeff, Patrick is right you could get by with those lenses, but F/2.5 is too slow for weddings, IMO. It will work in church, but in a reception it will be harder to work with unless you have plenty of light. At F/2.0 you can shoot getting ready footage without additional light, most times, but at F2.5 you would need another lens. I have never needed additional light with the 12mm for bridal prep, which is really nice. I hate running around a bride's house with a light when I don't need it.

Jeff, here's the XA10 GH2 sample for you. The cams don't match perfectly, but they're pretty close. The 12mm is the low shot from down front. It's on a tiny tripod.

Jennifer Scholl is Wed at Blessed Sacrament Church on Vimeo

For wedding videos that are mainly put on 480 line DVD and even if we talk full HD the difference in sharpness between 2 pancake lenses is something i would like to see, video resolution is vastly different from stills where two closely matching lenses may show in the sharpness dept.

re: f/2 vs f/2.5. Bump up your ISO one notch, problem solved. I don't have a link, but I looked up a review between the two lenses, and the 14mm came out ahead in a few categories. The 45mm is definitely a good alternative to the FDn. I actually meant to post that lens instead of the FDn.

Patrick, I did not say the 14mm is a bad lens, and I did not say it would not work. But these are not the same lenses in low light, and that is what I'm talking about. Bumping up the ISO can be done with any lens, so why don't we just use kit lenses and save even more money? Because when you increase ISO you lose sharpness, add noise. With a F/2.0 you already are using a lot of gain in a lowlight situation. This also means color rendition changes, and the cameras will be harder to match in post.

Reviewers are not typically running video and matching cameras, and the 14mm used in low light will look a lot different than the 12mm when used in low light. Outdoors the lenses are similar, but in low light, not even close.

Take for example the images below from a review that claims that there is little difference between lenses. The reviewer shot every single test shot outdoors on a sunny day. This is not how you test a lens for wedding video or low light use.

Look at these images below. This is the single shot the reviewer shot in the shade, and the differences are striking, at least to me.

Also, we should keep in mind the 14mm is a pancake lens, which are hopelessly difficult to manually focus while recording. The 12mm is a professional quality lens, the 14mm is not.

I have a 20mm F/1.7 pancake and and the 25mm F/1.4, and trust me the differences between the two lenses are striking.

My friend Johnny is the type of person who will save a dollar by always buying the cheapest, and he always claims the cheaper product he buys is as good or better then something more expensive. What he is really doing is justifying his purchase and being cheap. I can see the differences, he cannot.

When we are talking tools for pro use, yes you can find ways too save a dollar, and if you cut enough corners you can save a lot of money. The route we choose to go is a personal decision. I do not argue that F/2.5 is usable for wedding work. But when I'm running a 25mm F1.4 and a 45mm F/1.8, why in the world would I want a 14mm F/2.5? Next to each other the differences become noticeable and almost unworkable.

Patrick, I'm no authority on lenses; however I shot dozens of weddings this past season using over a dozen lenses, and I can say with certainty there is a significant difference between F/2.0 and F/2.5 in any low light situation.

The argument you pose is valid, but it is almost always put forth by people who do not shoot primarily weddings.

Case in point: When I complained about the 14-140mm and sold it, I got criticized and beat up pretty badly by one guy in particular who claimed the problem was me, not the lens. He loved his 14-140mm, and he raved about how you only have to raise the ISO and the lens would work just fine.

Anyway, a month later he was right back here looking for a better low light zoom. When I politely asked him what changed his mind, he admitted he didn't understand low light shooting to begin with.

Not to beat this issue to death, it should be noted that after working with the 20mm F/1.7, and getting the 25mm F/1.4, I hope to never work using a pancake lens again. They just suck eggs.

I got a lot of decent images with my 20mm pancake, but the autofocus constantly hunts. On the other hand, the focus ring is so close to the body it's hopeless in manual. I loved the 20mm for it's low light ability, because there was nothing else to use that was made for the camera.

As one reviewer stated, if you don't know why you would need the 12mm over the 14mm, then you don't. As wedding shooters, however, we should know.

The last nail in the coffin for me is that the pancakes are butt-ugly. The Zuiko 12mm is beautiful and elegant, and it is a joy to handle. I hope to order the stupidly over priced lens hood one day, but at $90 is just chaps my ass that they didn't include a hood with it.

Let me pose TWO equipment scenarios and let me know which you would chose....

The shooter(s)....My wife and I are considering working as a team..."we've done it before and are still together" hah We both have a "good eye" for a shot and work well together. This would allow her to shoot the bride ready stuff while Im off with the guys (usually a much shorter shoot ha)

At this early point I can afford to go the camcorder route OR the GH2 route. Keep in mind I already have one camcorder the XHA1 and have used both the Canon and GH2 together and matched the color fairly well. After watching Jeff Harper's video using multi-cams, Im convinced more cams take a lot of pressure and worry out of shooting a wedding.

Knowing what I have and with two shooters..would you purchase 2 XA10s, OR 1 XA10 and a GH2?

Thanks to all...
Jeff

Jeff I you re-read William's post, he sums it up pretty well. In my opinion, for basic weddings, I wouldn't even use the GH2 at all, if I several nice videocameras.

I happen to have the GH2s already, and they are great for extra angles, etc. but for the ceremony I want at least two videocameras, not just one. You should want a zoom in the back and a zoom in the front. Think about it. From the rear you want a zoom to frame your shots of the altar, etc, and from the front you want to get a closeup of the vows and rings.

Use the GH2 for your balcony shot, or whatever, but use your videocameras as your primaries. That's what I'd do.

Let's put it this way: I have two GH2s and a GH1, and the XA10. I'm getting another XA10. I don't "need" another XA10, technically, but I sure want one real bad. Having only one videocamera with a smooth zoom is still limiting.

And for getting ready, yes the GH2 is nice, but is that the camera you want your wife to use? Give her an XA10 or your other camera, she can focus on getting the shot instead of worrying about the gear and how to use it.

The reason I like the XA10 is that in low light it has almost no noise. It is not as fast (fast means as good in lowlight) as the GH2 with the right lenses, but I love the look of the footage, and in many cases I like it more than the GH2. It depends on what I'm shooting though.

Yep....I totally agree.

The XA10 is on order. I could get another XHA1(20x zoom) used, but want to stay tapeless.

Ironically, after months of looking into DSLR shooting vs camcorder, Im right back at what I thought was best initially....camcorders. But, Ive learned a lot along the way, thanks to you and others on this forum.

Now more coffee...Im wired. ha

Jeff

After you get your XA10, you might not want another XH-A1. You'll have the 20x zoom already. That's why I would love to have a AG130, that amazing 22x zoom. You're going to love your XA10, but I admit that zoom is very limiting. BUT the camera is nice and wide, which is another plus.

In my case, I'm keeping my expenses down this coming season. I'm buying another XA10, and a few odds and ends, like a glidetrack, but that' it. I spent most all of last season's money on gear, and I'm ready to make a dollar or two this year.

Harper, I totally get what you're saying, but you can't compare the 14mm to the 14-140mm. At the long range of that zoom your minimum aperture is f/5.6. Trying to compensate with ISO will be horrid. The difference between f/2 and f/2.5 might be going from ISO 160 to 320. Besides, everyone here seems to agree that the noise is negligible on the GH2 at lower ISO's. I will agree, however, that the pancake lenses are ugly and unintuitive. I prefer a lens with a workable focus ring, especially since I have a follow focus on my shoulder rig, and a pancake doesn't have the room to hook that up to it.

I don't primarily shoot weddings, but I do shoot indoor stand-up comedy shows, concerts, club events, etc, so I am familiar with dealing with low light situations. You may have convinced me to get the 12mm, however. I'm considering ditching my Voigtlander for the Panny 25mm and ditching my FDn for the 45mm simply for the autofocus capabilities. The only thing is, judging from the 14-42mm lens I have, I can't stand Panny lenses. They're cheap feeling and plasticky. Not to mention right now all my lenses have a filter thread of 52mm, so I have one Fader ND filter that fits them all. If I switch lenses I'll have to get a new Fader and step up rings :(

Hinson, be sure to hold on to your XHA1. As I said before, I get a fair amount of corporate work where it's necessary that I have a tape based camera.

Patrick, you don't get what I'm saying, exactly. The point of the story about the 14-140 is that I was told to simply raise the IS0, and that's always what people using slower lenses will say. It's human nature. We all do it.

I've attached some samples for you. You be the judge. Comedy clubs, etc are dark, but you are not looking for the same thing in your images that I am as a wedding shooter.

We look for details in the flowers, the colors, the dress, all of the things that are not so important in other stuff.

Keep in mind these photos were shot in natural light, no flash. And the benefit of the lens is not just that it's f/2.0, but how the colors look in lower light. Slower lenses in low light when used with a higher ISO just don't look the same.

Depending on imaging device, higher ISO tends to flatten and distort the colors, usually due to the noise. Sometimes for other reasons.

To be truthful I am looking to create a small two to three camera interview kit that I can take on the subway to local jobs and perhaps the GH2 can do it. The new 45-175mm PZ lens is not bad, you can do a decent on camera zoom with it but it's not wide enough for some situations. Also the DOF is too shallow even at 5.6 for interviews with fidgety subjects. I am impressed enough to try out the 14-45 PZ lens. However Mr. Hinton, don't let my fantasy lead you astray. The way you are going is the best for your sanity and business.

I shoot scientific video, indoors, often in less than ideal light and with just the 14-140 due to time constraints. Three huge tips here:

1- use "Vibrant" film setting. It alleviates some of the mud of muted colors in low light. Things actually look like they should.

2- try a very moderate, conservative PTool hack. Higher bitrate reduces apparent noise at higher ISO. Larger cards are cheap.

3- NeatVideo. Cheapest $100 I've ever spent. It can clean up some mighty noisy messes, albeit with time.