If you're looking for a GH2 package and lenses, please check out my listing below.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/private-classifieds/518087-silver-gh2-lenses-shotgun-mic-accessories.html

What format are you moving to? Just curious as I recently purchased a JVC HM 600 and have been using that almost exclusively for single camera jobs. So much easier to work as a single man crew. Still have my GH cameras for B-Roll and beauty shots. In fact I have a job in the works where the GH cameras are perfect supplemental cameras to my HM600 which will be on a jib.

William, I am using two XA-10s and an XA-20, plus I just received a FZ200 for use as my fourth.

The Panasonic FZ200 looks like a great supplemental still/video camera. This is the first I have heard about it. The constant aperture is great. It's a fixed lens? The review I read didn't mention.

Yes, it's a fixed lens with a 28x zoom. Image stabilization is better than my XA-20. Nice camera. Bill Bruner recommended it to someone and I checked it out. Only drawback is for photos no wireless flash which is a disappointment to me, but otherwise I like it very much. I still have to read the manual and play more with it, but so far it's promising.

Glad you like the FZ200, Jeff :) The still and video quality from these little cameras is surprisingly good. Love my FZ150.

Best,

Bill

Bill, I just never enjoyed working with the GH2s, no IS except for select lenses.

The FZ200 zoom is amazing to me and the IQ is excellent. I am using this Friday for a wedding as a backup, anxious to see how it performs.

Jeff, I am really interested to know how you get on with the FZ200. I have just been looking at the specs & some reviews of the FZ200. For the price it looks amazing. What I don't have a feel for is what DoF you get with it. Apparently the sensor size in common with a lot of compact cameras is 1/2.3" which is larger than the 1/3" of my XF105 (& your XA10s & XA20). By all accounts the low light performance is OK. It's little more expensive than a GoPro & we often use one of those for unattended locked off shots so the FZ200 could be an alternative with the added advantage of an amazing zoom range to get the shot framed right & even half decent stills.

I have been shooting with 5D2 & 5D3s for years although I had a brief flirtation with the GH2. I love shooting with DSLRs but am now getting really fed up with the size & weight of full frame cameras. The one that really intrigues me is the Olympus OM-D which by all accounts is the best MFT for stills but has this amazing 5-way in body image stabilisation SLR Magic 35mm T0.95 test footage with 5 axis Olympus stablisation on Vimeo There is a guy in Israel shooting weddings with an OM-D & he has done some great stuff Anna & Dima Preparations on Vimeo

I do not do much with DOF, sadly, but will play with it a bit if I can. It is a super easy camera to use, it's why I love it. In low light the ISO creates graininess above 800 (some say at 400 but to me it's fine) but in sufficient light it looks very very good to me so far.

Nigel, I watched an online review by an Asian man who kept exclaiming how revolutionary the camera is. He was hyper-excited and it was almost funny. Fact is for the money it is an unbeatable piece of gear and I would not disagree with a thing he said.

Nigel, the FZ200 is decent, but it is noisy for wedding work. Just finished a wedding with it. I'm just dowloading 15 hours of footage, and have yet to sync it up and compare, but at first blush, it's a bit disappointing. I had visions of replacing my XA20 with it, but I can see that is not going to happen.

I'll keep you posted.

Nigel, the FZ200 is decent, but it is noisy for wedding work. Just finished a wedding with it. I'm just dowloading 15 hours of footage, and have yet to sync it up and compare, but at first blush, it's a bit disappointing. I had visions of replacing my XA20 with it, but I can see that is not going to happen.

I'll keep you posted.On reflection at that price point I suspect that a 'proper' consumer camcorder might deliver better video rather than a halfways decent stills camera with a video function.

Actually some of the footage turned out quite good, I might have spoken too quickly. I'll put up a sample for you later today.