Switching to GH2? at DVinfo.net

Jeff Murray · January 25th, 2011, 08:58 AM

The new Panasonic GH2 is getting quite a bit of attention. I was wondering if anyone is considering a switch?

I've seen some lovely results obtained with very fast lenses - Voightlander 0.95 is impressive.

Claims of working autofocus (that's slient) quiet IS and no moire are tempting. Flip out touch screen focus control is also appealing.

Test footage looks clear and sharp. And all for a price quite a bit lower than a 7D.

Bill Pryor · January 25th, 2011, 09:33 AM

I"ve seen some nice footage from it as well, but I prefer the big chip of the 7D or even bigger 5D. If auto focus is something you'd use, then it might be worth considering.

Stephen Mick · January 25th, 2011, 09:37 AM

I'd say if you've got a good collection of Canon-compatible lenses and can live with the inherent issues that come with Canon DSLRs (moire/aliasing/overheating), I'd stick with what you've got, especially if it's making you money.

That said, I've completely turned over my Canon gear and have gone to the AF-100 and GH2 exclusively. I've got a set of Zeiss ZF lenses and a few MicroFourThirds lenses and couldn't be happier with the footage I'm seeing out of it.

Jeff Murray · January 25th, 2011, 09:51 AM

Workflows have come a long way since I used AVCHD - are you having any problems editing the footage - or is all going well in this regard?

I used to convert to DNxHD with Vegas and do the long import. That was 2 years ago, however I note on the Avid side you can bring it in via AMA or import now. There do seem to be more AVCHD gripes on the forums than H264 however.

How are you finding it Stephen. Are you editing in Final Cut or something else?

Stephen Mick · January 25th, 2011, 10:17 AM

I've been editing with FCP and Avid, and despite the many cries from those who want native editing of AVCHD, I'm happy to transcode. In Avid, I'll use DNxHD and in FCP I'll use ProRes (or ProRes LT).

Generally my workflow is pretty straightforward. In FCP, for example, I'll use the Log & Transfer function to name and organize clips before transcoding/importing. With Avid, I've been using ClipWrap to transcode before using AMA to link to the files.

Either way works, but native AVCHD editing just isn't a priority for me. My jobs generally have plenty of storage space and enough time to allow for transcoding.

Nigel Barker · January 25th, 2011, 05:48 PM

My GH2 arrived today. I decided to get one as I also have a Panasonic AG-AF101 on order & thought that I could take advantage of the selection of lenses that I am assembling for that (MFT & others with MFT adaptor). The video looks nice but compared to the 5DII it feels like a little plastic toy. I am still getting used to the controls but it's not half as easy to use as the 5DII or 7D partly because everything is so tiny. The flip-out screen is nice. I just used Log & Transfer for FCP transcoding to ProRes. In iMovie it recognises & imports the video files easily. They are handled in both applications more easily than the Canon DSLR files.

January 25th, 2011, 08:58 AM	#1
Jeff Murray Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: Glasgow, United Kingdom Posts: 176	Switching to GH2? The new Panasonic GH2 is getting quite a bit of attention. I was wondering if anyone is considering a switch? I've seen some lovely results obtained with very fast lenses - Voightlander 0.95 is impressive. Claims of working autofocus (that's slient) quiet IS and no moire are tempting. Flip out touch screen focus control is also appealing. Test footage looks clear and sharp. And all for a price quite a bit lower than a 7D.

January 25th, 2011, 09:51 AM	#4
Jeff Murray Regular Crew Join Date: May 2007 Location: Glasgow, United Kingdom Posts: 176	AVCHD Editing Workflows have come a long way since I used AVCHD - are you having any problems editing the footage - or is all going well in this regard? I used to convert to DNxHD with Vegas and do the long import. That was 2 years ago, however I note on the Avid side you can bring it in via AMA or import now. There do seem to be more AVCHD gripes on the forums than H264 however. How are you finding it Stephen. Are you editing in Final Cut or something else?

January 25th, 2011, 09:33 AM	#2
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	I"ve seen some nice footage from it as well, but I prefer the big chip of the 7D or even bigger 5D. If auto focus is something you'd use, then it might be worth considering.

January 25th, 2011, 09:37 AM	#3
Stephen Mick Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 167	I'd say if you've got a good collection of Canon-compatible lenses and can live with the inherent issues that come with Canon DSLRs (moire/aliasing/overheating), I'd stick with what you've got, especially if it's making you money. That said, I've completely turned over my Canon gear and have gone to the AF-100 and GH2 exclusively. I've got a set of Zeiss ZF lenses and a few MicroFourThirds lenses and couldn't be happier with the footage I'm seeing out of it.

January 25th, 2011, 10:17 AM	#5
Stephen Mick Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 167	I've been editing with FCP and Avid, and despite the many cries from those who want native editing of AVCHD, I'm happy to transcode. In Avid, I'll use DNxHD and in FCP I'll use ProRes (or ProRes LT). Generally my workflow is pretty straightforward. In FCP, for example, I'll use the Log & Transfer function to name and organize clips before transcoding/importing. With Avid, I've been using ClipWrap to transcode before using AMA to link to the files. Either way works, but native AVCHD editing just isn't a priority for me. My jobs generally have plenty of storage space and enough time to allow for transcoding.

January 25th, 2011, 05:48 PM	#6
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	My GH2 arrived today. I decided to get one as I also have a Panasonic AG-AF101 on order & thought that I could take advantage of the selection of lenses that I am assembling for that (MFT & others with MFT adaptor). The video looks nice but compared to the 5DII it feels like a little plastic toy. I am still getting used to the controls but it's not half as easy to use as the 5DII or 7D partly because everything is so tiny. The flip-out screen is nice. I just used Log & Transfer for FCP transcoding to ProRes. In iMovie it recognises & imports the video files easily. They are handled in both applications more easily than the Canon DSLR files.