GL2 Quality/Scam?

[Craig Brunson]

I recently bought a refurbished GL2 from bhphotovideo.com. It was said to have been in top condition and only refurbished because it had been used as a display model for a while. The camera did look to be in perfect shape, and the packaging seemed legitimate. But when I compare my footage to that of other users on here, I feel like there must be something off about mine.

I'd read online that some vendors will actually replace the lenses of prosumer cameras with low quality lenses and pass them off as legitimate.

Are my concerns justified? How can I know for sure if my camera is producing the quality of video it should. BTW, I've been recording in auto mode. Could my dissatisfaction be due to this?

[Philippe Messier]

Sorry, but did you really expected the camera to shine the first time you put your hands on it?...moreover in auto mode?

Learn how to make video (yes, it will take time) and then compare.

Philippe

[Travis Cossel]

I agree with Philippe, and I would add that a lot of the footage you see posted on here has been through color correction and enhancement in an editor before it was posted.

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Craig Brunson

I'd read online that some vendors will actually replace the lenses of prosumer cameras with low quality lenses and pass them off as legitimate.

Absolutely false, Craig -- such a rumor doesn't have a single shred of truth to it, not by a long shot. The zoom lenses in these camcorders are very complex systems, consisting of several groups of highly precise optical elements. There's *no way* they can be "replaced" by anything other than a factory original lens, by anyone other than a highly qualified service technician.

Think about it: the considerable time, effort and expense to engineer and manufacture a set of so-called "replacement plastic" that exactly matches factory original glass...? File this ridiculous rumor in the same category as the conspiracy theorists who purport that Apollo didn't land on the moon: in other words, the claim is nothing but laughably ridiculous.

I first heard about such nonsense back in the dark ages when I posted on usenet. The stultifying and thoroughly misleading garbage I saw there is one of the big reasons why I started this site, to provide a richly informative environment not sullied by that type of outright trash.

Auto mode will give you an acceptable (and usually very good) image, but it won't fix other forms of operator error, and it won't compare to video shot by a pro who knows how to make the camera sing in manual mode.

[Mark Hoefflin]

Hi, I'm really glad to find this information here, because I am seriously considering purchasing a refurbished GL2 from B & H. Thanks guys-

[Jim Andrada]

Let me also add that B&H is in my experience one of the straightest of the straight and I have great confidence in their honesty.

Same has been true of my dealings with other sponsors, but over the years I've bought a lot of stuff from B&H and have no complaints.

That said, they're still New Yorkers so they may sometimes seem "a bit" brusque compared to folks from other parts of the US. I once worked in New York, and I think it's a well kept secret, but New Yorkers are some of the nicest people around, even if they come across as confrontational.

Sort of like conversation is a full contact sport!

I'd better be careful - if this thing about New Yorkers being great folks gets around, it could do serious damage to their image, and I might find the severed lens from my favorite camera on my pillow some night.

[Frank Simpson]

I recently purchased a couple of items from B&H's "Open Box Specials" and I could not be happier. I also visited B&H whan I was in NY last October, and although there were about 140,000 people in the store (it was during the Photo Plus trade show), once I was able to finally speak with a sales person, I was well-treated.

On another note, the company I work for manufactures straps & accessories for the photography industry, and B&H are probably our biggest account. I have dealt with their marketing people, and they are very conscientous about accurate representation of our products.

Finally, if you even stop to consider how much labor would go into replacing the lens on a GL2, there would be no way it would be economically feasible to do so. Not that they ever would!

I have 3 GL2 cameras, and they do have a learning curve. They're great cameras, but point-and-shoot technique gives point-and-shoot results! I'm sure once you learn the fine points you'll get great results!

[Todd Clark]

It is possible that the image quality is not as good as when it was new. I had to send my GL2 back to the factory 8 times. That's right, 8 times. They could not get the quality back to where it was when it was new. The image was soft and they could not make it clear again so they sent me a refurb. I would not be surprised if your camera suffers from the same thing.

Something you can try is (if a friend has the same camera) compare to another GL2 to see if the picture looks the same.

Good Luck!