Worth the upgrade?

hello,
i was just wondering for those that have had both the GL1 and 2, do you think it is really worth the upgrade? i have had the GL1 for about 2 years now and have played with the GL2 in the store and what not, i know it is overall better but is it worth selling my camera and replacing it? I am saving up for a g4 and im wondering if i should hold back on that and look more into the GL2 or just wait.
thanks for your help,
Andrew

[Barry Goyette]

Andrew

G4...Gl2? Hmmm. thats a good question...expecially with the new cheap dual processors announced today..., maybe Apple made it possible for you to do both.

I for one, probably will never use my gl1 again...the picture on the gl2 is significantly better, and while I've loved my gl1 for 3 years now, it's day has clearly come and gone. If you've read the review of the Gl2 I wrote, you'll see that I hardly mentioned the gl1...there is a reason for it, the gl2 is just better in every area, (except perhaps in the on camera controls that have been changed).

I come from a still photography background...and I have for years fielded questions from my friends like "which camera takes the best pictures". In still photography, the camera has very little to do with it..issues like format, film, printing, and above all the photographer are what determines the "quality" of the image. In Digital video, while all of the above is still true...I think the camera plays a much more important role as it functions as the format and film as well. The Gl2, for it's price range, produces about the best quality image you can get, and that means a lot as far as I'm concerned.

Barry

[Alex Ratson]

Do you have an editing rig right now? If you do not have an editing rig then go for the G4. What good is a camera if you can not edit? If you do have a editing rig that works ok that you could get by on then get the GL2. The biggest thing to think of is what do you need more? New camera, or new computer?

Alex

I do have a pc setup that is enough to get the job done but it is getting outdated, its a joke to the new macs. I really would like FCP3, my reason for posting was just that the new g4s out and look great. At the age of 16 and my main focus is school, i don't have much money comming in and any i do i must use well as i am moving to Los Angeles in less then a year to go to USC. so, even though i do know that it is overall better... im stuck to wonder if getting the camera right now is the way to go, its just one of those "wants" i guess, i know what i have now is enough, but i also know that i will need and want to upgrade sometime and i would just like to have the best i can afford, pretty much like everyone else. I am not to good with money, ive been planing on a g4 for the last 6 months but the more reviews i read about the GL2 its giving me second thoughts. What would you do?

[Barry Goyette]

Sounds like the computer is the way to go...the gl2 isn't going anywhere, and the price on it will probably drop a bit over time. Are you heading to the film program at SC? If so they should have equipment you can use there....The Gl1 is a great camera and being a student...I'd say stick with it for awhile, get the computer...you'll probably be using it a lot more than the camera anyway.

Barry

I first wanted to say thanks for the fast replys. Yes, im heading to the film program, im doing everything i can to not have to worry about a loan. My plan is to take advantage of Fry's 7 day satisfaction guarantee and pick up a gl2 buy the end of the week, even if it blows me away im going to return it and wait a week after that to think about what it is i want to do and either order a gl2 or g4.

[Ken Tanaka]

Andrew,
It sounds like you're in the midst of multiple claims on a limited budget. For what it's worth, I'd recommend that you back-off of the whole decision for a while.

One of the toughest abilities that any professional with a budget must make (particularly film and video professionals) is to be strong enough to resist desires in order to establish rational priorities for an initiative. In your case, your initiative is your education, which is not a small effort. At the age of 16 the strength of impulses can be overwhelming. Guess what: at the age of 48 impulses can also be overwhelming. But success in any profession, or just life, means knowing when to back-away and re-assses the situation from other perspectives.

All electronic gear is a losing proposition. That is, the stuff DEpreciates to zero value in a rather short time. As soon as you sign a bill of sale you've already lost perhaps 20% of the value you've just paid...even before you use it. At best, you might be able to make a little money using it, but that can be problemmatic for a young person. In contrast, an education APreciates over time if you leverage and cultivate it. That would be my hands-down first choice for directing scarce financial resources.

So, I suppose if you were my son, I would advise you to back away from the whole camera/computer matter for at least a week, preferably a month. Distract yourself with other activities. Get a (new) girlfriend. Take up tennis. Get a (2nd) job that absolutely exhausts you. Whatever. Then see how the situation looks when you eventually revisit it. Maybe you'll decide that both purchases can wait and you can use your resources for more important purposes. You say you're doing "everything I can to not have to worry about a loan". Are you really?

But under no circumstances would I advise you to put your fingerprints on that camera, even under a try-before-you-buy program. You'll be hooked...and Fry's knows that very well. Otherwise they wouldn't offer the program.

Best of luck to you, Andrew. Keep in touch here.

That's a lot to think about... and I did, but heres a little bit more to the story.
For the last 8 years I have been skateboarding and shooting photos, about 5 years ago my dad bought a vx1000 for the family videos and I would use it to make short movies and film my friends skateboarding. After a while, I met more and more people in the skateboarding world and have contributed to a lot of major videos. It has become my life, its what I do for fun and to make money. I don't really have a "job" i film family friend's weddings and take photos for random things. Girls are pretty much a waste of time at the age of 16, i have been there and it was interesting but don't plan on going through it again anytime soon, highschool drama gets you nowhere, i pretty much keep to myself at school and don't really do much about tennis (its 115+ in the day here) ... or parties or anything really for that matter. on Friday nights we go downtown and bring out the generator and set up the lights and skate till dawn then come home and break down all the footage and do it all over again. I really could back off but it still what i want to do. i guess i take filming a little more serious then i should, at least my parents think so. I have an older brother that that is 25, lived your basic life with no real direction... I don't know, I saw it first hand and I want something more ... or maybe less? i found a passion, I have a love for film, there's nothing I have found that I want to do more and its just something to work toward. I have some dreams but nothing to high to where I will be disappointed, just goals I would like to set as days go by. My gl1 is on the back nine for sure, I have already replaced the heads and it has seen over 500 tapes and with the gl2 out, it made me think. The more I think about it... I really don't have any other choice then to upgrade when my gl1 does decide to die on me, I was just wondering if it is worth making the leap now or go for the g4. I guess I got a lot more then what i asked more though... food for thought.
i hope this didn't sound ungrateful in anyway, i totaly understand what your saying. right now im standing at saving money, when the time comes for a replacement for my camera, ill have it covered, an after i have that out of the way, start looking at computers, maybe even by then there will be a new set of g4s.

[Chris Hurd]

Just wondering, Andrew, if that VX1000 your dad has is still operational. It's an excellent camera and will definitely fill the bill if your GL1 is flaking out.

I'll have to agree with Barry, you'll probably get more use out of a G4 right away than you will the camera... and as you know, Ken has basically sat down and shot straight with you about how all this stuff works. There's *always* new cameras and computers coming out. It happens too quickly in fact. Good luck and let us know what you decide to do.

[Jeff Donald]

Get a G4 dual processor. The future FCP will require dual processors for all the features, in my opinion. The school will have cameras you can use, but editing time can be limited. If you have your own setup, you can edit when you want. How cool is that?

Jeff

[Barry Goyette]

Jeff

In case you didn't notice yesterday, Apple upgraded all it's g4 desktops to dual processors, starting at $1699. How cool is that?

Barry