Thanks Dave.

Put in the order. I'll pick it up in a few weeks at a friend's in California on my way back home and will see hackability.

Have heard various reports about the GH1's suitability for docs/news features - some good, some bad. A number of people said I should be using a Canon Rebel/5D/etc, but the longer record times, improved moire, viewfinder, AF on kit lens, etc have convinced me this is a better choice to EASE myself into the world of cinematic journalism.

If nothing else it will give me an idea what the AF100 might be like image-wise, and whether larger sensors work for the kind of work I do. It's a pretty low buy in to experiment ... and I'm sure I could sell for cost or a little less ...

Only wish I didn't need to buy the Zoom, some sort of stabilizer, plus a few extra lenses. All of which are cheaper in the US than where I'm going (Canada). That said, shouldn't amount to more than an extra grand or so (I hope) ....

You may find some interesting items by going through this guy's blog. He seems to find some interesting budget gear:

CheesyCam DIY Video and Photography Projects

Also, haven't checked out his other videos yet but this was interesting:

YouTube - Canon 7D vs Hacked Panasonic Gh1 - 1080P 24fps versus comparison - Bundled lenses

Thanks Dave. The site looks very interesting!

Check out the Youtube video and look for the guy's other GH1 videos as he has some useful info/tips.

GH1 Hack
 

I have read elsewhere that Panasonic has re=written the firmware in the GH1's. I read that those on sale since June are not able to use the hack. I have one of the first ones out and it can but if you are buying with this in mind I would strongly suggest doing some research.

People getting GH1s as of early this week from J&R (Amazon deal mentioned) have reported getting firmware v1.2 (hackable). Some have gotten v1.34 but not sure of the source of those cameras. B&H is supposed to be still shipping hackable ones as well. Granted that can change any moment.

It's $999.99 (plus $11 shipping) right now at Amazon via J&R.

Is there any way to know beforehand? I'm itching to pull the trigger on this, but if the firmware can't be hacked to support the "upgraded" performance, I'm not sure I want to.

No way to know for certain before unless you go into a store and check. Should be returnable. Also, if the past is any indication, this deal will be gone tomorrow (Sunday).

Thanks for the quick reply, Dave. Has Panasonic really killed the hack with a new firmware, or is it just a matter of time before the new firmware is hackable? What, exactly, makes the new firmware useless for hacking?

There's a new version of the firmware, v.1.34 that no one has a copy of. Vitally, aka Tester13, the person that's done the hacks needs a copy of the new firmware in order to hack it. Panasonic isn't making it available. So, yes, while it is possible, it may or may not happen.

For a lot more info i suggest you go here:

GH1 Firmware Hack - DVXuser.com -- The online community for filmmaking

Thanks Dave.

I pulled the trigger and have my fingers crossed. However, it looks like the chances of getting a hackable camera are getting pretty slim. Hopefully a solution will become available before too long.

As expected, price is back to $1,180 this morning. Congrats and good luck! All the posts I've seen to date say they got hackable versions from J&R. Don't know where the firmware v1.34 ones are coming from. Not that many reported either.

From what I read, most of the 1.34's are in Asia, with some in Europe. There was a couple from B&H, and 1 reported from Amazon (but didn't say if it was Amazon itself or J&R).

I now have a much better understanding of how the hack works (at least I think I do). Much appreciated, and thanks for the good luck!

EDIT: Came across this tidbit - "In related 'hack' news, Panasonic have quietly changed the firmware of new cameras leaving the factory doors in Japan and China to prevent the hack being installed. Later Tester13 released an additional patch which solved this problem."

Is this actually true? (I mean that Test13 has solved the problem)

I will indeed post my results.