GH2 stops recording at DVinfo.net

Terry Wall · July 6th, 2015, 07:40 PM

Evening, all! Over the weekend, I was shooting a wedding. I was running 4 cameras: 2 GH2's and 2 Canon XH-A1's. One of my GH2's stopped recording at around 5 minutes and I have no idea why! I checked the "ECO" setting to make sure the sleep mode was "off" and it was, but still the camera stopped...meanwhile, my other GH2 just kept right on running for the duration of the ceremony. Does anyone have any idea why one of the GH2's would be so tempermental? With 3 other cams rolling properly, I was OK with the other footage I got, but I need to get a handle on this annoyance. I'm just glad it wasn't my "key" camera!

BTW, the SD card in BOTH GH2's is a SanDisk Ultra Class 10, 64GB, 30MB/s. And like I said, everything worked just fine on the other Lumix.

Thanks in advance for any feedback/input on this pain in the arse!

Bruce Foreman · July 6th, 2015, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terry Wall

BTW, the SD card in BOTH GH2's is a SanDisk Ultra Class 10, 64GB, 30MB/s. And like I said, everything worked just fine on the other Lumix.

Are you in the habit of doing an occasional "low level" format on your cards? If not, that may be the culprit.

The Panasonic cameras do not offer low level format as an option, all you have is "quick" format and all that does is change the first two characters of each filename to something that indicates to the camera that all sectors of the media used by that file may now be reused.

The file itself is not really erased and can be recovered by recovery software. However as sectors are reused, portions of the file are overwritten but not necessarily completely. This leaves fragments of data and as the clutter builds up it slows the camera "writes" down and if left long enough can cause a situation where the camera stops.

Even SanDisk media will eventually "succumb". So about every 5 use cycles I do a "low level" format on the card in a PC, followed by a reformat in camera so the camera sets the structure it needs. If using a MAC don't use the OS' formatter, use something like SD Formatter.

Media cards do sometimes go "bad" so flag that one and don't use until you've tried the above and then tested it.

Terry Wall · July 7th, 2015, 11:20 AM

Thanks for the intel, Bruce! I will flag (frag is probably the better word!) the offending SD card, and will swap it out with a newly formatted one. I do usually reformat my cards after pulling footage off them, but I wasn't as attentive--this time--as I normally am. Live and learn--and don't screw the pooch!

Thanks again!
~TW

Terry Wall · July 7th, 2015, 12:20 PM

Bruce, I was able to get a shot of the message that appears on screen when the camera stops running. It says, "motion recording was cancelled due to the limitation of the recording speed of the card." This puzzles me because the cards are the same "make and model number," but one of the GH2's runs just fine and the other keeps throwing this error at me. All camera settings are identical between the two. It probably goes to what you said earlier, but I wanted to share this update, in case it's something else.

Thanks again...again!
Terry

Ervin Farkas · July 7th, 2015, 06:48 PM

Add another possible cause: defective card.

Yes, they do go bad...

Bruce Foreman · July 13th, 2015, 11:01 AM

And counterfeit cards abound, especially SanDisk. That's the most counterfeited card on the market.

Have to be extremely careful where you buy, some have even turned up from Best Buy.

I purchase mine only from B&H.

Terry Wall · August 4th, 2015, 11:17 AM

Hi, Gang! I just bought a brand new set of SanDisk cards. I did the "low-level" format on a PC that Bruce suggested, followed by a reformat in the camera. Did this before shooting anything. Now, I no longer get the "motion recording cancelled" message, but it still stops capture at right around 7 minutes. I am at a loss to figure out why this is happening and as I mentioned earlier in the thread, my other GH2 works (and continues to work) just fine, shooting as long as I have battery life and space on a card.

Any other thoughts? With no resolution, I may be confined to just using the offending camera for stills, or I may just sell it.

Thanks, as always!
Terry

Terry Wall · August 4th, 2015, 11:44 AM

OK, so I just looked of the file size of a test clip and it's right at 4GB, so I MUST be hitting that dreaded file size limitation. The SD card's format is FAT32 and I know that's the max file size for that format. I tried to reformat as NFTS, but the camera flipped it back to FAT32. So I'm OK for short takes, but this sure isn't the expectation I had for this camera. And the other GH2 just keeps going and going and......well, you get the picture (pun intended). Do I have a PAL camera, by chance? In the spirit of full disclosure, I did pick this one up from a 3rd party.

Go figure.

William Hohauser · August 4th, 2015, 05:56 PM

4Gb for a seven minute clip? That is not possible unless you have a hacked GH2. A PAL GH2 stops at 29 minutes not seven. There is a possibility that the camera has gone screwy especially if you are having the problem using fresh SD cards. You should see if Panasonic will still repair it.

Gordon Hoffman · August 4th, 2015, 06:41 PM

That's what I was thinking. Either it has been hacked or maybe shooting in motion jpeg.

Gordon

Terry Wall · August 4th, 2015, 08:07 PM

Thanks, William and Gordon for your additional insights! I did check and I'm not in motion JPEG; setting is 1080 AVCHD. As for a hack, is there a way I can determine if this camera's been messed with? I did a full reset from the settings menu and that didn't do anything. Otherwise, I'll call Panny and ask what they'll charge to work on the camera...and if they want more than the current cost of a GH2, I'll just shoot stills and short video takes with it and get a GH4.

Chris Harding · August 4th, 2015, 08:11 PM

Hi Terry

By my calculations you do seem to be shooting between 70 and 100mbps which explains the 7 minute limit ..My FZ1000 in 50P mode at 28mbps fills an MP4 in around 22mins so 7 minutes does indicate a very high bitrate and a hacked camera. I cannot remember my details on my GH1 which was also a hacked model but I did know it ate memory like crazy. Does the GH2 shoot MP4 or AVCHD or both?? If you shoot in AVCHD you don't have the 4GB limit as the files split at 2GB but continue with a second file etc etc. Only MP4 files have a 4GB limit not AVCHD

If you google "hacked GH2" you might be able to put the original firmware back onto the camera but I believe that it's a dicey procedure so maybe ditch this camera and buy an unhacked one???

Gordon Hoffman · August 5th, 2015, 06:58 AM

Terry
A hacked camera could explain the card write errors you were getting at the start. I never got to hacking my gh2 but I believe you can go back to the original firmware if things were done right. Make sure the battery is fully charged and preferably use a Panasonic battery. As Chris mentioned google hacked gh2 and read up on the procedure to return to the original firmware.

Gordon

Steve Burkett · August 5th, 2015, 08:06 AM

I've got 2 hacked GH2's. One for continuous recording, the other ups the bitrate to 50mbps. The GH2 records AVCHD and although a continuous video can be created, the AVCHD files split at the 4GB's limit not 2GBs as previously suggested. So each time it reaches the 4gb limit, it creates a new file, which for my GH2 at 50mbps is approx the 12 minute mark. For some cards that don't write as fast, I have had issues of it stopping when it reaches that 4gb limit and being unable to start a new file automatically. I now use Extreme Pro Sandisk and not Ultra and it never stops and just keeps recording.

However your issue could be more severe than any I encountered as I deliberately chose one of the hacks that was more suited for event filming. It kept the bitrate lower and made recording more stable. There were others that took the bitrate beyond 100mbps, but stability was a key issue. Fine for filming a personal project but not for a camera left unattended. The GH2 wasn't designed to record AVCHD at such a high bitrate. So for me it was about getting as high a value as possible without losing stability.

As others have suggested, find the original firmware. It's been awhile since I hacked my cameras, so I can't recall all the procedures. I had to use the hack software to load the recent update from Panasonic, un-tick any boxes that alluded to any extra features and then create a new firmware file by entering a higher value in the save box, otherwise the GH2 didn't recognise it as an update and just left it as it is. I can't be more precise than that without referring back to the software. Of course if there's a panasonic firmware higher than the one on your camera, its as easy as downloading that and uploading to the camera.

Bruce Foreman · August 5th, 2015, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terry Wall

OK, so I just looked of the file size of a test clip and it's right at 4GB, so I MUST be hitting that dreaded file size limitation. The SD card's format is FAT32 and I know that's the max file size for that format. I tried to reformat as NFTS,

You can't do that, as you found out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terry Wall

. And the other GH2 just keeps going and going and......well, you get the picture (pun intended). Do I have a PAL camera, by chance? In the spirit of full disclosure, I did pick this one up from a 3rd party.

Go figure.

If you have the PTOOL software, downloadable from Vitaly Kiselev's site (search for GH2 hack and you'll find that site listed, confusing but it's there), and the latest GH2 firmware (downloadable from Panasonic's site), along with the desired "patches", among the things you can configure/set: Remove the recording time limit (4GB size limit is there but with decent SDHC cards files will "span" over subsequent 4GB files, remove the high ISO limit of 3200, and configure the camera for PAL framerates or NTSC.

If your GH2 has firmware 1.0 you will need to update it to 1.1

Once you have that done follow the instructions linked below. I recommend Flowmotion 2.02 as a very stable "patch" that gave me good results. I no longer have any GH2's, I've moved on and now use the GH4 and G7.

How to Hack the GH2: Clear, simple and complete instructions. | HEY LOOK! A BLOG!!! WOW!

July 6th, 2015, 07:40 PM	#1
Terry Wall Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 164	GH2 stops recording Evening, all! Over the weekend, I was shooting a wedding. I was running 4 cameras: 2 GH2's and 2 Canon XH-A1's. One of my GH2's stopped recording at around 5 minutes and I have no idea why! I checked the "ECO" setting to make sure the sleep mode was "off" and it was, but still the camera stopped...meanwhile, my other GH2 just kept right on running for the duration of the ceremony. Does anyone have any idea why one of the GH2's would be so tempermental? With 3 other cams rolling properly, I was OK with the other footage I got, but I need to get a handle on this annoyance. I'm just glad it wasn't my "key" camera! BTW, the SD card in BOTH GH2's is a SanDisk Ultra Class 10, 64GB, 30MB/s. And like I said, everything worked just fine on the other Lumix. Thanks in advance for any feedback/input on this pain in the arse! __________________ Rule #1: Don't sweat the small stuff. Rule #2: It's ALL small stuff!

July 7th, 2015, 11:20 AM	#3
Terry Wall Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 164	Re: GH2 stops recording Thanks for the intel, Bruce! I will flag (frag is probably the better word!) the offending SD card, and will swap it out with a newly formatted one. I do usually reformat my cards after pulling footage off them, but I wasn't as attentive--this time--as I normally am. Live and learn--and don't screw the pooch! Thanks again! ~TW __________________ Rule #1: Don't sweat the small stuff. Rule #2: It's ALL small stuff!

July 7th, 2015, 12:20 PM	#4
Terry Wall Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 164	Re: GH2 stops recording Bruce, I was able to get a shot of the message that appears on screen when the camera stops running. It says, "motion recording was cancelled due to the limitation of the recording speed of the card." This puzzles me because the cards are the same "make and model number," but one of the GH2's runs just fine and the other keeps throwing this error at me. All camera settings are identical between the two. It probably goes to what you said earlier, but I wanted to share this update, in case it's something else. Thanks again...again! Terry __________________ Rule #1: Don't sweat the small stuff. Rule #2: It's ALL small stuff!

July 7th, 2015, 06:48 PM	#5
Ervin Farkas Inner Circle Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Atlanta/USA Posts: 2,515	Re: GH2 stops recording Add another possible cause: defective card. Yes, they do go bad... __________________ Ervin Farkas www.AtlantaLegalVideo.com

July 13th, 2015, 11:01 AM	#6
Bruce Foreman Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: San Angelo Texas Posts: 1,518	Re: GH2 stops recording And counterfeit cards abound, especially SanDisk. That's the most counterfeited card on the market. Have to be extremely careful where you buy, some have even turned up from Best Buy. I purchase mine only from B&H.

August 4th, 2015, 11:17 AM	#7
Terry Wall Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 164	Re: GH2 stops recording Hi, Gang! I just bought a brand new set of SanDisk cards. I did the "low-level" format on a PC that Bruce suggested, followed by a reformat in the camera. Did this before shooting anything. Now, I no longer get the "motion recording cancelled" message, but it still stops capture at right around 7 minutes. I am at a loss to figure out why this is happening and as I mentioned earlier in the thread, my other GH2 works (and continues to work) just fine, shooting as long as I have battery life and space on a card. Any other thoughts? With no resolution, I may be confined to just using the offending camera for stills, or I may just sell it. Thanks, as always! Terry __________________ Rule #1: Don't sweat the small stuff. Rule #2: It's ALL small stuff!

August 4th, 2015, 11:44 AM	#8
Terry Wall Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 164	Re: GH2 stops recording OK, so I just looked of the file size of a test clip and it's right at 4GB, so I MUST be hitting that dreaded file size limitation. The SD card's format is FAT32 and I know that's the max file size for that format. I tried to reformat as NFTS, but the camera flipped it back to FAT32. So I'm OK for short takes, but this sure isn't the expectation I had for this camera. And the other GH2 just keeps going and going and......well, you get the picture (pun intended). Do I have a PAL camera, by chance? In the spirit of full disclosure, I did pick this one up from a 3rd party. Go figure. __________________ Rule #1: Don't sweat the small stuff. Rule #2: It's ALL small stuff!

August 4th, 2015, 05:56 PM	#9
William Hohauser Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: New York City Posts: 2,650	Re: GH2 stops recording 4Gb for a seven minute clip? That is not possible unless you have a hacked GH2. A PAL GH2 stops at 29 minutes not seven. There is a possibility that the camera has gone screwy especially if you are having the problem using fresh SD cards. You should see if Panasonic will still repair it. __________________ William Hohauser - New York City Producer/Edit/Camera/Animation

August 4th, 2015, 06:41 PM	#10
Gordon Hoffman Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pincher Creek, Alberta Canada Posts: 619	Re: GH2 stops recording That's what I was thinking. Either it has been hacked or maybe shooting in motion jpeg. Gordon

August 4th, 2015, 08:07 PM	#11
Terry Wall Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 164	Re: GH2 stops recording Thanks, William and Gordon for your additional insights! I did check and I'm not in motion JPEG; setting is 1080 AVCHD. As for a hack, is there a way I can determine if this camera's been messed with? I did a full reset from the settings menu and that didn't do anything. Otherwise, I'll call Panny and ask what they'll charge to work on the camera...and if they want more than the current cost of a GH2, I'll just shoot stills and short video takes with it and get a GH4. __________________ Rule #1: Don't sweat the small stuff. Rule #2: It's ALL small stuff!

August 4th, 2015, 08:11 PM	#12
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: GH2 stops recording Hi Terry By my calculations you do seem to be shooting between 70 and 100mbps which explains the 7 minute limit ..My FZ1000 in 50P mode at 28mbps fills an MP4 in around 22mins so 7 minutes does indicate a very high bitrate and a hacked camera. I cannot remember my details on my GH1 which was also a hacked model but I did know it ate memory like crazy. Does the GH2 shoot MP4 or AVCHD or both?? If you shoot in AVCHD you don't have the 4GB limit as the files split at 2GB but continue with a second file etc etc. Only MP4 files have a 4GB limit not AVCHD If you google "hacked GH2" you might be able to put the original firmware back onto the camera but I believe that it's a dicey procedure so maybe ditch this camera and buy an unhacked one???

August 5th, 2015, 06:58 AM	#13
Gordon Hoffman Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pincher Creek, Alberta Canada Posts: 619	Re: GH2 stops recording Terry A hacked camera could explain the card write errors you were getting at the start. I never got to hacking my gh2 but I believe you can go back to the original firmware if things were done right. Make sure the battery is fully charged and preferably use a Panasonic battery. As Chris mentioned google hacked gh2 and read up on the procedure to return to the original firmware. Gordon

August 5th, 2015, 08:06 AM	#14
Steve Burkett Trustee Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Romsey, UK Posts: 1,261	Re: GH2 stops recording I've got 2 hacked GH2's. One for continuous recording, the other ups the bitrate to 50mbps. The GH2 records AVCHD and although a continuous video can be created, the AVCHD files split at the 4GB's limit not 2GBs as previously suggested. So each time it reaches the 4gb limit, it creates a new file, which for my GH2 at 50mbps is approx the 12 minute mark. For some cards that don't write as fast, I have had issues of it stopping when it reaches that 4gb limit and being unable to start a new file automatically. I now use Extreme Pro Sandisk and not Ultra and it never stops and just keeps recording. However your issue could be more severe than any I encountered as I deliberately chose one of the hacks that was more suited for event filming. It kept the bitrate lower and made recording more stable. There were others that took the bitrate beyond 100mbps, but stability was a key issue. Fine for filming a personal project but not for a camera left unattended. The GH2 wasn't designed to record AVCHD at such a high bitrate. So for me it was about getting as high a value as possible without losing stability. As others have suggested, find the original firmware. It's been awhile since I hacked my cameras, so I can't recall all the procedures. I had to use the hack software to load the recent update from Panasonic, un-tick any boxes that alluded to any extra features and then create a new firmware file by entering a higher value in the save box, otherwise the GH2 didn't recognise it as an update and just left it as it is. I can't be more precise than that without referring back to the software. Of course if there's a panasonic firmware higher than the one on your camera, its as easy as downloading that and uploading to the camera.