HOT! Luminous Landscape tests the GH2 (and new lenses) and says it’s a winner!
Luminous Landscape wrote a very detailled “Panasonic Lumix GH2 First Look”.
I like how they started the article: “At Photokina in 2006 I had dinner with a senior executive in the photographic industry. We were talking about the historical market battle between Nikon and Canon. At one point he paused and said, ->You know – the future doesn’t belong to either of those two. The future of the photographic industry belongs to Sony and Panasonic. They get it. As for as I can tell, neither Canon nor Nikon do. They’re simply putting higher resolution and cleaner sensors in the same old boring cameras. That’s not just what the future of this industry is about. Wait – you’ll see<-. ”
Those are the most interesting news:
- Even ISO 3200 is usable with just a bit of NR in post processing. This represents a good two stop increase in usable ISO sensitivity with comparable noise characteristics.
- The new sensor’s faster read-out allows the autofocus of the GH2 to apparently equal that of mid-level DSLRs. While I haven’t done any lab tests (I’m sure that the technical review sites will do so as soon as production cameras become available), my sense is that Panasonic has licked the AF speed issue on non-DSLRs.
- I did not have an opportunity to do much more than some basic video tests during the week that I have the pre-production GH2 for testing, but I can report that at first glance, every aspect of image quality seems very fine, with none of the mud that marred the GH1.
- The GH2 comes with an excellent 200 page printed manual. Panasonic is to be applauded for this
- Which brings us to the Panasonic GH2 specifically, and the G series in particular. Unlike some of its competitors, Panasonic “gets” user interface from a photographer’s perspective. Though the camera is small, its very comfortable in hand for someone with “normal” sized hands. If you have large hands, you may find the grip area somewhat tight for your fingers and so should test for yourself before purchase.
- At the risk of repeating myself, this is a photographer’s camera.
- About the Panasonic 100-300mm lens: How good is it? Very good, though again I have not done any lab tests, simply a few hundred real-world frames during a one week period. A little bit of vignetting, focusing is very fast, and silent.
- About the Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 lens lens: This lens requited itself exceptionally well during my casual testing, producing sharp contrasty images at all apertures with very speedy AF. There’s a bit of vignetting at wider apertures, but nothing problematic.
- When it comes to video the GH2 has it all over the NEX 5. Full manual video control, 1080 /24P, 24 Mbps AVCHD vs a highly feature constrained video offering on the NEX, and no EVF. No contest.
- After a week of testing I’ve decided to buy a GH2 and both of these new lenses to add to my Micro Four Thirds arsenal. These have been my go-to cameras for the past few years for light weight travel and hiking, and now the GH2 looks to significantly enhance the outfit. As for video, I’ve already mention that Chris has ordered one as well, and with his 30 years of film and video production experience I trust his eye when it comes to evaluating video quality as much as anyone.
What do you think folks? I have no doubt the Panasonic GH2 is an awesome camera and I can’t wait to see the upcoming GF2 camera and new Panasonic lenses! Well done Panasonic!!!
You can preorder the new camera and lenses using the links below. If you purchase a product using those links I will earn a small commission that helps me to keep thiw website running. Thanks!
Panasonic GH2 preorders (Click on store name to visit the product page):
Amazon US
Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 preorders:
Amazon US
Panasonic 100-300mm preorders:
Amazon US
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Recent comments
Comment from mochapaulo: Just simply shutter(sorry for my english...
Comment from rankandfile: @mochapaulo - what shutter gate? there ...
Comment from Chris: Is that why they named the 50mm f/2.0 Ma...- Comment from mochapaulo: Although GH2 is good, I am still awaitin...
The Okram
2 years ago |Halleluiah! I am glad that someone else actually likes the faux-DSLR design of Panasonic’s G series cameras. Many forum wizards, this site included, are bashing G cameras for being retarded, non-innovative and whatnot in this respect, however, for a working photographer their ergonomics is just right. (And I am not saying that there is no place for more minimalistic form factors, sure there is).
admin
2 years ago |this site including? I love the GH1/GH2 cameras!
The Okram
2 years ago |I’m sure you do, but I was referring to comments of (some) site visitors.
frosti7
2 years ago |Agreed, I love my GH1 ergonomics more then Compact’s and more then canon 40D that it replaced
Miroslav
2 years ago |The faux-DSLR design is another marketing-influenced decision by Panasonic. It’s easier to sell such interchangeable lens bodies because they look like DSLRs. There are many comments on various forums that the EVF does not have to be above the lens any more as OVFs are, because it is not optically coupled. With EVF in the top left corner, your nose does not end up on the LCD every time you use EVF. What’s wrong with L1/LC1 design?
frosti7
2 years ago |Can anyone comment on using centerd VF vs “left edge” one?
tgutgu
2 years ago |I too think that the centered view finder position is much better than the left one. First, I look through the finder with my left eye, so if the nose pattern on the screen is any issue, that will be even more serious. But honestly that argument is nonsense anyway. The EVF of the GH1 is constructed so that your nose usually does not touch the screen. You even do not have to press your eyes against the finder to clearly see the image.
I feel that it is more natural to have the finder centered on the same axis as the lens. Furthermore, the view finder hump is not only there to mimick DSLR look. It is there because it is the optimal position and makes the left and right side of the camera less high, so that the controls and buttons there are easier to reach.
The L1 and Leica-type designs usually have an overall higer body making it more difficult to operate the controls with one hand while looking through the view finder. The G series of Panasonic is so cleverly designed that the most important controls for shooting are reachable with the right hand thumb or the index finger, soemthing which you can hardly achieve with most DSLR cameras.
Panasonic should be praised for not listening to the folks, who claims that the DSLR-type design is old fashioned and not appropriate for m4/3 bodies. The daily work with such a body proves them wrong.
A good example, how the competition fails, when implementing new features, is how Olympus did its external view finder: no auto-switch between LCD and EVF (admittedly the GF-1 finder does not have this either). This alone shows how well thought the G body concept is.
frosti7
2 years ago |Agreed
Mark Patterson
2 years ago |Why didn’t he mention the Olympus micro 4/3s cameras?
frosti7
2 years ago |Also i found it weird to compare GH2 with NEX, their not intended for the same audience
Miroslav
2 years ago |Yeah, and NEX-5 is much cheaper. Not defending NEX-5 here, but it’s apples and oranges. Their reasoning is probably that it’s the only other mirrorless camera (together with GH1) that has full HD video.
Amanda
2 years ago |Because it looks like Luminous landscape totally don’t count Olympus as an serious player.
They also did not mention the E5 at there website….
I also believe 4/3 is a dead end with only the E5 in there line-up. And be honest, the E5 is just an update witch should have been here 1 year a go.
Lets hope Olympus will make some serious m4/3 lenses and body’s with more megapixels.
tgutgu
2 years ago |He did not mention them, because they are not relevant. From a technical point of view, they are much behind now, have major ergonomic disadvantages, can’t cope with the performance, thus are in another league. They only sell because of their retro design and the little smaller size.
chris
2 years ago |compare it to a samsung nx10
Darren
2 years ago |LL is notorious for his bias towards Olympus. They never said anything nice about the brand, and if one comes up it’s just there to be mocked or act as a “they should have done much better than this” kind of point.
Reason? Olympus lenses quality is so extraordinary it puts many Leica lenses in the shadow. And you guessed, LL love Leica.
43 photo
2 years ago |It is not LL only who is negative towards Olympus. It looks like this site is also starting to bias Olympus. “no ep-3 announced in November” which should have been “new Ep-3 with built in EVF in february 2011″.
On top of this site in the camera database you see the AG-AF100, GH2 etc. Although it might be the best camera with a 4/3rds sensor in it, the E5 is not mentioned.
admin
2 years ago |I am aboslutely not against Olympus. Weird, someone once said I am against Panasonic because I am personally using Olympus cameras only
The title “no ep-3 announced in November” is a response to rumors floating around the web saying the E-P3 would be announced in November. On top of the site you see 3 Panasonic cameras and 2 Olympus cameras. The order follows the camera announcement date (Latest cameras the AG-AF100 and the GH2). The lens order is determined by the focal lenght. To add the E-5 would “force” me to add all43 lenses too (Olympus-Sigma-Panasonic etc) and that would make that list too long. And Olympus said their goal is to get mirrorless as soon as that is technologically possible. So I thought it would be better to focus on mirrorless.
And once again, I am not against anyone here. I like good cameras, no matter if they are from Panasonic Olympus or anyone else!
Bye
sderdiarian
2 years ago |Very clear and rational rebuttal, thank you for nipping this “bias” concern in the bud before it gets legs. I’m a long time Olympus user (OM2S, E-510, E-620) and have never felt any bias one way or the other, just your best try at providing “ahead of the mainstream” information.
And Panasonic is to be applauded if the GH2 and their new lenses are as good as LL indicates. Hopefully it truly is a significant step forward for smaller bodied mirrorless cameras with a form factor also suitable for 4/3′s lenses.
I may be converted yet, but will wait for February (or thereabouts) to see if Olympus follows with a GH2 equivalent that also incorporates IBIS and an Olympus designed JPEG processor.
DonTom
2 years ago |The reviewer states his bias against the 4/3 format as an “evolutionary dead end”.
He backs it up quite well in his review of the E1 (linked in the GH1 review). And he seems to be have proved correct: not many are predicting further four thirds cameras.
He has a fondness it seems for the Panasonic m43 cameras because of the emphasis on video. Fair enough, Olympus really hasn’t tried hard enough with this. No full HD as yet. They could do better, for sure.
Ganec
2 years ago |Full HD is dependant of the senzor used, at least I noticed that every manufacturer uses maximum video capabilities of the senzor.
In my opinion Olympus is working on video quite sufficiently (if you imagine it does not sell videocameras) only differently – all new lenses are MSC (Movie/Still compatible), in that they are faster focusing, but are quieter when focusing.
Chris
2 years ago |Is that why they named the 50mm f/2.0 Macro the best lens for digital photography, and awarded the Zuiko line the best lens lineup in optical quality (along with the Leica R series)?
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/sm-june-05.shtml
frosti7
2 years ago |ADMIN<
In your "most interesting" quotes from the review i think you missed the most important one
"If I were heading to Africa on a photo safari any time soon (which regrettably I'm not) this is hands-down the camera / lens combination that I'd take along"
admin
2 years ago |LOL! You are right
Robbie
2 years ago |the first thing that came to my mind when I saw this in the article:
you need an Olympus E-5!
McSmooth
2 years ago |Good article, but I believe (and hope) he is mistaken about 24p video being recorded as interlaced. All the sample footage leaked so far in this mode has been native 24p.
43 photo
2 years ago |GH2 looks really promising. If it would focus with 4/3rds SHG glass it would be a serious competitor for the E5 (for me). They should have realised that if they made focussing with SHg glass good GH2 could easily win most hearts of people who now want to buy E5.
david
2 years ago |According to Panasonic’s compatibility page, it will AF with all the SHG lenses except for the 150mm f/2.
Michael
2 years ago |For that faux-DSLR design: I think Panasonic did it right (GH2), they also have rangefinder-designed (GF1) cameras and Olympus just have PEN series. Maybe Olympus are planning something similar to Panasonic DSLR-sized MFT camera body (similar to the GH series) – as a reminiscence of OM film cameras. The GH2 design is quite good, but with full metal body and getting rid of that shiny chrome parts would be even better (maybe later on pro body
).
The new GH2 (2nd generation) sensor seems like revolution on 4/3 format (multiaspect ratio, usable high ISO, visible higher DR…). Next Olympus camera must have this newest technology; a fine-tuning 1st gen. PEN sensor is not enough.
tgutgu
2 years ago |I agree. Unfortunately so far Olympus only kept finetuning forever a design theme, which not everybody likes, instead of delivering alternative concepts to the PEN (hopefully not retro-style, but with better ergonomics). The highlight of this strategy was their black EP-2 with the “historic” F lens-cup. This was everything, which Olympus contributed at photokina with respect to m4/3 body development, and even the lens releases did not convince a lot of people. It seems than Olympus lags behind more and more. I hope that they will come back in 2011 with a greatly revamped product strategy for m4/3 so that we can do what we were supposed to – having alternatives to Panasonic.
mochapaulo
2 years ago |Although GH2 is good, I am still awaiting for 3 more features to come. First is the global shutter, I want it for silent shooting. The shutter gate is really a pain on the ass it doesn’t protect the sensor after power off anyway but making noise and hinders the sync speed for flash. Without the gate, it also helps to let more lens usable for a closer register distance.
The other feature is a more serious but compact external Flash. We are still using some 3rd party product but is quite easy to break down. I used to have one.
For the 3rd features I am waiting for is GF2 that with a swivel LCD display. It is the down to earth wishes as the two features above are not fulfilled from GH2. I believer Panasonic is able to make one but she wants to leave this potential in the future. Hope all these will happen.
rankandfile
2 years ago |@mochapaulo – what shutter gate? there is no shutter gate on the GH2 because that is the basis of micro 4/3. also, global shutter is a ways off i’m agraid.
mochapaulo
2 years ago |Just simply shutter(sorry for my english as I am a chinese). The gate for me is the area that surrounds the shutter and sensor. I used to do some experiment on Micro 4/3 and find that some CCTV lenses may hit the shutter however, it is not quite necessary at all because the framing preview is already relying on the sensor. A global shutter is in fact a sensor integrated with electronic shutter that expose the whole sensor area in the same time, which is much better than roller shutter that causes “jelly effect”.
If global shutter is implied, no more mechanical shutter is needed and we can do more extreme experiment (of course take your own risk). The reason I stand for a shutter-less design is as I mentioned, the shutter is not closing after power off. It takes no function to protect it but just to finish a cycle of exposure.