Reading mode: Light Dark

Does it make sense to buy a GH2 if I don't care about video?

Go to last post
win39,

I suppose you have not actually held a D3100. Sure, the body is small, but the lenses are large for the range they represent. Plus, the viewfinder of the GH2 or G2 is far superior to the finder of the D3100. Also, controls on the body ...

At the end of the day, there is no comparison between the D3100 and something like a GH2. They are designed for entirely different users.

--
pschatz100
It's not how many pixels you have... but how you use them.
 
Thanks, this is great advice. I actually don't use my SB 800 all that much, I think I can live with a less capable flash. You are right, I don't upgrade much, mostly because I have been buying new point and shoots every couple of years and putting off the DSLR upgrade. Since I'll have this for a few years, I don't mind spending extra for the GH2, even if I don't expect to shoot much video. From all the comments, it sounds like I will want the performance (shutter, auto focus, etc) of the GH2 vs. the GH1 or G2. I also shoot a lot on Manual, as well as shutter and aperture priority, so the dials on the G2 and GH2 look much better to me than the GF2.

I recently got a GH2 and decided that it is time to retire my D70. The only thing I will miss is the superior Nikon flash system.

I'm surprised that no one has asked you about the importance of cost. IMO, the GH2 is the best mirrorless stills camera. It has by far the fastest AF (better than the D70's), best raw IQ, and JPEGs that many feel are better than previous Panasonics. While the majority opinion is that Oly's JPEGs are better, the GH2 produces very nice JPEGs and it is easy to modify the settings to get the results you want.

Coming from a D70, I also think you would appreciate the controls on the GH2. While you have the option of using menus and the LCD's touchscreen functions, the ability to change settings with dials is every bit as good as the D70's (the three customizable dial settings make it better, IMO).

As others have noted, there are very good less expensive mFT alternatives. However, the fact that you still are using a D70 tells me that you want a quality camera, but don't feel the need to be constantly upgrading. If that is the case, I would recommend the GH2 as a camera that you will be able to enjoy for several years without feeling the need to upgrade.
 
Thanks grendelX, those both look like nice cameras, I am looking for an interchangeable lens, neither of these seem to support this.
 
And I went for the G2..

I came from Canon (50d) though I have owned Pentax, Olympus and Nikon over the years... I like to try it all out, though I am very happy with the size and weight of my kit now and don't think I could handle going back to heavy DSLRs and their lenses...

I went for the G2 and 20/1.7 kit from ebay as I got a new one from Taiwan for $800 which is cheaper than I could have got the GH2 for alone.. The ISO is pretty good up to and including 800, past that it falls apart a bit but so did my 50d I think (well it smudged detail to save noise)..

I couldn't justify the GH2 at this point to me it made more sense to get the very capable G2 now (effectively costing me $400) and wait for a G3 to come uot and then drop in price or the inevitable drop in the gh2 when something newer came out..

I looked at NEX and the Olympus range but I don't like the lack of built in viewfinder, and found the size just a little too small..

Ohh and the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 is a very worthwhile lens... ;-)

------------
Joel - Pana G2, 20/1.7, 45-200, CV 40/1.4, CV 75/2.5, Oly 9-18
My Gallery: http://www.eisner.id.au
 
If price isn't an issue, then buy the best m4/3 camera on the market, and that is the GH2, fastest operation, best video, and with the right adaptor you can put just about any glass on it you can think off, also, you may think you don't want video, but once you try it you will be impressed and probably use it.

Mark.
cac1968 said:
I am an experienced Nikon shooter, looking to upgrade from my original D70. I would like to get a new camera and am hoping to shed some heft out of my camera bag. I was looking at the D7000, it is just too big for what I am looking for, m4/3 looks very promising. I am OK walking from my Nikkor glass.

The GH2 looks very interesting, though most people think it is best as a hybrid camera. The question I have is if I don't care about video (I am happy to use my Flip Video MinoHD for video) is there a better camera in the Panasonic line?

In other words, between the GH2, G2, GF2 and G10 which one takes the best still pictures? Any other good options I should look at for something in between a DSLR and a point and shoot? Price is not an issue, I am looking for smallest size and highest image quality.
Click to expand...
--
Mark.
 
It has the same sensor as the Nikon D7000 but it is much smaller and has that nice flexible LCD screen of the m 4 3rds.
cac1968 said:
I am an experienced Nikon shooter, looking to upgrade from my original D70. I would like to get a new camera and am hoping to shed some heft out of my camera bag. I was looking at the D7000, it is just too big for what I am looking for, m4/3 looks very promising. I am OK walking from my Nikkor glass.

The GH2 looks very interesting, though most people think it is best as a hybrid camera. The question I have is if I don't care about video (I am happy to use my Flip Video MinoHD for video) is there a better camera in the Panasonic line?

In other words, between the GH2, G2, GF2 and G10 which one takes the best still pictures? Any other good options I should look at for something in between a DSLR and a point and shoot? Price is not an issue, I am looking for smallest size and highest image quality.
Click to expand...
 
Or better yet the Pentax K-5 with maximum ISO of 51,200 at full resolution that is the smallest semi-pro DSLR and DPR 83% Gold Award that can be washed in the shower !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpjPqIE7e6s


Landscapephoto99 said:
It has the same sensor as the Nikon D7000 but it is much smaller and has that nice flexible LCD screen of the m 4 3rds.
cac1968 said:
I am an experienced Nikon shooter, looking to upgrade from my original D70. I would like to get a new camera and am hoping to shed some heft out of my camera bag. I was looking at the D7000, it is just too big for what I am looking for, m4/3 looks very promising. I am OK walking from my Nikkor glass.

The GH2 looks very interesting, though most people think it is best as a hybrid camera. The question I have is if I don't care about video (I am happy to use my Flip Video MinoHD for video) is there a better camera in the Panasonic line?

In other words, between the GH2, G2, GF2 and G10 which one takes the best still pictures? Any other good options I should look at for something in between a DSLR and a point and shoot? Price is not an issue, I am looking for smallest size and highest image quality.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Just remember to factor in lens size as well as camera if you want smaller lighter gear.. Neither Sony nor Pentax offer an UWA as light as the Oly 9-18, or primes as small as the 20/1.7 or 14/2.5 though pentax does do well with their limited primes if you don't have AF issues like I did with the K7 (I hear the K5 has the same issues under tungsten lighting)..

------------
Joel - Pana G2, 20/1.7, 45-200, CV 40/1.4, CV 75/2.5, Oly 9-18
My Gallery: http://www.eisner.id.au
 
Landscapephoto99 said:
It has the same sensor as the Nikon D7000 but it is much smaller and has that nice flexible LCD screen of the m 4 3rds.
Click to expand...
The A55 does have a decent sensor, but I don't think it isn't the same as the D7000/K5 sensor. 1.5 stops less DR and about 0.6 stops more noise at high ISO than the D7000/K5.
--
Ken W

Rebel XT, XTi, Pany G1, LX3, FZ28, Fuji F30, and a lot of 35mm and 4x5 sitting in the closet...
 
kenw said:
Landscapephoto99 said:
It has the same sensor as the Nikon D7000 but it is much smaller and has that nice flexible LCD screen of the m 4 3rds.
Click to expand...
The A55 does have a decent sensor, but I don't think it isn't the same as the D7000/K5 sensor. 1.5 stops less DR and about 0.6 stops more noise at high ISO than the D7000/K5.
Click to expand...
It's identical sensor to K-5/D7000. 1/2 stop more noise is due to translucent mirror and lower DR at base ISO is due to the mirror too plus using 12-bit RAW instead of 14-bit RAW.
 
In my opinion, it make sense if camera size is important for you.

Also, the GH2 (and some other models like G2, GH1), has a good viewfinder, and a very practical tiltable LCD. These are very good features to have, in my opinion.

http://m43photo.blogspot.com/
 
The sensor is identical to that in the Pentax K5 and Nikon D7000. There is a 1/2 stop difference in noise due to the mirror. The DR is exactly the same, some reviews findng the Sony better and some the Pentax / Nikon better, differences only due to sample variation.
kenw said:
Landscapephoto99 said:
It has the same sensor as the Nikon D7000 but it is much smaller and has that nice flexible LCD screen of the m 4 3rds.
Click to expand...
The A55 does have a decent sensor, but I don't think it isn't the same as the D7000/K5 sensor. 1.5 stops less DR and about 0.6 stops more noise at high ISO than the D7000/K5.
--
Ken W

Rebel XT, XTi, Pany G1, LX3, FZ28, Fuji F30, and a lot of 35mm and 4x5 sitting in the closet...
Click to expand...
 


Sigma 8-16mm ultra-WA for Pentax DSLR:


Joele said:
Just remember to factor in lens size as well as camera if you want smaller lighter gear.. Neither Sony nor Pentax offer an UWA as light as the Oly 9-18, or primes as small as the 20/1.7 or 14/2.5 though pentax does do well with their limited primes if you don't have AF issues like I did with the K7 (I hear the K5 has the same issues under tungsten lighting)..

------------
Joel - Pana G2, 20/1.7, 45-200, CV 40/1.4, CV 75/2.5, Oly 9-18
My Gallery: http://www.eisner.id.au
Click to expand...
 
You should definitely go for a GH2. The excellent view finder (large, bright, no flicker, good dynamic range) is alone worth to buy the camera.

The handling is much better than any of the so called rangefinder cameras (the PENs, GF1), the performance is the best of any m4/3 camera body. The JPEG quality of an EPL-1 is not worlds better to that of a GH2 (if at all - color is a subjective thing), that would warrant to give up all the advantages the GH2 has. Retrostyling is not at all important for photography, it is just styling, which comes most often at the expense of handling.

Add to this that Panasonic has by far the more comprehensive lens line-up and in direct lens to lens competition usually fares better than the competition (incl. NEX and Samsung).

So, even if video is not important for you, the GH2 is currently the optimum also for stills photography in the m4/3 system.

--
Thomas
 
NorthwestF said:
It's identical sensor to K-5/D7000. 1/2 stop more noise is due to translucent mirror and lower DR at base ISO is due to the mirror too plus using 12-bit RAW instead of 14-bit RAW.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the correction! Stupid of me to forget about the mirror!

Interesting they only did 12-bit RAW. Wonder if it is actually a different ADC as well.

Again, thanks for correcting my mistake.
--
Ken W

Rebel XT, XTi, Pany G1, LX3, FZ28, Fuji F30, and a lot of 35mm and 4x5 sitting in the closet...
 
Thanks tgutgu, this has been a helpful thread. I'll investigate some of these other small DSLR's (Pentax, Sony, etc) but I think the smaller GH2 is what I am looking for. I realize that I can save a few $$ by going the G2 route, but for me the faster AF performance and other performance enhancements that people speak of are important. Next challenge is finding a GH2 (or GH1) to hold, as I have never seen one in person. If anyone knows a camera shop in the Bay Area that has the GH2 (or GH1) I'd appreciate a recommendation, being somewhat new to the area.
 
Although the GH1 and GH2 are the same size, the feel of the GH2 is different as the body material is different, the GH1 has the rubbery feel while the GH2 has the leather like feel around the hand grip, try them both if you can.

mark.
cac1968 said:
Thanks tgutgu, this has been a helpful thread. I'll investigate some of these other small DSLR's (Pentax, Sony, etc) but I think the smaller GH2 is what I am looking for. I realize that I can save a few $$ by going the G2 route, but for me the faster AF performance and other performance enhancements that people speak of are important. Next challenge is finding a GH2 (or GH1) to hold, as I have never seen one in person. If anyone knows a camera shop in the Bay Area that has the GH2 (or GH1) I'd appreciate a recommendation, being somewhat new to the area.
Click to expand...
--
Mark.
 
I agree. I´ve been going around with a GH1 with the 14-140 zoom for more flexibility and video and the EP2 (with the Pana-cake) for quality stills I sold the Oly because I needed money so I got a Canon G12 instead. Oly colors are sorely missed, although the Canon does OK outdoors. The Panasonic colors are ok for the most part, but it has a weird way of rendering skies and faces (colorwise) and I feel I need to do a lot of PP on these.

To me, for stills the Oly EP2 is the best camera I´ve had (coming from a long DSLR Oly lineup from the E-1 to the E-620) but it is still a little awkward, putting on and off the EVF, collapsing and un-collapsing the lens, and having the 20mm pancake as only really compact choice.

I am waiting for the EP3 with my fingers crossed.
 
you sound like a fanboy. best, best, best.

for OP, play with a gh1 and see for yourself. I had both, gh1 and gh2. They are close enough to get an idea. plain point and shoot look. if you see here and there a few nice pictures is because people play with them in photoshop not because the camera can deliver. you want video? then we talk Panasonic
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top