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Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours 12 new or used available from $1,248.99 Average customer review: |
Product Description
With the GH1, shooting incredible photos is only part of the fun. You can also shoot beautiful, richly detailed movies in Full HD at 24 frames per second, or smooth HD movies at 60 frames per second in AVCHD format with continuous auto focus.The GH1 gives you more creative freedom. It lets you adjust the aperture and shutter speed any way you like when shooting movies. Aperture control is convenient when there are several subjects at different distances and you want them each to stand out. Changing the shutter speed brings special effects to movies, which is especially effective when shooting fast-moving subjects. Creative movie mode gives you a wider range of expression to explore, and lets you shoot movies with full manual control.The GH1 also comes with the high-quality stereo sound of Dolby Digital Stereo Creator, the global standard for superior audio recording. The stereo microphone on the upper body records dynamic, true-to life stereo sounds that bring out all the power of your HD movies.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #488 in Camera & Photo
- Brand: Panasonic
- Model: DMC-GH1K
- Dimensions: 6.00" h x 10.00" w x 8.00" l, 5.00 pounds
- Display size: 3
- Included Software: Yes
Features
- 12.1-megapixel 4/3-type MOS sensor; interchangeable lens system digital camera
- Capture 1080/24p or smooth 720/60p HD (High Definition) movies in AVCHD format
- Live View Finder and bright 460,000-dot resolution, 3.0-inch LCD
- New Contrast AF (Auto Focus) function; Face Detection and Intelligent Auto (iA) mode
- Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
Editorial Reviews
From the Manufacturer
The new Panasonic DMC-GH1 is called a Creative HD Hybrid because it records not only high-quality photos but also high definition 1080/24p or smooth 720/60p HD (High Definition) movies in AVCHD format. Continuous AF can be used while recording movies, to further boost operating ease.
Taking advantage of its system camera design, the DMC-GH1 features the potential for unlimited photo expression by allowing the use of different lenses for specific shooting situations and subjects. High-quality sound recording with Dolby Digital Stereo Creator and a host of other creative options, including manual settings, giving the DMC-GH1 even greater versatility.
Supporting the DMC-GH1's powerful full-HD movie recording function is a newly developed 12.1-megapixel high-speed Live MOS sensor and the Venus Engine HD image processor, which features two CPUs for outstanding processing capability. The new LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S., which is a versatile 10x zoom interchangeable lens, was designed for movie recording by including a silent and continuous auto focusing function and seamless aperture adjustment.
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The DMC-GH1 also features D-SLR photo quality. Its newly developed Live MOS sensor renders images with minimal noise even when using high ISO sensitivity. The multi-aspect ratio function of the sensor allows photos to be taken using a 4:3, 3:2 or 16:9 aspect ratio, all with the same angle of view.
In addition to its high levels of performance for both photos and movies, the DMC-GH1 incorporates the iA (Intelligent Auto) mode, a hallmark of LUMIX cameras that now includes Face Recognition, a function that "remembers" faces once the faces are registered.
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Operating ease is an important element of the LUMIX G Micro System identity, and it is highly evident in the DMC-GH1. For example, the clever design of the DMC-GH1 helps to prevent missed shooting opportunities for both photo and movie recording. To start recording a movie during shooting photos, the user simply presses a special, one-touch movie recording button. Most of the settings used for photo shooting carry over to movie recording without requiring any additional setting.
Panasonic Lumix GH1 Highlights
Technological advantages for 1080/24p full-HD movie recording in the AVCHD format
The LUMIX DMC-GH1 is an advanced photographic tool for recording not only great photos but also beautiful full-HD movies. In addition to Motion JPEG images, the DMC-GH1 can record high-resolution full-HD 1920 x 1080 movies at 24 fps (frames per second) or smooth HD 1280 x 720 movies at 60 fps in AVCHD (MPEG-4/H.264) format.
The AVCHD format can record almost twice the footage in HD quality than the conventional Motion JPEG, using the same SD card. A special, separate button on the back lets the user instantly start recording movies while shooting photos without any having to make any extra settings. There are always two options to record spur-of-the-moment scenes -- high-quality photos or movies. The user can simply choose the one that saves precious memories most beautifully.
The LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. kit lens boasts a focal length of 28-280mm (35mm camera equivalent) and supports the continuous AF function of the contrast AF system for both photos and movies. Panasonic considers this function to be indispensable for movie recording from a practical point of view. This lens is also designed for movie recording use by minimizing the mechanical sound generated by the continuous AF/AE action.
The newly developed 12.1-megapixel 4/3-type Live MOS sensor is capable of high-speed 4-channel readout to support full-HD movie recording. This sensor is also advantageous for photo recording with a high signal to noise ratio thanks to a new circuit structure that is totally unaffected by the noise generated in each of the circuits. It results in clear pictures even when taken at high ISO sensitivity. The sensor also allows images to be taken at three aspect ratios--4:3, 3:2 and 16:9--with same angle of view.
The LUMIX DMC-GH1 also features the Venus Engine HD image processor. The two CPUs in this imaging engine dramatically speed up processing while achieving exceptional noise reduction performance. The Venus Engine HD's excellent energy efficiency supports long-time AVCHD movie recording, and allows the output of both images and sounds via HDMI.
In addition to recording HD movies--a host of options enhance creativity
The LUMIX DMC-GH1 concept goes much further than simply recording HD movies. Apart from the movie recording capability of conventional digital cameras, the DMC-GH1 also features a Creative Movie mode, which lets the user set the shutter speed and aperture manually to make even more impressive movies.
Changing the shutter speed brings special effects to movies, which is especially suitable for shooting fast-moving subject. The ability to control the aperture is convenient when there are several subjects at different distances and it is desired to have each of them stand out. Creative Movie mode gives the user a wider range of expressive possibilities to explore.
The movies also come with the high-quality stereo sound of Dolby Digital Stereo Creator, the global standard for superior audio recording. For more creative sound recording, an optional stereo microphone (DMW-MS1) is available. A Wind Cut function blocks out most of the noise from background wind even on breezy days.
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While featuring a host of creative options to enhance both photo and movie recording, the LUMIX DMC-GH1 also includes the iA (Intelligent Auto) mode that Panasonic developed to give LUMIX cameras the ultimate in operating ease and to reduce shooting mistakes. In iA mode the camera does all the work, leaving the user free to compose shots and capture the moment. All the user has to do is aim and shoot even in situations that normally require complicated settings.
For photo shooting, the DMC-GH1 further advances this mode with the inclusion of Face Recognition, an advanced Face Detection function that recognizes faces that the user has registered prior to shooting. Once a face is registered, this function will recognize it whenever it appears in the frame. The camera will then display the name that was specified for the person and prioritize the focus and exposure so that the registered face is bright and in sharp focus.
In addition to the advanced functions mentioned above, the iA mode inherits the fundamental functions that users need in a good digital still camera. These include MEGA O.I.S., which helps prevent blurring from hand-shake, and Intelligent ISO Control, which reduces motion blur by adjusting the ISO sensitivity if the subject moves as the shot is taken. AF Tracking is also available, which lets the DMC-GH1 lock onto any subject and keep it in focus even if it moves - making it easy to get beautiful, clear shots when a great photo opportunity suddenly arises.
Intelligent Exposure optimizes the exposure for each part of an image, preventing blocked shadows and blown highlights and helping ensure that gradation and details are reproduced beautifully. Intelligent Scene Selector automatically detects the five most common shooting situations -- Portrait, Night Portrait, Scenery, Night Scenery and Close-up and switches to the appropriate Scene mode.
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Intelligent Exposure continually checks the ambient light level and adjusts the exposure setting as conditions change, to prevent blown highlights and blocked shadows. Intelligent Scene Selector automatically switches between Normal, Portrait, Close-up, Scenery, and Low Light modes according to the situation to optimize visual quality.
The LUMIX G Micro System identity
With the LUMIX DMC-GH1, Panasonic has developed an entirely new concept in digital cameras that comply with the Micro Four Thirds System standard by taking even greater advantage of the compactness and light weight that are made possible by eliminating the mirror box. By increasing the number of electrical contacts between the camera body and the lens, the camera's expandability is also dramatically increased to maximize future potential.
The LUMIX G Micro System’s 1,440,000-dot equivalent Live View Finder retains the outstanding viewability of an optical viewfinder and can also display information about camera settings that the user can see without taking his or her eye from the subject. A clever built-in eye sensor automatically switches on the viewfinder when the user looks into it, then switches it off and turns on the free-angle 3.0-inch large 460,000-dot high-resolution LCD (which boasts a wide viewing angle) when the user looks away from the viewfinder.
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The contrast AF system adopted by the LUMIX DMC-GH1 is not only accurate and easy to use, but also very fast. Users can choose from a wide range of AF modes, including multiple-area AF with up to 23 focus areas, 1-area AF with a selectable focus area, Face Detection, and AF Tracking.
To deal with dust and other foreign matter entering the body when changing lenses, a Supersonic Wave Filter is built in as part of a Dust Reduction System designed to prevent matter from adhering to the image sensor.
Other options to enhance the fun of photography
The wide range of options available for the LUMIX DMC-GH1 let users customise and personalise their camera. An option for photo shooting lets the DMC-GH1 reproduce a square image with a 1:1 aspect ratio in addition to the 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 multi-aspect ratios.
My Color mode, which was popular in the DMC-G1, is a special option that gives free reign to the user's creativity. In My Colour mode, the colour, brightness and saturation parameters can be freely adjusted while checking the Full-time Live View image to see how the adjustments affect the picture.
This makes it easier and more fun to create interesting, expressive images. The user can adjust the settings that best suit the shooting conditions and his or her expressive intent, for greater photographic control.
The DMC-GH1 also offers a Playback mode that allows the user to play 'only still images,' 'only motion images,' or 'both'. When choosing to play 'only motion images,' it is even possible to play AVCHD and Motion JPEG videos separately.
Photos and movies can also be played back together with an attractive seamless effect and background music in the LUMIX DMC-GH1's new Slideshow mode that takes advantage of its large, high-resolution LCD. Using an optional mini HDMI cable, slideshows can be shared in stunning HD video and audio quality on an HDTV with family and friends.
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Both still images and AVCHD-format motion images recorded on SD Memory Cards are easy to view on a Panasonic VIERA TV with dynamic full-HD resolution. The user simply inserts the card into the VIERA Image Viewer (SDHC/SD card slot) on a VIERA TV or DIGA Blu-ray Disc Player to play the content.
Alternatively, an optional mini HDMI cable can be used to output still and motion images recorded with the LUMIX DMC-GH1 directly to the TV for easy VIERA Link operation. This makes it possible to take maximum advantage of the camera's playback functions, including slideshows in which both still and motion images are played sequentially, or calendar displays and so on. Operation using only TV’s remote controller is super-easy.
Rich options for expandability
In addition to LUMIX G lenses, the LUMIX DMC-GH1 and LUMIX G Micro System can use any interchangeable lens that complies with the Four Thirds standard via an optional mount adapter. This gives the user access to the entire range of Four Thirds lenses. And a stream of new Micro Four Thirds lenses will be announced in the future, providing a large, diverse line of high-performance lenses for the user's photographic toolbox. With the LUMIX G Micro System and the growing assortment of lenses becoming available, the expressive possibilities are unlimited.
Customer Reviews
Revolutionary Camera
Bottom line up front: this is a great stills and video camera. It is a freshly designed stills camera that gives DSLR performance with P+S ease and DSLR abilities. As a video camera it is the best implemented video system on a "stills" camera today.
This is an amazing camera but before I tell you why I would like to make a comment on the current situation of this camera. First it is disappointing that Panasonic has region coded the camera and that they are starving the US market. Check out the price difference between the US and Japan at Amazon JP. However, you cannot change the language from Japanese to English due to the region coding. Also, punish the companies that are overcharging (Big VALUE Inc. is/was charging a 1.67 price premium). I for one will never ever do business with a company that does that. If everyone boycotted these predator type companies, they would go out of business.
When people first look at the GH1 there is an initial sticker shock. Why would I pay so much more than the G1? The major reason the difference is warranted is because it has a far more expensive lens. The price difference of the 14-140mm lens and the 14-45mm that comes with the G1 accounts for 5/7 of the price difference of the cameras. On top of that the 14-140mm lens is specially designed for video as it has utterly silent focusing and aperture changes. Also, the aperture changes are step-less. This allows for very smooth lighting transitions. The remainder of the price difference can be attributed to the inclusion of the best seen-to-date video implementation in a "stills" camera and an upgraded sensor from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 12.1MP Digital Camera with Lumix G Vario 14-45 mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH Mega OIS Lens (Blue). If you are not planning on working with movies then the GH1 is probably overkill and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 12.1MP Digital Camera with Lumix G Vario 14-45 mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH Mega OIS Lens (Red) would be your best bet. Also, the GH1 functions very much like the G1 for stills so any of those reviews will apply to the GH1.
STILLS
Panasonic markets this camera as like a DSLR only SMLR. I think that is a cool bit of marketing and is right on the mark. This camera has the best contrast detection autofocus on the market. It is as fast if not faster than my Nikon D40 and is almost as fast as my D700. This is a great technological breakthrough and is what allows the camera to be smaller than a DSLR while giving nearly identical performance. With this camera you will not miss photos of your children or other fast moving subjects while you wait for your camera to focus. Bravo.
What is also nice about a great contrast detection autofocus is that Panasonic was able to start with a fresh design from the ground up. The live view is the best implementation that I have seen to date. I never use live view on my D700, but I will always be using it with the GH1. It flips out and rotates 270 degrees. This means you can see it from the back, the front (for self portraits), the top, the bottom, and on one side. In addition, to the great screen articulation, the speedy contrast focus is the last piece that makes this live view great rather than painfully slow like it is on other DSLRs.
On top of the great live view, this fresh design allows this camera to handle exceedingly well. In many ways it takes the best of the point-and-shoot (P+S) world and mixes it with the best of the DSLR world. It doesn't have as many dedicated buttons as my D700 but the Q Menu system works very well and allows for quick changes of most shooting parameters. There is a detailed menu system but I don't find myself using it very much while shooting. I feel that this setup allows photographers moving up from the P+S world to feel immediately comfortable on this camera while also giving experienced photographers the control they need to work their craft.
I don't know what kind of plastic Panasonic uses on this camera but I love the way it looks and feels. Also, I think having a red or gold camera is cool and makes it look more like a toy rather than a "professional" camera. With the photographer unfriendly laws proliferating the world, it is nice to have an incredibly capable camera that doesn't look like a professional camera.
This is a micro-4/3s camera system. That has some pros and cons. The chip is smaller than most DSLR chips. A full frame (FX in Nikon speak) sensor is ~860 sq mm, a Nikon DX sensor is ~370 sq mm, the 4/3 sensor is ~225 sq mm, and the typical sensor used in a point and shoot range between ~25-50 sq mm. However, a 2/3 sensor like many TV shows are shot with is ~60 sq mm and a 1/4 sensor like most home video recorders is only ~10 sq mm. What does all of these numbers mean? From a "stills" perspective the 4/3 format is relatively small when compared to DSLRs. That means that for the same megapixel rating, the 4/3 sensor will have smaller photoreceptors and that means more noise. However, the 4/3 sensor is roughly 60% of a DX chip so while this is a great physics discussion, in real life you will not be able to tell the noise difference based on sensor size even with a picture blown up to 100%. This is born out by the GH1's excellent noise control up to ISO800. You can also still use shots taken at ISO 1600 and 3200 but those low light shots are usually better turned into black and whites for that noire grainy look. That is the "downside" (not really much of a downside especially when compared to the up side) of the micro 4/3 system. The upside is that because you have a smaller area to cover, you can make lenses smaller (less weight and less cost). You also get a 2x multiplication factor on your lenses. So now that 200mm lens gives you 400mm of reach. Yea. However, on the wide side of lenses you need a 7mm lens to get a 14mm viewing angle and those can get pretty expensive. The point of all of this mumbo jumbo is that this camera takes great pictures and the lenses are smaller than DSLR lenses. Less weight and smaller size with no noticeable image quality compromise equals great camera.
One thing that some people list as a negative on this camera is that in low-light the electronic view finder(EVF) gets dark, grainy and jerky (slow refresh speed). However, I look at it as a positive because that is how your picture is going to look. Unlike a DSLR which shows your eyes what the world looks like through the lens, the EVF shows your eyes what the sensor sees through the lens; an important distinction. So if you look through the EVF and see a dark (low light), grainy (High ISO), and jerky (slow shutter speed) image then you know you better shoot really carefully, move the subjects to more light, or light the photo with the built in flash (not recommended but if its all you've got..) or use an external flash.
On thing that is a negative is the slow 1/160 flash sync speed. This will be very limiting for off camera flash during bright light. With such a slow sync it will be exceedingly difficult (impossible?) to get shallow depth of fields while lighting. Most people probably won't use this feature but for those that do it will be a bummer. (FP mode and ND filters can help with this though)
I also love the face recognition on this camera. When I am taking group photos, the faces that I really care about are my families'. Now I can register 6 peoples' faces and it will focus on them. Nice
VIDEO
In many ways, this camera lacks some of the features of a dedicated video recorder. So why would I want to use this camera? After all, you can get a G1 and HD video recorder for the same price as this camera. There are two main reasons. The first reason is Depth of Field (DOF). As I mentioned earlier the micro 4/3 sensor has 4 times more area than the 2/3 sensor used for many TV shows and is 22 times more area than many video recorders. Smaller sensors = larger DOF. This makes it harder to isolate your subject from the background by having the background out of focus. Pay attention to movies when you watch them and you will notice how they shift focus to "highlight" their subject. If you have wondered why you can't do that with a home video recorder, now you know. If you shoot with a F4 lens on a 4/3 system you will need a .8 aperture on a 1/4 system to get the same DOF (by the way there is no such home video recorder). The second major reason to use the GH1 is the ability to change lenses. Right now there are not many micro 4/3 lenses. However, the micro 4/3 format is so flexible that, with an adaptor you can use just about any camera lens you want (Nikon, Canon, Leica, etc). The trade off is that you lose autofocus and metering with most non-4/3 lenses. The ability to change lenses grants two major benefits. First, you can put all sorts of exotic lenses on. For example if you put on a 7mm lens, you would give your video a perspective not often seen in home footage. On a 1/4 sensor of a video recorder you would need a 1.4mm lens to get the same perspective as the 7mm on the 4/3 system. (Most camcorders are not going to go wider than 4mm which is roughly equivalent to a 20mm lens on a 4/3 system.) Secondly, you can put exceedingly "fast" (a fast lens is one with a low aperture number. A lower aperture number means more light hitting the sensor so you can run your shutter speed faster. Hence fast lens) lenses on to get shallow DOF. You could easily put a f1.4 lens on this camera. You would need a f0.3 lens to get the equivalent DOF on a 1/4 sensor.
Anyway, it is relatively easy to make beautiful videos with this camera; especially in the 720p/60 mode. This is the first "stills" camera that has the ability to autofocus and track while filming. Additionally, it has two built in microphones for stereo sound recording and these work surprisingly well. Finally, the lens is utterly silent so the focusing and aperture changes will not ruin the sound of any video you are shooting.
A negative that I have heard for this system is that it lacks a powered zoom ability that most camcorders have (you can manually zoom the lens). I again view this as another positive. One the best ways to make your footage look amateur is to zoom while filming (I do it too and it frustrates me when I see the footage). It is exceedingly rare that a camera is zoomed in a hollywood movie. When it does happen it is done for a reason. The lack of a motorized zoom may help people make better movies.
There are a couple of caveats that you need to be aware of when shooting movies with this camera especially in 1080p/24 mode. (For an in-depth discussion I would refer you to the Luminous Landscape GH1 review. I am just trying to make you aware that 1080p/24 mode is not a beginner mode on this camera.) The first is that you will need extra software to edit the 1080p/24 mode. The second is that you want to set the shutter speed to 1/50 for the 1080p/24 mode. Lastly, if you want to use the wider apertures to get the smaller depth of fields then you will need some neutral density filters to put over the lens in bright light (On a bright day at f2.8 you could easily need 1/6400, to properly expose at ISO200. 7 Stops of ND and you are down to 1/50!). These are some of the pitfalls that plague shooting video and in order to get the results you are looking for you will need to be aware of them.
OVERALL
This is a fantastic camera. It obviously has places in which it can improve. However, for the current state-of-the-art, this camera, for 95% of people, is head and shoulders above anything else out there. Panasonic's contrast detect autofocus has raised the bar and no more excuses can be made for this type of autofocus system. (It probably heralds the extinction of the DSLR) Based around this, Panasonic has reengineered the "DSLR" from scratch and has created an outstanding stills camera and an excellent video camera all-in-on. It's a great time to be a photographer!
Amazing camera, but probably not for everyone
I really think Panasonic has hit upon something quite amazing with this "hybrid" camera, though whether or not the video/still capabilities will be worth it to you will depend on how you want to shoot.
This is my first DSLR-like camera, but the transition has been nearly seamless after owning several point and shoots, consumer-grade camcorders, and a film SLR over the years. I've had the Japanese version for almost two months now, taken 21,000 photos and several hours of video, and have only found more reasons to love it, despite a few notable flaws.
Image quality is surprisingly good, rivaling the APS-C sensor DSLRs from Nikon and Canon (Imaging Resource has some nice comparisons against the Nikon D5000 and Canon T1i). Images keep detail well in higher ISOs, though sensor noise is a problem at low-light shots taken at ISO 1600 and above, with sometimes severe sensor noise visible in bands across flat, dark areas of an image. Luckily, sensor noise is much less of an issue shooting HD video in low light, even at ISO 1600.
Video capture is stunning... in the right hands. Having only owned mid-range, consumer-grade camcorders in the past, my knowledge of shooting video is extremely minimal, so I've mostly shot in Intelligent Auto mode, which has worked wonderfully for my home videos. The image stabilization (though unfortunately lens-based), continuous autofocus, face and AF tracking are lifesavers for the untalented videographer, and will greatly help the skilled veteran. However, the GH1 is NOT a pro camcorder, and so will not perform as fast (though will match up admirably to a consumer-grade camcorder). Unless you really need 1080/24p, 720/60p is a much better option for video, as it takes up less room, has a higher frame rate, and is of higher quality with fewer compression artifacts. The "low data rate" issue that H. Massey mentioned is based on an incomplete/inaccurate understanding of HD video capture and in-camera compression; the oft-quoted 17 mb/s data rate will not affect the quality of the video ([...]). Sound capture is very impressive using the built-in stereo mic, but you've got the option to plug a much better mic into the stereo line-in jack.
I absolutely love the handling of the camera. The size and weight allow me to run around and shoot for an entire day without feeling its weight or bulk around my neck (and I am an admittedly weak and petite woman). The articulating LCD is amazing for framing the perfect shot without fatigue, and both it and the EVF have amazingly high pixel densities and frame rates that will soon ease (though not completely eliminate) worries about the lack of an optical viewfinder. Speaking of which, though peeking into the EVF will leave you disoriented in a bad way at first, it is VERY good after more use. It gains nicely in low-light, though it will be very useless if you don't have enough light to read a watch (the non-glowing kind). It's wonderful for eyestrain-free shooting at a dark musical performance, but shooting moving subjects outside in the daytime makes me long for an optical viewfinder.
The controls on the camera work as expected, though the menu system is a bit of a mess. The main menu changes based on what mode is set via the mode dial, which is disorienting at first, but makes sense upon further thought. Unfortunately, Panasonic is nowhere near Canon in the sophistication of menu designs, and you will be forced to dig through a rather unattractive 6-page menu for certain options. There is a special menu that displays the last 5 options you accessed, which should ease the pain just a bit.
All in all, I've found the GH1 to be a wonderful camera. As someone who likes to just walk and shoot, it has been great for framing shots quickly and capturing half a dozen pictures without falling out of pace. The video capturing capabilities have also gotten me interested in video more than any of my camcorders ever has. Videographers considering getting into still photography may thus want to consider this camera as well. Together with the versatile zoom lens, it's a great kit that will last me a looonnng time without upgrades (very nice on my budget, despite the initial kick in the wallet). I'm giving it 4 stars because, despite my love for it, it can DEFINITELY use some improvements before I start shouting its praises off rooftops.
Panasonic GH1 Review (revisited)
With the GH1, Panasonic has succeeded in creating a digital "SLR" for people with tiny hands. The camera looks and feels in perfect proportion if you're a third grader or a very, very tiny adult. As a 6' 2" male, with average sized hands, it's very hard to pick-up or handle the GH1 without inadvertently pressing a button.
As a director/cinematographer who primarily works in TV, I purchased the GH1 to shoot inconspicuous "B-Roll". We use larger cameras and multi-person crews to shoot in controlled situations, such as studios or planned locations. However, it's not unusual to need quick, available-light cutaways. For example, actors crossing a busy street with lots of out-of-focus pedestrians walking by. On a recent shoot in Washington DC, I needed to grab a 1080P cutaway of our actors walking near the steps of the US Capitol building. A quick and easy shot with the GH1, a very paperwork intensive and costly cutaway though normal channels.
My comments that follow relate to my personal GH1 camera, serial # WE9HB0014xx
The camera takes very good quality stills, but my comments relate to the camera's ability to shoot 24P 1080 HD video.
Here's what I like about the GH1's video capabilities...
The Panasonic's Micro 4-3 is an excellent sized imager. It yields a depth-of-field that's almost like academy aperture 35mm motion picture film (with the top & bottom cut off to yield a 16 x 9 image.) It's a good, practical size compromise and more than twice as big as 2/3".
The 14mm-140mm lens that's included with the camera is very sharp, but it's only an F4 (wide) to F5.6 (telephoto.) If you're shooting quality indoor or low-light cinematography, you'll want "bigger glass."
NOTE: I have noticed that the GH1's 1080P AVCHD encoded picture seems to look better with fixed (non-Panasonic) lenses. The GH1 has sophisticated digital signal processing to help correct optical short falls in Panasonic lenses. Based on focus and zoom settings, the camera modifies the image to minimize pincushioning and barrel distortion. Several people on the web theorized that all these complicated, processor intensive corrections use up much of the camera's processor capability and the video encoding suffers. At first I thought the argument was impossible, but now I think there maybe something to this.
What's great about the physical size of the sensor & mount is that almost any lens can be easily adapted to the GH1. Without the space normally occupied by a mirror box, the flange distance between the lens mount and imager is shorter than any other 35mm SLR or 35mm movie camera. Ebay has many vendors who sell inexpensive adapters to allow Nikon, Canon, Arriflex, Minolta, Olympus... virtually any lens, including some C-mount models, to be adapted to the GH1 without any loss in image quality or F-stop. Remember that adapted lenses need to have manual iris and manual focus control.
As far as I know, this camera is the only one of its kind to incorporate a very high quality electronic viewfinder in addition to a good quality, articulating LCD screen. On all the Nikon and Canon D-SLR models, once you switch to the "liveview" or movie mode, the mirror flips up and only the LCD on the rear of the camera is usable. LCD's are hard to see in bright daylight, especially for critical focusing. No matter what you've read in other reviews, the electronic viewfinder in the GH1 is very good and very sharp.
Battery life on the GH1 is amazing. I've walked all over Pittsburgh shooting scenes and never had to change the battery. The manual indicates less than 3 watts of power usage with the LCD active.
The GH1 does a pretty decent job of down-scaling the 12 MP imager to the 2.2 MP required for the 1080 HD format. There's a tiny problem with aliasing on vertical or diagonal lines, but it's not bad or very noticeable. Overall the color quality and ability to handle contrast and lighting extremes is very good. The GH1 does an excellent job of rolling over exposed areas smoothly into clipped white with minimal color contamination.
Three things I hate about the GH1's HD video capabilities:
1. The camera has a very, very poor implementation of the AVCHD codec. Panasonic in one of the owners of AVCHD, so there's no excuse for this. The camera inserts an "I" frame or key frame into the encoded video stream every 15 frames. If you have a locked down shot, you will see a slight change in the video twice every second. Static things like grass or other fine detail areas will appear to slightly twitch. It's visible but not as apparent in hand-held or scenes with action or camera motion.
2. The VBR (variable bit rate) encoding simply cannot deal with rapid motion. A quick pan such as following a passing car will yield very digitized looking motion with tons of artifacts. To overcome items #1 & #2, you literally have to compose shots that have some motion, but not too much motion.
3. Panasonic has elected to incorporate some form of digital noise reduction into the video signal path to minimize or eliminate grain or noise before encoding. Another huge problem... If you're shooting a scene with areas of minimal contrast or detail, the camera will simply blur that area together to form a continuous blur of color. This reduces the work load of the encoder, but yields a very "consumer quality" video signal. This effect only happens in low-contrast areas. A static scene of a forrest with reveal that the dark brown or gray of tree trunks have little or no detail. Similarly colored dark bricks on a building will be just a big soft patch of dark red. Imagine having low resolution in certain areas of your scene. You can not turn this noise reduction "blending" effect off. (see addendum update below)
Hopefully, Panasonic is working to fix or minimize the problems with the AVCHD codec and video noise reduction as a future firmware update. Some blogs are organizing email campaigns to plead with Panasonic to address the pathetic AVCHD encoding and other video problems.
Please note that I am very familiar with the AVCHD encoding used in Canon's older HF-10, HF-11 and newer HF-S10 and other inexpensive cameras. At the same 17mb/s data rate, I've never seen the problems indicated above. Possibly the Panasonic AVCHD encoder was jeopardized by having to encode in multiple formats. Also, the AVCHD format allows for 23.976fps video, not just 29.97fps. It's a lot easier and cleaner to encode true 24P (23.976) than a 29.97 interlaced signal with 3-2 pulldown.
Other video related "things" that I wish I knew before purchase...
I was surprised to find out that autofocus only works with Panasonic brand lenses. I purchased the expensive, extremely sharp, Olympus Zuiko 14mm-35mm F2 lens and Panasonic's DMW-MA1 4/3 to micro 4/3 adapter. The camera can control this $2,000 lens' iris, but despite all the gold contacts in the adapter, no autofocus. One slight plus is that the GH1 will digitally zoom into the imager for easy manual focus whenever you turn the lens focus ring. (This focus assist effect does not happen when you're recording.)
The stereo mic connector, which doubles as the remote control jack, is 3/32" of an inch, not the usual 1/8". Like the other DSLR's there is no method to monitor your audio recording in any way. No headphone jack and no LCD audio level indication. When using an external mic, always check any important shot for audio before you move on to another scene. I was pleasantly surprised that the GH1 does a respectable job of controlling audio levels from an external mic without pumping or other audible compression effects. It's acceptable audio for B-Roll cutaway footage.
The GH1 will not output a signal on the HDMI connector or analog component connector while recording or setting up a shot.
The GH1 adjusts its iris in 1/3 f-stop steps. If you're using auto iris when shooting video, a pan from light to dark will yield distinct steps in brightness as the lens opens. When shooting video on the GH1, I manually set my desired ASA (ISO) speed setting and set the shutter to 1/50. There is a button to the immediate left of the video record button that locks the iris until the button is pressed again. This is great when shooting rapid fire cutaways in changing light situations.
The addition of HD video is what creates the huge demand and back log for cameras like the GH1, Canon 7D and others. If only manufacturers would wake up and concentrate on a camera's video and audio capabilities and quality instead of thinking of video as secondary to still photography.
Addendum: After shooting numerous, available light cutaways with the GH1, I've found certain settings that work very well in the movie mode, much better than Panasonic's default settings. By using the "Smooth" setting, combined with contrast at -2, sharpness at 0, color at 0, and NR (noise reduction) at -2 the 1080P video quality is much better. I've been using the camera with Nikon AF-D and Canon FD series lenses and simple, non-optical, lens mount adapters. Although you still have codec problems with rapid pans, I don't seem to notice much of the "mudding" effects that myself and other users of this camera have mentioned in low-light areas. I didn't really appreciate the GH1 until I briefly owned a Canon 7D. When compared to the 7D, the GH1's 1080P video is visibly sharper with more fine detail. It's also free of moiré patterns and most aliasing artifacts that occur when you're shooting video scenes that include sharp horizontal lines. Examples of problem scenes for the 7D include patterns of bricks on a building or the grill of an automobile. (In fairness to Canon, the 7D is a much better still camera and its imager appears to be about one F-stop more sensitive to light)
