Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black)

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

My background is professional video production so I got the GH2 based on reviews of it's video capabilities as I feel the need to explore HDSLR video. The price for the unit for my purposes was also important. I intend to explore shooting video with available light with this unit.
I have had it for a week but my schedule has not allowed time but the few samples I have shot, both stills and video I am impressed.
The only negative is that it did not come with any memory card, even a basic small card.

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

My primary focus is motion picture, I've been using Canons for stills since 2004, for motion picture since the 7D came out.

The Panasonic GH2 shoots sharper movies than the Canons right off the bat, if you've wanted something that would shoot REALLY SHARP the GH2 will do it.

One very big plus for me is a built in Electronic Viewfinder that allows me to SEE my motion picture when bright outdoors makes seeing the LCD on the back difficult.

In my opinion Panasonic has the best implementation of "touchscreen" I've encountered yet. By enabling "touch" Quick Menus I can access just about everything I might need to change right on the LCD. By enabling touchscreen but disabling touchscreen shutter release, I've found I can even do a "rack focus" by first focusing on the first "subject" then just half a second or so before I need the focus to switch to a second subject, "touch" that one on the LCD.

When working by myself where I have to get out in front of the camera, autofocus plus "face detect" holds focus on my face as long as it is visible. Start the recording, lean in some so my face is on the LCD and "touch". Then back away until I'm in position to perform whatever.

The selection of lenses in the MicroFourThirds (M4/3's) system is great with most of them being light and compact. I use Lumix 14mm f2.5 & 20mm f1.7 "pancakes", the Olympus Zuiko 45mm f1.8, and a Lumix 45-200. This all packs into a pretty compact bag.

If you don't find what you want in the growing selection of Panasonic and Olympus Zuiko m4/3's lenses, Sigma and a couple of others are "jumping in". And most "legacy" lenses from most other makers can be used on Panasonic and Olympus m4/3's bodies with adapters.

My purchase came with the Lumix G Vario 14-42mm "kit" lens. Not a bad performer at all, it actually works well with motion picture where there is good light and the autofocus plus "face detect" seems to work good with this one, too.

The small size and light weight of the camera and most lenses is a big bonus for me. At my age Canon DSLRs and Canon glass was getting a bit heavy to "lug" around for a days worth of shooting.

Another benefit of the smaller size and lighter weight means you can get by with "less" tripod than heavier cameras require.

There was a bit of a "learning curve" for me but the more I come to understand about the GH2, the more I like using it. I don't reach for the Canon 60D much these days.

Overall I feel this camera may just be one of the best values on the market today.

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

I bought the GH2 mainly for it's size and powerful video capabilities. Hacked or unhacked it provides very good HD quality videos even while using the kit lens.

I had to get used to the controls as I am a canon user, but it took me only a matter of secs to navigate around it and few days to really be familiar with the controls. No more shall I be lugging around my 5D while travelling, the GH2 allows me to travel very light while retaining the video quality of the 5D. ( with the hack some might say better. )

The EVF could be better and also the battery that comes with it drains extremely quick. Please get spares.

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

So great for shooting events, and more! Does not have any of the time limits of other DSLRs.

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

This is probably the best multimedia ILC/EVIL camera out there. Not only does it have a fast AF with the LUMIX lenses but can also mount any lens ever made with adapter from old Nikon to Canon FD/EF to old Leica and Panavision lenses. It's 1080p 24P video mode is the best under $10-15K beating the 5D MK 2/3 and RED cameras.

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

I bought it during the sale for[$]I think. Great price for a really good camera. I use it for mainly video work and it performs really well.

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

I Wanted a professional video camera that I could get that wonderful shallow depth of field and not spend a fortune. I wanted to also be able to take this camera on vacation with us and not have a giant camera to lug around. I was looking at the Panasonic AC-130 to do my business shoots, but it's large and doesn't have the DOF. I also wanted to be able to use my Nikon 17-55 f2.8 lens.

This camera, after purchasing a cage, follow focus, DR-40 digital recorder with XLR input, monitor will now allow me to shoot cinema quality HD video for my customers and with all the extra stuff, it looks professional as well. That's important for many clients.

I ended up spending about the same as getting a larger pro video camcorder but now I can take this Down to a smaller form factor and easily travel with it.

Almost forgot, it will shoot video for 65-70 minutes unlike the canon and Nikon models. I need that for my shoots otherwise I might have purchased the D-800.

So far, it does everything I thought it would and shoots great video. I was surprised about the smaller size when I first got it. I wish it had a Panasonic brand Battery Grip.

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

I love the camera for its size, features and especially the video side of the camera. There are so many things to learn with this camera that the learning curve is very high. Be prepared to read the 200 page manual that comes with it (and thats just for English). As far as a professional camera goes it lacks by not having the mirror. Just looking thru the viewfinder is a royal pain with its electronic viewfinder. Its a little jittery when watching motion and when you take the shot you have a moment of lag where the screen goes black. For all you know the subject just left the scene and you wont know until you can see thru the viewfinder again. Its not the fastest camera for a pro to change on the fly. A lot of button and menu steps to get the simplest of tasks performed. Some of the programed hot buttons get hit too easily with my fingers. On the bright side, the 14-140 lens is excellent and makes good photos and excellent video. The onboard flash is lacking in exposure metering and power but thats to be expected. I am sure this camera will grow on me more in the future. I had planned on selling all of my Nikon DSLR stuff but boy am I glad I didn't. I took my Nikon and the GH2 to my shoots this past week where I photographed about 1200 frames for portraits and in as much as I tried to use the GH2 to make the portraits I found myself grabbing the NIkon to keep the flow fast and the clients happy. Even simple preview zooming is not as fast and simple as in the larger DSLR cameras. Don't get me wrong ... it will be a great camera for many other uses but at the moment it is not my choice for studio photography. I actually bought it for the video quality. I am selling my current Panasonic DV tape cameras to go to HDV tapeless and this camera fit the spot for me. The video quality is absolutely amazing! It rivals some of the $5k video cameras out there. Just do your research and you will find many doors to open inside this camera to really bring the beast within out to play.

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

The micro 4/3 sensor allows you to use a wide array of older lenses without any viginetting effect. I have used old 16mm lenses with a C-mount adapter and the image is amazing. This camera shoots amazing stills and the best video I have seen from a DSLR camera.

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

I have owned a canon 60D and T3i for a couple years, and I have switched over to the GH2. It is far superior to the canons in resolution. I find this camera very easy to use, and the one major thing it has on the canons is the Electronic viewfinder. Shooting with the canons(for video) in daylight is tough because it is very hard to see the LCD screen. That makes it tough to check focus, exposure, white balance, yada yada. When you put your face up the Gh2's viewfinder, it switches to the internal EVF. So now you can see your focus/exposure/white balance clearly, even in bright sunlight. I find this feature really helpful!

I am very happy with the GH2, for video it is an amazing tool. The only thing the canons have on it is a better dynamic range is low light. But the GH2 still performs great and of course, the picture you get is just plain sharper than the canons by a mile. And the image stabilizer in the lenses works really great too!

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

Purchased for video use primarily. After ignoring this camera for a year I saw footage taken with the hacked firmware and I became a believer. In the right hands and with the right lenses this camera delivers professional results. However, the kit 14-42mm lens is very cheap in build quality and unimpressive optics so potential buyers should try to budget for either the 14-140mm package or simply an additional m4/3 lens of good quality.

Count me as a satisfied customer.

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

This camera is the next generation of cameras as it successfully blends the advantages of Point and Shoot cameras with the benefits of DSLRs and creates and incredibly small and powerful camera. Listed below are some of the benefits and weakness you get from this next gen camera.

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The handling on the GH2 is bar none the best handling "DSLR" on the market. WIth smart controls, great layout, fast autofocusing, swivel screen, full time double live view, etc. Even with how good the D7000 is, it still feels clunky after using the GH2. I get into most of the details of this down below so I don't want to repeat the info here. What I will say here is that you can do things with this camera you couldn't hope to do with DSLRs and you can generally set up your photo parameters much faster with this camera. The menus on the GH2 are not very good. However, the actual camera controls are so good you will rarely even need to use the menus.

Program Shift - Forget using Aperture priority with this camera. You can leave the camera in Program mode. With program shift you can change the aperture setting and thus the shutter speed while in program mode. To do this you press the shutter release button down half way to set the exposure. Then if the numbers are in yellow you just rotate the rear dial switch to change aperture. Want a shallower depth of field or faster shutter speed, then dial in a bigger aperture (smaller number). If the numbers are not in yellow then you are currently in exposure compensation mode. All you have to do is click the rear dial switch and then rotate it. Snap. What a neat feature.

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

My Nikon D50 is quite elderly, and I was looking for a replacement that is easier to carry while travelling. I was also interested in improved low-light performance.

My research indicated that many mirrorless system cameras are aimed at people looking to step up from a point and shoot, and it was noticeable to me that they didn't have features that a SLR user would expect - such as a viewfinder! But the GH2 is distinctly aimed at the experienced photographer.

The camera is a joy to handle; switches and dials are logical and easy to use. The electronic viewfinder is a startling change from an SLR, but it's great - I rarely use the touch screen because I can do everything (including chimping my last shot) through the viewfinder. Someday I may get hit by a bus while doing this, but until then it's a great convenience. There are many, many more features than I know how to use, but in general there wasn't much to learn that was essential to getting good photos - the rest are convenience, and I'll learn them gradually.

The low-light performance is great; I wish the lens was faster, though I've mounted some of my old Nikon primes with a cheap adapter with great success (manual focus). But the noise in the camera is low enough that ISO 1600 is quite usable; I haven't done much beyond that yet.

The lens is fine; I don't feel it's up to the quality of the camera, and I can imagine it will go the way of most kit lenses - that is, wind up sitting in the drawer after I've bought the specialty lenses I want. But meanwhile, it does produce photos.

Overall, it's a delightful little setup. Outperforms my old D50 by a large margin.

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

I had the Canon 5D and 7D in my hands along with my credit card ready to pull the trigger. Boy am I happy I waited. The Lumix GH2 is almost a grand less and provides more video capabilities (I use my camera mostly for video projects).

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

this is just amazing camera it does everything so easy without even trying i getting great photos and the video just blew me away when i saw it.
the only down side is the battery life which draining pretty fast

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

I bought the DH2 because of its great combination of compactness, stills quality and highes end video capabilities.
It has already exceeded my expectations, and is a dream to work with. The resulting full HD video are stunning, and stills to match. The layout of buttons is very ergonimic and logical, menus plentiful and perhaps a little too complicated. The many custom buttons and settings are a bliss.
Viewed in the light of many, many years of photography, from Nikon F forward, this is the most delightful, friendly and capable camera I've ever worked with!

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

I shoot with a Nikon D700, LX5 & the AF100. I have been waiting indefinitely for Nikon to have a comparable video DSLR to Canon. But I needed a backup camera for my AF100 so I purchased the GH2.

This camera seems to be a good compromise. It's a quality product and I hope to find other uses for it.

I have found the slow lens selection that accompany the Four Third Lumix line to be somewhat mind boggling. surely they could produce some quality lenses for these prices?

I would have really loved to have bought this camera without the lens as the kit lens is pretty much worthless, unless this is the first lens you have ever owned. It feels like a plastic toy.

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

Although it's a pretty good still camera, I don't know many people who buy it for photos. It's most popular as a hybrid video shooter for its 1080/24p all manual controls. With its short flange- you can adapt almost any manual lens to it via inexpensive adapters. And that's helpfull becuase micro 4/3 lens choices aren't exactly "bountifull". Menu is super easy to navigate and it has full 1080i HDMI output during recording w/ lcd preveiw.

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

I was wanting to downsize from my DSLR, but not sacrifice a lot. I orginally went with a G3, but found the size to be too small for my hands. The GH2 was a perfect fit. Great image quality, and I like having the extra buttons and manual controls not found on the G3. I now have a kit with 5 lenses and a bag, and it weighs less and is easier to carry around than my Nikon DSLR with two lenses. Micro four thirds cameras really allow you to get rid of the bulk and weight of bigger DSLR cameras, without getting rid of image quality or interchangable lenses!

Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Digital Camera W/14-42mm Lens (Black):

This is a very flexible camera. Almost any lens can be adapted to it. Both photo and video quality are very high.

I like all the external controls and the touch screen is a nice addition. I'm having lots of fun with it!