Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 mirrorless camera can shoot professional films

Lumix DMC-GH2, in other respects usual “system” camera, is strictly focused on video shooting and realization of unique possibilities of a platform Lumix G Micro. The high price of the camera is also due to the included “video lens” 14-140 mm F4,0-5,8 O. I. S. Universal 10x stabilized zoom with smooth change of aperture and super-fast focusing is not less than a third of the asking price a set with a simple 14-42 mm zoom will cost about 40 thousand Dollars

Resolution – 16 MP, Zoom – 14-140 mm, Display – 3″, F/4-5,8, O. I.S.

Manufacturers from time to time release products aimed at demonstrating the power and abilities of their developer. Lumix DMC-GH2 for Panasonic, apparently, such product: now all learn how technological and advanced engineers of firm and how much wider and the perspective possibilities of platform Lumix G Micro are.

There really is a lot to look at in this camera. Or rather, even so: everything you can look at in this camera will prove to be advanced and powerful!

To begin with the focusing system: it sharpens in about 0,1 second. The feature is significant because it solves one of the main problems of mirrorless cameras – the low speed of contrast focusing compared to DSLR phase systems.

It’s not just about speed: the subject can be located anywhere in the frame, and to “catch” it, you just point your finger on the screen this uses a rotary 3-inch touchscreen, the same as in the G2 and G3, and, accordingly, built on gestures and taps interface .

Automatics at the same time adjusts the sharpness and begins to track the movement of the object, and in intelligent mode can even independently select the optimal scene for the picture: if you clicked on the face – will turn on “portrait”, the spacious background – “landscape”, etc. d. Moreover, all this works perfectly in video mode: the device will smoothly sharpen the area indicated with your finger on the screen without pausing the recording.

The same method will work in video mode: the device will smoothly render sharpness over the area indicated with your finger on the screen without stopping the recording.

The achievement is landmark because it complements a number of other advantages of focusing on contrast with decent speed, t. e. fights the traditional weakness of non-single lens cameras without dedicated phase AF sensors.

The camera has a new CMOS-matrix with effective resolution of 16 million. the camera has 4 million more dots than all other “micro four-thirds” cameras. However, the higher resolution has not affected the shooting quality, on the contrary, the bar has been raised to 12,800 ISO.

It is explained in many respects by the development of processing technologies: the proprietary processor, as well as in some other Panasonic cameras, carries out a complex struggle against noise by separate processing of color and brightness noise, as well as determining and separate editing of object borders and areas with homogeneous or textured fillings.

And this, certainly, is not the limit either. Together with the resolution and complexity, the developers at the same time increased the shooting speed – up to 5 full-size frames per second.

One implicit, but very interesting trend in recent years – the development of the so-called DSLR-video direction, i.e. video shooting using not the usual specialized cameras, but DSLRs, which received the functions of video recording.

For a number of reasons, this kind of non-core camera application is suddenly interesting and even beneficial. Cameras are already being used in movies and Doctor House, and special designs and mechanisms are produced to carry the camera on the shoulder and to control zoom and focus of regular photographic lenses.

Panasonic, on the other hand, clearly intends to enter the DSLR-video market with a dedicated video camera.

Actually, Lumix DMC-GH2 is a compact “system” camera, which is strictly focused on work with video and showing unique possibilities – Panasonic doesn’t release professional camcorders on the same platform Lumix G Micro for nothing!

The screen in “live” viewing mode shows 60 frames per second with interlaced or 24 with “honest” line scan i.e. e. real sensor updates rather than screen redraws , video with a maximum resolution of 1920×1080 pixels is also obtained from 60 or 50 depending on the standard readouts per second, and 60p at frame size of 1280×720 pixels in AVCHD format plus sound recorded in Dolby Digital Stereo Creator.

In normal photographic burst mode, the Lumix DMC- GH2 is capable of delivering 5 full-size 16 million. pixels frames per second.

It is also worth mentioning the possibility of full control over the video recording, which actually defines the GH2’s specialization. The camera allows you to control shooting speed, aperture and shutter speed, and just start recording with the parameters set for photography.

Stills can be saved without interrupting the clip, artistic effects and movie-camera simulation.

Finally, professional videographers who shoot with their cameras will love the HDMI-interface synchronous video output, which allows you to watch live footage on an external digital display or TV.

Just listing these parameters alone makes you think that the asking price might not be that high – you even want to give it away for the prospects that such a powerful tool opens up for the creative amateur photographer.

And by the way, despite all the fantastic power, the camera is quite loyal to beginners. It has a built-in learning curve that shows you which parameters will affect the future shot before the shot is even taken.

It is possible to study this way and then to work professionally. The DMC-GH2 is a very high-profile statement that certainly makes you admire Panasonic and the talent of its developers.

Are all these features worth a pretty penny, which will have to be invested in the system immediately, already “at the entrance”? If you’ve decided to get serious about video recording and want to use a camera for it and by now you should know the benefits and limitations of such a decision , the Lumix GH2 will at least make your short list of candidates for purchase.

Otherwise, the camera, although exceptionally good and powerful, is still overpriced for its abilities.

Not having specific requirements to video mode functionality, it’s better to look for photographic possibilities in new Lumix G3 it learned to record Full HD, by the way , more compact and much more available GF2 or in cheapened Lumix G2.