Me and the Panasonic GH2 by Amy Medina

From Steve: Amy sent me an e-mail letting me know about her GH2 experience and seeing that I am a huge fan of her work, AND she is a reader and contributor to this site I figured I would post her thoughts for all of you to read! I have not yet been able to test a GH2 for myself, but here are Amy’s thoughts! Enjoy!

Me and the Panasonic GH2 by Amy Medina

So yeah… well I got my hands on one this passed week, and stupid me, I actually thought owning one might make the decision of whether it’s the camera for me or not an easier one to make. Not so… not so at all. I’ve really been wavering between the GH2 and the Pentax K-5, but because the K-5 didn’t offer manual video controls, I finally just pulled the trigger on the GH2.

The GH2 is not my first venture in Micro 4/3 photography. I started with the Olympus EP1 when it first came out, and I now own an EP2. I’ve been very happy with it! As anyone who shoots with Olympus knows, they have really cornered the market on great JPGs straight from the camera, and even in their RAW files I seem to really prefer their color. But more on that later when we get into samples and tests (I know, yawn!)…

A small complaint is the battery. After the first charge, it really seemed to kind-of suck. The first night I had the camera I let the battery charge fully before I played with it. Just messing around for maybe 45 minutes and then shooting off only about 10 shots, the battery indicator was down by one notch already. I charged the battery overnight before my outing on Saturday with the plan to shoot video… well the battery only lasted about 2 hours (being turned on and off, or going into sleep mode) for shooting 30 minutes of footage. I ended up having to finish the video shooting with my husband’s GH1. Now, maybe the battery needs more “training” but my initial reaction was the I’m really going to need a 2nd or even 3rd battery for any day that includes shooting video.

At base ISO (160), I found the files to be a little noisier than I anticipated. Saturday night, looking at some of my photos I was a tad concerned, but I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. I also kept asking myself if they are too noisy FOR ME. I obviously some make compromises in this area shooting with an EP2 and even the M8 (neither are known for being great at higher ISOs, especially the M8). However, I was a bit amazed at how much noise there was at ISO 160.

Shooting on Sunday with the kit lens outside in VERY bright conditions, I was astounded at the amount of noise I got in my ISO 160 shots. After some discussion on a photography forum I belong to, I decided to test it compared to the EP2 and Pentax K-x I own. I don’t like to pixel-peep, but seeing as I shoot a lot of blue seas and skies, I need to know if there is more noise in the blue channel as I was suspecting (and as some others’ tests have proven true).

Let me not be all negative. There’s lots to like about the camera too. The touch screen is very handy, especially when shooting video or when the camera has to be at an odd angle to get the shot (like down real low for example). The touch screen focus thing… it’s a bit finicky and doesn’t work well with every panasonic autofocus lens (in my experience so far). It didn’t seem to work at all with the 14mm f/2.5 Pancake, but it worked great with the 20mm f/1.7 Pancake. And when it works well, it’s a very cool feature.

The camera is the smallest and lightest DSLR-shaped configuration I’ve used (though let me say, the Pentax K-x comes pretty close, especially with pancake lenses). It feels good in your hands, even though a tad plasticky. With one of the pancake lenses it is an easy camera to want to have with you, no matter how much walking or hiking you might be doing. Even with a GorillaPod attached to the bottom of it, it’s extremely light. This is right up my alley! I love a small, light camera!

I was frustrated with the LVF/EVF until I figured out the “Constant Preview” thing… which, doesn’t work great in all modes, but at least works in some. “Constant Preview” when turned on shows you what to expect from your exposure settings. By default, this is turned off, so what you see on the LCD or in the EVF is always a bright, properly exposed picture (even if your settings won’t capture a properly exposed picture). Of course, with an Optical Viewfinder (OVF) you’d have the same problem, however, it somehow feels stranger with an EVF. It may take getting used to, but the GH2’s EVF is really very nice… I’d venture a guess, the nicest out there.

I had no problems manual focusing because the resolution really is as good as everyone says. The GH2 has a very sharp, very bright Electronic Viewfinder (EVF). It is THAT good. Blackout after taking a photo is also minimal, and it focuses very fast… almost as fast as a DSLR. Probably as fast as most entry-level DSLRs.

Examples below…

Let’s start off with my first real photos with the camera, using it like I would use any of my other cameras…

All shot in RAW and processed through Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop.

“Coming Home” – GH2 + 14mm f/2.5 Pancake

Coming Home - GH2 + 14mm f/2.5 Pancake

“On Our Way” – GH2 + 20mm f/1.7 Pancake

On Our Way - GH2 + 20mm f/1.7 Pancake

Break Through – GH2 + 14-42 HD Kit Lens

Break Through - GH2 + 14-42 HD Kit Lens

“Along Side” – GH2 + 20mm f/1.7 Pancake

Along Side - GH2 + 20mm f/1.7 Pancake

I did some video also.

The first is what I shot of my family on Saturday. It is all GH2 footage up until about 1:30 when the battery died and I had to switch over to my husband’s GH1. Most of it was shot with the 20mm f/1.7 pancake though a few shots were done with my Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Nokton. I got some noise and posterization in the video, but let me not blame the GH2 for that… I suspect it might be iMovie or the way I exported rather than the camera. I never shot above ISO 1250.

I also tested doing some slow motion stuff… it was a quick test to see if the new iMovie 11 will handle the slow motion without converting it through JES first (and it does). I didn’t spend more than about an hour on this between shooting and editing it together. All shot with kit lens. Some use of Tele-Con mode.

Now, lets talk more about the noise in the blue channel. If you know me, you know I don’t typically do these kinds of tests. I’m not a camera scientist. I like to go out and use a camera and see if it’s a “fit”. It’s usually more a feeling for me than anything else. However, because of the noise I was seeing in my skies, I had to question if it was just me looking for it (since I’d read about it previously), of if it really was noisier. I saw a swatch on DPReview that also seemed to confirm there was indeed more noise in the blue channel on the GH2. I just had to go out and see for myself.

I shot with three cameras. The GH2, the EP2 and the Pentax Kx. I wanted to see how noise faired in the sky and the colors in the blues, since I personally shoot a lot of seascapes and skies. I shot in both RAW and JPG. However, I accidentally deleted the Olympus JPG in the field, so I processed a second RAW file (that was with the JPG that got deleted) through Olympus Master. I think the results are pretty close to what the JPG would have looked like.

I did NOT process the RAW files to my own taste. All I did was open them in ACR and then open them in Photoshop to crop and save as a JPG. I touched none of the settings in ACR… I let them open as they do by default.

White balance was set to AWB in all three cameras.
EP2 and GH2 were both at ISO 160.
Pentax doesn’t offer that setting, so was shot at ISO 200.
GH2 and EP2 both were shot with Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 Lens.
Pentax was shot with the 40mm f/2.8 Limited.
f-stop on all was set at f/6.3

Observations (just my opinion): The colors on the EP2 are nicer than the GH2, both in the JPG and RAW (at least to my personal taste). The colors in the Pentax are nicer than the GH2 but not the EP2. Noise performance between the EP2 and the GH2 is VERY VERY similar in RAW, though I would give a teeny-tiny slight edge to the EP2. The Pentax clearly beats them both (for skies and blues at least in this test).

In the JPGs it’s a harder call… I think there is a little bit more noise in the EP2 shot, but the GH2 shot has lost some detail because of Noise Reduction (it’s way too agressive in-camera). There also, to me, appears to be slight blotchiness in the GH2 JPG. The Pentax again, IMO, beats them both.

I included the last setting on the Pentax JPG just so you can see how I have the camera set for my own personal taste. It’s close to what I like, but not perfect (I’ve still been futzing with it). The EP2 is closest to what the scene looked like in person, and more like the way I like a file to look out-of-camera.

Here’s the 100% crop samples:

RAW Comparisons:
EP2 on the Left, GH2 in the Middle, Pentax Kx on the Right... 100% Crops
EP2 on the Left, GH2 in the Middle, Pentax Kx on the Right… 100% Crops… Click to see full size

JPG Comparisons:
Starting on the Left, EP2, GH2, Pentax Kx and Pentax Kx my custom settings... Click to see full size
Starting on the Left, EP2, GH2, Pentax Kx and Pentax Kx my custom settings… Click to see full size

Color Comparisons (from RAW)
EP2 on the Left, GH2 in the Middle, Pentax Kx on the Right... Click to see full size
EP2 on the Left, GH2 in the Middle, Pentax Kx on the Right… Click to see full size

One final test…


What happens when I process the GH2 RAW file to look more like the EP2 in color and more like the results I want?
Here’s what I did. I opened each file, the GH2 and EP2 in ACR. For the EP2 I did nothing. For the GH2 I moved the color temperature and tint sliders a bit to the left to match the “blueyness” (yeah, not a word… LOL) of the EP2.
I opened them in Photoshop then and simply did an Auto-Contrast. Nothing more. Made 100% crops and saved.
I think the GH2 ends up showing a bit more noise after doing this. Accentuating the blues also accentuates the noise in the blue channel.

What happens when I try to make the color of the GH2 match the EP2? Click for full size...
What happens when I try to make the color of the GH2 match the EP2? Click for full size…

So what’s the verdict?

IMO, I think I was correct in thinking the GH2 is noisier in the blue channel. DPReview’s own swatches backed up this thinking, and now my own test has done the same.
Do I think the difference is significant for me and my style of shooting? I’m not sure, and I still have to play with noise reduction in ACR to see what kind of results can be had. For a final output of this test picture, I was pretty satisfied.

Let me say, noise in general doesn’t usually bother me, and it isn’t something I go pixel-peeping for on a regular basis. The noise in the GH2 files is like a very fine grain, so it isn’t unpleasing in the RAW files (though in JPG files I see blotchiness I do not like). At base ISO, the GH2 is not as noise-free as an APC-S sensor camera… at least not when there’s a lot of blues in your scene. I think we all kind-of knew that already though.

Overall, the GH2 is a camera I can like, I think. I just have to optimize my settings in ACR and I will probably never shoot JPG. I know it’s capable of outstanding video, and that is part of why I bought it (I’m getting more into video these days). But for me, it has to hold up on the photography end too. I’m not 100% convinced yet, but I’m leaning towards believing it can. However, it’s also no K-5, which I dream about owning… Let’s hope the tax man is nice to me this year! LOL

Finally, I want to show you that test picture from above… when it’s finished (as taken with the GH2) and post-processed to my liking. I really like the way it came out. I ended up adjusted the temperature and tint in ACR and using ACRs noise reduction and detail settings to find the right balance (to my taste).

Panasonic GH2 + 20mm f/1.7 Pancake Lens
Panasonic GH2 + 20mm f/1.7 Pancake Lens

With results like the above, I’m pretty sure I’ll keep the GH2. Honestly, unless you can afford a much more expensive camera like the 5D, I don’t think you’re going to find a better video-and-picture-taking machine. At least not as of this writing.

Thanks for listening to all this (if you’re still with me)…

And, if you want, you can follow me on the web in a few places. I’m up to day #555 in my Picture-A-Day Project!

My website: www.DangRabbit.com/Photography
PAD Project: www.DangRabbit.com/Photography/PAD
Facebook: Facebook.com/DangRabbitPhotography
Twitter: DangRabbit

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43 Comments

  1. I use Lightroom, and usually my Canon FD 50mm 1.4. Its all about the lenses you use and the control you have in Lightroom. Check it out

  2. The write up would of been more complete with testing a few Leica lens on the GH2 via adaptor. The GH2 is a fabulous camera and if you can’t afford an M9 the GH2 is delightful with Leica glass. Even add a few Canon FD lens and results are superb.

    • I’ve been using an Olympus PEN with Leica glass almost since the PEN hit the market originally – the problem is, the 2X crop makes those lenses very different, and for me personally, a lot less useful. The results on a m4/3 camera can be nice, but a 70mm or 100mm focal length (35 and 50 respectively) is a whole lot less flexible — and for me as a photographer, those aren’t focal lengths I look to use often… The range I primarily shoot in most of the time is 30-60mm.

      This is the problem with crop factors in general when adapting to older lenses, but it’s all the more noticeable with a 2X crop like that of the GH2. At least with only a 1.5 crop my 35mm lens only effectively becomes a 50, not a 70. For adapting to Leica (or any) lenses, I’d be more likely to look at other camera bodies first… like the Sony NEX bodies or the Ricoh. Much more useful in my opinion.
      Especially with added features like Focus Peaking.

  3. This is a great discussion. However no one has mentioned the hackability of the GH2 yet … for anyone interested in video that is surely a huge plus (and may keep it in front of the [expensive] upcoming Nex-7 even, for a while, for video at least). Quote: ‘the GH2 can be readily patched to record in any MJPEG frame size, all the way up to 1920x1080p’. 100mbps!

  4. as i seen on the dpreview.com the GH2 holds really nicely against D7000,K-5,60D, up to ISO 800/1600 the files have almost the same noise level at 3200 the advantage of bigger sensor is visible. But on the other hand the GH2 have a lot of features that all those cameras can only dream of…like multi aspect ratio sensor,free angle lcd,pro like video-full hd,native support avchd,7 frame ae bracketing,much better compatibility with old manual lenses of all typs, lighter and smaller body and lenses, compatibility with 4/3 lenses(via adapter)…
    ad this is in my opinion a much better deal than any other of those cameras. The Pentax K-5 or Olympus E-5 after GH2 are the only dslrs that i would buy. Canon and Nikon are to expensive for what they are offering, the lenses even the aps-c lenses are to expensive for the quality. Has no sense to buy a Canon Nikon entry level dslr or upper entry level dslr if after that almost all the lenses for those cameras cost almost the same as the camera?!

  5. I too found that the low ISO noise on the GH2 was to me unacceptable. I worked with it for several days back in December of 2010 and sent it back. I ended up headed to my favorite dealer where they carry Olympus to pre order the PL2. He handed me a Sony A55 and I just couldn’t put it down. It was so much fun to use with a bevy of built in features I found irresistible.I ended up taking a kit home. I added a Carl Zeiss 16-80 for my walk around lens and a 70-300G for the longer stuff. So far it has been a great decision. I originally owned a Olympus PL1 which quite frankly did an amazing job (I rather think better than the GH2). I know owners of the Pany rail on me for slamming it, but it just didn’t impress me that much. Even the movies on the A55 are superb. I use an outboard electret condenser mic on it and that works out great. Focus speed and accuracy are above reproach, and the colors are superior IMHO. The instant Panorama mode works flawlessly for me, and the HDR and other features on board do as advertised. NO plugged shadows as on the Micro 4/3 system. Dynamic range is full on DSLR as one would expect. I”m not prepared to compromise I guess. Others are welcome to if they like

  6. Hey Amy,
    Thanks for the write up…pics are lovely (as usual)…i have been trying to reach you via Dang Rabbit but for some reason my notes get sent back…i don’t do Facebook…HOW CAN I REACH YOU?
    Hoping you see this,
    sori

  7. Amy, great article. Nice images. I’ll be sure to check out all your links.
    It’s incredibly refreshing to read about the process and the thought…. NOT all about the gear!

    I’m waiting for a GH2 to be delivered, so for me the EVF and articulated screen were the kickers, not so much video. I also dislike the look/feel of the EP1 & 2. No camera, lens or tool of any kind is perfect, it’s how you learn to meld with it that’s important, so it was interesting to read about your first encounter with it. I’m really looking forward to shooting with it.

    Thanks to Helge and the observations about the Voightländer 25mm. When I first saw images from it, I KNEW this was special and a lens for me. (My pixel-peeping compadres scoff at it.)

  8. Steve, thanks for hosting Amy – and Amy, thank you for the “stills photographer exploring video” perspective. For those considering the GH2, this is a very useful complement to reviews from sites where stills are secondary. I am one of those who bought the camera for video, and have been very impressed with the creative possibilities offered by manual control. As a still camera, though, it is clearly no Leica (or Pentax). To paraphrase one of your earlier replies in this thread, if Pentax had given us something like a K-5 with manual control in video mode (I need a flip-out LCD and 24p as well), this would indeed have been an “absolute no-brainer”. Since they did not, I’m going to buy an extra battery and enjoy the GH2 🙂

    P.S. Your video work shows that you are a very talented videographer too!

    • Thanks Bill…
      I was just explaining to my family tonight that when I set out on a photography day, it’s likely the GH2 will stay home, but it will be great for those video days or days I want to do both. For photography-alone though, my M8 will still be my first choice, and honestly, the Pentax and EP2 would be next. I think the GH2 is certainly capable enough, but I also know I don’t want to struggle with it, and for some reason I am.

      However, I will say… I shot today with my Zeiss 35mm f/2 Biogon and really did enjoy the results. I think the GH2 wowed me for the first time, giving me that depth I’ve been after. Of course, it’s also my favorite lens, so that might have something to do with it 🙂

      • >”I shot today with my Zeiss 35mm f/2 Biogon
        >and really did enjoy the results. I think the GH2
        >wowed me for the first time, giving me that depth
        >I’ve been after.”

        That’s what I ment when I said, that a lens as sharp as the Nokton 25/0.95 will help the GH2 to another level. The Zeiss 35/2 Biogon may be a lens that allows to show this potential as well. 🙂
        My comment that it comes close to a M9 regarding sharpness and resolution was related to this. Certainly a camera with a mFT sensor (even with the Nokton 25/0.95) is not able to hold a candle to a M9 with a 50/0.95 Noctilux or 50/1.4 Summilux regarding DOF & bokeh characteristic – if it is this, what you are looking for.

  9. Hi Amy,

    Great and informative write-up. First let me say that what I see when reading your review isn’t anything to do with the gear at all in fact, that’s what I was least interested in. Why? Because the content and what you were showing me through your minds eye by enlarge over-shaddowed all the tech stuff. I love the natural and unpretentious feel to both pictures and video…I LOVED the video.

    But on a technical note, I’d like to throw my two cents in. I have the GH2 and have owned the EP2 (twice) in the past, I currently own the K5. In my experience the K5 in terms of build, interface, ergonomics, IQ, DR, Video and just about everything else, is without question the best of the bunch involving APS-C and M 4/3 cameras……….BY FAR!
    I haven’t owned a Pentax since the Texas Leica..the Pentax 6×7 with the big wooden handle (great camera btw) so I really had nothing invested in Pentax. This all started after talking to Steve, I went and bought a K5 and just could not and still can’t believe the performance of this little camera. It is my DSLR of choice over all the Canon and Nikon’s I’ve owned when not framing with my Leica.
    I have way more invested in both Canon and Nikon so yet another DSLR was the last thing I needed but having bought the K5 I now own pretty much all of the Limiteds for this system as I was so impressed with it.

    I highly recommend it to anyone thinking about a small DSLR system or a ‘small camera/big sensor’ alternative. It is almost flawless.

    ~6

    • Sure sure ~6, make my head fill with dreams of the K5 even more… LOL!
      Thanks so much for your incredibly kind words about my photos and video… I love photography so much and have been doing it for some time now, but video is a relatively new venture for me. I hope I approach it like moving photography in a way. At least that’s where I envision going with it…

      No doubts the K5 would kick the GH2’s but in terms of photography… It’s still on my wish list, especially since I LOVE to shoot in rain and snow and take some risks with my current gear doing so. My poor M8 has been wet more than once. And boy, those Limited are just to die for and made me fall in low with my current Kx. Your own review will stick in my mind as I file my taxes this year and hope for a decent refund 🙂

  10. Thank you Amy. As I had the luck to get the GH2 and a Voigtlaender Nokton 25/0.95 already early December 2010, I can acknowledge most of your observations. But let me say that especially with this new Nokton, the GH2 experience will be raised to another level. For me, it is currently the only mFT lens that is capable of showing the resolution advantage you can gain from the new sensor and it opens you new possibilities in available light and playing with DOF / bokeh. I can confirm that the GH2 should be used with RAW and ACR 6.3 as well. Especially interesting for me are also the new possibilities in 3D you have with that camera.

    To give some ideas:
    Resolution: http://3dkraft.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66:nokton-review&catid=40:camerasandlenses&Itemid=2

    Available light: http://3dkraft.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55:gh2samples&catid=40:camerasandlenses&Itemid=2

    ACR showing the potential: http://3dkraft.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65:potential-of-gh2-sensor&catid=40:camerasandlenses&Itemid=2

    3D with GH2 and the Lumix 3D-Lens: http://3dkraft.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73:3d-models&catid=37:menschen3d&Itemid=56

    • Thanks so much for the info.. I’d be interested to know what ACR settings were used, in the “potential” example because I’m having a hard time striking balance between noise and detail. I’m not sure I’d agree with the author on the files being like those out of the M9… but seeing as I only shot with an M9 for like an hour, I’m not an expert in that arena… LOL!

  11. Thanks everyone…
    If any of you are interested, follow my on facebook too… http://www.Facebook.com/DangRabbitPhotography … I’ll be testing lots of different lenses on the GH2. Today is the WSL-35mm f/1.7 CCTV Lens… Yesterday I tried the Voigtlander 50mm f/1.5 Nokton. I’ve got an adaptor for my Pentax Limited lenses too and hope to try those this weekend.

  12. Nice write-up Amy.

    Your experiences are similar to what I felt when I got the GH1. I ended up returning the camera as despite my excitement when I first got it I never did get to like the colors very much and I couldn’t get used to the plastic feel. I also agree with you regarding the E-P2 colors. I still have a E-P2 and a G2, and go back and forth between them (I prefer legacy lenses on the G2 but the E-P2 color brings me back). And I agree with the comment above that my Nex is great, but I need a EVF.

  13. Nice article Amy, wierdly i preffer the PEN shots. The olympus really gets the color spot on, even on my un-calibrated monitor at work!

  14. Amy, you are amazing. I am proud to have in my neighborhood and I think you have gobs of talent. thank you for sharing. Your dentist. lou woolf

  15. Amy, I like very much your critical eye for colors and jpg-compression. These two VERY important properties are – unfortunately – too often not in the focus of camera reviews. My favorite example for this is a comparison of Leica’s V-Lux 1 with its Panasonic companion: The Leica yields the much better color and careful jpg-compression, whereas the Pana fails in both categories. My favorites for good color and excellent data treatment and compression are Olympus cameras and compact Leicas.
    (I don’t want to say, that the M8 or the M9 are bad cameras, when I only highlight the compacts; but it is generally known, that both of them don’t make the best out of their RAW data when it comes to jpegs – which is ok, they are professional cameras. I like my M8 very much.)

  16. If want the video part of the GH2 combined with my EP2. Hoping for something nice in the EP3.
    A lot tempting feature in the GH2 though.

    • That the problem Brian… I like the EP2 for video, but not if it’s handheld AT ALL. The IBIS just doesn’t work well for handheld video unfortunately… and I’m afraid that even with an EP3 (or whatever model) it might be the same. But I’ll be watching the market closely in the next few months! I will say, the GH2 can be close in color performance with tweaking on the RAW side… I just wish I could put my finger on what’s bugging me!

  17. Have to say I prefer the EP2 shots. Colour much nicer and if one can get to that without the post processing then it wins. More time shooting, less time fixing. 🙂

    • Stephen… straight out of the camera you are absolute right and I agree 100%. I don’t use Lightroom, so I don’t know how the GH2 would fair if that’s what I was using to do the RAW Processing (in comparison to EP2), but with ACR I just have to shift the color temperature and tint to the left slightly to get almost a match. I’ve been futzing with the noise control in ACR and yes, it can be nearly eliminated, but I’m not sure at what cost to detail… I’m still playing with that. If all these ends up being too much work, I won’t be a happy camper.

  18. Amy, Was a bit disappointed with the first two photos, not up to your usual standard, or was it that camera. They look a bit low res. But no 3 was great. Thanks for writing.

    • Make sure you’re looking at the larger version Calvin… also, it could be me getting used to the camera. I’m also not completely convinced yet regarding the noise and color performance. I do think the files are sharper out of the EP2 and M8 when we’re talking straight from the camera. However, I do have to give myself time to get used to this little monster 😉

  19. Very interesting, well written “real world” review..

    I agree that the images have a film-like quality to them, albeit something shot on fast film because of the grainy texture. I’m not that hung up on noise either, but there are times when fine detail really does matter. I’m not convinced that m4/3rds can offer that yet.

    Video quality does look very nice however !

    I can’t help but wonder if the Pentax K5 would be much, much better however – especially if Pentax offer manual video via a firmware upgrade !

    • Rufus… you bring up a good point. If the K5 already offered manual video controls it would have been an absolute no-brainer for me. I can’t help but keep thinking of it when I’m working on these GH2 files also… because really, I’m a photographer first. I was hoping trying out the GH2 would help me decide, but it really hasn’t… it’s made me more confused than ever! I will say regarding m4/3, I’ve never had any issues with my EP2 as far as detail goes… that’s why I’m trying to stick it out with the GH2 a bit longer… not sure if I’m just being overly critical…

  20. great post — and love the photos, definitely talent behind the camera here… your shots almost look like scanned film, something VERY rare to see out of a m43 camera.

  21. Hey Amy,

    Congratulations on a solid write up. It will probably help those who are on the fence finally “pull the trigger.”

    And I love beach shots in the winter time. But where are all the people? haha.

  22. Awesome review, Amy. I very much enjoy your daily pictures on facebook too. The GH2 looks pretty awesome, and i’m thinking about getting a micro 4/3 camera for a friend of mine as a graduation present this spring so this will be useful as i do more research.

    I found the JPG comparison particularly interesting. It’s often overlooked, but how that compression happens in-camera is extremely important if you aren’t shooting RAW.

    • Hey Dan… Thanks!
      Panasonic isn’t doing itself any favors with its in-camera JPEG processing, IMO. The Noise-Reduction is just way too aggressive. What was interesting was the color shift not only in the JPEGs but in the RAW files too… though luckily, it’s much easier to correct in RAW. The EP2 is still the winner when it comes to great color straight from the camera.
      Good luck and congratulations to your friend!

  23. After using a NEX I don’t think i could go back to a m43 sensor. I can’t help but feel panny and Olympus have cornered themselves into supporting a format which has lost it’s advantage after what Sony proved csn be done with aps-c camera bodies.

    • The body is not everything… On these similarly small flange distances, larger sensors need either larger lenses, or slower lenses, or a compromise on optical quality — and this is what the mFT lens line and the NEX lens line are showing us. What is small enough, fast enough, or good enough? It’s yours to decide.

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