The light wasn't wonderful yesterday, contrary to the weather forecast so I didn't get much with the Leica 14-50mm f3.5-5.6 D. I will do this better at some later date.
CONCLUSION
There will be no great surprises here as much of it has been said already. This has been less of a review than a user experience. This is not a camera I've been sent to assess and then send back, its a camera I have bought. If I don't like it, I'm stuck with it!
However there wasn't much doubt that I wouldn't like it. There were enough samples around before it even arrived on my doorstep for me to be fairly certain that it would produce excellent results. And so it has proved.
There are often questions on forums as to whether m4/3 can compete with DSLR's. After the GH2 there may be other questions posed. Such as those from DSLR owners saying "Why can't my camera do what the GH2 can?" There is such a breadth of quality features on this new Panasonic camera plus the addition of of some genuinely innovative ones that m4/3 is not struggling to catch up with the DSLR world but has overtaken much of it.
Articulated screen, HD video with full manual control, 18MP multi-aspect sensor, 1 to 1 crop video mode, touch screen control, faster AF, manual focus assistance, great ergonomics, light, small, the ability to use literally 1000's of lenses are some of the features the GH2 can offer. The old criticisms of poor high ISO performance and dynamic range have been addressed with the new sensor and the GH2 can now hold its own in those areas.
Despite Panasonics insistence on including "Intelligent Auto" and those ridiculous pictogram program modes, this isn't a point and shoot, a beginners camera or an electronic toy. This is a serious camera for serious photography and videography.
OK there may be parts of the new menu system that I don't like, but there's nothing I can't live with. Whether the body is up to extended and long term use I can't say. The two GH1's that I have bought have both stood up to whatever I've asked them to do and are still working perfectly, so it is to be hoped that the GH2 will follow suit.
I haven't mentioned the picture quality yet. However from all the previous sections you will have realised by now that I'm very impressed with it. The 16MP files have the "glossy" Panasonic look I like. The sensor does justice to all the lenses I have used on it, producing sharp, detailed images that are a pleasure to look at.
A camera I will use with pleasure and confidence.
Thank you very much for this review/user experience.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your work, as usual.
May I ask? Based on your experience and your posts, it sounds like you're recommending pairing the GH2 with the Leica 14-50mm lens and not the 14-150mm lens. Is it because of the slower AF that you mentioned in an earlier post?
ReplyDeleteI'm not making any recommendation. The Leica 14-50mm is a great lens, its about 1/3 of the price and has faster AF on the GH2 than the 14-150mm. However its only a standard zoom and doesn't have the range of the longer lens.
ReplyDeleteIts a lens that gets somewhat ignored and if you are in the market for a really good short zoom for the GH2 its well worth looking at.
Ah thanks for that, just to ask how much slower (roughly?) is the AF on the Leica 14-150mm vs the 14-50mm? I've tried out the Sony A55 w/ kit lens recently and I find myself preferring my Panasonic G1 w/ Lumix 14-140mm instead.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to check out the GH2 once it is available where I am and am seriously considering buying it along with one of the aforementioned Leica lens. Just that I'm concerned about the shorter zoom range of the 14-50mm, I never really zoomed beyond 80mm while using the Lumix 14-140mm, but I'm not sure if 14-50mm will provide sufficient range for me. Likewise I also shoot candid shots of friends and babies more often, so slower AF concerns me as I don't wanna miss anything! Oh and yeah I know the easy way is to buy both but, I don't have money for both Leica lens!