Panasonic DMC-GH1 12.1MP Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Camera with 1080p HD Video

Posted by lilysnow on Sunday, July 25, 2010 / Labels: , , , , ,


  • 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)




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Panasonic DMC-GH1 12.1MP Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Camera with 1080p HD Video










   Brand: Panasonic


   Model : DMC-GH1K


   Customer Rating :


   Availibility : Usually ships in 1-2 business days





Panasonic DMC-GH1 12.1MP Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Camera with 1080p HD Video Overviews



See the difference.  A new world of imaging.  Creative photos and movies in full HD.

Shoot HD movies with single-lens-reflex photo quality.

Full-HD Movie Recording in AVCHD

With the GH1, shooting incredible photos is only part of the fun. You can also shoot beautiful, richly detailed movies in full HD (high-definition) (1920 X 1080) at 24 frames per second, or smooth HD (1280 X 720) movies at 60 frames per second in AVCHD format (MPEG-4/ H.264) with continuous auto focus.

* You can record for a longer time without running out of memory because AVCHD stores less data than Motion JPEG while maintaining stunning image clarity and detail. A separate button on the back lets you instantly start recording movies while shooting photos, without having to make any extra settings.

*Full-HD (1920 X 1080) movies are output by the image sensor at 24p (NTSC)/25p (PAL), and recorded at 60i (NTSC)/50i (PAL). HD (1280 X 720) movies are output and recorded by the image sensor at 60p (NTSC)/50p (PAL).
"AVCHD" and the "AVCHD" logo are trademarks of Panasonic Corporation and Sony Corporation.

Full HD (1920 X 1080) at 24 frames per second faithfully shows every detail.

HD (1280 X 720) at 60 frames per second smoothly and carefully reproduces moving subjects.

LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./ MEGA O.I.S. for Outstanding HD Movies

This kit lens boasts a focal length of 28-280mm (35mm camera equivalent) and supports a continuous auto focus function that works for both photos and movies. The aperture adaptively adjusts to each scene, letting you capture the kind of delicate, softly focused movies that only a digital interchangeable lens camera can produce. Thanks to a silence design that helps suppress lens drive noise, the GH1 with its new kit lens records sounds with amazing clarity. This kit lens also incorporates MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) that helps eliminate blurring from hand-shake.

For th



Panasonic DMC-GH1 12.1MP Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Camera with 1080p HD Video RelateItems









Panasonic DMC-GH1 12.1MP Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Camera with 1080p HD Video CustomerReview



I wanted a camera that was small, light, took DSLR quality photos and HD video. Since I am getting older, I am no longer willing to carry 25 lbs of photo gear anymore. But I wanted enough manual control to stretch my self artistically. Since I was mostly putting the output on the web, photo frame and in video productions, I liked, but did not need "National Geographic" quality. But I do have enough talent to occasionally take a NatGeo quality photo. So on to the camera....

Have a tough time grading this camera. So will thow some thoughts out there see if they stick with you. First, I'm excited about the micro four thirds (m4/3) format, as I believe it'll give the non-pros 80% of the pro level with a lot less stuff to drag around. I look for good things to come.

That said, I am disappointed at the lack of bright lenses, save the 20mm f1.7. On the other hand, I've been able to mount (film) SLR lenses that date back to the 1970's on my Panny. I've had fun buying a Canon FD 200mm f/2.8 and a Nikkor F 35mm F/2.0 lens (and more!) for a song on e-bay along with appropriate adapters. I shoot these in program AE or AP mode. In addition to manual apeture, you must manual focus, and it can focus beyond infinity, therefore I only suggest these old lenses for those comfortable using manual mode. It's pretty cool to have a camera that does a competent job with this fine old glass. Incidentally, F/1.4 and below seems to be somewhat softer than same lens stopped to f2/0-f/8. True of many lenses tested. That said at equivalent focal lengths, the 25-30 year old lenses are sharper than the kit lens. But it's incremental, I doubt most casual shoortes would notice.

My biggest gripe with the camera is the overall softness of the still image using the kit lens. (Video is fine, but then again, it's moving) It's sharp up to about 100mm and f/8 or lower, at f/16 or f/32, it's soft no matter what focal length. To be fair, I will submit I may not have sufficient digicam experience, as I am mostly a video guy. This may just be the way things are with the current imaging technology in RAW. To wit; I did side-by-side shoot with Canon Xti with EFS 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 and EF 70-300 f/4-f5.6 vs The Panny with the kit 14-140 lens. I found the Canon slightly sharper overall, barely noticable up to 150mm (35mm equiv on both), and more noticably at telephoto --> but not as much as I expected. Frankly, I felt both to be soft. So maybe the perception of softness is due to the camera technology itself. These were all raw files compared in Adobe Bridge, no tweaking.

Another gripe as reflected by another reviewer is the camera's penchant in auto mode for selecting slow shutter speed when higher ISO would be more appropriate. Hopefully this will come as a firmware update. Panny has been pretty diligent with updating firmware for both the camera and the lens.

That said, I utterly love the video features. I mostly shoot in 720p60, since I shoot fast motion. I agree with the rolling shutter complaints on video, but overall they are not going to be noticed by most casual users. For those inclined to push the camera, there are hacks out there ([...]) that will give you 1080p at higher bit and frame rates. (1080p @50Mb fast enough for you?) I don't have the courage to risk bricking my camera, so can't comment on it.

As for price, I believe the camera is a fair value at 00. While I would have loved a brighter lens, I recognize the breakthru the stepless apeture lens represents (silent operation of the lens, critical for video) and while mostly plastic for reduced weight, overall build quality makes the camera a bargain. If you did the same thing with the Nikon D90, 5000 or Canon T1i, the two lenses you'd need to buy along with the body is within a couple hundred of the Panny's price. PLUS you'd need to drag around another lens (in a bag) OR buy a super zoom lens that itself weighs more than the Panny+Lens combo does.

What you need to know is in checking them ALL out, even the vaunted EOS5D MKII, the Panny IMO was easiest to just pick up and shoot good video with. I went down a zipline alternating rapidly between video and stills in auto mode. Also shot on moving horseback. The articulating screen in 16x9 proportion should not be underestimated. Yes the live view is jerky in low light, you lose detail in the electronic viewfinder (EVF), but can still frame ok... The EVF is not as bad as detractors make it out to be and the resulting video/still looks about as good as if it came from a comparable Canon/Nikon.

Amazingly, the video/photo even at ISO 1600 is not that bad... I no longer fear high ISO. GH1 does a nice job of smoothing camera noise at these speeds. I have to say, it's a fun camera to just plain shoot with. My wife, who cares not about her husband's obsession with depth of field, f-stops and focal lengths just puts it in auto and gets great results in both video and photo. You can achieve compositional creativity much quicker with this camera than the DSLR contenders IMO. It's a good camera for those who want to step up from the point/shoot, but feel intimidated by the DSLR's myriad of knobs and buttons.

Finally, while it's not the smallest/lightest camera in the world, the package IS small/light enough to make it acceptable to carry all over a theme park, or moutain trail for a 12 hour day. Without lens hood, it's about as tall as a Coke can and about like carrying a 12oz bottle of beer. When researching I was all set to buy a Nikon/Canon. But one thing that resonated on numerous forums was people talking about missing a shot beacuse they left the "too big/heavy" camera at home. I wanted a still/video camera I would carry and this is it. That's the bottom line, isn't it?

TIP: Look on Amazon for "bino buddy" it makes a great strap replacement for this camera. I've gone 20 miles on horseback, hiked and done other active outdoor activities with this rig.


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