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GH2 Resolution. Is it enough for my otherwise perfect film?
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  • I was thinking that there are also perhaps other things that can be done to push the GH2's resolution up. Perhaps lowering NR being one. Others may have some other thoughts on things that can mitigate against better resolution on the GH2.
  • Just did a few further tests using crop mode on the same 50mm lens and I turned the asa up to 250 in order to close the iris and keep a better focus. This seems to give better resolution but a lot of noise and the plain blue wall in the room had about three bands of redish colour that couldnt be removed by neat video or colour correction. Basicly the picture looked sharper but unusable because of the banding in crop mode.

    I'm going to offer an opinion (Just an opinion and maybe completley wrong) So please dont take offence. I wonder if in normal mode the camera has some on board noise reduction that makes the image softer and that is not applied in crop mode and this further decreases resolution. Maybe they know it couldn't pass muster as broadcastable. Although funnily the noise isnt there on the HDMI out monitor and I wonder if some clever crippling has gone on. The camera is good but perhaps not up to broadcast standard and Panasonic know it can only be hacked only so far and that there higher end range is protected. I also wonder why no one has done resolution tests surely enough pro's by now would have taken a serious interest in this. Only Adam wilt as far as I can tell has said about 630 lines for the GH1 and 2 stops less than the AF101.

    He said in another article the GH2 improves over the GH1 with two stops so taking the GH2 up to the same level of the af101. I dont know about the resolution for the GH2 though. and crop mode has got me interested.

    I also wonder if Panny are ACTUALLY very happy with the hacking work being done as its selling shed loads of these cameras and they dont have to be responsible for any side effects etc. Because they are now ACTUALLY helping by giving 25p and I bet it wont affect the hacks. I'd be interested to see if it does.

    Just a few of my thoughts but then I may be pleasantly surprised when my adapter comes through for my super 16mm zeiss primes. I hope so. Sorry I've always been suspicious of manufacturers motivations. Even when it seems like a good deal.
  • @mark2929

    "Will know more when my adapter arrives and hopefully will tell by eye whether or not to use the camera if borderline I'll have to get the charts but I have slightly more reason to believe now that the GH2 resolves about 630 lines."

    Wow, dude, what are you looking at? The GH2 is near 1000-lines. I use EX3's quite frequently and the GH2 is able to resolve more detail cleaner.

    The 7D has been measured at about 600-700 lines... and the GH2 out resolves it by far.

    Actually, I can probably shoot a demo of this on friday. I'm no fanboy... but the EX3 does not hold up well next to it.
  • @bwhitz
    remember to bring a chart.. ;)
  • bwhitz So now we have your opinion my opinion and zero facts. Seriously I just bought a GH2 and ND filters as well as a zacuto evf totalling near enough £2500 and Im seriously wondering if I'd been better off just buying the panasonic af101 with built in ND filters and good viewfinder even though its a camera I would never want due to its highlight noise and resolution issues.

    Go ahead prove me wrong I seriously want you to. I am starting to feel annoyed with myself for believing the hype and although the camera remains a good buy with the hack I just hope I havent been led up the garden path.
  • @mark2929
    dude, very little of what you say makes much sense to me. Please trust some of us who know both ex1+GH2 cameras quite well. The GH2 I would say is the same resolution wise as in it resolves the same amount of lines, but I would also say though that it's slightly sharper than the EX1, and remember sharpness and resolution are 2 very different things. And this is in good light, talk about low light, and the EX1 is screwed sharpness wise.
    With this in mind, take vitaliy's advice and don't waste your time performing resolution tests, instead spend your time learning how to get the most out of the GH2-best patch/film mode/lens combo/post workflow/grading and I promise you you will be over the moon with happiness.
  • LOL....@bwhitz you can prove your point till you are blue in the face....he has a serious agenda. It's very subtle but nevertheless designed to provoke. There has been a lot of fanboism going on around this camera and that eats at a lot of folks. So the purpose for some is to stir up trouble like...this thread for example. No matter what you or anyone else throws up here...his position will remain the same.
  • >No matter what you or anyone else throws up here...his position will remain the same.

    I think it makes it even more funny and interesting :-)
  • @VK behold the anti-GH2-fanboy...

    >Im seriously wondering if I'd been better off just buying the panasonic af101 with built in ND filters and good viewfinder...
    >I am starting to feel annoyed with myself for believing the hype and although the camera remains a good buy with the hack I just hope I havent been led up the garden path.

    This topic has gone to the dogs...
  • @Vitaliy Ha yeah....I'm with you on that. I just hope others see the humor in it as well.
  • @mark2929

    I think the public of "Oscar nominee", will not take with them scientific "resolution meter" while watching your movie ...
    I'm sure they will not count resolution lines for each frame ...
    The GH2 have much sharper image, as people are forced to use filters to "soften" it ...

    Get e good lens and forget about resolution ...
  • @mark I find your way of wieving things very skewed. Like the Gh2 is not worth it unless you have a chart which proves its resolution. You don't seem too familiar with the camera, so the suggestion to use it more is a good one.

    However, here is the resolution for the sensor in still images: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicDMCGH2/page11.asp

    Since we know that the sensor uses intelligent pixel binning rather than line skipping to achieve video recording, it is possible to calculate the theoretical resolution of the camera's video output - which the tests AT THE VERY LEAST should approach IF done correctly. A quick calculation (not sure I do it right) gives a vertical resolution of 875 lph for me, with discernible (although some false) detail up to 1080 lph. Maybe someone with accurate understanding of the sensor scaling method can confirm or reject this calculation. IN my experience ( and propably every other GH2 user aswell) the GH2 does output cleaner video (on per pixel level) than still images. Which most of all is credit to the downsampling method.

    Also, you talk about manufacturers and their agenda.. Of the comments regarding the lack of 25p from company officials it seems clear that they have very little clue about a lot of things. (They didn't think it was needed since the camera had 24p). I don't think they know what the camera is capable of quite frankly. - Judging from comments from the broadcast division of panasonic it seems evident that still camera and camcorder divisions have very little to do with each other.
  • Festen was shot on a simple camera, with no artificial light. It's a brilliant movie because of the acting, framing, editing, writing and direction.
    They never cared about friggin pixels, they just used the medium to tell a good story.

    The hacked GH2 can help you with more beautiful pictures. People on this specific forum are anal about it, because well, this is the "hacked GH2 forum" - they have the right to be.

    But I suggest installing this patch, finding a good color profile and quickly forget all this shit and start filming!
  • Hey he wants to be a "nominee" let him play :)
  • This is just waste of time.
  • @dacloo
    Actually don't forget the 'shit' about the ISO bug too soon,... as that hasn't been fixed yet... so still remember that- otherwise some of your footage may turn out extremely grainy... for no reason... :-(
  • Closed, as it seems like author don't know that he really want to know :-)
    Will be reopened if some new interesting things appear.
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