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GF1 - what's now possible?
  • belfrymanbelfryman
    Sorry to go back in time but I did a lovely job of frying one of my GH2's yesterday and need a quick, cheap back up, not sure whether to get an old GH1 or GF1. How good can the GF1 get with the fantastic hack now? Does it do true 1080 and what are the frame rate options? Have been trawling the web but not finding too much consistent advice and guy selling hacked GF1 says 1080 not possible but that seems not to be the case. Does anybody own a GF1 and what drives you mad about it!? I liked my old GH1 but looking at some samples of hacked GH1 and GF1 they didn't look thaaat different, how do people get round the lack of manual controls on the GF1? Basically I want to be convinced the GF1 will be fine because it's cheap but my head says it's probably a false economy. Thanks for any input.
  • 10 Replies sorted by
  • alcomposeralcomposer
    Sorry to ask, but what did you do to the GH2's?
  • belfrymanbelfryman
    Weeeellll, totally dumb ass, was in an unexpected rush and decided to use the power gorilla with coupler for the day, which I bought and used about once, but had thought now is the time to get used to having it taped to the tripod aaaaand I stuck in the coupler, turned on the power gorilla, saw it was at 12v, thought, oh no that's not right so hit the button to get to 8.4v half forgetting that I'd pass 19v on the way! and half thinking I haven't turned the camera on, it'll be OK if I leave it off - tired and in a rush you see! - and there was an almost imperceptible pop and a little burning smell which is now etched on my mind. I succeeded in controlling my instant urge to vomit and had a great day shooting with one camera instead of the usual two! It's on it's way to the service centre now. Fingers crossed!
  • alcomposeralcomposer
    Ouch! Darn! Well - its only a camera- it can be fixed. At least you didn't drop it in the Sydney Harbor like our friend Bloom did...
  • belfrymanbelfryman
    Whoops a daisy. Slightly more final - I hope!
  • ShaveblogShaveblog
    As a GH2 and GF1 owner I recommend either getting another GH2 body or barring that a GH1 body to hack. I love my GF1 and it's a great poor man's Leica, but its video capability, even hacked, is just not up to hacked GH1/GH2 standard. LPowell's great GF1 patches really push the camera to new heights but at the end of the day it's just not the same IQ as hacked GH1/GH2.
  • belfrymanbelfryman
    @Shaveblog
    That's brilliant, thanks. I did use a GF1 for an extra angle once when the sound guy just had one with him and didn't use the footage cos just wasn't up to it but it wasn't hacked and I wasn't familiar with it so was hoping that was why but what you're saying makes sense.
  • belfrymanbelfryman
    @Shaveblog
    In terms of using the GF1 with the hack can you get true 1080? and can you select shutter speed and aperture? Presumably you can lock shutter speed and use manual aperture lenses OK? Can you at least view the scene on the LCD whilst recording? Just thinking might be OK as a backup tog et me out of whole and i teach actors screen acting technique and would be useful to have a couple fo extra cheap cameras for a multicamera exercise. Thanks.
  • ShaveblogShaveblog
    @belfryman

    Yes the PTool hack allows fully manual video control on the GF1, but no 1080p - the GF1's sensor only outputs 720p at 30fps, so no 24p either. You could kinda sorta use a GF1 as a B-cam if your GH2 was shooting 60p for 30p delivery but the difference in video IQ is pretty unmistakable between these two cameras. It's not subtle. For in-house farting around, sure, it's usable, but for a real client job it's not what I'd recommend.

    Believe me, I've tried making the GF1 a suitable B-cam for the GH2. It's just too far away. Another GH2 or a hacked GH1 is the way you want to go here.
  • belfrymanbelfryman
    @Shaveblog
    That's decided it, even for an exercise it sounds too far off. Thanks very much for your help.
  • blofeldblofeld
    @ all GH2 PAL-users

    GF1 outputs native 25p in PAL-mode with LPowell's Fast Action 3-Frame GOP Patch.

    Now that we finally have 25p with GH2, the patch above makes GF1 a suitable B-cam.

    Plus we have a perfect 180 degree shutter with 1/50.
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