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How good are these Lumix Cameras - Awesome pieces of hardware
  • RamboRambo

    I have two 3year old GH1's, one 2year old GF2 and GH2, all hacked. I've carried these things in nothing more than basically plastic bags all over the World, in planes, boats jet ski's and most of my shooting is on the ocean and not one problem from any of them. For a consumer camera, that my friends is awesome. In contrast, my HMC 152 died the first time i took it on a boat, to Panny's credit, they fixed it free of parts charges i only paid for labour, i did dunk it in salt water pretty bad.

    I don't see many people on the forum having hardware issues so i assume all's good with everyone else.

    R

  • 15 Replies sorted by
  • stoneystoney

    One Gh2. One Gf1. No problem whatsoever. I regret selling Gh17.

  • AdamTAdamT

    One gf3, one gh2, one gh3 ... zero problems. The gf3 rarely sees the light of day, but the gh2 has taken some abuse ... including one three-hour trail ride in a spider holster where it repeatedly bounced against a saddle. A trip my arse won't soon forget.

  • driftwooddriftwood

    1 GH1, 1 GX1, 4 GH2s and two GH3s... lets not start on the lenses!

  • tetakpataktetakpatak

    4 GH1, 1GH2, LX7 will be bought as soon as Vitaliy gives her new soul with the hack :-)

  • LPowellLPowell

    I've used two GH1, two GH2, a G2, a GF1, and an AF100. All have worked reliably, in spite of being used as guinea pigs for countless hacking experiments.

    However, there's one latent design flaw in these cameras that everyone should be aware of. The SD card slot has a spring-loaded latch that engages the write-protect slot on the side of the SD card. If the tiny sliding write-protect tab ever falls out of an SD card, that card is a lethal threat to your camera. If you insert the damaged card into the SD slot, the internal latch will lock into the empty write-protect slot and the SD card will be permanently stuck in the camera. This happened to one of my GH1's and the factory had to replace the entire motherboard.

  • jpbturbojpbturbo

    @LPowell I keep a piece of scotch tape over the write protect latch just to make sure that I don't accidentally engage the lock, should help keep the buggers from falling out as well.

  • 7hau7hau

    one GH1, one GH2 and one GF2 sold. GH2 had burnt the board using 3rd party battery, dropped my GH2 once with the 14-140mm lens during mounting to stabilizer, camera no problem, just scratch a bit. the lens face some problem after almost a year, then replaced with new by Panasonic.

  • pchristophpchristoph

    1 GH1, 3 GH2's - still going strong.

  • WinkleJonWinkleJon

    I use my hacked GH2 for video and most stills. However I still have and love my GF1. Aside from being pocketable, the sturdy metal body makes it a great travel camera that can get banged around when I don't want to carry a larger body or camera bag. Still get great images.

  • halimecondorhalimecondor

    I've been fairly careful with the Gh1 and Gh2, but I've beat the shit out of my LX5 around the world for 3 years and it is still ticking. The lcd screen is a mess though.

  • arnarfjodurarnarfjodur

    My hacked GH1 died after two years of use (just so that people reading this don't believe they are immortal!). Don't think I did anything wrong with it, simply started to freeze one day and then I turned it off and it seemed to work later but eventually just died (not turning on after switching on). Only thing different that day was some fog - which maybe had gotten moist into the camera - but that's only my guess.

  • GMCGMC

    One very early GH1 from 2009 (Japan, hacked) - wine spilled over it, since then the on off switch needs brute force to push, dropped on the floor, frequently used for lens whacking (sensor exposed to the elements). Still going strong, no issues at all.

    One GH2 (hacked), after one year did not power on any more. Went to service, took 2 month, but covered by warranty (with hack installed). Since then used during many mountainbiketrips, once got hit by rear wheel as biker was sliding by, flying 3 meters through the air with 14-140 kit lens. No harm.

  • kronstadtkronstadt

    I still have my GH13 - it was a 2009 version. Bought it second hand because back then only the early versions were hackable. And this little thing has taken some serious abuse: filming storms, wet, rainy and windy seaside weather, as well as urban guerilla-style filming (imagine changing primes quickly in those conditions). Still going strong, still my main and only digital-cinematography camera.

    @stonebat which one is GH17 ... are they the GH1 that came after 2010 and were unhackable for a while? I heard that they were slightly worse than the earlier ones produced in 2009.

  • DrDaveDrDave

    You can fix the latch with a drop of of slow setting crazy glue and it will work better than the original. But it was a minor flaw, for sure. Plus they would not send me a replacement part, they wanted the whole cam.

    But my GH1 and GH2 have been very good, reliable cameras.

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