Panasonic Lumix GH1

Panasonic’s reputation for making outstanding video cameras is very well known. I personally got into videography using the Panasonic DVX-100 of which I’m still very fond. However I’ve recently noticed a positive boom in the number of videos created with DSLR’s and I love the depth of field and aesthetics displayed by many of the videos. In May 2010 I finally dug deep into my pockets and purchased the Panasonic Lumix GH1.

The Lumix GH1 is Panasonic’s first strike at a video DSLR. The GH1 is essentially the G1 with video capabilities but don’t be fooled into thinking the video is a mere ad-on feature. The 14-140mm F4.0-5.8 kit lens has, in terms of aperture control and focusing, been optimized for shooting video, it transforms the GH1 into a true stills/video hybrid that can record HD video while at the same time producing high quality stills images. The lens is totally silent in autofocus mode and the stabilisation is also very good. The GH1 is not a 35mm camera as it uses the micro four thirds technology which allows manufacturers to produce smaller cameras that act more like compact DSCs whilst offering the quality and versatility of a DSLR. The 14-140mm F4.0-5.8 kit lens for example roughly equates to 28 to 280mm in 35mm terms.

Frame Rates & Codecs

HD video is not just one standard, but many. The highest resolution is 1920X1080, which the GH1 can shoot at 24fps in Progressive mode. But, while the camera is recording 1080P/24 it is actually wrapping it in 1080/60i for AVCHD encoding. Panasonic also does this with their latest tapeless HD camcorders, the GH20 and HF10. The GH1 can also shoot in either AVCHD or Motion JPG. The advantage of Motion JPG is that it is not as highly compressed as AVCHD and therefore takes up less memory space and can be edited right out of the camera – no transcoding is necessary. But MJPG can only be shot in 1280 X 720 / 30 while AVCHD can do full HD and lets face it MJPG just doesn’t look as good as properly transcoded AVCHD. It’s only real advantage is that it removes the transcoding step, sort of like the convenience factor of shooting JPG rather than raw with stills. One unexpected hiccup I did face after shooting footage was that my Final Cut Pro 5 wasn’t able to properly transcode the AVCHD which meant I had to fork out extra money to purchase Final Cut Pro 7. There were cheaper alternatives/products to get round the issue but I had been putting off the upgrade which I knew was inevitable.

The Lumix GH1 can shoot both 1080P and 720P, but at different frame rates. I have really enjoyed shooting AVCHD footage 720P/60 as it’s provided me with the ability to slow the footage down on a 30fps timeline.

Favourite Features

There are many great features about the GH1 that make it a great camera for both video and stills.

For a start the GH1 sensor is effectively 12MP which allows the camera to shoot various still aspect ratios, from 4:3 to 3:2 to 16:9, all with the same coverage angle.
It has full manual controls for ISO. You can change the shutter and iris manually whilst filming, no exposure lock needed.
Unlike many other video DSLR’s on the market at the moment the LCD swivels to almost any angle just as you would expect of high end video cameras. In my opinion the swiveling LCD cannot be underestimated when trying to establish awkward angle shots.
It can shoot 1080P/24 which is the Holy Grail for indy film makers looking for the “cinematic” look.
720P/50 from the GH1 is truly excellent with motion, and it shows almost as good resolution as 1920 X 1080 on anything other than a large monitor or TV screen. Subject and camera motion are both as smooth. Since the GH1 shoots 720P at 50FPS you can easily slow this footage down by 50% by in Cinema Tools creating very smooth slow motion – a brilliant added bonus. See my mountain biking video below for an example of this trick.
There is a very good optical stabaliser in the kit lens.
The inbuilt sensor that detects when you are using the view finder which turns off the LCD and saves valuable battery power.
The auto focus works really quite well whilst filming both in centre frame mode and using facial recognition mode.

Potential Downsides

A big negative feature of the GH1 applies to EU owners. There is a 29 minute maximum record time for EU issue cameras, the camera in other regions does not have this time restriction and its all to do with EU tax law.
Those interested in producing cinematic productions can embrace 1080/24P but be aware of its fast motion limitations, which those used to shooting traditional video may not be used to.
For people used to traditional video cameras rather than DSLR’s the sound limitations of any DSLR will be a challenge to overcome. I’ve plumped for a H4N Zoom external sound recorder to overcome the sound limitations. Saying that the GH1 does come with relatively good onboard mics options for a DSLR.
Another general difficulty for all video DSLR cameras at the moment is their lack of motorised zoom. While a lot of amateurs zoom far too much, having a slow smooth zoom capability is often welcome but doing manual zooms with a still camera lens while shooting video just isn’t smooth enough most of the time.

Sample Video

The video below was my first practice with the GH1 using the kit lens. I shot all the footage at 720P/60FPS which I placed on a 30 FPS time line and slowed it down by 50% which has given me the very smooth slow motion. I also used my Glidetrack to add the extra smooth transitions.