VideoPanasonic Lumix GH1 video review

A hands on review of the Panasonic GH1, a micro four thirds camera.   The GH1 features a four-thirds size sensor, which is slightly smaller than APS-C DSLR sensors, but much larger than compact cameras such as the Panasonic LX5.

The GH1 is a mirrorless camera, which means it is like a DSLR but without the mirror that enables the optical viewfinder.  This is why the GH1 is smaller than most DSLRs, and why it has an electronic viewfinder rather than optical viewfinder.

The GH1 can take 16:9 widescreen images as well as standard 4:3 images.  It includes dust reduction using a supersonic wave filter.  Dust can often get on to your sensor when you change lenses, which can show up on images.

The LCD flips out and rotates to almost any angle.  The electronic viewfinder has 1,140 dots.  It includes a sensor to detect when you've put your eye up to the viewfinder, to turn on the viewfinder and turn off the LCD on the back, very slick.

One of the most interesting features of the camera is its video modes.  Recording AVCHD video at a full 1080p (1920x1080), at 24p, and motion jpeg (MJPEG) at 720p at 30fps.   It also includes a built in stereo microphone, and a jack for an external mic.  

You can access manual focus, single shot focus and continuous focus from a dial on the top left dial.

The reviewer demonstrates the new 14-140mm f/4-5.8 lens, which is approx 28mm-280mm (35mm equivalent)  which is an impressive 10x zoom in one lens.  This lens has been specifically designed for HD video, and includes optical image stabilization, and focuses very silently so that when recording video you won't hear the lens focusing.

The Panasonic GH1 uses a contrast focus system (most DSLRs use a faster phase detection system).  The reviewer says that this is one of the better contrast focus detection system's he's seen.

He found that the white balance wasn't that great indoors.  He shot images up to 3200 ISO and didn't find the noise too bad.