Hi guys, I hate to sound like a wet blanket, but I don't imagine you will get many significant changes with this update, short of the necessary ones to enable the new lens functionality and perhaps a couple of changes that Panasonic may consider should have been originally included, such as 25p mode for European use.
This is just plain business sense on Panasonic's part. They will want decent reasons for new users to purchase the upcoming GH3 and not stick with the GH2. It's frustrating I know, but you can't fault them for this.
Don't let that stop people making suggestions for new features however, as I would imagine they are carefully monitoring peoples requests for the upcoming GH3.
I guess there's no GH3 coming up this autumn, that is why Panasonic pushed by Sony's new product line bothers to do a firmware update to give its loyal users just something. Otherwise all new features would have gone to the replacement model, just as it happens usually: "want new features - buy new product". And since new features are being added to the old model there's nothing new on a horizon. At least in the nearby future.
Panasonic has stated that the GH3 is not coming out anytime soon. Why would they make an entirely new model when they can just update firmware and sell the same camera for its original list price? I wonder if this update will stop the 3rd party batteries from working? Panasonic would love to stop that.
I'm optimist that the GH2 can get some great new features. Sony did with their Nex cameras recently. Adding peaking and camera filters/effects. This is the second time they've done it actually, the first overhauled the UI.
Giving firmware upgrades like this creates loyal customers, it's good marketing. Plus it brings new customers over to your camp that would have otherwise gone to a competitors. It's not like the price of the GH2 has drop much since launch.
Please give us peaking and fully programmable colour and gamma curves for film profiles, more effects like Olympus and Sony now have would be good. That would make you far more competitive. at the moment you're falling behind
Don't worry Panasonic, as long as you release the GH3 with global shutter like you have been promising, that is reason enough for most to upgrade, the lack of jello for video and the ultra fast flash syncs for photos. And it's not going to conflict with the upcoming GF7, that is targeting GF1 owners anyway
Solution people: Maybe Panny could issue the Firmware update as a paid update shipping in a small box. This way the can also include a small sticker that can be adhered to the body of the camera where the GH2 Logo is normally situated, thus technically updating the whole system to GH3 without lifting a finger??!! (of course all new factory models will come out with the updated firmware and GH3 sticker).
Welcome to the future of technology, who needs new hardware when you have new firmware??
Set it at MF & face detection mode. Do some ballpark focusing on face. Press the scroll button. GH2 detects a face and magnifies the face. Preferably around eye area. Nail the MF.
Auto WB works great many times. I wanna see the exact settings on display and have an option to save it as a custom preset WB.
In Creative Movie mode, pressing a scroll button should switch among Aperture, Shutter Speed, and ISO settings.
AF-S should always disable continuous-AF. AF-C should always able continuous-AF. Freaking no brainer.
Instead of keeping the history of latest setting changes, just give us an option to save each menu setting as favorite... Maybe up to 12 settings will do it.
In Creative Movie mode, disable the shutter button for recording and stopping. Use only the record button to start and stop. Enable the shutter button for only Auto focusing regardless of half-press or full-press before or during the shooting.
My question was: ”I understand that a new firmware release for GH2 will be released supporting the features in the X-lenses. Will 25p also be supported?”
The new firmware was kind of confirmed. As I understand it that firmware will probably not include 25p, but they left an opening for support in a firmware later on.
"keep our fingers crossed and one day...maybe" thats a typical line for us brits which usually translates as "no chance" or "when gh3 comes...buy more of these shiny X lenses and gh3 will have 25p"
@Vitaliy-Kiselev I did ask the question becose of your early post stating "According to recent interview it is possible that GH2 users also will see 25p." Depending how you read between the lines in the answer, it is more a yes than a now, but he "don't beleive 25p update will be available with the next firmware" that is 1.1
I wish if it is possible through firmware to fix the horizontal banding at high iso so I can shoot night scenes properly. For me the GH2 has become a 800iso camera which is a hair under what what I want - at least 1600iso, please~
What lenses are you using? I've moved to faster glass and lower ISOs. (I got a 35mm 1.7 and a 50mm 1.4 off my mother's old SLR she no longer uses :) ).
If the horizontal banding you are getting is fixed and you are proficient in After Effects, then the following should work to remove it. I've been meaning to test this workflow, but I haven't had time yet.
- Create a "noise" print of your camera by filming in darkness. - Use a noise removal tool on it, using part of your image that has no horizontal banding / FPN as the profile source. - You should now have a full-frame print of the FPN. Save it as a png.
It will be shutter speed specific in position and (I think) ISO specific in intensity but not in shape/position. You might just be able to capture it at 3200 and use this print for all ISOs.
Now, when you notice you have banding on shots you can do the following:
- Create a new layer containing your FPN print above the affected footage - Create another adjustment layer above that - Set the track matte of the adjustment layer to the first layer (containing the FPN print) and set the mode to "Luma Inverted" - Apply an effect (e.g. Colorista or even just levels or curves) to the adjustment layer to raise the gamma until the FPN is no longer visible
A pain in the arse but it should remove the banding.
Of course, I also hope for 25p. But what would also be great to have adopted in the new firmware, is SDHC UHS-I support. Anyone heard anything on that?