Panasonic GH2, 14-42mm F/3.5-5.6, f/4.5, 1/800, iso 320
Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2011 will be good to all of us. Family-wise, business-wise and photographically as well.
Did you look at the camera spec line, above, in italics? Has there ever been a picture on this blog not taken by a Canon DSLR? Other than a few "friends on friday" posts, the answer is no.
I'm changing that for 2011. Click on the continue link for exciting photographic news here at the Dream Tomorrow Blog.
A while back, this post on the Luminous Landscape caught my attention. Michael has every camera known to man, plus a couple more. And he experimented with doing landscape work with this small camera (Leica M9), mainly because he didn't want to carry so much gear. Hmmm.
Friend of this blog, Stephan Dietrich, had also mentioned shooting people in Mexico, with his Canon G9 pocket camera, around the same time Michael's post was published. He said he didn't want to stand out by pointing a big white lens at people (i.e. Canon pro lens). Since I'm spoiled by the image quality of the bigger DSLR's, his thinking wasn't really working for me at the time.
But as time has gone by, I have wished for a smaller camera setup, that still has acceptable IQ. I lusted after the Leica M9 and a few beautiful lenses for some time, but in the end decided it's just too much money. I have kids in college, right?
When Michael Reichmann the Leica M9 goes to Paris post on his site, I thought "exactly. I'd love to do Paris with a small camera kit." So I waited.
Enter a new camera format that is just what I'm looking for. It's called Micro Four Thirds. There is no mirror, so the entire package can be smaller. These cameras do have small sensors, smaller than the APS-C size sensors (like in the common Canon/Nikon DSLR's), but each new camera has improved the IQ pretty significantly. There are numerous manufacturers making cameras and lenses for this format. That's one of the strengths, it's not a single manufacturer proprietary format, it is a standard that anyone can build to. I looked at a few in a camera shop, but they really were not what I was looking for.
Then Panasonic released the GH2. This is an 18 megapixel machine. It has better and more flexible video than pretty much any current DSLR. But I'm primarily interested in it for the still images.
I'm interested in this camera for two reasons. One is the stealth factor. I really want to get into street shooting. As Stephan remarked, you don't want to be pointing giant lenses at people. Possibly you will offend, but moreover now they are going to be aware of you photographing them and that's not what street shooting is about (mostly).
With the flip screen, you can be looking at this screen, like it is open here, and be taking pics of people without even looking at them! I did this yesterday and it was pretty cool.
Then there is the size. Here's my Canon 24-70L F/2.8 zoom and my new GH2 camera. You can see that the GH2 is dwarfed by just one of my lenses. In fact, nearly all of them. I regularly carry my 5D Mark II camera body and 4, 5 or 6 lenses like the one you see here. Although I'm younger than Michael, it does get to me.
And then there are all the times I don't have my camera, because I'm just not going to carry all that.
Michael Reichmann has been following the GH2 since its release, and in fact owned one before most of us could get one. Here is one of his reviews. It was fascinating to me that when he recently drove to his winter home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, he brought only the GH2 and lenses for it! The man with more cameras than are known to man! Including the Leica M9. Left them at home and just went with the GH2. Amazing.
Reading many web reviews and forum posts on the new GH2, I decided it was time for me to jump in. Today's image at the top of the page was taken yesterday, my first outing with the camera. It handles a lot like my Canon's, just much smaller, obviously. And it actually has a greater feature set. Like more helpful info in the viewfinder.
Woman and Dog and Stranger
Here is one I took yesterday, camera down at my waist, looking at the flip viewfinder. Anyone would think I'm just reviewing pictures on the camera. You can even touch a person on the viewfinder, and have the camera continually focus on that person as they walk along.
This picture was taken with the "kit lens," i.e. the crappiest/cheapest lens they make. I have a couple of good ones on order that should get here this week. I just sold my Canon 1D Mark III body (to a friend that will really make great use of it, so that makes me happy) and that funds the new camera and the lenses. Yaaaay.
I don't expect this camera to compete for IQ with my heavier and more expensive Canon gear. But that's not the role I'm using it for. I have a trip to Mexico coming up and I'm really looking forward to working in a new paradigm.
I'm planning on a great 2011! Hope you are too.
