Panasonic Lumix GH2 announced: First Impressions

First Impressions

It’s the new, twice-as-fast autofocus that immediately makes the Panasnoic Lumix GH2 stand out. This kind of contrast-detection AF is unlike the speed of any competitor equivalent and, as sensors become more powerful, this kind of technology should pave the way for future increases in speed too – yet another steppingstone in the way of a wholesale uptake of the ongoing force of mirrorless cameras overcome.

Elsewhere, the upgrade in movie functionality is excellent, with Full HD shot at 1080p, captured at 24 frames per second and that all important 23MBps bit rate edge it toward a camcorder-like standard. The biggest drawback: still only a 2.5mm mic jack, and the omission of any in-ear audio monitoring capability as yet.

The new 16MP sensor does seem rather overly resolute considering the smaller sensor size, though without final images to sample it’s a case of ‘wait and see’ as to how the results will fare. I suspect that this has been opted for to support the new 3D lens functionality that is dependent on projecting two individual images (landscape) across the one sensor.