[quote name='jgharding' timestamp='1345202214' post='15880']
Then as far as i can see part 1 and 2 are the useful parts, because the only thing I'll ever actually be doing with each camera is creating subjective interpretation of a scene with a DP (either someone else or myself). If I have a 5D MKii or a bridge camera I'm not going to shoot with it and light for it like it's an Alexa, so all part 3 does is prove that, yes, a $60,000 camera is much more forgiving and a better piece of kit, which we all already know! I know if I had unlimited budget I'd hire an Alexa for every shoot. I learn nothing from that being confirmed.
The only lesson to come from this shootout [i]is [/i]that some very experienced people picked a cheap camera out of the lineup on aesthetic alone. The reason that's a good lesson is because that's your actual audience reaction, and what happens in the real world.
Lighting everything the same -- in effect purposefully mis-using a less-forgiving piece of equipment -- then saying "look, cheap cameras aren't as good" is a bit of pointless academia IMHO. The spec sheet already tells me that information.
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That's all true, but if we're talking about real world results....any shoot with the GH2 probably isn't getting that calibre of lens and lighting set up, nor the amount of time to tweak it to mask the camera's short comings. If they did have that, they'd almost certainly be using a higher end camera.
It's kind of a double edged sword. The lower end cameras need more time and equipment to truly compete, yet in scenarios where that budget and equipment is available, those cameras would be passed over for something further up the chain.
So the GH2 scenario is hardly real world either. The positive message here is that cameras are becoming like pizza... even the worst are still really, really damn good, and enough to satisfy most average viewer. I still love my GH2 for what at can do, at the price that my broke self brought it for.