Which to get as a low budget shooter - 5D Mark III or GH2?

[Andrew Reid]

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Above: the Olympus 12mm F2 in action on the GH2

Here’s a gear guide along with a round-up of footage for low budget shooters. There’s a big difference in price between the very capable Panasonic GH2 and the new 5D Mark III. One is $800 new and the other $3500. All the discussion so far has been about the camera – is it worth $3500? Well unless you’re going to drill a hole in your lens cap and do pinhole photography, it all comes down to the price of lenses not the body.

[url="http://www.eoshd.com/content/7671/which-to-get-as-a-low-budget-shooter-5d-mark-iii-or-gh2/"]Read full article[/url]

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[gene_can_sing]

Aside from money, which is a big factor, I think it really comes down to what you mainly shoot. For me, I mainly concentrait on people and tend to do a lot of closeup type shots even when I am shooting objects other than people. For those type of shots, I think even the old APS-C Canon's have the edge because of color and DOF. Plus, a soft look for closeups is actually a bit nicer. The Canon's can even make my ugly face look sexy, while the GH2 just shows what people really look like.

Obvious for wider landscapes and architecture, resolution and detail is really important, so if you shoot more of that type of stuff, the GH2 is better.

So I guess you just have to figure out what type of shooting  you do and buy the appropriate camera.

But the 5D3 could have done both IF it just had 1080p. Suck the big one.

[moebius22]

I would say it comes down to whether you are a working professional (or not), and how fast you can pay off the body.

For someone like Philip Bloom, buying a Mark III its a no brainer. For a student like me, or low wage earners, it doesn't make any sense.

[MichalGajdos]

Andrew cheers, really helpful article.you're helping a lot , thank you one more time  ;)

[flablo]

Hi, I've been reading your blog for a while, finally I decided to buy a GH2, which I received today (I already own a 550D). I just tried a few shots with the Unified patch and I'm amazed. It rocks! Definition is another planet from Canon. I can get a fantastic full screen 1080i image on my Marshall field monitor. Can't wait to try my Nikon glasses and some Leica-M lenses from a friend. Not to mention the bulky inexpensive CCTV plastic 25mm f1.4 lens I ordered. Thanks for your advice

[mike_tee_vee]

Andrew,

This is an incredible portfolio!  You have an amazing talent.  Do you have any tips on how to shoot footage with people?  Your footage looks so candid and natural.  I'm assuming a small tripod is used, as the image is very steady.

[Axel]

Andrews pans are incredible. There are two pans in[i] Darkness Seeker[/i] that really took my breath. One thing is a good fluid head (I recommend Ace), another the abilty to steer it. But what is the most important aspect is the understanding of a pan-orama. Why you use it, how fast you may pan. That pans don't exist in natural seeing (try to pan with your head: Impossible. If, i.e. after an eye operation, the scan-moves of yor eyeballs are stopped, then you [i]can[/i] pan, but there'd be so much vertical-line-juddering, that you'd vomit soon).

[Simco123]

Phil Bloom gave his blessing to the 5DMkIII video abilities

[url=http://vimeo.com/39292404]Canon 5Dmk3 video review[/url]

It is all in the post. I knew it was to do with workflow and Canon deliberately gave it a flat profile because they werent able to implement a picturestyle equivelent for video in camera. It would have been better if Canon had made this known publicly.

[moebius22]

[quote author=Simco123 link=topic=478.msg3099#msg3099 date=1332917274]
Phil Bloom gave his blessing to the 5DMkIII video abilities

[url=http://vimeo.com/39292404]Canon 5Dmk3 video review[/url]

It is all in the post. I knew it was to do with workflow and Canon deliberately gave it a flat profile because they werent able to implement a picturestyle equivelent for video in camera. It would have been better if Canon had made this known publicly.
[/quote]

I'm psychic.

[Dragan]

I bought a GH2 some 8 months ago after reading a couple of your articles Andrew and am so much happy that GH2 is still in the ring even after the 5DMkIII jumped in :)

Just one quick question.. what is a good cheap wide lens i can use with my GH2?

Thanks for your article and advice.

[popalock]

Andrew, great article BUT you're missing one REALLY important factor - if you're on a proper budget you're going to want to shoot stills with the same camera, ideally.  The GH2 vs any of the 5D series just can't compete with the FF goodness (for stills) despite AF problems on the earlier 5D models.

I just bought a GH2 for video (all thanks goes to Andrew for that!).  But I've a 5D1 with EF prime lenses that are going to be a pain to use on the GH2.

So the only thing I can conclude from all this, if I'm to maintain great resolution, is I should sell off both my 5D1 + lenses, and my newly purchased GH2, and [b]get a D800 which combines the best of both worlds[/b]

The reason why the 5D3 is going to sell well, despite being purposely crippled by Canon, is that most people aren't as resolution orientated as you Andrew, AND they want to be able to shoot great stills with the same camera. 

Canon are going to stay at the top for sales, just like Apple with the iphone, not because their product is the best in all ways, but because the total package is convincing AND because jumping ship to another brand will be a painful process

Life just isn't fair..

[Simco123]

[quote author=popalock link=topic=478.msg3123#msg3123 date=1332939550]
Canon are going to stay at the top for sales, just like Apple with the iphone, not because their product is the best in all ways, but because the total package is convincing AND because jumping ship to another brand will be a painful process

Life just isn't fair..
[/quote]

Why jump ship to Nikon? The video footages from the 5DIII by Phil Bloom blew anything I have seen from D4/D800 in terms of detail rendition. It is those who bought the D4/D800 for videos the ones who need to jump ship.

[jindrich]

[quote author=Simco123 link=topic=478.msg3125#msg3125 date=1332940420]
Why jump ship to Nikon? The video footages from the 5DIII by Phil Bloom blew anything I have seen from D4/D800 in terms of detail rendition. It is those who bought the D4/D800 for videos the ones who need to jump ship.
[/quote]
Maybe you should to look further?

A few of the (1080P) D800 videos I've seen are better resolution wise than anything from the 5D3, and those D800 videos were straight out of the camera without any sharpening tricks.

I'm waiting for my D800 test unit to arrive. If I find it better, I'l take a pair. Else, I'll get 5D3s. I don't mind brands.

[Simco123]

There were plenty of very soft D800 videos too. Shapening in post editing is not a trick but part of grading process. Ideally the best video capture are flat soft profile to preserve better DR. Videos don't take shapeninig the way stills does it.
[quote author=jindrich link=topic=478.msg3129#msg3129 date=1332941721]
[quote author=Simco123 link=topic=478.msg3125#msg3125 date=1332940420]
Why jump ship to Nikon? The video footages from the 5DIII by Phil Bloom blew anything I have seen from D4/D800 in terms of detail rendition. It is those who bought the D4/D800 for videos the ones who need to jump ship.
[/quote]
Maybe you should to look further?

A few of the (1080P) D800 videos I've seen are better resolution wise than anything from the 5D3, and those D800 videos were straight out of the camera without any sharpening tricks.

I'm waiting for my D800 test unit to arrive. If I find it better, I'l take a pair. Else, I'll get 5D3s. I don't mind brands.
[/quote]

[e446]

In your article, you write: "Zeiss CP.2s are also now available in Micro Four Thirds mount for the GH2."

Maybe I'm just too stupid to notice which ones are meant, here, but I cannot find any mentioning of the Micro Four Thirds mount on the Carl Zeiss Web page ( https://photo-shop.zeiss.com/en/ ).

Can you post a link where those lenses are actually offered?

[crashandannie]

Hi, e446,

Try [url=http://www.amazon.com/Zeiss-CP-2-T2-1-MFT-Mount/dp/B005ISHEG2.]http://www.amazon.com/Zeiss-CP-2-T2-1-MFT-Mount/dp/B005ISHEG2.[/url] More available on Amazon as well.

Also, if you look on the Cinema page on zeiss.com you can find the CP.2 and the LWZ available in MFT mount. I think Illya at Hot Rod Cameras also can do the MFT mount if you email him:  [url=http://www.hotrodcameras.com/?product=5x-zeiss-cp2-lens-set.]http://www.hotrodcameras.com/?product=5x-zeiss-cp2-lens-set.[/url]

The CP.2 is designed to be interchangeable, so you could buy the PL mount and change in the future if you wish. The instructions are on the Zeiss site.

Hope this helps!

[johncarton]

thanks a lot, it is helpful article, really need it........

[ntblowz]

[quote author=Dragan link=topic=478.msg3116#msg3116 date=1332937707]
I bought a GH2 some 8 months ago after reading a couple of your articles Andrew and am so much happy that GH2 is still in the ring even after the 5DMkIII jumped in :)

Just one quick question.. what is a good cheap wide lens i can use with my GH2?

Thanks for your article and advice.
[/quote]

Panasonic 14mm for $170 on ebay and the Sony ECL-VCU1 addon for $100 to make it ultra wide