Panasonic GH2 shoots Denzel Washington/Mark Wahlberg Picture - "2 Guns"

Upstream Color won't be the only movie shot with hacked GH2s coming to cinemas this year. Hot Rod Cameras - an early pioneer in modifying Panasonic GH cameras for motion picture use (dating back to their trailblazing PL to micro 4/3 adapter for the GH1 back in 2009) - posted this on their Facebook page in May:

"Watch the movie trailer to "2 Guns". Hot Rod Cameras hacked (3x) Gh2 cameras and provided custom lens mounts so the filmmakers could use Panavision anamorphic lenses. Denzel Washington/Mark Wahlberg star in this high-energy action extravaganza!"

So...how much of this trailer do you think was shot with the GH2?

You can still find a few used GH2s on Amazon and eBay, but prices are going up - and they're becoming more difficult to find.

I love my GH3 - but I hope the more affordable G6 is as good (and hackable) as the GH2.

5 Stars for Panasonic G6 at Expert Reviews UK!

Their verdict: "A good all-rounder that excels for video capture." The $749.99 G6 may be the best still/video camera below $1000 that Panasonic has produced to date.  It addresses almost all of the video shortcomings of the G series (by adding a microphone jack and full manual control of video), while improving on the still photo capabilities of all of the GH cameras except the $1298 GH3. A few headlines from the review after the jump.

• The autofocus speed gap between DSLRs and mirrorless DSLMs has been closed: "...autofocus that's just as fast as an SLR, and possibly even faster in low light."
• Electronic viewfinders have closed the gap with optical viewfinders: "Its electronic viewfinder is significantly bigger, and with a 1.44-million dot resolution, it's sharp enough to reveal more detail than its rivals' optical viewfinders..."
• The G6's wi-fi feature allows live monitoring of video (better than the GH3), but no live HDMI out (worse than the GH3) [personally, I prefer wi-fi monitoring - I have a phone and a tablet already, while monitors are an additional expense].

Read the full review here - but please come back and preorder your G6 here.  It won't cost you anything extra - and it helps us to continue bringing you the best camera and tech deals.  Thanks so much for your support.

Update - Amazon is offering 4% off this camera (and many others) until June 15th - time to push that cart through.

Update #2 - The G6 is now in stock in the US at Adorama and the Adorama eBay Store for $749!

New Panasonic G6 - contender for the GH2's video crown?

Julian at DIGIFOTO PRO has posted a comparison video between the "hacked" GH2 and the upcoming Panasonic G6. The G6 has a mic jack, the same sensor as the GH2, and shoots at 1080/60p.

For $749 with the kit lens (and less without?), the G6 could be a great GH2 replacement for shooters who can't afford a GH3 (even though used GH3 prices are coming down ).

Here is the comparison video (please watch at 1080p):


And here is a side by side that includes a shot of shingled roofs - a good test of a camera's susceptibility to moire (again, please watch at 1080p):


The good news is that the G6 seems to be as moire-resistant as the GH2 and the Nikon D5200/D7100! The bad news is that it won't be available until June. If you can wait until then, please support the blog by pre-ordering it from Amazon here :)

UPDATE: Great news - according to Panasonic, the G6 uses the DMW-BLC12 battery, the same battery used by the FZ200, the G5 and the GH2.  So all of you GH2 upgraders can keep your existing batteries!