Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2

Motion (7.45)

The Panasonic G2 captures motion differently depending on which compression system you shoot with. The MJPEG mode utilizes a 30p frame rate, while the AVCHD Lite mode uses a 60p frame rate (but the sensor output is still 30p). Just as we saw previously on the Panasonic GF1, the clips recorded by the G2 in its AVCHD Lite mode played back at double speed on our computer. We think this playback problem has something to do with compatibility issues with the AVCHD Lite compressions system. We never run into this problem with cameras or camcorders that use regular AVCHD compression. More on how CamcorderInfo tests motion.

So, if you’re planning on viewing clips on your computer (or uploading to the internet), you may want to avoid the complications of AVCHD Lite and use the MJPEG setting on the G2. Unfortunately, shooting with the MJPEG setting resulted in more artifacting than the camera’s AVCHD Lite option. The MJPEG mode did produce a smoother image, however, and it had less trailing. We had no speed problems with the AVCHD Lite footage when we played it back wit the G2 connected to an HDTV.

In both its MJPEG and AVCHD Lite modes, the G2 had a significant problem with a rolling shutter. Rolling shutters are caused by the camera not being able to reproduce a full image quickly enough, so when you do any fast panning with the camera certain portions of the screen appear to wobble (some describe it as looking like Jell-O). We’ve seen this problem before, but it is more commonly found on true DSLR cameras that record video—not Micro Four Thirds models like the G2.

The Panasonic GF1 has the same recording options as the Panasonic G2 and it produced the same playback problems with its AVCHD Lite mode. Like the G2, the GF1 also showed some significant artifacting in its MJPEG mode, while its AVCHD Lite setting produced video that looked rather choppy at times.

The Olympus E-PL1 also records 720p video using a 30p frame rate. Its video in our motion test looked fairly smooth, but it had more artifacting than the competition. There was also some noticeable blur and trailing in the RGB pinwheel during our test.

The Samsung NX10 was very good in terms of artifacting in our motion test, but its video had plenty of trailing, blur, and it wasn’t very smooth either. The NX10 also had a big problem with its rolling shutter, which we also saw on the Panasonic G2.

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Video Sharpness (8.66)

The Panasonic G2 measured a horizontal sharpness of 575 lw/ph and a vertical sharpness of 550 lw/ph in our video testing. These numbers are very similar to what we saw from the Panasonic GF1 and Olympus E-PL1, but they are just a tad lower than what the Samsung NX10 was capable of. Since all of these models record at a maximum video resolution of just 1280 × 720, none of them are amongst the elite video-capable DSLRs when it comes to video sharpness. These numbers are also significantly lower than what a high-end or a very good mid-range HD camcorder is capable of achieving. More on how CamcorderInfo tests video sharpness.

Low Light Sensitivity (0.80)

The G2 needed 24 lux of light to record an image that registered 50 IRE on our waveform monitor. This isn’t a great showing for the camera, but it matches up with what we saw from the other models in this set. Only the Samsung NX10 was able to produce the same IRE levels with less than 20 lux of light (it needed 19 lux to reach 50 IRE). What does this all mean? Well, it means that none of these models are top-notch performers when it comes to low light sensitivity, so the Panasonic G2’s performance isn’t all that bad in comparison. We should also note that there was no difference in the low light sensitivity on the Panasonic G2 when we shot using the camera’s MJPEG compression mode in comparison to its AVCHD setting.

Since all of these cameras feature interchangeable lens systems, you should keep in mind that much of what determines low light sensitivity has to do with the kind of lens you are using. Attaching a faster lens (with a wider aperture) should give any of these models a significant boost in low light as they would allow more light to hit the image sensor.