A Sky News camera man has been using a Panasonic GH2 alongside his professional Panasonic video camera for over a year.
Andy Portch, a senior camera for Sky News based in Beijing had been looking for a smaller camera to use alongside his main professional film camera, which is a Panasonic AF101.
Having previously experimented with using a Canon 5D Mark II, he settled on the GH2 because of its smaller form factor and the fact that lenses could be swapped between it and his video camera, along with shooting in the same AVCHD format.
Portch uses accessories, such as the Manfrotto 394 quick release plate, which are compatible with both cameras.
Pros
The main advantage Portch has found for using the GH2 has been for capturing quality video in what he describes as "sensitive" locations. Writing on the DSLR News Shooter website, he says "We did every dodge in the book and over a couple of days managed to get images of temples and monks to tell this story."
While there were of course some drawbacks to using the GH2 in this scenario, such as an increased likelihood of camera shake, it's a telling indication of just how far video technology has developed in DSLRs and compact system cameras in recent years.
The Canon EOS 5D Mark II is well known for its film-making qualities, with several adverts, television programmes and even films being made with it, but it's interesting to see a CSC being used in the same way.
More on Portch's experiences of using the GH2 can be found on the DSLR News Shooter website, along with video examples of its footage.
