Clicky

Panasonic GH2

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 front
 
Portability
70
Imaging
51
Features
65
Overall
56

Panasonic GH2 overview

Panasonic GH2 is Panasonic's Advanced Mirrorless digital camera first released on March of 2011. It houses a 16 MegaPixel, CMOS Four Thirds size sensor with a peak resolution of 4608 x 3456.

Panasonic released this model to upgrade the previous Panasonic GH1 (Read Full Comparison) and then introduced the more recent Panasonic GH3 (Read Full Comparison) in order to upgrade this camera.

The GH2 places at #53 out of 62 in Advanced Mirrorless cameras and all-around #362 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. You can test our Smart camera finder to see camera rankings based on your personal criteria.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Here is a graph of various criteria used in the scoring system.

Panasonic GH2 history

The Panasonic GH2 comes with a history of related cameras. Underneath, you can look at all previous and more recent models alongside key features.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Panasonic-Lumix-DC-GH6 front thumbnailPanasonic GH6
GH2 vs GH6
25MPFour Thirds14.0 fps2022
Panasonic-Lumix-DC-GH5-II front thumbnailPanasonic GH5 II
GH2 vs GH5 II
20MPFour Thirds12.0 fps2021
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban
Panasonic-Lumix-DC-G100 front thumbnailPanasonic G100
GH2 vs G100
20MPFour Thirds10.0 fps2020
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-G95 front thumbnailPanasonic G95
GH2 vs G95
20.3MPFour Thirds9.0 fps2019
Panasonic-Lumix-DC-GX9 front thumbnailPanasonic GX9
GH2 vs GX9
20MPFour Thirds9.0 fps2018
Panasonic-Lumix-DC-GH5S front thumbnailPanasonic GH5S
GH2 vs GH5S
10MPFour Thirds12.0 fps2018
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide
Panasonic-Lumix-DC-G9 front thumbnailPanasonic G9
GH2 vs G9
20MPFour Thirds20.0 fps2017
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-GH5 front thumbnailPanasonic GH5
GH2 vs GH5
20MPFour Thirds12.0 fps2017
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-G85 front thumbnailPanasonic G85
GH2 vs G85
16MPFour Thirds9.0 fps2016
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-GX85 front thumbnailPanasonic GX85
GH2 vs GX85
16MPFour Thirds8.0 fps2016
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-GX8 front thumbnailPanasonic GX8
GH2 vs GX8
20MPFour Thirds12.0 fps2015
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-G7 front thumbnailPanasonic G7
GH2 vs G7
16MPFour Thirds7.0 fps2015
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-GH4 front thumbnailPanasonic GH4
GH2 vs GH4
16MPFour Thirds12.0 fps2014
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-GX7 front thumbnailPanasonic GX7
GH2 vs GX7
16MPFour Thirds5.0 fps2013
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-G6 front thumbnailPanasonic G6
GH2 vs G6
16MPFour Thirds7.0 fps2013
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-GH3 front thumbnailPanasonic GH3
GH2 vs GH3
16MPFour Thirds20.0 fps2012
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-G5 front thumbnailPanasonic G5
GH2 vs G5
16MPFour Thirds6.0 fps2012
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-G3 front thumbnailPanasonic G3
GH2 vs G3
16MPFour Thirds4.0 fps2011
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-GH2 front thumbnailPanasonic GH216MPFour Thirds3.0 fps2011
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-G10 front thumbnailPanasonic G10
GH2 vs G10
12MPFour Thirds3.0 fps2010
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-G2 front thumbnailPanasonic G2
GH2 vs G2
12MPFour Thirds3.0 fps2010
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-GH1 front thumbnailPanasonic GH1
GH2 vs GH1
12MPFour Thirds3.0 fps2009
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-G1 front thumbnailPanasonic G1
GH2 vs G1
12MPFour Thirds3.0 fps2009

Panasonic GH2 Pros and Cons

Here is a list of positives and negatives of the Panasonic GH2 based on factors that are normally seen as useful in a digital camera.

built-in touchscreen
comes with external microphone jack
comes with HDMI support
decent megapixels (16 megapixels)
exports RAW formats
fully articulated screen
has built in flash
high video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
nice screen size (3")
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
provides face detection autofocus
provides tracking autofocus
screen is selfie friendly
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
you can focus manually
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
lack of headphone jack
lack of Timelapse mode
low battery power (330 CIPA)
no image stabilization
screen has low resolution (460 k dot)
slow frames per second (3.0 frames per second)
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Panasonic GH2 Sensor features

The Panasonic GH2 houses the Venus Engine FHD processor. The sensor measurement on the Panasonic GH2 is 17.3mm x 13mm (Four Thirds). The 225 mm² sensor is able to resolve 4608 x 3456 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

The CMOS sensor boasts 16 megapixels and delivers a standard ISO range of 160 to 12800. RAW format is supported so you have more margin for error.

The graphic below displays the GH2's sensor size compared to other popular sizes. The GH2 sensor comes with a crop factor of 2.1 and is displayed in green.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 sensor size Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

To get an idea of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Panasonic GH2 dimensions

Panasonic GH2 weighs in at 0.97 lb (442g or 15.59 ounces) and the overall size of the camera is 124mm x 90mm x 76mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 3.0"). The weight of general Advanced Mirrorless camera is 454g and the Panasonic GH2 is very similar in comparison with its rivals.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Listed below is a pic of the Panasonic GH2 next to a softdrink so you can have a feel for its size.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 dimensions scale

The top view below will show the button layout on the GH2.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 topview buttons dials

Panasonic GH2 Lens features

The GH2 works with the Micro Four Thirds mount and has 162 lenses available to buy. Here is a small number of the lenses we have in our database that will work with the GH2.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Voigtlander-Nokton-25mm-F0.95-Micro-Four-Thirds lensVoigtlander Nokton 25mm F0.9525mmf/0.95 410g
Tokina-Reflex-300mm-F6.3-MF-Macro-Micro-Four-Thirds lensTokina Reflex 300mm F6.3 MF Macro300mmf/6.3 298g
Photography Glossary
Olympus-M.Zuiko-Digital-ED-40-150mm-F2.8-Pro lensOlympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F2.8 Pro40-150mmf/2.8 760g
Panasonic-Lumix-G-X-Vario-PZ-45-175mm-F4.0-5.6-ASPH-OIS lensPanasonic Lumix G X Vario PZ 45-175mm F4.0-5.6 ASPH OIS45-175mmf/4.0-5.6 210g
OM-System-40-150mm-F4.0-PRO lensOM System 40-150mm F4.0 PRO40-150mmf/4 382g
Samyang-21mm-F1.4-ED-AS-UMC-CS--Rokinon-21mm-F1.4-ED-AS-UMC-CS-Micro-Four-Thirds lensSamyang 21mm F1.4 ED AS UMC CS21mmf/1.4275g
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards
Samyang-MF-14mm-F2.8-Mk2--Rokinon-MF-14mm-F2.8-II-Micro-Four-Thirds lensSamyang MF 14mm F2.8 Mk214mmf/2.8649g
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Panasonic GH2 Connectivity

The GH2 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Cameras that include NFC and / or Bluetooth compatibility are able to be used wirelessly by smartphones. You will be able to send files and usually change settings with no need to connect physically with the camera.

Many apps also enable a Liveview and press the shutter if you aren't close to the camera. If the camera features a HDMI out, it can easily be connected to an external display. A good number of cameras will allow you to charge the battery with the USB port.

President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Panasonic GH2 Video features

The highest video resolution on the Panasonic GH2 is 1920 x 1080 and it can save in AVCHD and Motion JPEG file format. 1080p resolution can provide a good balance in video quality versus file size but FULL HD will not leave you with much room to downsample. Even though the body comes with a microphone jack, it is lacking a headphone jack so you will not have the ability to monitor your sound levels.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Panasonic GH2 Weather Sealing

Panasonic GH2 doesn't have weather proofing so wet conditions might ruin the camera.

Panasonic GH2 Screen and Viewfinder

The Panasonic GH2 is equipped with a 3" fully articulated display with a resolution of 460k dots.

The screen is selfie friendly to shoot self portraits and even group shots if required. Moreover the display is touch friendly so you can easily set focus point as well as change settings with your fingers.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 screen and viewfinder Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

The View Finder details regarding Panasonic GH2 are as follows:

  • ViewFinder Electronic
  • ViewFinder Coverage 100 percent
  • ViewFinder Magnification 0.71x

In those bright outdoor situations that make the camera screens washed out and tricky to view, viewfinders can be pretty helpful.

Panasonic GH2 Shutter features

Panasonic GH2 is able to shoot continuously at 3.0 frames per second. The max shutter speed is 1/4000s.

Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Panasonic GH2 Flash and Hot shoe features

Panasonic GH2 has got both inbuilt flash plus external flash ability. The highest flash sync speed is 1/160s.

Panasonic GH2 Autofocusing features

Panasonic GH2 has got only Contrast Based AF and doesn't have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection autofocusing is more snappier and accurate than Contrast Based autofocusing. The camera supports Face detection which makes it handy for portrait photography.

It supports 23 focus points to select from. It also has Tracking AF for things on the move. Panasonic GH2 has manual focusing when needed in low light situations or you require more exact control on focusing.

Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Panasonic GH2 Battery life

The battery power on the Panasonic GH2 is designed to last for 330 photos based on the CIPA benchmarks making it lesser than its competitors. The typical Advanced Mirrorless camera battery life is 390. Sony A6600 has the highest (810) battery life in this group of cameras.

Here is a collection of Advanced Mirrorless cameras that have the best battery life:

Panasonic GH2 for various forms of photography

The following illustration provides a analysis of the Panasonic GH2 for various forms of photography. To see more, visit the specific paragraph below.

Panasonic GH2 Portrait photography information

The Panasonic GH2 gets a points total of 70 which is above average, and means the camera is a good fit to use for portrait photography. Taking portrait photos leans greatly towards sensor dimension, RAW support together with the capability to work with off-camera lighting.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month
you can focus manually
MP count good (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
includes face detection focusing
supports RAW files

Panasonic GH2 Street photography information

With a above average points total of 68, the Panasonic GH2 is a good pick to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera has a fine balance of image quality plus portability.

Photography Glossary
screen can move to multiple angles
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
lack of image stabilization

Panasonic GH2 Sports photography factors

A modest sports photography points tally of 46 suggests the Panasonic GH2 is somewhat acceptable for shooting sports. A camera should have excellent tracking and shutter speeds for sports photography.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards
MP count decent (16MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
includes tracking autofocus
continuous shooting slow (3.0 frames per second)
does not have image stabilization
terrible battery power (330 CIPA)
lack of phase detect AF

Panasonic GH2 Travel photography info

Size is pretty crucial in getting a travel camera. All things considered, the Panasonic GH2 gets a very good 62 for a travel camera which makes it a respectable option for your travels.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes
good megapixels (16MP)
has built in flash
display is selfie friendly
no Time Lapse mode
low battery power (330 per charge)

Panasonic GH2 Landscape photography info

When you are planning to choose a digital camera for landscape photographs, the most important factor will be image quality. The Panasonic GH2 and it's reasonable score of 60 as a landscape camera is relatively suited within the current marketplace.

President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban
has manual focus
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is decent (3 inch)
MP count decent (16 megapixels)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
no image stabilization
terrible battery (330 CIPA)
missing Timelapse function

Panasonic GH2 Vlogging factors

A camera for vlogging should really come with a articulating screen, mic port and if possible image stabilization. Considering all things, the Panasonic GH2 is a fine option as a vlog camera as it comes to a nice score of 71.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide
screen is selfie friendly
touchscreen enabled
includes face detect focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
includes mic jack
lack of image stabilization

Panasonic GH2 Alternatives

If you are interested in replacements to the GH2, here is a list of the top ranked cameras that fall under the category of Advanced Mirrorless.

The chart underneath offers you a bird's eye view of the GH2 vs it's highest ranked competitors mentioned previously.

Here are a few more cameras you may look at as alternate options. To see a full comparison, just click on the "compare" link.

Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Specifications

General Information
Brand Name
Panasonic
Model type
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
Category
Advanced Mirrorless
Launched
2011-03-23
Body design
SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CMOS
Chip
Venus Engine FHD
Sensor size
Four Thirds
Sensor measurements
17.3 x 13mm
Sensor area
224.9mm²
Sensor resolution
16 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution
4608 x 3456
RAW format
Max native ISO
12800
Lowest native ISO
160
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
AF continuous
AF single
Tracking AF
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points
23
Lens
Lens mount type
Micro Four Thirds
Amount of lenses
107
Crop factor
2.1
Screen
Range of screen
Fully Articulated
Screen sizing
3"
Resolution of screen
460k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen tech
TFT Color LCD with wide-viewing angle
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
Electronic
Viewfinder coverage
100 percent
Viewfinder magnification
0.71x
DXO scores
DXO All around rating
60
DXO Color Depth rating
21.2
DXO Dynamic range rating
11.3
DXO Low light rating
655
Features
Lowest shutter speed
60s
Highest shutter speed
1/4000s
Continuous shooting speed
3.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance
15.60 m
Flash settings
Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Highest flash sync
1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (24, 30, 60fps) 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30fps), 320 x 240 (30fps)
Max video resolution
1920x1080
Video data format
AVCHD, Motion JPEG
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
442g (0.97 lb)
Dimensions
124 x 90 x 76mm (4.9" x 3.5" x 3.0")
Other
Battery life
330 photos
Form of battery
Battery Pack
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage media
SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots
One
Price at launch
$1,000