Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2

    63
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    Highlights

    • 16 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
    • 160 - 12,800 Native ISO
    • 23 Focus Points (23 Cross-type)
    • 3.0" 460k dot Fully Articulated Screen
    • 1,534k dot Electronic (LVF) Viewfinder
    • 3.0 fps Continuous Shooting
    • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
    • 30 min Video Recording Limit
    • Built-in Flash
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    Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

    Overview

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 was announced in 2011 and is a Micro Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) Mirrorless camera with 16 Megapixel CMOS sensor. Its native ISO ranges from 160 to 12,800. The camera has a Fully Articulated 3.0" screen with 460k dot resolution and built-in Electronic (LVF) viewfinder with 1,534k dot resolution.

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 can capture video up to 1920 x 1080 resolution.


    Here is the Panasonic -GHx series lineup, where you can view and compare the main specifications of the cameras within the same series.

    Panasonic -GHx series lineup
    Model Date Sensor Native ISO Screen Price
    Image cannot be found Panasonic GH6 February
    2022
    25.2 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    100 - 25,600 Articulated 3.0"
    1,840k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic GH5 II July
    2021
    20.33 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    200 - 25,600 Articulated 3.0"
    1,840k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic GH5S January
    2018
    10.28 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    160 - 51,200 Articulated 3.2"
    1,620k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic GH5 January
    2017
    20.3 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    200 - 25,600 Articulated 3.2"
    1,620k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic GH4 February
    2014
    16.05 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    200 - 25,600 Articulated 3.0"
    1,036k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic GH3 September
    2012
    16.05 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    200 - 12,800 Articulated 3.0"
    614k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic GH2 March
    2011
    16 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    160 - 12,800 Articulated 3.0"
    460k dot
    Touchscreen
    Image cannot be found Panasonic GH1 July
    2009
    12 MP
    Micro Four Thirds
    100 - 1,600 Articulated 3.0"
    460k dot

    You can view their side-by-side comparison here: Panasonic Lumix DC-GH6 vs Lumix DC-GH5 II vs Lumix DC-GH5S vs Lumix DC-GH5 vs Lumix DMC-GH4 vs Lumix DMC-GH3.

    Pros and Cons

    In this section we present pros and cons of Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2.

    PROS

    •   Video Capture
    •   Face Detection
    •   Live View Autofocus
    •   Fully Articulated Screen
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Built-in Flash
    •   HDMI Output
    •   Light - 442 g (0.97 lb / 15.59 oz)

    CONS

    •   Small Sensor
    •   160 Lowest Native ISO
    •   Timelapse Recording
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,534k dot
    •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
    •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
    •   Low Video Recording Limit
    •   No Headphone Output
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
    •   No Built-In Bluetooth
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots

    And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

    AVERAGE

    •   Sensor Resolution - 16 Megapixel
    •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
    •   23 Focus Points
    •   Screen Size - 3.0"
    •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
    •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
    •   DxO Overall Score - 60

    Predecessor

    Here we are comparing Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 to its predecessor Lumix DMC-GH1 and displaying the major changes.

    UPGRADES Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1
    Higher Sensor Resolution 16 Megapixel vs 12 Megapixel
    Higher Native ISO 12,800 vs 1,600
    Max Image Resolution 4608 x 3456 vs 4000 x 3000
    Tracking Autofocus vs
    Face Detection vs
    Touch Screen vs
    Speaker Mono vs
    Longer Battery Life 330 shots vs 320 shots
    DOWNGRADES Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1
    Higher Native ISO 160 vs 100
    Lower DxO Low Light ISO 655 vs 772
    Lower DxO Color Depth 21.2 vs 21.6
    Lower DxO Dynamic Range 11.3 vs 11.6
    Lower DxO Overall Score 60 vs 64
    Heavier 442 g (0.97 lb / 15.59 oz) vs 385 g (0.85 lb / 13.58 oz)

    For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 vs Lumix DMC-GH1.

    Successor

    In 2012 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 was replaced by Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3. Let us now have a look at some important differences between Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 and its successor.

    UPGRADES Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
    Timelapse Recording vs
    Touch-to-Focus vs
    Higher Resolution Screen 614k dot vs 460k dot
    Higher Resolution Viewfinder 1,744k dot vs 1,534k dot
    Higher Max Continuous Shooting 20.0 fps vs 3.0 fps
    Higher DxO Low Light ISO 812 vs 655
    Higher DxO Color Depth 22.7 vs 21.2
    Higher DxO Dynamic Range 12.4 vs 11.3
    Higher DxO Overall Score 71 vs 60
    Headphone Output vs
    Built-In Wi-Fi vs
    Environmental Sealing vs
    Longer Battery Life 540 shots vs 330 shots
    Orientation Sensor vs
    DOWNGRADES Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
    Higher Native ISO 200 vs 160
    Lower Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.67x vs 0.71x
    Heavier 550 g (1.21 lb / 19.40 oz) vs 442 g (0.97 lb / 15.59 oz)

    For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 vs Lumix DMC-GH3.

    Screen and Viewfinder

    Fully Articulated Touchscreen

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 has a 3.0" Fully Articulated touchscreen with 460k dot resolution which is quite low by today's standards. Fully articulated screen makes this camera selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting.

    Image cannot be displayed Image cannot be displayed

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 with Fully Articulated screen


    Electronic (LVF) Viewfinder

    Camera has a built-in Electronic (LVF) viewfinder with 1,534k dot resolution. It has a 100% coverage and 1.42x (0.71x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

    Sensor

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 features a 16 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 224.9 mm2. Its native ISO range is 160 - 12,800.


    Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2's Micro Four Thirds sensor compares with other types of sensors:

    Sensor size chart
    Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
    Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
    Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
    Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
    Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
    Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
    Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.3 x 13 mm224.9 mm24:32x
    Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
    Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
    Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

    Photography Features

    Camera is equipped with Venus Engine FHD processor and can take pictures up to 4608 x 3456 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolutions like 4752 x 3168, 4976 x 2800, 3520 x 1980, 3456 x 3456, 3360 x 2240, 3264 x 2448, 2448 x 2448, 2400 x 1600, 2336 x 1752, 1920 x 1280, 1920 x 1080, 1920 x 1440, 1744 x 1744, 1792 x 1792 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.


    Lens Mount

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 has Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Due to Micro Four Thirds sensor its crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is 2x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.


    No In-Body Image Stabilization

    The camera does not have in-body image stabilization (IBIS) so it needs lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction.

    Check out the cameras which are frequently compared to Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2.

    Connectivity, Battery and Storage

    USB Input and HDMI Output

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) input for data transfer. There is a Mini Type C HDMI connector for video signal output.


    External Storage Slots

    The camera has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot.

    Other Features

    Shutter

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2's shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec. Camera can shoot continuously up to 3.0 fps.


    Flash

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 15.60 m and also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot-shoe: TTL Auto with FL220 / FL360 / FL500 (Optional). The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/160 sec.

    Physical Parameters

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 has dimensions of 124 x 90 x 76 mm (4.88 x 3.54 x 2.99"). It weighs 442 g (0.97 lb / 15.59 oz), so it is a lightweight camera.

    124 mm (4.88")

    90 mm (3.54")

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    90 mm (3.54")

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    76 mm (2.99")

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    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 dimensions

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 for Different Types of Photography

    We give scores to the camera for different type of photography based on its features and specifications. Let us see how Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 is suitable for six different types of photography.


    Landscape Photography

    GOOD
    70

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 gets a score of 70 and is GOOD choice for Landscape photography.

    •   Small Sensor
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Environmental Sealing

    Sports Photography

    AVERAGE
    67

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 gets a score of 67 and is AVERAGE choice for Sports photography.

    •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
    •   23 Focus Points
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   Face Detection
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,534k dot
    •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
    •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots

    Wildlife Photography

    AVERAGE
    60

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 gets a score of 60 and is AVERAGE choice for Wildlife photography.

    •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
    •   23 Focus Points
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,534k dot
    •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots

    Portrait Photography

    GOOD
    76

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 gets a score of 76 and is GOOD choice for Portrait photography.

    •   Small Sensor
    •   23 Focus Points
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   Face Detection
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Size - 3.0"
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

    Street Photography

    GOOD
    83

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 gets a score of 83 and is GOOD choice for Street photography.

    •   Small Sensor
    •   23 Focus Points
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Fully Articulated Screen
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Light - 442 g (0.97 lb / 15.59 oz)

    Travel Photography

    GOOD
    82

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 gets a score of 82 and is GOOD choice for Travel photography.

    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Fully Articulated Screen
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
    •   Low Video Recording Limit
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Light - 442 g (0.97 lb / 15.59 oz)
    •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 Evaluation

    We evaluate Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 and give score of 63 out of 100. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


    OVERALL
    63

    Sensor

    AVERAGE
    65

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 a score of 65 for Sensor parameters.

    •   Small Sensor
    •   Sensor Resolution - 16 Megapixel
    •   160 Lowest Native ISO
    •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
    •   DxO Overall Score - 60

    Photo

    AVERAGE
    55

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 a score of 55 for Photo parameters.

    •   Timelapse Recording
    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
    •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
    •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

    Video

    BAD
    16

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 a score of 16 for Video parameters.

    •   No Image Stabilization
    •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
    •   Low Video Recording Limit

    Focusing

    AVERAGE
    66

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 a score of 66 for Focusing parameters.

    •   23 Focus Points
    •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
    •   Face Detection
    •   Live View Autofocus

    Screen and Viewfinder

    GOOD
    84

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 a score of 84 for Screen and Viewfinder parameters.

    •   Fully Articulated Screen
    •   Touch Screen
    •   Screen Size - 3.0"
    •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
    •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,534k dot

    Connectivity

    GOOD
    78

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 a score of 78 for Connectivity parameters.

    •   HDMI Output
    •   No Headphone Output
    •   No Built-in GPS
    •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
    •   No Built-In Bluetooth

    Battery, Storage and Physical

    POOR
    41

    We give Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 a score of 41 for Battery, Storage and Physical parameters.

    •   No Environmental Sealing
    •   Light - 442 g (0.97 lb / 15.59 oz)
    •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots


    For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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