The popular Panasonic 20mm F/1.7 lens is available again at B&HPhoto Video, which is about $50 dollars cheaper than the nice markup elsewhere (Amazon). The 20mm F/1.7 is as popular as the 50mm for a Canon DSLR. Nice shallow DOF and good focal distance (2x on Micro Four Thirds). Would go great with the latest G3 camera if you were lucky to grab one.
gh2
Panasonic GH2 or GH1?
While there are some Panasonic GH2 cameras available at current rip-off prices, the older GH1 is stepping back into the spotlight. Previous GH1 cameras with older firmware could be hacked into what was called the GH13 or GH1.3. The hacks provided more features than the standard GH1, which included higher video bitrates and additional framerates. After a certain firmware version, later sold GH1 cameras were considered 'unhackable' and this was discouraging. Well just a few days ago the hacking geniuses finally got things going again, and now state that all GH1 cameras can be 'hacked' along with some other models like the G1, GF1, and G2.
The great thing about the MFT cameras are that you can adapt pretty much any lens to it. The GH1 is even a great 'stills' camera for the budding photographer. So if you're looking for a Micro Four Thirds camera body that can capture high quality video and photos, you might want to re-consider the older discontinued GH1s while there are still some in stock at these discounted prices.
Or a few via BHPhotoVideo: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/760894-REG/Panasonic_DMC_GH1KBODY_Lumix_DMC_GH1_Digital_Camera.html
On a side note there really isn't good deals on the GF1. If you're a smaller rangefinder sized camera type of person, the GF2 which has a faster processor is also in stock with a $100 dollar instant savings found here:
Panasonic GF2 with 14-42mm
C Mount Lens Tests on GF1
I picked up the Panasonic GF2 camera lately because I wanted something small and really lightweight. Sure you can adapt Nikon or Canon lenses, but that took so much away from being 'small and lightweight'. An excellent solution for Sony NEX and Micro Four-Third cameras are to use CCTV or 'C-Mount' lenses. Here's an excellent video test from Vimeo member Dario Viola showing the quality of these inexpensive lenses. These C Mount lenses are normally used in very small security cameras, but they've become a popular choice for many M43 shooters. You'll find many CCTV lenses with fast F/1.4 and F/1.7 apertures for about $30 dollars.
You can't go too wide without seeing the inside of these small lenses, but for the GH2 you might be able to use crop mode to use just the center of the lens (eliminating the barrel ring on the edges). The most popular sizes for the NEX5 and GF1/2 cameras are the 25mm F/1.4 and 35mm F/1.7. Keep in mind that M43 is a 2x crop, so a 25mm is more like a 50mm F/1.4. I'm picking a few of these up to use on the GF2 and will post results soon after receiving. You can find other C Mount lenses below.
Panasonic GH2 Body – 1 Available
Yes it's an amazing camera if you can actually get a hold of one. Retailers are always out stock, and even if you can find a GH2 it's going for a pretty nice markup. Samy's seems to have 1 single Black (Body only) in stock for regular price. Here's your chance to save $200-$300 dollars on this beauty compared to going eBay rates. Lucky takers, follow the link below:
DIY DSLR Steadicam Stabilizer
Cameras are getting smaller and lighter. People are attempting to fly GoPro's and iPhones on Steadicams. For lightweight cameras including Sony's A55, Panasonic GH2's, or Canon T2is, here's a simple DIY DSLR Steadicam (merlin style) stabilizer idea from Vimeo member KFLeung. There isn't much tooling required, it's more of an assembly of readily available pieces which combined provides you with a framework, gimbal handle, and counterweight for a camera Stabilizer. Starting with an inexpensive Flip Flash Bracket. These brackets are made for photographers to mount a Flash above the camera. When the camera is rotated in either landscape or portrait position, you can flip the flash so it still remains above the camera (i.e. to bounce light from a ceiling). This video is actually about 3 years old, but there are still several people using this method with good results.
KFLeung's first test video posted after the build
The Gimbal (handle) is based on a mini tripod with ball head so that it swivels freely. Getting a good fluid mini tripod is key to having smooth movements.
A really simple method to creating a 3 axis Gimbal Handle most people don't think about is to literally take a mini ball head and throw it on top of a Barska Handgrip. This setup adds some size, but is extremely comfortable and acts as a decently effective Gimbal Handle system. (I can see many of your minds already at work with that idea...)
 Mini Ball Head 
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 BARSKA Grip 
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The arch design of the bracket gives space for your hand to work, while providing an area to mount a counterweight below. At this area, you can use simple Fender Washers like most Hague or Indiehardware stabilizers. When you're done, the stabilizer folds into a small form factor.
DIY Suction Cup Mount – GH2
Vimeo member Ragnar tackles the DIY suction cup camera mount for his GH2. There are much cheaper suction cup mounts, first posted here: http://cheesycam.com/diy-double-and-quad-suction-camera-car-mounts/, but Ragnar decided to go with a slightly more expensive Suction mount with articulation so that it can mount on not-so-completely flat surfaces such as hoods, windows, and other car panels. I'm sure we all don't believe in specs, but the one he's chosen states that it's rated for 132 lbs, so even if it's half true, that's more than suffice for a small GH2. So far it looks like he's fairly comfortable with the setup, trusting it to about 50mph (with a backup safety strap attached of course). For GoPro owners, this inexpensive setup should have no issues with the mini lightweight camera.
Exact Tools used:
Double Swivel Vacuum Cup
Panasonic 20mm F/1.7 – In Stock
If you've got a Panasonic GH2, or other Micro Four Thirds camera, you'll know what this lens is. It's been tough to track down lately when they went out of stock because it's just that awesome for a MFT camera. Luckily I grabbed mine months ago, and it's been on the GH2 as the primary lens. My GF2 also came with the 14mm Pancake, which is another popular and highly recommended lens for these MFT cameras. More than likely this new shipment of the 20mm won't last very long, so if you've been waiting patiently here's a chance.
Flycam Nano Stabilizer Test
Vimeo member Satva Leung shares a Flycam Nano stabilizer test with me. It's pretty nice to see someone fairly new to stabilizers get great results, especially from such a cheap piece of equipment. Flying a Canon T2i + Tokina 11-16mm (same lens I used on a few tests), check out the results. I haven't flown my cameras around in a while, I think next week i'll take the GH2 or GF2 out for a spin with the Flycam Nano. [Thanks Satva]
Flycam Nano DSLR Video Camera Stabilizer
Canon FD Lens 85mm F/1.2 on GH2
Don't think I ever posted any footage samples of the vintage 85mm F/1.2 on the GH2, so here it is if you're curious. Old lenses are a great alternative to getting DOF on a budget. There's a variety of different adapters to mount just about any lens type to any camera. For a list of old Vintage lenses, check out the eBay auctions. Just make sure you choose the right adapter for the Lens you choose to fit your camera body.
Search for Manual Focus Camera Lenses
Here i'm using an FD adapter without glass to make this 85mm F/1.2 work on the Panasonic GH2. At F/1.2 there's a soft glow, but step it down to F/1.8 and it's plenty sharp. They will never be as sharp as true lenses designed for Digital, but that's the whole allure about them. Sometimes they give off a really vintage feel. Oh and I didn't bring an ND filter out so the shutter speed was quite high on this footage. Might look at bit jittery...
