Metering
Image: The GH2 has a good dynamic range for a Micro Four Thirds camera. A lot of detail can be recovered, particularly from shadow areas, although if pushed too far noise does become visible
Like all the other Panasonic Lumix G-series cameras, the GH2 has a 144-zone multi-pattern metering system. The way this system judges exposures seems much the same as in other G-series models. On the whole, I found that the evaluative metering mode produced images suitable for printing or display straight from the camera.
Images taken under bright blue skies are well exposed for both sky and foreground, and look particularly good when combined with the vibrant colour setting. Shooting landscapes on an overcast day tends to produce exposures that prioritise the sky, making sure there is some detail and very few, if any, burnt-out highlights.
The downside to this is that it leaves the actual landscape and anything in the foreground looking slightly underexposed. However, this can easily be adjusted using exposure compensation. In fact, I feel the underexposure is actually a good thing, as most photographers would prefer to retain detail in the sky and use editing software to lighten a dark foreground.
Switching to spot metering mode and photographing a grey card confirms that the GH2 does slightly underexpose. Measuring the RGB values of the grey card in Adobe Photoshop gives a reading of around 118, whereas 128 is an exact midtone.
Generally, photographers, and videographers for that matter, will be happy with how the GH2 meters most scenes. After a while you get to know how it will meter and can alter the exposure accordingly.
With evaluative, centreweighted and spot metering, as well as exposure compensation and Intelligent D-Range Control, there are plenty of different options to ensure that images look exactly how you want them.
