Resolution, Noise and Sensitivity
With 16.05-million-pixels, the GH2 has an impressive resolution for a Micro Four Thirds system camera. In raw mode, images can be adjusted so that a resolution of around 26 can be achieved at the native sensitivity of ISO 160. However, JPEG images taken with the camera’s default settings only achieve a resolution of around 24.
The 16.05-million-pixel sensor does seem on the verge of overpopulation for its size. Luminance noise is visible at ISO 200, although it is not significant and is easily removed from raw images. As the sensitivity increases, luminance noise starts to have more of an effect, and it becomes an issue at around ISO 800.
Chroma noise also starts to creep in at around this point, although it is also visible at lower sensitivities if shadow areas are lightened too much. Thankfully, the chroma noise is easily removed from raw images at all but the highest sensitivity settings.
At the maximum ISO 12,800 sensitivity, luminance noise is quite severe, which causes a significant loss in detail resolution. However, overall, raw images from the GH2 have among the best detail resolution of any compact system camera.
Resolution and noise
These images show 72ppi (100% on a computer screen) sections of images of a resolution chart, captured using a Panasonic 14-140mm f/4-5.8 lens. We show the section of the resolution chart where the camera starts to fail to reproduce the lines separately. The higher the number visible in these images, the better the camera’s detail resolution is at the specified sensitivity setting.
