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GH2 Problems
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev
    This discussion was created from comments split from: Official GH2 "Stalin" hack development topic.
  • 18 Replies sorted by
  • FrankFrank
    Shock ! MY GH2 Died
    Well to be more accurate, my GH2 just won't power up, I have three batteries and none of them make any difference.
    Turn the power switch on and nothing, no green LED no click nothing, it's dead.
    Only bought it in March, so it's off to Panasonic.
    Obviously I'm unhappy but what can you do?
    Fortunately I have a few Canon DSLR's to shoot with but this baby will be missed till it comes back.

    Vitaliy, would you have any ideas?, it was working fine on Friday, but come Saturday morning it just would not power up.
  • 7hau7hau
    Damn... I bought my GH2 last month and wait for the patch... now it's dead, won't power up. I was using 3rd party battery... now it just won't power up even using the original.
  • svartsvart
    7hau, It's possible the 3rd party battery might have hurt the camera. Where are you located?
  • 7hau7hau
    I'm in Malaysia, GH2 and 3rd party battey bought in Taiwan.
  • fatpigfatpig
    @7hau, which brand is your 3rd party battery? is the battery still working in the charger?
  • 7hau7hau
    the brand is Starlight Digital, a Taiwan brand indicating the cell is made in Japan. Seems working in the charger... last time the camera working is the moment of sudden shut off with the battery exhausted.
  • HervTHervT
    At what specs are your batteries rated? I´ve got some spares here in Germany, branded as BTO. On the battery itself it is printed 7,4V, the seller said it has 1200mAh. I don´t know where they are manufactured.
    I hope my GH2 won´t die suddenly as yours.

    I attached a pic of it. How do yours look?
    sparebattery.jpg
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  • fatpigfatpig
    @7hau: you were using the battery until it went completely dead by itself?
    also, i thing svart is a battery expert on this forum, there is a battery topic where he talks about gh2 dangers from these 3rd party batteries.
  • 7hau7hau
    Printed on the battery: Li-ion 7.2v 1200mAH, Cells made in Japan
    I was using the battery until it's exhausted, so the camera's power just went off... Previously it's oso like that, just that the clip recorded during the shut-off will be gone...
  • brudneybrudney
    Does anyone here use DSTE batteries? such as these: http://cgi.ebay.com/2PCS-DST-Camera-Battery-Panasonic-DMW-BLC12-DMC-GH2-/180654117612?pt=Batteries_Chargers&hash=item2a0fd312ec
  • svartsvart
    The brand/make/model of cell(s) does not matter as much as the design of the safety/control circuitry. These cheap batteries have very little in common with the true panny batteries in terms of the safety circuit.

    As mentioned before, the Panny batteries do not simply offer a battery indicator, they offer a whole handshake/control loop process which makes the camera and battery work as a pair in a system. this is not only to create a safety loop but it also allows the charger to maximize the battery life by monitoring the charge directly at the cell level. None of these cheap batteries can offer this.
  • stoneystoney
    What do you suggest? Buy original batteries?
  • svartsvart
    That's what I've suggested before. If you want to make absolutely sure that you and your camera are safe, buy the real thing. I know they are expensive and the "cheap" batteries make the originals seem overpriced, but you get what you pay for when you buy batteries.
  • stoneystoney
    Thanks for the advice. I guess ebay is not a good place to buy original batteries.
  • AlexAlex
    I had inexpensive Sony and Canon replacement batteries. Non of them could really replace the original battery. Some just died or lost half of their advertised capacity in no time. Maybe I just had bad luck, but now I saved up for a fucking original DMW-BLC12E for my GH2 ... failing third party batteries hurt even more than the original-battery-ripoff-pain - and you best belief, they do not fail on Sunday afternoon when you are shooting your kids in the zoo. They fail in the middle of the time lapse of your life!
  • HervTHervT
    Sorry, but I´m not willing to pay 100 € for the original. I worked with replacement batteries all the years, Canon was fine, Nikon fine, Panasonic TZ10 is ok and also my old GH1(where the status indicator was working) so I´m not keen on Panasonics naughty games.
    Most times the original battery is enough for 60 % or more of my shots, after this I use the spares.
    If the camera fails in warranty time they really have to prove that a spare is the fault.

    Safety is ok - but not at this costs. I love-hate the GH2 - I only have it because there is no real alternative. If there will be one at one day I won´t hesitate to say goodbye to Panasonic as I really feel pranked by this company.
  • svartsvart
    Yeah but all those years you had NiCad or NiMH batteries, not Li-ion.

    And just for reference, a company I've worked for is getting sued right now for a fire that originated from a 3rd party Li-Ion battery(that I suggested they NOT use due to poor design).

    That's why I'm so picky on these batteries, not because I think panny is right for charging so much or "pranking" anybody, but because I know what poorly designed/made Li-ion batteries can do.

  • 7hau7hau
    Measured voltage of my 3rd party batteries, so high near 10v which likely to be near its max safety level, not 7.2v as rated... so GH2 treat it as an external battery... my GH2 sent to service centre said they had change a new eletronic board, so i assume 1 of them has fried my GH2 board. now waiting for my GH2 to be sent back...
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