Thanks a lot for the explanation! Much appreciated. I will start thinking about and implementing these strategies more often.

I was looking back at some old HDV material the other day... boy, you think we've got problems with the noise floor... its certainly better than what it was.

@cinepaint

Like yourself, we're all concerned about ANY camera's noise floor. Just jump over to a canon APS-C forum (other site) and look at all the noise threads.

Many are using NEAT VIDEO PRO. Get yourself a large GRAY card that you can frame a large enough sample in the same light condition as your subjects you plan on shooting. Also, it's wise to shoot a color chart under this condition prior to recording. This way you can use the gray card for a noise reduction sample (since it is neutral and has no detail), also the color chart will be good for color analysis and use with your editing software's vector scope (if you choose). If you can frame a stepped gray chart, this will give you a better selection of where noise levels are the worse and you can sample that block within Neat.

Also, look up tutorials using the noise reduction software. The goal is to remove noise without removing image detail. Of course, light things up and keep ISO low (if you can). Also be aware of the GH2 ISO bug> Just remember to always step down to your targeted ISO, so if you want ISO 320, go to ISO 400, then down to 320. Even in well lighted scenes you can have noise creep up in the shadows. Try to place the gray chart in those shadows, so you can clean this shit up later.

Also, there are some users that use the same saved "finger print" noise file within Neat they created. Of course, this works to some extent, but since lighting may change the RGB balance (white balance / gray scale), chroma noise may change from shot to shot based on lighting. Sure this is "nit picking", but when you're after the best....

IMO, stay away from any sharpening, unless you need it for image rescue and have no choice. Also sharpening internal or in post also "can" make noise worse especially if you don't know how to use sharpening control parameters in post. The internal GH2 NR is a "one knob" adjustment, so it's not that great. IMO, like most here set this to -2 (low as possible). Also, many run all the GH2 controls at -2. I normally do.

Also, you may want to run a lot of your own tests (mid to low light levels) using a gray card with controlled lighting. Pull out that gray card under low controlled lighting and get a feel what's going on with camera white balance settings verses color temp of the light you are illuminating the card with. Pull up your tests in your editor and look at RGB parade, histogram, waveform display.

Check RGB parade and make sure you're not clipping a channel (It may surprise you). Watch the RED channel, especially under daylight balance setting, this can drive the RED channel noise levels. Also, within the editor you can pull up a a frame and look at each color channel and see where most of the noise is driven.

Most cameras the BLUE channel is the worse, especially under tungsten (warmer lighting). Naturally, since BLUE channel is upped to compensate for the warmer lighting white balance.
There's a lot of testing you can do on your own to find out exactly what's going on under different color temp lighting, This will allow you to maximize the GH2 performance.

@cinepaint LOL, then remove the hack.... You're not selling this to us.

Vitaliy did not add special code to add noise... Think about it.

Noise is an analog component. If you did not see the same noise levels under the EXACT SAME conditions without the hack, it's due to (with the hack) you can NOW actually see more image detail from the sensor (and pre A/D), and that includes its noise floor; otherwise, it's smeared by higher compression. With no hack, you may think there's less noise, but instead you're left with less fine detail and the noise is now causing the smeared wandering macroblocks that are way worse than having the natural fine noise grain.

Also, as mentioned many times here > When you are presented with the natural noise, you're noise reduction software can now actually make a better model (fingerprint) for removing the noise... Assuming you want to remove it.

Sorry, but shooting at ISO 1250 and expecting low noise is insane, at least for an $800 camera.