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It's Official: Firmware Update for DMC-GH2 / G3 / GF3 / GF2 coming
  • 372 Replies sorted by
  • ClermondClermond
    keep in mind that Panasonic still needs to have some arguments to sell the AF 100. I don't expect too much.
  • stoneystoney
    What a lovely song. Never stop dreaming!!! We are happy dreamers :)
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev
    @stonebat
  • plasmasmpplasmasmp
    "They don't really need to "record" 60fps... just an over-crank option AT 60fps maybe. So it can retain a high-bit rate"

    exactly. I want a 40% option
  • stoneystoney
    Let's start dreaming again. It's free :)

    24p, 25p, 60p, 10 bit, 4:2:2... Come on!!!
  • fatpigfatpig
    I seriously doubt that they will bring on 25p, 10bit or 4:2:2. This would be huge enough to be put first in their list. But MP4 would be nice aswell, i hope. maybe this at least leaves VK the possibility to hack it even more!
  • RRRRRRRR
    please, please panasonic.. enable 25p AVCHD.
  • bwhitzbwhitz
    They don't really need to "record" 60fps... just an over-crank option AT 60fps maybe. So it can retain a high-bit rate.

    Isn't that what everyone would use 60fps for anyways? Is anyone actually interested in using 60fps as-is?
  • rigsrigs
    Panasonic has alot to learn from VK's and all the testers efforts. I believe they have been watching this and other sites. Why not see what other are doing in field testing to max out their cams. We will find out soon enough.
  • svartsvart
    @Lpowell: No arguments there!

    I guess we'll just have to wait and see what we get with this new firmware.

    Overall I wouldn't be surprised at all that panny is looking at the hack. Watching others study your work is one of the best ways to learn about things you might have missed and also learn tricks you might not have thought of.

  • LPowellLPowell
    @svart - "They keep changing their own spec to keep up with higher and higher demands but they have consistently stayed with AVCHD."

    Yes, but not nearly fast enough for us ;-)
  • svartsvart
    @Lpowell: Panny is firmly entrenched in AVC. In every blog, video, interview, etc they talk about AVC and all the things they are doing with it. That's not the type of promotion someone does when they are about to dump something they've put all that sweat equity into.

    Just look at the other AVC-intra 50/100 and how they now have extended that to AVC-intra 200 and now AVC-Ultra.

    They keep changing their own spec to keep up with higher and higher demands but they have consistently stayed with AVCHD.
  • LPowellLPowell
    @Elenion - "Avchd is already suitable for every editing software why would they need mp4?"

    AVCHD has been a self-imposed straightjacket for Panasonic that requires them to obtain Sony's consent for any extensions to that standard. It is in fact nothing more than a commercially-branded subset of the wide variety of profiles in the H.264 standard. Switching to an MP4 container would open the door to delivering higher bitrate and color-depth video encoding without the need to upgrade the AVCHD standard as a prerequisite.
  • swen24swen24
    @ Vitaliy_Kiselev

    Is there a chance to flash the "new" Panasonic firmware on a hacked GH2?
  • svartsvart
    I think the clue is in the words.. they said:

    • New video mode which is suitable for editing video recorded at high bit rate (24Mbps)

    So we already had 24Mbps in Creative Movie Mode and AVCHD is editable in most programs these days anyway so I don't really think it will be a naked mp4 file.

    I think the biggest problem with editing the files from the GH2 is the color subsampling. Everybody complains about not being able to tweak the colors in editing with the panny cameras and now that DSLRs are in use all over the production world, I bet they want to at least keep up with Canon.

    To that end, I'd bet we see 4:2:2 in the 24Mbps Creative Movie Mode or a new movie mode that is some lite version (8bit?) of their AVC-ultra spec (via wikipedia):

    "The most efficient new parameter within AVC-Ultra is by Panasonic called, AVC-LongG. AVC-LongG enables compression of video resolutions up to 1920x1080 @ 23.97, 25 and 29.97p, with 10 bits of pixel depth at 4:2:2 color sampling, at data rates as low as 25 Mbit / sec."
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev
    @Elenion

    Because AVCHD has restrictions imposed by standard.
    You can use any compression parameters in MP4.
    And if this guys really make exFAT working, it could be, in fact, most important change.
  • ElenionElenion
    @Vitaliy
    Then it could be everything. I really can't understand this choice.
    Avchd is already suitable for every editing software why would they need mp4? If you want to give us footages for editing purpose just give us loglike film modes and 4:2:2 with 25p. They could make it inside avchd.
    I think that they are just trying to bother you; with another codec (or container with another codec inside) you should restart the hacking process. They're fool
  • stoneystoney
    Can't tell whether mp4 is a good thing or a bad thing. What if their mp4 "new" impl is a way to prevent the future hack from achieving high quality and low gop? Assuming future consumer bodies support only mp4 format. Consipiracy theory...
  • AkselAksel
    http://www.techradar.com/news/photography-video-capture/cameras/panasonic-announces-gh2-firmware-upgrade-1038884
  • arvidtparvidtp
    I think "New [HALF-PRESS RELEASE] function" means Panasonic is only including half as much information the Press Release :)
  • lenuisiblelenuisible
    Maybe they will be smart enough to add useful metadata with this new container...
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev
    @Elenion

    No such file as MP4 encoder exist, it is just container, similar to transport stream in MTS files.
  • lenuisiblelenuisible
    >• New [HALF-PRESS RELEASE] function
    Do you think that means that HALF-PRESS RELEASE become a customizable function ? That would be nice, for example to change ISO with the thumwheel. That would allow in M mode to change ISO, shutter, aperture and focus assist without moving fingers out of 2 buttons
  • mpgxsvcdmpgxsvcd
    @Butt

    There are many more features(ND filter, Balanced Outputs, 1080p @ 60 FPS slow mo) on the AF100 that the GH2 doesn't have. If someone would seriously consider spending that much on the AF100 they probably want it for more than just the color profiles.

    Adding a few profiles to the GH2 would help stop one of the biggest complaints against the GH2. Heck, these changes are significant enough that some sites like dpreview will probably re-review it. They have done that with most other significant firmware updates.

    It would be huge for Panasonic to move the color profiles from the "negative" category to the "positive" category in a review.
  • arvidtparvidtp
    typical press release - raising more questions than it answers!
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