"Do we really need the GH4 and 4:2:2, 10 bit, 4K, Raw file?" no disrespect but this is a dumb question. Maybe you don't need it but others do.

Nope, great work can done with any of the GH cameras.

What I would like is great image quality under sub optimal lighting conditions.

I have a GH1 and with the right amount of light it can look fantastic, but the image quickly loose its punch and get noisy when there is not enough light available.

So better light sensitivity, less noise, less rolling shutter, more dynamic range, all baked into a 4:2:0 8 bit 4k is a welcome upgrade as I wish to capture what I see with my eyes and not have to light everything I wish to capture.

That said having the option to capture 10 bit 4:2:2 if desired, (I imagine) will become even more affordable as an add on in the future, probably starting at NAB.

Anyway, the only thing I really want is video that look like still images I get from the RAW photo from my GH1 - that's an organic image.

For some purposes 8 bit AVCHD 1080p is fine. For some purposes higher resolution raw would be more appropriate. Anyone who has read enough about technology and done testing in practice can judge for him/herself which tech is appropriate for which task.

As for watching 4k material, it is reasonable to expect that it will eventually become standard for monitors, televisions and projectors. Similar situation as SD to HD transition in the past. For short term work intended to soon be forgotten, no need for 4k. But for something that is intended to last for future generations, makes sense to futureproof as much as possible.

Personally, I know where 4k and/or raw would be of use in my projects and I'm happy that affordable cameras offering such technology are now coming to market.

Edit: removed story and links that were unnecessary for purpose of this thread.

@eurocameraman Watched La Deuche from Hell. You had some really nice shots in there. Seems like you had fun making this one and it comes thru in the feeling of it all.

@jonpais

"For whatever reason", as in "I need an affordable 4k cam, I'll buy it for that reason" or "I need 96 fps, I'll buy it for that reason". Or even "I need my travel videos in 4k raw, so I buy a RED Scarlet" - I've seen a guy like that, he could afford it, nothing wrong with that.

I've said it before - some of you guys are crazily caught up in narrative films and client gigs like that was the only measure of what camera is worth using for ;)

I specialized in historical printing methods in college - cyanotype, gravure, gum bichromate printing - and it has only been two years since I started shooting digital video. People viewing my prints back then usually discussed content, not technical issues. And the same went for most of the other students, whether they were shooting with Canons or Nikons. We knew the only limitation was our own inspiration, not the hardware. I welcome technical innovation as much as anybody else, but once again, the point of the OP is not to denigrate technological innovation. He is simply pointing out that it isn't for lack of the proper tools (DR, frame rates, codecs, etc.) that digital videos aren't as good as they could be. And unlike 99 percent of posters, he is willing to back that up with evidence.

Fair enough - we're talking tech - but in the interest of telling engaging stories - whether it's advertising, personal work, whatever. And have we exhausted all the means at our disposal? Judging by what I've seen so far, I don't think so. And it's not the tech that's holding you back.

@eurocameraman very wice words..... if we want to progress, we will never gain anything by blaiming others or the gear, we need to learn to progress within the limits, and push our own limits with hard work, including practising, exploring, listening, develloping, inspiring... and be respectfull to those we can learn so much from.... on whichever level we are in... excuses dont bring us anywhere... action and pain will do.... and it makes no difference if we are in to business, documentation, filming, develloping, whatever.... just be a little more smart and persistant than others!!! Do we need the highlevel gear?? up to you how much you need to substitute your missing skills... ;-) have FUN!

Yes, I agree it look better overall, but I don't think it will yield colour integrity as good as 4:4:4 1080p directly compressed.

I do not know that you mean here. As with good downsample it must look better than usual 1080p 444, as you can use better algorithms in software.

Hi Neokoo Sorry for the missunderstanding. I have nothing to sell, but I got some enthusiastic message on Vimeo and directly in my mailbox from people asking for more. I am posting videos which are just here to balance somehow what people are discussing in most of the forum all the time. I am reading lots of negative posts everywhere latelly and my feeling is that so many people are always complaining about the camera available on the market or the newest one, not released yet. Always the same routine: AVCHD, 4:2:0, 4K.... It seems that all those guys might be so advanced in their skills, working for huge project and feature films so that they meet the limit of their equipment all the time. Nothing is never good enough to them. Unfortunately, we NEVER see a sample of those people's work on forum, not a link, nothing to judge the guy who is criticizing camera or other people choice. In this post I am taking the opposite stand point. Ok, I am enjoying all my simple gear including the GH1, even now, and I really think that the limit of my work is coming from my own limitation, my imagination, my ability to build up a team around me or not, but it never comes from the camera. Then, I post my video to illustrate my point. If those videos are not good enough, I dont think it is because of the GH1 or GH2, AVCHD, or 4:2:0. It is just because of me. That's it. BTW, I am living in Shanghai, working there and all my client or student are based there and this forum is not the best place for me to get any extra income. I am just passionate and once in a while I want to share.

You are right. I am old school and back to basic user of cameras. If my client don't ask for it, I never plug a monitor on the GH or the AF. I do for the class for my students to follow the process of framing/lighting, acting and follow focussing, but trully, the greatness of the GH1/2/3 is compacteness and until the GH3, the viewfinder was always good enough for me to be able to focus, to frame and get my exposure right with the live histogram. Unfortunately, on the production market, Canon 5D became such a standart that I have to work with it (renting) more often than I would like, and then comes the burden of plugging cable, setting up a monitor, having to carry an extra battery and to find the balance of a complete rig on the shoulder. 5D is a great tool, but you need a team and enough budget to use it. GH1/2/3 are a total different story. Little budget and single man story. As soon as I get an idea, I can go instantly, start to shoot it and then a craxy stuff like "La Deuche from Hell" was born. I think that things start to get wrong when gears slow down the process of inspiration.

I think Vitaliy was right - if I may put words in his mouth - so many posters in the forum are so arrogant in attacking Panasonic for the features that the GH4 doesn't provide, or the cost of the "brick", etc., yet they really don't know how to take advantage of the tools they already own.

Hi Jonpais Thanks so much for your comment and your willingness to join the class. This is trully rewarding to read your comment, thansk so much and you write this after watching only one of my video. I like to share technical information, I think this is part of the interaction with the community. I hope you will enjoy the following one. Here is the album with all the short film I had done during the filmmaking class. There is a kind of random weirdness into every of my film, and the funny part is that my students enjoy to step into it and to share it with crazy characters. I am feeding my passion for filmmaking that way, and I can feel you get the right feeling to give it a try on your own. FYI long before GH1 existed, I shot a short film with safety B&W camera with C-mount lens on it... I did one once with a Hi8 camera, the format prior to DV. That was lots of suffering in edit! Here are some of filmmaking class final result, everything is there: MY FILM SCHOOL SHORT FILMS https://vimeo.com/album/2111565

Sweet and Sour HD (US)

WMatching Future HD (US)

12th Floor HD (US)