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GH4 4K Panasonic video camera, official topic
  • 3230 Replies sorted by
  • IronFilmIronFilm

    From what I've read so far, this is a piece of equipment indie frugal-class filmmakers could only dream about 2 years ago.

    For the consumer, it really is an amazingly incredible time that we live in, for instance when I can buy a Panasonc G3 for just US$150 bucks (as I did this week on eBay)

    A decade ago an indie filmmaker would kill to have such an item as a Panasonic G3! (that is now thought of as so lowly compared to say a mighty GH4!) So I try to spend a little less time lusting over what I can't have such as a GH4/D5300 (but I can't help it! I'm a gear nerd :-P) and appreciate more of what I do have :-) My GH13 ;)

    I have a strong urge to get one, even though realistically I don't need it...but I'm trying to reason myself - I'm thinking whoever buys this, he will be set from buying another camera for 3 or more years...right?

    Ha, sure you can try telling yourself that now! But I know within a year or two (or much much less! :-P ) I'll be finding yet another camera to lust after ;-)

    Anyway, I have found a site in Sweden with the price.

    There it will cost $2300, but they have 25% VAT so without VAT it’s $1839. Not so bad for a fantastic product. That's around $80 less than a D600.

    http://www.cyberphoto.se/info.php?article=DMC-GH4

  • LongJohnSilverLongJohnSilver

    @RKM Pana makes always strange (bad) choices for launch/promotional video. I remember it was the same for GH3. Yesterday I came across this wedding video shot with the Canon 1DC and I said WOW!!! And it is a wedding video...

    http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/comment/158480#Comment_158480

    I cannot say the same for the GH4 Yucatan video. I'm sure we will see something more WOW video in the next few weeks.

  • Brian202020Brian202020

    Rods and support gear will most like have to be mounted on the top of the camera when mounted to the base unit. Can't wait to see what the 3rd party companies comes up with for cages, baseplates, etc.

  • igorek7igorek7

    GH4 is very interesting camera and not just for video. I'm wondering if Panasonic DMW-YAGH add-on is a part of the modular concept design for other future Panasonic Pro-cameras, such as Panasonic 4K VariCam?

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    What's really strange is that it wasn't introduced because EU wants to tax video cameras but because these devices can potentially be used as a camcorder for copyrighted TV/DVD/etc material. The tax goes to the hypothetical loss of the rights holders. Big thanks to the copyrights lobby.

    As far as I know it was originally for cinema shooting.

    As for TV and DVDs. EU has special taxes for computers, disks, recorders and HDDs - everything that can potentially be used to record copyrighted content.

  • inqb8trinqb8tr

    0-255 luma range selection is cool feature, but what about 10bit 0-1023?

  • dtrdtr

    The EU tax for cams with more than 30min recording time is about 5% : http://philipbloom.net/2009/06/03/the-lumix-30-minutes-eu-recording-issue/

    What's really strange is that it wasn't introduced because EU wants to tax video cameras but because these devices can potentially be used as a camcorder for copyrighted TV/DVD/etc material. The tax goes to the hypothetical loss of the rights holders. Big thanks to the copyrights lobby. http://www.tested.com/tech/photography/44445-why-digital-cameras-have-a-30-minute-video-recording-limit/

  • RikerRiker

    From what I've read so far, this is a piece of equipment indie frugal-class filmmakers could only dream about 2 years ago.

    I have a strong urge to get one, even though realistically I don't need it...but I'm trying to reason myself - I'm thinking whoever buys this, he will be set from buying another camera for 3 or more years...right?

    What more will you need, what can GH5 or whatever the successor offer that would make you upgrade GH4?

    Also, all these specs make me think one thing only...there's no excuse no more to not make award winning movies anymore. At this point, it's only one's creativity that needs the firmware hack :)

  • nobbystylusnobbystylus

    Its good news that we don't actually 'need' the additional base unit in order to get 422 10 bit out of the camera, as it can still output via HDMI (even though we can't simultaneously record internally). A ninja / Q7 and the GH4 will be a killer combo

  • JFKaJFKa

    Using the external unit... How do we place bars and follow focus?

    I suppose body price will be interesting, let's see with Pro conector.

  • John_FarragutJohn_Farragut

    That EU 29.59 min recording limit because of taxes, how much would it cost Panasonic or the consumer to have it removed? I've always wonder that. Would it cost us EU consumers a couple of hundred Euros more? How much?

    Also, can't they sell with restriction but sell us a firmware add-on through Panasonic store to have it removed after we bought? :-) That would circumvent import restriction too, wouldn't it?

  • the_cubanerthe_cubaner

    yes and this is not just for the cinema. It has other restrictions and taxes. And for all it is easier and cheaper to sell a photocamera with the recordlimit as a photocamera and not - without the recordlimit - as a filmcamera. All cameras that can be record mire than 30 min is automatically a filmcamera. And is no matter that the device is a Canon 5F MKII oder a RED EPIC...

  • Phil_RhodesPhil_Rhodes

    Wonder if it still has the ETC windowing mode. That's very handy with B4 lenses for documentary work.

    That base station thing is ugly as sin, though.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    why don't people, after all this time, still not understand why there's a 29.59 min limit on these cameras?!

    Why people after all this time do not try to read things written above and understand that it is EU law, as otherwise EU gets big fee from every product not having limit (as it can be used to record movies in cinema). Yes logic is not present here, but it is your government, what do you want?

    All cameras outside EU do not have limit. As this cameras is global and not restricted it is not a problem for EU either as you can get it in any other place.

  • OBgeneOBgene

    why don't people, after all this time, still not understand why there's a 29.59 min limit on these cameras?!

  • the_cubanerthe_cubaner

    @Vitaliy_Kiselev ,

    the question I hat is: can YOU hack this? Or is this system good enough? 96Hz in 1080p is fantactic, but can this camera more? Maybe 120Hz?

    An whats about the ISO restrictions in the Moviemode? My GH2 has no anymore and that is very good, but I know, the GH3 has one and I never seen a hack for that issue.

    An what is with the 29:59 min recording-limit?

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    That base unit looks like a quick rehash of over produced af101 audio components which I guess didn't sell the way they were hoping.

    Horrible. And it looks like they are used XLR connectors, same as on 14 year old cameras. I am shocked.

  • gloproglopro

    That base unit looks like a quick rehash of over produced af101 audio components which I guess didn't sell the way they were hoping. Nothing wrong with that though :-) remake, remodel.

  • Sph1nxsterSph1nxster

    Is there any scientific reason why the camera cannot do 10 bit to SD card?

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    The crop and reframe argument with 4k at 2.3x is far from ideal as the cropfactor increases even more. I bet you don't buy lenses at a certain focal length to just use the center bit of the glass and turn every lens into a telelens. And will you shoot a frame wider to maintain post cropping options??

    Proper crops are 2.25x (Cinema 4K) and 2.4x (4K). BM guys solved all this problems long ago.

  • RKMRKM

    EDIT Nice movie from Bence...watched it on a proper monitor and it look pretty great

  • paglezpaglez

    @Vitaliy ""Only in EU. Say thanks to EU guys. But as it is switchable you could buy it in any other place."" And Europe? I'm guessing that 30' limit recording time is still active

  • FitzyFitzy

    Video recording possible in 4/3 aspect ratio like the GM1. My squarefront anamorphic will be very happy! No more cropping in post or 3.5:1 from a 2x Anamorphic from 16/9 video mode

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    just show us your oscar nominated works with your ideal camera!

    Imagine how it'll look in 4K graded raw.

  • LongJohnSilverLongJohnSilver

    This camera is just an epic fail

    @renovatio just show us your oscar nominated works with your ideal camera!

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