Image courtesy: www.dtown.co.il
Short note: The Fuji OMD alike camera has been annoucned today (more info at Mirrorlessrumors).
According to two trusted sources Panasonic will launch the new 4K Micro Four Thirds camera on February 7. As you already know the camera will cot a bit less than $2,000 and can record at amazing 200Mps and has ALL-I intra mode.
As we have seen from the CESshow the new Big marketing word is “4K”. 4K cameras, 4K tv’s, 4k wearable devices and so on. But the question is….is it really something you want?
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85 Responses
can’t wait to hear official specs and date of availability!
Would consider it but more interested in;
-Either built in ND or at least 1/16000 shutter
-Focus Peaking
-IBIS (preferably on the level of Oly 5-axis)
-XLR w/phantom or at least a grip that adds this
Forgot to mention RAW video support….
Also, highspeed (120fps 1080 perhaps) would be very useful.
4K is great, but I’d probably be happy with something like 2.5K to be honest. (If it is good enough for the latest James Bond movie, it will do for me…)
Yep, all the things you listed are way more interesting to me than 4K. My wish list, in order of preference:
RAW video support
IBIS that works with video
Freely adjustable frame rates up to 120 FPS (or as high as they can go)
Focus peaking
2.5K or 3K instead of 1080P
A 3K sensor (yes, I know that’s only 5 MP) that’s the size of a m43 sensor could have some seriously huge pixels with awesome dynamic range. I really don’t need more resolution than that for even most of my photography. But this would be primarily a video camera, obviously.
While I’d love to see 120 FPS the technology just isn’t there to keep it ergonomically sound. You need recorders to shoot 4K on FS700, C500, F5, etc etc… So I just don’t see this happening. 60 FPS is more like it and that is a maybe.
10 bit would be great
Have any of you actually shot or worked with RAW? RAW is for lazy people who don’t want to learn how to do anything pre-post and just work at a computer the whole time. I have the BMCC and BMPCC and I never shoot RAW. The image quality between the prores and RAW are miniscule. Not to mention the space required for RAW is ridiculous. And for what, you’re just going to edit in Resolve and turn into prores to edit anyway. Save some time, headaches, and space, and get the GH4, which will kill the BMCC and BMPCC on detail. Because it is 4k. I for one can not wait to get my hands on the GH4. I’ve owned the GH2, GH3, and now will have the beast of 2014. I believe this camera will change the film making world just like the 5DmkII did.
If these features are in the camera you will have a C100 killer.
Built in ND
XLR Port
IBIS
These missing features are what make shooting with DSLR’s a pain.
Focus peaking would be nice but the zoom focus works great.
Raw is nice, but most likely not for the people who want to buy a $2000 camera
This would eat into almost every camera (until a successor to the 5 D MK III is released).
1st…
Question: planning on adapting a C NFD 24/2.8 on a EM5. Also have acquired a 46mm filter and stepdown ring – OG size is 52mm. Since only the central portion of the lens will be used, I do not have to worry right? It is, using the FD with a smaller UV filter.
In the future, plans to buy this 0ly 25/!.8, it is looking primising, beating the Panaleica in some aspects.
I’ll buy one if it’s got built in ND’s.. *Sigh*
I said yes to 4K, but I’m not in any rush to be an early adopter. I do see 4K being the next step though, and am more interested in it then I am/was in 3D which I have yet to get a 3D TV or processor. I don’t plan on upgrading my GH3 until there is some serious improvement in low light IQ.
I’ll take it when it gets here, but I’m also not about to rush in early.
4k is good and makes productions nicly future proof…
But I hope it also has 1080 60/50p 30/25p and would love a 120+p for slowmo…
these little machines have become so cheap that usually they are worth buing them for one larger project. people, including myself spent money on 16mm worth ten of those little toys. either one get’s into serious spending with red or alexa. for low budget it seems like a good option to buy in the price range of the panasonic or blackmagic. if better stuff comes up half a year later with significant imporvement i’d just take that. 4k has the advantage that it allows a little cropping to more cinematic formats without losing too much. even if the end product is 2k I see considerable advantage. looking forward to this.
Metabones Speed Booster is an amazing way to take 2x crop to 1.4, add a full stop of exposure and open up the entire world of 35mm glass. My GH3 has better low light performance and detail than a 5D Mark 3
If the image quality is as good as the GH3 but with 4K resolution, then I’m all in. Can’t wait to see the full specs!
So so sooooo #EXCITED!! 😀
(now debating which organ to sell to finance this)
with the price at less than $2000, one kidney can easily finance ten of these!
Or your first born.
I’m sure a lot of people would say that video RAW and better dynamic range would be a better video feature to add, compared with 4K. Just like the Blackmagic pocket cinema camera did.
However, to most consumers, video RAW and more dynamic range is not a feature which makes the videos look better. This requires a lot of competence to handle. Post processing (grading) is needed make the videos look good.
On the other hand, 4K is something everybody understands: More resolution. So I think 4K will be easier to sell to the public than video RAW.
More dynamic range is something even the average consumer can appreciate (the hard part is first explaining it to them…).
I mostly agree with about raw video, but even the average serious hobbyist can easily take advantage of it with presets and LUTs, and with storage prices plummeting and processor power skyrocketing, it is becoming an easier and easier workflow to deal with.
But unfortunately like dynamic range, the benefits of raw video isn’t as easier to explain and sell to the serious hobbyist/consumer as the magic “4K” is.
On the positive side though, if you’re running a video productions company, if you get a GH4K this will be an easier sell for you to sell to your clients on the benefits of 4K than say if you got a BMPCC 🙂
@admin
Do you think it will have a 240-400 frames per second option for super slow motion?
I hardly believe so, at least not for 4K, that would be just too much data but maybe it could have 120fps at a lower resolution.
Yes it would have to be a regular HD resolution
I’m prying for at least 120fps in 1080!
+1 Hell… I would even take 96 fps slow mo.
That Fuji X-T1 sounds amazing…
+1
I also like the looks of it. The lens line up sounds awesome as well: fast, weathersealed and on the pics they don’t seem to be that large.
Yeah it looks so innovative. Like a camera we have never seen before o_O
LOL, you Olympus guys seem to forget that other companies have had DSLR designs going back 60 years. The reason the DSLR design faux or otherwise remains so popular is that it is simply better ergonomically .That is why there is an industry built around adapters, grips and cases all to try and compensate for the inherent weak ergonomics of the smooth faux RF box shaape
Simply put, there are few things I want in my camera.
1) a good grip. There is no dancing around that one. For me, that could be the deciding factor tipping the OMD-1 over the LX-7 (which I have yet to handle. Just not convinced yet from pictures…)
2) a built in EVF. No none-sense center-top has been there and done that for over 60 years. Now that the cool factor off centered EVF is out in the wild, there is a slew of large nosed photographers that never learned to tip the head forward and hto the right to hold a SLR… Off center-top is not a broken design, the faux hump is there to stay.
3) Enough real estate to spread out the physical interface. Touch screen is fine, albeit not while your eye is stuck in the view finder. For me, I could appreciate a notch larger, GH2 is fine. Smaller is not. So much for the alleged pocketability purpose of M43…
4) a hot shoe. I don’t use it often at all. It would kill me not to have one. For the little it add in space and design.
Then, there is the rest as well as all the spec sheet, price and the color black…
All that to say : faux DSLR is perfectly fine with me
Yes, I’m thinking about switching before I get too far into micro Four-Thirds but the lenses I want won’t be available until the second half of the year.
but it’s sensor is too big for M43 users, they couldn’t handle it.
Nice one 🙂
But you’re right, that’s why only wise people will make the switch and burn their m43 gear as a sacrifice.
Thanks for trying to educate us, poor being who can’t see the truth, btw. You’ll have a lot of work to do 😉
Man, you guys are as bad as Christians, going to foreign countries and trying to force your beliefs on them.
(This is a 43 page. If you don’t like 43, I’m sure there are Fuji/Nikon/Canon/Sony sites out there)
lame statement of the day, congrats!
Why are you offended, unless you are a troll posting comments here?
As for the Christian analogy, I am an active Christian myself, but it is painfully obvious that the religion I belong to has been used by overzealous people in the past, whether it was a naive “the end justifies the means” or it was done for power and wealth. Of course other religions are guilty of this as well, but Christianity has been the worst in this regard, plus I find it more fair to use my own faith as an example.
I’m not offended, I don’t care what people say about any religion, it’s just totally off topic and has nothing to do with the camera.
It is totally off topic for anyone to say that smart people burn their m43 gear – so responding to a complete OT post that had nothing to do with the Panasonic 4K camera.
I think that people should read the EOSHD article about the 4K benefits, it’s a different angle from what most people see.
Not read the article you mention will do later today but my take on 4K is that only a small percentage of people will see the difference from Full HD, it is no more than an excersise of keeping up with the technology to maintain the cash flow.
But that’s exactly what I’m saying, everybody seem to think just like you and Andrew provides a different take. Squeezing 16MP into 2MP it’s harder than doing so for 8MP (4K), you gain a lot in IQ, you can crop and get a better quality than you would or you can shrink it while editing instead of letting that for the camera. You have much more info to work with and that’s always better.
Global shutter? An unconfirmed Canon rumor just raised the possibility that Canon would develop a such sensor for a next, yet unspecified DSLR.
http://www.canonrumors.com/2014/01/canon-to-offer-global-shutter-for-2-5k-video-on-an-upcoming-dslr-cr1/
I assume that is what you’re referring to. Note that it is level “CR1”, so odds it is 100% B.S. is very very high indeed!
And even *IF* it is true, I expect they’ll first be using it in their very very expensive and overpriced (compared to say Sony or Panasonic, for instance, or others) Canon EOS Cinema range. Be a loooong time before you see it in anything in the same price range as the GH4K is.
This might be my new B-Cam. I just need to get it at a good price. Either a used one from some impuls buyer or I will scout my friends for someone thats taking a tripp to the US.
Can somebody tell me what’s meant by ‘single lens’? I hope it doesn’t mean fixed lens by that!
You mean, as in Single Lens Reflex or DSLM, Digital Single Lens Mirrorless, such as the GH3 and GX7 bodies?
4K is the video version of 36MP. It is simply not needed for TV display. You have to sit too close to a cinema screen to discern 4K footage from 2K. Marketing has so much power on clueless consumers. Sad.
The highest display resolutions right now are 3840×2160.
That’s 8.3 megapixels.
So, tell me again, why do we have cameras with more than 10 megapixels?
At what distance do you have to watch this display in order to enjoy its full resolution? The ideal viewing distance is about twice the screen width, which suggests 2K is more than enough regardless of the viewing format.
The same is true to prints. All you need is 8MP, unless you regularly crop your images.
The 4k footage I’ve seen looks a lot better than 1080p at normal viewing distances. With my glasses on though my eyesight is better than 20/20, YMMV
mmm I’de argue alot of viewing (4k) will be done on desktops where the screen is say 36″ or so and your viewing distance is ~30″ …. 4k would make an excelent pc work space. Video viewed on such a setup would be much superior if 4k over 1080.
When you say ‘A lot’ do you mean a really tiny proportion?
Okay, so 2k is enough. That’s 2000×1125 in 16:9 format, or 2.25 megapixels.
You also can’t display more than 8 bits of colour on the screen, so 8 stops of DR and 2.25 megapixels it is.
For me, its not about gaining resolution in terms of image capture size. If 4K on this camera means that the dynamic range and depth of the 1920×1080 image will increase, then its all good.
I agree that 4k is great in certain situations for punching in or cropping, but absolutely not as widely used in the professional arena as you’d think. At the end of the day its about image quality and final delivery platform.
I want to watch beautiful 4K content (i.e. films*) on a beautiful 4K TV. Personally I’m not interested in making my own 4K content, though these sets will be amazing for forcing people to look at my photos, if I ever stop reading rumour sites and take any.
*i.e porn
they have adult movies in 4k format?
Yes, this is the main driving force behind nearly all technology. No one was interested in VHS until adult content became available, same for DVD, the internet (Tim Berners-Lee was frustrated by the lack of access to pictures of naked ladies on his PC).
Let’s be honest, it’s the only reason we crawled out of the primordial oceans onto land.
If the 4K is 8bit, it’s going to be a hard-sell. However, even if the 4K is 8bit 4:2:0, it will, theoretically (because the pixel information is there), give a 2K 4:4:4 master (if you plan to finish in 2K). So people shouldn’t be blowing this off as a “GH3 that can do 4K” – because it’s virtually a GH3 that can do 12bit 2K. Let’s just hope they’re smart and package it with a flat/log picture profile.
…my question is – is it with focus peaking finally? Is it with a “AUTO ISO” option in M mode? And can I easy switch MF and F during recording (maybe it works on GH3 too, but I don’t know how…) like on Sony SLT cameras?
About resolution – when I try record scene with a standard fHD settings (on GH3) and later I make a time-lapse video with a same scene, with pictures in bigger resolution (then fHD) and in PP I dawnsample it on fHD, video from timelapse is true more sharp than video recorded directly in fHD! So – what will be interesting – record video on 4k, dawnsample it on fHD and compare it with a same video recorded directly in fHD…
Seeing as how the G6/GX7/GM1 all had focus peaking, I’m sure the GH4K will have focus peaking too.
Yes, I have a GM1 too (resp. my wife 🙂 ) and I miss it on GH3 with old manual lenses. But I must say, I think that focus peaking on SOny camera is much better, I hope that Panasonic will make any improvements in this area… But – better something than nothing 🙂
Yup, this is really only Panasonic’s “first generation” go at focus peaking, I’m sure 2014 and 2015 will bring further improvements! 🙂
they should concentrate on good 1080p quality first before bringing out 4K cameras with useless resolution!
if i look on a 1080p frame from my GH3 it is far from perfect. pixel-sharpness is missing compared to a downscaled 1920×1080 image.
Come on, nobody commented on the wearable 4K camera on the right side of the picture? It is even more amazing.
@youdintdidyou – you are right, if the bandwidth allows higher frame rates would be a great feature even at lower resolution. I use 12 fps at 720p on my GoPro. Really nice effect as seen here sea kayaking https://vimeo.com/72596868
GoPro have had 4K capability for about a year (at 15FPS), so the wearable Panasonic 4K camera is perhaps not that impressive. It depends on what framerate it does 4K in.
If must read eoshd..you are a NOBO.
okay. we must alwasy push this boby
away from our filmsets…. but it is
for the masses.. nobobloga for camerafools…
what i see in this new cam
10 bit
clear sensor read out
maybe global shutter
if it is only a next pice of consumer fun- nogo
Any info about whether the GH4K will use a micro colour splitter sensor? IIRC the organic sensor is scheduled for next year, and Panasonic are unlikely to introduce two radical technologies in the same sensor generation. It would also make sense to put it into the GH4K, as it would be a major selling point if, due to the MCS its noise performance is basically the same as its competitor the 5D III despite its smaller sensor.
As someone with zero interest in shooting video with my camera, is there anything interesting to a photographer in this GH4K?
Don’t care anything about video or 4K…but the Fuji X-T1 is definitely catching my interest this week….can’t wait to read some “real” user reviews about the AF. The size is impressive http://camerasize.com/compare/#520,482 as is some of the current and upcoming lens selection.
Fun to have a competitive market. Camera bodies from different manufacturers will chase each other in features, size, and weight. It all comes down to which sensor and lens size hits the sweet spot. And for me that is neither FF or APS-C but m4/3rds.
Great, so soon we’ll be able to shoot dull, plastic looking low dynamic range video in 4K.
Of course 4k is welcome. Anyone who says otherwise probably just has buyers remorse because they bought their recent camera too soon and missed out.
So this camera is all about video, and only secondarily about still photography, although I presume it does perform this role.
I might get to video someday and I might not; so Panasonic’s plans for cameras that challenge other contemporary or future stills-oriented cameras is of particular interest to me.
Will there be a new GH3? Will stills photography be focused on in a G6 successor? Or will Panasonic introduce a new centre humped stills oriented camera body as a recent patent suggests.
Interesting times
I’m not interested if they use the same viewfinder as the GH3. Awful viewfinder = no sale!
4K is not useless like so many think, it has real benefits far beyond than just helping them selling more cameras.
Squeezing 16MP into 2MP it’s harder and you lose a lot more into than doing so for 8MP (4K), you gain a lot in IQ, even more when it comes to Dynamic Range. Cropping gives you flexibility and if you do so with a 1080p, the IQ should be even better than the usual. You can resize it while editing instead of letting the camera having to handle that. You have much more info to work with.
You gotta think a bit outside the box.
With all of the horsepower that this thing will be packing, I’d love to see a super high speed slow motion mode, even if it means dropping resolution down to 1080. Phillip Bloom has some great mini movies showcasing ultra slow motion. I think that would be a very consumer friendly feature and help sell this camera, as will the “4K” moniker. Add in some great features for still shooters (GX7 IQ, maybe even second generation of IBIS) and this could be a fantastic camera. Seems like focus peaking and WiFi are a given.
If it stays the same size and form factor, has focus peaking, IBIS, 24/30fps 4k, 12-14 stops of dynamic range and XLR I will buy two.
Expect it to hit below $1500 in 6-9 months.
Expect it not to be available for 6-9 months…..
I am very interested in this camera. I have a GF-2 right now, and I do equal parts video and still photography. I don’t really have a direct need to publish videos at 4K resolution, so I could simply get a GH-3 at a hopefully reduced price.
However. with 4K there is something awesome you can do. You can crop in post and still have 1080p! So if I’m filming two people talking on a stage, which I do often, I can actually cut to a close up on either person without it looking awful.
Other than that, the GX7 almost does everything I need. I would buy it right now, but there are two things it is missing. One is external microphone input. Two is I need a way to plug it into the wall socket for eternal power. Sometimes I’ll record something for hours, and can’t stop the recording to switch batteries. Pretty sure the GH-4K will have these things.
When will Panny introduce on-sensor PDAF?
(and the much talked about micro colour splitters…)
For 4K you can check in store and see what’s you been missing for all this years, the difference is just like from SD to FHD
I (and im not the only one) need 4K for better HD footage, and for more acurate 3d tracking. No camera is the best…im shoting still 5d II for a lot of shit, but also red epic when this is the only way to achive the image i need. And this camera will have for sure its place in the market!