Panasonic Japan announced that the GH4 preorders were higher than expected and that they will try to increase the current production to meet the unexpected high demand. Currently the only cameras that have been shipped were sold by US stores and this also represents a first strategy change at Panasonic. They are now trying to increase their visibility on the US market. UPDATE: Personal-View has some GH4 in Stock and shipping worldwide.
And Photographyblog posted the full GH4 review and they are impressed by the camera:
The Lumix DMC-GH4 is a major step forward for Panasonic’s flagship camera, not only in terms of 4K video but also for the still image quality, responsiveness and handling. Even the asking price of £1299.99 / $1699.99 body-only seems like very good value for money given all the extra features that Panasonic have added, which means that the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 is a very worthy winner of our coveted Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 Essential! award.
Camerastuffreview writes:
The Panasonic GH4 is, in terms of ease of use, construction quality and image quality, a professional camera for video and photo – given the speed of the contrast AF – also for action and sports. A couple years ago, this was thought impossible. That is a top performance from Panasonic.
And so far the Sony A7s doesn’t seem to be a real competitor of the GH4. While the High ISO performance of the Sony is impressive (and so the pixel per pixel readout) the A7s is twice as expensive, cannot record 4K internally and has no 10bit out. And of course the Sony A7 series is known to have a very slow autofocus system too.
North American preorders, shipping date and price:
GH4 camera at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), and Panasonic (Click here). Price: $1,698. In Canada at Vistek (Click here).
GH4 camera with interface unit at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here). Price: $3,298
Interface unit only at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and Panasonic (Click here). Price: $1,998
Europen preorders, shipping date and price:
Germany: Wexcameras, Marcotec-shop.de.
UK at Wexphotographic, CameraWorld, UKdigital, CVP, TipTop.
Holland at Fotohanskeuzekamp.
Belgium at Fotokonijnenberg.
Norway at Fotovideo.
Sweden at Cyberphoto, Skandinavianphoto.
Finland at Telefoto, Topshot, Verkkoauppa.
France at Photocineshop.
Spain: Fotoboom.
64 Responses
4K seems to catch. Honestly, I don’t understand why. How many videographers produce for cinema?
Actually, what is most interesting for me is the ability to have almost 9MP (Cine 4K) bursts wit 30fps and unlimitted buffer. Not that I would need it or so, it just that this excites me the most. And future-“proofness” of course. 😉
For somebody who likes to take both stills and video at same time with only one camera this is huge like when photographing wildlife. So when shooting sports or fast moving action I can go back on my video memory card and extract a 9PM still with 30 fps from anywhere in the footage. Better yet the GH4 new DFD predictive AF system apparently works very well indeed if the pictures posted on DPR are any indication.
GH4 have to succeed / champion what previous GH have done as video camera leader . It’s not just about 4K , the still IQ did improve which I believe should be on par or slightly better than my GX7 .
Depends on what you are looking at. Pana said that GH4’s sensor is tuned for DR. Haven’t looked for DR measurements (don’t care enough) but GX7 is clearly better than GH4 in fine details. All other indicators that it is the same sensor as in GX7. Just tuned differently.
I am interested not so much for its 4k output but for the advances and boost it will give to normal HD output, Obviously the better the file you start with the more flexibility you have in editing.Your argument can be made for stills most people post images to the net , or print small sized photos making system cameras an expensive and extravagant choice.
The joy of choice is that you can cherry pick what you want and ignore the rest. At least with Panasonic video output it is one of the few areas where mFT can genuinely compete with the best out there. How many people will shoot in their E-M1’s in freezers lol
True, down-sampling 4x video to traditional HD would give it another boost in terms of F-stops. It’s like stacking four images which means 2-times less noise.
No it doesn’t….
square root of 4 equals 2
My final rendered video might not be 4K, but I can crop down to 1080p. I can also stabilize in post.
Also, YouTube supports 4K. Also, while few people have 4K displays, lots of people have displays that are still greater resolution than 1080p. Computer monitors, retina iPads, etc.
Perhaps they aren’t many. But the title only says that preorders exceeded Panasonic’s expectations. We don’t know what they were. So if Pana expected 10 people to preorder and eventually got 11 the title is still correct 😉
Correct title:
“Bad news: Risk of delayed Panasonic GH4 supplies.”
yes, this is a bit scary. I remember the tortured wait I had for the gh2.
I have not seen one single sample image including those from Photographyblog that would in any way indicate a ” major step forward” in still image quality. The stills as with all 16mp mFT cameras in the last the image quality is pretty much the same give or take a fraction of a stop.
think so too… except the jpg engine is better with the olympus ones… raw, they all look the same
You are right, probably not “major” improvements in stills image quality, only small steps.
I think one of the really significant differences in GH4 is the ability to capture highest-quality 16MP stills during video shooting (this mildly affects the video stream), and also the ability to capture very high quality 12MP stills as simple frame extracts from continuous video – essentially continuous burst shooting with little quality loss for sports, animals, children, theater or other live action.
For “pure” stills, there are a number of comparisons that indicate slightly better (certainly slightly different) results from the GH3, which uses a Sony sensor similar to EM5, although with different processing firmware. GH4 and EM1 use new-generation Panasonic sensors, and GH4 advertises benefits from improved e-shutter operation and also the new DFD algorithm when used with Panasonic lenses.
The colors are much more vivid, that in itself is a major step forward for Panasonic. The colors in stills are why I have not considered Panasonic until now. There is more to image quality that ISO performance. And the GH4 does several more things better than previous Panasonic models.
Why is this site always about the US or UK/Europe?? What about AUSTRALIA??? Is it really too hard for you to help us lot out or merely laziness???
All people say that the AF is incredibly fast but nobody can give a rigorous speed test. Let’s see how it behaves against – say – 5D or 800E.
It’s pretty darn good, even with Oly lenses. Probably on par with the big boys, doing some more tracking tests today.
Really ‘big boys’ can do the following:
Set the ‘middle’ focus point on the target you want to be in focus (e.g. eyes), then you can do anything you want, recompose the image, let the subject move fast and/or get closer to the camera etc.: the focusing system will keep the target in focus.
I want to se at last this stunt from a mirrorless camera as well!
It does both face/eye detection together with subject tracking and also stores facial profiles into memory to remember a particular subject within a crowd. Being able to select from 49 focus points across the entire frame is a nice expansion over the GH3 and a nice departure from some DSLR focus limitations seen at higher apertures and on slower lenses.
Yes, it’s really nice and I already know about these facilities. But the real question is whether the AF tracking speed is enough to do it seamlessly or not. I hope it is but I need proofs.
I expect that it isn’t so fast tracking, but they’ve mentioned upgrades to tracking speed, probably because of the new processor, and the lack of a need to embed Phase Detection pixels. If they’ve doubled the speed, it’s usable, but not great. The Single AF should be stunning though.
Yes they have doubled the speed and acuracy of AF over the GH3,
Still not as good as a Nikon but I finally find my GH4 useable for action stills.
Single AF locks on so much better that the number of my keepers has more than doubled.
The sharpness and brightness of the 1080 P60 Video is also much improved in low light. And after being spoiled by the GH3, I cannot do my unattended Bowling Videos without the unlimited recording time.
I would much rather have 1080 P120 than 4k or variable frame rate.
So far they both have been disaster areas for me.
Although I think the GH4 is worth twice as much, I was really surprised how many lined up to take my “old” GH3 at $800.
I’m glad to hear it. I’m in the process of moving, so I haven’t been too concerned about switching to the GH4 at the moment, but it’s on my list.
The GH3 made me modify how I photographed sports, but it sounds as though I can photograph sports with the GH4 much the way I did with a dSLR, and that’s a great thing.
The GH4 is really a serious money making tool in the right hands. I imagine we’ll be seeing a lot of GH4 footage on tv and in movies without even knowing it, not to mention for the wedding and commercial video crowd.
They told me that Pre-Order of GH4 is already bigger than GH3 sales !
THE MADNESS MUST STOP! WE DON’T NEED MORE VIDEO FEATURES IN CAMERAS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS! PANASONIC IS INSULTING ITS USER BASE! FOCUS ON STILLS AND DEVELOPMENT OF LARGE SENSOR CAMERAS, NOT THIS ABOMINATION!
There are many cameras out there available for you to purchase. just buy one of those if this isn’t your cup of tea. All Caps? come on.
Why don’t you just buy another system camera?
There are lots of camera that their sensors are bigger, such as Fuji, Sony, Canon, Nikon, Leica, PhaseOne.
Choose one, okay?
Just FYI, Panasonic’s user base is made up of videographers, not photographers. Their foray into the photo camera business came long after establishing a reputation in the pro video environment and consumer electronics. Many could think that the abomination was a stills camera by Panasonic, but then again they would be talking nonsense in casplock…
Why is this an insult? Do you visit all the car forums to demand that all models be discontinued which can carry more or fewer passengers than you need, have more or less power than you want, have part-time 4WD that you’d never use, etc.?
The video developments and the DFD AF are of great benefit for action stills shooting. If you don’t care about video and you only shoot still life and landscapes, then Panasonic and Olympus have many other fine cameras. If you hate Micro Four Thirds sensors, then why do you visit this site to INSULT everyone yourself? Think about it.
I totally agree. The failure of Panasonic to make a true successor of the GH2 (and not a fat beast like GH3/4) made many photographers move to the OM-D line. Luckily Olympus jumped in on time to provide better alternatives for photographers.
To Panasonic’s credit it seems that they learned from GH3 view finder fiasco and improved the GH4 with this regard. However, there is again no IBIS, and IQ seems at best the same as GH3.
Same old control layout? Nothing to be improved? Unbelievable.
Instead, 4K video, which many potential buyers of a Panasonic flagship have no need to and no supporting equipment anyway. Why invest in a camera with 4K now, when you have hard time to find affordable equipment for it anyway? By the time 4K will become affordable and ready for the consumer, there will be the successor of the GH4 on the market.
That preorders exceed expectations is very normal for a flagship product, it merely says that Panasonicdid not expect a lot.
I agree with nothing in Disappointed’s post. In your post, I disagree with the hyperbole (“fat beast”), but I do agree that it would be nice to have similar capability in a smaller body – GX7 is very similar in stills quality and has the IBIS you mention, I like the finder but it’s probably a step behind the GH4. Alas for you, it does have credible video which you find a downside, no 4K which should please you.
Not true that “nothing” was improved in the controls – they added a lock to the control wheel. Otherwise, the GH3 body size and control layout were the result of a careful collaboration with both videographer and stills users who seem to like the result.
Both you and Disappointed seem to become quite disturbed when a product offers features that you don’t currently appreciate. I would think that life in a choice-filled society must be hard then, I wish you all the best in coping.
They are having a cow because the GH4 is selling so well.
Does it? Panasonic just give the usual press release that it exceeds “expectations”, which means nothing, because they did not disclose, what they expected.
Agree with you on the current 4k market. Shooting in 4k is a step up from 1080p, no doubt, but few people really “need” it at the moment. It would be far more reasonable for casual video users to wait for the 4k market to mature and get the GH5 instead. Compared to what the next generation of 4k capturing devices will entail, the GH4 will be perceived as an early-adopted product with a half-baked 4k implementation. How can Panasonic improve? Significant upgrade would be a global shutter, faster framerates, and the ability to do 10-bit 4:2:2 in-camera. But for someone like yourself, the GH series is far gone from being marketed towards photographers alone. It is a true hybrid device, with technological improvements being focused solely on video. If you want something more for stills, you are barking up the wrong tree.
If anything, the GH3/GH4 are a bit too small.
What’s wrong with the camera for professionals? Almost nothing is wrong. If you’re not using it for what it’s supposed to do, buy a G6, which is basically a GH2.
If it is too small, get a DSLR.
The problem with Panasonic’s strategy for photographers is, that it only serves a few hybrid users, while the majority is still stills oriented. The G6 is NOT a successor of the GH2 as it lacks external controls and is a step back with regard to the view finder.
Panasonic has abandoned the successfull GH2 Concept, there is nothing comparable on the market except at Olympus.
Oh well. Panasonic saw where the money was and designed for it. They are in business to make money.
Thanks for the suggestion! I have two dSLRs and the GH3, which is soon to be replaced with a GH4.
It is no secret that Panasonic went from number one of the mirrorless market to number four, despite their hybrid efforts since the GH1. Apparently, they don’t know so well, where the money is.
It’s also no secret that Panasonic was the only mirror-less maker when they introduced the G series.
Later, Olympus, Sony, and Samsung entered the market. Competition changes everything. Had all four entered the market at the same time, it’s likely that Panasonic would never have been number one.
Panasonic is likely the one making the majority of the corporate sales. Their ridiculous age-old battle with Sony is troublesome, though. If not for Sony, they never would have re-designed the GF line so ridiculously.
THE MADNESS IS THAT PEOPLE WASTE TIME TO ANSWER TO YOU
The images of, and from,the Panasonic GH4 and it’s specs have been long rumored and understood. Suddenly, Panasonic reports higher than expected sales and naturally the FF trolls are freaking out.
Your ridiculous complaints have zero credibility. If “Photographers” are as insulted as you claim, why then is the Panasonic GH4 selling like hotcakes?
You come across as a hit man for Nikon or Canon willing to use any tack to discourage and confuse people who might stumble onto this site. YOU will never persuade m4/3 users against against buying m4/3 gear.
The GH4 is a game-changer and you full framers will be left holding the the (very heavy) bag with your over-priced and under performing cameras.
Over-Priced??
M43 is OVERPRICED.
Under-Performing? Hahaha! Four third sensor, yet you call Full Frame under performing? HAHAHAHA!!
Now, very heavy bag I’ll agree with!
“Under-performing” – I am referring to Canikons not having 4k video capabilities. As of the introduction Panasonic GH4, cameras without 4k and a wide range of codecs are under-achievers.
So please, enlighten me… HOW MANY cameras have 4K video and a wide rage of codecs? HOW MANY FF cameras have it? HOW MANY M43 cameras have it?
Look, pick your fight with Full Frame elsewhere. And to be honest, as of right now, the only real minus FF has is size and weight. M43 is outrageously expensive, aside from the GH4.
Fuji and Sony is dominating M43 in the States and I’m sure the rest of the world as well. I’d bet that by the end of 2014, M43 will be the minority in Mirrorless. FAR from being the leaders.
You can’t argue numbers and sales.
There is nowhere a trend as you describe. People, who want a smaller camera system have no alternative than buying m4/3, because in order to shrink the system, one needs to shrink the sensor.
A this is evident by the offerings from Fuji and Sony. Their lenses are considerably larger than their m4/3 equivalents or some lens types even don’t exist, because it would be impossible to keep them small enough for a mirrorless system.
m4/3 sells well, has the largest mirrorless lens system, is cheaper than Fuji X, and performs better (lens quality, AF accuracy and speed, overall responsiveness) than its APS-C counterparts.
If we’re talking global market share in mirrorless, Sony, Olympus, Panasonic and Nikon are all ahead of Fujifilm. And Olympus and Panasonic together have a larger share than Sony, so m43 is the most widely adopted system, even if Sony is the leading manufacturer.
Your claim about Fuji is not supported by numbers and sales. They are highly regarded by enthusiasts, but the bulk of sales goes to entry-level users.
Very true, I don’t like those M43 smart-arse carpet sellers.
Nonsense. 4K video is by no means mandatory for a camera, and even Full HD capabilities are mostly marketing hypes, which people hardly use. Most photographers don’t shoot video or don’t shoot it so extensively that they need the capabilities of even a GH3. That does not mean that a camera should not have video incorporated, but its importance is overrated a lot.
The GH4 is also not a game changer. It adds some nice possibilities for a group of professionals, but for the vast majority of stills shooters is adds nothing (except the urgent improvement of the view finder) and keeps the bulk.
As long the outlook for the availability of 4K video products isn’t clear yet, I would not invest in a 4K device as a non-professional. Although I don’t think that 4K will end up like the 3D hype, I think it will take at least two more camera iterations until 4K becomes so mainstream, that 4K content can be published and consumed via the usual channels at reasonable cost and with reasonable investments for the required consumer electronics.
Game changers or better trend setters will be cameras, which make photographic experience better and which improve IQ noticeably. The last game changer/trend setter in m4/3 was the E-M5, and the E-M1 corrected the notion that ergonomics is compromised in small camera bodies. The next step could be the global shutter and incorporation of new sensor technologies. Until that, we stay in an innovation plateau, with evolutional improvements.
If the GH4 sells like “hotcakes” (which I don’t see), it could well be, because people skipped the GH3, because of its deficiencies (view finder).
You really need to quit those substances and get a normal life.
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You are perfectly right. Let me suggest Canon or Nikon, or Pentax in a pinch; I tried everything else and it sucks.
Zero or so comments in most of the articles on CanonWatch rumor brother site while there are TONS on Comments on this site.
This alone proves the great growing interest for M4/3 products !
That’s it.
Currently 38 Comments and 43 Rumors. 😀
That’s because most Canon users go to CanonRumors, that’s why.
THAT’S it, not “Growing Interest” for M43 products.
Don’t get hype.
What is true is that there is nothing new ever happening even as rumor on Canon side !
Be happy with your non-Canon gadgets then. It’s obvious.
Panasonic ALWAYS underestimates demand in US. Try buying a Panasonic camera months after release. Its been so ever starting with LX3 (in my personal experience)