European blogs had the chance to play with the GH3 with firmware version 0.5:
EosHD (Click here) reports “First change, I felt that the buttons were more tactile and grippy“.
The German Slashcam (translation here) reports that the Audio Level can be changed while recording.
by reading this reports you get the feeling that there are still many changes to come. Let’s hope there won’t be any delay and the camera ships on November 30th as “promised” by Panasonic US.
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GH3 Preorders at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), Bhphoto (Click here), Panasonic US and in Europe at Wexphotographic UK and Technikdirekt.
25 Responses
This is really exciting news, folks!!
Man, I can hardly wait for detailed updates after this on what the Panasonic Firmware Nos. 0.55, 0.60, 0.65, 0.70, etc, etc will do in a GH3. Wow!!
I am waiting for firmware version 3. Thats were all the big stuff happens 😛
Would I be the only one really wanting the ability to adjust iso while recording?
Nope you are not alone. Always wished auto ISO was available in manual exposure video mode.
This is done on professional movie sets all the time. They are shooting a crucial scene, the director yells ‘FREEZE,’ the actors freeze, the film loader takes off the film magazine containing the ISO 125 film and replaces it with another magazine containing ISO 500 film, seeing this the director yells ‘FREEZE LIFTED,’ the actors re-animate themselves right where they left off not 5 minutes before, and the take continues.
How can a firmware update make buttons more tactile and grippy??
Haven’t you heard of “virtual reality”?
It appeared to be a physical change. The reviewer said the earlier version he tried had slippery buttons, this newer one had some sort of rubberized coating. A nice touch, methinks.
Haha ok, that makes more sense.
Great looking camera and with the 12-35 and 35-100 lenses it will be a deadly combination.
“with the 12-35 and 35-100 lenses it will be a deadly combination.”
Yes indeed. For the camera body and 2x lenses that can cover from 12mm to 100mm, you will be out of over US$4,000. It’s so deadly, it could be easily considered lethal, actually.
Diverts power to structural integrity.
I have no clue when it comes to product manufacturing, but I can’t imagine making changes to the physical product spec this close to a release date. Even for something as minor as different button mechanism or material. They must be really agile with tooling for production.
I can. I suspect the relatively few release v 0.4 were prototype cameras, to some extent hand assembled out of preliminary components. It’s not unusual at all for a manufacturer to order a small run of parts for initial testing, and modify the design or materials prior to ordering full production quantities.
I can’t tell you how stoked I am that the camera has Audiopegelung. 😉
It indicates that they hauled-arse to get something to photokina, even though the end product isn’t even close.
My reluctant guess (reluctant, because I ordered a GH3 the morning it came available for pre-order) is that we won’t see a v1.0 actually shipping until 2013.
If they’re pushing “duct-tape and chewing-gum” early beta cameras out *45 days* before they’re supposed to ship to paying customers, it would take an act of God or Congress to actually have 10,000 public-ready units outbound by November 30th.
Not gonna happen.
I’ve developed the sad conclusion that they pushed rough prototypes out to steal thunder and essentially just to show a presence before Christmas shopping season– knowing they aren’t actually close enough to make it into customer hands this year.
Speaking as a first time Panasonic camera customer, it seems remarkably amateur and half-arsed.
That said, in spite of the delay, I expect I’m going to love the camera…. in February of 2013 or so…
Why are you not posting this comment? Is there something wrong with it somehow? I don’t understand
He said he thinks the camera won’t really be SHIPPING until Febarury 2013. I heard late April 2012, so that’s pretty close. Believe me, you would NOT want to take a copy from the first batch of GH3s, and probably not even from the 2nd batch. Too much of a rush job — just see what Fujifilm had gone through this year with many of their half-baked, partially defective ner releases.
They can delay all they want, just get the camera right!
Expectations are huge for this camera.
I don’t know about anyone else but i remember thinking that the first images of the GH3 that were leaked looked like the camera had been used by 100 different people. Even now when you google images it you xan find the same pixture and the grip doesn’t look new at all (it’s shiny and worn). I bet there were no changes to the camera, the reviewer just got one that was less beat up giving it the more grippy feeling.
I don’t know about anyone else but i remember thinking that the first images of the GH3 that were leaked looked like the camera had been used by 100 different people. Even now when you google images it you xan find the same pixture and the grip doesn’t look new at all (it’s shiny and worn). I bet there were no changes to the camera, the reviewer just got one that was less beat up giving it the more grippy feeling.
Still only 4:2:0 and RE:”First change, I felt that the buttons were more tactile and grippy.” That’s good but I hope that the elastomer doesn’t wear off after only a few thousand touches.
I’ve had to ‘Robarize’ more than a few buttons over the years.
Panasonic, please give us a GH3 version with no AA filter!
I would be surprised if this ships before Christmas.
http://nofilmschool.com/2012/10/panasonic-af100-officially-discontinued/
a 4K or gh3 to remplace it ?
Does it take AA batteries?