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QUOTE: I feel that Panasonic need a full frame sensor flagship model because there is a cultural issue with customers who think bigger is always better. No matter how good the GH3, the Lumix brand will always be seen as being lesser than Canon and Nikon without that fabled full frame camera. Even if the margins are very slim and the resources required to develop a whole new lens range significant, a full frame mirrorless camera from Panasonic would have a halo affect on the whole range from top to bottom. I couldn't disagree more. Panny lost nearly $5b this past financial year, $25b accumulated loss over the past 5 years. The enormous investment to develop a FF camera and lenses from scratch would be financial folly. A far, far better uses of scares resources is to put it into making even better GHx cameras and lenses. Panny is in niche of two and can help take it mainstream. To cut back on investment here in order to compete with Canon, Nikon, Sony etc on their FF turf from scratch for the sake of a debatable halo affect would result in us all losing.

You say- "I can't have a shot curtailed during a shoot because of an unreliable codec hack." I say- I can't have a shot of a curtain during a shoot because of an unreliable sensor."

With 6k you could also shoot an entire short film with decent production values, if you rent the equipment. What do you want to have after you spend your money, a film or a camera?

What about the Silicon Imaging SI-2K camera? It just popped in my mind. It'd be like a 16mm camera (it has a 2/3" sensor) that shoots 2K RAW through Cineform RAW. It's the camera that was used to shoot almost the entire "Slumdog Millionaire" movie, and that one won Best Cinematography (if that matters at all). I made a quick search to see where they were at, and found no new info. It might be out of production, I don't know. Can't even find a price for it, let alone someone selling it (except here, but you have to contact them: [url="http://www.pstechnik.de/en/digitalfilm-si2k-mini.php"]http://www.pstechnik.de/en/digitalfilm-si2k-mini.php[/url]). Here are some samples in a quirky page but with high quality downloadable Quicktime videos. [url="http://www.siliconimaging.com/DigitalCinema/gallery_main.html"]http://www.siliconimaging.com/DigitalCinema/gallery_main.html[/url] It's an old camera so to speak. Came along around the time the RED ONE was being talked about. But looking at some images I remember why I liked it back then.

I believe you are right about perspective. I can understand though that after spending 4 years with a moire and aliasing ridden 5DM2 that some out there, including myself are a little cautious. The conclusion is that as of November 2012, the GH2 is still the only moire and aliasing (relatively) free DSLR style camera that resolves something close to HD straight out of the box. My take away from what you've written is that the GH3 codec should give us a slightly better image but with slightly more aliasing and moire. One question that hasn't been answered is the GH3 performance in ETC mode. Did you get to shoot any ETC material? Does the recorded image look better than the GH2? I think ETC mode on the GH2 is amazing but sometimes the image would be unusable particularly if even slightly underexposed at low ISO. I've noticed the GH2's viewfinder aliases when in sharp focus providing a form of focus assist. Did you notice if the GH3 does this as well? Might be helpful if peaking gets lost in translation. Thanks for sharing your latest findings.

If I'd had the money when the announcement came, I'd've got a Red One, any other choice seems mad. Regardless of paper spec, you've seen Red on the big screen plenty of times. The footage is amazing. It's not that easy to use but hey, look at the footage!!! I've always been jealous of those who could shoot every whim on Red, DSLRs don't come close right now. Now that the Red costs very little, think of second hand prices soon... I love 550D, Sony FS700, C300 but one has to be realistic, the Red One cinema camera produces incredible images in comparison. I've watched lots of great movies shot with Red One, I've only seen some really OK stuff shot with the BMD cam. Is that down to who's shooting with it? Maybe... but so far it's never looked quite as instantly cinema-like as Red footage. A lot of it has looked very camcorder like. And BMD is not out yet. I'd've cancelled on bloody principle by now if i'd ordered one... can you imagine what'll happen if they need to do a factory recall, or you need any servicing when the BMD actually arrives? Confidece is knocked now, lot's of making up to do.

According to this Panasonic Interview the GH3 does binning not line skipping to get to 1080p. http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/09/28/qa-with-panasonic-the-story-behind-the-new-gh3-and-compact-system-tech Panasonic: Yes, it's not possible to read out the whole array at 60p. So this means we have to do some pixel combining. We combine 2 x 2 pixels on the sensor, so that makes just one quarter the data that we have to read out. This makes it possible to read out at 60p. Then we combine again to get the 2 megapixel video image.

Is true what Andrew says about the moire, the Nex 5n have a nice image but have aliasing problems and moire too, even overheating, but that doesn't stop me to work with it, i'm falling in love with the GH3 features and more since the Sony a99 wasn't what i expected, also is true that many of the complainers are just tech junkies and maybe never shot something worthy with their cameras. Right now, i don't think there be other camera with so many features as the GH3 and at $1300 tag price, no way. @Andrew, great review by the way.

On the moire issues I think some perspective is required. Some of the pixel-obsession on forums like Personal-View is so over the top it is ridiculous. These guys never shoot anything worthwhile just obsess over small things. Glad the discussion here is far more level-headed. There's an approximate 20 point list of benefits over the previous model overall. Many pros and amateurs alike happily shoot with the 7D, 60D, T2i, NEX 5N, NEX 7 and those cameras have FAR MORE moire than the GH3 gave me on that shoot. Perspective!!

relevant: 12-35 2.8 on a gh2. it's on youtube so @0:50 just might be a compression thing, but take a loot. all the usual suspects are present in a godamn high degree. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u4m7u0oqig

[quote name='EOSHD' timestamp='1352150210' post='21082'] This camera doesn't seem built from scratch rather a very mild update, hence it is not an AF200. [/quote] I wanted to create a headline in FilmMan's style. [i]Old Panasonic MFT camcorder - hastily overhauled![/i] would have sounded lame ;) But seriously: My friend is a freelancer using the 5D and an EX-3. He had the opportunity to shoot with the AF101, and he was as well impressed with the handling as with the quality of the video. Perhaps this article is something to consider: [url="http://marvelsfilm.wordpress.com/2011/08/08/af100-af101-why-is-everyone-moaning/"]http://marvelsfilm.w...eryone-moaning/[/url]

Thanks for the review. Can the GH3 do 1/48 shutter @ 24p? (180 degree shutter) GH2 can only do 1/40 or 1/50. Thanks!

[quote name='ScreensPro' timestamp='1352132766' post='21068'] Come on guys, it's not that bad and we know nothing about the sensor. What if it is outputting a nice, sharp, 12+ DR, lowlight, 60p, 10bit 4:2:2 with a flat, log style? All you need is a hyperdeck and you have a camera that is (potentially) better than a C300 and maybe an F3. Don't forget the NDs, XLRs, waveforms etc. For, what, $5k with deck and SSD? [/quote] My point is about interface for hardware. Panasonic did great introducing solid state format hence P2. Which records 100mbs with whatever data rate they choose to market. one of the main reasons the GH2 and GH1 got hype was its hack that supposedly records data more efficient for semi grading all on practical consumer based SDHC. Canon was rocking the MPEG format at 50mbs for a while. JVC seems to have a MOV priority for 36mbs on their pro cams. Sony too at 50mbs with their new trend at 50mbs. DSLR's have set the trend of H.264 or AVCHD 2.0 at a max 28mbs. So why does this cam have to suffer a lousy internal codec for a non breakthrough AG-AF series. This thing will probably ring at $6k and then I have to rely on a a separate deck as usual to get a hyped uncompressed stream? All I'm saying is that they should've implemented AVC-Intra into this cam. They blatantly have the technology. Seems like they just want to sell more of their decks and hype 10-bit 4:2:2 externally when AVC-Intra is already that spec even with their old AG-HPX300

I really wish they implemented a flatter picture profile... that's the only thing canon has over panasonic