The Panasonic GH3 is here

[Axel]

[quote name='AaronChicago' timestamp='1347992108' post='18472']
This is hilariously awkward. Watch from 0:55. No applause, dead silence.

[url="https://vimeo.com/49672830#"]https://vimeo.com/49672830#[/url]
[/quote]

I was present backstage at a lot of such events. The presentation is worse than that of a new frying pan at a shopping mall. My English is not very good, but this comedian's English actually sounds as if he didn't know half the words he stutters by meaning. I don't get it. It's a billion dollar enterprise, they have made an amateurish promotion video, they prepared a very embarrassing show that could only have been rehearsed before anxious employees. An orgy of dilettantism! They should have studied Apple keynotes. [i]The only one who could ever teach me was the son of a preacherman[/i].

Did you hear Disney's true story about [i]The Lion King[/i]? All the original drafts showed lions in the jungle (that's why some parts still take place in the jungle to include the characters). Half year into the ongoing production a new minor employee joined the team. He said, hey guys, as far as I know, lions live in the savanna, never in the jungle. There were eighty people involved. Heads rolled. What's the moral of this?

[Hideki]

[color=#008000][size=4][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][b]My Take on the GH3 so far...[/b][/font][/size][/color]

To sum up my thoughts. I am very unimpressed with the video I have seen thus far. It totally lacks the clarity and unique appeal of the GH2. I was looking forward to this camera for a long time and on paper it looks fantastic! I love the shooting modes, it would be a dream come true for people looking for slow motion shooting. I love the aluminum build and weather sealing. Not having a multi aspect sensor is something I can live with.

I just hope that the problem has more to do with Panasonic's marketing team & lack luster unveil rather than the camera itself. However; I suspect that the new sensor is not capable of providing the wonderful moving images that the GH2 is famous for. As others have said, it looks very similar to what we have come to expect from Canon DSLR's. I hope that firmware patches can solve some of the issues but I am skeptical. I will stick with my GH2 unless I'm proved to be wrong.

Thoughts?

[Astro]

[quote name='charlie_orozco' timestamp='1347987549' post='18466']
I wonder if you guys are watching the 720p version or the 1080p version.
What I do see in what appears to be the electronic lens shots (the 12-35mm f2.8) is some aliasing, which worries me a bit.
Aside from that the image looks great for a compressed 1080p h264 video.
[/quote]

No As I stated in an earlier post I have the large original 500meg plus MP4 file at 1080P.
Still looks soft to me

[markm]

Right I just downloaded the film and watched it on quicktime as for some reason I couldn't import the file into Vegas 11 or 10.

I can now see a fully resolved picture and it looks good to me. Also the colour correction looks a little different.

I have uploaded many films to Vimeo and you have to render a file that the vimeo encoders will make the best of. My own films have looked a helluva lot more resolved than Genesis. I personally think the encode at Vimeo has not been as good as it should or could have been.

Now I am satisfied with the picture resolution.

[Astro]

[quote name='Hideki' timestamp='1347999370' post='18504']
[color=#008000][size=4][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][b]My Take on the GH3 so far...[/b][/font][/size][/color]
To sum up my thoughts. I am very unimpressed with the video I have seen thus far. It totally lacks the clarity and unique appeal of the GH2.
[/quote]

I could not have put it better, I have been shooting a music clip on the GH2 recently and I love the look, yeah I have to be careful not to blow the highlights, yeah some color correction is needed here and there...but I love the look, the detail is amazing.
Where is it on Genesis? its a great production, nice slick style, plenty of lights/camera/action and a story.
But where is the clean detail? (talking about the large 1080P footage here).
I also would like to add that I viewed the 1080P footage in VLC player, media player classic from Home Cinema, and in Premiere CS6
Well to my eyes...it aint there, yeah the girls face looks pretty detailed close up, but honestly the GH2 captures more.
This was the camera I was waiting for, I could put out money on it tomorrow...but I wont.
What I have seen so far is in a word..kinda underwhelming.
I dont like to rain on anyones parade, but these videos have certainly rained on mine...I just hope maybe something is wrong with those early models maybe.

[quote name='Hideki' timestamp='1347999370' post='18504']
I was looking forward to this camera for a long time and on paper it looks fantastic! I love the shooting modes, it would be a dream come true for people looking for slow motion shooting. I love the aluminum build and weather sealing. Not having a multi aspect sensor is something I can live with. [/quote]

Yep...not having a multi aspect sensor is a total bummer, but if the image made up for it...it would be OK, but it doesn't sadly.

[quote name='Hideki' timestamp='1347999370' post='18504']
However; I suspect that the new sensor is not capable of providing the wonderful moving images that the GH2 is famous for. As others have said, it looks very similar to what we have come to expect from Canon DSLR's. I hope that firmware patches can solve some of the issues but I am skeptical. I will stick with my GH2 unless I'm proved to be wrong.
Thoughts?
[/quote]

100% agree, I dont think any firmware packs are going to fix this, cause the GH2 has "that look" out of the box.
And Panansonic have seemingly managed to "Kill it off" and get rid of everything that was good about the GH2.
How did they manage to do that? LOL!! :D
Thats a feat and a half...after to talking to[b] 100 or so "pros[/b]" they killed of the Multi aspect sensor,
didn't add 4.2.2, didnt add a flat profile, made it take a less detailed image, no focus peaking.
Jeez...If I was them I would go into damage control and start re making the GH2's because they will be snapped up LOL!!!

[P4INKiller]

Honestly, I don't see this softness everyone keeps complaining about.
If it was canon level of softness, I don't think there would be any doubt.

Isn't this what we want though?
People keep finding ways of degrading their footage considering how hypersharp m43 lenses are.

I'm willing to trade off the multi-aspect sensor and a little sharpness for better color reproduction and no green tint.

[Andrew Reid]

It is definitely not soft. But the aliasing is a bit D800-like and a worry.

[Hideki]

To clarify. Much of my criticism is a matter of preference. The GH2 was particularly unique in it's clarity. It had a distinct look that I haven't seen in any other cameras in this class. Many have disliked it's sharpness claiming it didn't have a film like look to it. For me personally I am quite fond of the GH2 "look" and am very disappointed that the GH3 may have a different picture personality to it.

The GH3 was going to be the camera that maintained the exceptional crisp images but added many of the features that ultimately did make it in. I am concerned that they reinvented it and in the process lost the best attribute of it's predecessor.

Trust me I hope I'm wrong.

Thoughts?

[sanveer]

Did someone say this before, here (this post or forum), somewhere. If someone did, I concur with that person.

The video quality, of the 'Behind the Scene', IMHO, appears to be more impressive, than, that, of Genesis.

Maybe, we should wait for the real firmware to be out, and some videos, by a general consumer, to make a real evaluation. Everything else would be harakiri.

[sanveer]

Having said that, I did notice, that the 'Behind the Scenes' video, was quit soft, by GH2 standards. And, interestingly, pretty flat, as well. :-)

[cameraboy]

looks like that gh3 is not finished product ...
more alpha than beta ...

[sanveer]

I think, HONESTLY, that Panasonic should delay releasing the GH3, for Another 6 months, during which time, they should work on their Firmware. Develop a better Codec. There is no excuse for lousy technological developments. Pay a few damn coders Panasonic. pay them well, and we shall wait, patiently for better quality video. Right Now, the GH3 doesn't seem too ready.

[sanveer]

I got this from Philip Bloom's site:
"[color=#444444][font=Arial, Helvetica, 'Nimbus Sans', sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(240, 240, 240)]the EVF wasn’t working on our model…also I mean hard to work without a monitor as in for me as DP to see what the operator saw and for Bruce as director to see too…"[/background][/size][/font][/color]

Obviously, Panasonic were in a Dying Hurry, to just package something, without Testing it, Reviewing it, and Improving things. Please send the damn GH3 back to the factories, and send the Codec back to the Drawing Boards. And, yes, while you are At It, Please, lets see some heads roll, at Panasonic. Beginning with that gentleman, whose English was incomprehensible. Maybe, he was responsible, for it, too. Disappointing Panasonic. Really !!!

[sanveer]

This sounds like a monologue, but, I guess, every camera manufacturer is giving us shit cams, under 5k. The GH2 is a miracle compared to the others. The Nikon mirrorless series is a joke. Its worse than bad. Both Canons and Nikon have insane moire and aliasing issues, apart from the very little lines of resolution. their picture profile is nice, but, it feels like those early day Handycams. The Sony NEX 5N and 7, are nowhere close to the GH2, at video. So, we haven't really gotten very far, from the last Photokia.
I did realise, after shooting a lot of videos, on my GH2, that the GH2 has insane FLAT picture profile, under certain ideal conditions. ONLY. These are:
1. Seriously Overcast Sky (though, not at very late, in the evening. Because, low light, ruins it).
2. Slightly Over-exposed (about 2 stops).

I guess, I'll just hold on to the GH2, for now. It has served me well, and it does some phenomenal video. At a fraction of the cost of the Alexas, the REDs and the Canon C series. The BMCC is good, but, its like a series of never ending investments, starting with SSD Drives, new wider lense, and much higher capacity of editing set-up. The GH2, for now, does everything at a fraction of the cost, and headache.

[Astro]

[quote name='Hideki' timestamp='1348005605' post='18526']
To clarify. Much of my criticism is a matter of preference. The GH2 was particularly unique in it's clarity. It had a distinct look that I haven't seen in any other cameras in this class. Many have disliked it's sharpness claiming it didn't have a film like look to it. For me personally I am quite fond of the GH2 "look" and am very disappointed that the GH3 may have a different picture personality to it.
Thoughts?
[/quote]

Agreed, and on the subject of softness, if the GH2 had shot that shot at 7 sec and 17 sec it would have rendered more detail definitely.
Maybe its some kind of filter that kicks in when the light is lower...but those shots in particular look blunt.
The other shots are better ...the girl in daylight looks good.
I am with Hideki, I just am not that convinced by what I see so far...incl the Cat video.

[quote name='Hideki' timestamp='1348005605' post='18526']
The GH3 was going to be the camera that maintained the exceptional crisp images but added many of the features that ultimately did make it in. I am concerned that they reinvented it and in the process lost the best attribute of it's predecessor.
Trust me I hope I'm wrong.
Thoughts?
[/quote]

It appears that way, hopefully we are wrong, I am happy to be wrong, but the early signs certainly dont make me want to rush out and buy one.

[Astro]

[quote name='cameraboy' timestamp='1348007618' post='18529']
looks like that gh3 is not finished product ...
more alpha than beta ...
[/quote]

:D LOL!! Very True...its definitely Alpha!!
Lets hope they put a frikkin Muti Aspect sensor back in too...while they are at it. (although I seriously doubt that will happen)
According to a post by Vitaliy making 4.2.2 (or even 4.4.4) out should not be that hard, but not even that is there.
It seems the corporate hardheads have got their way, the GH2 was probably a mistake they would rather gloss over LOL
Back to the Future anyone?

[Astro]

[quote name='sanveer' timestamp='1348014950' post='18536']
I did realise, after shooting a lot of videos, on my GH2, that the GH2 has insane FLAT picture profile, under certain ideal conditions. ONLY. These are:
1. Seriously Overcast Sky (though, not at very late, in the evening. Because, low light, ruins it).
2. Slightly Over-exposed (about 2 stops).
I guess, I'll just hold on to the GH2, for now. It has served me well, and it does some phenomenal video. At a fraction of the cost of the Alexas, the REDs and the Canon C series. The BMCC is good, but, its like a series of never ending investments, starting with SSD Drives, new wider lense, and much higher capacity of editing set-up. The GH2, for now, does everything at a fraction of the cost, and headache.
[/quote]

This pretty much is exactly what I feel, I'll just wait until someone gets the message and delivers something thats good.
I would be happy to part with $3,000 for decent DSLR video, but not the BMCC its far too Mac orientated, too much dependant on large (massive) storage, needs so much pimping up...the cost will add up etc..
The GH3 gets close to ticking the boxes, but definitely not enough over the GH2 (for me anyway) maybe when its released it may be better ...but right now...no.

[sanveer]

Vitaly just makes Tall Claims. He has an opinion on Every programmer on the Planet. If he were so smart, Panasonic would have had him, on board, by now. They have their reasons. And,obviously, he has his.
He did hack the GH2, and maybe, it made colouring and grading a little easier. But, the picture Profile is Exactly the same. Whether he says than in Russian, or in French, or in English. That won't affect the truth.

[Policar]

[quote name='EOSHD' timestamp='1348004300' post='18521']
It is definitely not soft. But the aliasing is a bit D800-like and a worry.
[/quote]

Do you think the implication, then, is that the GH3 is line skipping and the GH2 is not? Not only does line skipping produce some ugly artifacts, it reduces sensitivity dramatically; although its ugly noise pattern (picked up due to bad read noise and pixel binning) is frustrating, the 5D Mark III has incredible low light efficiency and its footage cleans up well. With half the sensor size the GH3 should be two stops slower/noisier (but you get deeper DoF, which goes very far to compensate), but if it's also skipping pixels that's another stop or more right there and potentially a real problem. I haven't used the GH2 at extreme ISOs; does its low light performance evince full sensor readout or not?

Debayer a full 1080p image from a 16MP sensor is way more work than this camera should be capable of doing, and it's almost inconceivable that the GH2 was doing the same. But every bit of design here--a new sensor of the same resolution, a bigger body designed around cooling, lots more video options, seems to exist specifically to allow for better video performance. So if this is line skipping and the GH2 isn't, that's mystifying. The claims that the readout is much cleaner seem to support the possibility of pixel binning, since the noisy readout is such an issue in the Mark III, which does have pixel binning... But Panasonic denied that the AF100, and by implication the GH2, did pixel binning, though they never revealed what they did exactly. (To me they never seemed as sharp as the C300, but they didn't show much aliasing, either--the GH2 is very impressive.)

[Astro]

[quote name='sanveer' timestamp='1348017279' post='18545']
Vitaly just makes Tall Claims. He has an opinion on Every programmer on the Planet. If he were so smart, Panasonic would have had him, on board, by now. They have their reasons. And,obviously, he has his.
[/quote]

:lol: LOL!! Probably very true.

[quote name='sanveer' timestamp='1348017279' post='18545']
He did hack the GH2, and maybe, it made colouring and grading a little easier. But, the picture Profile is Exactly the same. Whether he says than in Russian, or in French, or in English. That won't affect the truth.
[/quote]

Yep...If they hacked the picture profile and made curves possible and got the I Dynamic function working properly.
I would buy two more, not just one as I am now planning.