Interview with Yoshiyuki Inoue, Senior Engineering Planner for the Panasonic GH3

[TheyCallMeBT]

[quote name='OverCranked' timestamp='1348159503' post='18717']
That comment is not civilized. Only if you knew a bit more about Japanese culture. May be you should consider his action as a noble move from a highest ranking engineer. Perhaps he is the team leader for those 100 members researching the subject.
Yet again, only if you knew a bit more about Japanese culture.
[/quote]


I agree. I think the fact that he was listening to Andrew and taking the time to get specifics and write them down in his notepad. The point being that he's going to look into it and see if it's possible. I think that's a pretty big deal.

[haarec]

"No XLR" complain - do we still remember GH3 is a still image camera? ;)

[PAVP]

THX Andrew. I personally think that the GH3 is a very good improvement even if there are some compromises. Let's remember what the price point is for this camera. The D600 is perhaps the closest competitor and it's about $800 more. There's just a seeming lack of appreciation due to expectations.

Regarding 4:2:2 i'd say that for one thing I had ZERO interest in recording the HDMI output of the GH3 and i'm glad that they gave us higher bit rates from the start so that the in camera image quality remains high. I actually like some of what i've seen from the pre-production images so far. I think the GH3 will be a very good camera even if it isn't perfect. Pany gave us MOST of the things we've asked for. Some of the missing things I think can be added so i'm not too worried.

[disneytoy]

No questions on the new Dynamic Range? Isn't that the major drawback of the GH-2? Its dynamic range is not up to par with other HDSLRs?

[sanveer]

I realized, that, all the Cameras (the GH3s, i.e.), at the Photokina, are all suffering from some serious software issues. Some have wi-fis, which were not in order, and others had other issues. It seems to be in the pre-alpha stage, which is, a good thing. Maybe, they can Tweak a lot of things, and get things in order, before, they finally hit the shelves. This could include focus peaking, and that strange aliasing on Panny lenses (probably created, to in order to kill the chromatic aberration, but, misfires, somehow).

[Andrew Reid]

[quote name='Orangenz' timestamp='1348140930' post='18674']
So that means...? I guess it means he wants to prioritize quality over functionality, ie. no multi-aspect sensor?

Great interview. Cool to talk to someone who doesn't speak your language but is clearly a very brainy person.
[/quote]

Yes that is correct. Image quality was priority over multi-aspect.

He was incredibly intelligent, his notepad left me almost speechless at the end.

[sanveer]

[quote name='evil_thought2' timestamp='1348166800' post='18734']
I think his answer was not honest. The multi-aspect sensor has no penalty on image quality, either in stills or in video! If anything, it improves the image quality as the various in camera aspect ratios can use the best part from the sensor.

It's pretty obvious why GH3 does not have multi-aspect sensor. They are using the stock Sony sensor that is also used by Olympus.
[/quote]

If you are referring to the sensor on the olympus om5, then u're wrong. Everyone seems to believe, that, they share the same sensor. They don't. It has a sensor, which doesn't have a multi-aspect ratio. I too, wish, it did. But, I guess, getting cleaner, more detailed images, for stills, was more important, than any multi-aspect ratio. Cost may have been an issue. Also, Sony may not have had anything, on those lines, for Panny.

[bg2b]

Multi-aspect could possibly impact IQ if the sensor that Sony was offering was not MA but had better IQ than an in-house MA design (and they decided that IQ was more important than MA).

[sanveer]

[quote name='evil_thought2' timestamp='1348166800' post='18734']
I think his answer was not honest. The multi-aspect sensor has no penalty on image quality, either in stills or in video! If anything, it improves the image quality as the various in camera aspect ratios can use the best part from the sensor.

It's pretty obvious why GH3 does not have multi-aspect sensor. They are using the stock Sony sensor that is also used by Olympus.
[/quote]

Also, do you have documented proof, saying, that the multi-aspect ratio, is, in no way, detrimental, to image quality?

[Xiong]

Great interview Andrew, Thanks!

[MattH]

[quote name='OverCranked' timestamp='1348159503' post='18717']


That comment is not civilized. Only if you knew a bit more about Japanese culture. May be you should consider his action as a noble move from a highest ranking engineer. Perhaps he is the team leader for those 100 members researching the subject.
Yet again, only if you knew a bit more about Japanese culture.
[/quote]

Firstly it is a joke. You have a poor sense of humour sir. If only you understood British culture ;)

The point I was jokingly making is that if they had a hundred researchers you would think that he would already know about fly by wire follow focusing, and not need to write it down. I mean it doesn't even have focus peaking. How can they not know about that with 100 researchers?

It would be funny if the front of the pad had "stuff that will never appear in the GH4" written on it.

[BeefJerky]

Regarding multi aspect ratio deal:

As evil_thought2 mentioned, "There is NO LOGICAL reason why multi-aspect ratio would have negative impact on the image quality."
I think what Inoue meant is that a. Sony won't produce multi-aspect ratio sensor b. to get MSR, they gotta use Panasonic sensor which falls behind Sony's. So, in order to serve 'better quality', they had to let go of MSR and use Sony sensor.

I think it's the case since his answer is "no comment" when asked if it's Sony sensor they're using. That's the exact same response Olympus made when they were asked million times.

However, GH3 special site indicates it's using LIVE-MOS sensor which is the Panasonic thing.

[sanveer]

[quote name='evil_thought2' timestamp='1348171158' post='18749']
It's common sense. There is NO LOGICAL reason why multi-aspect ratio would have negative impact on the image quality.

Second, if it was Panasonic own sensor, the answer to the question: "So it's no a Sony sensor" would not have been "No comment". If it was Panasonic sensor, they would been taking full credit for the sensor.

"No comment" is not the answer you give when you have invested millions/billions of dollars developing a sensor.

It's obviously not a Panasonic sensor. That's why it's not multi-aspect sensor ...
[/quote]

I like the Confidence with which people say "Common Sense", nowadays.

I am assuming, that apart from the Increase in Costs, of Manufacturing a Multi-aspect Ratio Sensor, the costs for wiring the same, would be noticeably higher, too. That may be, a few, among the many other reasons, that Panasonic chose to go with a Sony sensor.


Credit for the sensor. Dude, companies outsource so many different components, that, if they were to outline each, it would appear, that they produce nothing. Apple, the world's largest company, doesn't make its own sensors, on its smart phones. They don't make most of the components. They mere design it, and then have it produced in China, outsourcing most of everything else. The ARM processor, is probably being designed in-house (partially), for the first time.

There is no shame in outsourcing.

[zephyrnoid]

[quote name='QuickHitRecord' timestamp='1348158365' post='18713']


[color=#222222][font=Helvetica Neue', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif][size=4][background=rgb(255, 255, 255)]The GH3 has improved [i]functionality[/i], but only clean, moire-free shots are [i]usable[/i] to me.[/background][/size][/font][/color]
[/quote]
Fair enough. I'm in Maryland- near bye BTW :)

[OverCranked]

[quote name='MattH' timestamp='1348170566' post='18745']
Firstly it is a joke. You have a poor sense of humour sir. If only you understood British culture ;)

The point I was jokingly making is that if they had a hundred researchers you would think that he would already know about fly by wire follow focusing, and not need to write it down. I mean it doesn't even have focus peaking. How can they not know about that with 100 researchers?

It would be funny if the front of the pad had "stuff that will never appear in the GH4" written on it.
[/quote]

Comedy is regional. Tragedy is global.
You consider it a joke calling a senior engineer a " LIER " in public forum. You consider me as a person with lack of sense of humour for pointing out to your possible ignorance to Japanese culture. This is not British Culture. This is you joking around with disregard for others' honours and opinions.
Hey c'mon you have sense of humour you should be able to take a little criticism. What's all this agitation about !?

[Fergutor]

Hello. For the ones that missed this:

(All by [url="https://vimeo.com/user2551722"]Dieter Knüttel[/url])
[b] [size=3]GH3 - 1080 25p 72 Mbps 1600 ISO MOV: [url="https://vimeo.com/49850143"]https://vimeo.com/49850143[/url][/size][/b]

[b] [size=3]GH3 - 1080 -25p 72 Mbps 200 ISO - MOV: [url="https://vimeo.com/49851315"]https://vimeo.com/49851315[/url][/size][/b]

[b] [size=3]GH3 - 1080 50p - 50 Mbps MOV: [url="https://vimeo.com/49852193"]https://vimeo.com/49852193[/url][/size][/b]

[b] [size=3]GH3 - 1080 50p 28 Mbps - AVCHD: [url="https://vimeo.com/49853268"]https://vimeo.com/49853268[/url][/size][/b]

[b] [size=3]GH3 1080 25p 72 Mbps MOV: [url="https://vimeo.com/49864350"]https://vimeo.com/49864350[/url][/size][/b]


[b][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]-All downloadable-[/font][/b]


[font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]And:[/font]
[b] [font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=1][size=4]ISO stills testing in full resolution: [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66174868@N02/8005542412/in/photostream"]http://www.flickr.co.../in/photostream[/url][/size][/size][/font][/b]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=1][size=4]Taked from: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S1bI-Ko1dU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S1bI-Ko1dU[/url] [/size][/size][/font]
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=1][size=4]([url="http://www.youtube.com/user/PhotoNewsReviews"]PhotoNewsReviews[/url])[/size][/size][/font]


[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=1][size=4]Non of this is mine. I asked no permission for posting it here, I hope they don´t get mad at me. If I have to remove it, I´ll do.[/size][/size][/font]

[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][size=1][size=4]Bye.[/size][/size][/font]

[theSUBVERSIVE]

I think that to say that they prioritize the IQ over multi-aspect means that they were developing a new sensor, multi-aspect just like the GH2 and then they got to know the qualities of the Sony sensor. They didn't have time to ask Sony to make it a bit bigger and at the same time make their mod and have in in time for the GH3.

I think that Panasonic made some adjustments in the sensor like the new low pass filter and that's why they called it Live MOS, just like Olympus used to say it was a different sensor since they mod it. It's probably a Sony sensor with some mod to be mode on pair with what Panasonic needed. I mean, I hope that it has the specifics to make the GH3 work properly.

Although I would prefer that Panasonic itself made the sensor, that would mean it was really custom made for the GH3 needs more than Panasonic trying to work around the limitations of the sensor that Sony had.

Nonetheless I'm still puzzled by the report that says that it's actually multi-aspect but not active because of the firmware. I wonder what happened with the extra 1.15MP of the sensor. It's usual to have some extra pixel that is not actually used by the camera, but more than 1MP? - edit - I just noticed that just like the GH2, the G5 laso has more than 18MP, although only 16MP are used, so it's meaningless to think anything of it.

Is the new 240fps readout indication of anything whether it's a new sensor or if's or it's not the Sony's sensor for the OM-D E-M5 or maybe a mod version of that sensor?

[MattH]

[quote name='OverCranked' timestamp='1348186225' post='18773']


Comedy is regional. Tragedy is global.
You consider it a joke calling a senior engineer a " LIER " in public forum. You consider me as a person with lack of sense of humour for pointing out to your possible ignorance to Japanese culture. This is not British Culture. This is you joking around with disregard for others' honours and opinions.
Hey c'mon you have sense of humour you should be able to take a little criticism. What's all this agitation about !?
[/quote]

I didn't call him a liar. I made him a character who called himself a liar. It was a comedy sketch by definition. You're right I don't know a lot about Japanese culture. I know a bit but it doesn't interest me that much.I certainly don't subscribe to the concept of honour. Also, what agitation?

[theSUBVERSIVE]

[quote name='Fergutor' timestamp='1348191415' post='18780']
Hello. For the ones that missed this:

(All by [url="https://vimeo.com/user2551722"]Dieter Knüttel[/url])
[b] [size=3]GH3 - 1080 25p 72 Mbps 1600 ISO MOV: [url="https://vimeo.com/49850143"]https://vimeo.com/49850143[/url][/size][/b]
[/quote]

Whether the initial part or the final - most likely the final - shot has the correct exposure, the details that the camera can retain in the wronng exposure is pretty impressive. If you would say that the final exposure was the correct one, the way the beginning looked well illuminated and with decent details for the amount of darkness it really was, I think the camera can hold pretty well and it shows the DR it has.

[sanveer]

I saw this video, and the similarity in the GH2 and Canon 1DC video shot by Hurlbut, dawned upon me. I Still believe, we (EVERYONE using a GH2), is VERY far, from its Full Potential.