Panasonic GX7 in body sensor stabilisation will not work for video!! according to imaging resource.

[MattH]

Just thought I'd let people know that the GX7 in body sensor stabilisation will not work with video according to imaging resource.

 

I can't confirm it but the article seems pretty confident in its wording:

 

"The system will, incidentally, work with third-party lenses, or lenses mounted via an adapter, but you'll need to manually enter the focal length in this case. It's also important to note that the body-based stabilization system is not used for video capture."

 

This appears about half way down the page next to an illustration on how the sensor works:

 

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/panasonic-gx7/panasonic-gx7A.HTM

 

This is a pretty big deal for video as it removes the main selling point of this camera.

 

I guess its there to compete with the OMD EM5 for stills but disabled for video to not compete with the GH3.

 

Unless this is proven wrong then I am no longer interested.

[Zach]

WOMP WOMP. Cue sad trombone sound. 

 

This is just foolish if true. 

[Paulio]

Interest....level....fading....

[ntblowz]

Since it uses the same 2 Axis IBIS that older PEN has I am not surprised, the 2 Axis does not work on video, that why PEN video (Except E-P5) have jelly effect

[RichST]

Here's another interesting snip from the article about its video:

 

Perhaps more intriguingly, Panasonic says that the better image sensor means that it need only bin four pixels to create each pixel in the final movie, rather than six pixels as in the G6. The mixing is performed in 1 x 4 pixel lines, rather than 2x2 blocks, and the image processor performs low-pass filtering on the resulting data as it comes off-chip.

 

I'm not sure how they would bin in 1x4 lines, I'm wondering if it improves horizontal resolution in video. I'm also not sure how they could bin 6 pixels off a 2x2 block. The low-pass filtering of the data coming off the chip may have been how Panasonic has been getting relatively moire-free video for years now.

[Andrew Reid]

Here's another interesting snip from the article about its video:

 

Perhaps more intriguingly, Panasonic says that the better image sensor means that it need only bin four pixels to create each pixel in the final movie, rather than six pixels as in the G6. The mixing is performed in 1 x 4 pixel lines, rather than 2x2 blocks, and the image processor performs low-pass filtering on the resulting data as it comes off-chip.

 

I'm not sure how they would bin in 1x4 lines, I'm wondering if it improves horizontal resolution in video. I'm also not sure how they could bin 6 pixels off a 2x2 block. The low-pass filtering of the data coming off the chip may have been how Panasonic has been getting relatively moire-free video for years now.

 

Very interesting, thanks for pointing this out.

 

This might be how they get less aliasing on the GH3's sensor compared to the older GH2 / G6 one.

 

But the low-pass filter needs to be stronger as they now have more moire.

 

The other possibility is that the new sensor is actually NEW and in the GX7 for the first time and maybe it will have killer video performance and the sensor is by Panasonic, will end up in a GH X1 which shoots ProRes. That would be sensible.

[Julian]

 

This is how Panasonic presentered it. The sensor tech is derived from the GH2/G6 but improved. I'm not sure if they meant it performs better than the GH3 by placing it higher on the graph. I don't think it does. The Sony sensor in the GH3 is quite a bit better than the Panasonic one if you measure the raw image quality.

 

I'm getting a GX7 test sample tomorrow so I'll check things out and set it up next to the G6. I expect similair video performance, but this binning talk is interesting.

[Marcio Kabke Pinheiro]

 

This is how Panasonic presentered it. The sensor tech is derived from the GH2/G6 but improved. I'm not sure if they meant it performs better than the GH3 by placing it higher on the graph. I don't think it does. The Sony sensor in the GH3 is quite a bit better than the Panasonic one if you measure the raw image quality.

 

I'm getting a GX7 test sample tomorrow so I'll check things out and set it up next to the G6. I expect similair video performance, but this binning talk is interesting.

 

Great. Julian, do you mind to check these two things in the camera?

 

- Focus peaking working during video recording, not only when paused (I guess it works, but some peaking implementations don't);

- If the "PIP" zoom window for focus assist works during video recording too.

 

Thanks in advance. :)

[Julian]

Peaking works during recording.

Zoomed PIP window is cancelled as soon as you press record.

 

Stabilisation is switched off as soon as you switch to movie mode.

Lowest iso in movie mode is 200, max 3200. In Photo mode you can extend it to 125-25600.

 

Interesting thing is you can adjust the shadow/highlight curve (like the OM-D) and it works during video recording.

[QuickHitRecord]

Interesting thing is you can adjust the shadow/highlight curve (like the OM-D) and it works during video recording.

 

Unfortunately that feature is only for stills as well:

 

https://vimeo.com/71842828

 

Skip to about the 3:00 mark.

[Julian]

It's clear to see he doesn't know what he's talking about ;) 'Just for stills, jpg and raw' - that is uncorrect, a curve correction doesn't have any influence on the raw file (you can set a curve in the raw converter of your choice).

 

It does work in video on the GX7 I have here, and that makes sense since video is a baked format and not raw.

 

No time for proper tests, but here's a screengrab.

 

Upper image, neutral profile contrast -5
Lower image, neutral profile contrast -5 - extreme curve (shadows up, highlights down)

 

 

[url=http://www.eoshd.com/comments/gallery/image/652-gx7-curve-adjustment-in-video/][/URL]

[QuickHitRecord]

Neat-o! And it's definitely still working when you hit the record button? If so then Panasonic are shooting themselves in the foot by putting out incorrect information.

[Julian]

I just posted screengrabs from the video, so yes it is definately working.

 

Always difficult with these kind of 'advanced' things to get the correct information out. Remember the Pocket shooting raw or not... etc. Especially if it comes to video in photography camera's, it's pretty hard to get actual answers from any representatives of any brand.

[jgharding]

If Olympus released a mirrorless with that stabilisation of theirs and a decent video codec and frame rate options, I'd buy it, just for the stabilisation.

[ntblowz]

Looks like GX7 will have 1 stop advantage over Sony made M43 sensor?

 

http://www.43rumors.com/barney-skies-about-the-gx7-and-first-full-size-iso-image-samples/#comments

[Julian]

I don't think so.

 

I downloaded the raws from ephotozone (changed the exif of the GX7 raw file to make the raw converter believe it's a Panasonic G6 file to open it in Photoshop).

 

The exposore is different for both files though. 1/160 for the Olympus vs 1/200 for the GX7. Aperture is the same (7.1).

 

Here is a crop of the E-P5 (top) and the GX7 (bottom) at ISO 6400.

 

[url=http://www.eoshd.com/comments/gallery/image/669-olympus-e-p5-vs-gx7-raw-iso-6400-olympus-on-top/][/URL]

 

Not a good comparison because of the exposure difference.

But the GX7 doesn't look a stop better. Looks pretty much the same to me.

 

Looking at the jpg's doesnt tell much about the sensor, more about the processing.

[eoslover]

Cons: Sensor-shift image stabilisation not effective in video mode

confirmed by ePhotozine

[Marcio Kabke Pinheiro]

It's clear to see he doesn't know what he's talking about ;) 'Just for stills, jpg and raw' - that is uncorrect, a curve correction doesn't have any influence on the raw file (you can set a curve in the raw converter of your choice).

 

It does work in video on the GX7 I have here, and that makes sense since video is a baked format and not raw.

 

No time for proper tests, but here's a screengrab.

 

Upper image, neutral profile contrast -5
Lower image, neutral profile contrast -5 - extreme curve (shadows up, highlights down)

 

 

 

Thanks a lot for the info, Julian.

Did you have time to test other aspects, like moire, aliasing, noise, low light performance? 

[Julian]

My first observations:

 

Moire/Aliasing seems to be very well controlled, like all the Panasonic sensors (GH2, G6). Detail wise it looks pretty much the same as the G6 to me, which is pretty damn good...

 

Since the stabilisation doesn't work in video mode I don't see much reason to get the GX7 over the G6 for video though. It's more a Photographers camera. There is no mic input on the GX7 for example.

 

Interesting thing is that the EVF has a native 16:9 aspect ratio. Doesn't make sense for photographers (as it's a 4:3 camera).

 

Will shoot some clips soon and put it next to a Panasonic G6.

[Marcio Kabke Pinheiro]

Thanks again for the info, Julian. Reliable information about video in GX7 is already scarce.

About the EVF: saw some complaints about it being too small. How it compares against GH2, G6 and GH3?