Panasonic in trouble?

[Dimitris Stasinos]

2 hours ago, noone said:

Unfortunately, I think there are simply too many camera companies and not enough customers.

Exactly. And this is why i am getting mad every time i step on arguments like “What if the R6 overheats? No one forces you to buy the camera so look somewhere else”. Because if that “somewhere else” dies then we are stuck with a couple of companies that are so hungry for cash that will do anything to make us pay more for less.

[SteveV4D]

19 minutes ago, Dimitris Stasinos said:

Exactly. And this is why i am getting mad every time i step on arguments like “What if the R6 overheats? No one forces you to buy the camera so look somewhere else”. Because if that “somewhere else” dies then we are stuck with a couple of companies that are so hungry for cash that will do anything to make us pay more for less.

This argument that we are not forced to buy the camera and therefore can't criticise it is just the remarks made by apologists trying to deflect any negative opinions on something they're invested in, be it either the camera or manufacturer.  

However if you want a reliable fullframe mirrorless with AF, 10 bit HQ 4K and has above 20mps for photo taking, your options become limited.  Add uncropped 10 bit 4K 60fps, RAW external and there isn’t one.  

Choosing a fullframe camera is really down to deciding what functions you can do without.

[thehebrewhammer]

I switched to Panasonic in the first place for the GH5 because it was a great camera with very few software driven limitations and lots of support from the company after release. Panasonic kept improving it.

In full frame, it seems like that strategy of releasing the most capable gear per price point has already been abandoned. Panasonic is playing a game of cynical market segmentation (like Canon, etc.) and they won't sell people on a whole new system this way.

I'm now an S1 owner and I already am frustrated by Panasonic. The S5 addresses design flaws of the S1, and is getting features the more expensive S1 doesn't have - and that Panasonic hasn't said they'll implement via firmware. The S5 is similarly compromised, possibly by design but possibly to protect products further up the line, mainly in the viewfinder choice and 30 minute recording limit for 10 bit. I simply cannot afford an S1H, but I know my S1 is being deliberately limited by its firmware.

It can't be hard for Panasonic to offer some kind of firmware to bridge the gap between the S5 and S1H with the existing S1.

If L-Mount is to thrive, Panasonic needs bodies that bring in features you can't find elsewhere. I appreciate the build quality, and the XLR adapter that works across many cameras, but I want full in camera encryption and built in electronic NDs. I don't want to go backwards and buy a camera that limits recording time.

As it stands, I'm only investing in vintage glass and converting it all to EF mount. I'll switch systems if the right camera comes along, because Panasonic's thinking here seems like a dead end.
 

[Video Hummus]

49 minutes ago, thehebrewhammer said:

If L-Mount is to thrive, Panasonic needs bodies that bring in features you can't find elsewhere. I appreciate the build quality, and the XLR adapter that works across many cameras, but I want full in camera encryption and built in electronic NDs. I don't want to go backwards and buy a camera that limits recording time.

As it stands, I'm only investing in vintage glass and converting it all to EF mount. I'll switch systems if the right camera comes along, because Panasonic's thinking here seems like a dead end.
 

You are not alone.

If Panasonic cannot implement more reliable AF with proven technology that works PDAF or DPAF their cameras need to offer something more than the competition.

I love their cameras. It was easy in the past to look at the GH5 for example and say that considering the features I get I’m OK with the terrible autofocus.

You can’t do that anymore when there are cameras like the A7SIII, R5, and Fuji XT-4 out there. They have all of what panasonic delivers plus AF.

[Matins 2]

[noone]

Sooner or later EVERYONE is in trouble I think.

I just got an old Australian photography magazine from Feb 1988

I opened it to a random page and it was

"Video news" The three stories listed....

Sanyo Vision-8, 8mm camcorder

VHS-C- The future of video cameras

Polaroid aims to be Number one.