Panasonic GH4 firmware update V2.2 due to be released April 22nd

[Astro]

​We are talking about a sub-1500 € camera that does what just some years ago would do a 25.000$ camera.If you find it just "ok" what do you think about the (also amazing for their price) Canon EOS?
Everything is subjective, especially if we talk about art, cameras, guitars, microphones, preamps, tubes-vs-solid-state etc... but "ok" for me is the mighty EOS 550 or the iPhone. The GH4 is (in my opinion) something more then ok, at least for what you can do with (slow motion, 4K etc...) 

Agreed, I get a little suspicious when people rant about specs too much, it is a bit like guitars...when someone says such and such a guitar is sooo much better because of this reason or that, the first thing I want to do is hear them play. As Steve Vai once said...when people get too caught up in I use this amp, with this vintage valve mic, thru to such and such a pre amp and then to tape...yada yada...well you grow old that way LOL!!

Obviously there is a difference between say a great guitar and a shit one, but that difference is not that great (as some make out) between say an NX1 vs GH4 vs C100 or C300 or whatever from Canon..or even a Red, perhaps even the "GOD" Alexa!

So if anyone says the GH4 footage is just "OK" thats fine, but perhaps show something you have shot that is miles better, that anyone could see..(without pixel peeping) otherwise its just words.

Take this footage for example https://vimeo.com/125389854   this could have been shot on an Alexa or anything else, its great!!

However if you think it shows the failings​ and limitations of the GH4, thats fine...but then post something "you have done" that is noticeably better that anyone can see....its easy to quote specs on a forum (and yes specs are important...to a degree) but the reality is, the GH4 (even without V-Log) can produce an amazing image in the right hands.

Buying an NX2 or a GH5 is not going to make your work "miles" better, it will simply give you more options thats all.

How do I know? Well I operate a 20 core Xeon E5-2680 v2 CPU and a ton of VST plug ins, libraries of sounds, and a couple of very versatile DAW's..and a lot of mastering plugs and hardware.

You know what? I cant make better music on this than I did 5 or so years ago on a quad core with far less,the reality is I am limited by my imagination and skills...its the law of diminished returns, go back 20 years...yes there is a difference, go back 5 years...not so much.                                                

The GH4 vs the NX1 vs Canon or others ..even less so.

.

[Russell Anway]

Wait waaaah?  Both of them? I know the one in the first picture is an oct19 but what about the one in the back left of the photo of your collection with the after-market metal ring, mounted on rails? Is that really not a conversion?

[johnnymossville]

@‌Astro   That music video is excellent,  beautifully shot, directed and acted, and the song is super catchy as well.

[JazzBox]

Agreed, I get a little suspicious when people rant about specs too much, it is a bit like guitars...when someone says such and such a guitar is sooo much better because of this reason or that, the first thing I want to do is hear them play. As Steve Vai once said...when people get too caught up in I use this amp, with this vintage valve mic, thru to such and such a pre amp and then to tape...yada yada...well you grow old that way LOL!!

Obviously there is a difference between say a great guitar and a shit one, but that difference is not that great (as some make out) between say an NX1 vs GH4 vs C100 or C300 or whatever from Canon..or even a Red, perhaps even the "GOD" Alexa!

So if anyone says the GH4 footage is just "OK" thats fine, but perhaps show something you have shot that is miles better, that anyone could see..(without pixel peeping) otherwise its just words.

Take this footage for example https://vimeo.com/125389854   this could have been shot on an Alexa or anything else, its great!!

However if you think it shows the failings​ and limitations of the GH4, thats fine...but then post something "you have done" that is noticeably better that anyone can see....its easy to quote specs on a forum (and yes specs are important...to a degree) but the reality is, the GH4 (even without V-Log) can produce an amazing image in the right hands.

Buying an NX2 or a GH5 is not going to make your work "miles" better, it will simply give you more options thats all.

How do I know? Well I operate a 20 core Xeon E5-2680 v2 CPU and a ton of VST plug ins, libraries of sounds, and a couple of very versatile DAW's..and a lot of mastering plugs and hardware.

You know what? I cant make better music on this than I did 5 or so years ago on a quad core with far less,the reality is I am limited by my imagination and skills...its the law of diminished returns, go back 20 years...yes there is a difference, go back 5 years...not so much.                                                

The GH4 vs the NX1 vs Canon or others ..even less so.

.

​Exactly Astro!
The more the time pass, the more I do love technical limitations, because they force me to be more creative!

The video you posted is incredible, but of course someone will find it not "cinematic" because was shot on GH4

I love "IDA" the great B&W movie that was out some months ago: it was filmed in 4/3 with an Alexa I think, lots of grain, no movements... and it's more then cinematic! It's an AWESOME movie! One of the best I saw in the last months! 

We have all the technical possibilities to shoot with quality: we "just" need to be creative. And you can't wait better camera for that

[Astro]

​Exactly Astro!
The video you posted is incredible, but of course someone will find it not "cinematic" because was shot on GH4

Ha ha ha Very true, if it was shot on the A7s or the NX1 or the Canon Cinema range...many would be wetting themselves!!

But on the GH4? oh no I see highlight blowouts, look at the noise in the shadows, it lacks dimension, shitty dynamic range and so on   yada yada...laughable

[Astro]

@‌Astro   That music video is excellent,  beautifully shot, directed and acted, and the song is super catchy as well.

​Yep Beautiful...just to be clear tho...I only posted the link, I did not shoot it...I posted some comments on Vineo on it and Personal View , thats all.    

But yeah lovely footage, great colors ...deep and rich, without too much of the candyfloss pop thats so popular these days, the whole thing...Fantastic!                                                       

 

[dbp]

 

But yeah lovely footage, great colors ...deep and rich, without too much of the candyfloss pop thats so popular these days, the whole thing...Fantastic!                                                       

 

​Dull and muted with nary a decent color seems more trendy to me these days. 

Really cool video though, and surprisingly good song. 

[kodakmoment]

Agreed, I get a little suspicious when people rant about specs too much, it is a bit like guitars...when someone says such and such a guitar is sooo much better because of this reason or that, the first thing I want to do is hear them play. As Steve Vai once said...when people get too caught up in I use this amp, with this vintage valve mic, thru to such and such a pre amp and then to tape...yada yada...well you grow old that way LOL!!

Obviously there is a difference between say a great guitar and a shit one, but that difference is not that great (as some make out) between say an NX1 vs GH4 vs C100 or C300 or whatever from Canon..or even a Red, perhaps even the "GOD" Alexa!

So if anyone says the GH4 footage is just "OK" thats fine, but perhaps show something you have shot that is miles better, that anyone could see..(without pixel peeping) otherwise its just words.

Take this footage for example https://vimeo.com/125389854   this could have been shot on an Alexa or anything else, its great!!

However if you think it shows the failings​ and limitations of the GH4, thats fine...but then post something "you have done" that is noticeably better that anyone can see....its easy to quote specs on a forum (and yes specs are important...to a degree) but the reality is, the GH4 (even without V-Log) can produce an amazing image in the right hands.

Buying an NX2 or a GH5 is not going to make your work "miles" better, it will simply give you more options thats all.

How do I know? Well I operate a 20 core Xeon E5-2680 v2 CPU and a ton of VST plug ins, libraries of sounds, and a couple of very versatile DAW's..and a lot of mastering plugs and hardware.

You know what? I cant make better music on this than I did 5 or so years ago on a quad core with far less,the reality is I am limited by my imagination and skills...its the law of diminished returns, go back 20 years...yes there is a difference, go back 5 years...not so much.                                                

The GH4 vs the NX1 vs Canon or others ..even less so.

.

This whole discussion goes the way discussions like these tend to go. It starts with a claim like "your $1500 camera is better than the Alexa". Then someone points out that there is more to an image than vertical resolution (that would be me), then folks react claiming rightly that one can produce great work with any camera, especially the GH4. All true, but why wasn't the mentioned "Ida" shot on a GH4 wich also has a 4x3 photo movie mode? That film surely had a great script, director, DP, cast, crew etc. The production company could have paid better wages, donated a significant amount of money to some human rights organisation or bought three dozen GH4 and donated them to aspiring filmmakers. (Should I point out to those who aren't getting it that this is meant ironic?) If EOSHD had been modest and written a subheading like "The GH4 now offers anamorphic shooting to low budget productions". But that would have been less catchy, wouldn't it?

[JazzBox]

Ha ha ha Very true, if it was shot on the A7s or the NX1 or the Canon Cinema range...many would be wetting themselves!!

But on the GH4? oh no I see highlight blowouts, look at the noise in the shadows, it lacks dimension, shitty dynamic range and so on   yada yada...laughable

​  

[Andrew Reid]

This whole discussion goes the way discussions like these tend to go. It starts with a claim like "your $1500 camera is better than the Alexa". If EOSHD had been modest and written a subheading like "The GH4 now offers anamorphic shooting to low budget productions". But that would have been less catchy, wouldn't it?

Did the article say it was better than the Alexa? Nope. Merely more vertical resolution.

I'd say that's quite an achievement for a $1500 camera though and definitely headline worthy.

World would be a boring place if we wrote like you kodakmoment.

[Andrew Reid]

Wait waaaah?  Both of them? I know the one in the first picture is an oct19 but what about the one in the back left of the photo of your collection with the after-market metal ring, mounted on rails? Is that really not a conversion?

​That's an OCT 18 mounted on an after-market metal rig.

It still doesn't need conversion. You get a working one and adapter from Ciecio7!

[Astro]

​Dull and muted with nary a decent color seems more trendy to me these days. 

Really cool video though, and surprisingly good song. 

​You could be right...Trendy? yep its kinda nebulous to try and define it

[Zak Forsman]

got it!

[levisdavis]

Updating now...

[Zak Forsman]

this is so much fun. driving my wife crazy. she's trying to watch the untouchables on hbo go while I frame her up in various CUs.

[levisdavis]

[KarimNassar]

cheers Panasonic that is awesome 

looking forward to see what Vlog will bring to the table

[Stefan Antonescu]

This is awesome ! Way to go Panasonic !

The GH4 just became a 5.7K camera over night, as you can get a 5760 x 2400 image with 2.40 aspect ratio !

[johnnymossville]

Now I'm really envious of you guys with anamorphic lenses.  Good luck and post videos!

[resso]

Here is some more possible resolutions: