Panasonic have started the count-down on a big announcement at Photokina.
Dreams of a full frame Panasonic GH5 may be about to be realised.
If you are planning to buy a Canon EOS R or Nikon Z you might want to wait for September 25th.
That’s when Panasonic are rumoured to announce a full frame mirrorless camera to compete with the pack. And what a growing pack it is.
The advantage Panasonic have is that they have been in the game for 10 years, during which Canon were milking obsolete technology.
If you look at the leaked Canon EOS R specs they are not exactly earth shattering and I expect video to be no better than the 5D Mark IV. That won’t cut it against Sony or Nikon and it certainly won’t cut it against Panasonic. We’ll know for sure on the 5th September (EOS R announcement date).
A lot of people will be wondering what form a potential Lumix Full Frame system will take – GH5 or G9 style camera, or a mixture of both. I expect G9 ergonomic styling, with top LCD and huge G9 or Leica SL spec EVF, mixed with the top-end video spec of the GH5 – internal 10bit, high-bitrates, LOG and all without a crop.
That is a mouthwatering prospect. It doesn’t take a genius to work out this will beat the rest.
I am also pretty sure Panasonic will take a big step forward with video autofocus. The crop sensor and video AF were really the only things holding the GH5 back against the likes of a Sony A7 III.
Some speculation out there says it will use the Leica TL mount, like the SL which Panasonic seemed to have a big hand in developing. I wouldn’t be disappointed if the full frame Panasonic was like a SL2. The SL is a superb camera. I think however it is 50:50 whether Panasonic use a new mount or the Leica one. There’s just no way to know. What is for certain is that Panasonic need to pay close attention to 5 things on the lenses side:
- Make sure Metabones get the lens protocols and are able to make a bullet proof reliable Canon adapter
- That adapter is going to happen anyway, may as well make it work well
- If they use the Leica mount, don’t ask Novoflex to make the Canon adapter
- Consider having a video orientated lens at launch with built in ND filter, to differentiate from Canikon
- Don’t overprice the lenses. Get people to sell their Canon glass. Don’t force them to use adapters FOREVER.
Hopefully we’ll be able to adapt Leica M lenses as well and somewhere down the line the firms will collaborate on an autofocus Leica Noctilux to compete with Nikon’s F0.95 Z.
I am mega excited now for Photokina, with not just THREE new top-spec full frame mirrorless systems but the Blackmagic 4K Pocket Cinema Camera too it’s going to be quite a show.
Although these are 4 exciting new must-have cameras, the three mirrorless systems are a big commitment. They need lenses. Accessories. They’re premium-end prices. Most people will only justify buying ONE system and sticking with it. That’s why the manufacturers must throw everything they can at this, to get it right first time out of the gate. I want to see all the cards on the table before making a decision. For us it pays to wait and not throw all our money at the first one to be released, even if it means waiting a few months for the Panasonic.
Of the three I’m most excited for the Panasonic and least excited for the Canon, with the Nikon Z up there with the Panasonic, a close second until we see what a “full frame GH5” can do! I think what hurts Canon is that their sensor tech is now quite far behind Sony. I am not sure how it slipped so far, but it has. I also think looking at the rear of the EOS R body, it has a bit of a cramped and ‘cheap’ look to the controls. More M50 than Leica SL, if you know what I mean.
Roll on the 25th!
