The Lumix GH2 is one of my favorite cameras right now. I use it for most of my video monocular shooting for a number of reasons, but the most important is image quality. While cameras like the Canon 5D have an advantage over the GH2 in that they are full frame and therefore can shoot wider and perform better in low light conditions at high ISO, I find that the GH2’s clarity, sharpness, and The overall movie aesthetic is better than GH2. I’m also a big supporter of the Micro Four Thirds system because it allows camera users to use very cheap adapters to fit almost any lens made with the camera. Of course, this is not possible on a full-frame camera due to the large size of the sensor.
When the GH2 was released, I doubt Panasonic knew how much of an impact this little camera would have on the independent film community. Since its release, the camera has been used in countless films, commercials, and other narrative projects. Simply put, for the price of this camera, absolutely no other camera can match the image quality. That’s just because there’s a very popular firmware hack that allows you to increase the standard bitrate from 24mbps all the way up to 176mbps if you dare.
Today, images and videos of the upcoming GH3 have emerged. I’m very excited about this. Panasonic seems to be listening to its customers and turning this camera into a more professional filmmaking tool, recognizing that while this may not have been their target market when they developed this compact camera, it now is.
Here’s a list of the new camera’s purported specs. If these are true, Canon and Nikon will have a tough time competing in this particular segment of the market, especially with new users. For example, if you didn’t invest in Canon glass, it would be a clear choice to buy a $1,000 camera with better video capabilities than a $3,500 camera.
Of all the specifications, the one that interests me the most is 1080p, 60fps. In 1080p mode, it is extremely rare to achieve 60fps on a single-lens camera. This means we can now get some nice slow-motion footage without compromising resolution.
Let us know if these specs are accurate when they are officially released next Monday:
– 16-megapixel “wide dynamic range” CMOS sensor.
– New Venus 7 engine
– Electronic shutter
– ISO 100-12.800
– The fastest autofocus of any interchangeable lens system camera.
– Video bit rate 50Mbps (72Mbps ALL-I)
– 60/50/30p/25p in MP4, MOV and AVCHD
– 3.5 microphone input
– Built-in stereo microphone
– Audio output
– Computer control
– timecode
– 1740k OLED LVF, touch display OLED 610k.
– External battery handle
– Wifi remote control via iOS and Android apps
– External XLR accessories
– focus peaking
– Time lapse shooting and slow motion. Slow movie expansion (40%, 50%, 80%) Fast 160/ 200 / 300%
– Magnesium alloy body. The body is larger than GH2
