New Panasonic G6 closeout price - down to $369!

Now that the new 4K Panasonic G7 is shipping, we are starting to see some insanely low closeout prices on the still-terrific Panasonic G6. As of this post, a brand new Panasonic G6 with the 14-42mm kit lens is $368.98 from 100% positive feedback eBay seller jboverstock.

There are only three left at this price, so if you want one, you should pull the trigger now.

Unbelievable clearance price on Panasonic G6 w kit lens - $399.99!

One of the best of the entry level still/hybrid mirrorless cameras, the Panasonic G6, is being marked down seriously on closeout.  Last week, Samy's was selling it for $499.99 (now sold out) - and this week, it's at BestBuy via eBay for $399.99 plus $2.99 postage.  They are sold out at BestBuy online, so the eBay stock won't last long.



This terrific little camera has big camera features such as focus peaking, wi-fi with NFC a built-intervalometer and 1080/60p recording - and is a great value for the money, especially at this price.

I just hope this is a sign that Panasonic is working on an entry level 4K interchangeable lens G7!

As always, if anything here has helped you to make a purchase decision, please shop using the links above or the displays below and in the margins. And even if you're not in the market for a new camera, please comment and make suggestions below. It won't cost you anything extra, and it will help to keep these posts coming.

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Panasonic Deals - GH3 body for $697.99 (plus $100 gift card); G6 with 14-42mm kit lens for $587.99!

I don't know how long these prices will last, but if you're a video shooter on a budget - or you're looking for a great video/still hybrid camera to give as a gift - here are a couple of great deals.

As of this post, the Panasonic DMC-GH3 (body only) is $699.99 at Amazon and $697.99 with a free $100 gift card at Adorama. This is the best 1080p hybrid camera you can buy below $1000.



If that's still above your budget limit, the Panasonic DMC-G6 with the 14-42m kit lens is just $587.99. This is the best entry level video/still hybrid camera on the market with built-in focus peaking, 19 step manual audio gain control and 1080/60p for smooth slow motion.  This camera compares very favorably with DSLRs that cost a lot more - it is a great value for the money.

Limited Time Sale - $300 off Panasonic GH3 - and $50 off the G6 with 14-42mm kit lens

The two best still/video cameras below $1000, the Panasonic GH3 and Panasonic G6, are now an even better deal.  For the next couple of weeks (while supplies last), the GH3 (body only) is marked down $300 to $797.99 - while the G6 with the kit lens is marked down about $50 to $697.99.

If you've been waiting for one or both of these cameras to come down in price, you may want to push your cart through before the price goes back up!

Panasonic G6 Marked Way Down!

As of this post, the best price for the terrific Panasonic G6 still/video camera is at Samy's via eBay or Amazon.

The price on this deal is too low to post - but if you're looking for the absolute best large sensor, interchangeable lens video camera in this price range, you should click on one of the links above or the display ads below and pull the trigger on this deal now. There are only 6 left at this price.

New Sony A6000 vs Panasonic G6 - Which One for Video?

The last few days have been a "camerapalooza" of new camera announcements, price cuts and general chaos in the still/video hybrid camera world.  That's great news for camera bloggers, but not-so-great news for consumers trying to make decisions on where to spend their hard-earned money.

So, instead of the usual "Sony rolled out the A6000 last night, here are its great new features, you should hit the pre-order button and order yours now" - I thought I'd list the new camera's video pros and cons - and compare it with the reigning still/video champion in this price class.

For this comparison, I've chosen some of the areas that, in my view, are most important to shooters who want both a high quality camera and "camcorder" in the same package.

Sony A6000

• Video viewfinder: Yes
• Fast video autofocus: Yes
• Peaking/Zebras: Yes
• Power zoom available: Yes
• 1080/60p: Yes
• Recordable HDMI out: Yes (bit depth unknown)
• Moire and Aliasing: Unknown
• WiFi/NFC: Yes
• 30+ minutes of continuous recording: No
• Manual audio levels: No
• On-screen sound level meters: No
• Front facing LCD: No
• External 3.5mm mic jack: No (hot shoe mic)
• Body Only Street Price: $648
• Kit street Price: $798 w 16-50 power zoom

Panasonic G6

• Video viewfinder: Yes
• Fast video autofocus: Yes
• Peaking/Zebras: Yes
• Power zoom available: Yes
• 1080/60p: Yes
• Recordable HDMI out: No
• Moire and Aliasing: Minimal
• WiFi/NFC: Yes
• 30+ minutes of continuous recording: Yes
• Manual audio levels: Yes
• On-screen sound level meters: Yes
• Front facing LCD: Yes
• External 3.5mm mic jack: Yes
• Body Only Street Price: $699
• Kit Street Price: $629 w 14-42

The Sony A6000 is a great upgrade for NEX-6 and NEX-7 still photographers, but, unfortunately, there seems to have been a lot of video capability left out of this camera - perhaps to protect the $1298 RX10.

If so, Sony has missed an opportunity to show that they are serious about competing with Panasonic for enthusiast video shooters in this price class.

So if you have $600-$700 to spend, and you're looking for the best value for money still/video camera you can buy, I have to recommend the reigning champ in this class - the Panasonic DMC-G6.

If this has helped you to make a buying decision, please order through the links above or the display ads below.  It won't cost you anything extra, and it will help keep these blog posts coming.  Thank you!

$252 Markdown - Panasonic G6 with Kit Lens for $498!

This deal is almost unbelievable.  Yes, the GH3 is also marked down to $928 - but for less than $500 for the G6 is an absolute steal.

This camera is the best value for money hybrid still/video camera in its class. It has focus peaking, wi-fi with Near Field Communication (NFC) for wireless control and file transfer and a built-in intervalometer.  All features that are missing from the GH3.

At these prices, they won't last long.  If you want the best large sensor interchangeable lens video/still camera below $750, you may want to pull the trigger on this deal.

(Note: I just looked at the product listing and after only a few hours, the G6 is now backordered at $498.  You can still order it at the sale price, however, and Amazon won't charge your card until the camera ships)

(Note 2: I just checked eBay, and you can still get the G6 for $498 from Adorama via eBay - which is less than you can get them for from Adorama direct)

New Sony DSC-RX10 - the Panasonic Killer?

I am really excited by the new Sony DSC-RX10's potential for video. Announced at the same time as the full frame A7, this camera has received less recognition - but may be more significant. Perhaps as significant as the moire-resistant GH1 was in 2009.

I especially like the RX10's "de-clicked" 8.3x constant f2.8 power zoom combined with the proven RX100 sensor.  This is essentially a cinema lens on a point and shoot camera.

Add the built-in ND filter, focus peaking, 31 step manual audio level control, audio meters and headphone jack, and you have a serious video camera.

The dust and moisture resistant magnesium alloy body is nice too.

If Sony has really dealt with the line-skipping/moire problem, as this hands on preview from Imaging Resource suggests, I guess I'll have to buy this camera. I had been saving up for the FZ200 to replace my wife's FZ150 - now I'll need to figure out a way to scrape together another $800.

Pricey, yes. But the 1" sensor and 20.2MP still resolution mean the competition for this camera isn't really the FZ200 - it is the G6 and the GH3.

You'd have to buy a $699 Panasonic G6  - plus $1100 12-35mm and $1350 35-100mm constant f2.8 lenses to match the $1298 RX10 in micro 4/3 world.  Compared to $3149 for a plastic camera body and two unpowered zoom lenses, $1298 for a metal body and a power zoom is a real bargain.

And with the G6, you'd still be missing the weather-sealing, the built-in ND filter and the headphone jack.

If you wanted weather-sealing from Panasonic, you'd have to pay $300-$400 more for the GH3. Yes, you'd gain multiple codecs and higher bit rates, but you'd lose focus peaking.

If I were Panasonic, I would be very very worried about this camera.

You can pre-order the new RX10 for $1298 from Amazon or Adorama. These cameras will be very hard to get before Christmas unless you get in line now.

Your card won't be charged by either of these great retailers until your camera ships.  As usual, if any of this has helped you to reach a buying decision, please order through one of the links above or the display ads below or in the margins. It won't cost you anything extra, and it will help keep these posts coming.  Thanks so much.

SALE - Panasonic G6 w Lens - $638!

I've raved about this camera before, but at this price, the Panasonic G6 is absolutely the best value for money in micro 4/3. Lightning fast autofocus, 7fps full resolution stills, 1080/60p video with full manual exposure control and essentially no clip length limit, external mic input with 19-step audio level control, Wi-fi, NFC and built-in intervalometer. Here is the still image quality this camera can produce as seen in the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6 Pool on Flickr.

And here is a short documentary shot with the G6 and the kit lens (from Kevin Mayuga on Vimeo):



This camera is the complete still/video hybrid package at an affordable price. It will go back up to $749 on October 19th, so if you want this great "all-in-one" camera for $638, you may want to pull the trigger now.

As always, if something here has helped you to make a buying decision, please order through the links above, or from one of our sponsors' display ads below or in the margins. It won't cost you anything extra, and it will help to keep these blog posts coming. Thank you for your support for the Hybrid Camera Revolution!

SHAME - Second Tier Profiteers Mark Panasonic G6 up by $100

No, this is not a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera

If you click on the image above, it will take you to a page where you can back order the Panasonic G6 at $749.99.  You can also get on the pre-order list for the camera for $749 at Adorama.

Sadly, however, if you do a search for the camera at Amazon, you'll be taken to a page that lists it for $100 above retail through a company called 6th Ave Express (I am naming them because I'm calling them out - but there's no link, because I don't want to encourage this behavior).

As it turns out, the folks at so-called "BigValue" are doing the exact same thing on eBay.

This is clearly not as pernicious as profiteering from food during a famine - or even from overpriced fuel during an oil embargo, but consumers deserve to know that it's going on.

I completely "get" the law of supply and demand - and that retailers should have some price flexibility to cover extra costs - but a $100 markup on a $750 camera?

As we used to say in the military, YGTBSM.  This is profiteering, pure and simple.

This isn't all the retailers' fault - ultimately, it is Panasonic's.  Once again, they have introduced a camera, promised a delivery date, and then failed to ramp up production to meet demand.

Sadly, this is a pattern. Panasonic cameras routinely miss promised delivery dates in North America, they have poor availability in the largest retail channels in the United States (that's being charitable), and they do not issue updates explaining the situation to consumers.

I tend to recommend Panasonic cameras on internet fora and on this blog because, in my view, their hybrid still/video bridge camera (the FZ200) and their DSLMs (the G6 and the GH3) are the best-in-class hybrids between about $500 and $1500.

That said, Panasonic's supply chain challenges are a real problem for the company and its consumers.  It is clearly a losing sales strategy - and it is not very helpful to the company's credibility among camera buyers and bloggers.

If anyone at Panasonic is reading this - you should know that it is becoming more and more difficult to recommend your cameras - because it is becoming more and more difficult to find your cameras at the prices you advertise on your website.

For now, hybrid still/video camera buyers with less than $800 in their budgets, who want moire-free video and terrific stills - and who cannot wait for the G6's supply challenges to work themselves out, may want to consider the Nikon 5200, $797 with the 18-55 kit lens at Amazon (or even less on eBay).

The G6 is a great camera, and a good value for the money at $750 with the kit lens - but it is a bad deal at $850, and I don't recommend it at that price.

If you're in the market for any of these cameras, please click on the display ads below.  It won't cost you anything extra, and it makes it possible to keep these posts coming. Thanks!

5 Stars for Panasonic G6 at Expert Reviews UK!

Their verdict: "A good all-rounder that excels for video capture." The $749.99 G6 may be the best still/video camera below $1000 that Panasonic has produced to date.  It addresses almost all of the video shortcomings of the G series (by adding a microphone jack and full manual control of video), while improving on the still photo capabilities of all of the GH cameras except the $1298 GH3. A few headlines from the review after the jump.

• The autofocus speed gap between DSLRs and mirrorless DSLMs has been closed: "...autofocus that's just as fast as an SLR, and possibly even faster in low light."
• Electronic viewfinders have closed the gap with optical viewfinders: "Its electronic viewfinder is significantly bigger, and with a 1.44-million dot resolution, it's sharp enough to reveal more detail than its rivals' optical viewfinders..."
• The G6's wi-fi feature allows live monitoring of video (better than the GH3), but no live HDMI out (worse than the GH3) [personally, I prefer wi-fi monitoring - I have a phone and a tablet already, while monitors are an additional expense].

Read the full review here - but please come back and preorder your G6 here.  It won't cost you anything extra - and it helps us to continue bringing you the best camera and tech deals.  Thanks so much for your support.

Update - Amazon is offering 4% off this camera (and many others) until June 15th - time to push that cart through.

Update #2 - The G6 is now in stock in the US at Adorama and the Adorama eBay Store for $749!