Can't wait for the Panasonic GH4 to arrive tomorrow - plus a couple of GH4 reviews you may have missed

The gang is back in town

So I logged onto the UPS site yesterday and asked them to hold my GH4 for pickup tomorrow instead of sending it out on the truck for delivery. I'll jet over to the UPS facility at lunchtime and pick it up - because I can't wait until after work to get my hands on it.

Yes, I am that anxious to get my hands on this camera again, after turning in my rental a few weeks ago. In the meantime, I've had to satisfy myself with reading reviews. Here are a couple of fresh perspectives from outside the ranks of the usual suspects in the video blogging community (you know who you are ;)).

The first, from photography blogger "Michael the Maven" is an interesting take on the GH4's performance as a still camera:



As regular readers know, the purpose of this blog is to report on (and advocate) a still/video camera 'singularity' - a notional, and perhaps unachievable, future where the highest quality still and video capabilities co-exist in the same camera. The GH4 comes pretty close, but it is becoming clear that its still autofocus speed just isn't there yet when it comes to shooting sports or fast action - even with Panasonic Depth from Defocus technology. This is the second source I have seen this from - it tracks with what the guys The Camera Store saw in their D4s/mirrorless shootout.

This isn't a deal-breaker for me (it wasn't for Michael either - he bought a GH4 after he did the review), but it is certainly something to be aware of.

The second review is from Australian video blogger Grant Cook from "Film Learnin" (sort of a one-man Down Under IndyMogul):



I really like Grant's examples of 1080p pan & scan plus image stabilization from images shot at 4K. I also appreciated hearing his perspective on autofocus for "one-man-band" shooters. I remember trying to shoot video blog-style with my T2i before I switched to Panasonic - it was very very difficult without face tracking autofocus or a forward-facing LCD.

After tomorrow, I'll be out shooting with my GH4 - so no more surfing the web, looking desperately for reviews.  Hopefully, I can finish that (very late) GH4 review I started with that rented camera a month ago!

"Videographer's Dream Camera"

The reviews are starting to come in for the Panasonic GH4 - Luminous Landscape, ephotozine and others have had a chance to review the v1.0 version of the camera with production firmware.  ephotozine goes so far as to call it a "videographer's dream camera."

I have to agree - just about every challenge with the GH cameras that shooters have kvetched about for the past five years (except the lack of a built-in ND filter - ugh) has been addressed - and Panasonic quadrupled the resolution of the camera while they were at it.

At $1698 , this camera is a steal.

A Reminder of What Has Sony (and Canon) Worried - Adorama Reviews the Panasonic GH4!

Panasonic DMC-GH4 with DMW-YAGH Pro Audio-Video Interface - $3298
Click Here or on the Photo to Order 

While we wait for Sony NAB 2014 Press Event (less than an hour away as I write this), here's a reminder of why Sony is (may be) in such a rush to introduce a 4K interchangeable lens mirrorless camera - the enthusiastic reception that the 4K $1698 Panasonic GH4 is getting.

Adorama TV has just released another positive GH4 review - with example scenes from different shooting scenarios - to include recording to an Aja Ki Pro Quad (with the usual caveat that you can't tell a lot from YouTube compressed video).

And there's a lot more on the DMW-YAGH audio video interface (which the reviewer calls a "breakout box") and on the camera's ergonomics when it is combines with the YAGH and an external recorder.

Here's the video:



This is a great reminder of the high bar that Sony will have to clear if they want to compete with the GH4. With any luck, I can get my hands on both cameras at NAB and tell you all about it.

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