When to expect next firmware update

[sirk]

Hello,
I thought maybe there are people who could estaminate the time to the next firmware upgrade panasonic will provide. do you have any experiences with other pana products or typical DSLR companies?

[commanderspike]

We can only guess.

Personally I think there will be a big push by Panasonic next month, with the announcements of new models (inc. GF1) and a firmware update for the GH1 which fixes mud (just speculation at the moment). This will coincide with Canon's launch of the G11 to market and take the wind out of their rival's new products sales.

[msorrels]

Given the GH1 is a consumer product, it would be perfectly consistant for there to be no more updates, ever. The one update we have gotten was really to lock out the 3rd party batteries. I'm not holding my breath we get an update that actually helps us. I hope I'm wrong but I'm not counting on anything from Panasonic.

[Ben_B]

I'd like to see live monitor out added, while recording for composite, and if possible for HDMI.

I think Panasonic might have to, at some point, own up to the fact that it wasn't consumer sales that kept this thing on devestatingly long backorder for months.

[J Davis]

Given the GH1 is a consumer product, it would be perfectly consistant for there to be no more updates, ever. The one update we have gotten was really to lock out the 3rd party batteries. I'm not holding my breath we get an update that actually helps us. I hope I'm wrong but I'm not counting on anything from Panasonic.

Sorry to be pessimistic but I tend to agree with this. Hope I'm wrong but the next update is most likely called GH2 and retails for $2200.

[Ian-T]

We can only guess.

Personally I think there will be a big push by Panasonic next month, with the announcements of new models (inc. GF1) and a firmware update for the GH1 which fixes mud (just speculation at the moment). This will coincide with Canon's launch of the G11 to market and take the wind out of their rival's new products sales.

While I agree that this is just speculation I have this small thought that this is why there are so many delays of GH-1’s showing up on retailer’s shelves. Hopefully they are working (or have already worked) on a fix and will be shipping the updated firmware in the next batch of hardware. But, this could be just wishful thinking on my part. If they were smart however this would be the route they go.

[Ben_B]

Firmware update probably won't have anything to do with hardware shortages, etc.

In any case I would love to see a firmware update...Canon managed to generate some marketing buzz with theirs, so perhaps Panasonic will try something similar.

In any case I feel like regardless of Panasonic's intention that this be a consumer camera, that is not what has ended up being the case.

[boulder]

Is there any push to hack the firmware?

[Chibs]

Sorry to be pessimistic but I tend to agree with this. Hope I'm wrong but the next update is most likely called GH2 and retails for $2200.
I'll have to agree with this as well, though I doubt they'll be asking more then the GH1 for a GH2. I don't see a firmware hack coming any time soon either...
I'm very happy with my GH1, but there's a few things that are just wrong. I was aware of mud, which I can survive, but what I was totally unaware of is that audio actually kicks in a later then the video does, a pita for run and gun documentary work.
I find it a bit strange that the replies to all these problems seem to be "Just shoot properly, then there is no problem", while there should be no problem to begin with. Not all shots, films, or scenes are to be filmed from a tripod!

[Ozpeter]

I can think of a number of small things which could doubtless be accomplished with a firmware update without encroaching on sales of the GH2. But providing them would cost Panasonic development time (=money) and would be unlikely to mean much in sales return. Still, here's hoping...

(Like display of current settings even if being set by the camera, and auto ISO in full manual mode, etc etc).