GH4 C100 vs GH5

roxics

roxics

Veteran
This morning I was shooting some b-roll with a C100mkII. By the afternoon out of out on location for another shoot with my GH4 doing b-roll and interviews.
I have to admit that between the two I much prefer the C100. Just an overall easier camera to use.

But it got me thinking, a C100mkI and a GH5 with XLR adapter are about the same price.
Which would you prefer?
 
C100 is an awesome camera
I like the GHx series for its ultra light form factor - as a OMB it is more versatile to me. I also really like the slow motion modes
Depending on project and needs, and what ergos best suit you, c100 can be hard to top
I was reluctant to switch from the ENG style body to DSLR but overtime I have found workflows and tools and muscle memory that for me negate the difference and actually cause me to prefer the GHx form factor
 
filmguy123 said:
C100 is an awesome camera
I like the GHx series for its ultra light form factor - as a OMB it is more versatile to me. I also really like the slow motion modes
Depending on project and needs, and what ergos best suit you, c100 can be hard to top
I was reluctant to switch from the ENG style body to DSLR but overtime I have found workflows and tools and muscle memory that for me negate the difference and actually cause me to prefer the GHx form factor
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...add that you have a very good photo camera, can shoot "sneakish" and can adapt a lot of lenses from other manufacturers. In the end the decision is for or against a mount. And to which "lens family" you want to belong. And - yes, most important - about your own preferences.
 
filmguy123 said:
C100 is an awesome camera
I like the GHx series for its ultra light form factor - as a OMB it is more versatile to me. I also really like the slow motion modes
Depending on project and needs, and what ergos best suit you, c100 can be hard to top
I was reluctant to switch from the ENG style body to DSLR but overtime I have found workflows and tools and muscle memory that for me negate the difference and actually cause me to prefer the GHx form factor
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We shoot internationally for a nonprofit. Events. Typically 3 to 5 cameras. We were working with Canon C100. They gave good images but the travel package is simply too big. Both lenses and camera are bulky. Sometimes I will be in three cities in one week. All too often I do not take other vital equipment because the C100 packages are already too big. When you leave equipment behind what is the purpose of having the optimal camera; the result suffers. Cameras are only one part of the balance needed to communicate.

So, we are going to try GH5s. Will we be giving up some low light? Yes, but prime Panasonic lenses are small and fast. What we will gain is mobility.

Also, I hope that the GH5s will be less intimidating. I am tired of subects freezing during quick grab shots.
 
philiplipetz said:
We shoot internationally for a nonprofit. Events. Typically 3 to 5 cameras. We were working with Canon C100. They gave good images but the travel package is simply too big. Both lenses and camera are bulky. Sometimes I will be in three cities in one week. All too often I do not take other vital equipment because the C100 packages are already too big. When you leave equipment behind what is the purpose of having the optimal camera; the result suffers. Cameras are only one part of the balance needed to communicate.

So, we are going to try GH5s. Will we be giving up some low light? Yes, but prime Panasonic lenses are small and fast. What we will gain is mobility.

Also, I hope that the GH5s will be less intimidating. I am tired of subects freezing during quick grab shots.
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the problem I have found with DSLRs shooting video is that when you do quick grab shots outside an event or conference people assume your taking a photo and they pose.
 
verzap said:
the problem I have found with DSLRs shooting video is that when you do quick grab shots outside an event or conference people assume your taking a photo and they pose.
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This is my experience also. Maybe it's a Philly thing.
 
video652 said:
That is the very reason why some of us rig our DSLR setup with things like a matte box.
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Haha, I totally understand your point but in the context of the previous posts this is hilarious. Basically the flow of this thread goes: "Buy smaller cameras because they are easier to travel with. But then attach lots of stuff to them so they are just as big anyway!"

Personally I'm not much of a fan of the CX00's form factor. I'd probably pick the GH5 if I had to choose between the two, but would have to have it kitted out to the max.
 
verzap said:
the problem I have found with DSLRs shooting video is that when you do quick grab shots outside an event or conference people assume your taking a photo and they pose.
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Haha that is not a unique problem. If it's not a DSLR then there's still someone dancing around for a proper video camera.
 
Jim Simon said:
Really? Man, I can't agree with that. The GH4 is ergonomically the best camera I've ever used.
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It's definitely an improvement over my old GH1 and GH2. But even my old Canon 60D was easier to use than the GH4. Bigger dials and so on. I prefer a bigger camera. The viewfinder on the C100mkII is nice and big with a big eyecup. If I have my H4N on top of my GH4 I can barely use the EVF on it because it protrudes off the back of the camera right where your head needs to go and if my tripod is up high I can't see the screen on the H4N. The C100 having build in XLR and being able to monitor it all on the LCD is way easier. Plus the build in ND filters. Also I absolutely hate the focus by wire Panasonic lenses.
 
I think the gh5 certainly answers a lot of your complaints, get XLR adapter, get hand grip for larger size, get speedbooster for use with other lenses, or manual m4/3 lenses. Have a ton more codec choices, slomo, etc. The C100 Mk II is still around $5K right? So for the extra $3K you could definitely accessorize and ultimately have a much more versatile platform that will serve you for longer than the c100 Mk II would be practical with it not offering 4K etc.

Personally, I think the canon video looks nice, but I just can't get past the canon tax...you pay a lot more for a lot less features...for me buying a new camera, its a requirement to have 4K and I just feel like canon really hobbles their cameras so as not to compete with their much more expensive offerings.
 
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NAB is in a month! I'd wait to see what the C100 iii offers. And even if it's in the $6000-$7000 range, it's very existence will drive down the prices of the C100 ii and i significantly, especially on the used market.
 
QuickHitRecord said:
NAB is in a month! I'd wait to see what the C100 iii offers. And even if it's in the $6000-$7000 range, it's very existence will drive down the prices of the C100 ii and i significantly, especially on the used market.
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There is another thread here which is indicating nothing new in terms of the C100
 
QuickHitRecord said:
NAB is in a month! I'd wait to see what the C100 iii offers.
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You might be counting your chickens before they've hatched. There might be bupkis from Canon at NAB this year. ( I see the same sort of camera-dreaming going on with the Sony A7S fans waiting for their A7S Mk3 to show up )
 
TheDingo said:
You might be counting your chickens before they've hatched. There might be bupkis from Canon at NAB this year. ( I see the same sort of camera-dreaming going on with the Sony A7S fans waiting for their A7S Mk3 to show up )
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Well, unless you really need a camera NOW, not waiting until after NAB when it's so close is quite stupid, as you never know.
 
verzap said:
the problem I have found with DSLRs shooting video is that when you do quick grab shots outside an event or conference people assume your taking a photo and they pose.
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Sometimes they even come up to you and ask you to take a picture and get pissed when you say no because you are filming ;)
 
I have the C100 mk1 and a Panasonic GX85. The C100 is an excellent camera that gives solid results without much fuss. It is incredibly reliable. It has 3 draw backs for me, size/weight, rubbish screen/evf and limited frame rates. If you don't need to travel to much then it's great. I'm looking to get a GH5 (or G85) to compliment the GX85 for my wedding work. Being light and nimble, having IBIS makes life a lot easier in those environments. For corporate stuff, especially events and congresses etc the C100 is the champ. All my clients absolutely love the images it produces.
 
thpriest said:
I have the C100 mk1 and a Panasonic GX85. The C100 is an excellent camera that gives solid results without much fuss. It is incredibly reliable. It has 3 draw backs for me, size/weight, rubbish screen/evf and limited frame rates. If you don't need to travel to much then it's great. I'm looking to get a GH5 (or G85) to compliment the GX85 for my wedding work. Being light and nimble, having IBIS makes life a lot easier in those environments. For corporate stuff, especially events and congresses etc the C100 is the champ. All my clients absolutely love the images it produces.
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Do clients actually feedback specifically on the look of the images? With my corporate/promotional work I find either clients are happy or they want tweaks. Quite black and white and very rarely honing in on a particular quality of the work. Admittedly I use GH4s (and I could be crap ;-)) but it's interesting to hear you say that. I haven't done much beauty/fashion, but do you regularly get unsolicited feedback across the board in all sectors?

I adore the GH cameras and will probably get a GH5. The size and feature set is fantastic and looks like Panasonic have pushed the envelope once again. However, I've thought about adding a C100 to the arsenal as my corporate work increases for XLRs, NDs, AF and... colours.
 
James Fisher said:
Do clients actually feedback specifically on the look of the images? With my corporate/promotional work I find either clients are happy or they want tweaks. Quite black and white and very rarely honing in on a particular quality of the work. Admittedly I use GH4s (and I could be crap ;-)) but it's interesting to hear you say that. I haven't done much beauty/fashion, but do you regularly get unsolicited feedback across the board in all sectors?

I adore the GH cameras and will probably get a GH5. The size and feature set is fantastic and looks like Panasonic have pushed the envelope once again. However, I've thought about adding a C100 to the arsenal as my corporate work increases for XLRs, NDs, AF and... colours.
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The C100 is a good camera so it is kind of a given that corporate clients would love the look of it. That isn't to say in the same hands those same corporate clients wouldn't also love the same project if it was secretly shot with a GH4/5. Plenty of corporate shooters getting great feedback from GH4 projects as well. Both are great cameras and can get the job done. It all comes down to subtle differences in the end.

In my experience corporate clients are also not as attuned to color science/images/pixel peeping the same way we are. We notice things that they will never notice. As long as the production value is there and we make them and their company/product look good they will love it no matter what camera is used.
 
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