GH4 GH4 V-log?

What's up with the bizarre "It should be free..." mentality often found on this site?!? (or it's close cousin, "It shouldn't cost that much...")

Why should V-log be free?!? I don't get that rationale. It's not some update to fix software issues. It's an upgrade! And a highly welcomed one, at that!

It takes thousands of man-hours to develop software, not including the field-testing. But, Panasonic should just eat those costs because DVXUser's are cheap-asses(?)

I get that nobody likes spending more money. (Hell, I want it to be free too!) But, it's delusional to expect a business to give you something for nothing.

Personally, I would spend up to $100 for each additional stop of DR it can muster! Just release it already, Panny!!!

Another way to look at it; V-Log just might help keep your GH4 relevant, a little while longer...
 
TFilipiak said:
What's up with the bizarre "It should be free..." mentality often found on this site?!? (or it's close cousin, "It shouldn't cost that much...")

Why should V-log be free?!? I don't get that rationale. It's not some update to fix software issues. It's an upgrade! And a highly welcomed one, at that!

It takes thousands of man-hours to develop software, not including the field-testing. But, Panasonic should just eat those costs because DVXUser's are cheap-asses(?)

I get that nobody likes spending more money. (Hell, I want it to be free too!) But, it's delusional to expect a business to give you something for nothing.

Personally, I would spend up to $100 for each additional stop of DR it can muster! Just release it already, Panny!!!

Another way to look at it; V-Log just might help keep your GH4 relevant, a little while longer...
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It's not just this site. I've seen it repeatedly on gamer sites with game DLC. I'm sure other industries have the same issue.

The reality is that Vlog-l wasn't on anybody's radar when the GH4 came out. Plenty wished it had some sort of log setting, but at no point was it something that Panasonic was prancing around in front of us when the camera was released, nor was it something they promised us. I plunked down $1,700 for it because of the specs shipped with, not what I wished or hoped it shipped with.
 
TheDingo said:
Other than the current Sony mirrorless cameras, I don't expect to see any new GH4 challengers by this October. Canon and Nikon are out of the game compared to the GH4, so who's left ?
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At the risk of getting flamed by spec dorks, I always have half an eye on a C100 (preferably a MkII but the MkI can be had for about $2000 used in the UK). I still love the image it gives, C-Log is great and the painlessness of shooting with it is hugely appealing for my work. In general I don't like Sony colours/image so they're out for me anyway. The Nikon D750 and 810 are good video cameras, with large sensors and gorgeous colour. The GX8 might even be worth the exchange with a GH4 for shooters needing better low light. There's the NX1 as well, which has very very nice colours and a larger sensor. And who knows what the 5D MkIV will be like.

Choosing the right camera isn't about creating league tables of resolution etc etc. I basically have a GH4 because for me it's the next best thing to a C100 Mark II without the price tag and it's more future-proof. But I prefer the Canon image, feature set and handling.
 
Polaroid22 said:
Ok not the same price range. But the ursa mini is going to be awesome. And I also like the canon 1DC, if I could find it cheap from somebody who would sell it at a good price I would definitely consider it.

What I want in GH5: less crop, more dynamic range, v-log, better low light power, and if possible RAW. But such a update would probably take panasonic 2 years to release.
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I think RAW is very unlikely, but the other things in your list re completely possible, I'd say probable, in the GH5. And my money is still on IBIS.
 
DLD said:
If GH5 could do 200 Mbps in HEVC 10-bit internal, it'd be nearly equivalent to a ProRes 444. Not much need for Raw there.

The rest is reading tea leaves but ... let's say, a 22 MPX BSI sensor, DR a couple of stops over GH4, V-Log, HEVC @ 150-200 Mbps, oversampled 4K from ~ 15 MPX a la Sony A7RII. With these specs, it should sell well, even if introduced by the spring, 2016.
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Anyone know if the sensor in the GX8 is Panasonic's own or one of Sony's? If it's one of Sony's they may have a contract that prohibits IBIS in video to preserve their own camera sales (?). I've always preferred Panasonic's own sensors. I preferred the GH2 image to the GH3 (and like the GH4 image a lot - despite some minor weaknesses colour is really nice and DR is decent).
 
TFilipiak said:
What's up with the bizarre "It should be free..." mentality often found on this site?!? (or it's close cousin, "It shouldn't cost that much...") ...
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They're lowering the price on the model anyway, so by the time the upgrade comes out, there'll be even more competing products on the store shelves. Their options is to raise prices back up and give it away for free to the new users at ~ $1,700; keep the $1,500 price tag and charge something for a V-log or keep the status quo with the free update. They're unlikely to charge $1,700 plus extra for the V-log to the new users. It will be a year and half old camera by October, so they might as well up its worth until GH5 is ready.

Lintel said:
Anyone know if the sensor in the GX8 is Panasonic's own or one of Sony's? If it's one of Sony's they may have a contract that prohibits IBIS in video to preserve their own camera sales (?). .
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It's alleged to be Sony IMX269 sensor but it does have IBIS .... except not in 4K.
 
Lintel said:
still love the image it gives, C-Log is great and the painlessness of shooting with it is hugely appealing for my work.
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I don't know about the painless part... You could get a black eye if you used the almost unuseable rockhard viewfinder of the mark 1. Lol.
 
TFilipiak said:
What's up with the bizarre "It should be free..." mentality often found on this site?!? (or it's close cousin, "It shouldn't cost that much...")
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Because paid firmware updates don't make sense in 2015... With the fierce competition from Sony and brilliant NX1 updates, Panny must be out of their mind to ask for any money for this feature. If they really want to prolong GH4 lifetime they need to release it for free much sooner than October, preferably before Sony knocks out everyone with A6100/7000.
 
Firmware update or Feature update? I always associated firmware with "fixing things", which is usually free. V-log seems like a feature update which would not offend me if they wanted to charge for it.
 
yeah competetion wise it should be free, however if they would release v-log today for 50$ I would buy it, in octobre it has been a year to release the v-log. Really one year for one picture profile? I bet they didnt even change anything on it since NAB.
 
It won't be long before camera manufactures adopt a monthly subscription model just like Adobe. Need V-Log, waveform, anamorphic de-squeeze, Re-authorize your dongle online and you are good for a month, or daily rental.
 
David W. Jones said:
It won't be long before camera manufactures adopt a monthly subscription model just like Adobe. Need V-Log, waveform, anamorphic de-squeeze, Re-authorize your dongle online and you are good for a month, or daily rental.
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Works for me it that means I do not need to wait a year for every update.
 
Bassman2003 said:
Firmware update or Feature update? I always associated firmware with "fixing things", which is usually free. V-log seems like a feature update which would not offend me if they wanted to charge for it.
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Exactly. It's a feature upgrade announced long after it's initial release, not a bug fix. It's no different than the feature upgrades Panasonic and Sony offer after release for many of their pro-video cameras. The GH4 operates perfectly fine without it, and it's a feature that many may not need or want. But to those who want it, it adds value to the camera, so why shouldn't Panasonic charge a fee?
 
I hope by october theyll announce a gh5 coming soon with much more upgrades. I might be switching to the ursa mini or if they fix the h265 ill go with the nx1
 
To me it's a firmware update containing a new feature. Can a GH4 operate without it? Sure. Does it make sense to charge for it knowing both Sony and Samsung offer a Log profile by default, free of charge? Not really.
But hey, I'm happy for Panny there are customers gladly willing to pay for it and even defend the very idea :thumbsup:
 
brudney said:
Does it make sense to charge for it knowing both Sony and Samsung offer a Log profile by default, free of charge? Not really.
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These are profit making companies, so I have no problem if they want to charge for any useful new features they've developed.

If it makes you want to switch to Sony or Samsung, then that's your choice.
 
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