New 4/3rds (not micro) DSLR from Panasonic...the answer to all our problems?

Ben_B

Ben_B

Veteran
Apparently it's been leaked (or rather rumored) that Panasonic will be premiering a new 4/3rds (not Micro) DSLR at CES that can flip between a standard optical and GH1 style liveview viewfinder with the flick of a switch. Sounds perfect for stills and, with a liveviewfinder and hopefully articulated LCD, the a great hybrid camera platform. I am assuming that it will include video features, and hoping that it may address some of the audio and codec issues plaguing HDSLR users.

So here's my question for you guys: given the premise of a video shooting (assumption) 4/3rds (not micro) DSLR with the ability to flip between live and optical viewfinder (rumored leak) what are some other features you'd like to see in this, and realistically think we maybe will?

Me?

Realistic hopes: Articulated LCD, better codec implementation, variable framerates, monitor-out, a price under $2,000.

Unrealistic hope: Manual audio controls + monitoring, HD output.

500x_pansonic_micro_four_thirds_camera_patent-540x195.jpg
 
Can old manual lenses like Canon FD or Nikon F be adapted to the standard four third mount? If yes, I'm very interested, if not, then it's less enticing.
 
Just give me one good reason to liquidate my 7Ds man.

I'm itching for it.

No aliasing or better compression will do the trick.
 
Yeah, the lack of mirror box on the GH1 is appealing for many reasons, one of them being the adaptability it brings in terms of lenses.
 
Ben_B said:
So here's my question for you guys: given the premise of a video shooting (assumption) 4/3rds (not micro) DSLR with the ability to flip between live and optical viewfinder (rumored leak) what are some other features you'd like to see in this, and realistically think we maybe will?
Click to expand...

I have no idea what is realistic. BUT what I'd like to see in one of these HDSLRs from ANYONE is:


1. Large & bright optical viewfinder.
2. Interchangeable ground glass (1.33/1.78/1.85/2.40)
3. A real codec (AVC-I, MJP2K, RAW)
4. 2 (mini)HDMI ports that are hot all the time.
5. Timecode (23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 50, 59.98) Simple.
6. LPCM 16bit with mini-XLR inputs
7. Overscanning with 50% gray area outside the chosen frame.
8. Optional PL mount
9. A 3-color LED to tell me when I am low/nearly out/out of recording media
10. Last clip review
11. A S35 recorded area. Not close to S335, but EXACTLY S35.
12. Recording speeds from 1fps to 60fps
13. Iris control on the stock lenses
14. A decent battery format!
15. Jam sync
 
Not for under 2000 ... If I'd have one thing done to my GH1 it would be video out, and i'm happy with 960x540 out through hdmi.

I'd rather a heavy 720p than a really 'light' 1080.
 
Interesting if true, the design looks like the old L1 which is a bit of a classic design.
Can old manual lenses like Canon FD or Nikon F be adapted to the standard four third mount? If yes, I'm very interested, if not, then it's less enticing.
__________
Click to expand...
There are quite a few adapters around for regular 4/3. I have OM and MD ( which is a bit hit and miss ). I think there are adapters for Canon, Nikon, M42 etc., but I don't know how well they all work.
 
i would want a bigger type of gh1.. bigger not because of the mirror lens but because having a processing chip that encodes avccam quality avchd
 
An optical viewfinder is almost unquestionably going to apply only to stills, not to video. That's how the 7D works.

The only way they would likely do an optical viewfinder with video would mean a prism, which would mean light loss and perhaps quality reduction. Or, a rotating mirror shutter, which would be just genius and I'm gonna now go lobby Panasonic to do that! :)
 
The great thing about a rotating mirror idea is that you could use it in either mode -- lock the mirror open and use it as an electronic viewfinder, or use it with the rotating mirror and the optical viewfinder...

Batteries, schmatteries -- I'd wear a battery belt to get a rotating mirror shutter/optical viewfinder/NO ROLLING SHUTTER camera!
 
Yeah in the days of Arri BL's we never thought twice about toting around giant lunchbox batteries. And if you wanted to do high speed you needed two or three to get the camera up the speed desired.

I for one vote "YES" for the rotating mirror. I will hook it up to a car battery in needed!

A rotating mirror might actually bring me around to considering a DSLR for serious work.
 
Barry, I posed a question about your great article on aliasing. When you have time consider the question. Is it relevent?
 
Interesting question, and one I don't know the answer to, although I suspect the answer is along the lines of a) they didn't think of it, and b) they didn't think anyone would care. The DSLRs are not designed to produce quality video, they're designed for photojournalists or low-cost alternatives to low-cost video cameras. We are the oddballs here, trying to press an $1100 or $1700 SLR into professional usage! :)

Canon said the 5D's video capability was designed for photojournalists to shoot web video.

So -- yeah, I think what you're talking about is a great idea, a switchable video-appropriate OLPF that you could engage for video, and disengage for stills. Seems obvious, and brilliant. As to why they don't have it? I don't know what kind of tolerances might be necessary for where to mount the filter, maybe that would make for some difficulties in manufacturing. And the sensors are kind of huge, so the filter would need to be huge, and when it's switched out it has to go somewhere, so they'd have to have space in the body to build such a mechanism and space for the filter to go to when it's switched out... but... yeah, that's interesting...
 
Barry_Green said:
The great thing about a rotating mirror idea is that you could use it in either mode -- lock the mirror open and use it as an electronic viewfinder, or use it with the rotating mirror and the optical viewfinder...
Click to expand...

Although I have a hard time seeing anything like this in the drawing, that is what the rumor supposedly is...I am not sure on the implementation, but the idea is, apparently, that you get a liveview viewfinder or optical...a camera with an optical viewfinder and a liveview LCD is nothing new of course.
 
I don't get why you guys would be excited by this. FourThirds and Micro FourThirds use the same sensors. The micro system just removes the mirror box, and has a new smaller mount (and shorter flange distance) that allows for smaller lenses. Image quality should be the same, in fact it'll probably be very similar to the GH1 in all respects, unless they upgrade the senor tech, in which case they could build a new MFT camera using the same tech.

-kap
 
Worth noting that the article says "no video recording" but I think that's just because it's absent from the patent...which to me really doesn't indicate anything either way.

However, this would make a great still camera, because you'd get an optical viewfinder but never have to take the camera away from your eye to review photos!

For those that aren't used to following rumors like this, it is worth noting that patents get filed all the time and never amount to anything, or the technology gets radically changed and integrated into a new product much further down the line. However one component of the rumor is CES 2010 so we'll see what happens.

Personally I'd rather see GH1a or GH2 or a firmware update :D

When I told my photography buddies about this camera they thought it would be freaking amazing to never have to lower the camera but still get an optical viewfinder...although one of them gave me his usual "full frame or nothing" quip.
 
Ben_B said:
Personally I'd rather see GH1a or GH2 or a firmware update :D
Click to expand...

Yeah, assuming the hardware is capable, allowing for a 24Mbps AVCHD in full HD would be great. I'm not a pro so I'm pretty damn happy with the camera as is, but the extra bandwidth would be great. Just got a 4TB raid array so I have all the space I need to store and work with footage :)

-kap
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top