Panasonic 4k camera system info & updates

For HD without debayering (444 chip) you need 3x1920x1080 (6,2mil pixels), with double green sample it is about 8mil pixels.
For HD with usual 422 chroma subsampling (two greens and one red and blue sample) you need 2x1920x1080 (about 4mil pixels).
For cheap HD cameras (1/3chip) with bigger interpolation (420 chroma subs.) you need from 1x1920x1080 (2mil pixels in XF100) to 3mil pixels (in G30).

For 4K with 444chip without interpolation you need 3x4096x2160 (8,8x3=26,5mil pixels), with double green samples it is about 35mil pixels.
For 4K with 422chip without interpolation you need 2x4096x2160 (8,8x2=17,6mil pixels), GH4 has 16.05mil pixels effective for video.
For QHD with 422chip without interpolation you need 2x3840x2160 (8,2x2=16,5mil pixels), GH4 has 16.05mil pixels effective for video.
For cheap 4K cameras (from 1/2" to 1") with bigger interpolation (420 chroma subs.) you need from 1x4096x2016 (8,8mil) to 13,5mil pixels.

Cheap 4K cameras have about 8,8-13,5mil pixels (like cheap HD cameras), 4K 422 cameras have about 16,5mil pixels. GH4 has about 16mil pixels, this mean that GH4 is using a small pixel interpolation for creating all required 4K pixels.

Here is some sony material about their new sensors pattern Q67 (8.8mil vs. 17.7mil vs. 26.5mil conception):

Everything you say make senses but camera manufacturers seem to be all over the place. RED as 4/4.5/5/6K cameras, Arri has a 2.5K camera, The F65 is 4K that starts with a 20MP sensor, yet I've heard people tell me it's an 8K sensor (it's nowhere near 8K). The only ones that seem to make any sense are the C100/300. Even the Genesis starts with a 12MP sensor for a 1080p final size.
 
Everything you say make senses but camera manufacturers seem to be all over the place. RED as 4/4.5/5/6K cameras, Arri has a 2.5K camera, The F65 is 4K that starts with a 20MP sensor, yet I've heard people tell me it's an 8K sensor (it's nowhere near 8K). The only ones that seem to make any sense are the C100/300. Even the Genesis starts with a 12MP sensor for a 1080p final size.

I was thinking about this (I know Sony F3 very well from its result, XDCAM PDW700 for ususal broadcast work, highend HD broadcast GV cameras from live shows, materials from a lot of them is my work). The first is the lens price (and how big lens must be), the second is the chip size, all other is after these two components. The result is what you wrote .-) .

I really think that the 420 colors will be much more often in 4K than in HD. The 10bit sampling quality and less compression are more important.
 
Well that didn't take too long. What surprises me is how on earth anyone thought a GH4 was going to be anything but a single lens system camera.

It's like going to a boat show when you know they are going to announce a 30 foot boat and then crying that it's not a mine sweeper because that's what you're used too......
 
So am I wrong in thinking that in order to record 4K out of this camera with the breakout box, external recorder, and IDX battery & charger solution, we are looking at around $6500?
 
Well that didn't take too long. What surprises me is how on earth anyone thought a GH4 was going to be anything but a single lens system camera.

It's like going to a boat show when you know they are going to announce a 30 foot boat and then crying that it's not a mine sweeper because that's what you're used too......

It's all trade-offs... I would have happily bought the 30 foot boat, even if it wasn't a minesweeper. But the hassle for me personally of the external power requirement for the box defeated any advantages of the image. If there ever is AF200, I may still buy one as a b-cam sans-XLR/SDI box because it is still a ridiculous amount of bang for your buck.
 
So am I wrong in thinking that in order to record 4K out of this camera with the breakout box, external recorder, and IDX battery & charger solution, we are looking at around $6500?

I may be out of the loop here, but -- have actual MSRPs been announced for the GH4K and the breakout box yet?
 
So am I wrong in thinking that in order to record 4K out of this camera with the breakout box, external recorder, and IDX battery & charger solution, we are looking at around $6500?

As long as we are guessing

It appears that based on some European pricing that has been posted, the price of the body should be about $1499-$1599....which would seem about right and consistent with pricing on their other GH models. I can't see the Audio/Video interface module (Model: DMW-YAGH) costing as much as the body, that just doesn't make sense to me and this is where the guessing begins. I think the interface will sell for $999.00. So for both body and interface, I am going to say you are in for about $2499


To capture 4K the only external recorder I would be looking at is the Odyssey 7Q. By the time you buy SSD drives you are looking at $3100 - $3900 (depending on the SSD's you choose). That is assuming that Convergent doesen't charge an added cost for capturing the 4K from the GH4.

Then you need to look at rails and a battery system...which can quickly add up by the time you get multiple batteries, charger and cables. I am going to say to budget another $1000-$1500. If you really go crazy rigging this camera then this number can go up substantially.

So I am going to say by the time you are fully rigged up and ready to shoot (NOT INCLUDING GLASS) I am going to say you are in for $6600-$8000

Obviously if you already have a power solution, rails glass and a recorder than you are only in for the Camera and Interface. If this is your first serious Camera however, you are in for a pretty hefty start up cost.
 
Last edited:
As long as we are guessing

It appears that based on some European pricing that has been posted, the price of the body should be about $1499-$1599....which would seem about right and consistent with pricing on their other GH models. I can't see the Audio/Video interface module (Model: DMW-YAGH) costing as much as the body, that just doesn't make sense to me and this is where the guessing begins. I think the interface will sell for $999.00. So for both body and interface, I am going to say you are in for about $3499.

Although I think you are in the ballpark (slightly less if you buy as a kit), your estimates seem to tack on an extra $1000 ($1599+999=$3499 ???)
 
Although I think you are in the ballpark (slightly less if you buy as a kit), your estimates seem to tack on an extra $1000 ($1599+999=$3499 ???)


LMAO....well math was never one of my strong suits...too funny.


You are of course correct...it is now corrected
 
Last edited:
Unless you trying to sell something at NAB….save your money.
You can get more info from the net….
Of course when I went to NAB we didn't even have internet…and we liked it!

Indeed. I'm more in the market for LED's this year, so it would be nice to kick them around.
Of course golf, craps and the Rhino isn't a bad gig either!
 
Yes, but there are two different signal strengths it can send out depending on whether you're having it record or not.

But is that for 4K as well or just 1080p?

Personally I don't think this camera is worth 4K 4:2:2 recording. By the time you deck it out for such with everything extra needed. But I'm not a big fan of all kinds of boxes hanging off my camera.

I would use it for shooting a small indie film in 4K and finished in 1080p. 1080p will still be viable for many years to come. Even after everyone has a 4K TV.
I would use the 4K straight out for personal stuff. Even for smaller corporate shoots I don't think anyone is going to be demanding 4K anytime soon. No one has even demanded 1080p from us.
 
On the fence with this one. Might be a nice "pocket" option for steady cam or jib set-up w/o much fuss.
Also, considering the C300 has no solid overcranking, might be nice to have 96fps option in a small pkg that fits nice in my run bag with out a crap load of rigging.
 
Personally I don't think this camera is worth 4K 4:2:2 recording. By the time you deck it out for such with everything extra needed. But I'm not a big fan of all kinds of boxes hanging off my camera.

I agree about junk hanging off the camera. I really don't like using external recorders, add-on EVFs, etc. That's why this camera would be sweet stuffed into an AF100-type body.
I'll go further and say I'd prefer a 4/3 4K camera in a PX-270 body. It would lose the 22X zoom - maybe about a 10x? - but I like having a power zoom on my video cameras. Think of the Z100, broadcast codec and all, but with a much larger sensor.

A 4K PX-270-ish camera, with an AVC/Ultra codec. I expect to see one within a few years.
 
Last edited:
Does anybody know if the screen info still disappears after 10 seconds? I've been reading as much as I can - but haven't found anything. Got one of my wishes with the new improved EVF, and hoping this is now a menu setting...
 
Back
Top