Panasonic 4K GH4 possibly coming next Spring...

pulpfiction007 said:
Makes me wonder why they didn't just put all this tech into the AF100 body and call it the AF200
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I would imagine that the GH2/GH3 sold really well and perhaps the AF100 didn't? I have no idea if that is actually the case, and if it was, if it played a factor in their decision, but it seems plausible. Besides, they're different divisions of Panasonic that people here say are fairly isolated from each other, so they probably have completely different decision-making processes (as they should, given the different markets they serve).
 
I would suspect that the GH4 has this form factor because that is what is selling well and want people seem to want. Granted it isn't a perfect form factor but most of us are now used to it and use it every day for high quality production work. There is also the factor of other gear and accessories we all invested in. Sure some of this could be adapted to a video camera form factor but chances are we all own gear that works best with a DSLR form factor. We have all been heavily invested in DSLR production shooting now for many years and it just makes sense for Panasonic to stick with this current culture. Well except for my GH3 cage which will no longer work with that adapter :(

Creating the GH4 in the form factor we see here just makes sense from a marketing perspective. It also still doubles as a really darn good DSLR for shooting stills. Regardless of how much many of us want to think of the GH3 as just a video camera it is not and enjoys a lot more sales on the stills side. By keeping the DSLR form factor Panasonic keeps both markets open for the GH4. It can be used as a phenomenal 4k video camera or a darn good stills camera. You pick. Personally I love have my GH3 during vacations. I can shoot amazing video or stills while carrying much less and lighter gear to do so.
 
Makes sense Thomas, I posed the question having that feeling myself. GH4 sells way more tickets to the game than an AF200 (although many would prefer that design for their work - built in ND filters/built in audio/focus assist tools/proper video parameter adjustments/etc etc)
 
The writer of the article stated he did not know the price or the availability, hopefully tomorrow the world will know. So far it is still looking VERY VERY VERY good!
 
pulpfiction007 said:
Makes sense Thomas, I posed the question having that feeling myself. GH4 sells way more tickets to the game than an AF200 (although many would prefer that design for their work - built in ND filters/built in audio/focus assist tools/proper video parameter adjustments/etc etc)
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There's nothing yet that says the GH4 will be missing any of what you listed. I have less hope for the ND filters simply due to the form factor appearing to be the exact same as the GH3 and its physical size restriction, but all the others could be implemented in the firmware, especially with a quad-core processor. Even the ND is not totally out of the question if you remember the Sony RX10. Let's wait and see what they have to say.
 
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To quote Obi-Wan Kenobi, "I have a very bad feeling about this".

At that price point, in that form factor, with that spec sheet, with those features, and sporting THAT codec, this is an absolute no-brainer 'gotta pack one of those' video cameras, never mind it has its own breed of lenses, the sort of 'spare camera' for any shooter that may well be the first one to be pulled out of the bag.

But where are the NDs?

Slaps forehead - oh god, it's the FS100 all over again. Large sensor super-sensitive video cameras need NDs, and the GH4 (unless I am very much mistaken, and that would be a wonderful thing - I do hope so) doesn't have them. Sob. Rents lens cloth in anguish.

We, the DVX community MUST lobby Panasonic to 'do the right thing' and put the GH4 into an AF103 body (or perhaps get a new body from 99designs, who I am sure will do a far better job than Panasonic's multimillion dollar AF101 design team).

And don't forget the NDs.

(Shenan beat me to it)
 
I'd be willing to place a wager that it won't have ND filters or gamma/knee/detail coring and all that good Panasonic stuff - but I'm not knocking it, just stating that there are a lot of things in video cameras that aren't on hybrids/DSLR cams.
 
Within my little tight-knit community, I know of some folk who are willing to sell up their kit and switch to a GH4 if the hype works out. Trouble is, there's a segment in that Venn Diagram that sold their EX1s to switch to 1DX, and I'm not sanguine about how that worked out.

But kudos to Panasonic's carefully planned leaks - they've worked up a perfect media storm for the GH4.

We can be the ten-year-old kids sitting on the wall and flinging mud at the Emperor in his new duds. I really hope flesh-coloured lycra onesies aren't 'the new black'. LOL
 
Thomas Smet said:
I would suspect that the GH4 has this form factor because that is what is selling well and want people seem to want
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I think it's the only way Panasonic could make a 4K camera that would sell for $2K or less. A new video body would probably double the price.

I wonder if we are going to see a new AF100 style camera at NAB this year ? ( would probably sell around the C100 price range )
 
Looks like in the states we will know everything tonight at 8 PM in LA and 11 PM in NY. I'm at 9 PM here in Montana...will be watching for certain ;)
 
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