GH3 Why Does G6 have Focus Peaking but not the GH3?

I think Panasonic will add focus peaking to the GH3 when they sold enough G6 units. With a huge GH3 firmware update later this year they will trigger sales again. As far as I remember the GH models have always been announced at Photokina in Cologne. Next Photokina will be in september 2014. If Panasonic sticks to this release cycle, the next GH will be available in November or December 2014. Meanwhile they have to keep this nice little camera attractive.

Personally I like the GH3 very much. It's a compact companion for an AF100 shooter like me. Focus peaking and a function to prevent the the display info from disappearing are indeed the only two things I am missing. And I guess Panasonic will deliver.

What a wasteful society we live in if I need to get rid of a perfectly working piece of hardware to gain something that CAN be added via firmware. We really are the throw away generation and its disgusting!

+1
This is always driving me crazy. I would be willing to pay a lot more for a camera like the GH3 if Panasonic would promise to update the camera via firmware as good as they can.

Now, the G6 is meant to be small and very portable. It would be absurd to attach an external monitor to it.

Well, it's all a matter of perspective. The GH3 is meant to be small and portable, too. That's why I bought it. For everything else I have my AF100 (with a smallHD DP6 attached from time to time).
 
It seems like if they added peaking as well as a mic jack for external microphones, they damn well should have added a headphone jack to monitor said high quality external microphone. They go on in their press release about the wonderful focus tracking this side of a focus puller, and add peaking as well for manual focus. This is all very professional sounding, but no headphone jack with the addition of a mic jack! Does anyone have a razor? GH3 with a headphone jack and no peaking. G6 with peaking and no headphone jack. Oh Panasonic, how you don't complete me.
 
Looking through Panasonics website I found this reply by Panasonic as to why there is no Focus Peaking on the GH3:

PANASONIC EXPERT


As the GH3 will be released, it will not have focus peaking. We are aware that many customers want this feature. Due to time constraints during the development schedule it could not be included. Since Contrast AF finds the peak contrast, using the same process we believe Focus Peaking can be added, perhaps as a firmware update. This issue is under study.
7 months ago
PanasonicAnswers
Was this helpful?Yes2No0Report

So, this pretty much says that it is possible to add the feature but Panasonic rushed the GH3 and pretty much released an un-finished camera. It's good to know that I payed $1200 for the 'privilege' of being Panasonic's beta tester of an unfinished product.
 
Well done Panasonic, new firmware but STILL no focus peaking.

My quote above from the Panasonic expert on their website was from seven months ago........ what are they doing?
 
By then, many people wanting a video camera would have jumped Panasonics ship. They have a lot of extremely good competition now.
 
This is crazy. They can easily do it with software in a firmware update. Almost every other camera has it now too.
Let's hope they are waiting for initial sales of the G6 to pass and then will all focus peaking to the GH3.
 
So what is another model of camera that contends with the GH3? I haven't purchased yet, so I'm not stuck with one if something better is out there. Are there any M4/3 cameras that can compete?
 
Are there any M4/3 cameras that can compete?

A hacked GH2 :]

Not to mention BMPC, which image-quality-and-post-flexibility-wise seems to be miles ahead of any m43 camera. It's to be released very soon so we'll no for sure if it's as good as it seems.
 
I gave up on the BM Pocket Camera, as I need 1080p60 for aerial video, and they did not list that as an option. It does look like a cool camera though. When is it due?
 
I gave up on the BM Pocket Camera, as I need 1080p60 for aerial video, and they did not list that as an option. It does look like a cool camera though. When is it due?

Next month, supposedly.

Anyway, in your case, GH3 seems to be the best option.
 
Back
Top