GH3 in Stock at Amazon US! New GH3 review by a Nikon shooter.
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And finally after four months a limited quantity of GH3 cameras is right now in Stock at Amazon US (Click here to grab one).
Nikon shooter Daniel Cox tests the GH3:
43rumors reader and Nikon shooter Daniel Cox posted his review of the Panasonic GH3 on his website Naturalexposures (Click here). It’s nice to hear the opinion form a regular Nikon PRO shooter about the camera: “Overall I’m extremely happy with the results I shot on my trip to Kenya. The GH3 did a superb job, especially taking into account how inexpensive this camera is, as well as the lenses that go with it. Will this system replace my Nikons at this point? No. But I can’t help thinking the cat’s out of the bag with this Micro Four Thirds camera system. I’m quite confident that any camera company not paying serious attention to Panasonic does so at their own peril. The GH3 exceeded all expectations and will remain a major part of my current photographic tools. Don’t let it’s diminutive size fool you. It’s a serious contender.”
Thanks Daniel for sharing your great article!
More GH3 bits I got via mail:
Petitrois: “it’s not a rumor but I shoot with GH3 and 35-100mm at night in slow motion 48% direct from GH3. http://vimeo.com/58229073 (in 1080p but with Vimeo conversion) http://vimeo.com/57803763 (converted in 720p by Vimeo, originally it was 1080p)”
For Dutch readers: Gh3 in Stock at Foto Hans Keuzekamp and at Foto Konijnberg.
nhdhl
4 months ago |As a FF Nikon shooter i have bought into mFT GH3 – 7-14,12-35,35-100 ,25mm 75mm 60mm macro mainly for the amazing video , but I have found that for many if not most shooting scenarios the mFT gear does the job just fine. Now before we get carried away there are a few areas where mFT falls down, telephoto lenses choice too short too slow and too poor, high ISO and high resolution.
kesztió
4 months ago |That’s a bit crazy as really good telephotos are even much easier to design for MFT. Hoping the situation will change soon.
(BTW really good telephoto lenses for FF are usually very expensive)
YTU6TR
4 months ago |The mFT lens size advantage is most effective at wider angles the main reason that the current longer tele zooms for mFT are fairly small is that they are slow and very average performers. It is unfortunate that there are no high grade long tele lenses for the system .
Bob B.
4 months ago |nhdhl
True Dat.
Mr. Reeee
4 months ago |Need telephoto? Just adapt pretty much any lens and use manual focus.
I very happily use a number of adapted Nikon AI-S lenses (Pentax SMC Takumar, Olympus OM and Voigtländer, too) on my GH2.
TheEye
4 months ago |MF works great when shooting tortoises and dead animals.
TheEye
4 months ago |By the way, why hasn’t focus trap been implemented, a feature that proved very useful already back in the ’80s?
David Whalen
4 months ago |Thank you! I got one! Now I have both GH2 and GH3. I have been checking webpages all morning but you beat me to it!
Ken
4 months ago |I spent the last six years shooting on a Nikon D80 with the 18-135 kit lens (slow but awesome) and I just switched to the GH3. I love it. Compact but sturdy. Simple to use. Lots of lens options (w/ adapters). I love tge way this little guy grabs color. Can we also appreciate that it shoots 3D photos? And does it well! THIS CAMERA IS AWESOME!!!
Dummy00001
4 months ago |If D80 user says camera is “awesome,” then it must be true.
TheEye
4 months ago |What kind of gear-based expertise would you accept as credible?
As a longtime Nikon shooter (How’s them apples?), I would liken the GH3 to a Mini F4 or F4s if equipped with the optional battery grip. I find the GH3 rather attractive, but my past experience with so-so Panasonic products, toasters and bicycles, clouds my judgement a little.
Anonymous
4 months ago |Mine comes in today.
I already have pl 25mm.
Also ordered the 14-45 kit as walk around zoom.
jw48335
4 months ago |From the Naturalexposures review: “The images at 3200 ISO were unfortunately unacceptable. But the 2000 ISO frames were beautiful.”. That says it all right there. Basically this is a $1300 body that can’t do quality high quality ISO 3200. It blows my mind that with all the other options available, anyone would consider this system at that price point.
YTU6TR
4 months ago |you assume that high ISO is important to everyone , I never shoot at high ISO on my mFT or my FF gear. While for some shooters high ISO performance is critical to a whole lot of photographers it is irrelevant. Check out any of the major image storing sites flickr etc and you will see just how small a percentage of most peoples images high ISO makes up. The latest mFT models are under a stop behind the best APS models { Nikon, Sony Pentax} and just as good as all the canon APS models
jw48335
4 months ago |Right, but it can’t even do ISO 100 either…
Giulio Sciorio
4 months ago |Do you even shoot?
TheEye
4 months ago |I dunno about you, but the lack of ISO 100 is a pain in the arse. Today, I was shooting with a Pen that has no shorter than a 1/2000 sec, and I didn’t want to stop down farther than f/8. While that Pen has ISO 100, DR is reduced compared to at ISO 200. Sucks to have to switch to an ND filter while saltwater spray blows in your face at 40 mph.
Giulio Sciorio
4 months ago |Don’t blame the camera blame the saltwater.
bart
4 months ago |So… the ISO 100 of for example the E-P1 and many Lumix cameras go at the expense of 1 stop of DR.
Have you ever considered shooting at ISO 200, overexposing by 1 stop, and then correcting that in post?
But but my hilights will be blown!
Could be, since you are giving up that same 1 stop of DR as a result. As a matter of fact, you are doing pretty much the same thing as such an extended ISO 100 would do.
Now.. if you are talking video, that is a slightly different story.
TheEye
4 months ago |That’s the point: a sensor with base ISO 200 is less useful for those who mostly shoot at low ISO than a sensor with base ISO 100. Extended ISO settings mean nothing to me, since I am a RAW shooter and don’t expose my shots “properly” (per camera) anyway.
bart
4 months ago |Ah then I misunderstood what you are after. Base ISO 100 would certainly be helpful for bright light situations indeed.
jw48335
4 months ago |Yes, steet, landscape, and some action with dogs and wildlife. The ISO limitations aren’t a revelation. Even DP Review was pointing out that if you don’t do videography, there’s a good chance the GH3 isn’t compelling. Typically with m4/3s the body size is smaller, and a big selling point, which is nice. Well, this as actually bigger than my spare Sony A37 body which I take when I need to go light weight. IQ isn’t any better than the A37, in ways it’s actually worse (ISO 100) for an $800(!) premium. I mean, I get the videography part, it’s pretty sweet in that regard, but other than that, this just doesn’t seem that shiny for all the hype (and price). The omd is pretty nice though.
Es
4 months ago |Exactly, if people wanted a 4/3 sensor in a large body, then 4/3 would have been win. In reality, it didn’t make a dent in the DSLR market and was a financial failure.
m4/3 is successful because of super small bodies and small lenses. Large bodies just don’t make a lot of sense.
Giulio Sciorio
4 months ago |Seems like some might not quite understand the GH3 so let me explain.
Its a PRO body for PROS that are used to using something like a Nikon D4. We need a body that is comfortable, fast, easy to use, cost effective and one that can capture quality multimedia.
The other thing no one here is mentioning is what is happening to the professional photography market. It’s hurting bigtime. Clients want photographers to shoot stills with motion and have it look the same and have it be around the same budget as we were charging back in 2007.
That is very difficult to do with a DSLR. The GH3 solves this problem and for a price a fraction of a Nikon D4. Most working pros (the ones that work in reality) don’t need big chips or loads of megapixels. We know where the image will end up being consumed – iphone, ipad and other electronic devices.
The demand for working photographers to produce a still image only product is trending down and fast. On the flip side the ability to produce alternate types of content from a device (like the GH3) that we are comfortable with will help us offset the budget cuts. For the ones that do it well and market properly there’s plenty of opportunity.
Working professionals need a device that makes shooting quality stills, video and audio easy and quick. This is what the GH3 does for us and its a god send.
bart
4 months ago |Indeed Giulio, the market is changing, technology is changing, and hence professional photographers have to change to keep up with that. If you don’t you either have to find a niche in which you can excel or become obsolete.
Conservatism among photographers is a significant issue, this is how it was done since forever (actually since the last decade or so but that is easily forgotten) and that dictates how it should be done! No argument for dismissing change is left unused.
“It doesn’t look ‘PRO’, my customers will never accept it!” is another often heard argument. This ‘argument’ is often taken to the extreme, they either must have a ‘full frame’ from one of the 2 biggest brands (as if most customers would know the difference) or a very good justification for a ‘crop sensor’. Of course this is silly, as anyone who doesn’t know why a ‘full frame’ camera isn’t needed for the large majority of pictures also doesn’t know when a picture would actually benefit from it, and hence have absolutely no valid argument for buying a huge heavy camera other then ‘but it is the best!’ (as if the best is an absolute with disregard of what you actually want to achieve)
I’m often reminded of the days when 135 film was becoming the most used format for general purpose photography, amateur and professional alike. We saw and especially heard how this was a mere amateur format and how any pro would be using medium or large format. It took a little while before the exception for news and then sports photographers were added (since they didn’t need quality anyway…..)… and the last time I heard that argument was in a photographer’s studio in 2005, needless to say they did everything on film, and at least on 120 format film. Also needless to say that they don’t exist anymore.
People like you and for example Marco Sartori do what is needed, make good pictures and videos, and just show how you can do the job, with help of (and not in spite of) your equipment of choice.
Anonymous
4 months ago |the guy was shooting with slow zooms.
m4/3 zooms aren’t that great.
with the exception of the 35-100 x zoom.
Anonymous
4 months ago |i know panasonic is supposed to come out with a fast tele prime 150mm (equivalent to a 300mm), but who knows when thats coming out, 2014?. olympus has the 75 prime, supposedly the best m4/3 lens so far, but not tele enough for the guy’s needs.
the reviewer likes the 100-300mm F/4-5.6 lens. its not bad, its just you compromise quality for going smaller lens/weight.
Aron Anderson
4 months ago |I can’t believe it I actually finally ordered the GH3. Thank you so much for posting. Lets just hope I don’t get an email telling me its back ordered.
Sean Nelson
4 months ago |How refreshing to see the GH3 described as “inexpensive” and “diminutive”. People coming up from phones and compact cameras just don’t seem to comprehend the true range of camera sizes and prices out there.
Dummy00001
4 months ago |Nice and useful write up, with well justified critique. The fact itself that people try a CDAF camera for action is something.
About his EVF woes in poor light. That actually where I have thought that focus peaking in EVF could have been helpful. Or some similar technique to enhance the outlines of the objects.
YTU6TR
4 months ago |I must admit I really do not like using EVFs in low light {GH3/gh2}i find them noisy and unpleasant to look through especially when manual focus is being used. But it is a technology that is moving onwards all the time .
Ulli
4 months ago |I agree but somehow i find them more useful then ovf when usinf MF lenses
Daniel Cox
4 months ago |Hello Fellow Micro Four Thirds Enthusiasts.
I want to apologize if you’ve been having a difficult time getting to the Natural Exposures site to read my take on the GH3. Unfortunately, my server hasn’t been able to handle the traffic. Never experienced this problem. My web team is doing all the can They’ve increased band width three times and each time it buckles under the weight of all the traffic. We’re working on it and thanks so much for your patience. I think you’ll enjoy the review when we get our act together. Very sorry for the inconvenience.
admin
4 months ago |Thanks Daniel for letting us know this!
beautemps
4 months ago |Visited it a few minutes ago and is fast and fine.
Great story and that wonderful authentic.
Thank you
Paul Alexander
4 months ago |Awesome features and functionality walk-through, but where is the REVIEW ???
Also. Did I miss the report on video?
Cliff
4 months ago |Daniel Cox,
Thank you for the incredible review and amazing photos. I just picked up my GH3 a week ago (thank you 4/3 Rumors for the in-stock update from Kenmore Camera!) to begin shooting cinematic video. With your review, I am now very confident of the GH3′s capabilities as a stills camera.
I have recently invested a bit into mirrorless cameras. I LOVE the IQ from my Fuji X100 and X-E1, but you do have to work a little more meticulously with them. The GH3 will now fill in as my main for video and will compliment my Fujis for stills. I think this combination will suit me well for travel.
My Nikon kit (2x D700, 70-200 VRII, 16-35 VR, 105 VR, 85 1.8G, 50 1.8D, 2x SB-910) now only comes out for paid jobs (weddings/portraits), though I would not hesitate using the X-E1 for portraits any day.
tomas
4 months ago |nice review of GH3…this is important for Pro like Daniel Cox … so avg user would love it:-0
-I would love to see a nano coated version of the 100-300mm lens with a constant F/4 aperture.
Clarisonic Mia 2
3 months ago |I do not even understand how I finished up right
here, but I thought this put up was great. I do not know who
you might be but certainly you are going to a famous blogger should you
aren’t already. Cheers!