Sony A7s gets a pricing. Costs $900 more than the GH4.

The first real Panasonic GH4 competitor is the Sony A7s. And today Sony unveiled the pricing which is $2499 at Amazon. So let’s just take a short look about the advantages and disadvantages of each camera:

Sony A7s advantages:
Super clean High ISO. ISO range goes up to 409,600.
Full Frame look (that for some people is an advantage).
Big pixels likely means Higher Dynamic range and Color fidelity.
Superior Stills Image Quality (but with a bit less Megapixels)

Panasonic GH4 advantages:
4K recording on SD cards (A7s needs an external 4K recorder and can record XAVC-s 50Mbit/s at best)
10 bit output (A7s has 8bit output)
Autofocus is much faster (A7s autofocus pretty much sucks)
More available native lenses and cheaper. A7 system only has five (mostly expensive) FE lenses right now.
Powerzoom lenses (A7s has one on roadmap but price and release still have to be defined).
$900 cheaper.
Actually it’s $2900 cheaper if you want 4K because the A7s “forces” you to buy the Atomos Shogun (here at BHphoto)

In short:
Let me know if I forgot to mention som major differences. But so far it looks like that overall the GH4 has the edge. I am sure at photokina we will get more and likely also cheaper 4K cameras. And we have to see by then if Panasonic managed to sell plenty of GH4 cameras…

a little bit of everything…


“BELIEF” – a Panasonic GH4 video review from Johnnie Behiri on Vimeo.

Worse image quality with E-shutter? (M43photo).
Japanese GH4 test at Asahi.
GH4 in Stock in Holland at FotoHansKeuzekamp.
Free Olympus Event With Professional Photographer Mick Hutson (ePhotozine).
Journées portes-ouvertes Olympus (Lepidi).
Photographer takes Panasonic GH4 on test shoot around Seattle (Dpreview).
The Panasonic GM1 – My camera of the year!!! (Soundimagesplus).
Thoughts on Panasonic GH4 and GH4 Video Quality vs Sony A7s (Diglloyd)

Jahawi:It’s not a rumour, and it may seem a bit out dated with all the talk of the GH4 but this is a trailer of an upcoming documentary i’ve been working on in the North coast of Kenya. All the underwater footage and most of the topside stuff was shot on a Panasonic GH3. Thought it may be something different for the m43 readers! The full documentary will be going to the Smithsonian Museum Of Natural Histroy in Wahsington this summer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee1bcP9FXVc.

Eric:I took my GH4 for a test shoot around Seattle, including a helicopter ride over this beautiful city with fantastic results (Watch the video at Vimeo). I think this camera is going to be very popular for aerial video.  The sharpness and dynamic range are unlike anything I’ve ever seen from a DSLR before.  I also tested the time lapse mode in the camera and absolutely love it.  The cameras ability to create 4K videos from the time lapses in-camera is a luxury that saves hours of post production.

Finally here: E-P5 firmware update! Adds 0 shock feature.

After weeks of waiting (and rumors posted here) the E-P5 firmware has been finally released! There is also a Stylus 1 fw update. Just use your Olympus Digital Camera Updater to upload the new firmware to your camera. These are the improvements:

E-P5 firmware version 1.4 additional features:

  • Improved remote control functionality when using the “Olympus Image Share” app.
  • Art Filter mode, custom self timer, zoom operation when using electric zoom lenses, digital tele-converter and cable remote release mode.
  • *It is necessary to use the latest version of the Olympus Image Share app so it is recommended you also check your smartphone for updates too.
  • A 0 second setting has been added to Anti Shock mode.

STYLUS 1 firmware version 1.1 additional features:

  • Improved remote control functionality when using the “Olympus Image Share” app.
  • Art Filter mode, custom self timer, zoom operation when using electric zoom lenses, digital tele-converter and cable remote release mode.
  • *It is necessary to use the latest version of the Olympus Image Share app so it is recommended you also check your smartphone for updates too.

found via ePhotozine.

New Android application for the Panasonic GH3 / GH4 by Raymond Bakker

Work in progress fullscreen #liveview Android application for the Panasonic #GH3 / #GH4.

Raymond Bakker contacted me to share a cool news:

I’m working on an application that allows fullscreen liveview on Android for the Panasonic GH3 / GH4. I’m also looking at tackling livestreaming next, a feature the cameras should really have in my opinion. Check out the photo of the work in progress application. https://twitter.com/Raymond_Bakker/status/465600777470640128. Maybe you can feature it as I am sure many are waiting on these functionalities.

Good Work Raymond!

a little bit of everything…

Switching to a Panasonic GH4 from a Canon 5D Mark III: Five Things I Miss from David Chen on Vimeo.

5 years on – How far has m4/3 come? (Soundimagesplus).
Nocticron test at Focus Numerique.
Panasonic, Unique Photo To Unveil First LUMIX Lounge Lifestyle Concept Store In The U.S (Marketwatch).
Video Coverage/Crop and Still Image Quality from Raw or JPEG vs MOV Frames (Diglloyd).
Rocking 4k video with the Panasonic GH4 at the Monterey Bay Aquarium (Planet5d).
IBELUX 40mm f0.85 lens first seen in flesh at Newsshooter. Note, ther eis a MFT version too for sale at Technikdirekt.de.
Fireworks shot at 4K at Frugalfilmmakers.

Jurek:I’m sure you are being inundated with early GH4. Well here is one more…;-) GH4 with SLR Anamorphot and Panasonic 14-45mm lens (details on Vimeo page). https://vimeo.com/94477550

Max:GH3, 7-14, Voigtlaender 25, 35-100 Wedding Anton & Julia https://vimeo.com/94628182

Panasonic GH4 audio background noise test.

Before to panic I have to say that the audio test you can hear on top has been boosted to display the issue. In any normal recording condition you will not notice the issue at all! So this is just for “audio-peepers”.

Suggestionofmotion posted that video on top to show the background audio issue on the GH4:

It’s common knowledge that camera preamps are not the highest quality to begin with. The best practice is to set the in-camera audio gain as low as possible to keep the camera from introducing noise.
Now instead of just noise, we also have a buzz to contend with in the GH4. Just like noise, the buzz is always there regardless of gain level.
At the same time, like noise, if you set the gain as low as possible and feed the camera a strong audio signal, the buzz is buried pretty well.

The good news is 1) In no real word recording condition you will notice that and 2) Panasonic is already working to fix this (Source: Facebook). So unlike Suggestionofmotion I do not see that as a serious issue. TheDingo at DVXuserforum answered to that video test:

When I first heard about this audio buzz issue I was a bit worried about the audio quality of the GH4, but the more I hear about it, I am becoming convinced this is people listening to the actual noise-floor of the camera, which is something that would NEVER happen if you have all your audio ducks in a row.

So don’t worry guys!

North American preorders, shipping date and price:
GH4 camera at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, Ritz Camera and Panasonic. Price: $1,698. In Canada at Vistek.
GH4 camera with interface unit at Adorama and BHphoto. Price: $3,298
Interface unit only at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto and Panasonic. Price: $1,998

Europen preorders, shipping date and price:
Germany: Wexcameras, Marcotec-shop.de.
UK at Wexphotographic, CameraWorld, UKdigital, CVP, TipTop.
Holland at Fotohanskeuzekamp.
Belgium at Fotokonijnenberg.
Norway at Fotovideo.
Sweden at Cyberphoto, Skandinavianphoto.
Finland at Telefoto, Topshot, Verkkoauppa.
France at Photocineshop.
Spain: Fotoboom.

Asian preorders, shipping date and price:
Digitalrev and Digidirect Australia.

4K cards
Kingston 16-32-64 GB SDHC UHS-I Speed Class 3 at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
Sandisk 16-32-64 GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II Memory Card at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
Transcend 64-128 GB High Speed 10 UHS-3 at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).
Panasonic 16-32-64 GB SDHC-UHS-I U3 Card (90MB/s) at Adorama (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here).