Panasonic unveiled in May the GH5 Mark II which is a slight refresh of the venerable m4/3rds GH5 with live streaming, better dynamic range in video, better AF algorithms, and slightly better IS on a very similar body with just a few cosmetic red buttons and rings for refresh purposes. The slow motion remains at 180fps VFR at 1080p and 60p at 4k on the GH5 II since it is using the same sensor and imaging engine. It is a better overall camera than the original but a mild refresh nonetheless.
That brings us to the pre-announced GH6 which is an in-development camera that aims to refresh the entire Micro 4/3ds line in Panasonic and aimed at professional video users. It sports a new sensor, new imaging engine, new body and new technologies yet to be disclosed. According to rumors, this camera should be able to keep micro 4/3rds alive for another five years delivering an array of video and photo features that will set it apart much like the original GH5 carved a place in camera history. We have also received rumored specs that may or may not pan out regarding frame rates which we find somewhat credible. → Continue Reading Full Post ←
So the rumors proved to be accurate on the GH5s and now we have a low light version of the GH5 that can shoot cleanly up to ISO 12,800 with up to 100k ISO and by then a much noisier picture. It is claimed by Panasonic that there was a 1.5 stop improvement in noise performance. Judging by the initial video samples it is clear that the new 10.28MP sensor along with dual native ISO circuitry for each photosite “one at ISO 400” and “one at ISO 2400” make a huge performance leap if low light is desired in a m43 camera.
All is not rosy in Lumix land however as the camera now lacks IBIS or In Built Image Stabilization on the sensor which was a main selling point of both the GH5 and the G9. Panasonic claims that it was a decision made to cater to filmmakers that need no wobble or vibrations in a shot that can be produced when the stabilizer fails. But why not just add an On-Off switch? 1080p 240fps is also included in the camera but as initial samples show it reduces quality substantially.
Panasonic Lumix GH5S Main Specs:
- 10.28MP Multi-Aspect Ratio MOS Sensor
- DCI Cinema 4K – 50-60p
- Full HD 1080p 240fps Slight Crop!
- Internal 4:2:2 10-Bit Long GOP
- V-Log L Gamma and HDR Hybrid Log Gamma
- 0.76x 3.68m-Dot OLED Viewfinder
- 3.2″ 1.62m-Dot Free-Angle Touchscreen
- Dual Native ISO 400 and ISO 2500
- Dual UHS-II SD Slots; Wi-Fi & Bluetooth
- Advanced DFD AF System
- 12 fps Cont. Shooting and 4K PHOTO Modes
- MSRP $2,499.99 USD -Pre Order Here!
- Release Date End of January-Start February 2018!
Panasonic GH5S Video Hands-On – Highlights of the New Camera by cinema5D:
GH5s VFR Slow Motion performance?
As you can see from the excellent first look video above by Cinema 5D the video quality in low light is very much improved from the GH5 and G9. However, the slow motion at 240fps is full of resolution loss, jaggies, and moire which is to be expected as information is being thrown out to cope with the data rate. This begs the question so what does it look like up to 190fps which is the limit before the VFR mode starts to crop the image. We estimate that it may actually do better than the GH5 and G9 at 190fps and below in which those two other cameras suffer resolution loss as well. It will be interesting to see if the 180-190fps GH5s is excellent quality. There might be something to cheer here for high frame rate enthusiasts.
Panasonic LUMIX GH5S – Variable Frame Rate (VFR) for Impressive Slow Motion by PanasonicLumixVideo: → Continue Reading Full Post ←
The Latest on Hi Speed Affordable Imaging!
