Panasonic GH4 announced (but price and availability still unkown).

GH4 specs, price and preorder notifications: Panasonic GH4 body at Amazon (Click here), Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here). DMW-YAGH interface unti at Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), Panasonic US (Click here). DMW-FL580L Flash at Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here).

Previews, tests and image samples: Hands-on at EosHD, Quick summary at Dpreview, Hands-on at Pocket Lint, First impressions at Trustedreviews, Hands-on pics at Cnet, First impression at ThePhoBlographer, First impressions at Quesabesde (Spanish), First impression at Cmaeras.Reviewed,

Videos: “Light of the Yucatan” in 4K by Bryan Harvey (youtube), Shooting Impression by Bryan Harvey (youtube), GH4 Shooting Impression by Bence Máté (youtube), GH4 Shooting Impression by Takehito Miyatake (youtube), Panasonic GH4 commercial (youtube), Shooting Impression by Daniel Berehulak (youtube), Gh4 at Videoaktiv (German),

Hot Notes: 1) Pricing will be announced in mid March only! (Camera will cost less than $2000 or 2000 Euro). 2) This is the world’s first mirrorless interchangeable lens mount camera recording 4K 3) The external XLR / HD-SDI add-on for this camera allows for uncompressed 10bit 4K output over 3G HD-SDI – the kind of spec Canon currently charges $25,000 fo (EosHD). 4) DFD (Depth-of-Defocus) autofocus works like this: During live view (before a half-press of the shutter button), the camera will occasionally make a tiny adjustment to focus, to check whether subjects in the frame are in front of or behind the current focus point. In addition to this information, the camera judges how far out-of-focus objects in the scene are, based on how blurred they are, assessed using a profile detailing the blur behavior of the lens at its current aperture. Although this combination of data itself doesn’t give the GH4 enough information to achieve precise focus, it does give it a clear idea of where it should start using conventional contrast detection AF process to achieve fine focus. (Dpreview). 5) Recording 4K will crop your image by an ulterior 1,25x factor (Quesabesde). 6) The new sensor seems to be able to get more detail out of the highlights than the sensor in the Olympus EM1 (ThePhoBlographer).

Press release: Dpreview, 43rumors, SystemKameraForum (German), Pocket Lint, Engadget, Photographyblog, Photoscala (German), DSLRmagazine (Spanish),

GH4 picture gets leaked along the new titanic optional Interface Unit!

What you see on top is not an interstellar ship, it’s the real GH4 with the optional Interface Unit! Attached on the GH4 it will allow you to use 2 XLR channels, 4 SDI, micro HDMi output, color bar signal, audio reference signal and has external time control.

The GH4 is the first Micro Four Thirds camera with 4K video recording and it will be announced tomorrow morning (5am London time of February 7).

 

These are the camera specs:

– 16,05 Megapixel sensor. It’s a new sensor with semi-conductor protection tech to reduce noise and improved dynamic range.
– quad core processor and venus Engine
– ISO up to 25,600.
– 12fps, 7,5 fps with continuous focusing
– GH4 uses the new UHS I class III SD card format
– Depth From Defocusing (uses Panasonic lens database to fine tune AF!)
– AF as fast as 0.07 seconds. 49 AF points.
– 4K video at 4096×2160 pixels and max frame rate of 96fps.
– Bit rate of up to 200Mbp

And the camera seen from all angles:

 

 

Sony to launch the A6000 next week (and no real new E-mount lens).

Next week on Wednesday February 12 at 5am in the morning (London time) Sony will announce a new “NEX-6 clone”. it will be named A6000, have the same NEX-6 chassis and lot of minor improvements on speed and image/video quality. Not really something exciting but I nice upgrade (that’s what sources told me). There will be also no new E-mount lenses. One source told me Sony will only display some “converted” A to E-mount zooms (just like the 70-200mm FE).

New FE lenses are likely going to be announced in a next announcement scheduled for end of March!

Panasonic G4K to be announced on Friday (Feb 7). First specs leaked.

On Friday (Feb 7) at 5-6am London time Panasonic will announce their first Micro Four Thirds 4K camera. This is basically a GH3 with optimized sensor for 4K recording. This means it has a faster processor, better heating dispersion and same still iamge quality. Some specs already leaked ahead of the announcement:

– New 16 Megapixel sensor optimized for 4K recording
– 2,36 million dot OLED EVF
– 200Mps and ALL-I intra mode recording (4K)
– Price less than $2,000 (final price to be determined). – G4K has focus peaking
– There is an attachable XLR adapter
– H264 codec all intra that give 422 color all intra in 100 mbps. To record this you will need to buy the new P2 Micro card in SD shape made by Panasonic (see image on top)
– it will be switch-able from 4K and 1080P with various frame rates (can shoot 120fps at 1080P for example)

So after the 3D hype we will now enter the 4k hype. Will 4K succeed or fail just like 3D did?

New NEX-7 and new G1X successor to be announed next week!

Sony will announce the new NEX-6 and NEX-7 successor next week on February 12. Actually there will be one new camera that will replace both models. NO big improvement on the Image Quality front. Main improvements are on the speed side of the camera.

And Canon will announce the G1X successor. No exact date yet but I guess it will be announced right before the start of the CP+ show on February 13.

P.S.: I am still not sure about it but there are also rumors about a new entry level E-mount FF camera from Sony. Don’t know if it’s a real deal or not!