After a bit of a hold-up, Panasonic has finally revealed the 25.2-megapixel GH6, the highest-resolution Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cam to date. One can believe of it as a mini version of its S1H “Netflix electronic camera,” as its filled with pro video features like 5.7 K ProRes V-Log video, a tilt-swivel screen and CFexpress capture. As with past GH models, video quality is outstanding, with the 5.7 K video helpful and particularly sharp for modifying. With that, the GH6 is considerably more comfy to utilize than any Micro Four Thirds cam Ive attempted, especially with large lenses. While its real that the GH6 is more of a video than a stills electronic camera, a lot of shooters choose to use an EVF in intense sunlight, so a sharper image would have been nice.
After a little a delay, Panasonic has actually lastly exposed the 25.2-megapixel GH6, the highest-resolution Micro Four Thirds mirrorless video camera to date. One can think about it as a mini variation of its S1H “Netflix video camera,” as its loaded with pro video functions like 5.7 K ProRes V-Log video, a tilt-swivel display screen and CFexpress capture. Nevertheless, its still stuck with contrast identify rather than phase detect autofocus like many contemporary cameras. Fortunately, I had the ability to get my hands on a preproduction unit to have a look at the brand-new features and get an early feel for it..
Lets talk about the most intriguing changes. As pointed out, the GH6 has a 25.2-megapixel sensing unit with a high-speed readout, though it isnt stacked like its Micro Four Thirds rival, the OM-1. That clearly gives a much-needed image resolution boost, though photo burst performance is really down a touch from the GH5 II (8 fps with constant AF compared to 9 fps)..
The GH6 still utilizes a contrast find autofocus system (what it calls “depth from defocus” or DFD) rather than stage spot like almost all its competitors. Just like the GH5 II, it likewise consists of face/eye/head/ body/animal AI acknowledgment. While Panasonic has quite much perfected its DFD system, its still not as quick or reliable as phase discover systems..
Gallery: Panasonic GH6 mirrorless camera gallery|19 Photos.
Just like previous GH models, video quality is exceptional, with the 5.7 K video useful and especially sharp for editing. The ProRes choice has also conserved me an extra step compared to the GH5s, as I no longer need to transcode video. The disadvantage is that the video files are 4-5 times the size– so youll wish to purchase high capacity CFexpress Type B cards, which can get extremely costly.
A fascinating new feature is called dynamic range boost. Itll utilize 2 analog circuits at different ISO settings to take two different direct exposures when you trigger the setting. The outcome is improved vibrant variety in scenes with dark and intense locations, with no excessive noise, though its limited to ISO 2000 and up. I discovered it to be very useful for interior shots with bright sunlight coming through windows, making it possible to recover highlights and information..
The GH6 has five-axis in-body stabilization like the other models, today provides up to 7.5 stops of shake decrease with supported lenses, just behind the 8 stops on Canons EOS R6. With enhanced IS and E-stabilization, it truly ravels video well even for circumstances like walking, better than many mirrorless electronic cameras Ive used..
The GH6 kind of appearances like the GH5 II, however its a fair bit much heavier (823 grams compared to 727 grams with a battery and sd card), and the body has changed in numerous notable methods. Its much thicker, to begin with, thanks in part to an active cooling fan that makes sure the GH6 does not suffer overheating concerns like Canons EOS R5 and R6. To that end, Panasonic is promising endless recording in all video modes, consisting of 5.7 K 60p and 4K 120p.
Steve Dent/Engadget.
With that, the GH6 is substantially more comfortable to use than any Micro Four Thirds cam Ive tried, especially with big lenses. It likewise has an additional record button on the front of the camera thats exceptionally helpful for vlogging.
The GH6 now has a tilt-swivel display screen like the SH1, with the exact same 1,840 K dot resolution as the one on the GH5 II. That makes the camera thicker, however more practical for low angle and other kinds of shooting, and the tilt choice keeps the screen from being obstructed by cables if you utilize an external recorder. Its also Panasonics brightest display yet, and was extremely visible even in sunshine.
The 3.68 million dot OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF) is sadly unchanged from the GH5 lineup. While its true that the GH6 is more of a video than a stills cam, a lot of shooters prefer to use an EVF in bright sunlight, so a sharper image would have been great. Also unchanged is the BLK-22 battery that delivers less shots than the GH5 II (380 compared to 410) and a little less shooting time– most likely due to the fan and extra resolution.
Steve Dent/Engadget.
The GH6 has a number of other major drawbacks compared to competitors. One of them is the reasonably small sensing unit size compared to a full-frame camera. That uses fewer imaginative possibilities, though its also more forgiving in terms of focus and makes for less expensive, lighter lenses..
The most significant defect, however, is the contrast-detect autofocus. The great news is that Panasonic seems to have lastly recognized that buyers desire phase discover and hinted that its not out of the question for future designs..
The GH6 was reported to be priced at $2,500, but theres some good news on that front. Its now on pre-order for $2,200 (body only) with deliveries set for March, making it reasonably inexpensive compared to any to designs that can match its video specifications. It looks a solid option for video shooters, with quality on par or superior to any rivals– as long as theyre fine with the contrast find AF.
Gallery: Panasonic GH6 mirrorless video camera gallery|19 Photos.
Gallery: Panasonic GH6 image gallery|27 Photos.
When shooting individuals photos in relatively low light, it often failed to get focus rapidly enough to nail the shot. By comparison, Sony and Canons latest cams (the A7 IV and EOS R6) have no such trouble, even in low light. And I still saw some wobble and searching with video AF– though its much less than on any previous GH video cameras..
In terms of video quality, things are more favorable. The GH6 can now shoot 5.7 K video with V-Log at approximately 30 fps with internal capture to either ProRes or ProRes HQ, or 5.7 K up to 60 fps to MP4 10-bit H. 264/H.265 recording (all-intra or longGOP). You can likewise shoot 10-bit 4:2:0 4K at up to 120 fps utilizing the longGOP codec, or 1080p at 300 fps (240 fps with autofocus)..
All of the 5.7 K and 4K modes (consisting of 120p) use the complete sensor width with super-sampled video. It also supports 5.8 K as much as 30p and 4.4 K as much as 60p in 4:3 anamorphic modes, with granular controls for different anamorphic modes and lenses. While ProRes/ProRes HQ is restricted to 5.7 K in the meantime, itll concern 4K via a future firmware update..
Coming through a future firmware update down the road is the capability to tape ProRes RAW to an external Atomos recorder. More surprisingly, the GH6 is one of the first mirrorless cams with HDMI 2.1 output, so itll eventually let you tape 4K RAW externally at approximately 120 fps through another future upgrade. When it initially ships, itll support 4K at approximately 60 fps, with simultaneous external and internal recording..
Steve Dent/Engadget.
In regards to video quality, Panasonic is promising 12+ stops of vibrant variety using ProRes and V-Log recording, or 13+ stops utilizing vibrant boost range (more on that in a sec). It likewise declares youll see less noise at greater ISO settings (ISO 6400 and up). For both video and stills, it wasnt rather as great in low light as the GH5s (which has less than half the resolution) however it wasnt away..
Recording 5.7 K video at approximately 30 fps in ProRes HQ utilizes internal information rates of 1,903 Mbps, far beyond SD UHS II capability. The GH6 is the very first Micro Four Thirds mirrorless electronic camera with a CFexpress Type B card slot. Thats needed for ProRes recording and a number of the MP4 high-frame-rate codecs..
The drawback right now is that theres just one CFexpress slot, so you wont be able to get a backup for certain video resolutions unless you utilize an external recorder. The GH6 will eventually support tape-recording to an external SSD recorder by means of the USB-C 3.2 port, which also enables you to power the video camera while shooting.
If youre concerned about rolling shutter with the additional resolution, the high-speed sensing unit readout is expected to lower that more than ever. I verified that rolling shutter was very workable, even at the highest 5.7 K and 60p resolution. Nevertheless, it is present if the electronic camera or subject move too rapidly.
Gallery: Panasonic GH6 image gallery|27 Photos.