"How Good Is The GH5?"

[Dan Brockett]

Wow, I bet the GH5 reps from Panasonic are not happy. I would never form an opinion off of one review and set of tests but the rubber meeting the road does not look positive in this review. Of course, some of this could be due to early glitches that Panasonic will fix with firmware updates?

Discuss.

https://www.cinema5d.com/panasonic-g...-free-gh5-lut/

[Ron Evans]

It could also be the users not knowing what they were doing or trying to compare apples and oranges and draw conclusions. Not impressed and will wait for more competent review of the finished product. One thing it did show was that the GH5 is a very real competitor to products costly many times more. That of course was not stressed at all though it did score very high on lots of parameters except 10bit vlog on an unfinished product at a limited bit rate !! No mention of recording to external recorder like the Atomos Inferno that could have recorded 10 bit 60P at a high bit rate. I guess that would not have had the same impact !!! The combination of GH5 and Atomos Inferno still a lot less than either the FS7 or the Canon ? If it had performed really well at this stage of introduction ( and for me only interested in UHD 60P it did ) then both Sony and Canon should be really worried not Panasonic.

[Gary Huff]

How did Cinema5D get firmware that had 10-bit 4:2:2 4K activated when that feature isn't due until "summer 2017"?

[Bryan Worsley]

The 24p and 30p 4K samples available for download here (from Neumann Films) are also 10-bit 4:2:2. The download link for the samples is given in the video description on the YouTube page.

Panasonic Lumix GH5: Downloadable Footage - YouTube

And Neumann Films are already promoting a custom LUT's pack for the GH5; hence the sample footage for testing:

http://neumannfilms.net/?product=lumix-gh5-luts

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Dan Brockett

Wow, I bet the GH5 reps from Panasonic are not happy.
Discuss.

There is not much to discuss if you actually haven't got the camera to see for yourself, over at EOSHD Andrew responded that cinema5d findings where wrong, so who to believe? This article will not stop me and I"m sure many others from getting the camera.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

This is why you should never crown a camera based spec. The growing consensus I'm seeing from early reviews is the image quality gains over GH4 are very modest. Far from the fan boy hype that has been thrown around. If you were happy with the GH4 you'll be happy with the 5 but if you weren't happy with the 4 you'll most likely feel the same about the 5.

[Ron Evans]

Well it depends on the features one is looking for in the GH5 I think. My only concern is UHD60P with dual SD cards slots and WIFi remote control. I have no doubt the performance will be better than my little Sony camcorders that I now use or the FDR-AX1. I see little point in comparing the GH5 to a FS7 or Canon camcorder that cost 5 times as much or more. If it gets close, as it did, then it should be Sony and Canon have the problem not Panasonic. 10 bit needs lots of data rate currently not available in the camera but of course they did not record externally with an Atomos Inferno to check whether it was the internal recording or the sensor electronics. I guess we will find out later in the year. I will not use 10 bit or Vlog for that matter so of little concern to me when mine comes the end of the month ( I hope ). UHD 60P is only 8bit internal so until I get an Atomos Inferno my recordings will all be 8bit.

[Steve Burkett]

Originally Posted by Dan Brockett

Wow, I bet the GH5 reps from Panasonic are not happy. I would never form an opinion off of one review and set of tests but the rubber meeting the road does not look positive in this review. Of course, some of this could be due to early glitches that Panasonic will fix with firmware updates?

Discuss.

https://www.cinema5d.com/panasonic-g...-free-gh5-lut/

Given the views you've expressed about the GH4, I shouldn't be that surprised to see you posting this article here to stir the pot a little. However the article is flawed as others have mentioned, but interesting. I shall make my own conclusions when my GH5 arrives at the end of the month.

Originally Posted by Pete Cofrancesco

This is why you should never crown a camera based spec. The growing consensus I'm seeing from early reviews is the image quality gains over GH4 are very modest. Far from the fan boy hype that has been thrown around. If you were happy with the GH4 you'll be happy with the 5 but if you weren't happy with the 4 you'll most likely feel the same about the 5.

Pete, you are entirely missing the point and seem to have taken some of the over-reactions in a GH5 thread to heart. Fan boy hype indeed. What I welcome on the GH5 is 60p 4K, dual card slot, 5 axis IS on a more Professional camera and better ISO performance and some improvements in auto focus. Videos I have seen have suggested I shall be rewarded with this.

I admit to also hoping for better vLog application with 10 bit 4:2:2; which I have yet to see any definite conclusions on and to be honest may only be viable once the Easter and Summer updates happen, of which no such videos exist to demonstrate. This article is in my mind too early. All it shows is that 10 bit recorded at a rather low bitrate of 150mbps could have issues. Does this surprise you?? Probably why further updates with larger bitrates are still to come.

[Bryan Worsley]

Originally Posted by Steve Burkett

...This article is in my mind too early. All it shows is that 10 bit recorded at a rather low bitrate of 150mbps could have issues. Does this surprise you?? Probably why further updates with larger bitrates are still to come.

Just to note also that the video stream bitrates of those 10-bit 4:2:2 sample downloads from Neumann Films are 172 Mbps for the 24p and 138 -143 Mbps for the 30p clips.

[Dan Brockett]

Originally Posted by Steve Burkett

Given the views you've expressed about the GH4, I shouldn't be that surprised to see you posting this article here to stir the pot a little.

To be fair, I would post it about any camera that is so overhyped based upon specs. I did the same with the C300 MKIIs "15 stops of latitude" which I knew was not a realistic number, even though I like the camera. I bought the GH4 under almost identical circumstances, ordered it before I had ever seen or used one in real life because the specs were so incredible. If I would have had the chance to rent a GH4 before I ordered it, I never would have bought it, but I wanted to be ahead of the curve and be an early adopter on what seemed like would be a ground breaking camera. It was not. Just like I don't think the GH5 will be.

Overhyped specs are misleading. While cameras are computers with lenses these days, it seems a lot of engineering/spec/technology oriented buyers purchase cameras like they would buy a computer, merely based on processor speed, RAM, graphics cards benchmarks, etc. That's fine for computers because the software you use is what gives you the "artistic interface", lets you create and refine. Cameras, OTOH, are the "artistic interface". I will never again buy a camera based upon hyped up specs. Rent, borrow or get hands on time before you buy. Read half a dozen reviews and tests. The GH5 is cheap but add in half a dozen lenses, media, extra batteries, cases, audio interface and then you are spending some real money. I wouldn't take the Cinema 5D review as gospel. If I read three or four other reviews that support their findings, just like I did about the "15 stops of latitude" about the C300 MKII, then I would tend to believe it more.

I only posted this because the review popped up in my email and I was surprised to not see a thread over here a day later, it's all over DVXUser.

[Dan Brockett]

Originally Posted by Pete Cofrancesco

This is why you should never crown a camera based spec. The growing consensus I'm seeing from early reviews is the image quality gains over GH4 are very modest. Far from the fan boy hype that has been thrown around. If you were happy with the GH4 you'll be happy with the 5 but if you weren't happy with the 4 you'll most likely feel the same about the 5.

I agree Pete. There are plenty of people who love the GH4, the GH5 seems to be more of the same so they will undoubtedly be happy with it. I did see one feature about a year ago shot with the GH4 that looked pretty good but you could tell that it was a low budget indie that still spent a ton of money on post, it was very stylized with relatively high production values but I could not make sense of why you would spend at least $100k, possibly a lot more to make your indie feature, then shoot it on a $2k consumer camera? Just to prove a point? It wasn't shot all in cars or small spaces, it looked like a lot of tripod/dolly/gimbal with big sets, nice locations, etc. It looked nothing like anything else that I have seen shot on the GH4, it was shot in V-log and had a lot of VFX applied and obviously had been massaged with an intricate grade by a skilled colorist.

[Steve Burkett]

Originally Posted by Dan Brockett

I will never again buy a camera based upon hyped up specs. Rent, borrow or get hands on time before you buy. Read half a dozen reviews and tests. The GH5 is cheap but add in half a dozen lenses, media, extra batteries, cases, audio interface and then you are spending some real money. I wouldn't take the Cinema 5D review as gospel. If I read three or four other reviews that support their findings, just like I did about the "15 stops of latitude" about the C300 MKII, then I would tend to believe it more.

I only posted this because the review popped up in my email and I was surprised to not see a thread over here a day later, it's all over DVXUser.

Well give us a chance. I only just became aware of it today when I saw it linked and debunked on EOSHD. We don't all have Cinema 5D articles beamed to our emails you know.

As for your views on specs, all that link showed was that the hype about 10 bit 4:2:2 maybe unrealistic at 150 mbps. All that article shows is that its not going to give as good an image as say a £26000 Canon C700 - wow there's a shocker.

Specs are not just about great image quality. Specs show that the GH5 has the excellent 5 axis IS that I have already used to good effect on my GX80 and G80 cameras. Specs show I will have 60p 4K for slow mo 4K footage. Specs show a dual card slot - need I go on. I appreciate there have been some over-hype, just as there was with the GH4, but it won't affect my own use of the camera when it arrives.
5 axis IS, 60p, dual card slot and all the features I have enjoyed with the GH4 are more than enough to satisfy this user.

As for costs, it is thankful I have approx £6000 worth of micro 4/3 lenses plus plenty of extra batteries, media and cases.

Finally, can I thank you for once again giving me the sad story of your GH4 experience. Reading it for the third time in so many days has been very gratifying. Have you considered selling the rights to this story. You've surely written enough on it to warrant a movie adaption.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Dan Brockett

The GH5 is cheap but add in half a dozen lenses, media, extra batteries, cases, audio interface and then you are spending some real money.

Not really, even the best and most expensive Panasonic or Olympus lenses are half the price of what comparable Sony, Canon or Nikon lenses cost. I got the 40-150mm f2.8 Olympus which is 1400 dollar, how much is a 80-300mm f2.8 full frame equivalent (if such a lens even exist) for any of the mentioned brands?

It's DMW-XLR1audio interface is only 400 dollar. You only need one spare battery as 2 will get you through an entire day of shooting, it shoots to cheap sd cards.

In real money you could say that a entire gh5 kit with several of their most expensive lenses would be about half the price of what you would have to spend otherwise.

[Dan Brockett]

Originally Posted by Steve Burkett

Finally, can I thank you for once again giving me the sad story of your GH4 experience. Reading it for the third time in so many days has been very gratifying. Have you considered selling the rights to this story. You've surely written enough on it to warrant a movie adaption.

It's being shopped by CAA as we speak! ;-)

[Dan Brockett]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

In real money you could say that a entire gh5 kit with several of their most expensive lenses would be about half the price of what you would have to spend otherwise.

But Steve in the post up above you says he has "£6000 worth of micro 4/3 lenses plus plenty of extra batteries, media and cases."?

I get what you are saying, the M43 lenses are less but I recall when I had the GH4, shopping for lenses and still going through the same financial decisions I go through now buy EOS lenses, I often cannot afford the ones I really want and I ended up buying a lot of lenses because I shoot in so many different situations and need at least half a dozen lenses. I think right now, I have 9 EOS lenses and all together, they could have almost paid for a new 4k camera. Maybe I am a lens junky? I am definitely a light junky, own far too many lights but they are generally cheaper than lenses.