1.9.2017

(Updated review) I have been putting off buying one of these despite the many rave reviews because of the sheer complexity of menus and reported difficulty of editing 4k.video. I have three GH2's which I have used for some years for multi camera shooting and editing on an Avid Media Composer, but by all accounts getting files from a GH5 into the Avid is problematic, especially if you want to take advantage of 10-bit files. Could I perhaps shoot in 4k but edit in HD and still get benefits over the GH2? It t seems I can, and the resulting HD, upscaled in my OPPO BDP-103 and viewed on my 65" Samsung 4k television, is stunning - the best I have ever seen, even on the best Blu rays,and a massive improvement over the HD from my GH2's. So I have a neat solution - shoot in 4k 8-bit and edit to HD with the posibilitty of editing in 4k later. Shooting in 10-bit is more problematic though; If I select MOV file format, which is necessary to allow 25p 10-bit video, then I can neither play them on the TV (which is not HDR - I will try on an LG OLED later.) nor edit them in my existing system. It seems that at present the only way to get 4k 10-bit from the GH4 into Avid (or I think Premier) is to transcode it first into an edit-friendly format (like DNxHR for Avid), so I will await developments in editing before going to 10-bit.I didn't expect to be able to use the 4k files directly in my Avid without transcoding, but was surprised to find that I can just drag and drop 4k 8-bit files into an Avid bin and they convert immediately even though the Avid is V5.5 which is a few years out of date. The process does take about 8min per minute of video, about twice what HD takes, and it probably works because it uses quicktime codecs to convert and finds the codec even though I have not updated the Avid for 4k working.. The resulting HD edited video is the best I have ever seen - as good as the best blu ray video. Aliasing is at a very low level - the normal trade-off between detailed resolution and aliasing inherent in the use of an optical 'phase plate' anti-aliasing filter is gone since this camera dispenses with optical filtering and digitally filters instead from the high resolution sensor. No more gaps in guitar strings as was so evident on video shot on the Cannon 5D MkII !The advantages of shooting in 4k 8-bit on the GH5 over shooting with the GH2 are enormous. Image quality is hugely better, and the in-camera stabiiiser works fantastically well on all my manual lenses. Where previously I stuck to ISO 320, and started to just see noise on higher settings, I can now use ISO 800 or higher routinely, and today I used higher ISO settings in an experiment shooting ants with extension tubes on a 35mm manual lens set to F/16 (needed for depth of focus in macro photography) with great results (each Jet-Black ant half fills the screen)..The viewfinder on the GH5 is superb; the clarity took me by surprise, and even with glasses on (which I prefer to adjusting the eyepiece as I am more comfortable being able to view the scene directly too) I can easily see the full image with no distortion; whereas on the GH2 the field of view was restricted and moving the eye position led to image distortion in the eyepiece. I do find that I keep accidentally pressing a button under my thumb which changes the viewfinder between brief, full info, and a horizontal line sort of spirit level check, which caused me confusion at first. (This may be because I am double jointed and my thumb joint presses against the camera when I hold it.) I have a lot of MFT lenses, and I have just tried my Voigtlander Nokton F0.95 25mm which I love for shallow focus effect. It works great, with the in-camera stabilisation working well, despite this being a manual lens, and the focus is made easy by the super viewfinder and focus peaking aid which comes into operation automatically (unless you turn it off) as soon as you use manual focus.. I have set the 'focal length' in the menu to 25mm and note that when I remove the lens and put another in a message appears saying 'focal length 25mm, do you want to change this?'I'm pleased to find that there is a menu setting for audio gain (adjustable in 1dB steps) which I have set to -12dB to avoid overloading and for audio limiting (which I have turned off as I hate it). I recommend this setting for normal use - sensitivity is still adequate for normal levels.I have now measured the audio performance with a view to designing a Lindos line-level interface to use with professional line-level audio feeds such as from a professional mic pre-amp. Lindos Electronics sells a range of adaptors designed by me for various top cameras such as the GH2, Cannon 5DMkll etc.which provide line level input with passive bass compensation for each camera, allowing excellent results to be achieved with simple in-camera recording. This is easier to edit than when using separate audio recording, though I sometimes do this too, with a line level feed to the camera from a mixer or Tascam 8-track recorder output via the adaptor. A professional audio adaptor with XLR connectors and phantom power is available of course for the GH5, but this might be overkill for some users, and adds to the bulk.The tests reveal that the basic in-camera audio is significantly better than on the GH2. Gone is the annoying 2.5mm mic jack, replaced by a 3.5mm one as on most cameras, and gone is the HF processor noise which tended to get into the mic lead through some sort of ground problem. The noise sounds pure white, without trace of processor beating, though it is at a level some 10dB above best 16-bit performance (such as CD quality). Automatic gain reductions still seems to kick in above max level, as it did in the GH4 (independently of the fact that the limiter is off), but whereas on the GH2 it kicked in below full scale on the meter, it now only operates to keep the level constant above full scale, giving an extras 6dB or more of usable dynamic range. Take a look at the online Lindos Electronics demo videos to see what surprisingly good sound is possible on the GH2 when properly done from good mics; on the GH5 we can expect even better.I'm one of those people who would like video cameras to be simpler - many of the menu options and facilities are gimmicks as far as I am concerned and like most users of professional video cameras I often just want manual focus, and manual shutter and aperture settings without all the fancy things that just add to the risk of the camera getting accidentally put into a confusing state prior to shooting. However, I do value auto-focus on single-shot mode when using an auto lens, as it can be difficult to achieve precise focus to 4k standards manually and am pleased to see that when in AFS mode it is possible to use single shot auto-focus while shooting without stopping the recording. This works reliably on static scenes, but less reliably when there is fast motion, and this has been the main criticism of this camera by other reviewers (I note that the firmware upgrade now available for purchase claims to improve autofocus). In manual mode two thumbwheels function to change aperture (back thumbwheel by default) and shutter speed (top thumbwhelel by default) which is very convenient on the auto lenses - I love it.I recommend the Panasonic 12 - 35mm F/2.8 zoom for general use (and it's longer partner), if you want a really good lens that can be used for shallow focus effects. The cheaper zooms reduce aperture from 3.5 to 5.6 as you zoom which is a nuisance for video. The Leica zooms may attract some people because of the name, but it seems they are no longer German made, and Panasonic may have overtaken them with their own lens production facilities. Micro Four Thirds lenses need to be ground to greater precision than bigger lenses, because the resolution required at the sensor is greater; so they are specialist items made to finer limits than many bigger professional lenses. Just because they are lighter (which is great) and have less glass doesn't make them cheaper! One niggle with the Panasonic zoom is that manual focus is too fine, with 'slippage'; in other words, if you turn the lens back from optimum focus to check then you may have to turn it twice as far the other way to get back to optimum focus - and there can be no calibrated distances around the lens. I also have a pair of Tamron (Nikon fit with adapter) zooms that I have adapted by wedging the aperture lever to fully open (f2.8 fixed), and these have proper manual focus without slippage, although the fixed aperture is not ideal.All in all, an absolutely amazing camera. I sat three feet away from my new LG OLED65C6V 4k 65 inch screen (arguably the best screen available) last night, looking at the 4k 8-bit video I had shot, and decided I could not fault it, the sharpness left nothing to be desired even with such close viewing. I have been using three GH2's for several years for studio shooting of things like music videos, with quad-split editing in the Avid. I find it useful to keep one of them in my Steadycam Merlin, balanced and ready for use (otherwise once you take the camera off and put it back it takes a while to balance properly). I've just bought another GH5 to keep in the Steadycam, and may end up getting a third!I've yet to even try stills, but expect to be able to do indoor shots much more easily for two reasons. Not only can I use higher ISO without running into noise, making higher shutter speeds possible, but the in-camera stabilisation should make camera movement a lot less important for a given shutter speed. I like to take stills from video, as a way of capturing the perfect expression rather than clicking and hoping; but with HD such stills were always a bit limited in sharpness. With 4k we get the possibility of extracting much better stills from video (with 8Mpixel resolution instead of 2Mpx). If 8k video becomes common (32Mpix frames) then stills and video will merge, at pretty much the highest resolution attainable from the best 'normal' cameras and lenses; an interesting thought.

1.9.2019

Absolutely Devine, ever since this camera came out and one of my best friends bought it, I was jealous of what this camera can do. I have been dying to get my hands on one, finally saved enough money and here we are.When this camera came out it was well ahead of its time and still is. The sharpness and image quality on this camera is amazing the attention to detail is excellent. Don’t get me wrong my industry professionals, there are cameras out there with higher mega Pixels and better sensors, but to be honest higher mega pixels isn’t everything that decides quality on a camera.The GH5 is exactly that, it may not be the best camera for some types of Photography but it’s bloody dam good when it comes to videography.

8.9.2018

I first started taking a serious foray into videography with the purchase of a G7 some 3 years ago. Whilst it is an absolutely fantastic camera, there were a few major features missing that I longed for that the GH5 provides in spades. Image stabilisation was one of them, as was the weather resistant body. So, why not the G80? For one, the improved electronic view finder was a major draw (my eyes are not what they once were), as was an all metal body, along with the rich feature-set of videography tools at my disposal, such as high frame rate recording, higher bit rates and 10-bit for better post processing. As much as I adore my G7, and was tempted by the G80,

3.11.2019

To get a GH5 with a Leica 12-60mm f/2.8-4 for £1,500 it's a bargain even if the camera was released three years ago. Yes, it is still one of the best on the market, with features found in devices four times more expensive. Well, that is if you know what you're doing.On the other hand, the lens is what you expect from Leica, meaning outstanding performance, meaning good optics, silent operation, solid built and weather sealing.Speaking about lenses, with an adapter you can extend GH5 ecosystem to whatever your heart (and pocket) desires.I'm a Canon guy, so you can imagine I've spent a lot of money on glass from this company along the years. But now, with a speedbooster adapter,

1.9.2019

An excellent camera for creating YouTube video content. If you're a camera newb like me, you will need to watch a few YouTube tutorials to understand the ins and outs. But once you've sorted out your set up, and acquired a few basic camera skills, it produces brilliant footage. Both for vlogging speaking to the camera shots, and for cinematic 60 fps B-roll.The autofocus on this camera, as commonly noted, isn't amazing when compared to it's competitors. But I find that for my purposes, if I drift out of focus, a quick tap on the flip out touch screen will rectify that.It also is solidly built. While I was staying in hotel, I accidently let it fall off the side of my bed while recording.

31.7.2019

As an actor/ filmmaker and photographer, this type of dslr has been long awaited. there's so much one can say about this camera. Been working with some of the big cams out there, RED etc, this delivers. I have mainly full frame glass but thanks to speed booster adapters i can use them all including the rokinon cine lens's on it with amazing results. It's very popular now for weddings, music vids, documentary and short films (all paid work) which gives you and idea of it's capabilities including the quality to get your work on Netflix (subject to a well told story!) I'm currently writing a feature film script and looking to buy a couple more of these as it's becoming one of my favourite go to cameras (excellent for run n gun).

3.1.2018

Amazing Camera for videos with pro features like 4k 60, 10bit 422, 400mbs all intra etc etc... this thing is an absolute beast and so incredibly easy to use. To me this camera is NEARLY perfect but has some bad flaws that prevent it from hitting perfection. For one, it is terrible in low light as you would expect from a M4/3 sensor. Anything beyond 1600 ISO absolutely requires a denoiser plugin like Neatvideo to make the video usable. Even at 1600 ISO, though usable, still needs a denoiser. With the GH5 being bad at low light, means it is absolutely necessary to buy fast lenses like an F1.8 or faster and Micro 4/3 lenses are not cheap.Another major flaw on the GH5 is the horrendous auto-focus.

8.7.2017

I use this product as a man camera sometimes, and a b-roll camera other times. Initially I considered it a secondary camera - because I was skeptical, with it's compact size and all. But now - I am fully confident in it's capabilities and it's size is actually part of its arsenal. The stunning video that I get out of it, in 4.2.2 sill amazes me. I do mainly commercial shoots, and made my first dabble into panasonic with this camera. Yes, some client eyebrows raise - it it's not mega-rigged out, but when they see what it can do... their mouths are left hanging open. So I like it's run and gun portability. It's a tremendous part of it's value. Plus the slow-mo!!! Mmmmmm creamy creamy yummy yum yum!!!!

16.5.2017

A brilliant Camera. Superb quality video. I'm shooting full HD 442 10 bit whilst in Scotland. Really happy with the results. I really like the 'my memory function' which enables me to have my most used settings available under one heading. Would like smoother transition in the auto focus mode, though usually I'm in manual focus so it's not a deal breaker. The focus mechanism on the stock lenses leaves a lot to be desired, especially when compared to my Canon XF305 HD Camcorder. Love the C1, C2, C3 custom settings. I can flip from 4k to HD, to Variable framerate HD at the flick of a switch. It would be good if the camera remembered the exposure setting when it is powered down.

2.9.2018

I'm a stills shooter just launching into video. I wanted a competent video camera to start and wow, this GH5 is just that. The image quality is superb and together with the amazing dual stabilisation feature makes easy to get smooth footage, even for a beginner. The stills image quality is also very good, good enough for professional use in my opinion. I am able to push the stills in Lightroom much further than I expected to perhaps bring back a blown out sky for example. Low light looks good too and much better than you hear on you tube etc. Even my full frame camera is noisy at 6400, so is this Panasonic. 3200 iso is perfectly usable to me, and I am impressed. The camera is built very well,

15.3.2018

What a camera. Bought for filming 4k video. Simple interface, great ergonomics, buttons and grip feel solid. Lots of menus and options for customisation. So many professional grade settings to play around with. Dual memory card slot is a bonus. When one is full it will automatically switch to the other.The screen is fantastic - can be moved up down, swivelled, selfie mode. Touchscreen so can touch to focus.EVF has amazing clarity.Built in mic does the job but a Rode will be even better.Only thing is low light performance could be better, but you need adequate lighting in any case when using any camera. If this an issue for you they go with a Sony A7s mk2. But that has a rubbish interface and screen.Pros: build,

9.3.2018

It's a great camera and like many others I bought it for video, not stills.It came with the 12-60mm lens which works well with the GH5, built in stabilization etc but it's not great for video.The lack of a fixed aperture always puts me off and i don't like lenses with a focus ring that can spin continuously.For photography i assume it's great but that's not my thing.The GH5 has a great feet to it, it's easy to understand and transition from other cameras to it. There's lots of info online about it and it can be set up in a minute.The footage is excellent, I don't shoot 4K but it shoots 4k very well.The 1080 is sharp and detailed.If you're after a dslr style camera for video, it's this,

2.6.2017

I primarily shoot video. The quality is AMAZING and the 1080p at 180fps is terrific! I love being able to extract images from the 4K and FHD videos in-camera, and of course the 6K Photo Mode is outstanding. Manual focus is great, especially with focus peaking turned on. I use a variable ND filter to make sure I have optimal settings for the best image. My issues with this camera are: 1. the Display button placement- I accidentally press it sometimes. 2. The autofocus is horribly-slow even after customizing the settings. If this camera is within your budget then I highly recommend it. I was looking at the Sony a6500 and I chose the Panasonic GH5 because of the better stabilization, 4K 60fps,

9.9.2018

Pros: 422/10 + 4K/60. Unbelievable Dual IS. Great price, compact, great lenses (very parfocal like and half size of FF).While no Focus magnification while recording, when using monitor its output is much better then A7III and can be use with GH5´s LCD (A7IIIseries LCD gets off when monitor is plugged).Cons: No AF above 60fps (NTFS/ UHD, or 50 fps in cinematic 24fps true4k) and and no HLG and 10 bit above 60fps/ HD. (So 60/4k is only 8 bit (or 10bit/ HD) unless u r using Atomos Inferno, than you have 422/10, 4K/60)Missing sensor Backlight Illumination.. but it is awesome for night specially with speedboster or 1.7 primes and its usable DoF for night Manual focusing.For video is definetly wiser

11.6.2017

If you are debating which semi-pro camera to buy then look no further.I'm really impressed with each feature, from the excellent viewfinder to6k image capture - which actually works very well and is very easy to use.Focussing is pretty much instant, in most cases and menu format simple to use. Camera is surprisingly light which means it wont start to give you neck-ache after having strap on for a while. Lens is perfectly acceptable. I had thought that only the Leica option would be good enough for this model butthe cheaper kit lens is a great performer in its own right. The long wait to getmy hands on this beauty was well worth it and I'd recommend it to anyserious photographer.

Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 - Reviews

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