The Panasonic Lumix GH6 has finally landed, and we put the video power to the test before our full review. It's impressed us so far, but there's still a lot of testing to do. So we thought we'd round up some of our favorite features of the GH6 so far, along with some of the disappointments, to help you find out if this is shaping up to be the camera for you.
Some of the obvious improvements to the Panasonic GH5 and GH5S include a new 25.2MP sensor, which is the highest resolution we've seen yet in a Micro Four Thirds camera, and sophisticated modes like the ability to shoot in 4K/120p or with anamorphic lenses.
But we wanted to highlight some of the little details that this feature-packed camera brings to the table, from its design to some of its practical advantages over full-frame cameras. So based on the tests we've done so far for our Panasonic Lumix GH6 hands-on review, these are the things we like (and don't like) about Panasonic's long-awaited camcorder.
The good
1. Your Bonus Sign Up Button
The GH6's design may not be original, but your camera doesn't have to win the Turner Prize: it needs to be clear so you can create photos and videos. Panasonic has thrown in a lot of nice touches to help the GH6 do just that, from its large textured grip to its handy audio button, but one of our favorites is the record button on the front.
You get the usual record button on the top plate, and the shutter can start recording too. But it's the second record button on the front next to the lens mount (next to the handy indicator light) that's particularly useful for vloggers or one-person film crews. Expect to see this appear on more video-focused cameras in the future.
2. The super versatile screen
Flip-up screens are essential for video cameras, and the Panasonic GH6 has one of the best we've ever used. Like the Panasonic Lumix S1H, its 1,8m-dot rear LCD screen is attached to a tilting plate that runs along the back of the camera body, which has a few advantages.
The first is that you can move the screen away from any of the side ports, so it doesn't interfere with external microphone or monitor cables. But the other is that you can tilt the screen up and stay in line with the camera and lens, unlike screens that flip sideways and take you off axis of what you're shooting. .
3. Internal ProRes Recording
The GH6 isn't the first camera to let you record internally to Apple ProRes, but it's one of the few to join the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro. The advantage for video editors is that ProRes files, despite Their size, they're much easier on a computer's processor than a camera's native H.264 and H.265 formats, and they're also compatible with most editing programs.
We're talking ProRes 422 here, rather than ProRes Raw, but it's a great editing codec for Mac users in particular, even if it doesn't improve your video quality. You can also shoot ProRes on the Nikon Z9, but that camera is in another stratosphere of cost and size compared to the GH6.
4. Unlimited recording times
(*two*)
(Image credit: Panasonic)Unlike its predecessors, the Lumix GH6 has a built-in cooling fan, and the result is theoretically no recording time limits in any of its video modes. This isn't a unique ability, as rivals like the Sony A7S III also lack heat-based caps on most of their modes (apart from higher frame rates like 60fps/120fps). But that's another practical benefit of the GH6's smaller sensor.
Of course, unless you're using external power, your clips will be limited by the GH6's battery or how full your card is. It's a bit of a shame that direct recording to an SSD isn't available until a firmware update, but it means you can record 4K/60p at 4:2:2 10-bit without constantly worrying about stuttering.
5. Uncropped Video
A common drawback of mirrorless cameras is that when shooting video, they tend to use a cropped portion of their sensors, which affects both the angle of view and image quality. That's not the case on the GH6 - it's capable of using the full 4:3 sensor, which means uncropped video in almost all modes.
The only exception to this is some of the GH6's anamorphic modes, but at all other resolutions and frame rates you'll get your lens' native angle of view and image quality that should theoretically approach APS-C cameras in its clipped ways.
6. Increased dynamic range
Image 1 of 2
(*two*)
(Image credit: Panasonic)Sounds like the kind of feature that marketing departments invent to take the narrative away from a camera's weakness, the GH6's Dynamic Range Boost mode is really interesting. Similar to Canon's DGO (Dual Gain Output) sensor technology, it combines different parts of an exposure to give you a wider dynamic range.
Unlike the native dual ISO technology we've seen (unofficially) in cameras like the Sony A7S III, Panasonic's DR Boost combines the best parts of two different ISO sensitivities, rather than switching between them, to increase the dynamic range of your image. photo and video We hope to continue testing this, but it should mean a lot more information to retrieve shadows and highlights.
7. 100MP portable photos
It's not just for videographers to have fun with the GH6: there's now also a handheld version of the high-resolution shooting mode we've seen on previous GH-series cameras. It won't be new to Olympus fans, but the 100MP resolution of the resulting shots will be made possible by the GH25.2's new 6MP sensor, the highest in a Micro Four Thirds camera yet.
The new stabilization system built into the GH6, now promising an impressive 7,5 stops of compensation, can combine four of those 25MP shots into one huge one, ready to print and frame. It's performed well in our tests so far and really helps the camera's smaller sensor compete with its larger rivals, both in terms of resolution and sound performance.
Malo
1. That's big for an MFT camera
When deciding between camera size and features, Panasonic definitely opted for the latter over the GH6, and that means it's big enough for a Micro Four Thirds camera. In fact, it's bigger and deeper than the Sony A7S III, as you can see above.
Some of that girth is due to the GH6's built-in cooling fan, so it still weighs in at a fairly reasonable 823g. And you also get the smaller Micro Four Thirds lenses, so like the rest of the GH series, it's still a great option for run-and-gun filmmakers.
2. Still has contrast-only autofocus
Ah yes, that old familiar chestnut: autofocus. Panasonic's cameras have long resisted the charms of phase-detection or hybrid AF systems, instead persisting with contrast-detection systems that have an added layer of intelligence the company calls "Depth by Defocus".
Our tests so far suggest that the GH6's autofocus system is very similar to the GH5 II's, meaning it's improved since the early days, but not to the same level as the latest Sony and Canon AF systems. Panasonic has explained why the GH6 doesn't have a more modern autofocus setup, but that's still a potential limitation if you regularly shoot moving subjects or do a lot of solo vlogging.
3. Limited photo modes
The photographic abilities of the Panasonic GH6 would look pretty decent if another Micro Four Thirds camera, the OM System OM-1, hadn't landed with fancy modes like 50fps burst shooting and improved calculation tips.
The contrast between the two seems starker when you consider that Panasonic seems to have dropped some photo-focused modes, like its 6K photo mode (which is great for shooting wildlife) and the GH6's in-camera focus stacking. . It's very much a video camera and the GH6's resolution is useful for stills, but it seems to have left the photography folks with the OM-1.