The Panasonic GH6 is said to be the long-awaited new member of the GH series, which has become an extremely popular line of mirrorless cameras among videographers. The Panasonic GH5S is now two years old, the Panasonic GH5 arrived a year ago, so the series needs to be updated. We expect to see the Panasonic GH6 announced before the end of the year. What are the new features of the mirrorless camera with video? The design is unlikely to be altered, its Four Thirds sensor likely to retain the familiar size and shape of the lineup. But some recent rumors have suggested that there may be more than one new GH6 variant announced in 2020, as well as an all-new sensor. Read on to find out when we're likely to see the GH6 and what features it could bring to battle new rivals like the Fujifilm X-T4.
![Panasonic GH6]()
(Image credit: Panasonic)
Panasonic GH6 release date and price
Panasonic reportedly planned to launch the GH6 in May 2020, before the global pandemic wipes out every major in-person event on the tech calendar. The photokina photo show was the original time mentioned for the launch, but it has been cancelled. An imminent announcement is no longer expected, although Panasonic could have done so via YouTube or a similar stream. The various delays and problems caused by the pandemic pushed the announced date to August or September. And while pre-orders may start then, chances are you'll be able to buy the camera in early 2021.
![Panasonic GH6]()
(Image credit: Panasonic)
Panasonic GH6 specifications and features
As of this writing, you can buy two new Panasonic GH5 cameras: the GH5 and the GH5S. The new generation would have three members; GH6, GH6V and GH6X. Their cards don't really matter, but what they connote does. The Panasonic GH6V is the equivalent of the GH5S, a camera designed for video. The GH6X is designed for stills, and the GH6 is a versatile device, and almost certainly the cheapest of the three. It will directly fill the gap left by today's Panasonic GH5. We end up with a family structure very similar to Sony's full-frame A7 series or Panasonic's S1 family. However, Panasonic can stagger its releases. Don't expect to hear about all three in August. This GH6 triple rumor also came from a Facebook group, so its veracity is highly questionable. One of the juiciest rumors to date is the sensor details of the Panasonic GH6. It would be based on the Sony IMX594 or IMX492, which are Four Thirds camera sensors listed for use in security and surveillance cameras. They have an effective resolution of 41MP when shooting in 4:3 format, very high for this sensor size. This is a problem when smaller sensor pixels generally mean more noise at higher ISO sensitivities, but these sensors are specifically designed to deal with minimal light.
![Panasonic GH6]()
(Image credit: Panasonic) Sony's security camera sensor division has a technology called Starvis, which is designed to deliver good quality color and monochrome images with moving subjects that don't allow for long exposures. If the Panasonic GH6 uses a consumer camera in the IMX594, it will probably benefit from the same advances, without the Starvis name getting stuck on the front. These sensors are also capable of capturing video in 8K resolution at 30 frames per second, which would be a natural evolution for the series. The Panasonic GH5S can shoot up to 60 images per second in DCI 4K resolution, ie 4096x2160 pixels. And the cheaper GH5 even has 6K capture in 30fps mode, added in a 2017 firmware update. It's not part of the basic functionality package, though, and is actually an image mode setting. 6K fixes that the camera had at launch. If Panasonic wants to split this family into three forks, it seems unlikely that all three will offer 8K capture. But there are other rumored improvements as well, including 6K and 4K Raw capture. A "raw" codec is one of the main features of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, but it's not pure in the purest sense, as the codec always reduces the file size to avoid unsightly weight of images. completely untreated Blackmagic calls its Raw format "visually lossless", the most important parts are 12-bit color and a flat profile to maximize dynamic range. However, the Panasonic GH6 is likely to have the same 10:4:2:2 color as the GH5S. So what will 4K mode really add? It can be a higher bitrate alternative to V-log, a flat format that preserves dynamic range for greater editing flexibility. V-log was a paid upgrade on the Panasonic GH5 and GH4, and could well be for the base Panasonic GH6 again.
![Panasonic GH6]()
(Image credit: Panasonic)
Panasonic Lumix GH6 autofocus
One of the more predictable rumors about the Panasonic GH6 is that it will have better autofocus. Almost every camera update promises faster focusing, but this time there is also talk of a completely new focusing system. The GH series cameras use Panasonic's "Depth Blur" focus, which is actually sophisticated contrast detection. Predictive algorithms speed up development significantly, but not to the "best in class" level. The obvious place to go next is the sensor's phase detection points, like those used on most other compact cameras. Phase detection has already been used on Micro Four Thirds cameras, such as the Olympus E-M1 III, so it's not a fantastic idea. However, there's still a chance that Panasonic could stick to an intelligent contrast detection system, perhaps invoking "AI" to convince us that it's much smarter than Depth Blur. There are also plenty of opportunities to improve eye tracking and autofocus using software with this approach, rather than switching to sensor-based phase detection. There are two other improvements to the cards; An improved IBIS system and longer battery life. The Panasonic GH5S is designed for 410 shots per charge, or 60 minutes of video, and uses the same BLF19 battery as the other GH series cameras since 3's Lumix GH2012. However, a larger battery is also likely to increase slightly the size of the chamber. And it can get in the way for some people when full-frame mirrorless cameras have relatively small bodies. Of course, the Micro Four Thirds system also has smaller lenses with comparable specs compared to a full-frame camera, and many like the sturdy grips on Panasonic's GH cameras.
![Panasonic GH6]()
(Image credit: Panasonic)
Panasonic GH6 first thoughts
The Panasonic GH6's job is to offer cameramen something that full-frame and APS-C cameras can't. One way to do this is obvious: it could offer 6K video capture for much less money than the Panasonic S1H, and do the job much better than the Panasonic GH5 6K mode. However, there are big questions surrounding the rumored sensor. Will a much higher 41 MP resolution result in significantly worse high ISO performance, which is already a problem with the smaller sensors in the series? And will this sensor have phase detection points on the sensor? These are areas we could learn more about before the official launch of the Panasonic GH6 later this year. In the meantime, we'll bring you all these latest rumors and official news on this page when we hear it.