Personal View site logo
Make sure to join PV on Telegram or Facebook! Perfect to keep up with community on your smartphone.
Please, support PV!
It allows to keep PV going, with more focus towards AI, but keeping be one of the few truly independent places.
Panny questions for NAB2016
  • 49 Replies sorted by
  • @rNeil

    What about my Cortana question? :-)

  • thanks @rNeil much appreciated, must just be me that likes the power zooms they have then!, I'd have thought a few more people would have used them for event shooting etc. especially now you can control them remotely with the gh4, but obviously not, and they would know :)

  • @Umii The rep was a bit puzzled they aren't of that much interest to people, but for their market, apparently not. If they can't sell them, well ... they are a bit more expensive to design and build.

  • @Vitaliy_Kiselev

    Oops! Forgot. Well, I'll stop by tomorrow ... again!

  • As to v-log in the other MFT cameras, probably ... not. It was a BIG hassle to get approval to roll out the v-log for the GH4 over the objections of the "pro-video" section of the company, even with the firmware fee.

    An open SDK ... considering the difficulty that they had getting approval for the v-log in the GH4, getting the upper management to agree to opening their SDK for others to modify their camera ... to maybe create options competing against their pro line cameras ... not likely. If you thought the 'pro' side of the company didn't like v-log in a "pro-sumer" camera ...

  • @rNeil

    You can openly said to them that their top management talked about SDK around a year or so ago.
    And promised to make it. Just do not know how soon.

  • @rNeil

    Thanks for asking the questions! :)

  • @Vitaliy_Kiselev

    Well, Top Management isn't known for discussing options with those marketing the "prosumer" lines, and it seems the "pro video" people see to it they are firmly between Top Management and the prosumer things ... so none of the prosumer folks would know that, I think. If I had a couple guys following me around with a cart with mounted Red on it, a 2-panel LED on a stand above the cart, and a wireless hand-held mic with those square label things saying like 'Epic Productions YouTube' on it or something feeding into a portable sound-board, I might get someone higher up to chat. Ha.

    Neil

  • @rNeil

    As far as I remember mr. Uematsu told this. He was top manager and now he is top adviser for cameras department and still behave as top manager on all exhibitions.

    Panasonic no longer have separate pro and consumer divisions as I know.

    If I had a couple guys following me around with a cart with mounted Red on it, a 2-panel LED on a stand above the cart, and a wireless hand-held mic with those square label things saying like 'Epic Productions YouTube' on it or something feeding into a portable sound-board, I might get someone higher up to chat. Ha.

    It needs just simple communication, we organized multiple interviews. As far as normal small gimbal rig with legged monopod and light with mike we can organize this. Just let me know next time before, ok?

  • Sure thing ... you're more experienced at these things than I!

    Neil

  • @Umii The rep was a bit puzzled they aren't of that much interest to people, but for their market, apparently not. If they can't sell them, well ... they are a bit more expensive to design and build.

    Power zooms need to be a constant aperture, make a 12-120mm f4 power zoom (and an AF200 to go with it!) and people would flock to it.

  • I had a chance to talk to Matt Frazier with Panasonic at NAB. Super nice. He told me it would more than likely be next year for the next GH camera. He told me that if they were able to add internal 10-bit 4:2:2, they would. Other things like 4K 60 would be a safe bet.

    Two things that he personally would like to see is:

    1. Full size HDMI port (he said he even broke his micro hdmi port) with locking screws in
    2. An XLR attachment that doesn't take additional power.
  • The full-size HDMI is a hope ... but fitting it in is the issue, especially with desires to get more audio connectivity on the body too. I think body size is probably pretty set at this point, it's trying to jam everything onto it.

  • As far as audio, he was speaking along the line of something like a battery grip underneath, but xlr. Also that didn't require extra power. The full-size hdmi port is hopeful.

  • I hear nothing about raising the usable ISO. I need clean ISO 10,000 but would settle for 8000, and this is why my GH4 sits on the shelf most of the time.

  • @smoke23 It's cool that they have a product manager who is also an avid user. Matt is a really great advocate and teacher for the GH system. I would love to see an XLR attachment, either by mini XLR plug on the body or a break-out dongle similar to Atomos Shogun. I'm feeling really good about seeing 10 bit internal, especially after hearing the sensor will definitely NOT be oversized. They need something to differentiate against the 8 bit competitors with the larger sensors. Better overcranking quality/rates and internal 10 bit/HDR log workflow would go a long way toward that.

  • @RRRoger The only way you'll be happy is if they somehow implement a dual native ISO range similar to the Varicam, otherwise you're stuck with Sony.

  • The VariCam is way out of most of our price range and Panasonic does not seem to care. Too bad the JVC LS300 is not better in low light.

    As for Sony, I may be picking up a used FS700 soon (because the price has dropped so much) as I hate most things about the A series cameras.

    I have high hopes for the Nikon D500 and will know if it is better for Video than the D750 (I sent back) when mine arrives next week.

  • Other notes:

    -Dual SD card slots could be a possibility

    -He would say that he believes it will be a big upgrade like from GH2 to GH4

    -YAGH failed once every knew you can hook it into a shogun and get 10-bit 4:2:2 and SDI

    -He showed me a diagram he drew out, that showed why they can't necessarily put a global shutter in that body style. It has to do with the CMOS sensor, the diode, and how the image hits the sensor, there's a balance between having low light and rolling shutter. That's something Panasonic is working on.

    -Panasonic is listening to us and pretty much puts a wish list together then send it over to Japan where they can come back say what's possible and what's not possible.

    -No larger sensor. Panasonic wants to keep the lenses it has and has more in the works at the moment. Parfocal lenses are not in the works, just because they would cost way over $2,000-$4,000. Not that he doesn't want to see them, it's just the cost more than the camera line.

    -The real reason they charge for v-log is really for the people who don't know how to use it. You have to think, Panasonic does have a call center and employees it pays and it that it does take up their time dealing with troubleshooting issues. If they charge, then someone like my mom, who would gets this completely grey image with v-log, doesn't call them up and ask "why is my image grey at my son's soccer game", for example. People have asked to speak with him directly sometimes about V-Log, so it's more to prevent that.

  • @smoke23

    Panasonic is listening to us and pretty much puts a wish list together then send it over to Japan where they can come back say what's possible and what's not possible.

    If they read this forum here is my hope list for basic operational features. Where can we send wish lists?

    GH5 please:

    -Display exposure values during recording

    -Auto iso in M with EV control and upper iso limiter.

    -Play button in right hand side

    -Ability to Use FN-buttons with important video menu items

    -AE/AF lock button to work logical (on/off/on/off etc.)

    -Not toy plastic in EVF or decent EVF cover plug.

    -No useless EV-button, something more useful instead or programmable.

    -More C memories or "Save as" for whole camera setup.

  • Better comnectivity, so that one can upload pictures or films direct to different websites.

  • This is all so sad. When people ask me: what camera should I buy (all in one), I tell them RX10 (mkII or mkIII).

    Now why can't Panny produce a camera that competes?

    I am starting to think that Panny just don't have the tech to produce a camera that is competitive in 2016-17.

  • @Vesku - I think this is the major issue with Panasonic - who is indeed listening??

    I've sent emails / direct tweets to Panasonic USA, Panasonic and LumixUSA - and get a feeling they are just 'ah how sweet he would like this...and that' (proceeded by them hitting the delete button).

    I mentioned the bug that you cannot MWB while using 10bit mode to a external recorder - no reply...

    It would be great if there was a formal change request system from Panasonic with their Lumix sub division to receive requests

    I would add to your list:

    • In P/A/S modes - enable direct ISO control to one of the dials (without having to press [ISO] first)
    • In P/A modes - ability to limit the lowest shutter speed selected
    • New [Fn] Function - Ability to toggle overlays sent to HDMI
    • New [Fn] Function - One Press Manual White Balance
  • It would be great if there was a formal change request system from Panasonic with their Lumix sub division to receive requests

    It is capitalism, profits rule. Hence any corporation have as cheap and as small amount of people as possible. Especially it is such in service and all feedback stuff.

    If you made clear offer with calc on how to increase their profits and how to move all this increase to managers salary I am sure reaction can be different :-)