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G85 hack possibility?
  • Ashley_JamesAshley_James

    Any chance that might happen? Thats a great camera with lots of users and it would be so awesome if someone would start working toward a hack! I have so many ideas how to improve this baby. Not only bitrates\framerates, but manual focusing as well (which would solved huge pia with panasonic autofocus). I would gladly donate money for such a project and participate as a tester and ideas generator.

  • 20 Replies sorted by
  • GrimorGrimor

    You can read this

    http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/17042/panasonic-imgapp-web-protocol-hacks#Item_40

    Just begin sending request with .html format and see if have any success.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    I changed link to local one, this topic also contains your link anyway.

  • Ashley_JamesAshley_James

    I read the thread and right now as I understand there is not even a single successful attempt at changing bitrate) Well, I hope something will come up from this, I will be monitoring this topic. But what I was hoping for is a FIRMWARE hack. Though, if someone manages to create an app hack, that would be awesome as well.

  • GrimorGrimor

    Firmware hack is far far from reality. There are more posibilities that pana guys let some funtions hiden but accesible in some way.

  • Ashley_JamesAshley_James

    why is it so difficult, does anybody have a clue? like taking a gh5 firmware, and pasting some options from there to g85 firmware for starters?

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @Ashley_James

    For starters you need both firmwares unencrypted and reversed.

    And you won't be able to cut and past still, as sensors, and other things are different.

  • joetheprojoethepro

    @Ashley_James It is a super complicated process. You need something with deep understanding of firmware, and software tools needed to work with them.

  • Ashley_JamesAshley_James

    I see. I guess the problem is a lack of proper tools and a source code for a firmware. We need to hack into Panasonic software development division and steal there tools in order to do something)

    Well, than I better get back writing letters to Panasonic. Btw, does anyone know a viable email address, where I could send them my requests?

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    We need to hack into Panasonic software development division and steal there tools in order to do something.

    Good idea :-) For extra jail time, not for tools.

  • alcomposeralcomposer

    @Vitaliy_Kiselev is right. Even with code doesn't mean that we would get a good hack. Want better productions? Spend money on tallented actors- set dressers, and let's not forget lighting.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    Actually I am thinking about G85. But too busy now, and we have exhibitions ahead and lab stuff.

  • GrimorGrimor

    One more G85 here! I really think Imgapp protocol need further study. Look at this new possibilities, like changing profiles or parameters while recording in real time. With a calibrated external monitor we can get exactly the image we want.

  • alcomposeralcomposer

    Well, I wound't say no. ;-) But I do understand that hacks take lots of time and energy. Would be nice to have GH5 like features in G85. However would the LSI even have enough power?

  • zhovnerzhovner

    @Vitaliy_Kiselev I would like to help with firmware reversing, but can't find any sources, binary formats, encryption and so on. I understand that firmware is encrypted and PTool can decrypt some old firmwares and do binary patching. Is the only way to understand how Ptool works is to reversing it?

    My programming skills is poor, but I can teardown the camera and dump some Flash chips, or do something useful. And by the way, is there any chance to get access to developer stuff in wiki?

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    My programming skills is poor, but I can teardown the camera and dump some Flash chips, or do something useful.

    You need to be quite an expert to be able to do anything like this.

    This is first step anyway.

  • LPowellLPowell

    We were years ahead of the curve with the GH1 and GH2 hacks back in the days when Panasonic cameras were limited to 24Mbps AVCHD. Nowadays, even the G85 can record in 4K @ 100Mbps, which downsampled to 1080p can match the image quality of the best GH2 hacks. That's not to dismiss the hacking efforts, their prescience was fully vindicated by Panasonic's grudging recognition of the need for higher bitrates and color depth.

    That said, if the G85 were to be hacked, its 4K 100Mbps bitrate might well be pushed up to the GH4's 150Mbps, and the 1080p bitrates increased as well. But at this point, it would be far easier to just buy a used GH4 on Ebay.

  • zhovnerzhovner

    it would be far easier to just buy a used GH4 on Ebay.

    My goals is not only a higher bitrate on G85.

    • remove 30min limit for all region versions
    • 8bit 4.2.2 (or even 10 bit?) internal recording. Currently G85 can delivers 8bit 4.2.2 only from HDMI.
    • remove croping when HDMI is connected
    • bumping bitrate if possible
    • adding control from USB like in GH5 (my wet dreams)
  • chepericocheperico

    Just for g80/81 owners. Is it possible to install g85 firmware and this way remove recording limitation? Thanks!

  • JOFOJOFO

    No it's not possible. There's no way to remove time limit from G80/81.

  • zhovnerzhovner

    @cheperico i have "EE" (Europe?) version of G80 purchased in Russia. And there is no recording limits at all. The only annoying thing, is that when you recording in FullHD, files on SD card split's every 30 minutes while recording. But recording not stops. In 4K no such limitations and I can record in one big file for few hours.

    I can get the service menu following this tutorial for G7 camera https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=76&v=NIY8zFDK63g But it don't allow me to change country code, from EE to another. So I think you can't do it too.

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