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GH3 user reviews and opinions
  • 1089 Replies sorted by
  • maddog15maddog15

    "What's the rumpus? No major features were announced, and none we got. Where's the problem?"

    No major features were announced.

  • larsaruslarsarus

    What's the rumpus? No major features were announced, and none we got. Where's the problem?

  • maddog15maddog15

    Here's an Opinion... The "VitaliyDriftwood RipDrift V1.0" 150Mb/s All intra for the first GH3 hack.

    That would constitute a good firmware update... in my opinion!

  • labalbilabalbi

    he he ...you guys are dawn right ....anyway...a minor firmware ...I bet we ll see the GH5 early then we thought...

  • rigsrigs

    At least we have VK to care about us. He listens when Panasonic doesn't.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    This firmware is such a failure . Features we dont need/want . Sad ...Panasonic dont care about us .

    You have your parents to care about you. And you have corporations to milk your money :-)

  • labalbilabalbi

    This firmware is such a failure . Features we dont need/want . Sad ...Panasonic dont care about us .

  • maddog15maddog15

    Well I've uploaded the new firmware. Very anticlimactic I must say.

    One touch silent mode: Cool especially if you're a ninja or a stalker. (I suppose good for intimate moments... Weddings etc.) Low light auto focus: "Focusing may take longer than usual" on the spec sheet. Great! Longer auto focus hunting! Exposure comp reset: OK, thanks.

    So how do you keep info up on the screen continuously? Where's the peaking focus? Can't we "sharpen" the viewfinder image?

    As far as updates go this seems like items left off the last update by mistake. "Oops...lets just wait a bit and release a new update to include the items we forgot about." ...."Wow great idea Bob!...That's creative PR thinking!"

    Boooo Panasonic.

    All joking and bitching aside... It is a powerful indicator to whether a company is listening to their pro customers (the ones being milked per VK's comment below) OR just deciding on random "cool feature" firmware updates via closed door "executive brainstorming" meetings.

    It was said on many review sites before the GH3 launch, "Panasonic seems to be listening to the professional photographer/videographer market."

    Uhhhh... I respectfully beg to differ.

  • juljul

    This my first test with the 40% slowmotion mode of the GH3.

  • WHohauserWHohauser

    I have the Varavon LoupeEX for the GH3 and it's a big difference towards successful live focusing. The EVF is not easy at all to focus while shooting compared to the GH2 EVF despite the improved color image. The LCD is very sharp but too small for my eyes to use for focusing while shooting, plus I would need to take my glasses off, the LoupeEX with its diaopter fixes that. Plus you'll be surprised how much easier the camera is to hand hold once the loupe is on. And since this loupe is situated to the left of the camera as the LCD is folded out to attach the loupe, the button controls are easier to access without colliding with your face. The drawback with the loupe is that the LCD's movement is restricted to about 80 degrees from normal to facing up, so if you want to shoot over your head with the LCD facing down you have to remove the loupe which takes a couple of minutes. I recommend it as an essential for hand held filming.

  • RottenCarcassRottenCarcass

    Thank you, maddog15, and again, thank you Vitaliy for this amazing community. When I get the camera and lens, I hope to become a contributor to this great place.

  • maddog15maddog15

    @VK. Got it... thanks for the head's up

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @maddog15

    Really no need to upload manuals to PV. Provide link. I remember such links (to GH3 manuals) provided on this site few times.

  • maddog15maddog15

    @RottenCarcass Congrats on your decision! You won't be disappointed. Attached is the GH3 Advanced Owner's Manual. The only printed manual that comes with the GH3 is the Basic User Manual unfortunately. (Had to use Acrobat to reduce the PDF size to get it under the 8MB limit here on PV. Looks OK though...original was only 10.9MB)

    Enjoy.

    DMCGH3_ADV_Reduced.pdf
    7M
  • RottenCarcassRottenCarcass

    All right, so I pulled the trigger on the GH3 plus the lumix 12-35, because of the recent discounts. I want to thank Vitaliy and the posters here for making the choice so much easier for me. As soon as I get it, I'll read through the whole manual, but if anyone has any recommendation for any books on the GH3, I'll happily take the recommendations... though I don't think any have been published so far, whereas there've been several GH2 books. Again, thank you everybody in this wonderful community.

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @DailyFilmFix

    Yep, if you click on http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussions/tagged/camera-deals you'll see this and not only :-)

  • DailyFilmFixDailyFilmFix

    Two significant price drops this week: the GH3 dropped $230 and the Canon mirrorless camera is now $299 with the 22mm f2. The GH3 is looking like my next camera, especially since my latest doc just got funding. Have a happy 4th!

  • h2otarah2otara

    Could someone who's used the VF-4 or another loupe on the GH3 compare the view to using the EVF? I use MF only, and although I'm able to focus with the GH3 EVF it is definitely harder than my other G-cameras, and anything that would make focusing easier would be worth it. Thanks!

  • maddog15maddog15

    @labalbi Been looking around at viewfinders for the GH3 to assist with manual focus. The Carryspeed, model VF-4 wasn't made with the GH3 in mind. Therefore I've found that it doesn't exactly fit without having to use "Do it Yourself" foam and spacer tricks etc. I've searched but perhaps we need another topic for this?

    Edit: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/970691-REG/zacuto_z_find_gh3_gh3_z_finder_pro.html

  • labalbilabalbi

    Humm...the new Canon 70D with alien AF will have focus peaking ? Even the G6 there are a lot of controversial opinions about the focus peaking functionality...

    What do think adding a viewfinder like the ones from Carryspeed, model VF-4 and other brands ? Would nt it provide a better manual focusing without the weight of the external monitor ?

  • maddog15maddog15

    5 inch Ruige TL-S500HD with GH3image

    GH3_withMonitor.JPG
    2592 x 1936 - 2M
  • maddog15maddog15

    @RottenCarcass Good point about a field monitor for the GH3. I did buy a 5 inch Ruige TL-S500HD field monitor. Bought it for my GH2 but use it now for my GH3. Great price at around $200 for the monitor itself. I added the "Zoom trigger" for about $30 to add Peaking focus. It's NOT a super high end monitor BUT a perfect monitor for framing and focus. I love this little thing. I use it on a tripod constantly but have used it for hand held shots on my rig. Problem is the weight. Pretty heavy especially with the Sony 970 battery in the monitor. With or without Peaking focus - with this 5" monitor I have no problems achieving perfect manual focus with the GH3. (Hope I haven't gone off topic with this post as it does have relevance to a solution for the GH3's poor viewfinder focus issue)

  • RottenCarcassRottenCarcass

    Thanks for your observations and advice, guys. I'm still leaning toward the GH3, though I do have an eye on other possible cameras in the same price range, as for example the new Canon 70D. Anyhow, I do like the fact that you can use almost any lenses on the GH3 through adapters for the m4/3 mount, so even if the pocket BMC transpires to be a great camera, it can also share the same lenses for the m4/3 mount as a great A or B cam. I am sad about the lack of peaking (but who knows what magic Vitaliy might unlock!), because with a poor viewfinder I wonder how easy it will be to judge focus or even exposure... it might end up that you need an external monitor for the GH3 100%, which adds to the cost significantly and again makes one think of other cameras now at higher prices.

  • andrevanberloandrevanberlo

    I've used my 2 GH3's quite a bit lately and they are an improvement over the GH2 in a number of area's. I'm not so fussy about image quality as some so I'm ok with the fact that the GH2 might have the edge there.

    I love the extra dial for setting aperture, I have my lumix 25mm F1.4 on all the time to shoot pictures of our newborn and in the beginning setting aperture in the menu was a drag.

    I am disappointed that there is no focus peaking in the GH3, I assumed it would come later in a firmware update and now I'm reading contradicting posts about panasonic officials saying it is possible and in another instance saying it is impossible...

    I'm very happy with the results i'm getting but that focuspeaking thing just bugs me

  • maddog15maddog15

    @RottenCarcass I love my GH3 for the same points outlined above by others. But there is a huge BUT about the GH3 in my opinion.

    Not gonna mince words here. The OLED viewfinder sharpness is a big step down from say, my GH2. It's simply not "crisp" and sharp when in perfect focus. Been a lot of complaints about this from others. I read about it before my purchase thinking people were just looking for something to bitch about. Some returned thiers because of this one "flaw". They weren't just bitching...It's bad compared to other cameras.. Not a problem on the flip screen of course but when I do hand held shots with my Fotga DP 500 rig I always use the viewfinder. The GH3 viewfinder is tough. When pulling manual focus...and you're almost there...poof... you float past the focal point and have to pull back. (Or vice versa) It's just soft looking when "perfectly focused.". No hard crisp pop visually. With my GH2's viewfinder there's no mistake when it's in focus.

    Is it a deal breaker for me? No. As with anything I've learned to be able to recognize the GH3's viewfinder focal sweet spot. I've not say...shot a bunch of footage, loaded it in Premiere and said, "It's all out of focus!" I've had to adjust to the GH3's viewfinder. To be honest it's not that big of a deal anymore. But when I use my GH2 for a shoot and go back to mt GH3 ... It's like, "Shit... I forgot how bad the viewfinder is on this thing."

    All things said and done - If I knew what I know now would I have purchased the GH3? Yes. Without hesitation, it's a Great camera. No regrets here.

    Good luck to you.

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