Since the introduction in 2009 of the GH1, Panasonic’s GH-series of true hybrid photo/video mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras have invoked a special fascination in filmmakers of all skill levels. Anyone who craves advanced features and high image quality in a supremely compact package can appreciate the effectiveness of a Lumix GH-series camera for run-and-gun recording. Now, witness the evolution of the series for a new generation of demanding, unlimited filmmaking.
The Panasonic Lumix GH6 offers higher resolution, higher bitrate, better image stabilization, and fewer limits than ever before and offers numerous professional-level upgrades over previous G-series cameras (and even some over the S-series). It is available for pre-order now—as a standalone body or as a kit with the Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12–60mm f/2.8–4.0 lens—and has a planned ship date of March 25th. Click here or contact your local Mike’s Camera to place your order today.
EARLY ADOPTER BONUS
Pre-order your GH6 before March 21st, 2022 and register it with Panasonic by April 30, 2022 to receive a free 128 GB Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B card directly from Panasonic. That’s a $199 value! CFexpress cards are ultra-fast and ultra-reliable, allowing you to confidently take full advantage of your new camera’s incredible power.
Unlimited power
At the heart of the GH6 you’ll find a brand new 25.2 MP Live MOS sensor (sans low pass filter) and Venus engine offering twice the processing power as that of the engine found in the Panasonic DC-S1H. An active cooling fan enables their full potential use as well as unlimited video recording in all modes. Not a bad start! Here are some of the other technologies Panasonic notes as being specifically enabled by this combination of forced cooling and a fast processor:
• New Intelligent Detail Processing: The GH6 is better able to discriminate between flat, detail, and edge areas and process those borders appropriately to retain fine detail and increase perceived depth.
• New 2D Noise Reduction: Color noise is better repressed and luminance noise grain is more attractive.
• High Precision 3D Noise Reduction: Better discrimination between stationary and moving objects allows for better noise reduction with fewer afterimages.
• High Precision Dual 3D Color Control
• Improved autofocus precision and subject detection using 315 Contrast/DFD AF points
High resolution, high frame rates, high stability
The GH6 offers an impressive array of video recording modes. Some highlights include 5.7K 60p 4:2:0, C4K 60p 4:2:2, 4K 120p 4:2:0, and FHD 300p (allowing roughly 12.5x slow-motion), all 10-bit. It can write internally to a variety of formats as well, including for the first time Apple ProRes 422 HQ and Apple ProRes 422, as well as externally via simultaneous HDMI RAW output… again, with no video recording time limits.
Panasonic didn’t slack on the still side of things, of course. Thanks to the best-rated IBIS system on Panasonic G- and S-series cameras (with a rating of 7.5 stops of effectiveness), 100 MP high-res composite images are not only possible but are possible hand-held. Using the electronic shutter, burst image capture is possible at up to 8 fps in AFC or a whopping 75 fps in AFS.
Oh, and straddling the line between still and motion capture, you can produce 4K 60p timelapse videos in-camera. There’s even an intelligent exposure-difference limiter to make sure that sudden and/or significant changes in light come out comfortably gradual in the video.
Professional videography in the palms of your hands
Panasonic included a number of new, professional features based on input from current and would-be users of their cameras, including a Waveform Monitor, Zebra Pattern overlay, Luminance Spot Meter, Frame Marker, Anamorphic Desqueeze Display, Red REC Frame Indicator and two Tally lamps, front and back. A new “Safety Area Marker” lets you set an adjustable margin for improved composition, and two REC buttons (one on the top and one on the front of the body) ensure that you can start recording easily no matter your rig’s configuration. The flash synchro socket doubles as a Time Code In/Out port using the included BNC conversion cable.
Customizable color capture was obviously a high priority for Panasonic in designing the GH6, as it has been on other GH-series cameras. In addition to other previously available gamuts, it is now possible to record to V-Log (for a film-like color space) or V-Gamut (which has an even wider color space). With the Dynamic Range Boost feature enabled, 13+ stops of dynamic range are possible. The GH6 also adds, for the first time, support for .cube LUTs during recording and playback, in addition to .vlt LUTs.
With the optional DMW-XLR1 adapter, the GH6 is capable of recording up to four channels of 48/96 kHz 24-bit audio. There is also a 3.5mm microphone jack, should you prefer a more compact package.
A robust body
With a magnesium alloy frame encased in a dust-, splash-, and freeze-proof enclosure and sporting a shutter rated for up to 200,000 actuations, the GH6 is a camera you can confidently bring on-location. You can keep an eye on your image using either the 3,680k dot OLED EVF or the 3.2” tilting and free-angle touch screen. And connectivity is well-handled, including among other ports/technologies:
• USB-C 3.2 with PD support
• HDMI capable of supporting up to 4K 120fps
• 1x CFexpress Type B slot + 1x SD UHS-II U3 V90 slot
• The latest WiFi and Bluetooth technologies for wireless transfer and control
What the future will hold
A promised future firmware update will expand the GH6’s professional feature set even further by adding the following:
・DCI4K ProRes 422 HQ / ProRes 422
・FHD ProRes 422 HQ / ProRes 422
・USB-SSD direct recording
・4K 120p HDMI Video output during Live View
・DCI 4K 120p HDMI RAW Video Data Output to ATOMOS Ninja V+
NB: lenses may require firmware updates to use the full extent of the GH6’s features, such as switching between dynamic and linear manual focus response (cool!). Updates are available now for the H-E08018, H-X1025, H-X2550, H-ES12060, H-ES50200, H-RS100400, H-XA025, H-ES200, H-HSA12035, H-FS12060, H-HSA35100, H-FSA45200, and H-FSA100300 lenses. Updates for the H-NS043, H-X012, and H-X015 lenses will be released in March.