(Pocket-lint) – Panasonic has championed the Micro 4 Thirds layout for a few years, rising its doable, increasingly more specializing in handing over extremely succesful videography gear for the quality-focused fanatic. And its Lumix GH collection has lengthy been height of that stack.
Again in 2014 the Lumix GH4 was once one standout second within the historical past of 4K video recording, making the Extremely-HD layout to be had to a brand new target market. That was once adopted up through the much more complex Lumix GH5 in 2017, which then spawned a Mark II sequel in 2020.
For 2022 and past it is all in regards to the subsequent era: the Lumix GH6. This digital camera is truly all about videography, combining some severe taking pictures specifications at an excessively aggressive worth level.
However does it take advantage of sense when the GH5 M2 was once launched now not lengthy prior? In a phrase: sure. This is why we expect the Panasonic Lumix GH6 has the prospective to make much more dear cameras from the likes of Sony and Canon look nervously over their shoulders.
For Panasonic it gave the impression there was once no level in generating an up to date GH collection digital camera till it might truly up the sport, providing one thing obviously extra succesful than the GH5. With the Lumix GH6 it has controlled that – after which some.
In the event you drew up an inventory of options maximum aspiring videographers or cinematographers would need from a video-centric mirrorless digital camera, you’ll guess they might come with such things as high-bitrate 4K photos, complete V-Log recording, HLG, and variable frame-rates. Which is strictly what you get right here.
In most cases all that will imply the expectancy of an eye-watering ticket. However the GH6 swerves that too, touchdown at a wise worth level, which is able to upload much more enchantment to a much broader target market.
Plus there are but extra helpful options coming down the road – like recording to SSD by the use of the USB-C port – to additional reinforce the digital camera’s functions and value. Disgrace they are now not on board from day one, truly, however differently an extended extend would had been inevitable.
All in all, the Panasonic Lumix GH6 stands on my own with out peer on this worth class. It is a mighty spectacular digital camera for videographers that was once smartly well worth the wait.
Panasonic Lumix GH6
4.5 stars – Pocket-lint advisable
- Rather priced
- As much as 5.7k recording at 60fps is spectacular
- Fees by the use of USB-C
- 4 channel audio recording
- Smartly-positioned buttons
- Feels sturdily constructed
- No direct recording to SSD (but)
- It is no smaller than a full-frame digital camera
- CFExpress slot way just one SD card slot
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Design
- Dimensions: 138.4 x 100.3 x 99.6mm / Weight: 823g (physique plus battery & card)
- Climate-sealed magnesium alloy building
The GH6 necessarily seems like a GH5 and an S5 were given in combination and spawned a brand new style. It nonetheless has one of the design components of the older GH fashions, however it is bulkier, extra angular, with bolder protrusions.
It is larger too, which any GH5 customers will right away understand when first choosing it up. The handgrip at the entrance is way better, too, supplying you with one thing a lot more considerable to carry onto when taking pictures hand-held. That is partially since the battery compartment has been circled 90-degrees, so the battery suits inside the grip reasonably than fully inside the primary physique of the digital camera. It is lined in a textured, rubberised subject matter to make sure it does not slip.
The opposite new function is the air vents, as there is a fan within to make sure the GH6’s sensor can stay cool for limitless recording. One vent sits at the left facet of the digital camera, between the observe hinge and the connectivity ports. The opposite is visual underneath the observe’s backplate, subsequent to the dials and serve as buttons at the again of the digital camera. Panasonic tells us this air-cooled gadget was once essential to forestall the digital camera’s length from being but larger. Now not that it is a huge digital camera in anyway, it is simply better than its predecessor.
The GH6’s physique could also be splash- and dust-resistant, feels truly strong, and needs to be greater than succesful for fieldwork.
Somebody who has used a Lumix sooner than will even in finding the buttons and controls right away acquainted, with the entirety with ease positioned and simple to achieve. Up height there is a vivid crimson film button for recording video, which truly stands proud as a function to mean you can know what this digital camera is all about.
At the entrance of the digital camera between the grip and the lens are two customized serve as buttons, which might be truly smartly placed. We discovered we might naturally in finding them with our index and ring finger on our appropriate hand. They are now not too simple to press by accident, requiring some important trip sooner than activating, however the use of them turns into 2d nature.
Extra necessary is the presence of a 2d (additionally vivid crimson) film report button at the digital camera’s entrance. It is truly helpful to begin recording in case your right-hand palms and thumb are busy doing one thing else, or you’ll’t simply succeed in the film button at the height. It is simple to seek out, so way it is a lot more uncomplicated to stay your shot solid and nonetheless.
At the rear are the entire same old dials and buttons for navigating settings menus, together with a mini joystick for assist with focusing and choice. There is additionally one new button: a lock transfer, which sits to the left of the viewfinder. Transfer this on and it locks the entire buttons at the digital camera, so your recording cannot be disturbed or modified by accident.
Ports, slots and the flip-out display screen
- Twin card slots: CFExpress (Kind B) & SD
- USB-C 3.2 port with PD charging
- 3.5mm mic, 3.5mm audio out
- XLR by the use of not obligatory accent
- Complete-sized HDMI
Like maximum cameras, the necessary ports of the GH6 are safe through numerous doorways and flaps. There is a 3.5mm microphone port, a three.5mm line out for headphones, a USB Kind-C port for charging, plus a full-size HDMI output.
Along side the shoe mount on height of the digital camera, it way you’ll plug-in all way of recording apparatus. In reality, the digital camera is able to four-channel recording in the event you use a dual-XLR connector (offered one by one) at the side of the integrated mics and the three.5mm enter.
You’ll additionally plug in an exterior observe/recorder and report without delay to that. Plus, in a long term firmware replace, Panasonic goes to permit direct SSD recording during the USB-C port. These days, then again, its makes use of are restricted to charging and document switch. It isn’t the one manner of document switch regardless that: the use of the cell app, you’ll import information wirelessly the use of Wi-Fi/Bluetooth too.
As for reminiscence card slots, there are two: one CFExpress (Kind B), one SD. We’re going to surely say this in the event you intent to shop for the GH6: you can want to remember to purchase truly speedy playing cards to profit from it, differently you can be not able to get right of entry to to easiest imaginable recording high quality. To get 5.7k Apple ProRes, for instance, you can want a CFExpress card, as SD simply is not speedy sufficient (however is okay for plenty of lesser settings).
Then there may be the display screen. Like all excellent video-focused digital camera, it may turn out to the facet of the digital camera, and rotates about 225 levels. That implies you’ll have it going through you in case you are recording your self to digital camera, or have it circled perpendicular for your topic in case you are taking pictures top-down.
Critical video chops
- No sensor crop
- No recording cut-off dates
- 5.7K as much as 60fps – 4:2:0 10-bit
- 5.7K Apple ProRes at 25/30fps – 4:2:2 and four:2:0 10-bit
- 4K as much as 120fps – 4:2:2 and four:2:0 10-bit
- V-Log, HLG, Like709, Cinelike V, Cinelike D
Lets fill a complete web page simply at the other variants of 4K answer the GH6 can report in, record the entire quite a lot of bitrates, body charges and formats. However the large strokes view is that there are few cameras in the marketplace able to matching the resolutions and bitrates on be offering from this Lumix. In no way within the client marketplace on this worth bracket anyway. To save lots of you from a spreadsheet of nightmares, listed here are a couple of key highlights:
- 5.8K (4:3) – 5760 x 4320 – 29.97p/23.98p – 200Mbps – 4:2:0 10-bit
- 5.7K (17:9) – 5728 x 3024 – 59.94p/47.95p – 300Mbps – 4:2:0
- C4K – 4096 x 2160 – 119.88p – 300Mbps – 4:2:0 10-bit
- C4K – 4096 x 2160 – 59.94p – 800Mbps – 4:2:2 10-bit
- 4K – 3840 x 2160 – 119.88p – 300Mbps – 4:2:0 10-bit
- 4K – 3840 x 2160 – 59.94p – 800Mbps – 4:2:2 10-bit
In our Ecu assessment unit, the body charges are moderately other and are, necessarily, multiples of 25. That implies the easiest frame-rate 4K is 100p, reasonably than 120p. And the easiest 5.7k is 50p, reasonably than 60p. There also are settings with variable frame-rate choices for pace ramping, and excessive frame-rate modes for slow-motion.
The top of its efficiency – or the easiest spec recording it may arrange – are in Apple ProRes codecs. Those shoot 5.7K answer in a 17:9 ratio, restricted to 24, 25 or 30fps. At a hefty 1.5-1.9Gbps, they’re going to consume up your garage very quickly. A 128GB card will really feel paltry.
In each Cinema 4K (C4K) and 4K modes there are 60p/50p modes that clock up 800Mbps, which means you can see your reminiscence card empty in little or no time in any respect on the ones as smartly.
Exterior recording is imaginable on a large number of those body charges if you find yourself the use of observe/recorder gadgets plugged into the HDMI port. In reality, in some 4K and C4K modes, you are able to report externally and internally to a card on the similar time.
The benefit of all of those body charges and bitrates is that you are not restricted through recording time in any of them. Even though most of the truly data-intensive modes would require you to make use of a CFExpress card the true recording time is best restricted through the capability of the cardboard and the digital camera’s battery lifestyles.
The GH6 does not crop into the sensor both, except you decide to make use of one of the crucial 4:3 Anamorphic modes, so you can get focal lengths as anticipated for your lens possible choices.
Those that truly love to tweak their paintings in submit can be happy to grasp the digital camera gives complete V-Log appropriate out of the field, and not using a further rate (for the GH5 it was once an added value is all). There are different profiles, together with Cinelike D and V, plus HLG for the ones occasions you wish to have to seize HDR photos. There is even a atmosphere known as ‘Dynamic Spice up’ you’ll permit which truly complements that HDR impact to come up with dynamic vary that hasn’t been imaginable sooner than on a GH digital camera.
So what is it like?
- All-new 25-megapixel CMOS sensor
- 3.68m-dot OLED viewfinder
- 5-axis symbol stabilisation
- Battery lifestyles: 330-380 pictures/80-100 mins steady recording
In the event you’ve used a GH digital camera sooner than then the GH6’s operation will really feel very equivalent. There are a couple of minor variations, maximum significantly within the person interface at the flip-out display screen. Menus are organized moderately in a different way, and are chock-full of choices and settings to tinker with. It may be complicated initially, nevertheless it does not take lengthy to seek out the entire necessary bits.
The usage of autofocus in stills or video mode reacts briefly, locking onto the topic meant, or simply adjusted through the faucet of the display screen. It may also be modified to a watch/face monitoring function, too, permitting the digital camera to mechanically hit upon when an individual or animal is within the scene. We discovered this mode lovely dependable, so we hardly ever discovered ourselves desiring to reshoot.
The GH6’s advanced sensor and symbol processing engine surely turns out to have made a gigantic distinction over the GH5 too. Having a look at video shot in the similar stipulations, with the similar lenses, on the similar settings, there is a sense with the GH6 that the whole glance is way more realistic. The automated taking pictures mode delivers effects which can be extra sensible, but with colourful colors, however extra crucially a greater dealing with of sunshine and shadow.
In-body stabilisation guarantees that your actions hardly ever impact the video or stills badly too. The 5-axis gadget guarantees that motion, when it occurs, is somewhat easy. After all, it is not gimbal easy, however any shakes and jolts are minimum sufficient that almost all modifying suite programmes’ personal post-production stabilisation gear are sufficient to even them out with out a lot in the best way of warp.
Battery lifestyles is forged too. The GH6 can maintain round 45 mins of stop-start recording, greater than an hour of constant 4K recording, or someplace round 350 nonetheless pictures on a complete rate. We discovered no example of feeling as regardless that the battery stage was once shedding too briefly all over checking out.
Spec-wise, it is the similar battery that is within the full-frame Lumix S5, which fees somewhat briefly even supposing you plug it into the USB-C port, because of Energy Supply improve.
For Panasonic it gave the impression there was once no level in generating an up to date GH collection digital camera till it might truly up the sport, providing one thing obviously extra succesful and higher than the GH5. With the Lumix GH6, it has controlled it – after which some.
Writing through Cam Bunton.
