Showing posts with label AG-AF100. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AG-AF100. Show all posts
Monday, September 30, 2013
Panasonic DMC-GH4 to be announced soon? Status: Available
Since the Olympus E-P5, Panasonic GX7, and Olympus E-M1, time has been pushing the Panasonic GH3 backward a bit, as far as the use of current technology.
Notably, the 1/8000th of a second shutter speed those three have, mates better with those Voigtländer f/0.95 aperture lenses. They also have fancier viewfinders, even though the E-P5's excellent VF-4 viewfinder is an optional add-on.
Thankfully, I don't have such fast lenses (maximum aperture f/1.4) for the GH3, and my f/2.0 Olympus ZD lenses don't always have a problem with the 1/4000th of a second shutter speed. I've seen 1/5000th of a second shutter speed while photographing sports with the Olympus E-5 and those same Olympus ZD lenses.
On the other point, the electronic viewfinder is a major problem for me. I have managed to work around it, but there have been times when I'm trying to get some shots and the camera is working but the viewfinder is not up to speed, so there is guess work involved in getting the next shot. Also, the color rendition is lousy--purple is dark blue, as I noticed last Thursday. The shots look fine but the viewfinder misleads you. Manual focusing is another difficult area, as there are just not enough pixels to replace an optical viewfinder well, and the magnifying bit is annoying and I miss shots, so I've disabled the "assistance". However, using the E-M1's EVF and having zero problems with it, suggests that Panasonic can also do that well with theirs.
Now, there is a Panasonic announcement (GM1, 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 and future Leica/Panasonic 15mm f/1.7) in a little more than a week (further back?), supposedly. It may not be about the GH3 replacement but Photokina isn't that far away (actually, Photokina has turned into an every-other-year exposition, so waiting until October 2014 is a bit long) and it seems that they announced the GH3 about that time. Update 2013.11.06: October is gone, and November seems to be quiet. There are rumors about a 4K video addition, but will that be put into a GH3 replacement? That almost seems too much, as it will require more firmware, and much stronger processing capabilities. Still, Panasonic seem dedicating effort to toppling Canon's 5DMkIII, so it might happen. There is also the AF100/AF105 that they need to replace, so it might be a dual announcement. NAB 2014 runs from April 5 through 10. Perhaps, the announcement will happen then. It seems late but plausible.
(Why isn't the replacement a GH4? Since the sound of "four" in Japanese and Chinese is the same as "death", it is considered an unlucky number. In Japan, inviting 3 guests has been considered a situation where you want one of them to die because there will be four of you seated at the table. Because of that, tableware comes in sets of five. I don't buy products in sets of four simply because I might run into the situation, whether I believe in superstition or not, I am a Japanese.)
It would be good to see the GH5 with the enhancements of the GX7, while still providing a great camera body and manual controls (not counting the DISP button). If Panasonic can move the acceptable photo level from ISO 3200 to ISO 6400, I'd be thrilled because ISO 6400 right now is mush, even with raw files. It seems that they need a bit more fine control in the Venus imaging engine. (Update 2013.11.07: I read the DPReview review of the GX7 and the EVF is really broken with "rainbow tearing". What good is a denser display, if you can't see the scene properly?)
With the speedier shutter speed and an enhanced viewfinder, it will make a good package better for photographers, rather than just videographers. Panasonic mentioned that they wanted the GH3 to be a great stills camera and they were on the right track but they didn't make it all the way.
The GX7 (and the GM1!) seems to have adjusted things a bit, so they're still learning. Of course, the sensor from the Olympus E-M1 would help me a lot. I use my Four-Thirds lenses enough of the time that having auto focus available at times would be useful. Most of them work now, but I need patience compared to using them on the Olympus E-5. I would still need some patience compared to the E-5 when using them on the E-M1, so I could ask the runners to run more slowly.
Token changes are unnecessary. Color options aren't warranted.
I suspect that a lot of people are waiting to see if Panasonic implements a 4K video mode of any kind. I would suggest that they need to modify a lot to get there, even though the sensor has enough resolution for it. Faster pathways cost more and there would need to be more firmware capacity to support 4K video. As far as I'm concerned, they can rip out all the fancy effects in the firmware and just provide great stills and video.
Update 2014.01.08: Panasonic has shown a GH3 with a "4K" sticker on the GH3 and proposed that this newer, higher model will be "arriving" in late February here. Of course, saying that it's under US$2000 likely means that it's US$1999(.99) or thereabouts. Still, it's cheaper than the Canon 5DMkIII. There was apparently zero news about how it worked photographically, other than being able to take a stills shot while capturing video. 200 Mbps capture is fast, so those little SD Cards won't be as useful as they are with the GH3. Since it's not a replacement for the GH3, I'm still wondering when Panasonic will replace it, as they can't make hardware changes through firmware, even though a lot of people apparently think it's possible.
I suspect that they could make the GH3 a great photographic tool, if they removed most of the video firmware content and replaced it with appropriate firmware content for still photography but that wouldn't do since video is the GH3's very special domain.
Update 2014.11.26: The GH4 has been available for a while and it's been successful. It still has the odd problem with auto focus, but what camera body doesn't? Getting 85% from DPReview was surprising, since they generally only like Canon or Nikon equipment.
I still have not bought mine, and I traded my GH3 in June (for an Olympus E-M1) to avoid a discounted trade-in price. This is definitely the time to buy as the GH4 has been discounted to roughly $1499.99 everywhere. When I tried to trade in June, Unique Photo wasn't getting them regularly, and I happened to be gone the next week with no certain address ahead of me until July.
The E-M1 has been a good companion but not as comfortable as the GH3, and definitely not a video-oriented camera body. It is extremely responsive.
Thinking about the discount on the GH4 right now, I may take a trip to buy one in just a bit.
Update 2015.04.08: I got mine shortly after that, with the US$200 discount. It's been much better than the GH3.
It can be a pain but it's less of a pain than the GH3. It's amazing for video, less so for still photography with not so good auto focus.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Schneider-Kreuznach and micro Four-Thirds
Supposedly, an announcement is coming in the next week from Schneider-Kreuznach about lenses they're making available for the micro Four-Thirds format.
I have a few questions about this like:
Will these be electronically compatible, fully usable with auto exposure and auto focus?
What happens to Samsung's NX-system, if Schneider-Kreuznach adds to micro Four-Thirds?
When Panasonic added a low end (micro Four-Thirds) professional video camera, which is high above the micro Four-Thirds still camera bodies, to their line, it set a new tone for the format. Suddenly, a number of cine lenses became available, even to those using the DMC-GH1 and DMC-GH2 bodies for video recording.
Now, the sense of putting a US$3000 lens on a US$800 body may not seem reasonable but given what you can do with a properly-hacked GH2, it's not completely insane. It's also not completely different than taking a US$3000 body and adding an US$8000 lens and professionals do that all the time, don't they?
I still don't see me getting into the video business, though trying video may give me a better, more flexible perspective on still images. I've barely experimented with the Live View functionality, even though I can see limited use for it for photographing animals or shooting over a crowd. (Should you be hovering a heavy dSLR and heavy lens over someone's head, trying to get a shot into the crowd? Justin Bieber might hit you, if he doesn't like it.)
In any case, Schneider-Kreuznach could really change the balance of things if they offer lenses that are fully compatible with micro Four-Thirds, so that they work with auto focus and auto exposure. Their lenses have been Samsung's only hope to get more serious users buying their NX-system. If they lose that exclusivity, it would doom the mostly-sinking ship, and provide micro Four-Thirds a new boost against Sony's NEX-system, if Sony's format isn't included in their plans or the announcement.
They made their announcement and I wrote about it in this post.
I have a few questions about this like:
Will these be electronically compatible, fully usable with auto exposure and auto focus?
What happens to Samsung's NX-system, if Schneider-Kreuznach adds to micro Four-Thirds?
When Panasonic added a low end (micro Four-Thirds) professional video camera, which is high above the micro Four-Thirds still camera bodies, to their line, it set a new tone for the format. Suddenly, a number of cine lenses became available, even to those using the DMC-GH1 and DMC-GH2 bodies for video recording.
Now, the sense of putting a US$3000 lens on a US$800 body may not seem reasonable but given what you can do with a properly-hacked GH2, it's not completely insane. It's also not completely different than taking a US$3000 body and adding an US$8000 lens and professionals do that all the time, don't they?
I still don't see me getting into the video business, though trying video may give me a better, more flexible perspective on still images. I've barely experimented with the Live View functionality, even though I can see limited use for it for photographing animals or shooting over a crowd. (Should you be hovering a heavy dSLR and heavy lens over someone's head, trying to get a shot into the crowd? Justin Bieber might hit you, if he doesn't like it.)
In any case, Schneider-Kreuznach could really change the balance of things if they offer lenses that are fully compatible with micro Four-Thirds, so that they work with auto focus and auto exposure. Their lenses have been Samsung's only hope to get more serious users buying their NX-system. If they lose that exclusivity, it would doom the mostly-sinking ship, and provide micro Four-Thirds a new boost against Sony's NEX-system, if Sony's format isn't included in their plans or the announcement.
They made their announcement and I wrote about it in this post.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Waiting for the Panasonic DMC-GH3 (got it!)
I've been rather interested for the DMC-GH2 for a while now. It's a comfortable camera body with a sizeable and growing count of lenses with a passion for video. Okay, passion may be a bit much but this article suggests exactly that.
The fact that video doesn't quite have nearly as much resolution as still photos do (for now), suggests that micro Four-Thirds bodies should be quite capable of doing good video. However, this body in particular has a particular strength, a multiple aspect ratio sensor. It doesn't have to compromise on aspect ratios including 16:9, 3:2, or 4:3 and I believe, 1:1. That's an advantage.
Zeiss have already released several cine lenses and I read that Schneider would be doing the same with their own products for the system. Mostly, this was for the more impressive Panasonc AG-AF100 but they apply to any camera body that has the micro Four-Thirds mount. Of course, many people stepping up from point-and-shoot models won't be interested in manual focus but just want to capture videos of their child or pet. The lenses are also priced so that only the most interested will be willing to pay.
Panasonic introduced some power zoom lenses, similar to what you might have used on a point-and-shoot digital or Olympus' IS-series of integrated 135 format cameras way back when. They provide home movie convenience with some good optical quality. Notice that I'm not saying great optical quality. Panasonic and Olympus have gone on record as saying that micro Four-Thirds products should stay small. They don't want to scare away users the way they did with Four-Thirds. Keeping things small and light means limiting optical quality. I'd like a better compromise, but I'm not the target audience for their products.
The GH3 has been rumored to have better dynamic range and light sensitivity. Considering the GF5, it will likely have a revised processing engine, as well. What surprised me was that a rumor suggested a slightly lower pixel count. 16.x MP isn't exactly high or low, but I can only imagine that they're willing to sacrifice pixels in order to increase dynamic range and to reduce effective noise. It may end up that there will be a higher pixel count and the newer sensor will use better techniques and op-amps to reduce the noise. I'd think that they will increase the sensor output speed to increase auto focus speed and performance during sports photography. (In reality, the continuous auto focus is some interesting predictive auto focus and it predicts that I don't want to focus in the right places, but only sometime.)
Given that I've seen a number of professionals hanging 2 or 3 SLRs around their neck, wouldn't they be happier with 2 or 3 GH3s around their neck, if it meets all the criteria, including better lenses?
I can see the point where Olympus and Panasonic are going to realize that their current lenses aren't a match for the sensor quality and they'll have to design new lenses similar to Olympus' SHG line or say that they don't care, that it's someone else's market. (It's sad that the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 lens just isn't a substitute for the Olympus ZD 35-100 f/2.0. Besides the image quality, I find it too small.)
It's an interesting time for digital photography, and given the complexity of a reflex camera, it's a wonder that mirror-less cameras haven't been popular until now. I'm interested, but only just.
Update: Panasonic has apparently scheduled a meeting partway through July. There seem to be reductions and/or discounts in certain equipment at the moment, as if they're at end of life. There have been a number of suggestions that several lenses are going back for a makeover. I'd think they were going to add their Power O.I.S. and weatherproofing, but they may also try to reduce size or correct their sometimes too high chromatic aberration to work better with Olympus bodies.
It's not a total surprise but the G5 has been introduced without the GH3. Since the G5 is using the possibly same 16 MP sensor from the G3, I wonder if it's really likely that they'll not change the GH3 sensor either. In a way, it's good for them to get a handle on image quality at a certain resolution, especially since they're fighting larger sensors for stills. How patient can we be?
Update 2012.12.22: People have been receiving their GH3 bodies somewhat slowly. It seems as good as anyone could hope. There were a number of complaints about the size, but it's smaller than Olympus' E-1, which started Four-Thirds. I'm finding the E-1 a bit small for the Olympus Zuiko Digital 14-35mm and 35-100mm lenses, which makes sense why the E-3 and E-5 were larger. I'm really not certain about using the GH3 with an adapter. Sources say that a upscale Olympus body is coming toward the end of 2013, and there has already been an Olympus patent showing an adapter with phase detection auto focus. For me, an OM-D sized body won't do it. The OM-1N I had was slippery with the 75-150 f/4.0, so imagine a body that size with a lens much, much heavier and bigger. On the other hand, my E-5 and 35-100mm and FL-50 slid off a plastic seat onto the pool deck and kept working, so maybe it won't matter.
Update 2013.02.26: I received my own GH3 and it's been interesting--better than expected in many ways, but still not great for photography although good. I still find the Olympus E-5 to be a bit better, and much more predictable. The Olympus MMF-3 adapter is quite helpful in getting the SHG and HG lenses attached to the GH3 for higher image quality.
The fact that video doesn't quite have nearly as much resolution as still photos do (for now), suggests that micro Four-Thirds bodies should be quite capable of doing good video. However, this body in particular has a particular strength, a multiple aspect ratio sensor. It doesn't have to compromise on aspect ratios including 16:9, 3:2, or 4:3 and I believe, 1:1. That's an advantage.
Zeiss have already released several cine lenses and I read that Schneider would be doing the same with their own products for the system. Mostly, this was for the more impressive Panasonc AG-AF100 but they apply to any camera body that has the micro Four-Thirds mount. Of course, many people stepping up from point-and-shoot models won't be interested in manual focus but just want to capture videos of their child or pet. The lenses are also priced so that only the most interested will be willing to pay.
Panasonic introduced some power zoom lenses, similar to what you might have used on a point-and-shoot digital or Olympus' IS-series of integrated 135 format cameras way back when. They provide home movie convenience with some good optical quality. Notice that I'm not saying great optical quality. Panasonic and Olympus have gone on record as saying that micro Four-Thirds products should stay small. They don't want to scare away users the way they did with Four-Thirds. Keeping things small and light means limiting optical quality. I'd like a better compromise, but I'm not the target audience for their products.
The GH3 has been rumored to have better dynamic range and light sensitivity. Considering the GF5, it will likely have a revised processing engine, as well. What surprised me was that a rumor suggested a slightly lower pixel count. 16.x MP isn't exactly high or low, but I can only imagine that they're willing to sacrifice pixels in order to increase dynamic range and to reduce effective noise. It may end up that there will be a higher pixel count and the newer sensor will use better techniques and op-amps to reduce the noise. I'd think that they will increase the sensor output speed to increase auto focus speed and performance during sports photography. (In reality, the continuous auto focus is some interesting predictive auto focus and it predicts that I don't want to focus in the right places, but only sometime.)
Given that I've seen a number of professionals hanging 2 or 3 SLRs around their neck, wouldn't they be happier with 2 or 3 GH3s around their neck, if it meets all the criteria, including better lenses?
I can see the point where Olympus and Panasonic are going to realize that their current lenses aren't a match for the sensor quality and they'll have to design new lenses similar to Olympus' SHG line or say that they don't care, that it's someone else's market. (It's sad that the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 lens just isn't a substitute for the Olympus ZD 35-100 f/2.0. Besides the image quality, I find it too small.)
It's an interesting time for digital photography, and given the complexity of a reflex camera, it's a wonder that mirror-less cameras haven't been popular until now. I'm interested, but only just.
Update: Panasonic has apparently scheduled a meeting partway through July. There seem to be reductions and/or discounts in certain equipment at the moment, as if they're at end of life. There have been a number of suggestions that several lenses are going back for a makeover. I'd think they were going to add their Power O.I.S. and weatherproofing, but they may also try to reduce size or correct their sometimes too high chromatic aberration to work better with Olympus bodies.
It's not a total surprise but the G5 has been introduced without the GH3. Since the G5 is using the possibly same 16 MP sensor from the G3, I wonder if it's really likely that they'll not change the GH3 sensor either. In a way, it's good for them to get a handle on image quality at a certain resolution, especially since they're fighting larger sensors for stills. How patient can we be?
Update 2012.12.22: People have been receiving their GH3 bodies somewhat slowly. It seems as good as anyone could hope. There were a number of complaints about the size, but it's smaller than Olympus' E-1, which started Four-Thirds. I'm finding the E-1 a bit small for the Olympus Zuiko Digital 14-35mm and 35-100mm lenses, which makes sense why the E-3 and E-5 were larger. I'm really not certain about using the GH3 with an adapter. Sources say that a upscale Olympus body is coming toward the end of 2013, and there has already been an Olympus patent showing an adapter with phase detection auto focus. For me, an OM-D sized body won't do it. The OM-1N I had was slippery with the 75-150 f/4.0, so imagine a body that size with a lens much, much heavier and bigger. On the other hand, my E-5 and 35-100mm and FL-50 slid off a plastic seat onto the pool deck and kept working, so maybe it won't matter.
Update 2013.02.26: I received my own GH3 and it's been interesting--better than expected in many ways, but still not great for photography although good. I still find the Olympus E-5 to be a bit better, and much more predictable. The Olympus MMF-3 adapter is quite helpful in getting the SHG and HG lenses attached to the GH3 for higher image quality.
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