48 replies to this topic

[Davide DB]

First leak three days before the official presentation at Photokina.





Seems that the lens kit is the new 12-35mm f2.8 water sealed as the GH3 body.

Until now the specs seems to be:

GH3 Rumors specifications (with current probability status):

• Wheather sealed, metal body (99%)
• Shutter button located similarly to G5 (99%)
• Focus peaking and zebras (99%)
• 920k or better capacitive touch screen (98%)
• Improved EVF (99%)
• 1080p48/ 1080p50/1080p60 at 28mbps, 50mbps and intraframe 72mbps (99%)
• 1080p120/1080p100 special modes (limited time usage), 720p120/720p100 unlimited (44%)
• WiFi direct with Android and iPhone applications with remote video capture (99%)
• 1/3.5" mic input and headphone output (98%)
• Supplied with new wheather sealed kit (55%)
• And optional battery grip, of course, XLR mic input option (98%)

There is also a video from Panasonic USA which confirms some rumours.

72Mbit INTRA codec.

At 2:20 he seems Philip Bloom

Edited by Davide DB, 14 September 2012 - 01:27 AM.

[Nick Hope]

It appears to have been improved in almost every area over the GH2, and the 72Mbps ALL-I should hopefully mean that hacks aren't required to get the best out of it.

This is going to be a hugely popular camera for filmmakers, and I'm fairly sure I'm going to be buying one of these, at least for topside video and stills, unless Canon comes up with something amazing very soon to replace the 60D/7D. Whether I'll take it underwater remains to be seen. I'm hoping the banding issues have been improved, especially in highlights. Also that a good sharp combo of wide lens and glass port becomes available (something that is apparently lacking with the GH2). Even so I might set it up as my u/w macro machine. I'm also intrigued to see how much quality one would lose by shooting 1080-60p and dropping a frame, compared to shooting 1080-30p (it would be nice to always have the option to slow overcranked 60p down to 30p, but not if the cost in quality for regular-speed footage is too high).

[Kevster]

I was hoping it would be the same size as the GH2

[Davide DB]

I was hoping it would be the same size as the GH2

Time to sell our setup?

[Kevster]

Time to sell our setup?

Depends , if the Nauticam housing is similar price as the recent nauticam OMD E5 housing, $1300, i might upgrade. If the housing is the same price as the GH2 housing was, $2200, i will not upgrade.

Edited by Kevster, 14 September 2012 - 05:09 AM.

[Nick Hope]

A bit more info here: http://www.eoshd.com...ls-to-explorers

[HDVdiver]

The specs sound good and the camera looks very nice. Seems like Panasonic are finally being smart and giving customers much of what they want. Instead of trying to block the hack (as they did with the last production run of the GH1) they have seriously increased codec performance straight out of the factory...so might not even require hacking. Remains to be seen if the color banding issue has been fixed.

Now if only someone would make a SERIOUS underwater housing for the GH3...with glass dome ports.

Seems like an early Christmas...Nikon D600 and the GH3 both available soon!

[Davide DB]

And now we have one of the uilty:

http://philipbloom.n.../09/15/genesis/

He is under NDA until Monday but the film is on Vimeo and in the article he gave a lot of information:

What I can say is it’s a massive step up from the previous model and has a superb 72mb/s All-I codec which is a world away from the compressed as hell AVCHD codec that we are used to on many cameras and on all their previous G series cameras.

[vimeo]49420579[/vimeo]

[kun1]

Now if only someone would make a SERIOUS underwater housing for the GH3...with glass dome ports.

David at Scubacam will make you a glass port.

[Nick Hope]

Anyone know if this is a "world camera"? i.e. Choice of 25/30/50/60 fps. Really hoping I can buy one here in Thailand (a 50Hz country) that will do 30/60 fps and not have to get one from overseas.

[Kevster]

The housing for the GH3 may be a problem?. Check out all the buttons & dials on the top right hand side of the camera and they are all close to the shutter release. Seems like the key controls have moved from the back of the camera (GH2) to the top (GH3).

One good thing for the new housing will be the move away from having dual functionality of the main control dials on the top of the camera like the GH2. I found this to be pain to mount the camera in the housing, on the GH2 housing.


Compare GH2 v GH3
https://docs.google....yb3c/edit?pli=1

Edited by Kevster, 16 September 2012 - 10:41 PM.

[Davide DB]

I could not imagine a better housing for my GH2 than my Nauticam NA-GH2P.
The only downside, for a Nauticam choice on mirrorless system, is the policarboante ports.

Give me a glass port and I'm set

[HDVdiver]

David at Scubacam will make you a glass port.

I thought Scubacam was a shop selling other manufacturer's gear.

Besides...also need a new housing for the GH3.

[Nick Hope]

David's a keen glassblower in his spare time. I thought everyone knew this.

[CheungyDiver]

Grinder Nick...glass grinder ! Glass blowing is for cola bottles LOL


David

[Kevster]

GH3 specs now confirmed.

Flash sync is still 1/160.

Anyone care to comment on the new video quality compared to a hacked GH2?( I am new to video)
I assume 60p is useful underwater for slow mo only?

[CheungyDiver]

GH2 housing will not fit the new GH3 from the look of it. Its much bigger so Nauticam and others will need a to develop a new one.This UW imaging lark is getting exhausting with new cameras coming out every few months. Then people expect the housing to be available almost immediately......and then they want to sell their old housing....and so on.Change of topic I am making something for this puppy. For video. It needs a nice tube and nice AF coated glass port.Got one glass port done for Peter but his is a XF canon.Watch this space.CheersD

Edited by CheungyDiver, 17 September 2012 - 03:49 AM.

[Davide DB]

As usual guys at P-V are a step ahead when dealing with Panny.
They "sent" a couple of guys at Photokina covering the Panasonic event. The reported back the event via twitter and there is a wiki page:

http://www.personal-view.com/photokina/coverage/gh3

Or you can just go on Panasonic Photokina press site:

http://www.panasonic.eu/photokina2012/

Or plain GH3 site:

http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/gms/gh3/

Fro video recording formats here the various features:

[HDVdiver]

GH3 specs now confirmed.

Flash sync is still 1/160.

Anyone care to comment on the new video quality compared to a hacked GH2?( I am new to video)
I assume 60p is useful underwater for slow mo only?

No one really knows if the GH3 video quality is better than a well hacked GH2. Even the notion of "better" will have a different meaning for different people. I for one am not rushing out and selling my lovely GH2's...in fact just bought a 3rd body.

It's going to be several months before the full capabilities of the GH3 really get sorted out...and as far as I'm concerned I'm not very interested in drawing conclusions until I get one and do some serious comparative tests. The material released so far (particularly the stuff Bloom was DP on) looks promising...particularly the low light scenes...but essentially meaningless for making a comparison with the GH2.

From the specs the GH3 is a good camera...and Panasonic did a good job in breaking from the previous mentality of minimalism when it came to codec quality and bit-rates. The selection of codec alternatives and decent bit-rates is a great start. Depending on what comes out of the HDMI (4:2:2 ?) that could be a bonus for use with a Ninja, etc. No doubt V.K. will eventually hack the GH3. That's really something to look forward to!


I'm glad they have kept Ex-Tele...this is just fantastic for UW "fisheye-macro" type work. If they have solved the horrific color banding issue of the GH2 (when using AVCHD) that's also a big step forward. The different (and higher) frame rates 50p/60p are always good to have, perhaps more for topside work.

Perhaps the biggest let-down is that the new (Sony?) sensor is not multi-aspect (the GH2's was). Still, I can live with that if the new sensor is indeed better in terms of DR and noise.

So...if China and Japan don't do anything stupid in the meanwhile the first GH3's should be available in November. I'm not too worried about a housing...got an old Subal sitting in my workshop ready for conversion.

Edited by HDVdiver, 17 September 2012 - 11:21 PM.

[escape]

Anyone know if this is a "world camera"? i.e. Choice of 25/30/50/60 fps. Really hoping I can buy one here in Thailand (a 50Hz country) that will do 30/60 fps and not have to get one from overseas.

According to eoshd, it's world cam. Can do 24/25/30/50/60p. yay!

Edited by escape, 17 September 2012 - 11:09 PM.