Phil Peel

Panasonic have confirmed that the GH4 (quite amazingly) outputs 10bit 4K 4:2:2 direct from the onboard micro HDMI port without the optional but expensive  YAGH accessory box.

So that means you can record in 10 bit in an external recorder , which means that colour grading should be way better.

In my last film using the GH2 and GH3, I had real problems with some shots that had been filmed using the wrong colour balance . The 8 bit images began to really fall apart when I tried strong colour correction.  So 10 bit should be fantastic.    

….on the other hand I could have got the colour balance right in the first place, as we used to have to do with film  🙂

If you can afford it, the add -on base accessory box (which costs more than the camera) has even more useful facilities, though it has to have an external power supply, which is a bit of a limitation.

The YAGH accessory box for the GH4  takes video entirely from the micro HDMI port on the GH4, which is why it can offer 10bit 4:2:2 through the full sized HDMI port it offers as well as HD-SDI.

Thanks to EOSD.com for the info

http://www.eoshd.com/content/12296/information-10bit-4k-422-via-micro-hdmi-gh4-without-external-box

Now got some more details from Panasonic about what the camera can really do.

Here is Panasonic’s Matt Frazer  talking to Zacuto. Clearing up a some of the confusion about the cameras outputs.

…and another interesting hands on review with a pre-production model. Showing how it can do really nice slo mo.

Best stuff is about 10 mins in.

 Just been announced. The new GH4 will be £1300…  I’ve been shooting on the GH2 for a few years and found it excellent, but the new Panasonic Lumix GH4 threatens to blow it away as it’s  the first DSLR with 4K video recording capability and it only £1300.  

I’ve used the Black Magic Pocket camera (£700)  and handled the Black Magic 4K Cinema camera (£1400) . They are both great advances,  but still awkward to use without add on viewfinders etc .  Whereas the GH range of cameras are lovely to use hand held.  See an example here   

The Panasonic Lumix GH4 will be available in the UK from 5 May – body only for £1300, with a 14-140mm lens for £1750, or with body only and an Interface unity for £2500. For those pre-ordering a free battery grip and battery is on offer from 10 March until 2 June.

The GH4 is the World’s First DSLR with 4K Video Recording Capability and can shoot 4K at 30/25/24fps at 100Mbps using ALL-Intra compression. At 1080p that rises way beyond broadcast standard to 200Mbps.

But even if you leave out the 4k which will need fast and expensive  SD cards, in  HD it can shoot up to  96 frames per second —nice slow motion –  and it has  zebra pattern to aid exposure  and focus peaking to aid with manual focusing, Master Pedestal Adjustment with 15 steps and  Gamma presets exclusively for video recording. So this is evolving into a seriously sensible video camera.

Also has  maximum 125,600 ISO,  Wifi / NFC compatibility, 1KHz Test Tone and Color Bars (SMPTE / EBU / ARIB Standard) . The camera  embeds SMPTE-compliant Time Code either in Rec Run or Free Run count-up methods,  to help synchronize the multiple video footage or sound source in the post production.

http://www.ukdigital.co.uk/panasonic-lumix-gh4-body-only.html    £1249  at  UK digital