It’s been a big day for Panasonic at the start of Photokina 2016 in Koelnmesse, Germany, with the firm having already announced the new Lumix G85, Lumix LX 10, and Lumix FZ2500. For fans of the “hybrid” photo/video Lumix GH4, Panasonic also teased the new GH5 which is presently in development. The GH5 promises to not only continue the groundwork which was laid out by its predecessor, the GH4, but break new ground in the Digital Single Lens Mirrorless category by offering the first ever mirrorless camera capable of 4K video recording in 60 frames per second.
From today’s announcement, the GH5 is expected to record smooth, documentary-style 4K in 60p/50p as well as 4:2:2 10-bit 4K video, a world’s first in this type of camera. That new processing power also means the GH5 will see an upgrade of Panasonic’s current 4K Photo mode, pushing it to 6K, which will allow users to extract 18-megapixel still images from ultra-high quality video at 30 frames per second. The 6K resolution of the GH5 is nearly 9 times the pixel count of Full-HD.
The GH5 will be on display this week at Photokina along with the new Leica DG Vario-Elmarit F2.8-4.0 Lens Series. The new lens series, which is targeted for the prosumer market, will feature a 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 standard zoom, 8-18mm f/2.8-4.0 wide zoom, and 50-200mm telephoto zoom lenses for reference. Each of the high-end lenses promises to deliver compact sizes without sacrificing image quality.
Panasonic’s tease of the GH5 has us looking toward the future of 4K and mirrorless cameras for both still photographers and videographers. If there were any doubt, make no mistake that Panasonic is gunning for filmmakers in a bid to solidify its reputation within the film industry. While few details are available at this time, the GH5 definitely promises a lot of what filmmakers demand, all in a small and lightweight camera body. We can expect to see the new Lumix GH5 some time in early 2017.
