Panasonic GH4 Review Part 1: First Impressions

Lots of people have been looking forward to the arrival of the Panasonic GH4, and it just so happens that I was in the market for a new camera. So, I got my hands on one just last week and have begun putting it through its paces. I love it so far and in this first part, I talk about my first impressions and a couple of the things that I don't love about this camera.

This episode shot with the following:

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Panasonic GH4:

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Olympus 45mm f/1.8 Lens:

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Atomos Ninja II HD recorder:

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Tascam DR-60D Audio Recorder:

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RODE NTG-2 Shotgun Microphone:

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Music copyright Curtis Judd 2014

[Mamako]

Great to know I'm on a right track, getting the GH4 for my son. ^^

[Levithecreator]

awesome! interesting to see a something other than canon/nikon.  Would be cool to see some on-location lighting setups and things too.  I love your interview style lighting video.. that was really well done.  Have a great weekend!

[MegaOluwafemi]

Being able to connect  3.5mm headset directly to the camera for sound is another feature i like about it

[WideEyedPictures]

@ 6:37 - Just to be clear, if the Ninja is using the entire sensor but skipping lines, I understand that when recording internally, the GH4 uses almost the entire sensor size but then squeezes the image down to 1080, and this in part is reason for the moire. Whereas the 4K mode is a 1:1 pixel ratio. Nothing is squeezed or stretched, so moire is virtually avoided all-together.

[TechUploaded]

Great video! How is the auto focus on the GH4? One of the things I love most about my 70D is the amazing job it does handling auto focus in video. I've never used a mirrorless before so I'm curious how those perform in this regard.

[RyanRustDP]

Curtis Judd Do you recommend it for shooting commercials as well as independent films. And how is the battery life when shooting in 4k?

[RichardMitchell]

Great video, and you touched on most of my initial concerns. Could you detail how you captured audio for this video and if you experienced any "buzz, " as others have mentioned.

[FinancingLife]

Thanks Curtis. I've just (begun to learn) how 4:2:0 sampling in standard cameras make greenscreen chromakey difficult for me. So I'd love to see a future video from you elaborating on how you use the HDMI output (format and recorder) and whether it would be the extra resolution or the 4:2:2 format that will help me.

[drakescz]

I had a gh4 for two days and returned it.  Our shop shoots ENG style run and gun.  So, there are big negatives with the gh4.  The biggest one is no in camera image stabilization.  I saw a Panasonic rep say that's because of a heat issue with the hardware in such a small body.  We shots 4K video at a shutter speed of 1/1000 and pulled flawless jpgs.  Indoors at 1/2000 there were bad noise issues.  Next was the issue of smooth zooming.  I was going to buy one of two Panasonic 4/3rds servo lenses, but our department head said the gh4 was too expensive just to pull stills, and back it went.  I'll bet on the gh5 they build in camera image stabilization.  We both loved the focus assist and focus peaking.  Excellent.  We're using two Sony FDR AX100/B & find them almost perfect for our fast paced ENG/Run & Gun type of work.  Personally, I'm looking forward to the gh5 if it has internal stabilization.  And I'll bet by next year Panasonic will release more servo zooms.

[JarredDavidson]

I'm glad to see that you have also bought yourself a GH4! Congrats! I have a GH2, a GH3 & a GH4 in my beloved family- all great cameras. Great vid, as always Curtis! I recently shot a video testing the GH4's 96 fps capabilities which I invite you to check out if you wanna. :)

[mohamedhamza]

 thanks a lot for your effort and I have a question .is gh4 like Dslr camera the maximum time for Continuous shooting is about 30 minutes and stopped   Automatically or like camcorder as canon c 100 or fs100 don't stopped  Automatically . please i need your answer . thanks a lot

[ronaldmurphymedia]

Another excellent video. I'm curious about the Ninja 2 as a recorder for the GH4. Is the Atomos 4K recorder going to offer extra benefits once they're available - assuming they'll work with the GH4. Also, any thoughts on the GH4 adapter unit? Necessary? Less expensive options? Thanks!

[ishowyouapple]

Great review. In my opinion the dynamic range is just not enough.

[Dominion-]

Curtis, do you have part 2 of the GH4 review online?

[fredericsidler]

Did you play (with your voice) in the Panasonic GH5 video? ;-)

[EstaC]

Hi Curtis! I am looking to invest in a high quality camera. I'm a film student and I am interested in making music videos and YouTube videos. What camera would you recommend?

[commercialand]

Hmmm, being an audio engineer, and looking to buy a camera is driving me nuts! was watching a video by "Two Bit" on YT, with an older Tasacam kinda of a square interface that hooks up to the Panasonic G85 which i have been eyeing a lot. Would i really need to have timecode? It seems i could sync up the files in post quite easily with the 1/8inch from camera to Tascam, or at least easier than a completely separate audio rig.

Unless you would have any recommendations on a camera with 4k, flip monitor, IS for around 1k? I might just have to save for the Gh5!

[runningrabbit]

I was thinking about gear and the new technologies for 4k. I love this video, but have you ever thought of using a smartphone to record footage?
The new Sony Xperia Z3 has 4k video and could become B reel next to this camera.

Should someone invest in a smartphone to serve both tasks: daily communications and also be a part of your gear in shooting interviews?

[NikolajHoelgaard]

The only thing i really like about this camera is the viewfinder and slow motion, other than that my BMPC will still out do it in other areas :) 

[applebees]

Wow!, you're soo Handsome and smart, Curtis do you Model?