Panasonic Lumix GH6 Review: M43 is ALIVE!!

Tony & Chelsea Northrup review the AMAZING Panasonic Lumix GH6. 25 megapixels (the highest ever for a Micro Four-Thirds camera) with 100 megapixel handheld high-res mode that ACTUALLY WORKS and BLOWS AWAY full-frame cameras! Video at 4k/120 or 5.7K/60p… and it’s beautiful.

But there’s a fatal flaw. The Panasonic Lumix GH6 uses the contrast-based Depth-from-Defocus (DFD) system… it often works flawlessly, in fact, for still interview subjects it outperformed Canon! With moving subjects, however, it either couldn’t keep up or it pulsed annoyingly.

The GH6 has the most amazing stabilization system we’ve ever used. You can handhold shots and they look like you’re on a tripod. Seriously.

So, will we switch to filming with the Panasonic GH6! I’m going to try it. I haven’t been able to use the camera for actual production because the footage was embargoed, but I will use it for our YouTube videos to give it a more long-term review. It’s that good!

[dfotos]

To the auto focus:
I also have the GH5. I am totally amazed by the video quality. With her, however, I completely dispensed with the autofocus when filming after a few attempts.
With the GH6 I get results similar to those in your review (10:40) when I switch to single-field focus with face or human recognition. But when I set the full-area focus with human detection, the autofocus is excellent. Overall, I only use face detection mode on portraits. If there is more of the person in the picture, or the person turns to the side, the face recognition mode doesn't suit me. Since I have good results with the human detection mode (Human). The face is also recognized. Your example shows me that reviewers either don't have enough time to delve deeply into a camera.
Pumping in the autofocus is repeatedly complained about with the Panasonics, which is caused by the contrast autofocus. This pumping is quite noticeable for me with the GH5 when the filmed person is not moving much. Then it's more noticeable because you can concentrate more on the background, which should actually be constantly out of focus with larger aperture openings. When I set the AF speed to -2 and the AF sensitivity to -3 in the Custom AF settings (Vid) menu on the GH6, I have had very consistently good results in conjunction with human detection in full-area focus.
I hope I could be of some help.
Many greetings
Andreas

[pacostiro]

I thought M43 was supposed to die. Now I hear that it is alive. Quality content here.

[Lofote]

03:50 Best moment...

Tony: Babbling geeky about some camera stuff
Chelsea: You need to lower your seat!

:-D

[LifestyleOverland]

Been waiting for this release for a while now... looks like we'll be upgrading the GH5 to the GH6, especially since we shoot in full manual. That stabilization is still king!

[LiveProductionTips]

I am so disappointed people have been screaming for years for Panasonic to improve their Autofocus. Imagine having this near perfect camera to realize the autofocus isn't any good.

[gjermundhansen]

Thank you!.. but: - how does it compare to the new OM1? I think it would be interesting to see how side by side high-res images would compare between GH6 and Om1. I think there are more viewers that are already invested in m43 lenses who ask themselves to go with one of the two than there are who consider going from Canon to Lumix. I am inclined to believe that the OM1 high-res would be quite close to the GH6 - and with better autofocus. What do you think Tony and Chelsea? And is there a reason for the rather cool review of OM1, then the hot review of GH6? Strange, would be great to have your view?

[TedTremendous]

I wonder how many of your viewers really rely on autofocus? Be nice to have a poll.
For commercial projects, I usually lock focus on manual; all projects are interviews of some kind and all settings are dialed in for the shoot bc auto just messes up too often. GH5 was always solid in the past and expect the GH6 to be even better. Audio is massive and GH5/6 has some amazing audio options with XLR or we use external audio. I think most basic vloggers will get a Sony.

As with the GH5, there will be plenty of people who buy it and realize it has too many options and buttons and is too complicated bc it is for Pros, not semi pros, not casual filmmakers but pros doing real work and they always make cameras for those people. The Panasonic ppl at the launch event seemed to chuckly a little bit at the overwhelming comments about autofocus but I think that is blown way out of proportion by Youtubers vs real world get it done camera ppl in commercial space that always figure out ways around it or know every square inch of what their gear can do and plan for that.

Overall, I think your review focused (pardon the pun) way too much on autofocus and not nearly enough on all the other amazing features of the camera and who this is really designed for. Which are pro users who know how to use manual focus and how to film. Granted it is nice when things just work and I hope that Lumix fixes this moving forward but I don't see it as the kiss of death your video makes it out to be. - thx

[Brian-Hansen]

The Leica 10-25 lens is unbelievable. I’ve put it on my G95 and I just can’t believe how good it is. Of course the lens is expensive but holy cow. The best lense I’ve ever seen for micro 4/3.

[tomerweiss]

After Tony told us M43 Is dead - we got 2 game-changers cameras video and still cameras :-).

[thestonerguy]

The sharpness of the GH6 stills vs. Canon broke my jaw when it dropped to the floor 😉 (and the stabilization...WOW)

[mayaventuraelsalvador]

The color, quality and stabilizer of the GH6 is just brilliant

[datdudeinred]

Is raw video coming at least externally?
But that prores will be mad crazy especially on latest macbook pros

[BigBucks]

Thank you for keeping the 'lower your seat' part in

[fakeshemptaboo]

@3:50 🤣 came here for the GH6, but stayed for the personalities

[borisstuller]

Awesome review, finally M43 is back in 2022. Please do consider reviewing OM-1, too!

[AllinCrete]

I would prefer if it didn't have 5.7k 60p and they worked on the autofocus. It's been too long, cannot understand why they're so stubborn and are sticking with DFD....

[hoodaffairstv]

do they still have the AF lock button like on the G9, works good especially before vlogging.

[ickledotco]

Are you going to review the Olympus OM1? Or have I missed it?

[Stalled-wmqd]

I have a G9 but at about 11:30 the skin colour comparison is much much better for the GH6.
And is there going to be an upgrade for the G9 which has been out now for over 3 years?

[OrchidStudioSTL]

I've been shooting for 35 years. I shot a feature Emmy winning doc with the GH5 and the original Blackmagic camera and I never once used auto focus. In fact I can't think of a time, in video or still shooting, that I ever replied on auto focus except for back in the SVHS days. I've shot with just about every Panasonic camera since the DVX-100, including the EVA-1. My first video camera was a pixel vision camera from fisher price and my introduction to film was on actual film (16mm) so autofocus was never a thing. I guess I've never thought of any autofocus system as useful. Does the GH6 attempt face tracking like the GH5 did?