nofilmschool » panasonic

Panasonic Releases New GH3 Firmware V1.1, Will We See a Hack Soon?

Joe Marine — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 22:17:06 +0000

The Panasonic GH3, if you’ve been looking to buy one, has been out of stock many places pretty consistently. While it began shipping in November of last year, there have been quite a few shortages over the past few months — not too dissimilar from the launch of the GH2. That hasn’t stopped Panasonic from improving the product, however, as they’ve just released a new firmware update, version 1.1. Check out the details below. (more…)

Panasonic's New Smaller, Faster, and Lower-Cost MicroP2 Cards Coming in April, Starting at $250

V Renée — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 02:48:10 +0000

Panasonic announced back in April 2012 that they were coming out with the next breed of solid-state memory cards, the microP2 series. A reworking of their original P2 cards, the microP2 boasts a faster, cheaper, and more compact design. Comparable to an SD card, the microP2 is the world’s first UHS-II compliant memory card. Panasonic also plans to release the microP2 adapter simultaneously, ensuring that P2 card users — like myself — won’t have to go out and buy new hardware (I’m cradling my HVX-200 and telling her I’m not tossing her in the dumpster). Panasonic recently announced pricing information, and Mike Bergeron from Panasonic gives us a look at the microP2 in the video below. (more…)

Panasonic's Revolutionary New 'Micro Color Splitter' Sensor Filter Doubles Light Sensitivity

Dave Kendricken — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:02:38 +0000

The most common way we get color images with digital cameras is with a Bayer pattern CMOS sensor, but there are plenty of variations on that design being used today. The upcoming Aaton Penelope Delta uses a Bayer pattern over a Dalsa CCD, for example, while the RED EPIC-M Monochrome uses the MX CMOS sensor foregoing color filtration entirely. By their very nature, though, color filters of any kind cut down the amount of light transmitted to the sensor. That’s why Panasonic is developing a brand new type of color filter that will employ diffraction to split up the color spectrum, instead of filtration, and thus will be capable of doubling the light sensitivity of the sensor. (more…)

Panasonic GH2 at Sundance and Slamdance: Carruth's 'Upstream Color' and Orbegoso's 'Musgo'

Joe Marine — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:24:13 +0000

The Panasonic GH2 is something of an anomaly in the camera world. Out of the box it looked good enough, but it wasn’t until the hackers got to it that things really got interesting — which was a very similar situation to the previous camera, the GH1. The Panasonic line hasn’t quite taken the industry by storm the way the Canon DSLRs have, which could come down to familiarity and/or high-profile endorsements. Either way, that hasn’t stopped a couple of festival-worthy films — Shane Carruth’s Sundance film Upstream Color (which won an award for sound design at the festival and is being self-distributed in April), and Gami Orbegoso’s Slamdance film Musgo – from shooting on the camera. Check out some footage and clips from both films below. (more…)

What's the Best Camera Under $1K? Canon T4i, Sony NEX-6, Panasonic GH2 Shootout

Dave Kendricken — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 08:39:00 +0000

Kevin Good and the Weapons of Mass Production team are on a sleepless mission to determine the best bang for your buck, and weed out all the rest. Each contender will get its due where it excels, but a clear winner will emerge from the settling dust just about every time — and WOMP will suffer no runners-up, all on behalf of the budget shooter. You know this from the show’s 24-70mm lens shootout — you also know how to shoot with an iPhone, or how others measure up to GoPro as action cameras. Now, WOMP sets out to answer the question of questions in today’s camera market: what’s the best you can do for under a thousand dollars? (Runners-up, beware). (more…)

Blackmagic Joins the Micro 4/3 Barbecue: is an Active MFT Mount Cinema Camera Cooking?

Dave Kendricken — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:20:42 +0000

Just a few short months ago, it was announced that the Blackmagic Cinema Camera would be receiving a Micro 4/3 lens mount option alternative to its original Canon EF mount. Granted, for those of us still waiting on the BMCC to ship, a few short months is no stretch of time to merely shrug off — particularly when the mount announced was to be a “passive” or “dumb” one, meaning electronic control would not be supported for smart MFT lenses. There’s been speculation that this would change — and given Blackmagic’s recent addition to the consortium of companies aligned with the official Micro 4/3 standard, this speculation seems less outlandish than ever. (more…)

Panasonic Shows off Working 4K Prosumer Camera at CES

Joe Marine — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 05:26:08 +0000

Somehow this slipped through all of the news surrounding the CES show in Vegas, but Panasonic showed off a prototype similar to the Sony 4K camera we covered recently. This new 4K model was hooked up to a 4K display and is also capable of being connected to the 20″ 4K Windows 8 tablet they were teasing at the show. We already know that professional cameras are heading towards 4K, but all of these consumer/prosumer models are really going to be what pushes the industry forward. Check out a full-size picture of the prototype below. (more…)

Weapons of Mass Production Action Cam Shootout: GoPro HERO3 vs. Panasonic TS4

Dave Kendricken — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:48:19 +0000

One could say that last year marked the occasion when GoPro really ‘went pro.’ How ‘pro’ does GoPro go? Well, 2.7K imagery (and even up to 4K in sub-FMV frame rates), almost universal mountability, and a toy-sized frame aren’t factors to mess around with in the action camera world. Similar offerings from competitors may actually have some advantages over the GoPro HERO3 line, though — and this is exactly what Kevin Good and Weapons of Mass Production have once again set out to evaluate — pragmatically, thoroughly, and entertainingly as usual! (more…)

9 New Panasonic GH3 Test Videos Show the Camera's Capabilities and Limitations

Justin Minich — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 18:20:48 +0000

You’ve seen the test videos and the first short film made with the prototype models, but now the production models of the Panasonic GH3 have been around for almost a month. Those filmmakers who decided to take the early adoption plunge have been out there kicking the GH3‘s figurative tires and uploading their resulting videos. Here I’ve picked out those videos that should answer lingering questions about moire, ISO, the wireless app, overall image quality, and how the GH3 compares to the GH2 (and popular DSLR’s). I’ll also chime in occasionally with my thoughts on the brief hands-on experience I had with the camera: (more…)

Canon CN-E Cinema Primes vs. Still Lenses on the C300, 5D Mark III, RED SCARLET, and AF100

Joe Marine — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 22:09:24 +0000

Up until recently, there wasn’t much competition for PL style lenses at the lower budget level. If you were lucky, some used Super Speeds or Standard Speeds would be a good catch. Now we’ve got brand new cinema lenses from Canon right in this range, the CN-E lenses, and even though they aren’t PL mount, they cross off the other checkboxes in regards to giving you a professional solution. The team over at Magnanimous Media got a hold of the CN-E 24mm T/1.5, 50mm T/1.3, and 85mm T/1.3 primes from Canon, and compared them in a brief, unscientific test against the equivalent still lenses from Canon, the 24mm F/1.4, 50mm F/1.2, and 85mm F/1.2. Click through to watch their results. (more…)

Want Film-Like GH2 Footage? FilmConvert Now Supports GH2, More Canon Profiles, and Final Cut Pro 7

Joe Marine — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 19:11:16 +0000

Not too long ago we told you about a color corrector plugin/standalone software solution from Rubber Monkey that not only tries to mimic the looks of many film stocks, but does it in a way that is particular to the exact camera you’re using. Until now the only cameras that were guaranteed to work properly with FilmConvert to achieve the specific look were Canon DSLRs and RED cameras, but now they are adding support for the Panasonic GH2, as well as support for more Canon picture profiles, and a brand new plugin for Final Cut Pro 7. (more…)

Panasonic Officially Starts Shipping the GH3 (Plus New Test Videos)

Justin Minich — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 22:30:12 +0000

Some of us have been waiting for this since the camera stat rumors in September, and others since the GH2 was hacked. Despite earlier news of a slightly delayed release date, it looks like Panasonic has officially begun shipping the GH3. If you’re just now learning about the GH3, be sure to check out the camera’s stats and past videos. However, if you’ve been following the news, jump in and check out the latest test videos: (more…)

Slight Panasonic GH3 Delay and 5 New Videos: 0.5 Firmware Update, Moire, Menu Interface, and More

Justin Minich — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 14:00:02 +0000

As some of you might be aware, the Panasonic GH3‘s release date has been changed from November 30th to December 13th. B&H currently lists an earlier date, but the 13th is the official Panasonic release date — though that could still change as the camera nears release. This slight delay is probably so that Panasonic can make needed improvements to the camera before it’s released. You can see some of those improvements in new test footage shot on cameras with the 0.5 firmware, though as you might expect there are still some lingering issues. In addition, more in-depth reviews of the preproduction cameras are coming in, and we get to take a look at the structure of the menu interface: (more…)

Panasonic Announces the AF100A, but is the Upgrade Worth It?

Justin Minich — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:30:27 +0000

When I first saw the announcement this morning I thought I had misread it, as this is something I believe neither I, nor most M43 users expected, but it is indeed true: Panasonic will be releasing an update to their AF100 line, the AF100A (technically AF105A since its initial release will be in Japan only), on November 15th. With a new camera model, this does seem to indicate that they are committed to the AF100 series of cameras for some time. Here’s what we can expect from the new addition to Panasonic’s line of M43 cameras: (more…)

Active M4/3 Cinema Camera Rumor, New SLR Magic T/0.95 Lens, GH3 Videos, GH3 App, and More

Justin Minich — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 17:28:49 +0000

There’s a lot in the way of Micro 4/3 news that’s been coming down the pike, mainly due to the upcoming release of the Panasonic GH3 and the passive MFT version of the Blackmagic Cinema Camera coming at the end of the year. On the GH3 side of things, there’s a hands on video of the GH3 smartphone app, new test videos, an official release date, and the first rumblings from the hacker community. There’s also a test video of SLR Magic’s new 35mm T0.95 and T1.4 lenses, as well as rumors of an active Micro 4/3 mount Blackmagic Cinema Camera: (more…)

Panasonic AF100 is Not Officially Discontinued, is the GH3 or the 4K VariCam Replacing It?

Joe Marine — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:43:55 +0000

[UPDATE: Seems like a mistake on B&H's part about the listing, according to Jan Crittenden Livingston at Panasonic it has not been discontinued. So the rest of this post will just serve as a reminder of my mistake -- though some of the information is still relevant.] It’s been rumored for a while now, but it looks like Panasonic has finally discontinued the AF100. Sluggish sales and better video quality from a cheaper camera (GH2), meant many low-budget filmmakers saved a few bucks and totally disregarded the more expensive sibling altogether. It’s sad news for many who’ve bought into the Panasonic Micro 4/3 video camera system hoping for an upgrade someday, but this may be the end of the road for that product line. So what exactly does this mean for Panasonic? (more…)

Panasonic GH3 Uncompressed HDMI Might Be Useless

Joe Marine — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 12:52:25 +0000

It should be pointed out that Panasonic has gotten almost everything right with the GH3. They have addressed more user suggestions in one version update than most companies do in three. Not only have they given higher bitrate recording modes, but they also seemed to have increased dynamic range (even if only slightly). The other big feature that wasn’t given as much attention is the ability to record the uncompressed signal from the HDMI. There have been rumblings about the color space coming from the HDMI, and it had been noted in many places that the output was only 8-bit 4:2:0. Since the camera isn’t final, and not all Panasonic employees were familiar with the finer details, I had initially been hesitant about posting the information. Now EOSHD has an interview with a senior engineer at Panasonic about the issue. (more…)

Panasonic GH3 Gets Uncompressed HDMI for $1,300, New Lenses Coming

Joe Marine — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 02:17:04 +0000

Panasonic did finally announce the GH3 today, even though we already knew most of the details. One of the few that we didn’t know about was the HDMI port, and sure enough, Panasonic has allowed the recording of the HDMI feed while also allowing the camera to record internally to the SD card — doing Nikon one better. The great thing about this option is that you can have a simultaneous proxy or backup if you want it. Panasonic has put a lot of technology into this camera, and it’s the most advanced video recording DSLR (mirrorless) camera under $1,500. There is also a behind-the-scenes of the Philip Bloom DP’ed short Genesis out now where both Bloom and Bruce Logan talk more about the camera. First, here is that short, which you should download in 1080p for better quality: (more…)

Panasonic GH3 Price, Specs, and Official Photos Revealed

Joe Marine — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 19:59:41 +0000

This is probably going to be one of the more uninteresting product announcements in recent memory. Most of the major specs about the camera have already been revealed prior to the official announcement tomorrow, and there are only a few left that are still unclear. There is a chance that a few specs are incorrect, but for such a respected reseller like Samy’s Camera to not only have the information up there, but also keep it there for a period of time, leads me to believe that these are the final specs and the final price. Check below for more details. (more…)

Watch the First Film Shot on the Panasonic GH3

Joe Marine — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 19:40:43 +0000

While it’s not set to be announced until Monday, a promotional video for the new Panasonic GH3 was accidentally released yesterday. The video has been taken down numerous times but thanks to various YouTube users it has been uploaded again each time. In that video there were a few shots of Philip Bloom and Bruce Logan, ASC (who was in charge of the recent Zacuto Shootout) making a film with the new camera. That film, Genesis, was written and directed by Bruce Logan and DP’ed by both Logan and Philip Bloom, and you can watch it below to get a brief glimpse of what this new Panasonic camera is capable of. (more…)