GEAR PANASONIC LUMIXGH6
THE JOY CODEC KING OF SIX Panasonic’s new flagshipMicro Four Thirds is filled with features to make filmmakers ecstatic
WORDS ADAM DUCKWORTH
I f you’re a committed Micro Four Thirds user with a bagful of lenses, wanting the elite mirrorless for high-quality video, get your money out for the Panasonic Lumix GH6. With a massive amount of codec options, brand-new sensor packing in more resolution than any other Micro Four Thirds chip, internal ProRes and all the best filmmaking tools, this new Lumix is top of the heap. You’ll love it, especially as the £1999/$2198 body makes it one of the most affordable, flagship video- focused cameras on the market. However, if you aren’t a hardcore Micro Four Thirds aficionado, the question of whether to rush out and buy a GH6, with lenses to fit, is more complicated. For around the same price, you can buy a mirrorless that has a full-frame sensor, which is four times the area of the new 25-megapixel CMOS inside the latest Lumix. Even if you want to stay with Panasonic,
SINGLE FOCUS Rigged up with a
matte box and mic on a high-end video tripod is where the new Lumix excels
management of overheating. A built-in fan, like its S1H big brother, means it’s kept so cool, you can shoot headline 5.7K video in ProRes all day, as long as you have enough battery power and memory space. And, as it takes in USB-C power while shooting, running out of juice isn’t an issue. The GH6 is designed totally for pro filmmaking, with all the spec choices and innovations Panasonic could squeeze in – and some it couldn’t. A road map of future upgrades will see several features added, like recording to an external drive via USB-C, more options for Apple ProRes recording, 4K/120p Raw output via HDMI and more.
the full-frame S5 is roughly the same physical size as the GH6, and currently costs around 25% less. Although it’s not a flagship camera, so lacks some filmmaking niceties. But if you demand the ultimate in image quality and low-light performance, chances are it’s a full-frame for you. Before you dismiss the GH6 as a lesser camera solely due to sensor size, take a look at the incredibly high filmmaking spec and video and audio quality. No full-frame machine offers the same stunning features as the GH6 in terms of frame rates and codec choices, onboard video tools, and limitless recording times due to
32
PRO MOVIEMAKER
Powered by FlippingBook