Back about a month ago came the announcement of the Panasonic GH4, a Digital Single Lens Mirrorless (DSLM) camera with the ability to record 4K video. Panasonic released word of its plans to keep the camera at a reasonable price of less than $2000, and it seems now that they went through and delivered.
Just recently, B&H put the GH4 up for pre-order at a price tag of $1699 for the body; along with an interface unit, the price is set at $3299.
For a recap, in case you haven’t kept up with news of the camera, here’s the specs on it:
- 16.05 MP Digital Live MOS Sensor
- DCI 4K 4096×2160 at 24p
- UHD 4K 3840×2160 at 30p/24p
- Full HD up to 60p
- 3.0″ 1036k-Dot OLED Monitor
- 2359k-Dot OLED Live View Finder
- VFR Support for 59.94p, 23.98p, 50p, and 24p
- Real-Time 4:2:2 8-bit or 10-bit HDMI Output
- High-Speed 49-Point Autofocus
- Magnesium Alloy, Weather Sealed Body
- In-camera time lapse and stop motion animation
- 1/8000 second maximum shutter speed
- 1/250 second shutter speed sync for built-in & external flash
- Face / Eye Detection Autofocus
- Magnification of 1-Area focus point
The optional interface unit comes at a pretty demanding price, but when you look into it, you may find it worth the purchase. The interface packs 2 XLR pro inputs, 4 pro HD-SCI outputs (which would be for quad 10-bit 4K output), time base correction, and 12V external power. That addition to the camera alone makes it a pretty powerful professional cinema camera.
Other than that, the price for the Panasonic DH4 (which the company claims is the first DSLM to shoot at 4K) itself is a good call for competition like Canon and Nikon to step it up. Back a few years ago, I bought the Canon 5D Mark II at about $2500, and today I find myself in a good amount of surprise at how affordable cameras like this are starting to come into the picture. The appeal for a hybrid camera is growing, considering professional videography is gaining more and more demand. The market for DSLR and DSLM cameras has kept a consistent rate over the past few years at having professional video cameras becoming more and more accessible to consumers, and Panasonic’s newest installment is the next step in that run.
The GH4 is gearing up for a release in late April, and you can preorder it here at B&H, or include the interface along with your purchase here.
[Via Panasonic]
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