We’ve known of the Panasonic DMC-GH5‘s existence for awhile now, since Panasonic told us they were working on it last year although the details remained a mystery. At CES, they finally let us in on it: the GH5 has a 20.3MP Micro Four Thirds sensor, in-body 5-axis sensor stabilization, dual UHS-II SD card slots, a 3.68m-dot 0.76x magnification OLED electronic viewfinder, built-in Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth, and we haven’t even gotten to the video features yet!
The GH4 has been a staple in the independent filmmaker community since it was released in mid-2014, as it’s predecessors were before it. Each GH-series camera has improved on Panasonic’s video-focused formula and the GH5 is no exception. It’s 20.3MP Micro Four Thirds sensor (with no low pass filter) is a step up from the 16MP version in the GH4.
Video resolution goes all the way to Cinema 4K (4096 x 2160) but unlike the GH4, the GH5 is capable of up to 4:2:2 10-bit recording with a bitrate up to 400Mbps (available after a later firmware update). The maximum frame rate in 4K has been increased to 60fps and they’ve eliminated the extra crop in 4K recording mode. 4K now utilizes the full width of the Micro Four Thirds sensor.
Full 1080p HD records at up to 180 frames per second for slow-motion video up to 7.5x. That’s a big jump over the 96fps maximum on the GH4.
The overall body is almost exactly the same as the GH4. There are slight changes to the camera like the addition of a joystick for selecting autofocus points but all cinema cages and frames for the GH4 should fit the GH5 just fine.
Connectivity options now include Bluetooth in addition to 802.11ac and NFC.
While the GH-series is best known for the robust video feature set, Panasonic wants everyone to know that the GH5 can take still photos too. There are a number of improvements to still photo noise reduction, color reproduction, sharpening, and detail.
The GH5 also offers a more advanced version of Panasonic’s 4K Photo feature, which pulls frames from video at full resolution. The GH5 is capable of up to 6K Photo, but at a 6000 x 3000 widescreen resolution.
The kit lens for the GH5 is the all new Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm F2.8-4, which is equivalent to a 24-120mm in 35mm format. It’s weather-sealed, compatible with Panasonic’s Dual IS system and uses a stepping motor for smooth aperture adjustments.
The Panasonic GH5 is expected to arrive in late March at an MSRP of $2,699.99 for the body only or $3,499.99 in a kit with the Leica 12-60mm.