REVIEW : Panasonic Lumix GH4
/One of the fastest growth areas for mirror less cameras has been in video. In fact many videographers who started out on traditional (read Canon) DSLRs have switched to mirrorless cameras from Sony and Lumix. They understand that even at 4K resolution, you don't leverage full frame sensors or even what a good crop sensor pushes out so they take advantage of smaller size and great glass for richer video.
I have to thank Lindsay at Henry's Newmarket for getting me a GH4 to do a review with. This is the "hot" mirrorless for video these days and were very scarce for a while. The unit I received is the GH4 with the Panasonic 12-35/2.8 HD lens. That's a field of view similar to 24-70 on a full frame camera so decent wide to short portrait.
The face of the GH4. Its size makes the micro 4/3 sensor look small. Also notice the presence of a proper PC sync port for studio flash at top right.
One of the first things I do with every review product is make sure that the firmware is current. The unit I received had the original firmware so the update was a pretty serious step ahead. While the update process is very easy, getting to the firmware was like getting nuclear launch codes. Following Google links got me to the right page but nothing would open the right pages. I thought it might be a Safari problem, so tried Chrome to no avail. After futzing around, I discovered that the page layout is pretty crappy and I had to allow for unlimited cookies and popups. This kind of security ignorance really ticks me off. It's lazy web design and makes me suspicious of the company's commitment to user privacy.
Once I got the firmware for the body and the lens downloaded, I learned that only a fully charged battery was good enough for the firmware update. Apparently 60% is not enough. So back to the charger for a full recharge. That charger is not particularly informative either. You know that it's on. That's about it.
I'll put the specifications for the GH4 at the end of this article so we can get right to the user experience.
Using the GH4
One of the things that makes the GH4 hot stuff is that it can shoot 4K video. The 4K capabilities are limited to MP4 and the MP4 LCPM formats. You can also stream directly out the HDMI port, and that was my intent, and to do the capture on an Atomos Shogun. The GH4 offers three capture types AVCHD, MP4 and MP4 for editing. AVCHD is good for day to day, but you want one of the true Intraframe recording modes if you will be doing serious frame by frame editing. The Lumix folks are very good in their manual about being crystal clear about what formats will work on what types of SD cards, and how much bandwidth the card needs to be able to handle. At 100MB/s Cinema 4K, you will need a UHS 3 card to keep up, so plan on buying good fast cards, and I would strongly suggest sticking with one of the cards that Lumix asserts works with the camera. Stills of course are going to be just fine with even a slower card, you'll just find the thing slowing down if the card becomes a bottleneck, but in video you are going to get dropped frames and that my friends is a nice way of saying crappy video.
With the YAGH expansion base attached
As you will see in the image above, the YAGH add-on deck is significant. It's definitely not for everyone as the camera does a fine job without it, but if...
The YAGH is a monster, understood when the profusion of connections are seen
Let's suppose you want balanced XLR audio in and out capability that docks right to the camera. The YAGH does that. Suppose you need 3G SDI connections? The YAGH does that. Suppose you need Timecode sync? The YAGH does that too. All for about $2K so consider according to your use cases. If all you need is a better preamp system with XLR ins, there are much less expensive options such as the excellent JuicedLink preamps, or even go full offboard for audio with something like a Zoom H6. If you need the 3G SDI connections, well then you are in broadcasting and there's probably a budget for that. I cover this early because I have heard some sales folks say that you need the YAGH to do 4K video. Not so, and considering it costs more than a GH4 body, that would scare away most people.
The supplied lens had powered optical image stabilization and while the zoom is pleasantly stiff, the focus ring is actually very usable for manual focus without the loose sloppy feel so common on traditional AF lenses, or that twisting a cheap plastic gear feel of most kit lenses. The lack of lash when manually focusing is a serious advantage.
Fortunately Panasonic has a very wide range of micro 4/3s lenses available, and if you don't like the Panasonic variants, lenses from Olympus will work as will third party lenses with M43 mounts. You can also get adapters to mount other vendor's lenses with some loss in automation. There are also the PZ variants, a series of powered zoom lenses. Also available are the L prefixed lenses, designed by Leica. My experience with Panasonic glass has been generally very good with construction having improved since my original GF-1.
Regular readers know that I am really not fond of touchscreens on cameras because I am left eye dominant and that usually means that the LCD becomes both a smear of nose grease and provides a lovely opportunity for random settings changes. Not in this case. The LCD is of the moveable type and can be completed rotated for selfie shoots, but more importantly the excellent and bright eye level viewfinder extends back from the body just enough to prevent nose powered actuations. Someone at Panasonic engineering was definitely paying attention.
The GH4 is very light, but well suited to video. The sculpting on the rear right grip side drops your thumb on the record start/stop button. The left side panel has a microphone in jack (to override the micro microphones on the top of the EVF as well as a proper headphone jack for audio monitoring. There is also a USB connector that is still the glacial USB2 in that weird not so standard connector and a micro-HDMI port. It's very disappointing that in so new a product with such high bandwidth requirements that Panasonic did not implement USB3. So plan a trip to the cable / video store to get yourself a micro HDMI to regular HDMI cable. HDMI 1.4 or higher is required and remember this is digital so ignore all the BS about some cables being worth several hundred dollars because well it's a lie.
The single slot memory card holder is on the right side. Did I mention it takes a single SD card? While SDXC cards are supported a serious camera of this value should have two slots for continuous recording or failsafe. And this is legally a camera, so the maximum single clip length is just over 29 minutes and yes there will be stop starts as the clips deal with the 4GB file size limitations found on some operating systems. You probably won't be doing a continuous 29m stream with no stops but if that is a big deal for you, get a true 4K video camera that won't have that limitation. As I have noted before that limit has nothing to do with tech, only with government taxes.
There's a big mode dial on the top deck. It locks to prevent surprise changes. The lock is a pushbutton that clicks, so you actually have to press it and let it pop out to make a change, and then press it and have it stay in to lock again. I've seen all kinds of mode locks and agree that this is important but the way it's done on the GH4 definitely earns a Goofy sticker.
Rear is not overly busy. Rec start/stop falls right for your thumb. Not that there is only a single SD card slot.
Control wheels are on the back for the thumb and near the shutter button for the index finger. They are well placed and easy to operate. Also very smart is the placement of dedicated White Balance, ISO and Exposure Compensation buttons right behind the front wheel. Again, it is clear that the designers understand the needs of videographers. This is not a surprise since Panasonic has been doing video for years, but this is such a shift from the traditional still camera that does video that one can understand why the GH4 is so darn popular with videographers.
Nice and simple top deck
The dial on the left top deck chooses still shooting rates, single, continuous, self timer and the like. Back on the right side is a programmable Fn button that by default turns on the camera's WiFi and there is an indicator LED right below to tell you it's on. The camera does not connect to your own WiFi, it generates its own network and you can connect to it using the Image app from the Apple Appstore or Google Play. Connection is mostly easy, and once set up works very quickly. The apps, unlike so many, are very useful, and you can do everything you would do with a LANC controller wirelessly from your smartphone or tablet, including picking where to focus. It's really well implemented and not cluttered with crap you don't need.
Screen shot from the Panasonic Image App
By now you may be wondering if this thing shoots stills at all. It does, and it does a credible job at it. It is no better and no worse than any of the other leading mirrorless cameras and while I do like the layout with a proper viewfinder a lot more than some of the less SLR like designs, it would not be a first choice for a mirrorless still camera. That would still be either a Nikon 1 V3 for small size or Olympus OM-D E-M1 for overall functional awesomeness. There are some stills posted below, but let me not kid you in any way. I got this unit to check it out as a serious tool for videography not photography. That it does both, lends credence to the marketing push for "hybrid" work as if combining photography and videography into a mixed discipline was something no one had ever thought of before.
There is a built in TTL flash of the expected very low power, so for serious supplemental lighting you are looking at an external flash. Panasonic offer four different models and there is a growing lineup of Olympus/Panasonic compatible units from third parties. I did not have an external flash for the test, and so only tried the pop-up. It's worth about what you paid for it. Very pleasant is the surprise that there is a genuine PC sync port for traditional flash, a welcome addition if you are going to use this unit for stills in a studio.
The EVF is of the OLED type so bright and crisp with reasonably low post shot latency. I still don't see this as a sports photography camera, but I don't think that was a design point. The LCD is large and crisp as well. For stills I would use the EVF since I find trying to make stills while holding an LCD in front of me is uncomfortable. For those wanting more grip, there is an optional battery grip available.
Put the thing in a small cage and the LCD is a good start for monitoring your video, but I would still put a larger display up top. Since the GH4 can push 4K, a nice pairing would be the aforementioned Atomos Shogun that has its own 7" IPS display. Speaking of the Shogun, you are probably getting the sense that I see the GH4 as a video camera first. I really do. The stills are fine, but I cannot see anyone buying the GH4 because of its prowess with stills. As a hybrid camera however, it excels. If video is your driver and stills are the passengers, the GH4 is a good fit. There is enough glass in the pantheon of lenses to get the jobs done and clearly Panasonic's expertise in video comes across.
Shotgun on the GH4 attached to the YAGH base
Like any video camera, there are built in microphones worth nearly as much as that pop-up flash. You will want to go external. Fortunately there is a microphone port and you can even get a small shotgun from Panasonic that will sit in the shoe. There is also a headphone jack to monitor camera recorded audio. Nothing prevents you from going offboard but the audio quality is decent enough for base tracks and with a good microphone kit even suitable for two-up work.
You can even apply the schmaltzy still "creative effects" to your video, although I think doing so will immediately get you booted from film school. More importantly is that although the camera records 4K 4:2:2 internally at 8 bits, when you push externally you will get 4K 4:2:2 at 10 bits for considerably better tonal rendition. The video capabilities include focus peaking and zebras for over exposure notice.
Conclusions
In some markets, particularly where I live in Canada, adoption of mirror-less systems has been very slow with a clear bifurcation between DSLRs and Smartphones. The point and shoot market is so dead it smells bad, yet despite the many value propositions that mirror-less brings, adoption is still very slow. This is of course not true in all parts of the world. Another near dead thing is the dedicated consumer video camera. Folks have either gone all smartphone (those vertical videos are so special on the TV) or don't do video in general at all. DSLR video and prosumer video cameras are not big adoption sites either. Panasonic may have coined the term Hybrid referring to mixing stills and video, they certainly use it in advertising material. Consider what drives your use cases. If you are driven by stills with a need for a bit of video, all current DSLRs do excellent video, far better than a consumer video camera. But if your driver is video first, with stills as augmentation, or you are an aspiring filmmaker who wants 4K but cannot sell your home to fund a pro 4K camera and the glass to go with it, the Panasonic Lumix GH4 is an awesome machine. It's built by a company that "gets" video and has done so since the beginning. There is a lot of glass available at very reasonable pricing, and you can get 4K in camera without the need for an outboard recording deck and forty pounds of cage and cheesplates.
If I were starting fresh I would take a very hard look at the GH4. You might be inclined to as well.
Sample Stills and 4K Short Clip
HDR from Lightroom CC shot with the GH4 and the 12-35mm zoom
Shot with the GH4 and processed with Lightroom CC's Merge to HDR. Good sharpness and tonal rendition, excellent distortion control
A short clip out of camera shot with the Lumix GH4 in 4K, no edits save the fades at the beginning and end, and the title
Full Specifications (Courtesy Panasonic Canada)
Type Digital Single Lens Mirrorless camera
Recording media SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, SDXC Memory Card (Compatible with UHS Speed Class 3, UHS-I standard SDHC / SDXC Memory Cards)
Image sensor size 17.3 x 13.0 mm (in 4:3 aspect ratio)
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds mount
IMAGE SENSOR Type Live MOS Sensor
Total pixels 17.20 Megapixels
Camera effective pixels 16.05 Megapixels
Colour filter Primary colour filter
Dust reduction system Supersonic wave filter
RECORDING SYSTEM Recording file format Still imageJPEG (DCF, Exif 2.3), RAW, MPO (with optional 3D lens)
Motion picture MOV (Audio format LPCM), MP4 (Audio format LPCM / AAC 2 ch), AVCHD (Audio format: Dolby Digital 2 ch)
System frequency 59.94 Hz, 50.00 Hz, 24.00 Hz
Aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 1:1
Image qualityRAW, RAW+Fine, RAW+Standard, Fine, Standard
MPO+Fine / MPO+Standard (with optional 3D lens)
Colour Space sRGB, AdobeRGB
File size (Pixels)Still Image[4:3] 4608 x 3456 (L) / 3264 x 2448 (M) / 2336 x 1752 (S) / 1824 x 1368 (with optional 3D lens)
[3:2] 4608 x 3072 (L) / 3264 x 2176 (M) / 2336 x 1560 (S) / 1824 x 1216 (with optional 3D lens)
[16:9] 4608 x 2592 (L) / 3840 x 2160 (M) / 1920 x 1080 (S) / 1824 x 1024 (with optional 3D lens)
[1:1] 3456 x 3456 (L) / 2448 x 2448 (M) / 1744 x 1744 (S) / 1712 x 1712 (with optional 3D lens)
Motion picture (MOV*:59.94Hz)[4K] 3840 x 2160: 29.97p, 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
[4K] 3840 x 2160: 23.98p, 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 59.94p, 200 Mbps (ALL-Intra) (LPCM) / 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM) / 50 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 29.97p, 200 Mbps (ALL-Intra) (LPCM) / 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM) / 50 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 23.98p, 200 Mbps (ALL-Intra) (LPCM) / 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM) / 50 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
Motion picture (MOV*:50.00Hz)[4K] 3840 x 2160: 25.00p, 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 50.00p, 200 Mbps (ALL-Intra) (LPCM) / 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM) / 50 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 25.00p, 200 Mbps (ALL-Intra) (LPCM) / 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM) / 50 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
Motion picture (MOV*:24.00Hz)[C4K] 4096 x 2160: 24.00p, 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
[4K] 3840x2160:24.00p, 100Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 24.00p, 200 Mbps (ALL-Intra) (LPCM) / 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM) / 50 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
Motion picture (MP4*:59.94Hz)[4K] 3840 x 2160: 29.97p, 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM) / 100 Mbps (IPB) (AAC)
[4K] 3840 x 2160: 23.98p, 100 Mbps (IPB) (AAC)***
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 59.94p, 200 Mbps (ALL-Intra) (LPCM) / 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM) / 50 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 29.97p, 200 Mbps (ALL-Intra) (LPCM) / 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM) / 50 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080:23.98p, 200 Mbps (ALL-Intra) (LPCM) / 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM) / 50 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080:59.94p, 28 Mbps (IPB) (AAC)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 29.97p, 20 Mbps (IPB) (AAC)
[HD] 1280 x 720: 29.97p, 10 Mbps (IPB) (AAC)
[VGA] 640 x 480: 29.97p, 4 Mbps (IPB) (AAC)
Motion picture (MP4*:50.00Hz)[4K] 3840 x 2160: 25.00p, 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM) / 100Mbps (IPB) (AAC)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 50.00p, 200 Mbps (ALL-Intra) (LPCM) / 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM) / 50 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 25.00p, 200 Mbps (ALL-Intra) (LPCM) / 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM) / 50 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 50.00p, 28 Mbps (IPB) (AAC)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 25.00p, 20 Mbps (IPB) (AAC)
[HD] 1280 x 720: 25.00p, 10 Mbps (IPB) (AAC)
[VGA] 640 x 480: 25.00p, 4 Mbps (IPB) (AAC)
Motion picture (MP4*:24.00Hz)[C4K] 4096 x 2160: 24.00p, 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
[4K] 3840 x 2160: 24.00p, 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 24.00p, 200 Mbps (ALL-Intra) (LPCM) / 100 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM) / 50 Mbps (IPB) (LPCM)
Motion picture (AVCHD Progressive*:59.94Hz)[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 59.94p, 28 Mbps (IPB) (Dolby)
Motion picture (AVCHD Progressive*:50.00Hz)[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 50.00p, 28 Mbps (IPB) (Dolby)
Motion picture (AVCHD*:59.94Hz)[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 59.94i, 24 Mbps (IPB) (Dolby) (Sensor output is 29.97 fps)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 59.94i, 17 Mbps (IPB) (Dolby) (Sensor output is 59.94 fps)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 23.98p, 24 Mbps (IPB) (Dolby)
Motion picture (AVCHD*:50.00Hz)[Full HD] 1920 x 1080: 50.00i, 24 Mbps (IPB) (Dolby) (Sensor output is 25.00 fps)
[Full HD] 1920 x 1080:50.00i, 17 Mbps (IPB) (Dolby) (Sensor output is 50.00 fps)
Continuous recordable time (Motion picture)AVCHD: Approx. 220 min with H-HS12035
AVCHD: Approx. 220 min with H-FS14140
Actual recordable time (Motion picture)AVCHD: Approx. 110 min with H-HS12035
AVCHD: Approx. 110 min with H-FS14140
Wi-Fi FUNCTIONWi-FiIEEE 802.11b/g/n, 2,412 MHz - 2462 MHz (11 ch), Wi-Fi / WPA / WPA2, Infrastructure mode, WPS, Wi-Fi Direct
NFCISO / IEC 18092, NFC-F (Passive Mode)
QR Code ConnectionYes
VIEWFINDERTypeOLED Live View Finder (2,359K dots)
Field of viewApprox. 100%
MagnificationApprox. 1.34x / 0.67x (35mm camera equivalent) with 50 mm lens at infinity; -1.0 m-1
Eye pointApprox. 21 mm from eyepiece lens
Diopter adjustment-4.0 - +4.0 (dpt)
Eye sensorYes
Eye sensor adjustmentHigh / Low
FOCUSTypeContrast AF system
DFD technologyYes
Focus modeAFS (Single) / AFF (Flexible) / AFC (Continuous) / MF
AF modeFace/Eye Detection / Tracking / 49-Area / Custom Multi / 1-Area / Pinpoint (Full area touch is available)
AF detective rangeEV -4 - 18 (ISO100 equivalent)
AF assist lampYes
AF lockYes (AF/AE LOCK button)
OthersOne Shot AF, Shutter AF, Half Press Release, Quick AF, Continuous AF (during motion picture recording), Eye Sensor AF, AF+MF, MF Assist, Touch MF Assist, Focus Peaking, Touch AF/AE Function, Touch Pad AF, Touch Shutter
EXPOSURE CONTROLLight metering system1,728-zone multi-pattern sensing system
Light metering modeMultiple / Center Weighted / Spot
Metering rangeEV0-18 （F2.0 lens, ISO100 equivalent)
Exposure modeProgram AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual
ISO sensitivity (Standard Output Sensitivity)Auto / Intelligent ISO / 100 (Extended) / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 / 6400 / 12800 / 25600 (Changeable to 1/3 EV step)
(Up to ISO6400 in motion picture recording) (ISO Auto in M mode)
Exposure compensation1/3 EV step ±5EV (±3EV for motion picture)
AE lockYes (AF / AE LOCK button)
AE bracket3, 5, 7 frames in 1/3, 2/3 or 1 EV Step, Max. ±3 EV, single / burst
WHITE BALANCEWhite balanceAuto / Daylight / Cloudy / Shade / incandescent / Flash / White Set 1, 2, 3, 4 / Colour temperature setting
White balance adjustmentBlue / Amber bias, Magenta / Green bias
Colour temperature setting2500-10000K in 100K
White balance bracket3 exposures in blue / amber axis or in magenta / green axis
SHUTTERTypeFocal-plane shutter
Shutter speedStill image: Bulb (Max. 60 minutes), 1/8,000 - 60
Motion picture: 59.94Hz: 1/16,000 - 1/30, 50.00Hz: 1/16,000 - 1/25, 23.98Hz: 1/16,000 - 1/24 (When using Synchro Scan)
Shutter lifeApprox. 200,000 images
Self timer10 sec, 3 images / 2 sec / 10 sec
Remote controlRemote control with Bulb function by DMW-RSL1 (Optional)
4K Photo Mode***EXIF informationYes
Selectable aspect ratioYes (4:3 / 3:2 / 16:9 / 1:1)
Exposure modeProgram AE / Aperture-Priority / Sutter-Priority / Manual Exposure
Marking functionYes
Loop REC functionYes
BURST SHOOTINGBurst speedMechanical shutter: H: 12 frames/sec (with AFS), 7 frames/sec (with AFC), M: 7 frames/sec (with Live View), L: 2 frames/sec (with Live View)
Electronic shutter: SH: 40 frames/sec, H: 12 frames/sec, M: 7 frames/sec (with Live View), L: 2 frames/sec (with Live View)
Number of recordable imagesApprox. 40 images (when there are RAW files with the particular speed)
Approx. 100 images (when there are no RAW files)
Approx. 120 images (when using electronic shutter)
(depending on memory card size, battery power, picture size, and compression)
FLASHBuilt in flash typeTTL Built-in-Flash, GN12 equivalent (ISO100 ・m) / GN17 equivalent (ISO200・m), Built-in Pop-up (Reference)
Lighting angle: 24 mm (35 mm camera equivalent)
Flash ModeAuto*, Auto/Red-eye Reduction*, Forced On, Forced On/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync., Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off * For iA, iA+ only.
Synchronization speedLess than 1/250 second
Flash output adjustment1/3EV step ±3EV
Flash synchronization1st. Curtain Sync, 2nd Curtain Sync.
Synchronization for flash dimming and exposure compensationYes
Flash sync socketYes
MONITORTypeOLED monitor with static touch control
Monitor size3.0-inch, Free-angle, 3:2 aspect, Wide viewing angle
PixelsApprox. 1,036K dots
Filed of viewApprox. 100%
Monitor adjustmentBrightness (7 levels), Contrast and Saturation (7 levels), Red-Green (11 levels), Blue-Yellow (11 levels)
LIVE VIEWDigital zoom2x, 4x
Extra Tele ConversionStill image: Max. 2x (Aspect ratio sets at 4:3. Not effective with L size recording. Magnification ratio depends on the recording pixels and aspect ratio.)
Motion picture: 2.4x (FHD), 3.6x (HD), 4.8x (VGA)
Other functionsLevel Gauge, Real-time Histogram, Guide Lines (3 patterns), Centre Marker, Highlight display (Still image / motion picture), Zebra pattern (Still image / motion picture)
DIRECTION DETECTION FUNCTIONDirection Detection FunctionYes
FUNCTION BUTTONFn1, Fn2, Fn3, Fn4, Fn5, Fn6, Fn7, Fn8, Fn9, Fn10Wi-Fi / Q.MENU / Preview / One Push AE / Touch AE / Level Gauge / Focus Area Set / Zoom Control / 1 Shot RAW+JPG / 1 Shot Spot Metering / Cursor Button Lock / Photo Style / Aspect Ratio / Picture Size / Quality / AFS/AFF / Metering Mode / Burst Rate / Auto Bracket / Self Timer / Highlight Shadow / i. Dynamic / i. Resolution / HDR / Electronic Shutter / Flash Mode / Flash Adjust. / Ex. Tele Conv. / Digital Zoom / Stabilizer / Motion Pic. Set / Variable Frame Rate / Picture Mode / Synchro Scan / Time Code Display / Mic. Directivity Adjust / Colour Bars / Silent Mode / Peaking / Histogram / Guide Line / Zebra Pattern / Rec Area / Video-Priority Display / Step Zoom / Zoom Speed / AF Mode/MF / Restore to Default
PHOTO STYLEStill image and motion pictureStandard / Vivid / Natural / Monochrome / Scenery / Portrait / Custom / Cinelike D* / Cinelike V* * When Creative Video Mode is selected.
CREATIVE CONTROLStill imageExpressive / Retro / Old Days / High Key / Low Key / Sepia / Monochrome / Dynamic Monochrome / Rough Monochrome / Silky Monochrome / Impressive Art / High Dynamic / Cross Process / Toy Effect / Toy Pop / Bleach Bypass / Miniature Effect / Soft Focus / Fantasy / Star Filter / One Point Colour / Sunshine
Motion pictureExpressive / Retro / Old Days / High Key / Low Key / Sepia / Monochrome / Dynamic Monochrome / Impressive Art / High Dynamic / Cross Process / Toy Effect / Toy Pop / Bleach Bypass / Miniature Effect / Fantasy / One Point Colour
CREATIVE VIDEO MODEExposure ModeProgram AE/ Aperture-Priority / Sutter-Priority / Manual Exposure
Slow and fast motion59.94HzMOV / FHD / 100 Mbps / 29.97p, MP4 (LPCM) / FHD / 100 Mbps / 29.97p: 2 fps, 15 fps, 26 fps, 28 fps, 30 fps, 32 fps, 34 fps, 45 fps, 60 fps, 75 fps, 90 fps, 96 fps MOV / FHD / 100 Mbps / 23.98p, MP4 (LPCM) / FHD / 100 Mbps / 23.98p: 2 fps, 12 fps, 20 fps, 22 fps, 24 fps, 26 fps, 28 fps, 36 fps, 48 fps, 60 fps, 72 fps, 84 fps, 96 fps AVCHD / FHD / 24 Mbps / 29.97p: 2 fps, 15 fps, 26 fps, 28 fps, 30 fps, 32 fps, 34 fps, 45 fps, 60 fps AVCHD / FHD / 24 Mbps / 23.98p: 2 fps, 12 fps, 20 fps, 22 fps, 24 fps, 26 fps, 28 fps, 36 fps, 48 fps, 60 fps
50.00HzMOV / FHD / 100 Mbps / 25.00p, MP4 (LPCM) / FHD / 100 Mbps / 25.00p: 2fps, 12fps, 21fps, 23fps, 25fps, 27fps, 30fps, 37fps, 50fps, 62fps, 75fps, 96fps AVCHD / FHD / 24 Mbps / 25.00p: 2 fps, 12 fps, 21 fps, 23 fps, 25 fps, 27 fps, 30 fps, 37 fps, 50 fps
24.00HzMOV / FHD / 100 Mbps / 24.00p, MP4 (LPCM) / FHD / 100 Mbps / 24.00p: 2 fps, 12 fps, 20 fps, 22 fps, 24 fps, 26 fps, 28 fps, 36 fps, 48 fps, 60 fps, 72 fps, 84 fps, 96 fps
MOTION PICTURE FUNCTIONMaster pedestal level31 steps
Luminance level0 - 255 / 16 - 235 / 16 - 255
Synchro scanYes
Time codeCount Up: Rec Run/Free Run selectable, Time Code Mode: Drop frame/Non-drop frame selectable (When system frequency [59.94Hz] is selected.)
SS/Gain operationShutter Duration/ISO / Angle/ISO / Shutter Duration/dB
Colour bars / 1 kHz test toneYes (SMPTE / EBU / ARIB) / Yes
Cinelike gammaCinelike D / Cinelike V
PLAYBACKPlayback modeNormal playback, 30-thumbnail display, 12-thumbnail display, Calendar display, Zoomed playback (Max. 16x), Slideshow (All / Picture Only / Video Only / 3D / Category Selection / Favorite, duration & effect is selectable), Playback Mode (Normal / Picture / Video / 3D Play / Category / Favorite), Location Logging, RAW Processing, Clear Retouch, Title Edit, Text Stamp, Video Divide, Time Lapse Video, Stop Motion Video, Resize, Cropping, Rotate, Rotation Display, Favorite, DPOF Print Set, Protect, Face Recognition Edit, Picture Sort, Delete Comfirmation
IMAGE PROTECTION / ERASEProtectionSingle / Multi or Cancel
EraseSingle / Multi / All / Except Favorite
PRINTDirect PrintPictBridge compatible
INTERFACEUSBUSB 2.0 High Speed Multi
HDMI**Monitor-through4:2:2 8-bit / 4:2:2 10-bit (When 4:2:2 10-bit mode is selected, it is not possible to record motion picture or still picture on the SD memory card in the camera unit.)
Auto / C4K / 4K / 1080p
Information display ON/OFF (selectable)
Automatic down-conversion (4K --> 1080p only)
PlaybackmicroHDMI TypeD / VIERA Link, Audio: Stereo 59.94Hz: Auto / 4K / 1080p / 1080i / 720p / 480p 50.00Hz: Auto / 4K / 1080p / 1080i / 720p / 576p 24.00Hz: Auto / C4K / 4K / 1080p (4:2:2 10-bit or 4:2:2 8-bit is selectable.)
Audio video outputMonaural Type
Remote inputφ2.5 mm for remote
External microphone inputφ3.5mm for external microphone
Headphone outputφ3.5 mm for headphone
MicrophoneStereo, Wind-cut: OFF / Low / Standard / High / AUTO
SpeakerMonaural
LANGUAGEOSD languageJapanese, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish
GENERALPOWERBatteryLi-ion Battery Pack (7.2 V, 1860 mAh) (Included) Battery Charger
Battery life (CIPA standard)Approx. 530 images with H-HS12035
Approx. 530 images with H-FS14140
DIMENSIONS / WEIGHTDimensions (W x H x D)132.9 x 93.4 x 83.9mm / 5.23 x 3.68 x 3.30 in (excluding protrusions)
WeightApprox. 560 g / 19.75 oz (SD card, Battery, Body)
Approx. 480 g / 16.93 oz (Body only)
Approx. 865 g / 30.51 oz (SD card, Battery, H-HS12035 lens included)
Approx. 825 g / 29.10 oz (SD card, Battery, H-FS14140 lens included)
OPERATING ENVIRONMENTOperating temperature0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F)
Operating humidity10% to 80%
STANDARD ACCESSORIESSoftwarePHOTOfunSTUDIO 9.5 PE (Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8)
SILKYPIX® Developer Studio 4.1 SE (Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8, Mac OS X v10.5 / v10.6 / v10.7 / v10.8)
LoiLoScope (trial version) (Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8)
Standard accessoriesBattery Charger (AC Cable included), Battery Pack, Body Cap, Hot Shoe Cover, USB Connection Cable, Shoulder Strap, DVD
Lens Cap*, Lens Hood*, Lens Rear Cap* *Included with DMC-GH4A kit and DMC-GH4H kit.
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIESExternal flash (optional)DMW-FL580L (optional), Wireless Channel: 1 ch / 2 ch / 3 ch / 4 ch
AC adaptor (optional)DMW-AC10 (optional)
External microphone (optional)DMW-MS2 (optional), Stereo/Lens Auto/Shotgun/Super Shotgun/Manual selectable)
Battery grip (optional)DMW-BGGH3 (optional)
NOTE* About motion picture recording.
• Motion picture can be recorded up to 29 min 59 sec depending on the recording format and the camera’s sales area.
• Use a card with SD Speed Class with "UHS-I Speed Class 3 (U3)" when recording motion pictures in [4K / 100 Mbps] [C4K / 100 Mbps] [FHD / 100 Mbps] or [FHD / 200 Mbps].
• Use a card with SD Speed Class with "UHS-I Speed Class 1 (U1)" or higher when recording motion pictures in [FHD / 50 Mbps].
• Use a card with SD Speed Class with "Class 4" or higher when recording motion pictures in [FHD / 28 Mbps].
(SD speed class is the speed standard regarding continuous writing.)
** For [4K] or [C4K] video output, use an HDMI cable that has the HDMI logo on it, and that is described as "4K compatible".
*** Firmware must be updated to the latest version (2.0).
