Panasonic's new Lumix DMC-GH1 does 1080p video in a Micro Four Thirds form factor

Not even a year after its Lumix DMC-G1 got all the glory as the first Micro Four Thirds camera on the market, Panasonic is back with a slightly tweaked version in the DMC-GH1. We say slightly tweaked since the exterior is more or less the same, but under the hood the camera has 1080p recording at 24 frames per second, or 720p recording at 60 fps, which the camera stores to AVCHD format. Panasonic has also included continuos auto focus, something lacking from most DSLRs with video capability. Users can set the shutter speed and aperture manually, and record stereo audio -- with an optional external mic if they so choose. The camera shoots 12.1 megapixel stills just like the G1, and now offers iPhoto-style Face Recognition in addition to Face Detection to make sure particular people are well exposed and in focus. No word yet on price or availability.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Gallery: Panasonic's new Lumix DMC-GH1 does 1080p video in a Micro Four Thirds form factor

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[adg1034 @ Mar 3rd 2009 12:39PM]

This is so mine.

[LloydChiro @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:19PM]

Yea, this is the one I've been waiting for. This, and a slim rangefinder pocketable micro 4/3s camera.

[Temple @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:56PM]

I've been looking forward to this as well, but have been waiting to see the Olympus micro-4/3 camera like the range-finder design concept they showed earlier.

What's important is options for 24p/25p, 30p, not to mention 60p. 24p for the film-like look, 60p for those slow-mo shots.

The camera also has AF in movie mode.

Also, it seems like the sensor has high-refresh rate off the sensor, which would mean reduced rolling-shutter effect compared to the D90 and 5DMkII. Panasonic does know how to make incredible AVCHD cameras, so this should be impressive.

[LondonConsultant @ Mar 3rd 2009 12:40PM]

Looks good. Hopefully it'll be able to produce professional-looking video with shallow Depth of Field...

[rocknrolla @ Mar 3rd 2009 12:42PM]

I will never understand the need for HD recording in a DSLR. Being a photographer I take stills, if you need video that's what a video camera is for. But I suppose this is aimed at a consumer market not the prosumer.

[ADAM @ Mar 3rd 2009 12:46PM]

7-14mm and 28-280mm lens were also announced for this.

[ADAM @ Mar 3rd 2009 12:47PM]

Sorry, I didn't mean to put that in a reply to you!

[Skrying @ Mar 3rd 2009 12:58PM]

Because not everyone can afford both a still camera and a video camera. There is also basically no downside other than a marginal increase in cost when including video support. In fact, some aspects could be beneficial such as the potentially improved auto focus that could be nice for a amateur sports photography.

[EtherGnat @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:09PM]

And how much would one have to spend for a video camera with interchangeable lenses and/or the ability to reproduce shallow depth of field and other effects? Who wants to carry two devices with them everywhere they go? Even if you do have a capable video camera the capability could still come in handy on occasions where you don't have it with you.

[LloydChiro @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:20PM]

Why would you buy a regular consumer camcorder if you had this camera? It appears to me that you will have to upgrade to a $3000 prosumer camcorder if you want better than this.

[eric @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:21PM]

As a still photographer I bet you like cameras with real lenses, yeah?

So do us ding dong film / video folks.

[Richard @ Mar 3rd 2009 2:57PM]

Well someone can make the same argument on cell phones. They were used for making phone calls originally.
Now you can take pictures and videos along with running custom apps, GPS, email, etc.

[howi @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:56PM]

rocknrolla: Of course, you'll never understand why manufacturers have been stuffing video capability into DSLR including pro-sumer / entry-level models like Nikon D90, Canon EOS 50D Mk II. It's an industry-wide trend whether you like it or not. I rarely do video w/ my digital camera too but adding this capability would give the targeted consumer in this segment for more flexibility and practicality - especially when you're on those trips wanna packing lite, primarily do stills but wanna capture the fun moments in video. There're time video can "explain" more than just stills.

[Tony @ Mar 3rd 2009 2:14PM]

As a filmmaker, having both in one can be extremely useful when scouting locations; say you want to alternate between taking good quality, well-framed pictures to capture the mood/feel, and then taking video to do a "rough sketch" of a scene, or see how the camera could move in that actual place. Go from one to the other in a second. Absolutely beats carrying two devices.

And an easy access video button? Not having to scroll through the whole list of options? Genius.

[contr0l @ Mar 3rd 2009 12:41PM]

I want one!

[Brent Schmidt @ Mar 3rd 2009 12:43PM]

Want.

I just bought my first Panasonic Lumix camera (A DMC-TZ5) and absolutely love it. If the price is right I may look into buying this as my first DSLR.

[ehisforadam @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:24PM]

It's not a dSLR.
No mirror = not an SLR

[LloydChiro @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:35PM]

Okay, Mr. Pedantic. What do you call it.

[howi @ Mar 3rd 2009 2:00PM]

Brent Schmidt / LloydChiro: Panasonic calls it "interchangeable lens camera". So no DSLR for the Lumix G series, no problem ;-) I'm still intrigued by the intro of GH1.

[Plothole @ Mar 3rd 2009 3:00PM]

@LloydChiro

There is no official, generic name for this type of camera yet. Many have unofficially taken to calling it an "EVIL" (Electronic Viewfinder, Interchangeable Lens) or "ELVIS" (Electronic Live View Interchangeable System).

[mugupo @ Mar 3rd 2009 12:48PM]

Nice, but probably costly. but it has only camera so far does 1080p. So that's a big plus, but i wanted more like a point and shoot that does 1080p and ultra zoom over 20x+

[Freak Mojo @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:08PM]

This is the Holy Grail I seek as well :)

[matt @ Mar 3rd 2009 2:01PM]

it's not quite p&s sized, but this lens
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/405349-REG/Olympus_261054_18_180mm_f_3_5_6_3_ED_Zuiko.html
paired with the G1/GH1 would be a 10x zoom factor

or if you want to get *really* close and still have a 10x factor, you could use this one
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/460531-USA/Sigma_736107_50_500mm_f_4_6_3_EX_DG.html

[LoganT @ Mar 3rd 2009 12:51PM]

Nice, it even has a mic input, and a place to put the mic.

[LloydChiro @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:25PM]

What you don't see here is the picture of the zoom microphone mounted on the accessory shoe.

Sweet.

And it's so unique looking too. Big microphone on top of a DSLR looking camera.

[howi @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:33PM]

LoganT: LloydChiro is right...

For more creative sound recording, an optional stereo microphone (DMW-MS1) is available. A Wind Cut function blocks out most of the noise from background wind even on breezy days.

[howi @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:35PM]

As for the built-in stereo mic, it on the top near the accessory shoe...

http://www.panasonic.co.uk/get/params_W0_MThtml/2144891

[LloydChiro @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:36PM]

Logan was right too. I was just adding on.

[VampireHunter Z @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:03PM]

Nice. At the consumer level this is better than anything from Nikon or Canon. I wonder how much it costs. I would sell my D60 for this.

[matt @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:14PM]

probably $800, just like the original G1.
however, remember that you're losing your pentaprism and mechanical shutter, along with hundreds of lens options and any semblance of high-ISO quality.

[howi @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:28PM]

VampireHunter Z: I agree and it's definitely more versatile than the consumer / entry-level DSLR from Nikon or Canon, as Panasonic has come a long way to this point within the same market segment.

matt: I hope you're right about the shutter because at least in G1, it's still "mechanical" according to the professional photographer, Michael Reichmann. He wrote in his in-field review at http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/panasonic-g1.shtml

"I was surprised when I started using the G1 to hear an actual shutter mechanism rather than a synthesized version. Since the sensor is a continuous live view, such as found in digicams, I had assumed that it would utilize an electronic shutter rather than a mechanical one. I was wrong.

This is disappointing as I had hoped to have an essentially silent camera. The shutter sound of the G1 is very muted to be sure, but complete silence would have been attractive to film and TV set photographers and others working in otherwise silent or audio recording environments.

Why the G1 has a mechanical shutter is something which I don't quite understand. Pity though."

[Max @ Mar 4th 2009 9:42AM]

I suppose it depends what you want out of your camera.

For me, no Four Thirds can replace my DSLR. I (and most of my semi-pro colleagues) really don't like composing pictures through the LCD, and it's harder to hold the camera steady that way. Digital viewfinders are also a drag.

And I bet the Nikon and Canon dSLRs will still handle high-ISO noise better than a Panny. Panasonic is pretty notorious for awful noise at high ISOs. (I had one!)

[matt @ Mar 3rd 2009 2:07PM]

howi:

I stand corrected. I thought there was no shutter since the sensor was exposed when the lens is removed, but it seems that there is a shutter, it just doesn't close when a lens is removed for protection (as I imagined it would).

[VampireHunter Z @ Mar 3rd 2009 2:08PM]

For my purposes I don't ever need more than 2-3 fps for pictures. Also I don't need more than 3 lenses. Having video and interchangable lens is a big plus for that price range. You can do a lot of fancy stuff with that. As far as ISO goes if you don't spend $1500 on a camera you won't get decent ISO anyway.

[howi @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:12PM]

Folks,

About the Full-HD video recording spec of GH1, not quite "1080p"! Please note about the Panasonic PRESS RELEASE...

http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prModelDetail?storeId=11301&catalogId=13251&itemId=332733&modelNo=Content03032009032503558&surfModel=Content03032009032503558

*Full-HD (1920 × 1080) movies are output by the image sensor at 24p (NTSC)/25p (PAL), and recorded at 60i (NTSC)/50i (PAL). HD (1280 × 720) video is output and recorded by the image sensor at 60p (NTSC)/50p (PAL).

[LloydChiro @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:37PM]

I can accept that. I think this is a good starting point.

[howi @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:41PM]

LloydChiro: Same here. If I want to do better video, there're always standalone HD video camcorder. But for a digital camera in this form, size, weight, it's surely offer more flexibility and practicality with this icing on the top.

[LloydChiro @ Mar 3rd 2009 1:54PM]

One more thing, howi,

It's also go progressive SD modes too, for quick video editing, or for low bandwidth video for internet publishing. I think that's nice to have available, although I imagine most of the time I would be using 720p for my applications.

[Plothole @ Mar 3rd 2009 3:03PM]

24FPS is basically the speed movie cameras use. So it's not bad really.

[james.spears @ Mar 3rd 2009 4:35PM]

Where are the wide aperture lenses?

[Plothole @ Mar 3rd 2009 5:01PM]

Well there is the 20mm f1.7. Though from what I've read that won't be released until the third or forth quarter.

Panasonic seems to be working up the ladder. Appealing first to the general consumer, and then later to more experienced photographers.

[Plothole @ Mar 3rd 2009 5:04PM]

Oh... of course you could buy the 4:3 or one of the various third party mount adapters. Either will open the system up to a variety of fast lenses. Unfortunately you do lose most of the size and weight benefit.

[InfinityPlusOne @ Mar 3rd 2009 4:11PM]

And to think I just got a Panny FZ28 for Christmas. I was really looking at the G1, but the only downside to me was the lack of HD video. Ideally, I would like a camera that does 720p @ 60 fps. The FZ28 does 720 but not at 60fps. I'm really interested in how 720p looks on the GH1. When does this beast come out?

[glenn s @ Mar 3rd 2009 5:13PM]

Me want. But me probably not able to afford...me having bad grammar day.

[Yak @ Mar 9th 2009 7:22AM]

I was about to get the Canon 5d Mark II...but now...I don't know, any recommendations? I really need the camera to have the HD video feature as I will use it a lot, but... on the other hand, this one is "just" 12.1 mp vs 21mp from the canon 5d mark II.

[Matt @ Mar 16th 2009 10:23PM]

Sorry to burst all of your bubbles but... this is not the holy grail it sounds to be.

I was originally planning on buying a Canon 5D Mark II. But I was hesitant after reading this, because it offers 3 things important to me:

1) 24p shooting
2) 60p shooting (good for slowmo stuff)
3) A much cheaper pricetag (probably will be $1500 with lens, vs. $3500 for 5dmkii w/ kit IS USM lens)


So, instead of peeing my pants like almost everybody else who has heard about this GH1, I decided to try to find a sample of video from it...

and I did:
http://www.slashgear.com/panasonic-micro-43-gh1-and-14-140mm-video-feature-hands-on-%E2%80%93-af-and-manual-mode-tests-0736780/

The verdict is not good. At first glance, it seems okay. It's hard for me to tell what is a result of video compression/encoding (ie. do these clips look just like straight out of the camera?), but the refresh/rolling shutter are HORRIBLE, and the banding isn't too pretty, either

Looks like, unfortunately, the most expensive camera (5DMKII) still seems to give the best performance (better than the more affordable D90 or GH1)

*sigh*

[robotrock @ Mar 31st 2009 5:03PM]

That's a bummer, but the camera used IS a pre-prod model so maybe there's some kinks to be ironed out. One can hope.