Studio comparison images added to Panasonic GH3 Preview

I bought a GH3 last month, after hearing from some fellow GH2 owners who had it and thought it was a real step up from the GH2.

I'm VERY critical about what I expect from a camera, and do not keep models that do not give me acceptable IQ. I was hoping the GH3 would be a noticeable step up from the GH2, but if not, I was prepared to keep the GH2 instead.

Surprisingly enough, I was very, very impressed with how much better, in real world use, the GH3 IQ was vs the GH2. It has far more accurate color rendition, and really beautfiul depth and dimension to its images. It also does very well at higher ISOs. (I can get very good quality ISO 1600 images, and almost as good ISO 3200 images) (The GH2 requires much NR work to get non-blotchy high ISO images).

What surprised me about these DPR sample photos is that they don't seem to agree with what I am getting from my GH3. I would almost like to see them test a second GH3 for comparison, as this looks worse than I am seeng from my own GH3..

As a GH1 owner who was anxiously waiting for GH3 for an upgrade I have since completely dismissed GH3 as a fail from Panasonic. It's not really a photographers medium, it's a videographers. GH series is an amazing video camera and a rather ordinary stills tool.

Although some many not appreciate these comparison shots from DPR, but many do. If you want to figure out what a sensor can do, specially in high ISO, this is one of the best benchmarks on the web.

It seems, the GH3 is only marginally better than the GH2 and not quite as good as OM-D which is 400 dollars cheaper and much smaller. I don't see any reason to upgrade to GH3, as I do not need the broadcast quality video option. And the OM-D is looking even better now.

GH3: announced September, 2012; full DPR review still WIP @ March, 2013. Meanwhile, a cadre of early buyers will have already congealed their opinions (often a week before delivery) and be upset with any score below 90. Are the GH3 photos any better than those shot with camera X or Y? Probably depends mainly on the photographer. Is the video any better? Probably depends on the editor. Of course, GH3 buyers will hear none of this. No one every spends money in vain, do they?

The real strengths of the GH3 can already be presumed: more features than the GH2, which hardly a handful of users could ever master. Ditto for the shortcomings: bigger and more expensive than a G5 (someplaces offered for $700 with a kit and tele lens bundle), which will a address all that 95% of users will ever need, with any deficiencies met either by a faster lens or by a DSLR for sports action.

Seriously, and please educate me if i am wrong. Am I missing something here with these studio comparisons? I always view the Queen of hearts playing card top left corner because of the lines colours and details and every camera I think to be bad everyone else says is very good. From what I can see after comparing loads of camers nothing seems to come close to the Sony NEX7?? I don't own a NEX7 nor am I Sony fanboy but it appears to produce the sharpest images on this test card upto about iso1600.

RAW is great, no doubt about that. However, Panasonic should work hard on improving their NR algorithms.

Judging any camera by these studio shots is pointless. It's only one small part of a very large equation.

Any idea if or when we will see a full review?

At high ISO, both JPG and RAW, Sony 6N looks much better than this camera.

GH3 / Success. :)

GH3: Fail.

I am looking forward to the FULL Preview for this "video optimized " camera of most interest because of it's highly touted VIDEO features and performance, rather than it's still image capabilities, so I hope that getting this review done has a high priority, and that extra attention is paid to the Video features. It would be very useful to compare the GH3 video features and performance with those of other cameras that have superior video control such as Sony NEX 7, 5R, 6, RX-1, RX100, Canon Mark II, Mark III, Nikon 800 etc.

Most other cameras whose latest versions are, as you often say, simply small incremental updates, there is not that much unexpected news. Then there are those cameras that are real news because they create a an innovative new class of camera such as the Fuji X series, Sony RX1, RX100, Nikon E800, if not entirely new, with some breakthrough features, which any enthusiast wishes to know more about.

Thanks for the great reviews !

Dan

Wow. Looks like the GH3 is using the same sensor as the OM-D E-M5.