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Panasonic GH3 hands-on preview updated with test data and samples

Mar 14, 2013 at 23:41:59 GMT

PREVIEW PANASONIC PREVIEW SAMPLES

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We've just added more pages of content to our hands-on preview of the 16MP Panasonic GH3, Panasonic's flagship GH-series Micro Four Thirds camera. These pages represent our progress so far towards the completion of a full review. We've added our full complement of studio tests, including resolution, noise and dynamic range, a small gallery of 'real world' samples and updated first impressions. Click the links below to go straight to our updated 12-page preview.

Click here to go to our 12-page hands-on preview of the Panasonic GH3

Comments

Total comments: 46

Lovely

0 upvotes

You can tell how seriously DPR take m43. Heck, how seriously they take anything other than CaNikon. New DSLRs from those two seem to get full reviews within weeks. Everyone else can wait.

Will DPR explain why this disparity exists? Of course not. We're not worthy of knowing the inner workings of the site that exists only because of us. I used to come here daily. Now it's once or twice a month. I can't take this place seriously any more.

2 upvotes

The Canon crowd complained for months about the time taken for the 6D review. Check for yourself.

0 upvotes

Seriously how can it take a site that is devoted to reviewing cameras so long to review cameras?

Other sites with much more limited resources seem to put out content at a much faster rate.

It seems the more staff and resources there are the slower the output is?

Maybe if less time was spent obsessing over iphones it would help? Maybe that says a lot about the people behind the scenes these days?

4 upvotes

We only received the camera fairly recently, so weren't able to review it earlier. We have also been reviewing other cameras.

We have recently devoted more writers to reviews to avoid such lags between announcements and reviews.

We're trying to address the issue.

3 upvotes

What day will the GH3 review be ready?

0 upvotes

Give them a break guys lol. You don't see folks harassing Philip Bloom over his delayed review of the GH3.

0 upvotes

The time between a product is announced and made easily available it far too long.

As much as I love this site, sometimes the full reviews are completed only in time for the next model to be announced. In a series like the Canon 5D Mark X which has a 3 year between model timeframe it isn't a problem, but some of these cameras are on a yearly release.

btw, Got this model the other day and really like it, but other than video it doesn't really seem much different than my OM-D EM5 quality wise. Perhaps after a little time, I'll see more worthwhile differences.

2 upvotes

oh my gosh...you mean they still haven't reviewed this. I was interested in that so long ago I can't even remember why.

1 upvote

I just thank God that the Wheel is is not a thumb wheel but back in the front for the finger, where it belongs.

0 upvotes

It´s a temptation...

0 upvotes

Korean website Popco.kr has done a very good review with lots of pictures, videos and samples!

http://www.popco.net/zboard/view.php?id=dica_review&no=850

Comment edited 26 seconds after posting

2 upvotes

Great if you can read Japanese!

0 upvotes

its not written in japanese

5 upvotes

I believe its 한국어/조선말, try not to simplify or you might sound like an isolated idiot.

Cheers

0 upvotes

Not sure I have ever seen such detail as those images taken with the Leica lens.

0 upvotes

Seems like thicker LPF than OMD to prevent moire for video production. For photography, OM-D should be better.

0 upvotes

AF video still not anywhere close to what the Sony SLTs accomplish.

0 upvotes

Or most camcorders, either. However, don't those SLTs have a "short temper" (sensors that heat up and shut down)?

0 upvotes

i disagree, I have an a65 and on single focus the GH3 handily beats it. and with no back/front focus issues

5 upvotes

The current line of Sony SLTs don't overheat. That was an issue with earlier models.

0 upvotes

Well thank you, but can you please tell us all some more negative things about the GH3 or mention other cameras you think it is not as good as?

0 upvotes

I'm liking the look of the GH3 and its images more and more...

My guess is that DPR have a cunning strategy with this review - a piecemeal release of information as they are doing reduces the risk of their servers going down with a massive inrush of traffic when the finished version of the review is finally published. Maybe the hope is that, by then, most folks will say, "Uh, yeah, I've read most of that already - I'll read it later..."
:-)

1 upvote

I Like better the GH3, but have tried the OMD and the GH3, they are both different but great cameras, I am glad Olympus and Panasonic Lumix are doing well on making very good cameras and lenses. Other good thing is that Micro 4/3 users have a wide choice and a very good quality level.

I am waiting for the full review that maybe ready soon. But liked the updated preview.

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

5 upvotes

What is there to wait for? You've already reviewed the GH3 yourself. Dare DPR disagree?

1 upvote

That's what I did - no regrets.

0 upvotes

In terms of features and image quality the GH3 seems to be on par with APS-C class cameras at least. Even high-iso RAW is quite good. There is no reason to prefer a APS-C over 4/3 except ... well, body size. I personally wouldn't want to hold a body so small for a longer period of time. Guess, would make my hands cramp. Maybe the battery grip adds some area to make holding the body more comfy.
Unfortunately a small body requires small buttons spread over a small area making it hard to securely push a button.

0 upvotes

Actually, gl2k, I think that the GH3 would probably not feel too small to you. I"m not sure--I've never held one--but I've shot a GH2 for a while, and the body has a reasonable size and grip. Other m43 offerings are smaller, with nothing to hold on to. I wish the GH series had in-body IS though, like the Olys.

DSLRs for me still win in some areas of performance, especially for spray and pray type shooting, and continuous autofocus. IQ? Meh. DSLRs are better pixel peeping, slightly, but not enough to influence a decision. You are right about that.

3 upvotes

Have you ever been accused by anyone as having 'hot dog fingers'?

0 upvotes

gl2k, I have GH-3 and I like the size of the body much! The body is solid and feels well-made.

I have the grip and it works great, but the body fits my (relatively large) hands well even without the grip. The difference is that I put my pinky under the body without the grip, with grip I can hold it with my entire hand. There is certainly more substance in the body than in many of the APS-C cameras (xxD, xxxD series).

I like it better than Gh-2 I also have. I would even say that it feels better than OMD I tried a while back, because OMD _needs_ the grip to be usable IMHO. I didn´t like OMD at all without the grip. My testing period was only few days, however.

0 upvotes

Is there any chance DPR could do the G5 review as a kind of addendum to the GH3 review - compare and contrast. The software and features should be similar.

5 upvotes

Psst! A little secret: the G5 offers 95% of what most people would ever obtain from a GH3, for 1/4 the price. This month, some retailers offer a $599 "bundle" that includes the G5 body, kit lens, and a 45-150mm lens. The stuff the GH3 offers that the G5 doesn't includes the weather sealing (nice to have but not worth $500 extra) and the specialty video controls and modes, which would not make the video created by the typical Joe or Jane any more Oscar grade.

2 upvotes

No mic input or headphone monitoring on the G5 either. Regardless, it's a good deal. Just not really for any serious video work.

2 upvotes

I bought the G5 and used it heavily for 4 weeks before I sent it back (yea Adorama).
It does have great IQ, super fast focus, great color accuracy, and video was as close to camcorder capability as you can get.
Why send back you say? Auto white balance was annoying and my not so large man hands had trouble with the tiny body.
This is when I realized size does matter but inverse to the current sales trend.

Good luck with your decission.

0 upvotes

as far as I've seen, the GH3 comes with the 12-35mm lens, which by itself sells for about $1200. if you buy the body and the lens separately you have to pay about $2400.
the G5 comes with the much cheaper 14-42mm lens. so the GH3 with lens is actually a very good value.

0 upvotes

Hey, even if the GH4 was announced tomorrow, we'd not have our hands on it this year in all likelihood :)

0 upvotes

There will be no GH4, they are afraid of this number :-)

5 upvotes

A GH5 may appear in 2014 or 2015, if Panasonic is still in the camera business. Perhaps it will shoot 250Mbps 4k video that will look fine on an 80" display at 6'. You can edit it on your i10 4hz 12-core Windows 9 machine. Upgrade, upgrade, upgrade. Hup, two, three, four. Hup...

Don't be surprised if the legacy camera divisions of Olympus, Panasonic, and Pentax don't all end up as trade names of a Chinese firm.

0 upvotes

Says the angry CoNikon fanboy

3 upvotes

@Cy Cheze
As crazy as Cy Cheze's story foretelling... I don't think he is off the mark much.Panasonic definately seens like leaving camera business for video.

0 upvotes

Just in: the GH4 has just been announced for release :-)!

7 upvotes

Hardly...

3 upvotes

I really think you guys need to do a 'behind-the-scenes' look at how your in-depth reviews are created and performed. Just wanted to put this in before the usual complaints are fielded.

I think there'd be value in seeing how many hours and work goes into a product that is ostensibly released for 'free.'

5 upvotes

I also think it would be interested to see how Dpreview does its reviews.

It's a bit simplistic to say that it's "free" though.

Dpreview is a company that makes profit by selling advertising and links. It attracts web traffic by attracting web-users with products (eg: reviews) and services (eg: forums).

Web-users do not pay money, but they do pay with their time. If Dpreview's products and services are not worthy of their time-payment, then the web-users will go elsewhere.

Comment edited 38 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

Users "pay"? If I stare at a shop window, will the owner owe me a wage or free merchandise?

0 upvotes

I disagree about the "behind-the-scenes" look. I don't visit the site to learn how difficult and time consuming reviews can be. I visit the site for reviews. Doing a "behind-the-scenes" would ostensibly take time; I would prefer that this time be spent actually reviewing a camera instead.

Besides, follow the money. Incremental updates generate hits, and hits mean advertisements are seen by eyeballs (not mine; those that don't or won't filter). It probably makes better financial sense to have incremental updates and delay reviews than it would to put out a review and be done with it.

I'd not pay directly for the site, and I suspect both the site and its advertisers know this. I still want to see lots of reviews. A "behind-the-scenes" article won't change this; it'll just delay a review, making matters worse.

Is it a great site? Yes. Would I like things faster? Yes. Do I enjoy the silly "click here to view our article" double-intro pages that merely generate hits? No. That's life.

0 upvotes

Total comments: 46


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