+1 re wait and see.

The way some of you guys talk, I get the creepy feeling of the GH3 being an Emperor's New Clothes scenario! (Perish the thought...)

No matter what the cause is, I really hope things are better either by release (moire/aliasing/detail) or with the next model (MAR sensor). If they don't fix it until the next model after this one, then I may pass on the GH3.

But it really is still too early to tell.

@thepalalias Quote If they don't fix it until the next model after this one, then I may pass on the GH3. But it really is still too early to tell.

Yep...Agreed, the thing is they brought in 50/60p, interestingly I have that on my old TM700, so that is not exactly revolutionary. Some say the video quality looks much better than the GH2, others say it is not as good...point being that these days for most of us there has to be a compelling reason to upgrade, peoples spending habits are more conservative in general these days (according to polls). So for someone to shell out an extra $1200 for a camera body and possibly more for a new weather sealed lens, then theres the optional Zacuto rigs and stuff.

Anyway to entice a lot of people to buy the GH3...then Panansonic has to pull a pretty big rabbit out of the hat, and I just dont know wether they have...Time will tell. There will always be those that will jump in and buy because they like what they hear, but that may not be enough, a lot of people that were waiting are already sitting on the fence or decided against.

There are a lot of gains... (a lot of those in the build of the camera...more solid etc..) Better colors, 1 stop or so more DR, better noise pattern, better low light.

And losses... Arguably softer image, more moire, aliasing, no more MAS yada yada...

For me anyway that adds up to "I dunno..maybe later, maybe never" LOL!! I am certainly not passionate about it, put it that way. I hope the release version is better. Cheers

I´ll find that 120fps (or even 240 fps) was a must have and so 4:2:2 or 10 bit in Camera to name it a Hybrid. Now we have rumours about that Panasonic is thinking to go FF, that means the MFT lenses will become useless, though I like the 2x crop it gives the just DOF, FF for video gives to much DOF sometimes or we just need a really good follow focus. However I´m with @dream_beam I stop investing in MFT lenses for now, it could be that they will become valueless. Wait also to see what Samsung will bring with the new NX-R that will be Android based and other companies like Sony. I could invest in so many on other stuff to improve my shoots like a jib.

LOL :-) I find it utterly stupid to talk about uncertain reply of some manager made in some strange interview.

Don't be so confident, I have heard rumors that Panasonic is dumping the whole m43 format and returning to 35mm film!

I have heard rumors that Panasonic is dumping the whole m43 format and returning to 35mm film!

Yes, I also heard that they'll supply two rolls with each camera (as you can't get film otherwise), and to print them you'll need to send them to Japan office. But it is no biggie for me, as DR and reliability are most important.

I think the decision of ZEISS, to produce lenses with mft-mount, has certainly been done on arrangements with panasonics for their plans for the future of that mount. So don't panic that way ;-)

Again panasonic changes so much, that i think if a company with a much straighter product line, will be cheaper to me. 4 akkus for my GH1 become obsolete when GH2 came. Now i should threw away 7xGH2 akkus? Or the well known usabilaty! On GH1 i had the red record button on the back. It took several shooting till i learned to look onto top for starting. Now i do have to revise? To get the desired colour out of the cam, did take a lot of testing and shooting. The new sensor and something else will not be like GH1 or GH2 either. I saw a Foto of GH2 and GH3 on a billiard table. The colours from the table, looked horrible on the promised oled display. The GH2 display was not perfect, but very much closer to the original. And if i would like to get a sony-look, i would probably buy one.

Maybe Panasonic will update their AF101 to 201 or similar soon. If this will get a panasonic sensor again, and some blackmagic features, maybe a bit cheaper than the 101, i think i will forget the GH3 soon.

@thepalalias

MFT lenses: it's still the best mount for the BMCC

Can you tell me which advantages besides just being able to re-use the MFT lenses?* As far as I see, they seem to be supported only manually.

BMD say: Passive Micro Four Thirds mount for manually operated lens with manual iris control. Compatible with most third party MFT adapters for other lens mounts such as PL etc.

*Re-using MFT lenses is reason enough! Each announcement of a camera's support for MFT lenses reassures me that my own collection will last me a while longer.

I'd like to take a broader view of this.

Like a few manufacturers, BMD have made the move of showing their camera well before full production. Among lots of advantages, they're able to run the idea up the flag-pole and see how the product appeals to prospective buyers. They'll have kept watch on pre-orders.

Now, I'm just guessing that if we were to ask economists whether we are in good times for adventurous new technology or in tricky times where buyers are wary and competition can come quick and fast, they'd choose the tricky times option.

BMD might just have looked at the numbers with EF lenses, done a risk analysis, done the numbers again with a possible MFT lens option, and found MF3 would put the company in a safer position. Chances are their bank and investors might have leaned on them at some point. (Hey, a roll-out like this and it's a long time between drinks, cash-wise!)

Back to Panasonic, they are indeed a prosumer/consumer brand with a strong reputation. They aren't likely to produce a vaporware camera (like some others I could mention), intended to source funds or deter other manufacturers who'd had plans to build something else with the same target market in mind.

But they'll be subject to today's market forces. They'll have had to rationalise resources (reduce manufacturing costs by going with a Sony sensor), choose a sweet point technologically, strategically and in pricing. I'd guess that within Panasonic R&D there could be some tears being shed because of some much-loved developing camera innovations which just had to go once the bean-counters had had their say.

That big GH3 body might be a safe size. (Make a body too tight around its components inside and you might have painted yourself into a corner).

No doubt, Panasonic will be busy assembling GH3s already. But like BMD's pre-release, running news of the forthcoming GH3 up the flagpole will test market interest.

The pre-order numbers: might they be looking, on a scale from:

• 0 (Stop the production lines) ? Through to
• 10: (Purchase the world supply of Sony chips, give the extra factories the OK signal)?

          |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |

          0                                                             10

Maybe there's an online poll somewhere. Even here in, "Crisis, what crisis?" Australia I'll be ticking the GH3 "wait and see" box, just like my current clients are doing with my own services.