Rejoice lovers of the GH2 and m4/3’s video in general: your unicorn has arrived. And he comes to heat up an already very competitive video segment. Specwise the GH3 has a sensor with the same megapixel count on the GH2 (16.1MP) as well as a Live-MOS sensor type. You have a 4-CPU Venus Engine and a new low pass filter. Now, the very interesting thing is what this new unit’s shell is made out of–magnesium alloy. Panasonic is targeting the higher end user who needs something more rugged to be used in the field everyday. Plus, it is splash/dust proof. I think this is a great idea. Since, video is what this camera’s main selling point.
The same focusing system carries over to the GH3 as well with Contrast AF. Panasonic says it’s new version of the system is faster in focusing even in smaller F-stops. ISO starts from a minimum of 200 going all the way to 12,800. you can even expand it to 25,600 if you so wish. And for the photo dudes, there is a PC Sync port for easier use of certain studio strobes and wireless flash units. More specs and an analysis after the jump.
One cool new feature I think is interesting is that you will be able to fire the shutter via your smart phone. With the GH3’s new Wi-Fi(R) function. You can than use the camera’s auto transfer feature to move the photos you took to a tablet. This will let you review your photos as well without being tethered to a computer. You also have the option to do interval video recording with a smart phone. It nice to also see Panasonic will let you save GPS data for the photos you take without the use of an external GPS unit!
The video settings have also improved. Instead of shooting 1080i like in the previous model, you get full progressive mode at 1080p 60p! As for the actual raw deal data on what kind of numbers the footage will be putting out, rumors have been floating out that it will be ALL-I with a high bit rate of 72 Mbit/second; but it is in fact 80MB/second in ALL-I or IPB. You will have access to a few different flavors like MPEG 4, AVCHD as well as H.264.
Specs
| Effective Megapixels | 16.1 Megapixels |
| Megapixels | 17.20 Megapixels |
| Image Sensor | CMOS/17.3 x 13.0 mm (in 4:3 aspect ratio) |
| Sensitivity | 200 – 12800 |
| Storage Media | SD Secure Digital |
| Compatible Memory Card | SD, SDHC, SDXC |
| Lens Mount | Micro Four Thirds mount |
| Lcd Monitor Type | OLED Monitor with static touch control |
| Lcd Screen Size | 3.0 in. with 614,000 dots. EVF is 1.7 Million dot |
| Computer Interface | USB 2.0 High Speed |
| Lens Focal Length Multiplier | Micro Four Thirds (2x Crop Factor) |
| Maximum Shutter Speed | 1/4000 |
| Exposure Modes | Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual |
| Shutter Speeds | 60 – 1/4000th |
| Builtin Flash | Yes: Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction (when iA, iA+), Forced On, Forced On/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync., Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction |
| Battery | Li-ion Battery Pack (7.2V, 1860mAh) |
| Dimensions | 132.9 x 93.4 x 82.0mm / 5.23 x 3.68 x 3.23 in |
| Weight | Approx. 470g / 16.58 oz (Body only) |
| Auto Focus | Contrast AF system |
| Flash Type | TTL Built-in-Flash. Flash sync is 1/160th |
| Red Eye Reduction | yes |
| Continuous Shooting Speed | 6 fps |
| Weather Proof | no |
| White Balance | Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Incandescent, Flash, White Set 1, 2, Color temperature setting |
| Video Resolution | 1080 Full HD 1920 x 1080 (60, 50, 30, 25 24 fps) 1280 x 720 (60, 50, 30, 25fps), 640 x 480 (30, 25fps |
