Lumix GH3 Review Part 1 Introduction

LUMIX GH3 CAMERA USER REPORT

Part 1, Introduction and Overview

The Multimodal Hybrid

Author  AndrewS     March  2013

GH3 with Lumix 12-35mm f2.8 lens in use. The camera is comfortable to hold and responsive in use.

Brief History of Lumix G M43 Cameras   The Lumix  G1 was announced in September 2008. This was the first G Micro camera and the first ever camera built to the Micro Four Thirds standard. Since then the G camera system had evolved into four lines. The GF series without built in EVF is aimed at beginners and compact camera/smartphone upgraders. The GX1 appeals to enthusiasts who prefer a camera without EVF.  The original G with EVF series represents a compact, mirrorless alternative to the traditional DSLR.  The GH series is Panasonic's interpretation of the Hybrid Still/Motion Picture camera and sits at the top of the Lumix range. The GH3 is the latest and most comprehensively specified iteration of the GH series. It is the 13th lumix G camera model to date.

GH3 rollout has been slow. It was announced on 17 September 2012. I ordered mine in December 2012 and picked it up from Digi Direct in Sydney on 26 February 2013.  It is intermittently listed as "in stock" with some sellers but more often "out of stock" or "pre-order" whatever that means.  I note that some vendors are still listing the G3, GH2 and older GF models suggesting a past inventory buildup which has still not cleared. Perhaps Panasonic is trying to avoid a repeat of this problem with the GH3.  

Sydney Easter Show 2013 Lunchtime Scene.  Landscape and location photography requires plenty of dynamic range especially with a scene like this on a bright sunny day. You can see white roofing material in direct sun and black hair in shade. With a little help from Adobe Camera Raw the GH3 has managed to render detail in both from a single exposure.

The place of M43 in the camera world  I think it is fair to say that there has been some uncertainty about this from makers and buyers. Is  M43  a replacement for the rapidly vanishing compact camera ? Is it a "Gap Filler" between compact and DSLR ? A upgrade from a compact perhaps ? I have long believed that the destiny of the M43 system is to become the dominant interchangeable lens camera type. But early models lacked the image quality, performance and ergonomics to entice buyers away from their DSLR's.  This started to change with the Olympus EM-5 which solved the image quality problem thanks to a Sony sourced imaging sensor. Now we have the Lumix GH3 with the same image quality [and probably the same sensor] plus improved performance and ergonomics. In addition,  two new high performance constant f2.8 zoom lenses have appeared.  I think the combination of the GH3 with the extensive M43 system of lenses including high quality primes and zooms makes the best case yet for enthusiast/expert photographers to switch from their DSLRs  to M43.  

The GH3 makes a handy sport/action camera for many types of subject in reasonably bright light. Lumix 45-150mm lens.

GH3 Main Selling Proposition  Makers of cameras, cars, vacuum cleaners, ice cream and just about everything else in a competitive market place are forever seeking the elusive "Unique Selling Point" which will provide a marketing advantage. Some cameras advertise the Biggest Sensor in the Smallest Body as if such a combination of characteristics had some kind of intrinsic merit. Some advertise the greatest number of  pixels on a given size sensor. Some resort to unique but ergonomically nonsensical features such as an iFunction button on the lens.  Some have Art Filters.

The GH3 has little in the way of unique features. I think it's main selling proposition is it's combination of characteristics and capabilities which together make a camera which I call a "Multimodal Hybrid".  Panasonic uses the term "Hybrid" in reference to the GH series camera's high level of still and motion picture performance. But I think there is more to it.

User    A complete novice to photography could pick up this camera, set it to iA mode and use it as a point and shoot model.  With more experience the same user might move up to the Scene guide Mode or Creative Control Mode. The expert/professional user can ignore these beginner settings and enjoy a high level of control over all camera functions enabled by the comprehensive set of direct user interface modules. [Dials, levers and buttons]

Interface  Some cameras rely on a "soft" interface, using touch screen controls, others present a "hard" or "direct" interface with lots of modules directly operated by the fingers. Some allow you to operate the device remotely, with or without wires from a master device off camera.  The GH3 allows you to drive the camera by each of these means or all three at once should your brain be able to manage the required cognitive complexity. Any way you prefer to use a camera, the GH3 can do it.  In addition the user interface is highly Configurable.  The Main Menus, Q Menu, Custom Modes and Function Buttons are all amenable to extensive user input resulting in each user being able to set up the camera to suit personal requirements.

Operation  The GH3 can function perfectly as a contemplative capture device for landscape or architecture, requiring tripod mount,  100% view in EVF or Monitor, vibration reduction, accurate control of exposure and dynamic range. Change a few settings and it becomes a rapid shooting machine for street or photo journalism with fast,  responsive performance. Change a few more settings and the GH3 morphs into a sport/action camera with more capability than some reviewers have discovered.

Output  The most widely advertised feature of the GH series cameras is their ability to produce high quality still or motion picture output, with instant switching from one to the other. The GH3 outputs both at a high quality level. 

Documentary work in most conditions is easily handled by the GH3 with one of the wide aperture zoom or prime lenses. This photo has been reduced for the net but in the original you can read the lathe operator's name tag. Lumix 12-35mm f2.8, hand held viewing on the swung out monitor.

Environment  The GH3 can be completely at home in a studio. It can be remotely driven. The camera with it's built in flash can drive and control a full set of external flash units. [FL360L]  It can operate in near complete silence making it suitable for concerts and other places where audible operation would be unacceptable. It is weather protected as are the two constant f2.8 zoom lenses, making it suitable for location work in adverse environments. The compact kit size also enhances its suitability for  work in remote places.

System  In four years M43 has grown from nothing to the most comprehensive of all mirrorless camera systems. There is an extensive lineup of prime and zoom lenses at all levels from budget consumer to high performance professional.  There are dedicated flash units, motion picture accessories, battery grips and much more. In addition third party makers have contributed lenses, adapters and other equipment to the mix. Camera bodies now range in size from diminutive to substantial with intermediates. There is something here to suit almost everybody.  The GH3 sits at the top of the Lumix section of the M43 system at the present time.

Who's it for ?     Although it would be quite suitable for a beginner, the GH3 will I suspect, mainly appeal to the experienced/expert/professional photographer who likes to take direct, hands on control of the imaging process. The camera has some "under the hood" features which could enhance this appeal. It has a much larger battery than any other M43 camera. I recently spent a day at the Sydney Easter Show, where I made 730 exposures with a lot of image review on the monitor between bursts of activity. At the end of the day the battery indicator was reading 2/3 bars full. The imaging processor is fast, allowing many RAW shots to be taken in Burst Mode. The buffer is large. In Burst Mode M [which provides CAF, AE and Live View on each frame] with a 95MB/sec card the camera will shoot 28 RAW frames in 6 seconds [4.6 frames /sec] before the frame rate slows. The buffer then takes 7 seconds to clear. The camera will shoot higher frame rates but you lose AF and Live Preview on each frame.

The camera, made in China, by the way, showing the base with tripod socket centered on the lens axis and sufficiently well back from the front edge of the body to allow it to support a long lens. You could change a battery with most tripod heads attached. Memory card slot is in the handle, separate from the large battery.

The User Report Process   Until now, each of my camera reviews has been presented as a single publication on this blog.  That is about to change. I regard the GH3 as the most important M43 camera since the original G1.  Why ?   To explain I must digress a little. Here is another question. Why do amateur photographers buy entry level CaNikon DSLRs ?  Because CaNikon make the best entry level cameras ?  Maybe they do, maybe they don't, who knows ?  I believe the real reason is that CaNikon have established brand name recognition in the marketplace.  They have achieved this by

1. Making mostly decent cameras continuously for 60 years or thereabouts.

2. Establishing a line of pro level "hero" cameras and lenses, the performance of which establishes CaNikon's reputation.

Panasonic can't do anything about the 60 year heritage but they do need some hero cameras and lenses together with a few pro photographers visibly using and promoting them. The GH3 is the closest thing to a hero camera to come from the Lumix stable and the most likely to attract a professional user cadre for still and  motion picture use.

So it will be the subject of a rolling, multipart user review process over many weeks.  I refrained from posting anything on this blog until I had owned and used  the camera for a month and have attained a  shutter count of  5000. I have used the camera in a variety of different conditions to better understand it's capabilities.  My analysis and report will concentrate on:

Still Photo. I have no useful understanding of motion picture use. There are many blogs and websites which describe and analyse the video function of the GH3 in great detail.

Expert Use.  The GH3 is primarily a photographer's camera for the expert user so I will concentrate on that aspect of it's operation.

Direct Control  I drive the camera with the physical user interface modules.  I have used the touch screen interface and it works just fine in the technical sense. But after diligently trialling and testing over a long period, using the GH2, G5 and GH3, I find the touch screen process awkward to use when viewing with the Monitor and impossible with eye level view. So I have it permanently disabled.

Report Chapter Headings  My user reports are usually presented under the headings  Introduction and Overview, Image Quality, Performance, Ergonomics and System.  I will continue to use these headings as a guide but will devote several blog posts to specific issues within each heading.