Panasonic Lumix GH4 ...

[Sella174]

Well, well, well. How is Canon going to keep their video crowd happy now?

Personally, I foresee problems for our favourite camera company: they've already "alienated" the stills-only crowd with the insistence on more and more (crippled) video features, and now Panasonic has released a full-featured video-optimized DSLM camera that's surely going to draw videographers by the thousands.

And not to mention the mirrorless issue.

 

[Maximilian]

not to forget, that the lens argument pro Canon is getting weaker with all those releases of HQ MFT glass from Pana, Oly, and others...

 

[Sella174]

Plus support for old MF lenses, including "native" focus peaking!

 

[Drizzt321]

Here's some editorial (plus full press release) from Cinema5d

Personally, especially with the accessory, it puts even more high quality film making and experimentation into the hands of more people, and that's a good thing. I'm kind of wondering if maybe this camera will take over from the 5d2/5d3 for when they need a camera for small spaces, or one that may be damaged/destroyed. Especially with pro features like timecode, HD-SDI out, and XLR.

 

[preppyak]

If it weren't for Magic Lantern, Canon would probably be dead in the water in the consumer/amateur video space right now. Raw recording on the 5DII/5DIII with a full-frame sensor is the only thing that the other manufacturers can't offer.

But with the BMPCC, the GH4, whatever Sony responds with; I just dont' see how the "advanced video features" the 7DII is supposed to have can match up. Hell, i dont even see how Canon can release enough features to match the GH3, let alone the GH4. For a company that thinks video is the future, they are way behind the competition.

Also, the GH4 photo specs are great. I'm not a huge fan of their lens lineup, but, 1/250th flash sync, 200,000 shutter, 49pt AF, weather resistant, 8-12fps bursts...it's basically the specs a 7DII would have, and it's go pro video capability.

As someone who owns a 60D and a GH2, I can say that my future in the Canon lineup becomes less likely as each new camera is released. 2014 is gonna be a big year for Canon

 

[tron]

I feel the temperature rising although it is still Winter ;D

 

[Sella174]

If it weren't for Magic Lantern, Canon would probably ...

I think this places Canon firmly between a rock and a hard place. ML has shown what the Canon cameras can do, but if Canon now releases updated firmware in response to the GH4 that officially enables these features, then people are going to be pretty miffed.

On the other hand, if Canon doesn't release the 7DII now with equal specs to the GH4, plus the neat-o attachments, then people are going to be equally miffed.

2014 is gonna be a big year for Canon.

You got that right ... because it could also be the a fail year.

 

[tron]

2014 could be an indifferent year.

Now 2015 ... (this is a rumors site after all ) ;D

 

[100]

With every high specked camera of their competitors people on fora like this start a “how’s Canon gonna keep up with that discussion”.
At the end of every year for the last decade or so Canon turns out to be the market leader.
A more realistic question might be: “Is this camera good enough to really change anything?”
Based on historic facts up till 2013: Probably not.

 

[Sella174]

At the end of every year for the last decade or so Canon turns out to be the market leader.

True, because Canon never really had any serious competition, because the technology that the competition is betting their companies on, has only matured sufficiently now.

A more realistic question might be: “Is this camera good enough to really change anything?”

Absolutely. A Canon camera out-of-the-box is not sufficient for current video standards. It requires MagicLantern, which is a third-party, unofficial hack.

Based on historic facts up till 2013: Probably not.

Well, the dinosaurs said the same thing ... up till 65 million years ago.

However, and more relevant, companies like Corona felt the same way, but then went from top of their industry and highly profitable to completely bankrupt in roughly two years ... because of the new technology of their competitors.

 

[100]

A more realistic question might be: “Is this camera good enough to really change anything?”

Absolutely. A Canon camera out-of-the-box is not sufficient for current video standards. It requires MagicLantern, which is a third-party, unofficial hack.

Not sufficient for (wannabe) pro film makers on an tight budget maybe, but that’s a niche market. The profit on DSLR’s for Canon is in the consumer market. The vast majority of people buying Canon DSLR’s don’t even know Magic Lantern exist. They use their camera’s to capture personal memories and share them with friends and relatives. They don’t care about raw video, they don’t care about 4k, the are not into color grading, etc.
They care about things like image stabilization and quick and accurate AF for video. Put your finger on the touchscreen where you want to focus and the camera needs to deliver right away. That’s what most people want from their out of the box Canon camera’s. That’s why Canon comes up with things like the dual pixel technology of the 70D.

Based on historic facts up till 2013: Probably not.

Well, the dinosaurs said the same thing ... up till 65 million years ago.

However, and more relevant, companies like Corona felt the same way, but then went from top of their industry and highly profitable to completely bankrupt in roughly two years ... because of the new technology of their competitors.

The dinosaurs didn’t die out because another species came up with a game changer. They didn’t make a fatal mistake, they just got unlucky.
That doesn’t mean Canon can’t go broke, they can if they make enough, or big enough mistakes. Up till now they have proven to be a pretty good judge on what the market wants/needs and I see no indications they suddenly lost that ability. It’s not about technology (the 1DC was the first DSLR with 4k video). It’s about profit margins. Canon can put it in low(er) end bodies if the need to, but they make less money if they do so. The market has to force them and that only happens if they lose market share.

 

[Sella174]

The vast majority of people buying Canon DSLR’s ... use their camera’s to capture personal memories and share them with friends and relatives. They don’t care about raw video, they don’t care about 4k, the are not into color grading, etc. They care about things like image stabilization and quick and accurate AF for video. Put your finger on the touchscreen where you want to focus and the camera needs to deliver right away. That’s what most people want from their out of the box ... camera’s.

Gee, in that case, even Olympus beats Canon hands down ... especially since Canon camera do not have built-in social networking abilities, i.e. post on the fly to facebook. And let's not even mention Samsung!

 

[100]

The vast majority of people buying Canon DSLR’s ... use their camera’s to capture personal memories and share them with friends and relatives. They don’t care about raw video, they don’t care about 4k, the are not into color grading, etc. They care about things like image stabilization and quick and accurate AF for video. Put your finger on the touchscreen where you want to focus and the camera needs to deliver right away. That’s what most people want from their out of the box ... camera’s.

Gee, in that case, even Olympus beats Canon hands down ... especially since Canon camera do not have built-in social networking abilities, i.e. post on the fly to facebook. And let's not even mention Samsung!

If other out of the box cameras are superior to the ones Canon produces, why don’t these manufacturers have the biggest market share?
You can speculate all you want, just look at market shares. Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Fuji… Even together they are nowhere near Canon on the market share front.

 

[Sella174]

If other out of the box cameras are superior to the ones Canon produces, why don’t these manufacturers have the biggest market share?

Because marketing counts 90% and product only 5% ... Microsoft proved this when the launched Windows 95: people who did not even own a computer bought the product, because the ad campaign said "it will change your life!" But back to the point, go on the micro-4/3 forums and you'll read pages upon pages of people griping about the poor marketing by Olympus and Panasonic.

 

[100]

If other out of the box cameras are superior to the ones Canon produces, why don’t these manufacturers have the biggest market share?

Because marketing counts 90% and product only 5% ... Microsoft proved this when the launched Windows 95: people who did not even own a computer bought the product, because the ad campaign said "it will change your life!" But back to the point, go on the micro-4/3 forums and you'll read pages upon pages of people griping about the poor marketing by Olympus and Panasonic.

If marketing counts for 90% and product for 5% just apply that to your opening statement:

Personally, I foresee problems for our favourite camera company: they've already "alienated" the stills-only crowd with the insistence on more and more (crippled) video features, and now Panasonic has released a full-featured video-optimized DSLM camera that's surely going to draw videographers by the thousands.

Aren’t “features” about product?
Not a word about marketing, so why exactly do you foresee problems for Canon?

 

[tron]

Now that I think about it, there is a feature missing from the panasonic. A... full frame sensor... ;D

 

[leGreve]

Now that I think about it, there is a feature missing from the panasonic. A... full frame sensor... ;D

Which you need for what? On paper (and in the example video) the GH4 delivers far more than the 5D mk III gives now.
I'd gladly make the switcht to Panasonic when Metabones get the Speed Booster done. This price point is ridiculously low for its capability.

 

[J.R.]

Now that I think about it, there is a feature missing from the panasonic. A... full frame sensor... ;D

Which you need for what?

Shallow DOF

 

[Sella174]

Not a word about marketing, so why exactly do you foresee problems for Canon?

Marketing sells products to the masses; whereas actual ability of the product sells it to professionals. So, although Canon might still sell twenty EOS 5DIII cameras for every Panasonic GH4 sold, the long-term sustainability lies is who are the buyers. The masses are fickle; and professionals are loyally demanding.

 

[Sella174]

Shallow DOF

I've seen too many crappy photos due to too shallow DoF to rate that as a plus for "full frame".