The Hardware of the Panasonic GH5 – An Interview with Panasonic’s M. Uematsu

by Fabian ChaundyJanuary 4^th, 2017

With the expected shipping date for the Panasonic GH5 just over the horizon (here’s our detailed feature GH5 hands-on post from earlier today), we thought it would be a good time to catch up with Panasonic’s M. Uematsu to chat about some of the more technical aspects of the next member of the popular GH line of mirrorless cameras. Check out our interview at cinema5D HQ… shot, of course, on the Panasonic GH5.

We all know how much of a cut-throat business the camera world is, with manufacturers constantly trying to one-up one another in a constant and quick succession of new camera releases. As the first big camera release of 2017, the Panasonic GH5 aims to come out swinging, promising to bring a host of truly nice features for indie filmmakers. And about time, too, as after almost 3 years, the popular GH4 was slowly starting to lag behind next to the competition.

But before diving into the great features that the GH5 will bring in a couple of months, we first wanted to know why Panasonic didn’t decide to go all out with some much-requested bells and whistles, especially given its popularity among filmmakers both amateur and professional. So, Panasonic, why didn’t you include internal ND filters and RAW recording?

Panasonic’s M. Uematsu. Interview shot on the new Panasonic GH5.

With an RRP of $2,000, Panasonic has continued their history of keeping their popular line of Micro Four-Thirds mirrorless at a rather affordable price. M. Uematsu also goes into some details about just how they have managed to do so.

Our interview with M. Uematsu is also packed with information regarding the camera’s hardware, such as the new dual SD card slot implementation, the technical measures taken to avoid overheating problems now that the camera can handle 4K at 50/60p, the limitations of the new in-body 5-axis image stabilisation system, sensor performance and the the new DMW-XLR1 Microphone Adapter.

You can find all this and more at the following time marks:

00:13 – Why doesn’t the Panasonic GH5 offer internal RAW recording?

00:59 – Why wasn’t an internal ND filter implemented?

01:50 – How did Panasonic manage to keep such an affordable price for the camera?

02:30 – Is the sensor inside the new GH5 made exclusively for or by Panasonic, or can it be found in other devices in the market?

03:02 – How good is the Dynamic Range in the new GH5? 

04:05 – In high ISO settings, an automatic noise reduction function will kick in. Can this be prevented and switched off?

05:18 – Why is the new 5-axis stabilisation system limited to work with Panasonic Lumix lenses only?

06:09 – The GH5 incorporates 2 SD card slots. In video mode, can you record to both simultaneously?

07:10 – How did Panasonic solve potential overheating problems, especially when the camera has no recording time limitations?

08:35 – Will the new DMW-XLR1 Microphone Adapter work only with the GH5 or across the new Lumix line?

If you’re looking to purchase a GH5, or are remotely interested in the camera, then I’m sure this interview will serve to quench your curiosity during the next few weeks. In the meantime, do let us know what you think about the new GH5 features in the comments section below!

Interview shot on a Panasonic GH5 using CineLike V, edited in Premiere Pro and graded using a FilmConvert preset for the GH4.