I bought the Panasonic Lumix GH4 specifically for my aerial work as it is the camera that is specified by Zenmuse for the gimbal I use on my DJI S900 drone. I was missing a huge trick though and wasn’t using the camera for anything else.
For the last couple of years I’ve been shooting with my Canon 5D Mk3 with the L series lenses and have been (and still am) blown away by the quality but the Canon with the 70-200mm f2.8 lens is heavy to start off with and becomes progressively more so over a long period like a full day’s wedding perhaps
I began to explore the GH4 and bought the 12-35mm and the 35-70mm Panasonic f2.8 lenses for the camera and that’s when the penny started to drop.
The quality of the video is amazing – it shoots in 4k so it should be (take a look at my earlier blog of the Paul Carrack concert) http://www.footprintphoto.biz/paul-carrack-in-concert-sheffield-botanical-gardens/ and you will see what I mean.
As a professional photographer getting used to shooting video and doing this with manual focus rather than the auto focus I’m used to is a new discipline but very enjoyable to learn and I’m starting to get some good results
The stills from the GH4 are really excellent too and as well as the photos from the concert I’ve included some close ups here. They were shot with the two lenses I’ve mentioned and not a dedicated macro
The one thing that really stands out though is the size and weight of the camera. With comparable lenses to the Canon it looks like a father and son when viewed side by side and feels so light. I can carry the equivalent of the 70-200mm lens on the GH4 and hold it in my hand all day
Don’t be misled by the size and weight, this is a full professional camera and the more I use it the more blown away I am by its versatility. I love the articulated screen and can get low down shots at floor level with ease
In my head I’m not ready to swap it for the 5D Mk3 for my paying professional work but I should be – this camera is good!
We leave for a 10 day holiday trip soon and I’m taking the GH4, two lenses, a flash gun, the charger and it all fits into a really small bag and weighs next to nothing. The same kit with my Canons would be a huge bag and weigh well over 10kg. Having to use the camera all day with no reverting to the 5D Mk3 will be a great test and will straighten my head on whether I should be using this camera professionally as well as, or in preference to the Canon.
