GH4 For Stills | Is the GH4 a DSLR Killer? | GH4 vs 5Diii

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I've been shooting with the new Panasonic GH4 for a couple weeks now, and wow...what an amazing, ground-breaking, game changing camera for videographers. If you shoot a lot of video and haven't heard about it, you definitely need to take a look at what it can do:
- 4K in Camera Video
- Peak Focusing
- Variable Frame Rates
- Wi-Fi
- Flippy Touch Screen
- $1700
Additionally, the size and weight are significantly smaller than traditional DSLRs, especially when we consider the heavy lenses. I had never been interested in the GH line until I heard about the 4K and at that time I knew I needed to take a look. I am SO glad I did!
There are a number of really fantastic reviews already on Youtube that compare lots of video & features:
Luke Neumann's GH4 Comparison:
Dave Dugdale's Comparison:
Nearly all of the questions I have been getting have been about using the GH4 for stills photography, as just about everyone is agreeing the GH4 is simply amazing for video, so I decided to take a look to see how it matched up against a DSLR, in this case the Canon 5Diii. Yes, it is an apples or oranges comparison, but the 5D3 is a really good benchmark for an excellent all round camera.
Having spent some quality time with the GH4, I found a lot of strengths and weaknesses worth noting, and in these quick comparisons, I try to really focus on what matters most, and get to the point as quickly as possible. Consider it me doing your research and testing for you. There were a lot of little things that I liked, didn't like, but left them out for the sake of time.
A thought on the Dynamic Range Test: I made mention of the curves feature, which when used with jpgs and video could really squeeze a lot more detail out of shadows and highlights and give the GH4 a distinct advantage over the 5Diii for those file types. That said, because the shadowns/highlight feature doesn't apply to the raw images, this is a processor feature, and therefore, is something you can easily do in post with both camera files.
Some of the information I have in my video directly conflicts with what I have been seeing and reading in other reviews. It is possible that I had a bad copy, but due to the fact I was able to consistently reproduce the issues I was seeing, (sports focusing for example), I do feel obligated to tell you what I see before you all run out and buy one. It is a very, very good sports shooting camera for mirrorless system. It is not a DSLR slayer...yet, and I knew this after literally a couple minutes.
All that said, yes, I have purchased a GH4 and a couple lenses for it. No, I am not giving up my Canon gear at this time. I see the GH4 and the 5Diii that are different tools that do different things. I will say that the bigger camera companies have been put on notice, the Panasonic and the GH4 are a force to be reckoned with and if it continues, they will soon take over a huge chunk of the video shooting market. The GH4 should win multiple awards and I wouldn't be surprised if it won camera of the year.
I sure do appreciate your comments and thoughts, please let me know what you guys think!
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