Panasonic has just announced the follow-up to its popular Lumix GH6 vlogging camera, the GH7. This Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera debuts just two years after the GH6, which is notably quick in the videography world where the GH5 had a five-year gap before the GH6’s release.
The GH7 features a 25.2-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, likely the same as the one used in the photo-centric Lumix LG9 II launched earlier this year. It offers improved autofocus performance, a highly requested feature, thanks to phase detection autofocus (PDAF). Additionally, it includes a new real-time autofocus recognition algorithm for detecting airplanes and trains.
Designed primarily for video, the GH7 delivers impressive capabilities. It supports internal ProRes RAW recording up to 5.7K at 30p, along with ProRes, and can shoot 5.8K at 60p in 10-bit H.265. The camera can handle 4K at up to 120fps or Full HD at 240fps. It comes with both SD UHS II and CFexpress card slots, with the latter necessary for ProRes and ProRes RAW recording.
Besides video enhancements, it supports 32-bit float audio recording, which Panasonic says “eliminates the need to adjust sound recording levels during shooting,” though it requires a separate XLR adapter. The image stabilization technology has also been improved, including perspective distortion correction for videos.
Details about the GH7’s weight are yet to be revealed, but the GH6 was on the heavier side. The previous model also had relatively short battery life, maxing out at 400 still images and around an hour of continuous 4K shooting. However, the GH7 is designed for longer shooting periods, featuring a cooling fan for heat dissipation. It is also splash, dust, and freeze-resistant down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit.
The GH7 supports native Camera to Cloud integration via Adobe’s Frame.io, automatically uploading images and videos to the cloud. Overall, this update seems to be a significant improvement for the line. Panasonic’s latest vlogging camera will be available in July for $2,200, the same price as the GH6 at its release in 2022.
