Another interesting test. GH4 v Canon 1DX Stills

[markdaunt]

http://www.terranmedia.com.au/blog/2014/5/3/panasonic-gh4-vs-canon-1dx

 

[val]

very balanced impressions, I was surprised about dynamic range though.


hmm I expect Panasonic to sell loads of these GH4s

 

[OzRay]

I think that just reinforces what I and others have been saying, that m4/3 holds up more than just 'pretty well' when it comes to FF and especially APS-C cameras. It also supports what I've been saying about EVFs, OVFs really are beginning to look very outdated. And I'll take my E-M1 and lenses anywhere the author is prepared to take his 1DX.

 

[orfeo]

I think that just reinforces what I and others have been saying, that m4/3 holds up more than just 'pretty well' when it comes to FF and especially APS-C cameras. It also supports what I've been saying about EVFs, OVFs really are beginning to look very outdated. And I'll take my E-M1 and lenses anywhere the author is prepared to take his 1DX.

Ozray I admire your admiration for Olympus brand, but this is about GH4 hey! No harm intended mate! :smile:

BTW, I'm eager to receive my GH4. I bought the gx7 because it got so much thing that I want in a camera that the GH3 didn't had. Now GH4 will be my first and gx7 the backup.

 

[OzRay]

Ozray I admire your admiration for Olympus brand, but this is about GH4 hey! No harm intended mate! :smile:

BTW, I'm eager to receive my GH4. I bought the gx7 because it got so much thing that I want in a camera that the GH3 didn't had. Now GH4 will be my first and gx7 the backup.

I think you've seriously misinterpreted my comments. It was directed in general at m4/3s, hence why I said '...m4/3 holds up more than just 'pretty well' when it comes to FF and especially APS-C cameras.' My comment about EVFs applies equally to Panasonic as it does to Olympus, or any other EVF equipped camera. My final comment was an aside to demonstrate that m4/3 cameras are capable of being used in adverse conditions, no different to Canon et al.

I think that you have read far too much into my post than was ever actually written or intended.

 

[meyerweb]

And I'll take my E-M1 and lenses anywhere the author is prepared to take his 1DX.

The build quality of the EM-1 and GH3 are certainly very good, and they'll withstand reasonably bad weather conditions. But I have to assume you've not actually used a Canon 1D or Nikon Dx series body. The m43 bodies are almost playthings by comparison. You could just about drive nails with the CaNikon pro series bodies and still use them to take pictures. They are built to a whole different level of construction than the Oly and Panasonic bodies.

That's not to imply the m43 bodies can't be used in adverse conditions, but were I going into war, for example, or covering a hurricane, I'd trust the CaNikon bodies much further. I just wouldn't want to carry them.

 

[OzRay]

The build quality of the EM-1 and GH3 are certainly very good, and they'll withstand reasonably bad weather conditions. But I have to assume you've not actually used a Canon 1D or Nikon Dx series body. The m43 bodies are almost playthings by comparison. You could just about drive nails with the CaNikon pro series bodies and still use them to take pictures. They are built to a whole different level of construction than the Oly and Panasonic bodies.

That's not to imply the m43 bodies can't be used in adverse conditions, but were I going into war, for example, or covering a hurricane, I'd trust the CaNikon bodies much further. I just wouldn't want to carry them.

I used to use my E-3 and E-5 shoulder to shoulder with the Canon/Nikon users at sport events and I think they would have stood up to a nailing competition head to head with the Canons/Nikons. And I have handled the Nikon D series, as the newspaper had those available if anyone wanted one, there was no noticeable difference in build quality to the E-3/E-5. I can't say the same for the E-M1 as yet, but given the claims made by Olympus, I will at least be as comfortable in using it anywhere a Canon/Nikon user is comfortable, in fact, I will go so far as to say that the Nikon user will shy away early, given that all of the ones I've seen on the field on wet days need a rain coat to survive the day. I would take the E-M1 into hazardous zones without flinching and I'm certain they'd come back no worse for wear than a Canon/Nikon. But if I need to hammer in nails, I'll bring along a hammer.

 

[GFFPhoto]

but were I going into war, for example, or covering a hurricane, I'd trust the CaNikon bodies much further. I just wouldn't want to carry them.

Greater mass does not necessarily equal greater durability. The main reasons you see these cameras in those conditions are battery life and the extensive worldwide pro support those companies provide. If you are in the field for days or weeks without power, battery life become a huge issue. If you are in Angola or Iraq or the Philippines or the USA and you need a new lens or body NOW, Canon or Nikon pro support will take care of you much better and quicker than Olympus or Panasonic. Aside from that, I'm not so sure there is a significant difference in reliability between the GH3/4 and EM1 or the Dx/1D. Check lens rentals blog about reliability. They churn cameras so they have a unique data set.

 

[nstelemark]

I shot an event next to some pros who were using the 1DX and L Glass. The output of the E-M5 and 50-200 was just as good as the 1DX in the final product, In decent light and low ISO I think it will be a toss up.

 

[val]

I used my 25mm f1.4 next so some chaps with FF gear at a fashion show, I definitely kept up with them

 

[taz98spin]

I used my 25mm f1.4 next so some chaps with FF gear at a fashion show, I definitely kept up with them

Pics or it didn't happen

 

[T N Args]

I have to assume you've not actually used a Canon 1D or Nikon Dx series body. The m43 bodies are almost playthings by comparison.

Well that could only be proven by actual experience. It is pretty clear to me that Panasonic's aim with the GH4 is to be absolutely on par with the Canikon pro bodies for strength and resistance, only smaller and lighter. That's perfectly achievable.

In fact, if Panasonic never existed and Canikon came out with a smaller-sensor smaller-bodied full pro kit "just for those times when it has to be smaller", and guaranteed it has the same toughness as big brother, we would believe it. And it would probably be no tougher than the GH4.

Where is this going to break?

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[ippikiokami]

I used my 25mm f1.4 next so some chaps with FF gear at a fashion show, I definitely kept up with them

I support the awesomeness of m4/3 as I made the switch myself but this is a pretty misleading statement.
No m4/3 camera can match up against the 1dx . D4s level of cameras or even the 5d3 for general fashion week use. Yeah when conditions are perfect you can get some good shots but then almost any camera can get good shots like that.

Back on topic. It's cool to compare the GH4 to the 1dx but you wouldn't use them for the same type of jobs. It'd be better to compare the Gh4 to the 5d3

 

[T N Args]

Comparisons are just for fun, it's a unique camera and can't be compared to ANYTHING in a true like-for-like fashion. Who would buy a 1DX or a 5D3 to do exactly the same job as a GH4 is ideally suited for, expecting they would be 'even better'? No one.

 

[val]

Pics or it didn't happen

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fresh_soup/sets/72157637452882544/

 

[GFFPhoto]

I support the awesomeness of m4/3 as I made the switch myself but this is a pretty misleading statement.
No m4/3 camera can match up against the 1dx . D4s level of cameras or even the 5d3 for general fashion week use. Yeah when conditions are perfect you can get some good shots but then almost any camera can get good shots like that.

Back on topic. It's cool to compare the GH4 to the 1dx but you wouldn't use them for the same type of jobs. It'd be better to compare the Gh4 to the 5d3

I don't know about that. You say when conditions are perfect, so I'm assuming you are talking about image quality and not usability factors like battery life or FPS speed. Commercial photography is not really that demanding on image quality. If you say m43 can't match up with FF or MF for fine art I would agree, but runway fashion shoots? For web or magazine? M43 is absolutely as good as anything else for that, and is more than enough for 98% of commercial applications (and you can always rent medium format for when it isn't).

 

[OzRay]

I've seen pro 4/3 shots from catwalks, shown on DPR, by someone doing this as a paying job and that was with yesteryear's Olympus bodies, the current crop of m4/3 sensors blow those away. So, to say that you can't do fashion etc with m4/3 is a bit twee, especially considering that the same catwalks were being shot with yesteryear's Canons/Nikons. Adding to that, the GH4 has been shown to blow away the 5D MkIII when it comes to video, so it seems Canon has some catching up to do with m4/3.

And I forgot to mention, Nikon makes the best video capable DSLR ever; said absolutely no one.

 

[taz98spin]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fresh_soup/sets/72157637452882544/

Cool photos and good job keeping up with all those DSLRs I see in the photos!

 

[zlatko-photo]

Catwalks are relatively slow and predictable as action. How about nighttime soccer where the field is unevenly lit, with some parts being rather dark. You need a high shutter speed, high ISO, fast telephoto, and autofocus that can track some fast movement in all directions. F/2, 1/500th, ISO 3200 or f/2.8, 1/500th, ISO 6400. Or how about indoor basketball in a poorly lit recreation center. Again, f/2, 1/500th, ISO 3200. And those are the minimum shutter speeds; faster would be ideal.

As much as I appreciate the size, weight and performance of my E-M1, photographing in these situations is made much easier by the amazing high ISO and AF performance of the top-end Canon or Nikon DSLRs (with their disadvantage of expense and weight, of course). At these extremes, the image quality and AF differences become very apparent.

 

[tomO2013]

Focus tracking on the GH4 is fantastic with the right lenses.
Coupled with the capability to pull 8mp stills from super high quality 4k feed and you make end up with more keepers from the GH4 than you would from your Canon setup.
I've used the EM1 + Pan100-300 to shoot super high ISO 6400, indoor fast moving hockey games. The limitation here was more the Pan100-300 lens itself and slow focus mechanism. The Em1 + 12-40 and 35-100 is pretty good for shooting football too.
Where m43 presently is hurting is on the native super telephoto end, without getting into legacy adapters to use the Oly 300mm F2.8 or adapting super telephoto lenses from other systems.