My background in cameras began with Panasonic's PVGS35 - a mini-DV SD camcorder, back in 2005. To this day it still functions - in a manner of speaking. The lens is cracked and the LCD is dead, but it will still shoot. This camera was a work horse. It was dropped a dozen times at least before it started to break, and for learning how to shoot video was fantastic.
In 2009 I upgraded to the Canon HV30 mini-DV 1080p HD camera. HD was a revelation. That camera was a work horse. I shot quite a few movies - went on a number of trips to places like Nicaragua and the Philippines with it - and it kept on ticking.
In my community college film program I also used the Nikon D5100 for video and a few stills here and there, as well as the Panasonic HMC 150 and Panasonic HDC-HS300.
DURABILITY
When looking for a replacement when my HV30 finally started to bite the big one in early 2013 - durability was one of my concerns. I looked at the Canon Rebel series - but I didn't like how fragile people said they were. The GH3 - while I certainly wouldn't play catch with it - has a weather sealed body and feels solid to my hands. It's not a camera I would loan out and let kids run around with (something I did with both my PVGS35 and HV30) because of the cost and interchangeable lenses. That said, I'm not afraid to take it out into the woods - and wouldn't hesitate to take it on a mission trip or vacation to somewhere remote.
SIZE
It is a micro 4/3 Camera, not a DSLR, which means it is smaller and has its own set of lenses (although you can get adapters). This works for me, being a smaller person. I don't have to lug incredibly large or heavy lenses.The body is T3i size, but much tougher. The lenses (especially long focal lengths) are so much smaller than DSLRs, and so much lighter (not to mention generally less expensive) than DSLR lenses. So I'm a big fan of the micro 4/3 style and the size of this guy.
VIDEO QUALITY
The video image quality is the best I've ever owned by far. I stacked it up against the HV30 and it is sharper, has a much more pleasing and finer grain if you keep the ISO under 800 (ideally under 400). I compared it to another camera I briefly owned, the Canon RF 400, and it slaughtered the Canon in detail, clarity, and dynamic range. I could not mix the footage from either the HV30 or RF 400 with the GH3 simply because the GH3 looks so much cleaner and better. I have two shots, one from the Nikon and one from the GH3, for you pixel peepers. My opinion is that the GH3 is slightly clearer and sharper, although, when compared with the above mentioned cameras - both perform far superior when lit properly.
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| A still from a video shot on the Nikon D5100. |
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| A still from a video shot on the Panasonic GH3. |
STILLS QUALITY
Unfortunately I don't have a lot to compare the GH3 with in my own practical experience. It shoots roughly 4000 x 3000 pixels at the aspect ratio I shoot at - which is far more than the old consumer cameras I owned when I was younger (they only shot 1200 x 900 shots) and it shoot sharper images than my mother's Canon Powershot did in its prime. I believe that camera shot roughly half what the GH3 does. It outperforms my sister's low end DSLR in sharpness and clarity.
As someone who has never shot stills for anything other than to remember a moment - all I can definitively say is that I'm very happy with the image quality I am able to get. Assuming I shoot properly (steady hand/tripod, fast enough shutter) I have been blown away by some images I've been able to capture. Now, I've never shot on a 7D, let alone a 5D or really high end Nikon DSLR so I can't speak to how it compares to cameras of that caliber, but for anything but perhaps a giant poster, the GH3 will get you where you need to be professionally.
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| Still taken with the GH3 inside with no additional lighting, shot at f/2.0 and ISO 1600. The image is still very clean even with the ISO bumped to 1600. |
SETTINGS/CONTROLS (For Video)
Compared to my PVGS35 and HV30 this camera is a joy to work with. It has buttons for ISO and white balance on the top and easy to access, as well as a dial to control the aperture. All the custom function buttons are very useful as well. I like that you have a lot of finite control over the white balance in the controls. You can set it manually, or if you like, set it by degrees or even by a color grid to pinpoint EXACTLY the white balance needed.
Compared to a Professional Video Camera like the HMC 150 ($2500), or high end consumer camcorder like the HDC ($2000) there are only a couple features I miss. I would have liked built in ND filters like the HMC, but given the nature of the beast, I understand why it doesn't have this feature, and ND filters for lenses work just fine when needed. The other features I wish were included, were zebra stripes and focus peaking. The camera does have a feature where blown out areas of the image will flash, but I would have liked a 70% zebra and an 100% for different situations. There is nothing that replaces focus peaking, and to really nail focus just takes practice and trial and error unless you have an external monitor (which I do not).
NOTE: I always shoot MOV at 50mbps no matter if I'm shooting 60p, 30p, or 24p. The 60p at 1080 resolution is an amazing feature on the GH3, and makes it worth any videographer's consideration. It allows for much smoother slow motion, which works incredibly well in Adobe Premiere CS 5.5 and Creative Cloud. In a 24p timeline I can bring it down to 40% speed before noticing it to start to get mildly jarring. Canon DSLRs can only shoot 60p at 720p resolution, which is not ideal for anything that will be put on a large screen.
SETTINGS/CONTROLS (For Photo)
I don't have a lot to compare this too - but they are superior to every stills camera I have used - simply the amount of control I have smashes the Canon Powershot, my sister's DSLR, the Nikon D5100 (although admittedly I did not spend a lot of time in stills mode with it), and certainly any low end cameras I used years ago. I am still learning new things about taking stills and what different settings do, however I haven't hit anything that really frustrates me - save one thing.
I wish the GH3 could use flash with the electronic shutter, and I wish that the optical shutter's settings were better displayed on the GH3's LCD. Often the focus is different when I actually snap the image, or the exposure is vastly different. This may be my inexperience and misunderstanding of the settings, and if so if someone would leave a comment below explaining this phenomenon and how to correct it, that would be fantastic. Beyond that, I'm incredibly happy with it and have been able to capture fantastic images.
SETTINGS/CONTROLS (Menus)
The menu systems are logical and easy to move through. There is an option to switch on descriptions of each setting, which I find helpful as I'm learning my way through them. I don't mind the hybrid of touch screen and buttons most of the time. I loathe completely touch screen systems (particularly trying to set focus through a touch screen). The GH3 can do most things either through the touch screen or via dials and buttons built onto the body, which I find a perfect balance.
OVERALL OPINION
I love my GH3. It is a massive step up from every other camera I've actually had my hands on. How it stacks to the 7D or similarly priced Nikon or Olympus cameras I don't have authority to say. That said, for anything looking to step up their game with photo and video, for a little over $1000 it is a good investment in my opinion. Do consider that you'll need to buy lenses (or adapters if you have non micro 4/3 lenses) and will probably want an extra battery if you go on very long shoots or are doing video. For me, despite some concern from avid DSLR users, the GH3 was the right choice for me.
