I guess since people somehow missed the first 30 seconds of the video in which I said this is still a fantastic camera and my review where I said this is hands-down the best camera you can buy for $500 - watch the original review. th-cam.com/video/wbLpH5TewnM/w-d-xo.html As I said, this is still possibly the best budget camera you can possibly buy - there are just some limitations you run into with daily use for 9 months, and they're important to hear about with such a big purchase. -- I won't be buying a C100. I'm actually buying an Atomos Ninja Inferno to solve most of my problems.
@EposVox It's only a suggestion, and I know you've stated that your planning on getting the "Atomos Ninja Inferno" external field recorder to solve your current issues. Why not try something similar such as "Apeture VS-5" external field recorder which comes with the ability to use Histograms, parades, along with colour metre's. The Panasonic G7 and G85, are very similar, in that both record native 4K, only difference being, one you've the ability to load with custom LUT's, on top of your already custom picture profiles, for achieving a "flat", or "Cine-Style" look. As for audio, it seems most DSLR camera's, along with newer Mirror-less models, from Cannon, Panasonic or even Sony, that their built "pre-amps", aren't the best. A lot of cinmatographers, and videographers, recommend being flexible, having two or three audio solutions. A combination of either a DSLR shotgun mic, such as the Rode Video-Micro, or the Video-mic Pro, or a lav mic along with with an external audio source, being the safest method.
The VS5 is only a monitor, not recorder, so I wouldn't be able to use it effectively with the G7. Seems like any feature it would have that I would use is in the Atomos anyway. CineStyle has always been a gimmicky attempt at emulating V-Log and the like without actually gaining any worthwhile dynamic range and just making one's life harder in post. I don't require enough with color grading for any of that to be worthwhile. And yes I already explained I use two system sound and the like.
EposVox the camera does not output 4k via hdmi, how is a field recorder going to fix issues? It will fix some issues, but not all. A Teranex mini would give you lut and xlr also.
The camera does output 4k. And in a higher color space. It records 4:2:0 internally and output 4:2:2 4K via HDMI. The Ninja will: - Fix my long-form record issues - Improve color space-level quality on a level no one will notice but maybe myself in editing - Allow me to record my XLR mics live with the video with no external syncing needed - Have a big monitor that can help with my focusing issues, show me better assist features, etc - Record to ProRes and make editing much easier (though file size inflation) AND it will help my desktop recording since I'm still having Nvenc issues and my lossless 444 Nvenc files are very sluggish in timeline anyway, so it will speed up that editing too, while also providing me a good color grading monitor since my PC monitors are shit. It addresses all of my concerns with my camera except the shit AF, and addresses PC-related problems too. Only concern is how loud the fan on it might be.
@EposVox The Atomos Ninja Inferno will also give you the ability to record in RAW codecs, meaning that if you wanted to, you have the option of telling it to output your camera's "picture profile" over the HDMI. Where you can then balance your overall colour space, using the Inferno's colour assist wave forms, along with histogram features. One feature that I've been researching, as I'm also interested in trying this device, which is it's audio capability. @DSLR Video Shooter stated that, you first have to balance your audio signal your sending from your camera, to the Inferno.
Some people can’t discern that this video is for people that want to know its faults. Not every video is going to be praising this camera and this video is really useful.
Just going to add my own opinion about this camera from this review. I've used my G7 for over 2 years now, even shot a full feature film 91 minutes, and lots of bts. 1. have always used separate audio recording, never from the camera, though I do use a sennheiser mic attached and plugged in with pre-amps adjusted for camera audio. So I suppose I could agree with the bad pre-amp and audio. 2. mp4 or avchd, never been a problem. Never run across dropped frames. 3. guess recording for 30 minutes or longer would be a problem, but I've never recorded that long. 4. never run into an issue with auto focus, maybe because I set the point exactly where it may focus, but also I use manual most of the time. 5. never heard of this issue.
I don't normally dislike videos on TH-cam but I made an exception with this video. If you would not state your opinion such as ''Top 5 reasons to NOT Buy a Panasonic G7'' and replace it with ''Cons that may affect your decision to buy this Panasonic G7 camera'' I'd respect your review much more.
The video is called "top 5 reasons not to buy... " and not "you shouldn't buy ... for the following 5 reasons". So it says the video is about the top 5 reasons which might stop you buying the camera. Accurate.
I just shot a feature film with the Panasonic G7 and the preamps are some of the best for a dslr type camera. Maybe I had a special one but it was way better than my 70D.
J Lockridge I just bought mine too I'm using it mainly for film other photos. I noted many people complaining about the time limits are v-loggers if your shooting a short or a future I think you'll be fine since you never film a 39 mins scene continuously
Agree. The sound is perfect, and if you add another 10db in premiere, it's still fine. Unlike canons, i had 5d mk2-3 5dSr and they all suck . but 5dsr has superior color science and codec at 1080. Anyway here we have 60p. And 4k. Terrible but working AF and cheap lenses you can literally fit in your pocket. Even 2)
I have 2 lumix G7 and never met issue #5 on em. Regarding the other issues, they are no big issues, well perhap for the sound compression ;) But it's the best camera to buy regarding the value. The sound is pretty ok for me as well as the AF.
I use this camera EVERYDAY for my daily vlog. Currently on day 102. I used to complain about things like autofocus, now I would take this camera into battle with me. Love it and thinking about buying a second.
what about the audio quality? Im thinking of buying it along with a rode video micro, does the camera have bad audio format etc? like will i be forced to use a separate recorder for audio?
Issue 1: Everybody who knows what they do use separate audio Issue 2: Irrelevant Issue 3: Irrelevant Issue 4: Irrelevant, especially since I saw a manual lense, I think a Nikkor on your G7? Who uses autofocus for video? Issue 5 Never heard of this, must be your unit only.
Exactly. If you have issues using a separate sound recording system, clearly you aren’t very professional. No pro uses on board audio recording. It’s also supposed to be an amateurs camera. This isn’t meant to be at the same level as broadcasting cameras. For the price, and the intended market, it does more than enough.
Just wanted to say thank you so much for this! I was just about to buy this as my first real camera, but the 4gb and 30 min record limit are absolute deal breakers. I have done so much research and this has never been mentioned.
I hope you understand that it’s 4gb limit per file. I know it sucks, but just keep in mind around 25 min mark to stop and restart the shoot. At 1080p running for 30min its roughly 4gb.
I've got to say I was just about to purchase this but your good review put a big pause on it and I'm glad it did. I also produce a TH-cam channel and I understand perfectly the headaches you've described here and how would frustrate me too. So thank you
I've had my G7 for almost 3 years, got it at full price. It is a great camera but it's great that you've pointed out the problems you've had with yours and your style of videos. I film mostly vlogs and other hybrid type videos so it's been great for me. Except now I want to upgrade to have better specs and waterproof capabilities for rainy days.
I think the reason why your camera splits the video files up every 4GB is about the SD Card format as opposed to the camera doing it on it's own. If you format your cards to exFAT, then this should not be a problem. SD cards are usually formated as FAT 32 which has a maximum capacity for single files at 4GB. This is what I know about this matter and I am open to correction if my interpretation of your issue is off
I hadn't noticed the dropped frames of the 4gb file size until I watched this video. It makes so much sense now. I often get a little audio hiccup since I record to the camera, and when I record audio external I've had sync issues. THAT IS WHY! I'm not accounting for those dropped frames. Not much I can do about it but thank you for making me realize it is there!
I caught a bargain sale in December 2016 and picked up a G7 with the 14-42mm kit lens for $400 at my local camera store. My previous camera was a Lumix GF6 which only shot 25fps at a max of 1080, no mic input and cost me $550. The G7 was a huge step-up for a cheaper price. Recently, I've been concentrating on using manual focus as the auto focus can hunt around and cause issues. I never noticed any audio issues and overall I am a satisfied customer.
Great points mentioned in the video! I use the G7 for a year as my main camera. Terrible pre-amps is the main issue for me. I even thought that I bought faulty Rode wireless mic and video mic pro lol. There is just so much interference and the audio sounds very bad. Have to use the dual-audio system, just like you.
GET A TASCAM DR 60D!! I run audio straight to the camera from that device and get none of the noise that you all are talking about. But you do have to adjust the levels based on the camera not the recorder.
Thank you for doing this. I didn't know about the potential 30 minute recording issue. I was thinking about buying this camera but I usually record 1 to 1.5 hour straight when shooting drum videos and that could seriously be a problem. I don't get it why some people say "who records over 30 minutes anyways / the 30 minute recording issue is irrelevant". There are more people on this planet than you guys who says stuff like that. And EposVox, thanks again for doing this video. Peace.
Yep. Literally just ran into this 30 minute issue on a small lumix FT30. I struggle to understand why this is a limit now? I was certain my old digital camera (sony?) handled this. Some crap about regional restrictions and it being classified as a video camera rather than a stills camera(?). Anyhow, trying to find a workaround (hack) for it now.
I recently purchased a G7, use it for short films, documentary and music videos. I rate it so far, none of the listed problems affect me in what i use it for but depends what you need it for
I'm going to buy it for a b-roll bundget solution next to my fully rigged BMPCC 4K. So there's still a use for it if you consider the ~£300 2nd hand cost.
I agree on the crappy autofocus and audio quality. The other things have never been an issue for me personally. I've recorded most of my vlogs on the G7 with the kit lens and i've been very satisfied with it so far :)
Apparently the AF on the GH5 still sucks. If they can get AF to be as snappy as Sony's on something like the GH5, and then a budget package like the G7, they have a position to DOMINATE camera market for a bit.
Hey Eposvox I think the frame-gapping issue is a problem with your camera because it doesn't happen to me (when I combine clips in post they fit together seemlessly). Also if you shoot at higher shutter speeds and framerates the autofocus will work better.
Your points are reasonable and helpful - except for the first. ALL the great video cameras (camcorders or dslrs) have lousy preamps and lousy mics. Who would want to use them? Using a separate digital recorder is no big deal, and syncing is so easy these days in the good video editing programs, it takes all of about ten seconds. But if you are determined you have to record straight to your camera, you can get a Saramonic preamp, turn your camera preamps down to one notch above zero, and you're good to go. Let the Saramonic preamp do the "heavy lifting."
Thanks for the video! I just got mine a few weeks ago, and for my good luck, I have no issues with the quality of the camera so far. The audio is just fine for me (I just use a lavalier mic to record my voice) and I always use manual focus from the app to keep myself in focus during the recording. And for the time, you can "hack" the camera to remove the limit. I did and it works just fine. Anyway, great video, keep it up!
I need to do more research. I don't like MP4 only as an option and I don't like 30 minute limitation and I really don't like dropped frames. I also want to take fantastic stills, which you said this one will not do as well as others. Maybe something in the 700 dollar range may be better? Even 500 is a lot of money and I'd rather spend a little more and get something that I really like.
Have you considered the Sony a6300 as the a-cam? I think its perfect for the job Overheating, contrary to what a lot of people would say, is almost nonexistent. I only face it when I record for longer than 20-25 mins straight And that AF is absolutely baller.
TechDevoted Hi guys please someone give me some help here !! I sold all of my gear to go to Sony. I film weddings and most of the times I am the broll shooter. There are some times though that I need to record continuesly for 20 minutes or maybe 25. I have a budget of 1400 euros now and that's all. Should I go for the a6500 and a sigma 30mm f1.4 or the a6300 a sigma 30mm f1.4 and a gimbal ? And one more thing . Does the a6300 overheat faster than the a6500? I know about the firmware update but this doesn't mean that it doesn't overheat. It doesn't turn off. I've never use a Sony that's why I am asking. Please someone help me out here cuz I need to take a decision really fast... Thanks in advance...
The G7 is probably one of the best cameras ever in its pricerange. I own a GH3 and three bmd pocketcams too and I still love it. Over here they output 1080p 25 if I remember right which means you need to look for an external recorder that can see what the cam outputs. Also for recording audio externally you can use a soundcard for iphones or ipads and I even believe there are a few android ones around too. You can record to a computer/laptop since most do have ok souncards theses days which means you get a way better possibility to get controll and good sound since you can use software, effect, external preamps and gear from the home music recording side of hardware which is not so expensive. Behringer istudio is another option if you have acces to an ipad.
Thes problems arent all that bad for a -500$ camera. Im still using my g7 so here we go. 1. Yes the mic pre amps is the biggest problem with this camera hands down, but it can be worked around. 2. Is not too bad, the dropped frames do suck but i shoot in a different style so i dont really mind. 3. The 30 minute, sucks, but not that much, like he said its hard to reach that barrier. 4.AF issues can easily be avoided, if youre staying in one location, talking infront of a camera, use manual focus, find your mark and set the focus. I don't ever have many issues with focus. 5. Ive never ever had that issue, somethings messed up with that one, see if your warranty covers that problem. But Most of all, this is a -500$ camera and youre getting good quality (not great), and features of higher end cameras for -500$ thats a pretty damn good deal and you can easily work your way around the problems discussed in this video if they bother you that much. For the price on this thing, its a fantastic and reliable camera, it never fails to impress me how well this thing performs for its price. Addition: if you don't believe me, go search youtube for camera comparison videos, most of the cameras that people are pitting this thing against, are high end 2k-3.5k cameras, and this camera has the price of a low end camera, that's how good this thing is
Yep, absolutely best value camera, hands down. Said ti here, said it in my full review video, will always say it. Just wanted to highlight things I've ran into for my workflow.
Thanks for the honest review. Honesty pays off in the long run. I was considering this camera and could find nothing buy glowing reviews, but the items you identified are specifically the things that would irk me most. Thanks again.
What camera would you recommend that gives good audio quality, will record at least 90 minutes without having to press the record button after 30 minutes, has a flip screen that faces the front of the camera? Do you think it is important to have a full frame sensor?
Gayle Jann GH5 meets most of those goals Full frame is pretty pointless for video as most people stop down a lot to get sufficient depth of field. You save a lot of pointless kilos of lenses by going to a smaller sensor.
Just to confirm, I still love my G7, especially with the killer cheap 25mm f/1.7 lens. However, I also bought Sony A6300. Just want to have the best of both worlds in the budget cameras department.
I do a lot of interviews shooting too and I totally disagree with that pre-amp audio. It has not the best pre-amp out there but still is very good and reliable. Imo Sony Pre-amp is worse and I won't even mention insta360 which is at the bottom of audio quality.
Can you please compare preview speed between UHS-II card and UHS-I on G7? I have no issue with the quality of photos taken using this camera. I think they are great. The issue is on read speed of UHS-II. When using UHS-II Class 10 1000x 150MB/s, it takes at least 3 seconds before the preview photo appears after turning on the camera. Once the preview is loaded, you can scroll through photos quickly. It is annoying to wait for preview to appear. I tried it on 2 different UHS-II card and same result. I tested the UHS-II cards on PC and they are able to reach the 150MB/s speed read. Then I tried using a regular SDXC UHS-I Class 10 95MB/s. The preview appears immediately regardless it was just turned on time or not. Note that UHS-I is using the first row/ set of pins on standard SD cards. The UHS-II is using set of pins on 2nd row of the SD Card.. I covered the 2nd row (where the UHS-II pin are located) of the Lexar UHS-II Class 10 1000x 150MB/s SD Card to force the camera to use the UHS-I pins and the preview speed is fast. I suspect that the camera is not optimized on UHS-II speed. I contacted Panasonic's customer support and they responded to me that "While the UHS-II cards (those with the extra pins) will work, currently none of our cameras were designed to utilize their higher speed capability." - UHS-II specification is one of my consideration in buying this camera and they're advertising is false.
Hey, Im using Panasonic G7 from Late 2016 and this will be long comment about this camera with my bad english. I've tested by G7 with several microphones from $1 ebay lavalier mics to Rode VideoMicro. I think built-in preamps are pretty good, my friend has Canon DSLR (80D if I remember correctly) and no matter which microphone we plugged in we had audio worse than built-in microphone in my laptop. Nonetheless I agree that its heavily compressed as its only 128kbps, but I think for basic stuff its really more than enough. 30 min recording limit is present because of EU regulations (if something is recording longer than 30min then its considered as cinema camera and it will have higher duty in EU). Autofocus is unusable. Period. If u want something better you need to pay a lot more :P A6300 is great upgrade - a lot better dynamic range, A LOT better ISO(G7 800 iso is like 3200 on A6300), s-log profiles, great autofocus (better than 2x+ more expensive A7S II/A7R II) and a lot better video quality overall as its downsampling 6K to 4K. G7 is better than A6500 in terms of ease-of-use, battery life and screen (You cant see anything on A6300 while recording 4K during sunset even if you go to shadow). External monitor like SmallHD Focus makes A6300 superior to G7 as it gives power to camera via cable and it has very bright screem which is tiltable for "selfie". You can fix A6300 (or other camera) jelly effect(rolling shutter) in post. It takes a lot of time but its working very nice. tl;dr If you want to buy first good video camera then G7 is the best choice as you cant get anything better in this budget. Canon and Nikon DSLRs are a lot worse (even more expensive ones). Something better is a lot more expensive and you need to make a lot of workarounds.
I love the G7, it's a good camera for a crazy good price. Sure there are other cameras that eliminate most of the issues, but they are significantly more expensive.
Yep! For the price (at least the $500 sale price, haha) you simply cannot beat the value of this camera, and I'm still very glad I made the upgrade from my T3i. But you notice a lot of quirks using it daily as your only good cam, haha
If you switch the codec to AVCHD it will record forever. I recently did a time lapse video where i recorded for over an hour 1080p 60 video and it did not spit the video or stop recording. I ended up selling my G7 because of the poor autofocus when shooting video but the other issues can be corrected if you don't mind shooting 1080p and having an external audio set up
I'm watching your video, and, as an owner of a Lumix G7, it sounds like you don't have the same camera or haven't really taken time to learn it, or you just managed to get a lemon. Mine has non limited recording. I record video files that are over an hour long on a regular basis. You can also change the formats that it records files in. The auto-focus works very good when you use the 49area setting.
Nope, I had it for 6 or 7 months at the time and knew it inside and out, and now I've had it over a year and now own two. Without a firmware modification, they all have limited recording. That's a legal limitation for the classification of the camera. Changing formats doesn't help me since I shoot 4k. Panasonic is well-known for having horrendous autofocus on these cameras (G7, G85, and even the GH5). This is all pretty common entry-level problems. Again, this is still a fantastic value camera and I've now made two other videos praising it as such, but these are all common problems -- other than the quality control issue which will be hit or miss, of course. Though their repair warehouse said they'd seen the issue many times before.
EposVox Like I said... it's like you are talking about a different camera. Mine does not suffer from those limitations. Sorry for you though. Press on.
What mic were you using when you said Panasonic G7 has terrible mic pre-amps? Were you using a Sennheiser AVX? Are you saying that the compression system in the camera cause poor audio quality? Could the mic be part of the problem? ,Are there gaps in the timeline if you are using an external mic that syncs the sound in the G7?A tech rep at Panasonic said that if you use a 128 GB or v60 sd card you film a 90 minute video without having to press the record button again So that would be longer than the 30 minute total recording limit you talk about in your review.
They're likely talking about the Panasonic GH5 - a V90 or V60 card would make 0 difference on this camera, and it's literally a legal requirement and a manual lock in the camera. You can unlock it with custom firmware, but it cannot go past 30 out of box in MP4 mode.
EposVox I was chatting online with Panasonic tech support. I was very specific that I was asking a out the G7 not the GH 5. They said before the 128 GB and v60 sd cards were available but now that is not a problem. So you think the tech support was wrong?
Either they're referring to AVCHD mode (limited to 1080p) or just recording in 1080p mode, or they are incorrect. Otherwise every shipped G7 wouldn't list a max time of 30 mins and there wouldn't be countless videos/articles on how to mod the firmware to remove that limitation :P
EposVox so you are talking about recording in the mp4 mode? The AVCHD. Ode seems useless to me because you cannot edit it in iMovie . It seems like a very outdated format. What about the GH4? That can record continuously without having to press record after 30 min correct?
EposVox so are talking about recording in mp4 mode where you have to press record every 30 min? The AVCHD mode seeks so outdated and useless. You cannot edit it in iMovie and it does not play on a lot of devices. I thought the Panasonic GH4 could record at least 90 min in the mp4 format without having to press record every 30 min. Is that true?
Have you considered an RMA to get your camera repaired? I own 3 of the G7 and would not agree with your issues. Audio quality is significantly better than the notorious Canons, it's easy to bypass the time limit using the tricks on the web, don't see missing frames, and no issue with the mode dial. Can't really speak to the auto focus as I don't use it for video.
For studio buy BM Intensity Pro 4K (or other recorder) and record prores directly to pc/mac - will solve 4gb and 30min limit poblems. Also it grades much better even though it’s not 4:2:2 (it is if you scale it down in post to 1080p from 4k). Or buy Video Assist 4k or Atomos and record audio and video together (have not tested because I record straight to mac).
I would say issue #5 would be an issue/glitch/technical problem with your particular camera. However, I DO agree with everything else you say about this camera, as a G7 user, myself
Which is why the point was quality control, not the issue itself - it's not an uncommon issue. One Panasonic's repair people said they've seen many times, once I got them to repair it after months of fighting with them about my warranty status
Yes. Which they denied because supposedly I didn't include my proof of purchase when I sent it (even though I did). But it took WEEKS of back and forth on 3 different channels of communication to finally get departments to communicate with each other and figure out why my warranty wasn't there.
Hey I plane spot at some airport locations do you think the Canon t7 woual be a good camara? or would this one be better than the T7. Im trying to find a camara that has good video quality.
I'm not getting any of these issues except for the garbage auto focus, but using remote operation from your phone to manually focus eliminates this for me. I get no dropped frames, I don't think the audio is that bad, and you can get unlimited 4k recording with the hack, and unlimited 1080p with setting it to HCDRY?? mode. For the price, I don't think you can beat it
thinking about getting this camera as an upgrade from a canon t2i for 4k. seems like a decent upgrade until the gh6 comes out. dont wanna get a gh5 halfway through its lifespan. plus apparently the gh6 will shoot higher resolution and have better autofocus and more megapixels for photography
The review is a bit misleading as a lot of the problems are standard in this price range for DSLR/mirrorless cameras; the 30 minute recording limit, the 4GB file size limit. The pre amp on this is rather loud, but I find the onboard mics better than most other cameras, again, in this price range.
2:53 I use a free merger that merges mines without gaps. I will add the name to it later. It's on windows as well. Let me know if it works for your issue too
Thanks! I am looking for a budget (less than $1,000) A camera to do interviews and A roll stuff and I was looking at the G7 and wondering why so many are available for such an apparently good price. Gonna check out your other videos to find what you recommend in that price range.
although the camera is not $500 anymore. I own one and some of the issues you pointed out here aren't really issues for me. only problem I have with it is the continuous autofocus. it's terrible. I feel like I'm better off switching to all manual lenses anyways. I feel like for the price I paid for it it's unbeatable though and about that audio... It's not the greatest audio quality... but consider the fact that your T3i didn't have audio or the fact that my D3200 audio was crap load of bull despite costing almost the same amount of money.... I say go easy on the audio... Great video regardless.
T3i does have audio, just has equally crap compression and AGC that can't be disabled. The G7 at least lets you manually set the level - I will give it that. And yeah - it's still the best $500 you can buy and might still be for a long time. I still love it, I'm super glad I bought it and I'll be using it for a very long time unless my budget suddenly scales a few factors. Just gotta provide all things to consider. I didn't know any of this going into the purchase.
Nikon Audio is always crap no matter what you do.. Video is great though!! For Canon Audio set your levels to minimum (0) then give it 4 notches up, set... It is clean and quiet, above that you start getting noise.. If you use a shotgun, or lav on a canon make sure that it has a beefy output, meaning that at the 4 bar level you are still modulating at -12... else use a preamp and use your canon dslr to record.... Average people would not notice the difference between clean audio recoded on a canon and audio recorded on a zoom... Even more if On top of that if this is for a youtube channel....
solo recording autofocus is the big one for me from your list. i'm thinking of getting the sony a6300 or a6500. played around with it at the store and so far it's been acceptable with the kit lens.
RE Dropped frames, you must use the import utility of your editing software to import your video files from your SD cards. Your editor will then stitch together all the file segments back into a large single video file on your hard-disk without any audio-dropouts. Never access your video files directly from your SD cards, as you must always use an import utility to assemble the proper files on to your hard-drive before your can edit them.
What do I think? I wish I'd never bought the G7. I've run into most of the issues you have. Audio I can get around anyway as I record to an XLR mic. The autofocus does indeed suck but I tried to get around that using the wifi connection and remote controlling from my phone, to make sure its in focus (manually) before I hit record. However this isn't always reliable. And often things have looked in perfect focus on the flip-out screen, but the recorded footage is blurry as hell - I don't know how that is even possible. The file size limit came as an unpleasant surprise to me, but it seemed to just continue recording - all was well I thought. But no, I had missing frames and audio sync woes when combining two or more files. A real pain when recording in 4k which I got the camera for. One thing I didnt learn until I got the camera is that in Europe its set to use pain-in-the-arse fps - like 25 and 50 instead of 30 and 60 - for recording video, assuming we're all using 50hz flickering lights from 1975. Most reviews, being from the US, obviously don't mention this as its only on EU models. To unlock 30 and 60fps modes requires a fairly simple little hack, but that also disables other features, like being able to connect it to a PC via USB. All in all, I've had to scrap so much footage that I only discovered was unusable after I had recorded it, meaning video projects didn't get done and so much time was wasted. I've wrestled with it for a year now, and todays failure and missed video on my channel was my last...its got to go!
I think I have issues with the G7 exposure and low light capabilities. This camera takes a pro to bring out nice picture color because the color profile is not as amazing as professional cameras
I was looking at the G7 but after your and several other reviews I have decided against it. All I want is a decent 4k camera with a touch screen that folds forward so I can see myself as I record my vlog that won't overheat, is good in low light and won't break my bank account. Can you recommend one for under $1k?
Hi. All cameras are bad concerning sounds. So external sound is mandatory. The file limit : yes indeed ( but also the case for a lot of others ) The bad sync between 2 files : good point. The autofocs : was said firmware 2.0 ( and not 2.2 ) was solving the problem. Maybe not the best on the market but really better than before I want the G7 + 14-140 + 42.5 f1.7 + 25 f1.7
I bought a G7 and I am having the damnest time getting good, clean footage out of it. If I turn the ISO all the way down, shift highlight/shadow so that it's crushing blacks, turn the sharpness down, and pour an ungodly amount of light into the lens I can get close what I want. Otherwise the image is riddled with grain-like noise. I bought the thing because of all the test videos and reviews I saw online, but my experience is vastly different from what I saw. Any tips? I am starting to think there's something wrong with my camera. PS: With Noise Reduction I can eliminate the noise for the most part (if I keep the ISO below 800), but then the image lacks sharpness and details are sacrificed. PPS: Ideally what I want is a somewhat flat, clean image with good detail level. Something that works as a good baseline image for color correction to be done later on.
Thanks for this video. I was thinking of buying a G7. Now I do not know what to buy. What do you recommend for recording longer videos with high quality?
Wow, it’s been 6 years since this comment and no one recommended a camera?! Haha which one did you end up choosing at this point? I just bought a gh4. It’s old as heck but from my research it’s still relevant today. It was between a $350 GH4 (body only) or a $450 G7 with 2 lenses and a whole bunch of other things. I might still pick up that G7 bundle since it seems like such a great bargain.
This is the main body of my weddings. I like it. yes as said somebody below in the comment line, every camera has it's pros and cons. the manufacturers are not producing all our need ( that is everyone's need). so we have to go through on it before making a buying decision that, it is suitable for us or not.
Thanks VERY much for this video. I'm unboxing my camera as an upgrade from my Samsung Note 8 specifically because it's so irritating to have the lost frames and post-production necessary when the camera cuts off every 4gb. I really like my note 8 except for this 4g file size which is specifically why I decided to go for a DSLR. Learning that it does the same is very important and makes buying it a waste of time. I think most viewers can make up their own minds about which feature is important to them.
On the NTSC version of the G7, which i think you own, you have unlimited continuous recording using the AVCHD codec. Another common issue with the 4GB files is that in Premiere Pro you have no audio on the last couple of frames. This can be solved by merging all the chunks into a single file. Maybe this can help you with your missing frames.
So, I bought one of these around Thankgiving (kit lens), and I have been toying with it and cannot get it to shoot crisp, clean video. If I turn off the Noise Reduction, it's noisy as hell. If I turn it on, there's still some noise but also just nasty softness. Any tips? I have seen plenty of test footage on youtube of crisp, clean footage. Are they doing some kind of post-production NR on it? Am I using a setting wrong (whatever I set the Aperature, Shutter Speed and ISOs to, I still get the noise)? Is it the kit lens? I have also tried messing with the Shadow/Highlight settings (I like to keep it set to get a flat picture so it doesn't crush details), but to no avail. I am also having issues with focus. I knew going in that the auto focus would be garbage, so I pre-invested in a 200-dollar field monitor (Ikan VH8) with focus peaking. Apparently I didn't do enough research as while the camera will output the image to HDMI, once you hit the record button it starts outputting "Now Recording Video". Nice. So I can't use my field monitor when I am actually recording. The peaking feature on the camera itself doesn't work well (for human faces, at least), and the screen is too frickin' small to tell if a subject is in focus or not.
Nope, noise reduction is garbage. A camera like this does best with wide apertures and lots of light. Wide aperture, low ISO, lots of light = this camera competing even with higher tier ones.
The 4GB file size issue you're experiencing should be due to the storage type and format rather than the camera itself. Are you using an SDHC or SDXC memory card? SDHC cards are typically a FAT32 format, which has a 4GB file limit. SDXC cards are actually exFAT which has no file size limit. You should be able to record continuously with a Lumix G7/G85/GX85 to an SDXC memory card until the card is full without the file being broken up into small 4GB chunks.
Nope, people keep bringing this up. I use only SDXC cards which formatted to exFAT within the camera itself. Still breaks them up. Most likely due to it being an entry-level camera so they force compatibility with FAT32 for newbies or something - even though the camera itself happily formatted to exFAT - but still hugely annoying.
All these issues have been resolved with the addition of a self focusing lens and speed booster. Still coming in with a top notch camera at the $300 range.
I use a G85 and I notice on certain vodeos that there are clicking noises in my audio file. I do have to go and post edit them out in Audiovox but that is a simple 30 second fix.. Or roll background music to drown it out a bit. However it is just a minor issue
The dropped frames sounds like a bug. Have you tried upgrading the firmware to resolve it or get more menu options? Panasonic do great things with firmware updates. Neither my Panasonic GM5 nor GH5 exhibit this problem... gm5 records a single file
Hi, did you ever find or know of a camera that has the G7 quality without the autofocus blurry? I returned mine seeing most of what recored I had to trash because of autofocus . Thanks!
The stabilization on this camera is horrific unless you have a gimbal with it. I bought it in november and now its just collecting dust. Impossible to walk with it as the shake is bizarrely bad even with the so-called ''stabilization'' in it.
Its tough, the look of frustration in your eyes when dealing with syncing clips in post + the autofocus issue really got to me since I would be doing talking head videos as well lol. Do you have another possible option around the lumix price range (500-800$) that could be an alternative or are these frustrations worth dealing with for the quality upgrade over the d3300? Would really appreciate this last question lmao. Thanks for the advice bro! Keep up the great work. liked and subscribed.
The problem is just how cheap the G7 is - nothing really touches it. If you can get a good deal on the Sony cams (A6300 etc. whatever is around; I haven't looked into them much) they have much better AF, but no flip-out screen
It's a big problem for Panasonic even on the GH5. They only have contrast detection AF - whereas Sony's cams use the far superior phase detection - so while the initial focus grab might be fine, it can lose it easily.
If you are looking for something like the c100 without spending that kind of money then you may want to have a look at the Panasonic MDH2 or the MDH2M.
This model just came up recently on B&H for a decent price. However after hearing your experiences I think I'll look elsewhere for a basic "B" camera. Thanks for the post as it still holds 1 year later.
For the price is the best camera you can get I shoot music video's I normally don't shoot no more then 5 mins at a time so the 30 min time limit is not a problem for me. I don't use auto focus anyways, but hear is a tip for you use ur phone or tablet there is an app for it, and focas with that, it has a bluetooth to connect to ur device.. mic is not alway a problem for me but I use a sound recorder anyways if needed.. if I upgrade my camera I will upgrade to the Sony A7s awesome camera not sure if it would be good for you or not..
Isn't the 30min recording limit due to some trading laws that may also involve tax? Anything that records video longer than 30mins is a video camera, if you keep it to 30min or less, it's a camera with a video feature?
Cheers... Looking at purchasing one in the next couple of weeks (can't argue for the price). I've seen loads mention the AF being slow, but for my needs, it shouldn't matter too much
Thats great to know. Thanks. I looked at your other review on the G7 and I noted that you cannot recieve HDMI output whilst recording to the camera internally. That's a shame, but the camera is so damn cheap, I could honestly afford a Blackmagic Video Assist recorder (if I wanted per-camera backup recording) for each one and still be ahead on budget compared to other solutions - that eliminates the 4GB file limit with its dropped frames. If I buy a twin lens kit and a body only. I will have two cameras with two lenses to cover a conference and the cameras can pay for themselves. Its a very cheap solution. I've spent a lot of time researching and its hard to beat in terms of bang for buck. I might even just get a birddog mini (HDMI to NDI (video over IP)) for each instead of video assist and use a laptop to record multiple NDI signals and another laptop for vMix (switching and streaming).
I have a Lumix g7. all my videos are recorded with the kit lens. but I've noticed my videos are always coming out blurry. and I don't understand why. I could be in great light and it still comes out pixelated. I watched this video on my laptop and its crystal clear, but when I switch to my videos, they're blurry. Im super frustrated cause I don't know what im doing wrong and I don't know what the issue is called to even look it up and find an answer. Someone please help!
About that "mode dial is not in a proper position". I had simmilar issue with 1 of my batteries but it was gone when using other batteries. So just try with another battery. Hope that helped ;)
If you want an excellent A camera under $2,000 that is comparable to the canon c100 line, you could try the Sony AX100. I used it when I was working with a 3D projection company in France and the image quality and usability were quite impressive. It is also 4K whereas the Canon C100 is only 1080p. On the other hand, with the Sony AX100, you're stuck with the included lens (which is still a very good Carl Zeiss lens). If you want to stick with mirrorless cameras, the Fujifilm XT-2 is a very versatile camera with excellent 4K capabilities.
I guess since people somehow missed the first 30 seconds of the video in which I said this is still a fantastic camera and my review where I said this is hands-down the best camera you can buy for $500 - watch the original review. th-cam.com/video/wbLpH5TewnM/w-d-xo.html
As I said, this is still possibly the best budget camera you can possibly buy - there are just some limitations you run into with daily use for 9 months, and they're important to hear about with such a big purchase.
--
I won't be buying a C100. I'm actually buying an Atomos Ninja Inferno to solve most of my problems.
@EposVox It's only a suggestion, and I know you've stated that your planning on getting the "Atomos Ninja Inferno" external field recorder to solve your current issues. Why not try something similar such as "Apeture VS-5" external field recorder which comes with the ability to use Histograms, parades, along with colour metre's.
The Panasonic G7 and G85, are very similar, in that both record native 4K, only difference being, one you've the ability to load with custom LUT's, on top of your already custom picture profiles, for achieving a "flat", or "Cine-Style" look.
As for audio, it seems most DSLR camera's, along with newer Mirror-less models, from Cannon, Panasonic or even Sony, that their built "pre-amps", aren't the best. A lot of cinmatographers, and videographers, recommend being flexible, having two or three audio solutions. A combination of either a DSLR shotgun mic, such as the Rode Video-Micro, or the Video-mic Pro, or a lav mic along with with an external audio source, being the safest method.
The VS5 is only a monitor, not recorder, so I wouldn't be able to use it effectively with the G7. Seems like any feature it would have that I would use is in the Atomos anyway.
CineStyle has always been a gimmicky attempt at emulating V-Log and the like without actually gaining any worthwhile dynamic range and just making one's life harder in post. I don't require enough with color grading for any of that to be worthwhile.
And yes I already explained I use two system sound and the like.
EposVox the camera does not output 4k via hdmi, how is a field recorder going to fix issues? It will fix some issues, but not all. A Teranex mini would give you lut and xlr also.
The camera does output 4k. And in a higher color space. It records 4:2:0 internally and output 4:2:2 4K via HDMI.
The Ninja will:
- Fix my long-form record issues
- Improve color space-level quality on a level no one will notice but maybe myself in editing
- Allow me to record my XLR mics live with the video with no external syncing needed
- Have a big monitor that can help with my focusing issues, show me better assist features, etc
- Record to ProRes and make editing much easier (though file size inflation)
AND it will help my desktop recording since I'm still having Nvenc issues and my lossless 444 Nvenc files are very sluggish in timeline anyway, so it will speed up that editing too, while also providing me a good color grading monitor since my PC monitors are shit.
It addresses all of my concerns with my camera except the shit AF, and addresses PC-related problems too.
Only concern is how loud the fan on it might be.
@EposVox The Atomos Ninja Inferno will also give you the ability to record in RAW codecs, meaning that if you wanted to, you have the option of telling it to output your camera's "picture profile" over the HDMI. Where you can then balance your overall colour space, using the Inferno's colour assist wave forms, along with histogram features.
One feature that I've been researching, as I'm also interested in trying this device, which is it's audio capability. @DSLR Video Shooter stated that, you first have to balance your audio signal your sending from your camera, to the Inferno.
Some people can’t discern that this video is for people that want to know its faults. Not every video is going to be praising this camera and this video is really useful.
Just going to add my own opinion about this camera from this review. I've used my G7 for over 2 years now, even shot a full feature film 91 minutes, and lots of bts.
1. have always used separate audio recording, never from the camera, though I do use a sennheiser mic attached and plugged in with pre-amps adjusted for camera audio. So I suppose I could agree with the bad pre-amp and audio.
2. mp4 or avchd, never been a problem. Never run across dropped frames.
3. guess recording for 30 minutes or longer would be a problem, but I've never recorded that long.
4. never run into an issue with auto focus, maybe because I set the point exactly where it may focus, but also I use manual most of the time.
5. never heard of this issue.
What is your feature film name. I want to watch your film or teaser. I want to by G7 or G85 for feature film.
also interested in watching the film.thanks
I don't normally dislike videos on TH-cam but I made an exception with this video. If you would not state your opinion such as ''Top 5 reasons to NOT Buy a Panasonic G7'' and replace it with ''Cons that may affect your decision to buy this Panasonic G7 camera'' I'd respect your review much more.
Click bait for $$$
Oh My! Whats he gonna do now that Choco Later gave him a down vote because..... uh... who really cares
The video is called "top 5 reasons not to buy... " and not "you shouldn't buy ... for the following 5 reasons". So it says the video is about the top 5 reasons which might stop you buying the camera. Accurate.
I just shot a feature film with the Panasonic G7 and the preamps are some of the best for a dslr type camera. Maybe I had a special one but it was way better than my 70D.
J Lockridge I just bought mine too I'm using it mainly for film other photos. I noted many people complaining about the time limits are v-loggers if your shooting a short or a future I think you'll be fine since you never film a 39 mins scene continuously
Agree. The sound is perfect, and if you add another 10db in premiere, it's still fine. Unlike canons, i had 5d mk2-3 5dSr and they all suck . but 5dsr has superior color science and codec at 1080. Anyway here we have 60p. And 4k. Terrible but working AF and cheap lenses you can literally fit in your pocket. Even 2)
Just got mm25 f1.8 7artisians for $ 69.99 ;)
You got a valid point there. For movies, you shoot short time and it can be very handy. Guess bloggers must just get something different
Hey Jaron, how can I see the feature you shot? I'm looking into the G7 and would love to see your results! on twitter at @JBPixel
These are pretty common issues with ALL budget DSLRS
I have the Lumix G7 and love it.
I have two and love them as well!
Should I buy it ??
@@shadharonguy8169 video has limitations, and pictures are great.
I have 2 lumix G7 and never met issue #5 on em. Regarding the other issues, they are no big issues, well perhap for the sound compression ;) But it's the best camera to buy regarding the value. The sound is pretty ok for me as well as the AF.
Thanks!! If I wanna record some music videos, short clips with it? Like FM-84 - Running in the night.
I use this camera EVERYDAY for my daily vlog. Currently on day 102. I used to complain about things like autofocus, now I would take this camera into battle with me. Love it and thinking about buying a second.
what about the audio quality? Im thinking of buying it along with a rode video micro, does the camera have bad audio format etc? like will i be forced to use a separate recorder for audio?
Issue 1: Everybody who knows what they do use separate audio
Issue 2: Irrelevant
Issue 3: Irrelevant
Issue 4: Irrelevant, especially since I saw a manual lense, I think a Nikkor on your G7? Who uses autofocus for video?
Issue 5 Never heard of this, must be your unit only.
Amen
Thank you!
Right. G7 its bad only for amateurs jajaja this camera its super cool
So true
Exactly. If you have issues using a separate sound recording system, clearly you aren’t very professional. No pro uses on board audio recording. It’s also supposed to be an amateurs camera. This isn’t meant to be at the same level as broadcasting cameras. For the price, and the intended market, it does more than enough.
Just wanted to say thank you so much for this! I was just about to buy this as my first real camera, but the 4gb and 30 min record limit are absolute deal breakers. I have done so much research and this has never been mentioned.
Most camera's do have a 30 or 29 minute limit. Not sure about the 4gb.
I hope you understand that it’s 4gb limit per file. I know it sucks, but just keep in mind around 25 min mark to stop and restart the shoot. At 1080p running for 30min its roughly 4gb.
Even the $2,000 Sony a7iii does this
I've got to say I was just about to purchase this but your good review put a big pause on it and I'm glad it did. I also produce a TH-cam channel and I understand perfectly the headaches you've described here and how would frustrate me too. So thank you
I has been using my Lumix G7 and I never find a sound issue
I've had my G7 for almost 3 years, got it at full price. It is a great camera but it's great that you've pointed out the problems you've had with yours and your style of videos. I film mostly vlogs and other hybrid type videos so it's been great for me. Except now I want to upgrade to have better specs and waterproof capabilities for rainy days.
It's definitely still great! I've even bought a second!
I think the reason why your camera splits the video files up every 4GB is about the SD Card format as opposed to the camera doing it on it's own. If you format your cards to exFAT, then this should not be a problem. SD cards are usually formated as FAT 32 which has a maximum capacity for single files at 4GB. This is what I know about this matter and I am open to correction if my interpretation of your issue is off
Nope. My cards are all exFAT and the camera formats them to exFAT in the camera itself.
I hadn't noticed the dropped frames of the 4gb file size until I watched this video. It makes so much sense now. I often get a little audio hiccup since I record to the camera, and when I record audio external I've had sync issues. THAT IS WHY! I'm not accounting for those dropped frames. Not much I can do about it but thank you for making me realize it is there!
I caught a bargain sale in December 2016 and picked up a G7 with the 14-42mm kit lens for $400 at my local camera store. My previous camera was a Lumix GF6 which only shot 25fps at a max of 1080, no mic input and cost me $550. The G7 was a huge step-up for a cheaper price.
Recently, I've been concentrating on using manual focus as the auto focus can hunt around and cause issues. I never noticed any audio issues and overall I am a satisfied customer.
$400 is an amazing price for it. And yeah - that was my experience; cheaper than my T3i kit I originally bought
Just bought one yesterday and love it so far. Granted, I've only used it for about ten minutes, but I've been quite impressed!
Great points mentioned in the video! I use the G7 for a year as my main camera. Terrible pre-amps is the main issue for me. I even thought that I bought faulty Rode wireless mic and video mic pro lol. There is just so much interference and the audio sounds very bad. Have to use the dual-audio system, just like you.
Thanks for confirming I'm not crazy haha
GET A TASCAM DR 60D!! I run audio straight to the camera from that device and get none of the noise that you all are talking about. But you do have to adjust the levels based on the camera not the recorder.
Damn, so this doesn't work well with the Rode Wireless Go then?
Thank you for doing this. I didn't know about the potential 30 minute recording issue. I was thinking about buying this camera but I usually record 1 to 1.5 hour straight when shooting drum videos and that could seriously be a problem. I don't get it why some people say "who records over 30 minutes anyways / the 30 minute recording issue is irrelevant". There are more people on this planet than you guys who says stuff like that. And EposVox, thanks again for doing this video. Peace.
Yep. Literally just ran into this 30 minute issue on a small lumix FT30. I struggle to understand why this is a limit now? I was certain my old digital camera (sony?) handled this.
Some crap about regional restrictions and it being classified as a video camera rather than a stills camera(?).
Anyhow, trying to find a workaround (hack) for it now.
I recently purchased a G7, use it for short films, documentary and music videos. I rate it so far, none of the listed problems affect me in what i use it for but depends what you need it for
Sucks that the price went up i been saving up for months😂😥 i guess ill just wait for 3 months for blackfriday or cyber Monday good video by the way👌
Haha yeah it drops and raises randomly. Thanks!
EposVox lol just checked on Amazon their back to around 500$ last week it was around 700$ im gonna take the chance while i can😂
YES
Now its $550 without $50 gift card and $600 for G7 with 14-42mm lens. Is it possible to sell new 14-42 for about 100-150$ shortly?
deadeye TV it goes up a drop s from 597 to 797
I'm going to buy it for a b-roll bundget solution next to my fully rigged BMPCC 4K. So there's still a use for it if you consider the ~£300 2nd hand cost.
I agree on the crappy autofocus and audio quality. The other things have never been an issue for me personally. I've recorded most of my vlogs on the G7 with the kit lens and i've been very satisfied with it so far :)
Apparently the AF on the GH5 still sucks. If they can get AF to be as snappy as Sony's on something like the GH5, and then a budget package like the G7, they have a position to DOMINATE camera market for a bit.
Actually , the people dont know how to use it -- AF on G7
Videos like this that point out the flaws are soooo much more helpful then the 25 telling you it’s perfect
Hey Eposvox I think the frame-gapping issue is a problem with your camera because it doesn't happen to me (when I combine clips in post they fit together seemlessly). Also if you shoot at higher shutter speeds and framerates the autofocus will work better.
Hi. Do you attach any lens protector to your camera? Is it ok to put a lens protector? Does it affect video quality if i put on camera?
2:11 what is the name of that adaptor on the zoom?
Your points are reasonable and helpful - except for the first. ALL the great video cameras (camcorders or dslrs) have lousy preamps and lousy mics. Who would want to use them? Using a separate digital recorder is no big deal, and syncing is so easy these days in the good video editing programs, it takes all of about ten seconds. But if you are determined you have to record straight to your camera, you can get a Saramonic preamp, turn your camera preamps down to one notch above zero, and you're good to go. Let the Saramonic preamp do the "heavy lifting."
Brought up the pre-amps since there is the issue with syncing that I mentioned following it :P
But yes I believe I have that Saramonic amp somewhere.
This pop up for anyone else that just bought it?😂
lol fml
i am also interested to watch the film.thanks
Lol literally
Thanks for the video! I just got mine a few weeks ago, and for my good luck, I have no issues with the quality of the camera so far. The audio is just fine for me (I just use a lavalier mic to record my voice) and I always use manual focus from the app to keep myself in focus during the recording. And for the time, you can "hack" the camera to remove the limit. I did and it works just fine. Anyway, great video, keep it up!
Thanks!
Hack it? How so?
may i use continusely 10 to 12hrs without recording , only for live by using dummy battery?? will this process damages any to camera?? please reply..
Some normal wear and tear from just use, but won’t harm it in a significant way. Pretty normal for streaming scenarios.
I need to do more research. I don't like MP4 only as an option and I don't like 30 minute limitation and I really don't like dropped frames. I also want to take fantastic stills, which you said this one will not do as well as others. Maybe something in the 700 dollar range may be better? Even 500 is a lot of money and I'd rather spend a little more and get something that I really like.
Have you considered the Sony a6300 as the a-cam? I think its perfect for the job
Overheating, contrary to what a lot of people would say, is almost nonexistent. I only face it when I record for longer than 20-25 mins straight
And that AF is absolutely baller.
Their AF seems to be the only benefit. And I've seen far too many cases of it overheating from people I trust to want it. Plus Sony E-Mount, ew.
EposVox There's actually quite a massive lens collection haha
Yeah but then I'd have to buy a bunch of new lenses or a bunch more speedboosters and adapters lol
EposVox Hmm if you're already heavily invested into another system, yup, makes sense.
TechDevoted Hi guys please someone give me some help here !! I sold all of my gear to go to Sony. I film weddings and most of the times I am the broll shooter. There are some times though that I need to record continuesly for 20 minutes or maybe 25. I have a budget of 1400 euros now and that's all. Should I go for the a6500 and a sigma 30mm f1.4 or the a6300 a sigma 30mm f1.4 and a gimbal ? And one more thing . Does the a6300 overheat faster than the a6500? I know about the firmware update but this doesn't mean that it doesn't overheat. It doesn't turn off. I've never use a Sony that's why I am asking. Please someone help me out here cuz I need to take a decision really fast... Thanks in advance...
what was the issue with the sound again? was it that, even when you connect an external microphone, the sound will be badly compressed?
The G7 is probably one of the best cameras ever in its pricerange. I own a GH3 and three bmd pocketcams too and I still love it. Over here they output 1080p 25 if I remember right which means you need to look for an external recorder that can see what the cam outputs. Also for recording audio externally you can use a soundcard for iphones or ipads and I even believe there are a few android ones around too. You can record to a computer/laptop since most do have ok souncards theses days which means you get a way better possibility to get controll and good sound since you can use software, effect, external preamps and gear from the home music recording side of hardware which is not so expensive. Behringer istudio is another option if you have acces to an ipad.
Thes problems arent all that bad for a -500$ camera. Im still using my g7 so here we go. 1. Yes the mic pre amps is the biggest problem with this camera hands down, but it can be worked around. 2. Is not too bad, the dropped frames do suck but i shoot in a different style so i dont really mind. 3. The 30 minute, sucks, but not that much, like he said its hard to reach that barrier. 4.AF issues can easily be avoided, if youre staying in one location, talking infront of a camera, use manual focus, find your mark and set the focus. I don't ever have many issues with focus. 5. Ive never ever had that issue, somethings messed up with that one, see if your warranty covers that problem. But Most of all, this is a -500$ camera and youre getting good quality (not great), and features of higher end cameras for -500$ thats a pretty damn good deal and you can easily work your way around the problems discussed in this video if they bother you that much. For the price on this thing, its a fantastic and reliable camera, it never fails to impress me how well this thing performs for its price.
Addition: if you don't believe me, go search youtube for camera comparison videos, most of the cameras that people are pitting this thing against, are high end 2k-3.5k cameras, and this camera has the price of a low end camera, that's how good this thing is
Yep, absolutely best value camera, hands down. Said ti here, said it in my full review video, will always say it. Just wanted to highlight things I've ran into for my workflow.
Hey, so i have a question about the file size issue with the 4gb file limit. what is the run time for that.
Thanks for the honest review. Honesty pays off in the long run. I was considering this camera and could find nothing buy glowing reviews, but the items you identified are specifically the things that would irk me most. Thanks again.
What camera would you recommend that gives good audio quality, will record at least 90 minutes without having to press the record button after 30 minutes, has a flip screen that faces the front of the camera? Do you think it is important to have a full frame sensor?
Gayle Jann GH5 meets most of those goals
Full frame is pretty pointless for video as most people stop down a lot to get sufficient depth of field. You save a lot of pointless kilos of lenses by going to a smaller sensor.
Can you share what Lav mic you are using?
Just to confirm, I still love my G7, especially with the killer cheap 25mm f/1.7 lens. However, I also bought Sony A6300. Just want to have the best of both worlds in the budget cameras department.
I wanna get one of the Sonys for a vlogging camera
EposVox auto-focus made me rethink how I use camera. It's so good that you can trust it all the time
500 dollars. "Budget"
I do a lot of interviews shooting too and I totally disagree with that pre-amp audio. It has not the best pre-amp out there but still is very good and reliable. Imo Sony Pre-amp is worse and I won't even mention insta360 which is at the bottom of audio quality.
Can you please compare preview speed between UHS-II card and UHS-I on G7?
I have no issue with the quality of photos taken using this camera. I think they are great.
The issue is on read speed of UHS-II. When using UHS-II Class 10 1000x 150MB/s, it takes at least 3 seconds before the preview photo appears after turning on the camera. Once the preview is loaded, you can scroll through photos quickly. It is annoying to wait for preview to appear.
I tried it on 2 different UHS-II card and same result. I tested the UHS-II cards on PC and they are able to reach the 150MB/s speed read.
Then I tried using a regular SDXC UHS-I Class 10 95MB/s. The preview appears immediately regardless it was just turned on time or not. Note that UHS-I is using the first row/ set of pins on standard SD cards. The UHS-II is using set of pins on 2nd row of the SD Card..
I covered the 2nd row (where the UHS-II pin are located) of the Lexar UHS-II Class 10 1000x 150MB/s SD Card to force the camera to use the UHS-I pins and the preview speed is fast. I suspect that the camera is not optimized on UHS-II speed.
I contacted Panasonic's customer support and they responded to me that "While the UHS-II cards (those with the extra pins) will work, currently none of our cameras were designed to utilize their higher speed capability." -
UHS-II specification is one of my consideration in buying this camera and they're advertising is false.
Hey, Im using Panasonic G7 from Late 2016 and this will be long comment about this camera with my bad english.
I've tested by G7 with several microphones from $1 ebay lavalier mics to Rode VideoMicro. I think built-in preamps are pretty good, my friend has Canon DSLR (80D if I remember correctly) and no matter which microphone we plugged in we had audio worse than built-in microphone in my laptop. Nonetheless I agree that its heavily compressed as its only 128kbps, but I think for basic stuff its really more than enough. 30 min recording limit is present because of EU regulations (if something is recording longer than 30min then its considered as cinema camera and it will have higher duty in EU). Autofocus is unusable. Period. If u want something better you need to pay a lot more :P A6300 is great upgrade - a lot better dynamic range, A LOT better ISO(G7 800 iso is like 3200 on A6300), s-log profiles, great autofocus (better than 2x+ more expensive A7S II/A7R II) and a lot better video quality overall as its downsampling 6K to 4K. G7 is better than A6500 in terms of ease-of-use, battery life and screen (You cant see anything on A6300 while recording 4K during sunset even if you go to shadow). External monitor like SmallHD Focus makes A6300 superior to G7 as it gives power to camera via cable and it has very bright screem which is tiltable for "selfie". You can fix A6300 (or other camera) jelly effect(rolling shutter) in post. It takes a lot of time but its working very nice.
tl;dr
If you want to buy first good video camera then G7 is the best choice as you cant get anything better in this budget. Canon and Nikon DSLRs are a lot worse (even more expensive ones). Something better is a lot more expensive and you need to make a lot of workarounds.
I love the G7, it's a good camera for a crazy good price. Sure there are other cameras that eliminate most of the issues, but they are significantly more expensive.
Yep! For the price (at least the $500 sale price, haha) you simply cannot beat the value of this camera, and I'm still very glad I made the upgrade from my T3i. But you notice a lot of quirks using it daily as your only good cam, haha
Plus, I don't really think that the Sony's are worth it.
Never seemed worth it to me. Costs more, same quality, no flip-out screen which REQUIRES a monitor at that point... not worth it.
If you switch the codec to AVCHD it will record forever. I recently did a time lapse video where i recorded for over an hour 1080p 60 video and it did not spit the video or stop recording. I ended up selling my G7 because of the poor autofocus when shooting video but the other issues can be corrected if you don't mind shooting 1080p and having an external audio set up
I'm watching your video, and, as an owner of a Lumix G7, it sounds like you don't have the same camera or haven't really taken time to learn it, or you just managed to get a lemon. Mine has non limited recording. I record video files that are over an hour long on a regular basis. You can also change the formats that it records files in. The auto-focus works very good when you use the 49area setting.
Nope, I had it for 6 or 7 months at the time and knew it inside and out, and now I've had it over a year and now own two. Without a firmware modification, they all have limited recording. That's a legal limitation for the classification of the camera. Changing formats doesn't help me since I shoot 4k. Panasonic is well-known for having horrendous autofocus on these cameras (G7, G85, and even the GH5). This is all pretty common entry-level problems.
Again, this is still a fantastic value camera and I've now made two other videos praising it as such, but these are all common problems -- other than the quality control issue which will be hit or miss, of course. Though their repair warehouse said they'd seen the issue many times before.
EposVox Like I said... it's like you are talking about a different camera. Mine does not suffer from those limitations. Sorry for you though. Press on.
What mic were you using when you said Panasonic G7 has terrible mic pre-amps? Were you using a Sennheiser AVX? Are you saying that the compression system in the camera cause poor audio quality? Could the mic be part of the problem?
,Are there gaps in the timeline if you are using an external mic that syncs the sound in the G7?A tech rep at Panasonic said that if you use a 128 GB or v60 sd card you film a 90 minute video without having to press the record button again
So that would be longer than the 30 minute total recording limit you talk about in your review.
They're likely talking about the Panasonic GH5 - a V90 or V60 card would make 0 difference on this camera, and it's literally a legal requirement and a manual lock in the camera. You can unlock it with custom firmware, but it cannot go past 30 out of box in MP4 mode.
EposVox I was chatting online with Panasonic tech support. I was very specific that I was asking a out the G7 not the GH 5.
They said before the 128 GB and v60 sd cards were available but now that is not a problem. So you think the tech support was wrong?
Either they're referring to AVCHD mode (limited to 1080p) or just recording in 1080p mode, or they are incorrect. Otherwise every shipped G7 wouldn't list a max time of 30 mins and there wouldn't be countless videos/articles on how to mod the firmware to remove that limitation :P
EposVox so you are talking about recording in the mp4 mode? The AVCHD. Ode seems useless to me because you cannot edit it in iMovie . It seems like a very outdated format.
What about the GH4? That can record continuously without having to press record after 30 min correct?
EposVox so are talking about recording in mp4 mode where you have to press record every 30 min?
The AVCHD mode seeks so outdated and useless. You cannot edit it in iMovie and it does not play on a lot of devices.
I thought the Panasonic GH4 could record at least 90 min in the mp4 format without having to press record every 30 min. Is that true?
Have you considered an RMA to get your camera repaired? I own 3 of the G7 and would not agree with your issues. Audio quality is significantly better than the notorious Canons, it's easy to bypass the time limit using the tricks on the web, don't see missing frames, and no issue with the mode dial. Can't really speak to the auto focus as I don't use it for video.
I have question what is best camera i can use to film?
I mean, the "best" would be the RED Epic Weapon 8K or whatever their newest is, or the new Arri Alexa 4K big body that just released..
EposVox cooool get you. I will check out it thnk for uploaded this video it help
For studio buy BM Intensity Pro 4K (or other recorder) and record prores directly to pc/mac - will solve 4gb and 30min limit poblems. Also it grades much better even though it’s not 4:2:2 (it is if you scale it down in post to 1080p from 4k).
Or buy Video Assist 4k or Atomos and record audio and video together (have not tested because I record straight to mac).
I would say issue #5 would be an issue/glitch/technical problem with your particular camera. However, I DO agree with everything else you say about this camera, as a G7 user, myself
Which is why the point was quality control, not the issue itself - it's not an uncommon issue. One Panasonic's repair people said they've seen many times, once I got them to repair it after months of fighting with them about my warranty status
Of course, man, of course! Did you register your product under their 3 year warranty?
Yes. Which they denied because supposedly I didn't include my proof of purchase when I sent it (even though I did). But it took WEEKS of back and forth on 3 different channels of communication to finally get departments to communicate with each other and figure out why my warranty wasn't there.
Hey I plane spot at some airport locations do you think the Canon t7 woual be a good camara? or would this one be better than the T7. Im trying to find a camara that has good video quality.
You need to keep the "PRIVATE" folder filesystem, in order not to get dropped frames, when importing to Premiere as AVCHD.
I'm not getting any of these issues except for the garbage auto focus, but using remote operation from your phone to manually focus eliminates this for me. I get no dropped frames, I don't think the audio is that bad, and you can get unlimited 4k recording with the hack, and unlimited 1080p with setting it to HCDRY?? mode. For the price, I don't think you can beat it
thinking about getting this camera as an upgrade from a canon t2i for 4k. seems like a decent upgrade until the gh6 comes out. dont wanna get a gh5 halfway through its lifespan. plus apparently the gh6 will shoot higher resolution and have better autofocus and more megapixels for photography
The review is a bit misleading as a lot of the problems are standard in this price range for DSLR/mirrorless cameras; the 30 minute recording limit, the 4GB file size limit. The pre amp on this is rather loud, but I find the onboard mics better than most other cameras, again, in this price range.
2:53 I use a free merger that merges mines without gaps. I will add the name to it later. It's on windows as well. Let me know if it works for your issue too
Thanks! I am looking for a budget (less than $1,000) A camera to do interviews and A roll stuff and I was looking at the G7 and wondering why so many are available for such an apparently good price. Gonna check out your other videos to find what you recommend in that price range.
Which camera are u getting instead?
@@TheKing-bi1bl Gonna go for the Canon M50.
although the camera is not $500 anymore. I own one and some of the issues you pointed out here aren't really issues for me. only problem I have with it is the continuous autofocus. it's terrible. I feel like I'm better off switching to all manual lenses anyways. I feel like for the price I paid for it it's unbeatable though and about that audio... It's not the greatest audio quality... but consider the fact that your T3i didn't have audio or the fact that my D3200 audio was crap load of bull despite costing almost the same amount of money.... I say go easy on the audio... Great video regardless.
T3i does have audio, just has equally crap compression and AGC that can't be disabled. The G7 at least lets you manually set the level - I will give it that.
And yeah - it's still the best $500 you can buy and might still be for a long time. I still love it, I'm super glad I bought it and I'll be using it for a very long time unless my budget suddenly scales a few factors. Just gotta provide all things to consider. I didn't know any of this going into the purchase.
Nikon Audio is always crap no matter what you do.. Video is great though!! For Canon Audio set your levels to minimum (0) then give it 4 notches up, set... It is clean and quiet, above that you start getting noise.. If you use a shotgun, or lav on a canon make sure that it has a beefy output, meaning that at the 4 bar level you are still modulating at -12... else use a preamp and use your canon dslr to record.... Average people would not notice the difference between clean audio recoded on a canon and audio recorded on a zoom... Even more if On top of that if this is for a youtube channel....
The continuous auto focus is indeed horrendous. I've turned it off and now use my phone or tablet to remotely connect and initiate recording.
solo recording autofocus is the big one for me from your list. i'm thinking of getting the sony a6300 or a6500. played around with it at the store and so far it's been acceptable with the kit lens.
Sony's phase detection autofocus is the best on the market right now.
RE Dropped frames, you must use the import utility of your editing software to import your video files from your SD cards. Your editor will then stitch together all the file segments back into a large single video file on your hard-disk without any audio-dropouts.
Never access your video files directly from your SD cards, as you must always use an import utility to assemble the proper files on to your hard-drive before your can edit them.
thanks for the info!!!!
What do I think? I wish I'd never bought the G7. I've run into most of the issues you have. Audio I can get around anyway as I record to an XLR mic. The autofocus does indeed suck but I tried to get around that using the wifi connection and remote controlling from my phone, to make sure its in focus (manually) before I hit record. However this isn't always reliable. And often things have looked in perfect focus on the flip-out screen, but the recorded footage is blurry as hell - I don't know how that is even possible.
The file size limit came as an unpleasant surprise to me, but it seemed to just continue recording - all was well I thought. But no, I had missing frames and audio sync woes when combining two or more files. A real pain when recording in 4k which I got the camera for.
One thing I didnt learn until I got the camera is that in Europe its set to use pain-in-the-arse fps - like 25 and 50 instead of 30 and 60 - for recording video, assuming we're all using 50hz flickering lights from 1975. Most reviews, being from the US, obviously don't mention this as its only on EU models. To unlock 30 and 60fps modes requires a fairly simple little hack, but that also disables other features, like being able to connect it to a PC via USB.
All in all, I've had to scrap so much footage that I only discovered was unusable after I had recorded it, meaning video projects didn't get done and so much time was wasted. I've wrestled with it for a year now, and todays failure and missed video on my channel was my last...its got to go!
I think I have issues with the G7 exposure and low light capabilities. This camera takes a pro to bring out nice picture color because the color profile is not as amazing as professional cameras
I was looking at the G7 but after your and several other reviews I have decided against it. All I want is a decent 4k camera with a touch screen that folds forward so I can see myself as I record my vlog that won't overheat, is good in low light and won't break my bank account. Can you recommend one for under $1k?
Look to Sony. They have a few
does the GH4 have the same terrible pre amp mic issues and give terrible sound?
GH4 and GH5 both have much better audio.
are you saying that with a rode video mic pro plus at $300 the audio would still suck?
Hi.
All cameras are bad concerning sounds. So external sound is mandatory.
The file limit : yes indeed ( but also the case for a lot of others )
The bad sync between 2 files : good point.
The autofocs : was said firmware 2.0 ( and not 2.2 ) was solving the problem. Maybe not the best on the market but really better than before
I want the G7 + 14-140 + 42.5 f1.7 + 25 f1.7
I bought a G7 and I am having the damnest time getting good, clean footage out of it. If I turn the ISO all the way down, shift highlight/shadow so that it's crushing blacks, turn the sharpness down, and pour an ungodly amount of light into the lens I can get close what I want. Otherwise the image is riddled with grain-like noise. I bought the thing because of all the test videos and reviews I saw online, but my experience is vastly different from what I saw. Any tips? I am starting to think there's something wrong with my camera.
PS: With Noise Reduction I can eliminate the noise for the most part (if I keep the ISO below 800), but then the image lacks sharpness and details are sacrificed.
PPS: Ideally what I want is a somewhat flat, clean image with good detail level. Something that works as a good baseline image for color correction to be done later on.
What kind of lens are you using? The kit lens isn't super great, you need something with a big aperture.
Yeah, it's the kit lens. Should I try the H-H025K f1.7?
im waiting for black friday to get the camera.... it should be around $350-$400 around that time. what camera were you using to record this vdeo?
The G7. It's still my main camera and will be for quite some time.
Thanks for this video. I was thinking of buying a G7. Now I do not know what to buy. What do you recommend for recording longer videos with high quality?
Wow, it’s been 6 years since this comment and no one recommended a camera?! Haha which one did you end up choosing at this point? I just bought a gh4. It’s old as heck but from my research it’s still relevant today.
It was between a $350 GH4 (body only) or a $450 G7 with 2 lenses and a whole bunch of other things. I might still pick up that G7 bundle since it seems like such a great bargain.
This is the main body of my weddings. I like it. yes as said somebody below in the comment line, every camera has it's pros and cons. the manufacturers are not producing all our need ( that is everyone's need). so we have to go through on it before making a buying decision that, it is suitable for us or not.
Thanks VERY much for this video. I'm unboxing my camera as an upgrade from my Samsung Note 8 specifically because it's so irritating to have the lost frames and post-production necessary when the camera cuts off every 4gb. I really like my note 8 except for this 4g file size which is specifically why I decided to go for a DSLR. Learning that it does the same is very important and makes buying it a waste of time. I think most viewers can make up their own minds about which feature is important to them.
On the NTSC version of the G7, which i think you own, you have unlimited continuous recording using the AVCHD codec. Another common issue with the 4GB files is that in Premiere Pro you have no audio on the last couple of frames. This can be solved by merging all the chunks into a single file. Maybe this can help you with your missing frames.
AVCHD maxes at 1080p at a much lower bitrate. Doesn't solve anything lol
it happens on gh4 the mode dial swapping back and forth , what i did to fix was make a custom c setting and lock dial
So, I bought one of these around Thankgiving (kit lens), and I have been toying with it and cannot get it to shoot crisp, clean video. If I turn off the Noise Reduction, it's noisy as hell. If I turn it on, there's still some noise but also just nasty softness. Any tips? I have seen plenty of test footage on youtube of crisp, clean footage. Are they doing some kind of post-production NR on it? Am I using a setting wrong (whatever I set the Aperature, Shutter Speed and ISOs to, I still get the noise)? Is it the kit lens? I have also tried messing with the Shadow/Highlight settings (I like to keep it set to get a flat picture so it doesn't crush details), but to no avail.
I am also having issues with focus. I knew going in that the auto focus would be garbage, so I pre-invested in a 200-dollar field monitor (Ikan VH8) with focus peaking. Apparently I didn't do enough research as while the camera will output the image to HDMI, once you hit the record button it starts outputting "Now Recording Video". Nice. So I can't use my field monitor when I am actually recording. The peaking feature on the camera itself doesn't work well (for human faces, at least), and the screen is too frickin' small to tell if a subject is in focus or not.
Nope, noise reduction is garbage. A camera like this does best with wide apertures and lots of light. Wide aperture, low ISO, lots of light = this camera competing even with higher tier ones.
The 4GB file size issue you're experiencing should be due to the storage type and format rather than the camera itself. Are you using an SDHC or SDXC memory card? SDHC cards are typically a FAT32 format, which has a 4GB file limit. SDXC cards are actually exFAT which has no file size limit. You should be able to record continuously with a Lumix G7/G85/GX85 to an SDXC memory card until the card is full without the file being broken up into small 4GB chunks.
Nope, people keep bringing this up. I use only SDXC cards which formatted to exFAT within the camera itself. Still breaks them up. Most likely due to it being an entry-level camera so they force compatibility with FAT32 for newbies or something - even though the camera itself happily formatted to exFAT - but still hugely annoying.
That's so weird!!! I don't have that issue on my G85. I suppose it's a change they made with their newer line of entry-level cameras.
Seems like the G85 got a lot of little updates like that. Wish I could trade my G7 for it since I have to RMA it anyway.
All these issues have been resolved with the addition of a self focusing lens and speed booster. Still coming in with a top notch camera at the $300 range.
I use a G85 and I notice on certain vodeos that there are clicking noises in my audio file. I do have to go and post edit them out in Audiovox but that is a simple 30 second fix.. Or roll background music to drown it out a bit. However it is just a minor issue
The dropped frames sounds like a bug. Have you tried upgrading the firmware to resolve it or get more menu options? Panasonic do great things with firmware updates. Neither my Panasonic GM5 nor GH5 exhibit this problem... gm5 records a single file
what camera did you use to film this video?
the G7
thanks. what camera would you recommend for shooting HD music videos?
Hi, did you ever find or know of a camera that has the G7 quality without the autofocus blurry? I returned mine seeing most of what recored I had to trash because of autofocus . Thanks!
The stabilization on this camera is horrific unless you have a gimbal with it. I bought it in november and now its just collecting dust. Impossible to walk with it as the shake is bizarrely bad even with the so-called ''stabilization'' in it.
Electronic, faked, stabilization. It's awful.
Does the other panasonic cameras have the same problem with the black gabs, after syncing with external sound? Speaking of the GH4 or Gh5.
No. They also have no recording limit per file anyway.
The g7 is still a beast and we still use it a lot on our channel. So we can recommend it for sure
Should I go with the convenience of getting a d3300 for heavy video use for $400 or deal with the 4gb broken up clips for $500 with the G7?
I'd say the G7 - you'll get a lot better video out of it.
Its tough, the look of frustration in your eyes when dealing with syncing clips in post + the autofocus issue really got to me since I would be doing talking head videos as well lol. Do you have another possible option around the lumix price range (500-800$) that could be an alternative or are these frustrations worth dealing with for the quality upgrade over the d3300? Would really appreciate this last question lmao. Thanks for the advice bro! Keep up the great work. liked and subscribed.
The problem is just how cheap the G7 is - nothing really touches it. If you can get a good deal on the Sony cams (A6300 etc. whatever is around; I haven't looked into them much) they have much better AF, but no flip-out screen
I really don't understand how some people have trouble with the AF on this camera. It does a really good job imo. I think it depends on the lens
It's a big problem for Panasonic even on the GH5. They only have contrast detection AF - whereas Sony's cams use the far superior phase detection - so while the initial focus grab might be fine, it can lose it easily.
Great review, boy did your clarity stir up a hornet's nest.
I was blown away with the video quality of the G7,it looked like a 10,000 dollar camera.
If you are looking for something like the c100 without spending that kind of money then you may want to have a look at the Panasonic MDH2 or the MDH2M.
The 4GB limitation has to do with the filesystem being used, FAT32, not with any sort of import/export restrictions.
Except it's using exfat
This model just came up recently on B&H for a decent price. However after hearing your experiences I think I'll look elsewhere for a basic "B" camera. Thanks for the post as it still holds 1 year later.
For the price is the best camera you can get I shoot music video's I normally don't shoot no more then 5 mins at a time so the 30 min time limit is not a problem for me. I don't use auto focus anyways, but hear is a tip for you use ur phone or tablet there is an app for it, and focas with that, it has a bluetooth to connect to ur device.. mic is not alway a problem for me but I use a sound recorder anyways if needed.. if I upgrade my camera I will upgrade to the Sony A7s awesome camera not sure if it would be good for you or not..
Isn't the 30min recording limit due to some trading laws that may also involve tax? Anything that records video longer than 30mins is a video camera, if you keep it to 30min or less, it's a camera with a video feature?
Yep! Just an overall annoyance when the G7 excels primarily at video and is just kinda meh for photos.
Cheers... Looking at purchasing one in the next couple of weeks (can't argue for the price). I've seen loads mention the AF being slow, but for my needs, it shouldn't matter too much
I see these G7s are under $500 now. I'm thinking of buying two of them for live streaming. Does the HDMI have clean output?
Yes! I've used them with video recorders and the Elgato Cam Link! And you can buy a dummy battery to run from wall power for it.
Thats great to know. Thanks. I looked at your other review on the G7 and I noted that you cannot recieve HDMI output whilst recording to the camera internally. That's a shame, but the camera is so damn cheap, I could honestly afford a Blackmagic Video Assist recorder (if I wanted per-camera backup recording) for each one and still be ahead on budget compared to other solutions - that eliminates the 4GB file limit with its dropped frames. If I buy a twin lens kit and a body only. I will have two cameras with two lenses to cover a conference and the cameras can pay for themselves. Its a very cheap solution. I've spent a lot of time researching and its hard to beat in terms of bang for buck. I might even just get a birddog mini (HDMI to NDI (video over IP)) for each instead of video assist and use a laptop to record multiple NDI signals and another laptop for vMix (switching and streaming).
Hmmmm, well this really puts me back on the fence on whether to buy or not. Since i"m not in a hurry think I'll wait. Thanks for the info.
I have a Lumix g7. all my videos are recorded with the kit lens. but I've noticed my videos are always coming out blurry. and I don't understand why. I could be in great light and it still comes out pixelated. I watched this video on my laptop and its crystal clear, but when I switch to my videos, they're blurry. Im super frustrated cause I don't know what im doing wrong and I don't know what the issue is called to even look it up and find an answer. Someone please help!
About that "mode dial is not in a proper position". I had simmilar issue with 1 of my batteries but it was gone when using other batteries. So just try with another battery. Hope that helped ;)
I don't get that specific error often, but on both batteries I have it regularly switches between modes which is a big problem.
If you want an excellent A camera under $2,000 that is comparable to the canon c100 line, you could try the Sony AX100. I used it when I was working with a 3D projection company in France and the image quality and usability were quite impressive. It is also 4K whereas the Canon C100 is only 1080p. On the other hand, with the Sony AX100, you're stuck with the included lens (which is still a very good Carl Zeiss lens).
If you want to stick with mirrorless cameras, the Fujifilm XT-2 is a very versatile camera with excellent 4K capabilities.