The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera (Black) features a 17.02MP (16.05 effective megapixels) Micro 4/3 Digital Live MOS sensor and a 4-CPU Venus Engine, which enable the GH3 to capture high resolution JPEG and RAW stills as well as intricately detailed HD video. The GH3 has been totally redesigned with an array of professional level features including a sealed magnesium alloy body, a contrast auto focus system, Full-Area Focusing and OLED displays for both the rear monitor and the electronic viewfinder.
Both the front and rear curtains in the DMC-GH3's shutter system are driven electronically for vibration-free operation. This ensures crisp still-life images and landscapes with no pixel shifting. When it comes to still photographs, the GH3's imaging capabilities are further enhanced by an automatic high dynamic range feature, a newly designed low-pass filter and compatibility with a growing family of Lumix G lenses.
Considerable advances have been made in video performance as well. In addition to supporting a wide range of recording formats, the DMC-GH3 features a special heat-dispersing design, for prolonged continuous use. Its specifications match those of many professional video cameras, ensuring that it meets the needs of demanding productions in the field.
17.02MP Micro 4/3 Digital Live MOS Sensor
The DMC-GH3 features a 17.02MP (16.05 effective megapixels) Micro 4/3 Digital Live MOS Sensor with a level of sensitivity that produces smooth gradation from shadows to highlights. High resolution and a wide dynamic range preserve an even greater level of detail. High-sensitivity ISO 12800 (extended: ISO 25600) and noise reduction give you clean images even in dim lighting.
Micro 4/3 Sized Sensor and Lens Mount
The DMC-GH3's Micro 4/3 sized sensor is large enough for shallow depth of field and yet small enough to take advantage of lighter, more compact lenses than a larger format camera would require. The Micro 4/3 lens mount is compatible with a growing family of Lumix G lens, and its short focal flange distance makes it ideal for adapting professional cinema lenses.
Venus Engine Image Processor
The new Venus Engine has the ability to process both still and video signals with razor-sharp clarity. 3D Noise Reduction (3DNR) and Multiprocess Noise Reduction (MNR) work together to attain superb noise-reducing performance. Four CPUs process these signals instantly to render images with excellent definition and lifelike ambience.
1080/60p 50 Mbps IPB and 24p 72 Mbps ALL-I
The DMC-GH3 gives you 1920x1080 60p Full-HD video recording. Progressive scanning records every frame, so the amount of data contained is twice that of interlace scanning. The GH3 handles a wide variety of recording formats, frame rates, and bit rates that are used by broadcasting stations and production studios, including AVCHD at 17-28 Mbps and H.264 at 4-72 Mbps. It uses the NTSC video system/standard. All-Intra and IPB formats generate cleaner images with fewer compression artifacts than traditional codecs.
Magnesium Alloy, Weather Sealed Body
The DMC-GH3 is the first in the LUMIX G series to use a magnesium alloy frame. A splash and dustproof design is achieved by tightly sealing the joints and control components, to meet the needs of active outdoor photographers and videographers.
OLED Monitor and Live View Finder
High-speed, organic LED displays are used for both the Live View Finder and the rear monitor. These displays feature 100% coverage with no perceptible time lag and ensure that subjects are shown with natural coloring. The Eye Sensor automatically switches between the Live View-Finder and the rear monitor, for easy shooting with both.
Contrast Auto Focus System
The DMC-GH3's image sensor doubles as the AF sensor to resist any mechanical margin of error. Compared with Phase Difference AF, the GH3's focusing is precise even at small F-numbers. A faster sensor and image processor achieve a higher focus detection speed.
Full-Area Focusing and Pinpoint AF
With Full-area Focusing, any place you touch on the rear monitor is a focus point. In addition, Pinpoint AF is handy when you want to set the focus point more precisely. Simply touch the rear monitor to expand the surrounding area. Then drag the screen to move the cross-shaped marker in the center to the exact place you want to focus. This allows detailed adjustment in a small focus area.
Built-in Wi-Fi for Smartphone or Tablet Linking
The Wi-Fi function lets you use a smartphone to make settings and release the shutter remotely, a short distance from the camera. The auto transfer function is handy for automatically backing up photos onto a tablet. This lets you monitor them on the tablet without having to upload them to a PC. You can also start timer interval video recordings from your smartphone, which also allows you to put GPS data into your image files.
Auto HDR for Still Photographs
To cope with the extreme bright and dark contrast – in situations with harsh backlighting for example – consecutive photos are taken with different exposure levels and overlapped. Blown highlights and blocked shadows are then deleted and a single, well exposed photo is composed. All processing is done in the background, so you can take your next shot without having to wait.
Electronic Front & Rear Shutter
Both the front and rear curtains in the DMC-GH3's shutter system are driven electronically for vibration-free operation. This ensures crisp still-life images and landscapes with no pixel shifting.
Button Layout
Shooting with the viewfinder has been further enhanced in the DMC-GH3. Exposure compensation, ISO sensitivity, and white balance controls are positioned around the shutter button to make operation fast and easy while looking at the viewfinder.
MF Assist
When manually focusing, simply touch a part of the rear monitor to enlarge the image by 4, 5, or 10x, to aid in focusing. The 4x enlarged image is displayed in the framing screen, so you can focus while viewing the entire composition.
AF Functions for Video Shooting
Face Detection AF, Full-area Touch AF, and AF Tracking, which automatically tracks moving subjects, can be used for shooting videos just as they are for shooting still images.
Level Gauge
Acceleration sensors inside the camera detect the horizontal condition and display a level gauge indicating the two directions of horizontal lean and front/rear tilt. The camera's portrait/landscape orientation is also detected, and photos are automatically displayed in the correct orientation.
New, Tough Battery
The newly developed battery allows reliable, extended shooting of both photos and videos. You can shoot approx. 540 images with H-HS12035 (CIPA Standard).
Super Sonic Wave Filter
To eliminate dust and other foreign matter that might otherwise enter the camera when changing lenses, a SSWF (Super Sonic-Wave Filter) that vibrates approximately 80,000 times/second is mounted between the low-pass filter and the shutter. Each time the power is turned on, the filter oscillates the sensor surface to automatically remove dust and other particles.
SD Card with UHS-I Class Speed
The DMC-GH3 uses a variety of advanced recording media, including the SDXC, SDHC, and SD Memory Cards. The fastest of these cards is the UHS-I high-speed data transfer standard.
Exposure Modes
Select either of four manual video modes: Program AE / Aperture-Priority / Shutter-Priority / Manual Exposure.
40%, 48%, 80% Slow Motion Video
Quick-motion and slow-motion video let you apply a variety of effects to the video timeline. In addition to three types of quick-motion and 80% slow-motion video, the DMC-GH3 includes 48% and 40% slow-motion, all in Full-HD.
Timecode
Timecode is essential for video editing, as it provides the information needed to specify scenes along the video timeline. The DMC-GH3 includes a count-up system with REC Run and Free Run codes and a recording system with Drop Frame and Non Drop Frame codes.
Audio Recording with an External Mic and Image Sync
The DMC-GH3 has a 3.5-mm-diameter, general-purpose microphone jack. Simply plug in an external microphone to record high-quality sound synchronized to the image.
Headphone Jack
The DMC-GH3 also features a 3.5-mm-diameter headphone output terminal, for monitoring the sound through headphones while shooting.
HDMI Monitor-Through
The HDMI terminal on the DMC-GH3 connects easily to a large-screen monitor for real-time image checking. The HDMI output also enables external recording, with simultaneous recording to the SD card.
Seamless File Generation
When recording the video in MOV, AVCHD Progressive and AVCHD, the DMC-GH3 automatically generates multiple seamless files for continuous recording. During playback, the files are reproduced with seamless, interruption-free continuity.
Versatile Picture Profiles
The DMC-GH3 has a range of Photo Styles and Creative Control modes. Photo Styles for stills or video include Standard, Vivid, Natural, Monochrome, Scenery, Portrait and Custom. Creative picture profiles for video include Expressive, Retro, High Key, Low Key, Sepia, Dynamic Monochrome, Impressive Art, High Dynamic, Cross Process, Toy Effect, Miniature Effect and One Point Color. These picture profiles are also available for stills, with the addition of Soft Focus and Star Filter.
Language Support
English and Spanish.
Optional Accessories
An extended battery grip, a flash with LED light and an external stereo shotgun microphone (sold separately) are just some of the compatible accessories for the DMC-GH3.