Firmware 2.0 on Panasonic GH5 at IFA 2017

Posted by – September 1, 2017

The new upcoming firmware update 2.0 for the Panasonic GH5 to be released at the end of September 2017 will hopefully fix and much improve auto-focus speed/performance/reliability on the camera, it adds also a 72mbit/s H265 HEVC 4K30p mode with 4:2:0 10bit Hybrid Log Gamma HDR recording mode that is said to be totally compatible with direct YouTube upload! (I’m hoping that since this new HEVC is 10bit 4:2:0, and not 4:2:2, then it would be nice if that would support 60p recording also, but I guess that it probably won’t ever support HDR (HLG) at 4K60p) The new firmware also adds 400mbit/s all-i 4K30/60p recording on new V-90 SD cards (possibly support from some V-60 rated SD cards for sustained guaranteed bandwidth support). This new firmware might also add new Dual image stabilization tracking improvements when locking onto a subject and moving around it. A function to remote control the device over Bluetooth and over USB Type-C host with an application for Windows and Mac that lets users remote control and preview photography onto the computer in real-time, maybe it can also be used for real-time video previewing perhaps even real-time video recording over the USB Type-C port to a computer (I’m hoping even directly to an external USB Type-C hard drive), to be confirmed. The firmware is not yet ready to let me put my SD card in the camera to test out the actual new auto-focus performance and HLG HDR H265 mode. Some other Panasonic approved YouTube users have posted some samples though already.