Along with the not-even-lukewarm GH5 II announcement, Panasonic also made a development announcement about the GH6. The details are vague, as with all development announcements, but the key bits are:
- New image sensor capable of 5.7K
- New image processor
- DCI 4K at 60P, 4:2:2 color, 10-bit with no recording limits
- 4K 120P 10-bit HFR/VFR
- 5.7K 60P 10-bit
- Before end of 2021
- US$2500 approximate price
Of course, the GH5 II already shoots at 60P with 10-bit recording, and has an image sensor big enough to be called 6K, so I guess my first and foremost question is just how much better than a GH5 II is the G6 going to be, and in what specific ways. Given what Panasonic said in the press conference and release, that’s still very unclear. They did try to make this distinction in their material: the GH series is targeted towards professional video, YouTube vlogger video, and streaming demand. The GH5 II will focus on the latter two while the GH6 will focus on the first. Considering the bodies are similar in size and capabilities, it’s unclear just how much distinction they can make, though. This seems more like an arbitrary marketing statement than a clear engineering change.
With the G6, Panasonic also announced they’ll add a 25-50mm f/1.7 lens—they currently have a 10-25mm f/1.7 lens—and this gives a 2 lens solution for a fast 20-100mm equivalent.
