Panasonic GH5 is Great for Vlogging

Ever since I started making sketchwalk videos, I've been on the look out for the best vlogging camera there is from the Micro Four Thirds system. My search has led me to the Panasonic GH5, which I think is currently one of the best vlogging cameras.

I've been using the GH4 ever since it came out. And before that, I used the GH2 and GH3. The GH4 is a camera that can record videos with amazing details. I've used the GH4 to make hundreds of videos on my Youtube channel. It's one hell of a work horse when it comes to shooting video.

With the release of GH5, I pondered over the need to upgrade. In the end, I upgraded and here are the reasons.

The first and most importable reason is, the GH5 has in-body image stabilization, and it supports dual IS. Basically, with in-body stabilization and lens stabilization, I was able to get smooth handheld video that was previously not possible with the GH4. I had contemplated getting a gimbal to stablize the GH4 but that would mean extra cost. The gimbal runs on battery so there's the issue of running out of power. And with the gimbal, you're adding weight to the system which isn't very lightweight to begin with. I'm glad to say that GH5 Dual IS works very well. It may not match the smoothness of a gimbal, but it's more than satisfactory without any of the downsides mentioned earlier.

That's actually the main reason why I upgraded from the GH4 to GH5.

And now I'm going to share with you my experience of using the GH5 extensively for vlogging during my Tokyo trip.

GH5 is now able to use the full width of the sensor to record video

With GH4, whenever you switch from photo to video recording mode, you'll get a cropped view (a more zoomed in view). Wide lens would appear less wide. I wouldn't say the difference is very big but it's definitely noticeable. With the GH5, when you're shooting at the field of view of 24mm, you know that it's 24mm

Internal 10-bit recording

I haven't pushed the limits of the camera yet so I can't really comment on this.

60FPS 4K and 1080P 180FPS

The GH5 has lots of video options for you to choose from. The highest is shooting 4K at 60FPS. Should you need slow-mo, you can get 180FPS but that is only available at 1080P resolution.

Viewfinder has increased in size

The viewfinder has increased in size significantly. With GH4, it feels like going to a small theatre. With the GH5, it now feels like going to a large cinema. Of course it cannot be compared to the viewfinder sizes of full frame camera, but this is a significant improvement in my opinion. Not only that, the viewfinder is now flatter (less curved) and does not attract dust easily in the corner. The refresh rate and brightness are great. The viewfinder isn't crucial for vlogging but I just want to highlight this improvement for stills photographers. The larger viewfinder makes it more enjoyable to shoot photos.

Flip out LCD screen has increased resolution

The previous resolution of 720 x 480 pixels is now 900 x 600 pixels. In real life use, I actually did not feel nor see any difference.

GH5 uses the same battery as GH4 and GH3

No battery technology is going to increase your battery life as much as having a spare battery. It's a smart move to use the same DMW-BLF19 battery from GH3 and GH4. For one full day of shooting, with normal operations and recording 30 minutes of 4K footage, I would go through 2 batteries. That's pretty decent. So getting one extra battery may be enough for most users.

Display button has move to the wrong place

The previous design of the Display button on the GH4 is recessed and out of the way of the thumb. With the new design, it's almost flushed with the surface of the rubber grip and I have on a lot of occasion pressed the button by mistake. When you press the Display button, you cycle through different display modes like showing you the black screen, setting screen, image with data overlay and image without overlay. When you get into one of those modes that does not allow you to see the microphone input or the timer, there's no way of knowing when the camera is recording, and that's extremely frustrating.

Weight of the camera has increased

GH4 weighs 560g. GH5 weighs 725g. For a camera that uses a small sensor like Micro Four Thirds, the size and weight is almost comparable to those APSC cameras. One of the main advantages of using Micro Four Thirds system is the small camera and lens but over the years,GH series has increased in size and weight. The increase in weight is very noticeable.

The 12-60mm Pan-Leica lens is good but not the most appropriate vlogging lens

At 12mm, the equivalent field of view is 24mm. When you're looking at yourself through the LCD screen while holding the camera at arms length, you can a close up view with some space above the head and below the chin. Because the camera is heavy, there is tendency to bend the arms and hold the camera closes, so it creates a much tighter video. Generally speaking, a wider lens would be more appropriate for vlogging because it allows the audience to see more of the background.

The 12-60mm f/2.8-4 and 12-35mm f/2.8 lens that are bundled with the cameras are not the best lens for vlogging. If you really have to choose one, get the 12-60mm f/2.8-4 lens (320g) over the 12-35mm f/2.8 (305g) lens because the weight difference is not significant and you get a longer reach. Personally, I think not having a constant aperture is not a big deal but it really depends on what you want to achieve.

I would recommend getting the 8-18mm f2.8-4 lens (315g) for vlogging instead. You can also consider the Olympus 9-18mm f/4-5.6 (155g) lens but that's not a very fast lens and it's not sealed against moisture and dust. The same applies to Panasonic 7-14mm f/4 (300g).

Dual card slots

Having dual card slots is nice. During my trip in Tokyo, I actually had error with my second SD card which kept saying that it's full when its empty. So far, over the last decade, I only have my memory card fail on me once. The dual card slot is a nice guarantee for professionals but for me it's not that crucial. But since it's there, I set it to record to both SD cards.

Note that the highest bitrate that GH5 can record is 400 Mbps. You will need the upcoming V60 class SD cards to record at that bitrate. The typical bitrate to record at is 100-150 Mbps and for that you will need a 150 Mbps SD card. I'm using the Lexar 1000X 256GB SDXC cards that can write at 150 Mbps. It goes without saying that you should not get slower cards for this camera.

GH5 is slow to record video

For some reason, the GH5 can be slow to record when either the shutter or video record buttons are pressed. It would take a few seconds before the timer appears on screen. Also, in the first second, the sound is not recorded. In certain situations, it also won't even record video when the buttons are pressed, presumably because you need to get the green focus box first.

In shoot, you need to prepare for the shot. This is not a camera where you can hit the button and get footage immediately. It's not really a bit issue but after I noticed this, I am more conscious of making sure the timer appears before I speak or record.

About the video quality

Excellent, of course.

Conclusion

Overall, I have really enjoyed using the GH5 as a vlogging camera. The in-body and lens stabilization have worked better than I expected. My handheld footage are now smoother and more usable. Having more usable footage is a tremendous pro to me.

A lot of users buy Panasonic GH cameras because of the video quality, and in this case, the GH5 video quality is outstanding.

My two main sources of annoyance is the slow reaction time when it comes to recording video, and the design of the Display button. Not deal breakers but extremely annoying especially on a camera this expensive. You would have thought that after so many years of iteration, camera companies would have found the perfect way to design and layout buttons.

So yeah, the GH5 is a very capable vlogging camera. I'm pretty sure I'm going to make a few more hundreds of videos with it.