What is the Panasonic GH4R?

The excellent 4K abilities of the camera have prompted users to request log gamma – essentially giving the flattest picture possible while preserving maximum detail in the highlight and lowlight areas. Grading a log picture in DaVinci Resolve or other editing packages gives editors total control, enabling users to establish an exact look with the application of a LUT. (Don’t worry - it’s not as complicated as it sounds!)

V-Log, with its extended dynamic range, is used in Panasonic’s flagship Varicam 35 and has been introduced in its ground-breaking DVX200 camcorder. The results are there to be seen in the BBC drama Doctor Foster.

V-Log is now incorporated into the GH4R, when recording internally or externally in 10-bit.

Existing owners of the GH4 can upgrade to V-Log via a paid-for software upgrade. 

The Clock’s Ticking

The second upgrade in the GH4R is unlimited recording time.

In certain shoots (such as shooting underwater in the Caribbean) or filming an event, the 30 minute recording limit is debilitating. Sadly, this limit is standard on most DSLR-type cameras bought in the EU. The GH4R has no such restriction – you can record until your battery runs out (more than four hours) or until the SD card is full.

There is no way to upgrade the original GH4 to break the 30 minute barrier.