4K has been the buzzword at CES this year, and Panasonic perpetuates this trend by revealing 4K versions of their popular GH3 mirrorless camera and their HX-A100 point-of-view camera.
Editor's Note: this post was written by Justin Dise
On display in the Las Vegas showroom, and protected in a glass box like the Mona Lisa herself, the GH 4K mockup appears identical to the GH3, with the exception of the “4K” sticker on it. This is good news for users already comfortable and familiar with the GH3’s ergonomics. Panasonic is being tight-lipped regarding specs for the camcorder, but engadget reports that a Panasonic representative confirmed that Ultra HD footage can be recorded in an All-I Intra mode at 200 Mbps, and that the camera can output a full live feed via a mini-HDMI port for display or recording.
Recording video at 200 Mbps to SDXC cards will be possible, but similar to the Blackmagic Pocket Camera, cards will fill up quickly. There hasn’t been any word on total megapixel count, or what additional features the new camera will add, but we should learn more when the camera is officially announced, which could be as early as late February. If rumors are to be believed, the camera will have a price point of under $2,000, but this hasn’t been confirmed.
Panasonic also showed off a 4K waterproof point-of-view camera that, similarly to the GH 4K, appears to be an Ultra HD version of a previous model, the HX-A100. Specs haven’t been released, but the model on display was sending a UHD live feed from a mini-HDMI port. The camera comes in two connected parts. The first is camera itself, which is designed to be worn around your head, with the lens hanging near your eye. The second is a tethered control unit the straps around your arm. You can expect the camera to be released sometime later this year.