Panasonic rumors 2023
The Panasonic rumors are still swirling, with the manufacturer having plenty to whisper about when it comes to both full frame mirrorless cameras and Micro Four Thirds cameras.
This year has seen a gigantic shift from Panasonic, as the company has at long last accepted that phase detect autofocus is what the market demands. As such, we've seen the AF incorporated in both the Panasonic S5II and Panasonic S5IIX, as well as the long-awaited Panasonic G9 II.
So, what can we expect this year from the first manufacturer to make a mirrorless camera certified by Netflix? Here are the latest Panasonic rumors…
Panasonic Lumix S1H II
There are whispers afoot that a successor to the Panasonic Lumix S1H, the company's full-frame video specialist, is on the way. It is being suggested that the camera could have a 50MP sensor, along with a much-needed bump to CFexpress for at least one of its dual memory card slots.
However, while 50MP is enough resolution for 8K video, don't get your hopes up for 8K support; as outlined below, Panasonic doesn't believe there is sufficient demand for 8K yet. Instead, the S1H will focus on oversampled 6K and 4K.
Panasonic Lumix GH7
The Panasonic GH5 was released in 2017, the Panasonic GH5 II in 2021 as a stopgap, then the Panasonic GH6 finally came in 2022. So is a Panasonic GH7 in 2024 coming a bit too soon?
Given how very good the GH6 is, it certainly feels a bit fast to put out a replacement. However, something pretty significant happened not long after the GH6 hit the market: Panasonic finally embraced phase detect autofocus, addressing the sole technological Achilles' heel that has been holding its cameras back.
So, the company's hugely successful GH line needs this new tech. However, rather than releasing a GH6 II, it is rumored that Panasonic is looking to jump straight to a GH7 – no doubt incorporating many of the tricks introduced by the Panasonic G9 II.
Again, just don't go expecting 8K…
Still no 8K
Despite previous plans to launch an 8K consumer camera by the 2020 Olympics, Panasonic has pivoted; it has no imminent plans to join the 8K video arms race, believing that there isn't sufficient demand at the moment.
"The current popularity of 8K in the consumer market is not enough, it will be released later," said the company, dashing the hopes of anyone expecting the Panasonic S1H or GH7 to compete with the A1s, R5s, or Z8/9s of the world.
Is the company missing a trick here? The overwhelming success of the above cameras for Sony, Canon and Nikon suggests as much. We just hope that, unlike the case with phase detect, Panasonic doesn't wait too long to embrace the tech.
The Panasonic verdict
We've finally got the GH6 – but Panasonic is still employing herky-jerky DFD technology instead of the phase detect autofocus system that its cameras so desperately need. Will this new flagship be a shot in the arm for Panasonic and the Micro Four Thirds format, or will the dogged refusal to embrace reliable autofocus tech continue to spell trouble for the manufacturer?
More camera rumors: Canon rumors • Nikon rumors • Sony rumors • Fuji rumors • Olympus rumors • Sigma rumors • Hasselblad rumors
