Emanuel

Only shortcomings by their own. I follow your fair concern but from your knowledge I'd risk to put my bets on your liking :-)
We here must praise the potentiality of the gear, to learn with its limitations. DR is a way more limited on GH5 than processing there or the stupid AF mantra. People tend to exaggerate and lose accuracy on forgetting the right spot.

Exactly...if the GH cameras have done a service to people who don't like them, it's that they force the competition to up their game with each release they come up with...and then Panasonic incorporates a lot of those GH features into their less expensive lines following their GH release....with the Varicam line the competition can only be healthy...and in the LT you now have a cinema camera cheap enough to buy new instead of rent...first cinema camera to do this....

What about autofocus?
Sorry, couldn't resist... ;-)

Good one! : )
Nothing against this camera segment, on the contrary.
There's room for new hybrid models, though. DSLRs sell less because of the consumers now from their smartphones. So, there's no one sole market per se.
Sony has won the parade for several reasons not related here in this discussion. I don't think Sony has worked the hybrid market as it should be. As for instance, Panasonic. One follows the other one. Hence to be funny or ridiculous enough that AF hype or PDAF vs CDAF controversy as we wish. Sony leads on sales, right? :X
The point is not to be unfamiliar with cameras I've become used to work with for the last quarter of a century. Out of curiosity, JVC GY-HD100 was a sort of open gate to the HD realm of my very own as poor man's HDCAM.
Anyways.
It is more to accept the media convergence has changed this industry. Not coming from there. Outside the industry itself.
Only who understands that will be able to have more chances to survive.
High-end is another ballpark, for sure.

I absolutely agree with you.
They would have to clean their house.
dvxuser, for example, is a shadow of old times.
It is a problem of their business, their reps, etc.
Not of their development department or engineering.
It is a pity : (
Maybe they'll hire me (who knows? :-D) and their trouble will tend to solve but never by their own as they seem to think.
It requires expertise, strategy and hard work. They simply don't look like to feel like.

I absolutely agree with you.
They would have to clean their house.
dvxuser, for example, is a shadow of old times.
It is a problem of their business, their reps, etc.
Not of their development department or engineering.
It is a pity : (
Maybe they'll hire me (who knows? :-D) and their trouble will tend to solve but never by their own as they seem to think.
It requires expertise, strategy and hard work. They simply don't look like to feel like.

Yeah but this bad press, deserved or not, about half ass AF is a REALLY big problem for them now. Even Panny fans are holding back, just think about people that are thinking about jumping ship, what they are thinking. This is Not a good thing for them, Panny.
If Sony comes out with some new, better mouse trap, A great A7III, well it might be game over if this new camera that is suppose to come out is a 7 grand or more, and the GH5 AF sort of never lives up to spec as well as we would want. And the Low light, DR bragging has not really come to true like they said. They have a nice camera here in the GH5, great has yet to be proven! I can tell you it is not on my radar. No way. 
I will hold out to see what Sony comes out with first if I am buying anything new. And these Firmware upgrades are more smoke and mirrors than real benefits. 400mbs All-I is well, not what I would want, not in a body the size of a GH5. I can think of a better codec than that. It starts with a R.

Oh I am sure that is has not changed other than the cars and a few rules. That is what I love about Europe, it had Not changed! You are luckier that you think.
You have to love stability over rampart progress any day. That is Americas downfall I think. No love for the past. Just go, go, go. Not a goal that can last very long.
And not a very fun way to spend your life, always in the rat race compared to a laid back lifestyle of of my favorite city of Naples LoL. I know, you like Rome better.

Well I guess there is a time to just embrace that this is 2017, not 1950. The Digital look is here to stay like it or not. 4k is in, 720 is out. I think as a hobbyist I would love to keep the film look alive. But like I said, if I am trying to make a buck, put food on the table, I don't think a lot of cameras we associate with the Filmic look is going to cut it when you have to take any job that comes up.
It has to be a later Sony, later Panasonic, later Canon C series, and yes even a GH4, and it seems the GH5 Has to be in the mix as they say. There is no going back. For fun a BMPCC, 5D mkIII, for money making a Sony A7 mkII, Panny GH5. Bigger money stuff, Canon C series, Sony FS5 middle ground price. Canon C100, C300 probably the best overall for a balance between Film look, Digital look I think hands down. The Sony's, well the low light of them damn hard to turn down, but the worse looking Digital look to me. I think Panny is in the middle. And overall price wise, I think, very hard to beat.
For kind of serious modeling stuff, indie, short films the BM Ursa cameras Have to be in there. Price wise it has to be considered. Sony FS5 also. I like the Usra maybe better overall. But not as mature as the Sony Products. So that tips it in Sony's favor a bit. But showing up with a Sony will get you more jobs than the BM sad to say.
Now I am talking about making a living here, not for a hobby, fun. Hobby, well BM products, the lower end ones, 5D mkIII way up there now with ML.
Just my rambling thoughts about the industry as a whole if I had to do it all over again. Food for thought, and debate as they say.
A add on here. I think Panasonic, what ever this New camera they are talking about NEEDS this damn camera. It has to be under 6k, maybe even less. They have a Big ass gap in their products. It has to be filled for anyone to take them serious. To be able to move up from a GH5. People are not going from a GH5 to a Varicam LT. Get a grip!! They are sucking hind tit for not having a AF100 product like in the past in their lineup. The CEO of Panasonic needs his ass kicked for ever letting this happen. I mean it! Stupid, just plain damn stupid. Sony has handed their Ass to them because of it with the FS5, Canon with the C100, BM with the Ursa 4.6. Hell even the JVC LS300.
And no the Panasonic AG-DVX200 does not count. It has been a total flop for them. Lots of early problems with it. It ruined its potential even if they get all the bugs worked out. They threw it out the door too quick! It would be hard for me to buy one, even used. It is more of a ENG style camera anyways.

Not bad at all!
 
 
 
The last one mixed with Phantom footage for aerials.

Panasonic used to be known for their mojo, in light of being technically inferior in some ways. I've found most of the Varicam stuff to be quite nice. Seems like RED and Arri are so established that the high end nut is hard to crack, as opposed to the Varicam not being up to the task. 

I think the most interesting of these forums is the plurality of opinions and perspectives.
Some of my own filmography has been shot on Arri cameras for various reasons.
I'd still pick the Varicam without hesitating not even for a second, despite my love for Blackmagic and DSLRs when their form factor is what I'm looking for.
Varicam outcome is my favorite bet for acquisition BTW, as of now. Nothing shot there, yet. Funny, isn't it?

:-D You know, I don't post your videos anymore here because you're around. But, you were the first one to say no to that misinformation spread by MY on YT.
I only refer tap to focus because there's no how to blame CDAF for. And it works perfectly well for the automation job :-)
Funny coincidence. Here's another one I find pretty interesting from a 20 bucks lens:
 

For sure. My paid gigs normally use manual focus and focus puller 100% of the time, so focus pulling feature seems more appealing to me than a machine making the decisions on the operator's behalf.
In any case, it is rather possible to use touchscreen focus for gimbal shots. Mobile app can also be of a great help.
To me, this AF minus is absolutely nonsense. I never put my hands on one yet, but I am pretty sure this camera is able to produce proper AF if the operator knows to workaround eventual limitations.
On the other hand, show me 4K/60p coupled to CAF for same price and size.
I guess I wouldn't even consider the AF ticket anyway. Tap to focus is much more reliable.
Horses for courses? To each his/her own? We can't all of us be stuck in the same yellow color, oh yeah :-)

Haha, yeah that video looks excellent!!! One of the ones that are calling me to the camera... plus I have the same shirt that guy is wearing. 

Emanuel, I too have demonstrated that the AF can be used quite effectively, and this is without touch to focus. In the above videos, he certainly didn't use touch focus, but rather the CAF was running on the fly. I've tended to use 1-area AF and find it quite effective. There are many videos out there where people are getting good results.
I also agree with Tony N., the Sony AF is certainly not perfect either. Been there done that. In fact the Sony, more than the Panasonic, would often refuse to focus on a face that filled up 1/2 of the frame, choosing the background instead. Yes, the Sony CAF is better in general, but having used both, I don't think it's that much better, I really don't. I haven't used the A9, so no comments there.
Is the GH5 AF as good as it could be? No. Is the AF a lot better than some think it is? You betcha! Will Panasonic further improve it in the GH5? I'm betting yes.

Every camera is able to produce the job. DR and highlights are not the major bonus of the GH5. Other than that, it is able to get the task done.
Take a look on this one here:
I bet you'll find it interesting to narrative work. No idea if matches your writing though :-)
 
PS -- Funny, I've just checked you had been already there, after all. So, seems I somehow guessed it : ))

Anyways, my car can be unable to beat a Ferrari, but if it takes me to wherever the Ferrari or any other takes me, I can still drive it without much further complaints.
No GH5 here yet, but seems pretty enough this AF performance or tap to focus workaround (without mention the focus pulling feature!):
And please don't tell me touchscreen focus is not a valid solution because it is perhaps the best AF way to ever select... AF.
In any camera for any setup. Our brain is surely brighter to handle the job than a machine. Period.
Here's another example that I am not alone on this one:
 

I agree, features to price ratio, the GH5 is a great camera. And if I were to use one for paid jobs, it would be a no brainer... I'd imagine 3 or 4 small jobs would pay it off, but I don't do paid jobs... I'm a screenwriter looking for another outlet to showcase my writing. It's very unlikely I will ever do a paid job with it, so I have to be more cautious with my selections... especially since I tested about a dozen cameras and fifty lenses in the past couple of years. 

I think the most interesting of these forums is the plurality of opinions and perspectives.
Some of my own filmography has been shot on Arri cameras for various reasons.
I'd still pick the Varicam without hesitating not even for a second, despite my love for Blackmagic and DSLRs when their form factor is what I'm looking for.
Varicam outcome is my favorite bet for acquisition BTW, as of now. Nothing shot there, yet. Funny, isn't it?

Indeed. 5D3 ML raw is hard to beat up ; ) You'll gain IBIS, 4K/60p, though. Without going to 8-bit for such form factor. I believe with the right setup and competent settings, this capture device can shine where your money sits as finest choice.
AF is a mantra. Those shitty bastards have decided to set AF on 4K/60p, so people have started to freak out :-D
You spotted it.
Needless to say Hollywood is a process (no less) ?

You have no AF in slow mo mode, and I suppose you'll need slow mo on a paid gig.
So what is this still ongoing AF discussion about?
Most of the people complaining about AF never even truly used AF before. They just want the canon dual pixel and the A6500 AF technology in the GH5. It was written down thousand times in this forum, pick the right camera for the right job

You're absolutely right. Same feeling here. You know, people think they are able to mimic Hollywood straight out of the box ; )
I share Dennis' (@deezid) perspective, though, not as much skeptical as him.
My only beef with GH5 is not the pathetic plot over AF, obviously. But, its over processed outcome; POV I concur.
See:
And:
I still believe this camera is able to produce the best current offer in competent hands.

Man that Seal Beach October video looks great. Awesome color, good enough resolution. I wish JVC would put out a camera in DSLR form, I might be interested in something like this. But for the money, it's probably the best deal around. 

Right. No camera yet. All that comes from the videos I've seen and my own experience with other cameras and also the former models to second the thing : ) Trust me, GH5 is the best bang for the buck you can buy in May 2017 :-)