John Matthews

I got mine from GoPro France (probably EU fulfillment facility). I paid with Paypal. It shipped and arrived super fast. Apart from an annoyingly loud beep when you turn it on, the setup has been flawless. I'm surprised GoPro isn't in Australia. Or maybe it's the tariff BS? I wouldn't be surprised the ILS version gets sold out and quick. There's simply nothing like it on the market, being so small and light-weight. I can tell it's going to be a cult classic à la 5DII, GH2, and BMPCC OG (but for different reasons), especially if no one comes out with something similar for a long time. I'm not worried about the sale of GoPro as it always moves slowly.

I'm expecting some of this older Chinese glass to not be up to the crazy sharpness of the newer glass. For wide lenses, it's rather tricky with this camera. Sure, you could get the Laowa 6 or 7.5mm, but at that point, you might as well get another GoPro Mission 1 Pro, offering a second setup that is waterproof, etc. That's why I'm going more for the cheap stuff. I'll see this weekend if I can live with the softness of the 17mm f/1.4. Personally, I don't need the 1.4 unless in a pinch, but I'm secretly hoping that this lens can decently resolve 4k at 1.4 in the middle sweet spot of the lens. Anyway, I already have the S9 with the Laowa 28mm f/1.2 (my favorite lens of all-time). Two days ago, I was able to film a hedgehog eating at f/1.2 and 12000 ISO- the footage was so clean. Will do this weekend. Super-busy right now with teaching high-schoolers English though. :-) I'm really stoked about having smaller setups. Panasonic used to give us that in the past, but I think they've moved on; then they'll realize that had it right to begin with but it's too late (always late to the party). The whole setup with the 10, 17, and 25 with the body will be about 750g- that matters, especially considering the frame rates, codecs, and battery life.

After looking and foraging my various drawers in the house, I was able to find 3 Bell & Howell lenses from my grandfather: 0.7 inch, 1 inch, and 4 inch lenses. This was standard war-time military issue for war journalists. I also found 3 plastic Lomography lenses: I have ordered some inexpensive Chinese lenses too: 7Artisans 10mm f/3.5, TTartisan 17mmf/1.4, and TTartisan 25mm f2- a holy trinity for about 350 euros. From what I've heard, these lenses all suffer from poor corner performance; however, I'm throwing away 45% of that APS-C image anyway and only keeping the sharpest part. I figure those will be a perfect size too with the total kit under 1kg. I considered the Laowa cine lenses, but decided that they were simply too pricey for the concept of this kit. I'm bummed about not being able to use my AF M43 glass, but I love the limitations of straight up manual focus. I'll be shooting a lot with the 17mm this weekend.

The things that impress me most about this camera are the frame rates and processing. In addition, it’s so damn small and light. I purchased it, and it’ll be here tomorrow. I’ve seen both super positive and super negative opinions about it, but it really does feel like a new category. I have a few assumptions about it, though: I think it will be a stellar performer when it comes to moiré and rolling shutter. It’s also going to be pricey to get wide, sharp lenses for it. That’s why I plan on using it with my S9. I feel like they could complement each other well. I’ll definitely be playing around with it over the next few days.

Thanks! I didn’t see the other discussions. I haven’t been here in a while, as I’ve been busy installing solar panels on my roof and taking care of some other upkeep. This camera seems very quirky, which is a bonus for me. I’m looking forward to learning how to use it and figuring out what it’s good at. I’ve never had the ability to shoot at some of those frame rates, and 8K isn’t really my thing, but I’ll give it a try. It reminds me of the BMPCC OG days. Just so you know, I sold my GX800 (amazingly, a bigger and heavier camera) along with some kit lenses. I’ll probably let go of my Leica 15mm f/1.7 as well, since it won’t be of much use to me with this camera. I have a few plans for this thing, especially using some of my vintage glass, which could be a lot of fun. I’ll definitely report back once I’ve had a chance to play around with it.

I know we’re not supposed to talk about action cams, but this action cam is not! Why is no one talking about the Mission 1 Pro ILS? This thing looks so good. Have I bought into the YouTube shill hype? I just sold another camera and a couple of lenses to get it. Is anyone else going to pull the trigger on one?

You really have to be impressed with the weight of these new primes, light even by MFT standards. FF still dominates the wider focal lengths considering what they are.

This looks like a really cool set-up. One thing I would definitely be worried about is the lens though design. Optically, from everything I've seen it looks great, but it has been well-known to have issues with dust getting trapped inside and that was the reason I never really went after the LX100(I or II). However, it's the same problem with almost all POS cameras. Did Lumix say anything about this?

I just commented on the Lumix Live weekly upload asking for a modern, small MFT camera- most liked comment. IMO, there are so many people, for whatever reason, want this. It could be practical or nostalgic for the Lumix fans. Just do it Lumix.

I have the Sanity hacks (not 100% sure), Apocalypse Now (Drewnet), Cluster X (Drewnet), and Cluster X (Moon). I wish I took better notes. Why are personal view forums down? That's a good site.

@Ilkka Nissila, I think you're chasing a very different camera than me. Just because a camera is small doesn't necessarily mean it must have bad ergos. Panasonic has said nothing at CP+ 2026, except a stupid microphone that supposedly someone wants. In this interview, they said virtually nothing, a feat in itself. Really, I think they should have been a little more reassuring to the customers. No investor would have watched this anyway.

That's a rather absolute statement and probably easy to debunk. Also, hinting progress isn't making an announcement of any kind. You'd probably agree that it shouldn't be expected that Lumix would make a announcement with CINED either. But, saying there's development is certainly doable. Does it? This is mature tech now and certainly not on the cutting edge. I think the cost is more in weight than anything else. Although, the E-P7 is only 337g and has proper 5-axis IBIS. I agree with this, except the new market could easily accept premium compacts too. There's also room for in-between products similar to the GX9, which wasn't really a bottom feeder either. A newer version of that camera would be exactly what I want, perhaps even smaller and lighter and even more premium. My feeling is that if they can do stuff in a phone, they could also do it in a camera. @Andrew - EOSHDwas right in saying that there's been an "Americanization" of these cameras, meaning bigger, chunkier cameras and seemingly without too much consideration for how components could be miniaturized. (I believe he said something like this in his GH6 review). The difference in size between the GH6/7 and a GH1 is massive; unapologetically ignoring all advancements in smaller components. I want smaller with M43, not more capable if it means massive bodies. Yeah, that really depends on the manufacturer. They're always giving up something, with a few exceptions.

Why would anyone use MFT today? They want a small, capable camera setup (under 500g with lens); They want high-end telephoto quality without the extreme weight. Almost everything else can be done with a larger sensor without too much weight penalty, which is the point. You'd think in this interview he'd at the very least mention that there's a small MFT camera in the pipeline. Instead, they say they're committed to MFT (and simultaneously discontinuing lenses like the 20mm f/1.7). They've had that G100/D since 2021, using the same tech as from 2015, only worse (no real IBIS). Meanwhile, the now old and abuse GM5 is poised to pass up cameras like the GH6 on MPB. Does anyone need more proof than that to know there's a serious want for consumers today? Come on Panasonic! Get your $hit together!

My take: Panasonic’s Head of Imaging practices a rare art: saying almost nothing with exceptional stamina. The translator deserve a standing ovation for turning sprawling verbal marathons into neat, meaningful summaries. I read each phrase 3 times before moving on to the next.

Fair enough. I just wish they'd spent time and resources elsewhere. I want a small, up-to-date, Panasonic M43 camera, not an overly complex version of a on-camera mic. This seems like a great product for 2010. But what do I know, maybe this THE MIC, the one that everyone was waiting for. What I can tell you with 100% certainty, people are ready and willing to pay vast sums of money for old gear, only because it's small. What happened Panasonic? The whole miniaturization of components thing has been apparently disregarded.

Lumix has involved themselves in gimmicks for some time now. Anyone remember OZO Audio on the G100? What about DFD Focus "technology"; and somehow, the Olympus cameras without PDAF (like the E-M10 iii, iv) did much better in CAF. At least this on-camera mic seems like an actual product, but I'm just not sure how useful it is since it's a rather large device taking up you hot shoe. I think I'll pass for that reason alone. Just give us 32bit with ANY mic internally, not a whole contraption on top.

It's great they came out with something new, but I wish they'd spent their time elsewhere. This product just doesn't seem like a priority. If audio is the priority, I'd rather a set of 2+ wireless lav microphones that connect and record to the camera via bluetooth or wifi. Why hasn't anyone done that?

I just thought I'd ask because I'm enjoying this starting point rather than the Panasonic Standard profile for the GH4. I'm shoot the GX800. ProColor is giving me a really nice starting point for different film stock looks. I think @Andrew - EOSHD was going for the 1DX mkII when he made the profile in the first place. Ultimately, if you like it, it's good.

Yes, very likely too.

I really feel for Europe and how it’s been bullied by the US for decades—through trade agreements, military operations, and more. I’ve been telling people here in France for years to stop following the US blindly. Europe gets screwed every time. I’m a leftist in France, but I vote in the US; believe me, I do it consistently. Right now, that’s the best way to make a difference. And remember—the US is full of well-intentioned, humane, and kind people. The only way things change is through voting, in my opinion. As for Mattias, maybe he just wants to disconnect. I get it. I’m into politics, but sometimes the sheer mess of it all is too much. To recharge my political energy while keeping my sanity, I go back to season 1, episode 1 of The West Wing and start over. I focus on my family and, importantly, on voting in the real world—with my attention on policy, not culture wars. These days, my priority is taxing the obscenely wealthy, and I figure the rest will follow.

I've seen this before, but usually it's with channels (especially old ones) that have been hit with copyright strikes and such. Mattias's channel take down seems to be voluntary and perhaps political. I simply don't have the hard disk space to save all the videos I really enjoy, but it makes me really sad to say goodbye. It feels like it's the digital equivalent of burning books and erasing history. Personally, I don't think I could do that. Then again, we don't know the exact circumstances. @Mattias Burling, care to respond?

Anyone know where he went? It would seem his "Gear Doesn't Matter" doesn't exist anymore.

Wide angle and shallow DOF isn't for M43. Recently, I got the Laowa 28mm f/1.2 for my S5ii/S9. The rendering looks and feel like medium format. If your subject is 4-7 feet away, you get a really interesting look that is impossible on M43, showing plenty of context, yet quite a bit of blur. That lens is my indoor lens. I absolutely love it.

I'm dumbfounded by the fact that the GM5 commands the same price as the S9 at roughly 840 euros on MPB. When will Panasonic take notice?