Davide DB

I agree but quoting the last excerpt from Nikkei article, they are speaking of a different segment: Finepix, Cyber-shot they are real point & shot camera. Just look at Sony: RX100 VII suggested retail price: 1300€ ZV-1 II suggested retail price 1000€ ZV-E10 (ILC) suggested retail price: 800€ (here we are in the GM range) The above are not P&S camera and in that segment that Panasonic left a whole market to its competitor. And thinking to Andrew's post it's the format/size where M43 should be king.

I agree with you except for the LX10 and LX100. They are not cameras that fall into the category that can be replaced by a smarphone. There is the whole audience of Youtubers/vloggers and both Sony and Canon have recently dropped machines aimed at this group of users. Basically a compact with perfect AF and good microphones. Speaking of my niche: Sony has sold tons of RX100s (seven generations) widely used as compact solutions for underwater shooting. Panasonic proved that both the LX10 and 100 were far superior for underwater use but then they became obsolete and left completely the market to Sony and Olympus. There are a lot of people who still use them with great satisfaction and would welcome an updated version that also competes with the newly released Olympus TG7 (another best-selling camera). In short, it is true that smartphones have eaten a chunk of the market but there are niches where there is still great demand for more specialized tools. Do all these users who buy action cams die with gopros or should they go straight to an R5C?

If the goal is to renovate all the cameras.... They started with the FF line. They probably were not ready for the flagship so they started with the entry level S5 model (perhaps the best selling). They revamped the older flagship G9. In my opinion even if they had started with the GH6 the result would not have changed in terms of total destruction of sales of the other models. Following this logic, the next step could be: - a new PDAF machine in the rangefinder line (GX80 etc.) OR even in the smallest line, LX10 or LX100. - new SH1x II flagships with PDAF

I completely agree with Andrew. On the appropriateness of firing on the ambulance given its influence, I do not comment. If Panasonic's policy is focused on saving money, what will be the next camera? A GH7 with the body of an S1H? An S1HII eith the same S1H ? Finally a GX80II ? I can't believe they decided to rationalize camera bodies in this way. Maybe they fired everyone in the industrial design department? Of course with this speed, when they complete the cycle we will have a Sony A7SV a Sony A2 a Nikon Z11. Let's be clear, the speed with which Sony churns out new machines is evil but Panasonic's business policy is truly a mystery.

R.I.P. then

It seems to me a suicide decision. It is bad enough that cameras receive fw updates, let alone hw. It would be the first time in history. I simply believe that the sensor is a derivative of that of the GH6 and the marketing sells itself that they are identical. But the devil is in the details. I've read too that they have the same sensor but who is the source? I guess it's just a PR statement. Nobody disassembled it.

It's simply not possible thay are the same sensor. A modern PDAF sensor ha specialized pixels on it. It's not something you are adding later. Only old real DSRL had the space to implement PDAF out of the sensor. If G9II and GH6 have the same image It means that the G9II sensor is a derivation of the GH6 sensor but it's a completely different one. So I think I'll pass the mic to Harry Callaghan https://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/124306/confusion-about-the-principle-of-on-sensor-pdaf-technique

I don't understand how it could be a firmware update. Any paper on PDAF technology (on mirrorless/phones) explains that the sensor must have specialized photodiodes. The number varies with the accuracy and speed of the autofocus.

Nobody cares but from a underwater video operator POV (mine 😁) Pana budget choice of reusing the same body could be a good one. It happens once in a blue moon that two camera share the same body and control layout and this seems to be the case. Nauticam has already a reasonably priced uw housing for the S5 II (3350€ vs 4050€ of GH6)and this seems to be fully compatible. To be seen the 120mm port diameter for the FF lens. https://www.nauticam.com/collections/panasonic-mirrorless-housings/products/s5ii-underwater-housing-for-panasonic-lumix-s5ii-x-camera

Yes I was too dramatic and I know you like to play devil's advocate 😉 but the substance of the argument does not change: what is the point of having an M43 sensor inside a full frame body? Certainly a huge saving in design and production costs (which unfortunately will not be passed on to the end customer). But what many are saying is that the route taken so far takes away a lot of the appeal of the M43 system.

On the contrary, I smell the marketing department here. "If 40 percent choose Canon it means what they offer is good so let's copy them!" And now we find ourselves with M43 sensors in the body of a 1DX. This is where Panasonic stopped dreaming and being innovative by betraying what were the peculiarities of the M43. They will be forced to launch a GH7 as soon as possible otherwise the timing chosen is simply suicidal.

You have enough material for a spicy new episode on youtube 😉

Sorry Kye, I agree but I have to disagree 🙂 I always forget to include a disclaimer that I use the M43 system underwater 99% of the time. My fault. Unless those rare cases where you are looking for an artistic effect, underwater, "razor sharp" is ALWAYS better. Now the best underwater imaging is achieved with additional wet lenses. These are designed to work with specific focal lengths and diameters. For example, this one is designed for the 14mm. With a 12mm it vignettes. A 1,3 Kg chunk of glass https://www.divephotoguide.com/underwater-photography-scuba-ocean-news/nauticam-releases-next-generation-wet-wide-lens-wwl-1b Unfortunately, the only M43 compatible lenses are the two old 14-42mm. Discontinued lenses that have never been updated because the equally mediocre and perhaps three times as large 12-60 now goes. The 14-42mm (also the PZ pancake version) is very good up to 20mm then the definition degrades a lot and with two wet lenses in front the effect is very evident. The 12-35 is the most beautiful lens I have ever used underwater but unfortunately it is too narrow* and too wide when inserted behind a wet lens. * Lens FOV behind a dome decrease a lot: https://www.subspace.ch/uw-optics-expertise To conclude this rant that no one will give a damn about.... I agree with @Andrew Reidwhen he writes: Same applies to lens too. I would like to have a 14-42 pancake marked Leica. It's crazy that a GH5 with 12-60mm is bigger than a Sony FX3 with the 28-60mm. Sony FE 28-60mm is becoming the new underwater standard to be use with wet lens.

All the tiny lens are not updated anymore. Kit lens and new ones are huge. In this regard Pana failed to comply with the original M43 promise.

Any review from Canada?

90% of customers do not care about overheating. Otherwise GoPro would have gone out of business five years ago.

will be excluded from having new units previewed and condemned to oblivion and youtuber hell 🙂

I have not found the exact dimensions but it seems to be a nice, bulky block. For me the micro 43 system still makes sense because I use it for underwater shooting and it helps me to have a rather compact assembly. At least in lenses and corresponding portholes. Certainly the compactness of the underwater kits with the Sony A6XXX is impressive. Given the overheating problems of all Sony cameras I don't know if having a GX85 style body with the latest resolutions and bitrates is feasible. Maybe a fan is needed here too.

This Italian guy broke the emabrgo prior the launch

Better of a Gopro.

I've read several reviews and I don't see sign for an hardware upgrade. GPS could be just shut-off and BT audio could be a new functionality on top of existing BT chipset capabilities. We'll see

And so one feels like searching for the Naiads, beautiful and immortal freshwater nymphs that disturb the spirit of those who catch a glimpse of them emerging from the waters. Beliefs that embody the ambiguous feeling of fear and attraction to the waters. So far no Naiads and Nereids but only many sticklebacks! GH5MII and GH5S, various lens, natural light Sound ON

Anyway, I apologize if I'm being a whiner and repeating myself again. But I am truly impressed by Sony's Fire Power in the photographic market. At the height of the pandemic there were rumors that the market was about to collapse (I remember all the speculation when production of the A7C was suspended). That insane price increases would lead to the bubble bursting. Now between Sony and Canon it is a race to introduce new models. Which is then the same HW, in automotive terms I would say it is the same platform, re-presented in N different forms. And me as an idiot still checking the rumors to see if maybe in 2024 there will be a M43 Pana camera with PDAF. In the meantime Sony has revamped the whole fleet and at this rate maybe even two iterations. Madness.

Yes it's marketed as solution for drones, timelapse, science and industrial application. Price and specs apart it covers a niche left by gopro long time ago. Since the gopro removed the ability to control it by wire (long since only through BT and with a closed protocol) it has become increasingly difficult to use them for scientific purposes. This one has the ability to shoot continuously at 3 FPS. Perfect for photogrammetry and the simple wire interface make it perfect gor affordable system integrations

https://pro.sony/en_CA/products/installable-cameras/ilx-lr1