Panasonic has launched the Lumix DMC-G7, its latest mirrorless camera to offer a 16-megapixel sensor and the ability to capture 4K video. It also includes a new feature that allows it to shoot 30 still images before you press the shutter.
Most photographers know of "the moment" and how elusive it can be to capture. Amazing photos can happen in milliseconds and for most of us, the push of a shutter button usually happens a second later. But that is about to change. Panasonic has just released the Lumix DMC-G7 camera and it brings with it a new 4K photo mode that just might change the way we think about making photographs.
Panasonic is already the market leader in consumer-level 4K video, its GH4 the first truly affordable interchangeable-lens camera capable of shooting 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) videos at 30 frames-per-second. Now Panasonic are using the same technology to produce 8-megapixel stills at the same rate.
The new 4K Photo mode uses the Lumix DMC-G7's massive buffer to continually capture (but not record) 30 images per second images. In 4K Pre-burst mode, the moment you push the shutter release button the camera writes the 30 frames before, and 30 frames after to the memory card. From these 60 frames you can choose the peak moment and save this frame as an 8-megapixel JPEG.
There are two other 4K Photo modes; the 4K Burst mode records images at 30-fps for as long as your finger is on the shutter release, while in 4K Burst start/stop mode, recording starts with the first press of the shutter release, and stops recording with the second press. In both of these modes you can capture images for up to 30-minutes (that's a total of 54,000 frames). As you can guess, you should be able to find at least one good moment amongst all those frames, assuming you have the patience to edit through them
Each image is 8-megapixels in size, you can work in any aspect ratio and use any shutter speed above 1/30th of a second. These setting are ideal for capturing a range of action, from photographing lightning through to capturing action shots at a sports event. You might even position the camera near a bird feeder and capture the moment birds wing their way into the frame.
The G7 can also capture 16-megapixel stills in the conventional photo mode, and capture the same exceptional 4K video as the slightly larger Lumix G4. Other features include a 2,360K-dot OLED Live View finder, a 3-inch 1040K-dot free-angle touch screen LCD display, front and rear command dials, 11 user-definable custom buttons and Wi-Fi connectivity to your personal smart devices. Video features include focus peaking, zebra pattern Cinelike V or Cinelike D video profiles and time-lapse shot/stop-motion animation. These features are all packed in to a compact 410-gram body (including battery and SD card).
The Lumix DMC-G7 will retail for $899 body only, $999 with the single-lens kit, $1199 with the twin lens kit or $1499 with the new Panasonic 14-140mm zoom lens. The camera should be available in late June.
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