New Mirrorless Camera Records 10-bit 4:2:2 4K at Maximum 30p, 8-bit 4K at up to 60p

The big news out of this year's Photokina 2016 in Cologne, Germany, was Panasonic's prototype of the Lumix GH5, a new mirrorless micro-four-thirds camera that records 10-bit 4:2:2 4K video at up to 30fps straight to SD card. 

That's a significant upgrade from the GH4, which could record 10-bit pictures only to an external recorder. Supported frame rates for 10-bit will be 30p, 25p, 24p and 23.98p, but if you can make do with lower quality, the GH5 will capture 8-bit 4K at up to 50/60p, Panasonic said.

Some other features of the camera were less clearly described. For example, a new "burst" function Panasonic calls "6K Photo" is said to extract an approximately 6000×3000 still image from "ultra-high-quality 18-megapixel video," suggesting the camera actually has a 6K sensor. But there was no indication that users would be able to record 6K video, only still images in burst mode. It's possible that heat management and/or SD card throughput becomes an issue when capturing 6K for more than a few seconds at a time.

News of the GH5 was a welcome surprise for shooters on the lookout for inexpensive 4K camera options — and another salvo in the continuing insurgence of innovative mirrorless cameras against more firmly entrenched DSLR technology — but nobody's getting their wallets out just yet. Panasonic has the camera scheduled for "early 2017." Pricing hasn't been announced, but it's likely to be in line with the GH4, which listed at $1699 at launch and can be had for substantially less these days.