YouTube is now the place to watch the release of new cameras. Decades ago, we had to travel to Cologne, in Germany, to find all the new models, now we can sit comfortably at home and have the news delivered. Or the official news, because, in the weeks, days before many of these events, rumor websites have revealed everything or almost everything there is to know. Sometimes even full press-releases and images, as I just confirmed, reading all about the new Tamron 50-300mm FE lens, which will cost $799, days before it is officially announced.
The magic of going to Cologne and Photokina to see new cameras is now gone but, on the other hand, the worldwide distribution that a platform as YouTube offers has advantages, in terms of marketing. It’s also probably cheaper than having a booth at a fair. This explains why Panasonic on June 5, at 10.00PM (if I got it right) will announce its new camera on YouTube, followed by Canon, that two hours later (12.00PM PDT) enters the stage to reveal what many believe is a new version of the C70, or a new model within the same family.
The Panasonic event will, according to the multiple rumor mills, introduce the LUMIX GH7, a Micro Four Thirds that, if it is true, confirms Panasonic has not abandoned the format. The illustration for the announcement video does suggest a MFT mount, so everybody believes that’s the GH7 so many have dreamt about. The New Phase mention in the teaser is, effectively, a term used by Panasonic with the introduction of phase-detection elements in the G9 II, making it the first Micro Four Thirds camera from the LUMIX family to include phase detection autofocus, so it is not difficult to guess what’s coming with the GH7.
LUMIX GH7 with internal ProRes recording?
While the discussion online about what the new camera will be gives no clear indication of what to expect – some believe it is just a G9II sensor inside the GH6 body – the fact that this is a new Micro Four Thirds camera is good news for all those who believed Panasonic had given up on MFT. We will have to wait and see, though, as Panasonic has not shared much information, although it is believed that some people has been using the camera in recent weeks.
Photographer Andrea Pizzini, who keeps a rumors YouTube channel, revealed today that the Panasonic LUMIX GH7 “costs $2200 and it will have internal ProRes recording capabilities!” an information that appears to be from reliable sources but should be checked tomorrow when the camera is officially announced.
The new Panasonic LUMIX – GH7? – is announced right before Cine Gear Expo starts in Los Angeles, so it is easy to understand where to go if you want to check the camera live and, probably, hold it with your own hands. The same is true for Canon, that will introduce its new Cinema camera – and probably more – right before the 2024 edition of Cine Gear Expo, which opens, on June 7, at the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank.
Canon’s announcement made by Canon USA Pro states simply this “Coming soon to cinema… tune in June 5th at 12pm PDT/3pm EDT to learn more!” but the illustration used gives a hint about which Cinema camera Canon is introducing: a new version of the C70. Canon’s YouTube channel does not show anything yet, but people are invited to subscribe to it to watch the announcement on June 5. For now, the only piece of news there is the video “introducing the next in line”, the upcoming EOS R1. Will it also be part of the presentation?