Panasonic BGH1 Hands-on Review: Panasonic's new box camera

Watch our Panasonic BGH1 review to find out why we think Panasonic's new box camera has so much potential: flexible rigging, small size, SDI connections, updated V-Log L, remote operation and more!
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[@ivandyap]

Always amazed that you guys can pull off “welcome back, DPreview TV viewers” flawlessly at the start of each video. What a tongue-twister!

[@endrocahyo15]

I never realised that those are quite a tongue twister... Now I'm impressed

[@CDNChaoZ]

I wonder how often he reverts back to "Welcome back TCS viewers."

[@ivandyap]

@@CDNChaoZ Certainly much easier to articulate 😉

[@nikkipedro]

It is not as much a tongue twister in the Canadian language. This is coming from a nasal Australian.

[@SunnySoCal]

literally every camera company just announced a new camera what a lovely year to be a photographer or videographer

[@ewtriplett]

I hope DPReview can continue to give us great reviews like this one on portable video-centric cameras from Blackmagic, Red, ZCam, and others. Even a review of the new Panasonic camcorders would be great. I know the sensors are small but they seem very capable. Thank you for your excellent work.

[@peternavanac9310]

Superb, well researched review. Provided just the info I was looking for. Subscribed to your channel. Appreciate the quality content.

[@URIBENFILM]

Excellent video breakdown!

[@KevinvanDiest]

Jordan really is getting better with presenting....good job!

[@gayshrink3190]

Screw the camera. It's all about the deer behind Jordan.

[@naturesessions.studio]

3:57

[@edohd5016]

Have not watched this guy since he switched from camera store to DPreview, glad you doing well buddy....

[@aditya_gupta]

Love the colour grading of this video

[@JeanV1986]

I understand Panasonic was never state of the art regarding autofocus performance in video, but this things is in a class of its own!

[@PeterEvansPeteTakesPictures]

David Byrne: "It's a multi-purpose shape - a box."

[@JericTamayo]

Think outside the box loll

[@STATE.38]

I've had this for about 3 months and I solely use it on a ronin SC. Went from a c200 on a ronin 1 to this little rig. No drop at all in quality. Raw is nice but when you're filming 3 projects a day, the all intra is much better for quick turnaround. Files play super smooth in davinci studio. Files are half the size of the raw c200 files. rig weighs about 1/9 of what my old rig weighed. It's awesome.

[@jessejohnson638]

The segment on 3:10 is out of focus like half of the time, idk why they are still pushing hard on their contrast AF

[@ctrice]

Yeah the autofocus is still brutal. So disappointing.

[@OfTwoLands]

Interesting product. Would love if Blackmagic would release something with that form factor again.

[@Humcrush]

What lens were you using for the "webcam" portion at the end?

[@Lukvader9]

Perfect as a christmas gift for kids.

[@manilamartin1001]

SDI, I'm in love.

[@automat8]

Thank you Jordan

[@glennsak]

Jordan's new haircut is on point.

[@dpc4548]

About time! The gh4 had all of this stuff and the gh5 stipped it all away! It's so nice to see them FINALLY have an update to the GH4 that's more serious. It's not as cutting edge as it should be, but it's a good step. I don't think blackmagic are too worried. Also, the GH cameras have always had a touch screen you can turn off, that's the best part.

[@dpc4548]

Also, also, are you STILL in this corona thing? That sucks, dude. Good luck there and I'm happy you're still going strong and making videos like this.

[@lamasteve6905]

Power flexibility is a very nice feature. Put it anywhere, two card slots, many more updates are coming so M43 is still and will be a very go to camera ! Put up a 4k video image from a fool frame and a M43 image can you tell the difference ? Great connectivity so it's your subject and content that counts !

[@cinergiflims]

like just to see you guys doing more cine stuff

[@DavidFarquharsonPhotography]

I love the audio, can anyone tell me what was used to capture the sound in this ep?

[@HikingWithCooper]

How has this held up over the past 2 years? I've seen a lot of reviews around its release but nothing newer. Can it be controlled by a monitor such as the Portkeys LH5P? Using a phone app on set is wonky at best. How about video formats? I saw some talk about BRAW so is that working? Thirdly, I know there are 2 sd card slots but is that the only storage option? Will 4k 60 even record to SD? So many questions.

[@quite1enough]

nice Criterion t-shirt!

[@realjeremyduncan]

Two quick questions 1. can you power it on and off remotely? 2. can you load a custom LUT and output that over SDI? Thanks

[@srijonmondal8842]

3:56 is it a dear in the background?

[@DanielScottFilms]

Was going to say this. I'm not sure if he saw it or not while shooting. If so - why didn't he say "let's see if the auto focus will track that deer in the background?"

[@agtvbarbershop]

Hello, a question, what kind of lens does the camera have in the video? Thanks

[@nathanberg6817]

I don't know if you plan to do more with this camera, but I have a specific use case for it I would appreciate help investigating. I need a dual purpose camera for my Church- live streaming on Sunday, field work during the week. And it needs to be as easy to use as possible A camcorder would work, but the image quality will suck. With a monitor and a side handle, how well does this work as a camcorder replacement?

[@legendp2011]

but why buy this over a zcam e2 f6? or even a sigma fp? am I missing something

[@DrShaym]

Unless you absolutely need SDI, I don't know why anyone would choose this over the Z Cam E2-M4 which records ProRes, supports higher frame rates, has better dynamic range, and costs $500 less.

[@News_Today]

better 3-year free international warranty and support, if I am running a high-end streaming business... support is the main part.

[@heartshapedfilms]

as an E2 M4 owner I'll share my 2 cents. the in built codec is fairly robust for most shooters and i like the SD-UHS II card slots over the eye watering price tag of a Cfast 2.0 card.. then having a SDI out for something like a shinobi is a pleasure. though I don't need gen lock and Prores is nice though and an industry standard. The M4 also has a nicer body and buttons i feel Lumix have some catching up though they're clearly feeling the heat from Zcam. finally the slow mo is awesome

[@gmtimothy]

@@News_Today zcam has phenomenal support often within minutes on their Facebook group!!! And replacement quickly if needed!

[@News_Today]

@@gmtimothy I heard that but if I am running a business where cameras may run daily 8 hrs and abused by newbies and pro employees.....I would go with a company that has repair centers in almost every country and a longer warranty period. I like Z CAM and their products and services but if I have to choose between ZCAM and Panasonic.... I would choose an electronic manufacturing gaint like Panasonic.

[@fatheadmediapro]

@@News_Today Seems like the logical choice... although, I sent my S1H in for service THREE weeks ago and they are barely sending it back, hopefully it ships out today (but I doubt it). I sent them very detailed notes and reference images and they still could not figure it out. I am a Lumix Pro Red member, whereas you are suppose to receive a loaner camera if you don't get your camera back in 7 business days. They repeatedly denied me. So what am I saying? Don't be so quick to bash the new guy, because from my experience Panasonic customer service doesn't appear to be all that good. Actually, I am second guessing my choice to pick the S1h over the ZcamF6.

[@Reedith]

What lens was used during the webcam test ?

[@eggydrums]

Nice Criterion shirt, Jordan

[@blakebyers5810]

Would the use cases be comparable to cameras like the Z-Cam series, or the previously referenced RED Komodo? I feel like a popular use case would be to use a monitor on it rather than a computer interface most of the time, but I suppose I'm biased because that's just how I would use it myself.

[@DanielScottFilms]

@Blake Byers - Yes - even looks super similar to the design of the Z-Cam. The only thing this camera has over the z-cam, in my opinion, is the SDI out. The Z-Cam has evolved so much over the short span of their lifetime with advanced connectivity and syncing and as far as image quality goes, Z-Cam is by far superior. For the money, the BGH1 lags behind.

[@MadEnglishTV]

Cool, I was looking for some bricks to build a fireplace.

[@Professor_Andy]

what was the camera used at the beginning of the video?

[@Ranger7Studios]

It's a zcam! Love it! Wonder how these compare.

[@VIRTUALJAPAN]

Wait, if they added 4k 60p 4:2:2 10-bit, can't they add this to GH5s via firmware update? Since they have the same sensor? Infact, I remember them saying at the gh5s release that they would in fact be adding 4k 60fps to gh5s in a future firmware update...so where is it? How about at least 4k 60fps 4:2:0 10-bit? Also that shot on the gimbal looks the same as gh5s on a gimbal, full of terrible microgitters. Does panasonic have any plans to release any type of gyro based post-stabilization software, similar to Sony's Catalyst browse?

[@willfilmsstudio155]

Hey! I'm interested in the BGH1. The only downside is it doesn't come with Batteries or a charger. I decided to go with the native Panasonic batteries, however the charger is seemingly way overpriced (it actually should have come included in the package). Anyways do you have any experience with any other chargers for the Native Panasonic BGH1 batteries? The one Panasonic sells is mostly plastic and costs $219.

[@TheAllusionPictures]

I love the Deer in the background!

[@WhitecatProject]

Unusable autofocus if you ask me. I would never get it on the field unless stopped down a lot. But very good for lower level studios with some decent lighting. For pro studios there are better options out there. Still nice to see more and more options

[@sidneyalvarez5913]

With what camera did you record this video?

[@JoeMaranophotography]

You turned the deer into Toneh! Let me at the deer! I wanna see it 😂🦌

[@rawsteaksauce]

😂😂😂

[@terrywbreedlove]

Can we operate this with a smartphone or tablet ?

[@CrazyMalawian]

“One day.” That was sad 🥺

[@RyanDeLaTorre]

A couple questions! 1) The old V-Log L used to clip at 80 IRE, does this new V-Log L have a higher clipping point? I’d love to play with some sample footage to see what we’re getting out of the highlights. 2) My GH5S gets really noisy right before switching circuits (800-1250 ISO has awful horizontal noise in the shadows, then 1600 ISO looks fine), I would love to know if you’re seeing that same kind of performance here.

[@richarddimery]

I think vlog always clips at around 70-80%. I've got an EVA-1 and that does it too. Panasonic seems to love throwing away data.

[@ntchi]

Does someone knows if its the exact same sony imx299cjk sensor from the gh5s? How did they gain that extra dynamic range?

[@jordan6891]

Has DO Review looked into ZCam yet? They have this same form factor and are rocking it right now at a better price. 😎

[@robertm3951]

ZCAM E2 is the same price for the Multicam model. The advantages that ZCAM has are 4K 120 FPS and RAW. Panasonic has much more of a reputation for reliability than ZCAM.

[@DanielScottFilms]

@@robertm3951 Go ahead and call me a Z-Cam fan boy. Z-Cam E2 4K shoots 160FPS and 240FPS HD. Z-Cam shoots Z-RAW internally but is not used often by most z-cam users due to no native NLE support (transcoding is required for Z-RAW). About reputation on reliability - just ask users in the Facebook Z-Cam E2 group for their honest opinions.

[@philemotion8876]

Thanks guys ! 👍 😷...

[@impatrickt]

I WANT IT

[@GLASSFILM]

a7siii still takes the cake. Can you get me mine already!!!! Im on the list !

[@RoofRack2]

I have to say - that's a bloody excellent review of the capabilities of this thing. I've been assuming webcams will move in this direction - £2k not viable for home use really though. And what streamers want I think is lots of shots, so cheap bodies, not powerful ones. At the moment I am using 1/3" chips in CCTV bodies that cost £80 and with MF lenses that cost £8 to £30. The system is great, but the quality is still low. But I could put 20 different shots in a room for the price of one of these without a lens. I won't get the resolution, which is amazing in your video, but it still comes quite a way down my list, and I suspect, for most streamers. So this feels like it's still for a kind of pro/v high end amateur market. If they think my market is the future and want to get a volume product out, I want an even cheaper body system. A box with a hole at one end and a chip at the other. Aperture, shutter, focus and power going in - data coming out. Everything else should be modular/expandable. Want SDI out, battery in, SD card slots - buy separately. 20 cameras in a room is unlikely, but three is very, very likely - four easily in teaching set ups. I don't know if they want this market - but someone is going to fill it. And the bodies are going to be simpler and even more modular and they are going to cost $250 each I'm afraid - but every teacher, every trainer, even a lot of sales people in the world - are going to have three each. And maybe one fancy one.

[@bigherb]

great webcam 😎

[@michaelds948]

Anyone know if I could hook up my Android phone to the BGH1 via HDMI adapter and use it as an external monitor?

[@TheNefastor]

Those huge connector covers look like they would be a *major* annoyance, flopping around and interfering with a camera cage. Can they be removed without tearing them off ?

[@Ihyabond009]

I don't know but I have a feeling they'll release the next five cameras with the same autofocus system lol

[@yarkiymir1]

You really gave this BGH1 a hard time for a focusing test. I'd have suggested to include a second approach in some less difficult scene and with 60p settings, otherwise many viewers might consider that it just sucks at AF, which is not always the case.

[@UPLOADbyECMall]

inspired by Z CAM

[@MozTS]

Other than the sdi and genlock not really an improvement

[@Insulinspike]

At first I was thinking this was more of a crash cam but now I feel this is engineered toward a multi cam studio setup.

[@francoishoule3647]

You should compare with : Z CAM E2-S6 Super 35 6K Cinema Camera. It could interesting

[@jonatanjimenez3819]

Differences between GH5s and BGH1?

[@emix1010]

3:56 ‘Keep an eye out for any of that wobbling’ Me: that’s not wobbling, that’s a deer.

[@rzero21]

3:10 lol, either the sensor is so tiny or the lens so wide it hardly has any DOF and makes it easy to mask if it's in focus or not (and still struggles a bit)

[@edwardnixon1782]

On the Pro's side: You don't mention all us m4/3 peeps with an investment in lenses. That's what keeps me looking at the BMD Cinema 4k for example. "Building Out" is all very well if you're in the business of selling this stuff. Maybe selling your own stuff. But, really! Sometimes you just have to say... slow down big fella! Keep looking for the technology/convergence curve pay-backs. Thanks for the info!

[@automat8]

Good haircut!

[@zackketz]

I was waiting for Panasonic to release a box cam, but M43? Ugh... Would have preferred a FF above 4K.

[@limestone_xyz]

not sure if YT compression or camera quality, but it really looks kinda crappy...

[@Bgiwrgos]

Also, they didn't use the camera for a long time to find the perfect setup, each camera needs different settings, even if, the philosophy of filming is the same.

[@goingfurther8092]

Yea the footage looked bad from my first impression...

[@Bgiwrgos]

@Mark Vasquez haha

[@aussie8114]

Got no idea what a vector scope is but I’m pretty sure I need one.

[@Ildskalli]

It’s the smart way to preview exposure. But we’re stuck on the stills side with crappy histograms derived from JPEGs in effing 2020. It’s a disgrace.

[@jcnash02]

It’s better for determine in an objective way the color balance and other things related to color.

[@PaulfromMNL]

Gorgeous eyes!

[@LiaoK]

The Panasonic Bovine Growth Hormone?

[@Altcine]

Anyone manage to get power over usb-C? I can't get it to work?

[@jayextras]

what's up with all the jitter at 3:11?

[@stephenbradford7936]

Looked worse than Blair Witch.

[@doblebo]

5:02 there was a Sasquatch sharing this shot with him moving through the brush... why did you guys edit him out?

[@MrBokkyboy]

He Jordan now that I know you have video chat with dale Baskin. Would you be so kind and ask him when the tether software will be available for the little panasonic people? You know the g80 type 👋🏽 of people. Thank you 😎

[@Devdev009]

It's only 3G-SDI though....

[@xWood4000]

I think that this camera may be perfect for NDI

[@AnindyaMitraDigitalStoryteller]

Atleast the camera didn't shift the focus point on the deer in the background, Panasonic is optimising the Contrast detect I guess

[@imabigsandwich1292]

The bgh1 only shoots 4k60 in 10bit 4:2:0, not 4:2:2, in 4:53 . Also, I think you guys ignored the e2 m4, while being 500 dollars cheaper. Has a very similar form factor, has the same sensor, shoots prores, h.264, h.265 and raw internally, and shoots 4k at up to 160fps as well. So that is a much more appealing option for many people.

[@FabledFew]

And it's $500 cheaper. If you don't need gen-lock, there's really no reason to get this camera over the ZCams.

[@imabigsandwich1292]

@@FabledFew Unless you need the camera to be ultra small and light, which the bgh1 is about 400g lighter then the e2 m4, and you need those connection, yeah I agree, the e2 offers so much more for so much less.

[@tjdemonte1172]

ZCAM anyone? down to the quarter 20s

[@howlandneal]

Trying to focus on Jordan but the gimbal jitter is really distracting me. 03:44

[@_o__o_]

do vido bout camera

[@AmberGurung8]

I am surprised these guys , was out of cave did not mention how similar it looks to zcam ,

[@rzero21]

0:23 WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING JORDAN!!! lol

[@neolexiousneolexian6079]

You should never watch Chris's Leica review with ice castles.

[@zolwikwkurwik]

To everyone that like this channel and humor - try watching Camera Conspiracies (about 85k subs atm).

[@chrisogrady28]

That name is just making me think of the BFG from DOOM

[@professionalpotato4764]

Kinda sucks it doesn't have IBIS or internal ND...

[@DollyRanch]

Why would this modular-type, gimbal-friendly body have IBIS of all things? Plus, the GH5S sensor is apparently too big for Panasonic's 5-axis stabiliser

[@professionalpotato4764]

@@DollyRanch Having a small body that's capable of run and gun without a gimbal, with the GH5s sensor would have been great. I mean... at this price point, why shouldn't I buy the Z-cam? Nearly the exact same features and build. The only thing Panasonic does well is IBIS and video codecs. Take away IBIS, and there's plenty of other options.

[@Walaby50]

The closest competitor to this camera, are all the ZCam Cameras and the big one that comes to your mind is the BM Pocket 4K? Really? You even mention the Hasselblad before a ZCam :D

[@TheChrisBauer]

Why would you buy this over the BMPCC4K?

[@danieldougan269]

Unlike the BMPCC 4K, this camera is Netflix-approved. It also has SDI, timecode, ethernet, and Genlock, and that is important for certain workflows.

[@MrNoipe]

This camera is a rip off of the ZCam, which has more features (eg phone tethering) for a cheaper price. Surprised the reviewers didn't mention this at all.

[@CallMeRabbitzUSVI]

As well as WDR, RAW recording and more

[@BarryMaskell]

Kodak predicted the future with the Box Brownie

[@CO8848_2]

So the point of this is a multi-cam broadcasting setting? Don't understand what this is for.

[@PharoahsKingdom]

Blackmagic needs to go box form from here on out.

[@TheJustindolbear]

It doesn’t shoot stills so No Chris. It’s amazing how the production value went up. Lol

[@did4h2k]

i like the formfactor... thats about it

[@1fareast14]

Huh, the bgh footage looks oversharp when not in v log

[@dallatorretdu]

maybe it's the correct camera choice for livestreams

[@najeefilms]

Cool if there wasn't a zcam available. Dated picture features. 4k 10 bit all-i in 2021 sheesh

[@quasarcreator]

Autofocus is STILL horrendous! The pulsing around 3:30 was so bad. Even with the huge depth of field that these M4/3 sensors and lenses have, the camera still had a hard time keeping track of Jordan

[@AIengine]

this why I buy Z-Cam E2 two years ago as a Nikon user not switch to Sony .

[@gabrielmachadobsb]

If it was capable of RAW output through SDI it would be perfect. 4k BRAW over video assist on a modular camera like this would be an indie darling

[@mipmipmipmipmip]

Didn't do this on the BS1H either :(

[@DmitriFilms]

You're in luck. BRAW and ProRes RAW now available.