3G, 3,5G 3G, H, H

Specifications Panasonic GH3 vs Panasonic GH4

Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.

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External links

The all new Lumix GH3 – Changing Photography, press release of Panasonic, 17 September 2012

Технические характеристики, заявленные производителем

4G

Do you see 4G in your notification bar? If so, give yourself a pat on the back, you are one of the lucky few who has access to the latest and greatest mobile network!

The first public 4G networks in the world came online in Stockholm and Oslo in 2009, and other countries slowly joined them in following years. In the U.K., the nationwide rollout occurred in 2014, while in the U.S., most of the largest cities now have the network.

Most of these networks use the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard, though some — including Sprint in the U.S. — are using the less-common Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) standard. In Europe and North America, most carriers will be dropping WiMAX by the end of 2017. 

For the end user, the differences between the two are negligible. The biggest shortcoming of WiMAX is that not enough carriers adopted it to make it viable, thus making LTE the de facto standard. Why did carriers choose against WiMAX adoption?

• WiMAX networks don’t support legacy systems like 2G and 3G, while LTE is compatible and enables co-existence and easier roaming.
• LTE has a higher maximum speed, especially as the next-gen LTE-A starts to rollout.
• LTE draws less battery power on a handset.

Speeds on 4G will soon be able to go as high as 1 Gigabit per second. And for the record, rumors suggest that when 5G eventually arrives, it will be able to support speeds up to 1 Terabit per second! See our comparison of 4G LTE and 5G

LTE vs. 4G vs. 5G: What’s the Difference?

LTE vs. 4G vs. 5G: What’s the Difference?
Should your next phone be LTE or 4G? Maybe 5G? Learn which mobile broadband is fastest and compare LTE. vs 4G. vs 5G.
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for more info.

2G

Let’s work through these from slowest to fastest.

2G was first launched way back in 1991 and was the technology that ultimately allowed data services such as SMS and MMS to become prolific on mobile phones later in the decade.

It also signified the first time that radio signals became digital rather than analog (1G), thus providing greater spectrum efficiency and helping mobile phones with market penetration.

It only has a maximum speed of 50 kilobits per second, and in large parts of Europe and North America, the 2G networks are now being turned off. Despite that, it is still the network of choice in vast swathes of the developing world.

Panasonic Lumix GH3 Features

The GH3 takes over from the GH2 as the flagship model within Panasonic’s DSLM range. At its heart the GH3 employs a 16MP Live MOS sensor – 16MP being the same resolution that’s offered by the two-year-old GH2. The two sensors are quite different however, with the newer chip having been modified to allow for a wider dynamic range to be captured. In practical terms this equates to a standard sensitivity range of between ISO 200-12,800 – which can be further expanded to the equivalent of ISO 125-25,600 via the extended settings.

Meanwhile the GH3’s image processer has been updated to the latest Venus 7 FHD chip and this allows the GH3 to reach some impressively quick continuous shooting speeds, the fastest of which is the 20fps Super High speed mode, although it should be noted that this is only available for JPEG capture. Should you want to shoot in Raw or even Raw+JPEG then the rate drops to 6fps. This still isn’t bad though, especially when you consider that some DSLRs at this price point aren’t able to shoot this fast. If you don’t need to shoot as fast as 6fps, then there are further options to shoot continuously at 2fps or 4fps.Exposure modes include the standard ‘manual’ quartet of Program, Aperture-priority, Shutter-priority and Manual (PASM) modes, along with a fully automatic intelligent Auto (iA) mode, a range of 24 individually selectable Scene modes and 14 Creative Control digital filter effects that can be used to give your images anything from a miniaturised to a cross-processed look. Rounding things off are three Custom settings that you can set up as you like and then recall in an instant simply by turning the exposure mode dial to the saved Custom slot.

In addition to its still image capabilities, the GH3 also builds on the reputation of its predecessor for excellent – not to mention extensive – video capture options with the addition of even more movie formats and bit rates including 1920 x 1080 Full HD settings at 50p, 50i, 25p and 24p. Furthermore, you can opt to record movie files in the HDTV-friendly AVCHD format, or to use the more computer friendly MP4 and MOV recording formats. The GH3 also comes with not one but two 3.5mm jacks: one for an external microphone and one for a set of headphones, which enables you to record audio while simultaneously monitoring the sound.

On the back of the GH3 is a side-hinged 3in, 614k-dot vari-angle LCD monitor that can be pulled away from the camera body by 180° and then rotated through 270, which is really useful for self-portraits and when shooting from extreme angles.

Should you prefer to hold the camera to eye level then the built-in OLED electronic viewfinder offers an impressive 1.7million-dot resolution and a 100% field of view making it one of the better EVFs on the market. Autofocus is taken care of by Panasonic’s proprietary Light-Speed contrast-detect AF system, which is one of the fastest AF modules on the market. Autofocus options extend to single-area AF and multi-point AF modes alongside AF tracking and Face Detection options. In addition to compositional and playback duties the GH3’s rear screen also offers touchscreen functionality, which includes Touch AF whereby you can set your focus point simply by tapping on the point of the screen you want the camera to focus on. Touch Shutter takes this a stage further by automatically taking a shot once focus has been attained.

Last but not least, the GH3 is also the first Lumix interchangeable lens camera to come with integrated Wi-fi connectivity. This is quickly becoming a must-have feature on recent digital camera launches, so it’s good to see the GH3 future-proofing itself with its inclusion, even it it hasn’t gone quite so far as the Samsung Galaxy Camera by including 3G and an Android, mobile phone-like interface. The GH3’s built-in Wi-Fi allows you to send images directly to your PC, or to back them up to the cloud without the need for any leads. In addition, by downloading the Lumix Link app (free from the Apple App Store and Google Play) you can also use your smartphone to control your camera remotely.

Michael Topham is the Deputy Technical Editor

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Panasonic GH3 and the Panasonic GH4 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

In this particular case, the Panasonic GH3 and the Panasonic GH4 have exactly the same width and height,
and, thus, have identically-sized bodies. However, the GH4 is slightly heavier (2 percent) than the GH3. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses.
You can compare the optics available in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog. Mirrorless cameras, such as the two under consideration, have the additional advantage of having a short flange to focal plane distance, which makes it possible to mount many lenses from other systems onto the camera via adapters.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, just use the right or left
arrows in the table to switch to the respective camera. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the CAM-parator app and
make your selection from the full list of cameras there.

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The GH3 was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 13 percent) than the GH4, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Introduction

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 is a new weather-proof Micro Four Thirds compact system camera with a 16.05-megapixel Live MOS sensor and 1080 60/50p Full HD recording, including AVCHD video with a bitrate of 28Mbps or MOV movies with 72Mbps in ALL-I. Successor to the DMC-GH2 model, the GH3 features built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, 0.07 second contrast-detect autofocus, a 1,744K OLED electronic viewfinder, a 3-inch swivelling and tilting OLED screen, a touchscreen control system with touch-based functions like Touch AF/AE and Touch Shutter, Optical Image Stabilisation to help combat camera-shake, ISO range of 125-25600, a completely silent electronic shutter, 6fps burst shooting and a Supersonic Wave Filter to remove unwanted dust. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 is available in black and costs £1100 / $1299 body only, £1600 in a kit with the 14-140mm lens and £2000 in a bundle with the Lumix G X 12-35mm f/2.8 high-performance standard zoom lens. A new battery grip (DMW-BGGH3) is also available for £249.

Still Confused Check This Chart

If you’re still confused, or if you feel overwhelmed by everything above, the chart below will tell you everything you need to know about the speeds and standards you can expect from each type of network.

Looking at the speeds on that chart, it really is incredible how far we’ve come in the last 15 years. It would have been impossible to imagine Gigabit speeds back in 2000 — but isn’t that the way with so much of the tech world these days?

Who knows where we might be in another 15 years. Assuming we are up to 7G or 8G by then, we’ll probably be enjoying several Terabits per second. No more pixelated YouTube videos!

It’s not enough to know about mobile networks. If you’re planning to buy a new mobile phone, it’s also important to learn about cellular frequency bands

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to ensure maximum compatibility across carriers and locations.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Both cameras feature a PC Sync terminal to control professional strobe lights, which will be appreciated by studio photographers.

E

The letter E represents the Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (or EDGE) network. The network started to spread in popularity some time in 2003 by offering speeds that were almost three times faster than any of its predecessors.

It supports a maximum speed of 217 kilobits per second, so even though it’s significantly faster than G network speeds, you’ll still struggle to browse a modern website or watch YouTube videos in anything but the lowest resolutions.

That being said, there are now 604 EDGE networks in 213 countries, making it one of the most widely-used mobile Internet technologies in the world. It was the final widely-used network before 3G came into prominence, so it’s often referred to as 2.75G.

G

G is short for General Packet Radio Service (or GPRS). It started to become widely used in 2000 and earned the unofficial nickname of 2.5G. It is considered to be the first major stepping stone on the way to developing the now ubiquitous 3G networks.

It was the first “always on” mobile internet network, but it can only transfer data up to a maximum speed of 114 kilobits per second, which makes it the slowest connection that you’re likely to come across these days.

That speed means that although the network can support instant messaging services such as WhatsApp, apps and webpages that are more complex will either timeout, malfunction, or in the best of cases, load extremely slowly. (Certainly more slowly than is practical, and it’d probably drive you nuts.)

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider , and richer than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor
(sometimes also referred to as «crop factor») of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras
that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

The two cameras under review do not only share the same sensor size, but also offer an identical resolution of 15.9 megapixels.
This similarity in sensor specs implies that both the GH3 and the GH4 have the same pixel density, as well as the same pixel size. It should, however, be noted that the GH4 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 4 months) than the GH3, and its sensor
might have benefitted from technological advances during this time.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 12800, which can be extended to ISO 125-25600.
The corresponding ISO settings for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 are ISO 200 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-25600.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range («DXO Landscape»), color depth («DXO Portrait»), and low-light sensitivity («DXO Sports»). The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, but the GH4 provides a better video resolution than the GH3. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the GH3 is limited to 1080/60p.

Technical specification

The camera body is made of a magnesium alloy and has a swivelable touch screen, an electronic viewfinder with diopter correction, an internal flash light and a hot shoe. Due to the short flange focal distance of about 20 millimeters for the Micro Four Thirds system, almost all lenses with an appropriate image circle can be mounted to the body with a lens adapter. The normal focal length is at about 25 millimetres.

In all still and movie modes as well as with the monitor or the electronic viewfinder, the GH3 works in live view mode. It can be operated in manual focus mode with software magnification or with a versatile contrast-detection auto focus system, including face detection and object tracking. This applies to steady shots as well as to movie takes. Due to the optional electronic shutter the camera can take images without any acoustic noise.

The camera body has a lithium-ion battery, and an additional battery grip can be attached, which has a release button for portrait shooting, along with other control elements.

The GH3 has an internal stereo microphone and a socket for external microphones.

Wi-Fi

With a Wi-Fi connection the camera can communicate with smartphones, tablet computers or mobile and stationary computers. These devices allow remote control as well as live view. Furthermore, they can get the geo coordinates of the recording location and add these to the metadata of the recordings. The current Lumix link app does have limitations when recording in video, namely you can start the video recording but not stop it by smart phone or tablet.

The images can be transferred to compatible television sets.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder.
However, the one in the GH4 offers a higher resolution than the one in the GH3 (2359k vs 1746k dots). The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Panasonic GH3, the Panasonic GH4, and comparable cameras.

screen that can be turned to be front-facing

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while
others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the GH4 is one of those camera that have an additional
electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of ) or
shooting under artificial light sources (risk of ).

The Panasonic GH3 and the Panasonic GH4 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to
capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the GH3 and the GH4 write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.