Panasonic has announced the Lumix BGH1, a unique device that the company describes as a “box-style mirrorless cinema and live event camera.” It has a Micro Four Thirds sensor and a compact cubic design, with one of the camera’s sides almost completely dominated by the lens mount.
The BGH1 is designed for versatility, expandability, and ease of installation. Panasonic envisages it being used in multi-camera situations involving drones, live streaming, and other complex setups. The camera has Power over Ethernet+, meaning it can be powered with the same cable that connects it to a network, and up to 12 of them can be controlled at once with the accompanying Lumix Tether for Multicam app.
The sensor is 10.2 megapixels, presumably to optimize the camera for 4K video recording. The camera can shoot footage at 4:2:0 10-bit C4K/4K 60p or 4:2:2 10-bit All-I C4k/4K 30p, and there’s an option to capture in Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) for broadcast-ready HDR.
Other features include dual UHS-II SD card slots, USB-C 3.1, HDMI output (up to 4K 4:2:2 10-bit C4K/4K 60p), 3G-SDI, a 3.5mm in/out jack, WiFi and Bluetooth, and the ability to output desqueezed anamorphic footage over Ethernet, SDI, or USB-C. Panasonic is also releasing a free SDK to let people create camera control tools that work with USB.
The Lumix BGH1 will be out this December for $1,999.99. Panasonic plans to release more information about the camera during a YouTube launch event at 12PM ET today.
Author: Sam Byford
Source: Theverge Photography
