The much-anticipated Panasonic GH6 has almost been forgotten about in the all the recent noise about full-frame mirrorless cameras, and it seems the Micro Four Thirds maestro may now not arrive until 2021.
According to the pretty reliable 43Rumors, the Panasonic GH6 "won't come anytime soon", with the launch "definitely not" taking place during the rest of 2020.
That's a slight shame for those who've been patiently waiting for a successor to the excellent Panasonic Lumix GH5, which launched at the end of 2017. The GH6 was originally rumored to be launching in May this year, but the pandemic seemingly forced Panasonic to change its plans.
That led to speculation that the video-centric camera would instead be announced in August or September, with shipping starting in early 2021. But if these latest rumors are true, it looks like even the announcement will now be pushed back to next year, instead possibly taking place at the CP+ show (starting on February 25) or later.
Still, it's not all doom and gloom for videographers who've been waiting for a new sensor and autofocus system to be added to their favorite small, run-and-gun camera. According to 43Rumors, "Panasonic confirmed they are developing the GH6" and "it’s definitely coming". That doesn't mean Panasonic has officially made a GH6 development announcement yet, but the signs are promising that it's at least in the pipeline.
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- Or read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix S5 review
- Check out the best cameras best cameras for vlogging in 2020
Sixth sense
So what can we expect from the Panasonic GH6 and why is the GH line still so popular? A lot of the recent hype in the camera world has been around full-frame cameras, but models with smaller sensors (like Four Thirds chips) still come with highly-prized advantages.
One of those, of course, is that the camera bodies can be smaller, but it also means they can squeeze advanced features into smaller packages. The reason why the Panasonic GH5 (and GH5S) remain among the best 4K cameras around is because they cram in the ability to shoot 4K/60p video in 10-bit 4:2:2 color, an option that's still often only available on other cameras via external recorders.
Not that the GH5 and GH5S are perfect cameras. Both are a little dated in other respects, so the rumors for their successors include improved in-body image stabilization (IBIS), longer-lasting batteries and even a 41MP sensor.
Panasonic is also rumored to be splitting the line into three models rather than two, with a GH6, GH6V and GH6X in development. If this turns out to be the case, the GH6V will likely be the equivalent of the GH5S, with the GH6X specializing more in stills photography.
Of course, all of this remains speculation right now, but for a more detailed discussion of the features we might see in the new range, check out our Panasonic GH6 release date, specs and features round-up.
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