Panasonic's 41MP video-centric Lumix GH6 could to be announced in August

Panasonic’s attentions have lately been fixed on its full-frame mirrorless camera range, with barely a whisper about new additions to the company’s micro four thirds line. The most recent cameras in Panasonic’s MFT stable were the Lumix G9 announced at the end of 2017 and the Lumix GH5S in January 2018.

That last model and its 20.3MP GH5 sibling have long been some of the best 4K video-centric cameras you can get, and we were looking forward to a newer model with more powerful innards.

Panasonic was expected to announce a rumored GH6 at the now-cancelled Photokina 2020 this May, but the current pandemic has forced the electronics giant to change its plans. According to fresh new rumors, the GH6 will reportedly be announced in August or September this year instead, with a potential shipping date set for early 2021.

What makes this announcement exciting is the rumor that claims the GH6 will sport a high-resolution Sony MFT sensor boasting a pixel count of 41MP – numbers that are typically unheard of in the MFT world.

Sharp shooter(s)

If the rumors are true, we’re not going to see just a single GH6 model. According to a Spanish Facebook group for Panasonic and Olympus users, the Lumix maker could have three bodies in the pipeline – all sharing the same Sony IMX594CQR 41MP sensor but with different maximum video resolutions – likely called the GH6, GH6V and GH6X.

A few rumored specs are also listed on that Facebook post, starting with a possibility of improved battery life and better autofocus thanks to a new generation AF system that’s reportedly faster. Also expected in the upcoming cameras will be a brand new in-body image stabilization system (IBIS).

Video capabilities will supposedly include RAW capture for 4K and 6K footage (but which model tops out at which resolution is as yet unclear), with a possibility of 8K video as well.

However, there’s no indication that any of these rumors have been (or can be) verified, so we’d suggest taking this news with a massive pinch of salt, or waiting patiently till Panasonic makes an official announcement.

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