The GH line has been the video shooter’s Micro Four Thirds camera for over a decade. The Panasonic Lumix GH7, released in mid-2024, is the most complete version yet. It records ProRes RAW inside the camera, it finally has phase-detection autofocus, and with an optional module it records 32-bit float audio. On paper it reads like a cinema camera. It costs about $2,200.

The sensor is a 25.2MP back-side illuminated Four Thirds chip. That’s smaller than full frame or APS-C, and it’s the GH7’s main tradeoff. In exchange you get a compact system, small lenses and deep focus that’s easy to control, which run-and-gun shooters love.

For years the Lumix pitch came with an asterisk. Great video, great color, great stabilization… and autofocus that pulsed and hunted. The Panasonic Lumix S5II, launched in early 2023, removed the asterisk. It was the first Lumix with phase-detection autofocus, and it turned Panasonic’s full-frame line into a real option for people who don’t want to babysit their focus.

That one change made the S5II one of the best-value full-frame cameras of the last five years. It launched at about $2,000, below the Canon R6 II and Sony A7 IV, and street prices have only come down since.