Panasonic Lumix GH4 Black 2015

The GH4 is a video workhorse with unlimited 4K recording, best-in-class battery life, and a weather-sealed body. Autofocus and the 16MP sensor are weak spots, so stills shooters should look elsewhere. At the low end of the used market, it's a bargain for videographers.

The video chops are legit. DCI 4K at 24p, UHD 4K at 30p, and 1080p up to 60p, plus 10-bit output over HDMI if you're running an external recorder. The 40fps burst speed is a standout, and the battery life is best-in-class at 530 shots per charge. But the sensor is the weak link. 16MP on Micro Four Thirds means noisy low light and limited dynamic range compared to anything modern. Autofocus is the real letdown, 49 points sounds okay until you try tracking a moving subject and it hunts like a lost puppy. No in-body stabilization either, so you'll want a gimbal or stabilized lenses for handheld work.

Against the Sony a7 III or Nikon Z6, the GH4 loses on sensor size, autofocus, and low light performance. Those full-frame bodies are simply better cameras for stills and hybrid work. But the GH4 has one trick they don't: unlimited 4K recording without overheating. The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III and Fujifilm X-H1 are closer in spirit, with better stabilization, but neither matches the GH4's video reliability or battery endurance. If video is your priority and you're on a budget, the GH4 still holds its own.

Pricing is all over the place. US listings run from USD 330 to USD 999, and Canadian listings swing from CAD 449 to CAD 2,757. That's a massive spread for a camera this old. If you're in the US, the low end of that range is a steal for a reliable 4K video body. At the high end, you're paying collector prices for something that gets smoked by newer options. Shop around, and don't pay full freight for a decade-old sensor.

The Panasonic GH4 is old enough to have a driver's license, but videographers still reach for it. It shoots DCI 4K at 24p and UHD 4K at 30p without breaking a sweat, and it won't shut down on you mid-shoot. That reliability is why it keeps showing up on indie sets and YouTube rigs years after release.

For stills, though, it's a different story. The 16MP Micro Four Thirds sensor sits near the bottom of our database, and the autofocus is one of the worst we've seen. If you're buying this as a hybrid camera, know that the photo side is more 'afterthought' than 'partner'.

Skip this if you need reliable autofocus for sports, wildlife, or fast-moving kids. The AF hunts and lags behind nearly everything else in our database. Also skip it if you shoot a lot of handheld video without a gimbal, since there's no in-body stabilization and you'll fight shake constantly. And if you're a stills-first shooter who wants clean high-ISO images, a modern APS-C or full-frame body will serve you far better.

Buy this if you're a videographer who needs a dependable 4K body that won't overheat or stop recording. The GH4 is a workhorse for interviews, long events, and indie film rigs. If you're primarily a stills shooter, or you need reliable autofocus for fast-moving subjects, this isn't your camera. It's a video-first tool that happens to take photos, not the other way around.