Cameras
Panasonic GH4 Video Reference (2026)
Choose internal recording or HDMI output, then check the exact mode.
Panasonic manuals VQT5H96-1 / VQT5H68 + firmware notes through 2.7
Choose the HDMI path
| Choice | 4:2:2 8bit | 4:2:2 10bit |
|---|---|---|
| Camera movie recording | Available while monitoring HDMI | Unavailable while outputting HDMI |
| Plan | Camera recording + monitor | External recorder |
4:2:2 8bit → monitor
Camera can record a movie while monitoring HDMI.
4:2:2 10bit → external recorder
Camera movie recording is unavailable while outputting this signal.
Source: Panasonic advanced manual, pp. 212–213. Check the receiver's input limits too.
UHD / DCI MOV mode reference
59.94 Hz
UHD 3840 × 2160 · 29.97p / 23.98p
100 Mbps IPB · LPCM audio
50.00 Hz
UHD 3840 × 2160 · 25.00p
100 Mbps IPB · LPCM audio
24.00 Hz Cinema
DCI 4096 × 2160 or UHD · 24.00p
100 Mbps IPB · LPCM audio
Source: Panasonic GH4 video table. These are MOV rows; see firmware notes for MP4 additions.
Last updated October 23, 2026.
Sections8
The Panasonic GH4 can save a movie on its card or send a signal to a screen or recorder. Choose that path first. Then set the format. The HDMI bit mode changes whether the camera can save a movie at the same time. Check the saved file before you trust the setup for a shoot.
Use the GH4's system frequency to choose the correct frame-rate family, then set the recording format and quality. For monitoring alongside a camera recording, use the documented 8-bit HDMI path. For 10-bit HDMI output, plan to record externally. Full HD variable-frame-rate recording has separate limits, including no recorded audio or autofocus. The reference below follows Panasonic's manuals and firmware notes.
Panasonic GH4 source and firmware scope
This reference follows Panasonic's advanced manual VQT5H96-1, basic manual VQT5H68 and firmware update history. The base manuals describe the original controls. Use the version notes below for later features. Read Setup > Version Disp. on the camera before comparing menus.
- Version 2.0: adds MP4 4K/23.98p/100 Mbps and 4K PHOTO functions. Do not confuse a photo-extraction mode with the normal movie setup you intend to use.
- Version 2.1: adds HDMI timecode and recording start/stop signals for the receiver compatibility Panasonic specifies. It also adds native Full HD 30p/25p HDMI output choices.
- Version 2.2: adds the 3328 × 2496 anamorphic 4:3 mode. Its footage needs an appropriate display or processing path.
- Version 2.3: adds activation support for V-Log L using the DMW-SFU1 upgrade key. Version 2.4 addresses a V-Log L setting issue.
- Version 2.5: includes an HDMI stop-signal timing adjustment. Version 2.7 addresses a VFR stabilization issue with non-Panasonic lenses.
These entries summarize the linked change log, not every firmware change. They do not verify a current key seller or offer to install firmware. This is a manual-based reference. No sample footage, measured noise limit or rolling-shutter timing is claimed.
Choose a Panasonic GH4 recording mode
Start in Creative Video Mode. Panasonic's video recording table separates settings by System Frequency, file format and image size. The mode table above shows the principal MOV 4K choices. It is a reference to those rows, not a claim that all sizes and rates can be combined.
- 59.94 Hz: MOV UHD 3840 × 2160 at 29.97p or 23.98p, 100 Mbps IPB.
- 50.00 Hz: MOV UHD 3840 × 2160 at 25.00p, 100 Mbps IPB.
- 24.00 Hz Cinema: MOV DCI 4096 × 2160 or UHD 3840 × 2160 at 24.00p, 100 Mbps IPB.
The same official table lists Full HD MOV modes with 200 Mbps ALL-Intra, 100 Mbps IPB or 50 Mbps IPB, depending on the selected rate and frequency. ALL-Intra stores each frame independently; IPB uses information across frames. Select the mode you need rather than assuming the largest bitrate also supplies the highest resolution.
Match the setting to the edit's exact rate. 23.98p and 24.00p are distinct menu choices, not interchangeable labels. Make a clip in the chosen mode and open it in the edit system. Check its reported size and rate. Listen to the sound and watch the clip before shooting the whole scene.
UHD/DCI framing and the 4K crop
Panasonic's advanced manual, page 193 says the 4K angle of view is narrower than in other movie sizes. Recheck the frame after changing to 4K. A lens that covered the room in another mode may no longer include the doorway or a person at the edge.
This reference gives no single crop multiplier. The manual's narrower-view statement and the selected output dimensions are the sourced facts. Compare the exact UHD or C4K frame on the camera before deciding the lens and camera position. Do not reuse a still-photo framing note as proof of the movie frame.
Record Full HD slow motion on the GH4
The advanced manual, pages 215–217 describes Variable Frame Rate, or VFR. Choose a compatible Full HD quality marked VFR available, then enable Variable Frame Rate and set the capture rate. The documented range reaches 96 fps. That is not a 4K/96p mode.
For the higher VFR rates, use a compatible MOV or MP4 (LPCM) setup. The manual says plain MP4 does not support VFR and AVCHD cannot exceed 60 fps in this mode. It lists compatible Full HD output-rate choices under each system frequency. Read the matching row before choosing the capture rate.
Autofocus does not work and audio is not recorded in VFR, according to the manual. Focus before the take and record sound separately if the scene needs it. Panasonic also warns that picture quality may worsen above 60 fps. Preview the actual movement and texture instead of treating the top rate as an automatic quality upgrade.
For an arithmetic example, 96 captured frames per second played at 24 frames per second gives four-times slow motion. That is a derived ratio, 96 ÷ 24, not a measured quality claim. Check the saved clip's playback rate and duration. Do not assume the capture-rate number is the delivery rate.
Set exposure and Photo Style deliberately
Use the controls in Creative Video Mode for the exposure you intend. Keep the lighting and subject movement in view while checking shutter speed, aperture and ISO. Save a short clip with a face, a dark area and a bright area from the actual scene. Judge that clip in the intended edit path, not only on the camera display.
Panasonic's Photo Style section, pages 140–142 describes Cinelike D as favoring dynamic range and Cinelike V as favoring contrast. These are picture styles, not the same setting as V-Log L. Record the chosen style and any changed controls on the setup sheet so a second take can match.
For V-Log L, use the activation requirements in the firmware notes above. Do not infer that every used GH4 has it from the firmware version alone. Check the actual camera menu and activated function. No current price or availability for the upgrade is stated here.
Low-light and motion checks
Panasonic's troubleshooting section, pages 395–397 discusses noise, light-source flicker and distortion of fast-moving subjects. It does not supply a universal “clean ISO” limit or a video sensor-readout time for this reference. No such number is inferred here.
Make a low-light clip at the exposure and style you plan to use. Include the shadows that matter to the scene and check them after the intended grade. For motion, record the intended pan or moving subject and inspect the file for distortion. These are suggested checks to perform with your own camera, not results of tests conducted for this page.
For fluorescent or LED flicker, the manual points to shutter adjustment and Synchro Scan in Creative Video Mode. Preview the real lights in the selected system frequency and movie mode. Do not assume one shutter value works for every fixture or brightness setting.
Choose GH4 HDMI monitoring or recording
The advanced manual, pages 212–213 describes Motion Picture > HDMI Rec Output. Its Bit Mode choice controls an important trade-off:
- 4:2:2 8bit: the documented path for monitoring an HDMI image while the camera records a movie.
- 4:2:2 10bit: available in Creative Video Mode for an external recording path. While this HDMI output is active, the GH4 cannot record a movie internally. The manual also says Wi-Fi is disabled for that output.
Set Info Display to OFF for a clean output. The manual fixes it off in the 10-bit path. 4K Down Convert can send a lower-resolution output for a receiver that needs it. AUTO may fall back to 1080p; 1080p forces that downconversion; OFF keeps the selected quality but may not display on an incompatible receiver.
Monitor and recorder compatibility
The GH4 uses micro-HDMI Type D, per Panasonic's specification. A cable that fits is only the physical link. The receiver must accept that signal mode at the selected size and rate. Check its own input-status display, then check the saved recording if it is a recorder.
For an original Odyssey7Q versus a 7Q+, do not apply the plus model's HDMI limits to both. Our Odyssey setup reference distinguishes them. That guide and the GH4 output table describe their respective ends of a connection.
The firmware 2.1 notes limit the HDMI timecode and start/stop feature claim to Atomos products or devices complying with Atomos's extended specification. Do not promise automatic triggering on every HDMI recorder. Start and stop a real take, then compare the saved clip with the action you expected to capture.
Check GH4 media and the saved file
Panasonic's card guide specifies UHS Speed Class 3 for MP4 100 Mbps, and for MOV/MP4 (LPCM) 100 Mbps or higher. Those are continuous-write requirements. Check the exact recording mode as well as the card label before the shoot.
Copy existing files before formatting a card in the camera. Record the planned mode for long enough to check the real workflow, then open that file in the edit. Listen to the audio, check focus and inspect a moving subject. For VFR, confirm that the absence of audio is intentional. For 10-bit external recording, verify that the external recorder actually saved the take.
Panasonic GH4 reference FAQ
Is 96 fps a 4K recording setting?
No. The cited manual describes the top VFR capture rate under compatible Full HD settings. It also says sound is not recorded and autofocus does not work in VFR. Choose the correct Full HD quality before enabling the mode. Make a clip and check its playback rate in the edit system.
Can I record internally while using 10-bit HDMI?
The manual says the camera cannot record a movie while outputting the 4:2:2 10-bit HDMI signal. Plan an external recorder for that path. The 8-bit HDMI choice supports monitoring while the camera records. Check the actual receiver input and saved file rather than assuming an HDMI picture means a take was recorded.
Does the firmware version prove V-Log L is active?
No. Panasonic's version 2.3 notes add an activation function that uses the DMW-SFU1 upgrade key. A firmware number alone does not prove that function was activated on a used body. Check the camera's actual Photo Style options. This reference does not state a current price or key-seller availability.
Is the GH4's 4K frame identical to its other modes?
Panasonic says the 4K angle of view is narrower than in other movie sizes. Recheck the actual frame after changing mode. This guide does not assign a universal crop factor. Place the camera and choose the lens from the frame you need, including the movement that must remain visible during the take.
Panasonic GH4 setup verdict
Choose the Panasonic GH4 recording path first, then match system frequency, format and quality. Keep VFR and HDMI restrictions attached to the mode they qualify. A short saved clip, checked in the intended edit system, is the useful end of the setup process.