Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 review – Dynamic range
Image: A lot of recoverable detail remained in the shadow areas of this image, even in the JPEG files
Cameras with smaller sensors tend to struggle to capture a great deal of dynamic range information, when compared with large-sensor cameras such as APS-C and full-frame DSLRs. However, the GH4 scored very well during our lab testing, managing a dynamic range score of 12.09EV at ISO 100, which is higher than the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II and comparable to the Canon EOS 1200D and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III.
Panasonic has included intelligent dynamic and iHDR (available during iAuto+ mode) options in the settings menu that will automatically make adjustments to the exposure settings, depending on the meter reading, to produce greater detail in shadow and highlight areas. Three strengths of assistance are available in intelligent dynamic: high, standard and low. These are particularly useful when shooting subjects in high-contrast scenes where the camera may struggle to balance highlights and shadows.
However, even without utilising those additional options, I was surprised by the amount of highlight and shadow detail that this camera is able to capture. In shots where the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 appeared to have blown some highlights, detail information was recoverable, even from JPEGs, when using processing software such as Adobe Lightroom.
