panasonic lumix dmc-gh4

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 setup instructions for stop motion animation or time-lapse photography with Dragonframe

Supported Versions

Requires Dragonframe 4.3.4 or newer. (5.x, 2024.x are newer).

Live View

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 provides a live view over HDMI. This camera requires a separate connection to the computer, via an HDMI capture device, to access the live view. We do not recommend this setup, because it is complicated and fairly expensive. Please consider a used Canon EOS that we support instead.

Camera Settings

Dragonframe controls the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 ISO, shutter speed, and aperture (with digital lens).

Considerations

When using exposure simulation (Constant Preview : On), the live view refresh rate will slow down to approximately the shutter speed.

Dragonframe cannot control focus or provide focus check (live view magnification) with this camera.

Product Info

You can find the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 manual and specifications at the Panasonic website.

Manual Lens to Avoid Flicker

To avoid any potential flicker that can be caused by electronically controlled aperture lenses, please consider using a fully manual aperture lens.
Learn More about Aperture Flicker

Setup Instructions

  1. Create a new scene or open an existing scene. (Dragonframe will not connect to your camera unless you have a scene open.)
  2. Power your camera by AC power if possible, or use a fully charged battery.
  3. Close any other applications that might connect to your camera.
    • - For macOS, Open Image Capture, select your camera, then in pop up area in lower-left select Connection camera opens: No application. (See Picture)
  4. Make sure Dropbox is not a client of the camera.
  5. You may need to quit Google Backup and Sync, since it can interfere with the camera even if you turn off syncing.
  6. If you have anti-virus software, white-list Dragonframe so that it may access your camera.
  7. Set the Mode Dial to Manual (M).
  8. Set the Drive Mode Dial to Single.
  9. Update the camera's firmware to version 2.0+ here.
  10. Set USB Mode to Remote Control(PTP) (in Setup Menu #3).
    The camera will not connect unless you do this.
  11. Set ISO increments to 1/3 (in Setup Menu #3).
  12. Set Motion Picture | HDMI Rec Output | Info Display to OFF.
  13. Set LVF Disp. Style to Full (second choice) (in Custom Menu #5).
  14. Set Monitor Disp. Style to Full (second choice) (in Custom Menu #6).
  15. Set Monitor Info. Disp. to OFF (in Custom Menu #6).
  16. Set Constant Preview to ON for Exposure Simulation or OFF for faster live view refresh.
  17. Set Quality to RAW or JPG, but not BOTH.
  18. Connect your camera to the computer with an appropriate USB cable.
  19. Connect your camera's HDMI output to the computer through a compatible HDMI capture device. (Do not connect HDMI directly to the computer!)
  20. Select the HDMI device as the Video Assist Source in the Capture menu.
  21. Select your camera as the Capture Source in the Capture menu.
  22. Proceed to the Cinematography workspace to adjust the camera exposure settings, check focus, and take test shots.