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The GH6 2.2 firmware updates brings the long desired ability to record directly to SSD, just as promised at launch. Learn everything you NEED to know about recording to SSD, including HOW to update your GH6.

The firmware update will be available for download from the Panasonic website on Sept 27th. Use this redirect URL, or just google search “LUMIX Firmware Update”. 

This video was recorded before the update was available, but it'll be on the Micro Four Thirds tab, right about here.

The download will extract to two parts, 2.1 and 2.2, both of which are required. 

And no, you do NOT need to update to 2.0 first.

To update the firmware, first make sure you are using a fully charged battery. You'll see what happens soon if you don't. Insert a CFExpress or an SD card…

…power on the camera, format the card – please don't skip this step…

…then power off the camera, and remove the card.

Insert the card in your computer; I’m using this new little mobile SD and micro SD card-reader from ProGrade. Oh, gross. Polish the Apple logo if using a Mac so that it looks good on camera. Just a little more.

…and copy BOTH the 2.1 and 2.2 firmware update files to the root level of your card.
 
That means just drag 'em on like I did here; do  NOT place them in a folder. Eject the card…

Put the memory card back into your GH6, power the camera on, press the menu button on the back…

…and navigate to “Firmware Version” in the Setup menu. … Then select “Firmware Update”.

This update happens in stages, and the camera will power up and down multiple times. You'll even hear the shutter triggering, so you should have a body cap on the camera during the update. This can take between ten and thirty minutes to complete the update, so don't do this right before a shoot. 

This update includes two new features: the main one being the SSD drive support which we'll spend most of this video on; the other being expanded I.S.O. support for RAW output; now up to 12,800 I.S.O., with Dyamic Range boost ON.

When it comes to SSD support, there's a few things to note. 

First, the compatible drives. Panasonic has verified the Samsung T5 up to 2TB, and the SanDisk E81 and E61 drives also up to 2TB. 

To power the GH6 by battery, you do need to use the GH6 battery, and not the older GH5 battery. As you may know the GH5 batteries DO work in the GH6, but when using them you don't have access to all GH6 features, which now includes USB recording.

Wait, is the update done already? No, it’s at 2.1. Oh **** it needs a fully charged battery. I guess I was screwing around too much setting up for this video before actually starting the update. OK then, let’s get a new battery in there and see if it does start up again… oh good it does. Well then, we just unexpectedly tested this! So you can pick up where you left off if your update is interrupted. Still, I wouldn’t recommend it.

The last thing to know is that the sensor can output a maximum of 60 frames per second when recording to USB, so for any higher frame rates, you WILL need to record to internal cards, or use RAW output.

This is where I wonder out loud how many people will recognize this video as a complete rip-off of the “Binging with Babish” format and call me out on it.
 
Believe me when I say it’s with the greatest respect that I’m mimicking his style. But I had the bald head and beard first. Actually, no I didn’t. Oh good the update is done. 

With my GH6 at version 2.2, I'll connect my T5 drive to the USB-C port on the camera, jump into the menu, and set the new option, USB-SSD, to ON. It looks like the camera soft reboots, then tells me that the drive needs to be reformatted. I’ll go back into the menu, where I can reformat the USB drive. Wait a minute, I have no idea what's on this drive, let's have a quick look, and oh good, it's fine. OK as we were, back to the menu, reformat the drive, and we're good to go!

Let's look at the recording modes, which will show us where each format can be recorded to. C4K30 can be recorded to slots 1, 2 or the SSD, while this one at 120p  can't be recorded to the SSD, as it’s over 60 fps, while C4K60 at 800 megabit, can be recorded to the CFExpress card or USB-SSD, but NOT to the SD card slot.

Now, we can’t very well have this drive just dangling off the camera, so let’s rig this up. 

This SSD holder from Kondor Blue will slide into the camera‘s hot shoe, and this little 8.5” USB-C cable connects the two neatly. 

If you want more security though, you could use the cable holder that came with your GH6, and a longer 12” USB cable, to connect these more securely. But here’s a conundrum. With the USB port taken up by the SSD drive, how can you power the camera with an external battery? Let’s put this in a full rig, and see what we come up with. 

The GH6 is hitting the red carpet in mostly SmallRig attire; link below to a show on the full rig. Here’s that same Kondor Blue SSD holder, and the shorter USB cable, plus a pretty blue HDMI cable running to the monitor on top, kind of out of view… uh… there we go. And on the other side, you’ll see the V-Mount battery powering this entire rig, including a D-Tap cable running toooo the battery port on the GH6. This is the new Kondor Blue GH6 dummy battery, which if I pop this out, you’ll see has both sets of contacts which are needed to deliver full power to the GH6. By the way, Kondor Blue is working on a GH6 cage, which I’ll have soon, so be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss that video when it comes out. 

That’s the GH6 all rigged up, set to record to SSD and still get power from a single V-mount battery. Also that focus controller is the new Accsoon F-C01, which I’m working on a video for right now, as well. Now that you have the ability to record to SSD, how will this change your workflow? Let me know in the comments below what you think of this setup, and have one last look at this rig before the lights go out.

Don’t forget to subscribe and like, and you may as well follow that Babish guy, too. He only has like 10 million subs. Poor guy. OK you can go now, thanks.