How to Fix Your Panasonic GH4’s Audio Buzz

In 3 Simple Steps
By Sol March in Resources

Does your GH4 exhibit the dreaded audio buzz? Panasonic has a solution for you.

Whether you know it or not, your GH4 might be recording a troublesome buzz within your audio. The buzz is usually buried deep within your audio, but it can rear its ugly head in instances where your audio needs further processing, or when you need to increase audio levels using the GH4 built-in preamps.

Note: To find out if your GH4 is affected, see this post for instructions on how to check your GH4 for the buzz.

The buzz was discovered by users soon after the GH4’s release and while Panasonic quickly acknowledged the issue, no real solution was provided.

Until now.

It took a few months, but Panasonic has stepped up and is offering a simple way for users to send in their GH4 for a hardware modification that purportedly resolves the buzz issue.

Here are the instructions:

Note: These instructions are for GH4 owners in the US only. If you are not in the US, you will need to contact the Panasonic service center in your country for instructions on getting your GH4 repaired.

1. Provide Your Information

In order to get your GH4 repaired and returned to you as quickly as possible, the following information must accompany your GH4 when you send it to Panasonic’s service center:

  • First and Last Name
  • Physical Address (no PO Box)
  • Telephone Number
  • Email Address
  • Description of the issue (e.g. “Audio buzz”)

Service Request Form

I made a free PDF form that you can simply fill out and print to provide all the information Panasonic needs to repair your GH4.

Pay $0 or more for this resource. How much? You decide!

Download the Form

2. Send Your GH4 to Panasonic

Send the camera only (no accessories) along with your owner information to Panasonic’s service center:

Panasonic Factory Service Center
GH4 AUDIO UPDATE
4900 George McVay Drive
Suite B, Door 12
McAllen, TX 78503
Attention: Maria Alonzo

Important: Ship your GH4 via a traceable insured shipper such as UPS or Fed-Ex to avoid any unforeseen delays in delivery.

3. Practice Patience

Panasonic have told me that they currently estimate a 2-3 day turnaround to perform the necessary hardware modification to resolve the buzz upon receiving your GH4. Once the repair is complete, Panasonic will ship the camera back to you via 2nd-day air.

Update: After 2 weeks, my GH4 is back from Panasonic’s service center. Tests to evaluate the effects of the repair are currently underway.

Should You Send in Your GH4?

Not sure whether you should send in your camera for the repair? Here are a few options:

1. Test For the Buzz

First, you should confirm that your GH4 has the buzz before sending it in. All reports I’ve received from early GH4 owners indicate that the buzz is universally present, but it is possible that the issue was fixed in later production runs.

See this post for instructions on how to check your GH4 for the buzz.

Also, it sounds like any GH4 with the v1.1 firmware factory-installed also has the hardware modification performed. If you haven’t manually upgraded your GH4’s firmware, go to Menu → Setup → Version Disp. to check your GH4’s firmware version.

2. Let Others Roll the Dice

While I’m confident that Panasonic’s fix will do the job, sending your new camera in for repair is never a trivial matter. You may be more comfortable working through the buzz until other users have had a chance to report their results with Panasonic’s hardware modifications.

My GH4 just arrived at Panasonic’s service center and I will be posting updates on the progress of the repair. Once my GH4 is returned, I will run a full set of tests to see if the buzz is effectively removed and what– if any– side-effects the hardware modifications might have had. Sign up below to receive automatic updates on the GH4’s repair.

This is Good

Panasonic has stepped up to the plate in the best way to resolve the GH4’s audio buzz issue. The repair process is straightforward and they are promising a quick turnaround, including free 2-day shipping to get your GH4 back into action as quickly as possible.

I am looking forward to receiving the repaired GH4 with a clean (and quiet) bill of health.

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