I just saw this thread and gotta weigh in because I spent weeks testing bitrates for a coastal project last year! Honestly, that GH6 is a total beast but it eats through storage like crazy when you unlock those high-end codecs. I tried using a Lexar Professional 1667x 128GB SDXC UHS-II V60 at first because I wanted to save some cash, but the second I switched to 5.7K ProRes 422 HQ, the camera just stopped dead. Super frustrating in the field! I ended up biting the bullet on a ProGrade Digital 512GB CFexpress Type B Gold and the difference is amazing. You get that 1700MB/s read speed which makes offloading footage to your laptop so much faster after a long day... definitely worth the $200. Regarding the cage, I totally get the weight concern for hiking. I did a long trek with the SmallRig GH6 Full Cage 3784 and yeah, it adds some heft, but it actually saved my HDMI port when I tripped near a creek! If you really want to stay light, maybe look at a SmallRig GH6 Half Cage 3785 instead. It gives you the mounting points for a top handle without all the extra metal on the right side. Also, for batteries, dont even bother with just the internal ones for a doc. I used the SmallRig VB99 mini V Mount Battery with a D-Tap to dummy battery cable and it ran the camera all day long. It is a bit of a setup but way better than swapping small batteries every 45 minutes in the Seattle rain!

> I read online that CFexpress Type B cards are a total requirement for the high bitrates Honestly, most cards just dont cut it for 5.7K ProRes. My V60 SDs were not as good as expected and I had issues with constant frame drops. Unfortunately, you really need the ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type B Cobalt 165GB for its 1400MB/s sustained write speed. Since youre hiking, skip the bulky cages and just buy extra Panasonic DMW-BLK22 Lithium-Ion Battery packs. Third-party power is disappointing and usually throws sensor errors on this body anyway.

> I read online that CFexpress Type B cards are a total requirement for the high bitrates, but then other guys say a fast V60 SD card is fine for most modes Just catching up on this thread while my latest project offloads. Ive had my GH6 since launch day and honestly, you can get away with V90 SD cards for almost everything except the highest ProRes codecs. I usually run the Angelbird AV PRO SD MK2 V90 256GB and it handles the 400Mbps and 600Mbps All-I modes without a single dropped frame. Its way cheaper than CFexpress but still reliable for long shoots. Quick tip: Since youre hiking in Seattle, the weather is gonna be your biggest enemy. I swapped my heavy rig for the SmallRig Black Mamba Cage for GH6 3440 because its super lightweight and doesnt feel like a brick. Also, definitely look into an external mic like the Rode VideoMic NTG because internal audio wont cut it in the wind. If you hate swapping batteries, just hook up an Anker 737 Power Bank PowerCore 24K via USB-C to keep it juiced all day... just keep the bank in your jacket pocket to keep it dry.

Regarding what #5 said about "Saving this whole thread. So much good info...", I'm glad people are sharing but I'm honestly a bit disappointed that the standard advice is always to spend half your budget on cards. I had issues with high bitrates on almost every SD card I tried and it's super frustrating when the camera just stops recording mid-take. Since you're doing a doc and hiking in Seattle, my DIY tip is to grab a Samsung T7 Shield 2TB Portable SSD and a SmallRig Universal Holder for External SSD BSH2343. It's way cheaper per gig and you don't need a bulky cage if you just use a cold shoe adapter. Also for power, unfortunately the internal batteries just dont last. Id skip the OEM packs and try a Kondor Blue DMW-BLK22 Dummy Battery to USB-C with a large external battery bank. It's way more reliable for long days in the field than constant swapping... just wrap the cable around your camera strap so it doesnt dangle and snag on anything while you're hiking. Keeps the weight off the camera body too which is nice for your wrists.

Honestly its ridiculous how much extra cash we have to dump into these setups just to get the advertised features actually working. You buy a premium body like the GH6 and then realize the hidden costs are basically a second mortgage. Its such a scam that manufacturers push these high bitrates but then the media required to actually record them costs a fortune. I have had so many issues with cards failing or just not being up to spec even when the box says they are... it is beyond frustrating and honestly just feels like a cash grab. The whole accessory market is just as bad lately. Everything is so overpriced for what it is and the build quality feels like its going downhill every single year. Companies really dont seem to care about the indie filmmakers anymore. It drives me crazy that you spend all this money and still feel like you are walking on eggshells with your gear. Just looking at the prices for those specialized cards and batteries makes me want to give up. Its all so needlessly expensive and complicated for no reason.

> I read online that CFexpress Type B cards are a total requirement for the high bitrates tbh if youre worried about which cards are gonna actually hold up for a doc, you should probably just check the official Panasonic support site for their approved media list. they have a super detailed compatibility chart that shows exactly which cards work with which bitrates so you dont end up wasting money on something that fails mid-shoot. also there is this guy on youtube who did a massive deep dive on gh6 storage... i think if you just search gh6 best memory cards for video it is like the first or second result that pops up. he tests all the v60 vs cfexpress stuff in real-world scenarios. worth a look before you drop the cash just to be safe.

Saving this whole thread. So much good info here you guys are awesome.