Panasonic S1H review / hands-on - a true 6K full frame cinema camera

[crevice]

1 hour ago, Andrew Reid said:

I ended up returning my P6K to the dealer.

It didn't help that it arrived with a scuff on the sensor and deep scratch in the lens mount, which their head of tech-support tried to pass off as 'rough handing by the courier'.

Yes, a courier can scratch your brand-new camera mount through the lens cap and a closed box, of course he can.

He can even put a smudge on your sensor if you're not careful, through several layers of packaging... Damn FedEx.

So after the Blackmagic head of technical support bullshitted me in an email, and after a bad tempered encounter at IBC, I have chosen to become an ex-Blackmagic supporter.

We must have had the exact same courier. In fact, it seems that you, me, and all the rest of the over hundred people complaining in the FB groups about scuffed and dented cameras were by the same courier. I am sure this has nothing to do with them re-using the plastic housing from pocket 4k returns for "brand new" pocket 6k bodies. I am also sure it has nothing to do with their shit packaging. No, this has nothing to do with that. 

[Julien416]

Back to the S1H. Thinking of getting rid of my GH5s in favor of his full frame sibling.

To the s1h owner my question is : how about the dynamic range? Did anyone actially test it? Been looking at the YouTube usual suspects and nobody seems to have tested it thoroughly. Is is that much better than the gh5s especially in the highlight department? 

Thanks in advance. 

[Andrew Reid]

I'll have to have words with the FedEx driver. Clearly he is going over some serious speed bumps on the way, resulting in the plastic lens cap slamming into the metal lens mount, causing the metal to crumble and the plastic to remain pristine. In fact the lens cap was the only pristine part of my camera. Blackmagic are very good at lens caps.

Maybe some of them were battered by the think PVC plastic of the box interior... You know how that stuff can cut diamonds. Happens all the time.

Remember the Pocket 6K is only a polycarbonate/carbon fibre composite, I'm surprised the cardboard did not cut in half.

I also noticed some sawdust type stuff in the lens mount which would explain the scuff on the sensor...

There was clearly a mouse in there, deposited by the crazy FedEx guy.

[Mako Sports]

S1H makes the Netflix list

https://***URL removed***/news/3780680406/netflix-approves-panasonic-s1h-production-making-it-smallest-only-stills-video-camera

[deezid]

58 minutes ago, Mako Sports said:

S1H makes the Netflix list

https://***URL removed***/news/3780680406/netflix-approves-panasonic-s1h-production-making-it-smallest-only-stills-video-camera

Given its image quality and features it makes sense.
Still waiting for the ghosting fix though...

2 hours ago, Julien416 said:

Back to the S1H. Thinking of getting rid of my GH5s in favor of his full frame sibling.

To the s1h owner my question is : how about the dynamic range? Did anyone actially test it? Been looking at the YouTube usual suspects and nobody seems to have tested it thoroughly. Is is that much better than the gh5s especially in the highlight department? 

Thanks in advance. 

Well, it blows it away that's for sure but not only in terms of dynamic range and great roll-off but also its color science and lack of sharpening but higher levels of detail at the same time.

[ntblowz]

S1H makes the netflix list somehow make BM & Sony fan go salty by looking at comments on facebook group & dpreview 

[Emanuel]

Sony charges higher for the premium : -)

[Thpriest]

I had been thinking about a GH5S to accompany my GH5 and help with low light situacions but now I'm wondering whether it'd be better getting a GH5S and a S1H. I shoot a range of things, events, interviews, promo videos, conferences, weddings. I really like the ability to record for hours with the GH5 but recently I've been finding more and more dark venues and it isn't cutting it. I have also bought the 10-25 1.7 but after using it for a few weeks I'm thinking about selling it as the Sigma 18-35 with the speedbooster looks better in my eyes and is easier to manual focus. I shoot a lot of 4k 50p which I believe is Apsc on the S1H. I have a few Apsc lenses which should be fine for that (sigmas 18-35 1.8, 50-150 2.8, Canon 18-135 and Tokina 11-16 2.8). I guess if i accept that I will use an adaptor on both cameras then they should pair well. I'm selling my C100 and some lenses I don't use so If i were to sell my mft lensrs as well I could probably afford to do it (only forking out 1000-1500). Does that sound a logical choice? Anyone using those 2 cameras together? How does the S1H fair as a apsc 4k 50p camera? How does the Sigma adaptor handle efs lenses? Is it any good for photo autofocus (I principally shoot video but once in a while I have to shoot some photos as well.

[Sid]

Netflix won't take any prisoners from any "enthusast" camera no matter what the specs, so S1H is an impressive solid benchmark recognition of quality.  Now could 1DXMk3, or even FP, ever enter this terrotory, as I think 1DC was once approved for broadcast use ?

[deezid]

5 minutes ago, Sid said:

Netflix won't take any prisoners from any "enthusast" camera no matter what the specs, so S1H is an impressive solid benchmark recognition of quality.  Now could 1DXMk3, or even FP, ever enter this terrotory, as I think 1DC was once approved for broadcast use ?

I can definitely see the 1DXMk3 entering the list in terms of video quality, color science, resolution etc. But it may miss some essential features again.

[majoraxis]

Of note, the usra mini pro G2 is on the Netflix list as well, so BRAW is raw enough for Netflix.  Maybe we will see the pocket 6k on the list someday - unless the its dynamic range is not enough - I’m saying it not, but I can’t think of anything else that is holding it back now that BRAW is acceptable.

[Rinad Amir]

46 minutes ago, deezid said:

I can definitely see the 1DXMk3 entering the list in terms of video quality, color science, resolution etc. But it may miss some essential features again.

one could be crop in video ,i hope am wrong  tho

[sanveer]

I hope Panasonic releases the next GH camera, worthy of this Netflix list. 

[currensheldon]

One of the main reasons a lot of cameras like this don’t make the Netflix list is Timecode. 

The C200 raw is one of the best Images under $20k, but does not have timecode I/O and therefore doesn’t make the list. Netflix officials have even stated that is why it isn’t on the list. Same with Pocket 4k/6k.

smart of Panasonic to include it so they can make this list. 

[majoraxis]

@currensheldon Great info!  Thanks for letting us know the disqualifying disposition due to the time code capabilities on on the pockets regarding making the Netflix Originals approved camera list.

[Sid]

Some sites have mentioned that Sigma FP has timecode.  Maybe that will make the list at some point.

[BitFriend]

Andrew, just a suggestion for an interesting sub topic for your S1H analysis and review, should you have time.  Paul at ExtraShot found (see 12:08 in this video) that shooting 6k 4:2:0 and downsampling to 4k in FCPX gave superior results to shooting in 4k 4:2:2 in the camera.  In other words, FCPX makes a better job of the downsampling (and notwithstanding the lower color subsampling of the 6k footage) than does the camera on the fly.  The implication of this is that, if a user has a computer with sufficient grunt power, they should shoot everything in 6k, even when they don't need to crop in post.  The DCI (4k) resulting from shooting in 4k and downsampling in post will be even higher quality than the 'native' (out of camera) DCI 4k. (Paul notes in the comments that he only tested this using FCPX - the quality of downsampling 6k->4k might not be the same with other NLEs...though, logically, it might be that some are even better in this respect...who knows...)

 

[Lux Shots]

3 hours ago, majoraxis said:

Of note, the usra mini pro G2 is on the Netflix list as well, so BRAW is raw enough for Netflix.  Maybe we will see the pocket 6k on the list someday - unless the its dynamic range is not enough - I’m saying it not, but I can’t think of anything else that is holding it back now that BRAW is acceptable.

The URSA didn't get on the list with BRAW, they did it with ProRes.

5 hours ago, Thpriest said:

I had been thinking about a GH5S to accompany my GH5 and help with low light situacions but now I'm wondering whether it'd be better getting a GH5S and a S1H. I shoot a range of things, events, interviews, promo videos, conferences, weddings. I really like the ability to record for hours with the GH5 but recently I've been finding more and more dark venues and it isn't cutting it. I have also bought the 10-25 1.7 but after using it for a few weeks I'm thinking about selling it as the Sigma 18-35 with the speedbooster looks better in my eyes and is easier to manual focus. I shoot a lot of 4k 50p which I believe is Apsc on the S1H. I have a few Apsc lenses which should be fine for that (sigmas 18-35 1.8, 50-150 2.8, Canon 18-135 and Tokina 11-16 2.8). I guess if i accept that I will use an adaptor on both cameras then they should pair well. I'm selling my C100 and some lenses I don't use so If i were to sell my mft lensrs as well I could probably afford to do it (only forking out 1000-1500). Does that sound a logical choice? Anyone using those 2 cameras together? How does the S1H fair as a apsc 4k 50p camera? How does the Sigma adaptor handle efs lenses? Is it any good for photo autofocus (I principally shoot video but once in a while I have to shoot some photos as well.

I was going to sell all of my m43 kit and get two Panasonic S1 cams. Upon further research, the S1 didn't cut it for me even when the V-Log upgrade. Just too many video modes missing that I've grown to love from the GH series.

So I've decided to keep my GH5S with the PanaLeica 12-60 f/2.8-4 and add in the S1H. I just bought the Panasonic 24-105 f/4 and I'll be picking up the S1H next week. The nice thing is, I already have a Ninja V external recorder, so I should be ProRes RAW ready in the near future. I hate shooting from a mixed system, (different batteries, different lens, different colors to match and whatnot) but I'm also not dropping cash for two S1H cams either! ? 

I also have 2 or 3 pieces of FD glass that I just bought L-mount adapters for, so that should scratch my bokeh itch for the near future. Now I just gotta get some more gigs to pay for all of this shit! 

[deezid]

22 minutes ago, BitFriend said:

Andrew, just a suggestion for an interesting sub topic for your S1H analysis and review, should you have time.  Paul at ExtraShot found (see 12:08 in this video) that shooting 6k 4:2:0 and downsampling to 4k in FCPX gave superior results to shooting in 4k 4:2:2 in the camera.  In other words, FCPX makes a better job of the downsampling (and notwithstanding the lower color subsampling of the 6k footage) than does the camera on the fly.  The implication of this is that, if a user has a computer with sufficient grunt power, they should shoot everything in 6k, even when they don't need to crop in post.  The DCI (4k) resulting from shooting in 4k and downsampling in post will be even higher quality than the 'native' (out of camera) DCI 4k. (Paul notes in the comments that he only tested this using FCPX - the quality of downsampling 6k->4k might not be the same with other NLEs...though, logically, it might be that some are even better in this respect...who knows...)

 

I prefer shooting in 6K as well.
The image after downscaling in Resolve Studio is way smoother and doesn't show any digital halo sharpening artifacts when Scaling is either set to Smoother or Bicubic unlike the internal 4K footage which seems to use lanczos or spline.

[fuzzynormal]

But wasn't "Tangerine" on Netflix for awhile?

Netflix has this camera list, but really...what's the list specifically for?  The programs they directly produce-for-hire?

If I, independently, somehow made a wildly popular movie with the GH5, I don't think Netflix's end-all-be-all prerequisite is "what camera did you use?"  That doesn't seem like a smart thing for them to do.

Am I misunderstanding? (Probably)