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Archive for June, 2019

Panasonic S1H: What we know so far, and what we think’s likely

01 Jun

What do we know about the Panasonic S1H?

Panasonic has announced the development of the S1H: a full-frame counterpart to its video-focused GH series.

The company has revealed a handful of specs about the forthcoming camera (due in the second half of 2019 for around $ 4000), from which we can draw some interesting conclusions.

Published specs:

  • 6K 3:2 capture at 24p
  • 16:9 5.9K capture at up to 30p
  • ‘Multi aspect’ recording including anamorphic 4:3 capture
  • 10-bit DCI and UHD 4K capture at up to 60p
  • Unlimited recording times
  • 14+ stop V-Log/V-Gamut capture
  • Color reproduction to match Cinema VariCam series

It’s essentially a full-frame ‘GH’

In addition to this, Panasonic has said the ‘H’ in the name represents the same qualities as the one in the GH models: a stills/video hybrid with high quality. And, if we look at the specifications, there’s a lot of overlap with the capabilities of the company’s GH5.

Panasonic says it will combine aspects from the GH-series, the full-frame S-series and its pro-level Cinema Varicam series.

It’ll almost certainly be 24MP

The most likely implication of these specs is that the camera has a 24MP sensor. While it’s theoretically possible that the chip has more than 6000 horizontal pixels and these are then downsampled to the quoted ‘6K’ resolution, this would be a challenging both in terms of computation and readout speed. It’s far more likely that it’ll be a 6000 x 4000 pixel sensor achieving the 6K 3:2 figure given.

It probably won’t be ‘multi-aspect’ in the same sense as the GH5S

Panasonic talks about the S1H offering ‘multi-aspect’ shooting, including 4:3 anamorphic shooting. But we’re not taking this as proof that it has an multi-aspect sensor, in the same way the GH2 and GH5S have.

While it’s theoretically possible the camera will have a larger-than-full-frame sensor, with the different aspect ratios cropped out to the edges of the image circle, we think it’s pretty unlikely for three reasons:

1) 24MP full-frame chips already exist and would make sense with all the other details given. 2) it would be expensive to develop or commission a dedicated oversized sensor for a relatively niche product. 3) If the 3:2 region is 6000 pixels wide, then a multi-aspect design would lead you to expect a 16:9 region with nearly 6.3K resolution, not the 5.9K quoted.

It’s not impossible, but we think it’s pretty unlikely.

The 60p video will probably come from a Super35 crop

If the camera can only shoot 5.9K (ie full-sensor width), video at up to 30p, then it must either pixel bin, line skip or crop to achieve a rate faster than this. A roughly 6000 x 4000 pixel sensor would yield a roughly 4000 x 2250 APS-C region, which would make sense (this is what the S1 does).

The S1 video upgrade (SFU2) raises the bar

The DMW-SFU2 upgrade for the S1 raises the expectations of what the S1H will be able to do.

Panasonic had already said that the $ 200 SFU2 upgrade would add 10-bit, 4:2:2 150Mbps full-width 4K capture and full V-Log implementation, but the announced specs go further than this. It not only lifts the 29:59 recording limits and enables 10-bit 4:2:2 output of the camera’s 4K 60p footage, over HDMI.

More than this, it adds GH5-like video features such as waveform display, the ability to upload LUTs for a corrected preview, and the ability to limit the recording to industry-recognized ‘safe’ output (giving a choice of 0-1023, 64-940 or 64-1023, to match different workflows).

These additions are likely to hint at the minimum capabilities of the S1H: with it being safe to assume the inclusion of waveforms. Given the S1H’s anamorphic capture capabilities, it’s also likely that it’ll gain the GH5’s ability to present ‘de-squeezed’ playback of anamorphic footage as well as on-screen indicators of the output dimensions.

The body will resemble, but not be shared with, the S1 and S1R

Panasonic says the S1H will look similar to the S1 and S1R but won’t share the same body Instead the company implied it would be slightly larger. The early imagery shows a camera that’s slightly taller than the existing bodies.

This raises the likelihood that the S1H is essentially an S1 will more processing power and the improved heat dissipation that this would need.

But beyond that, the capabilities look remarkably similar:

Panasonic S1
(with paid SFU2 upgrade)		 Panasonic S1H
Pixel Count 24MP 24MP*
30p capture Full-width 4K downscaled from 6K Full-width 6K
60p capture UHD from Super35 region DCI or UHD from Super35 region*
Other aspect ratios – 3:2 6K at up to 24p
In-body stabilization Yes Unknown

*logical assumptions, based on information provided.

What will the S1H offer over an upgraded S1?

The limited details we have of the S1H suggest it may be based on similar hardware to the S1, though perhaps with a more powerful processor (or the same processor running faster, with some means to cool it).

What is clear is that Panasonic thinks these differences will be worth at least a $ 1300 premium over the cost of the S1 and SFU2 upgrade. The company says it’ll be a product aimed at pro videographers and cinematographers, rather than the S1, which is described as being a good fit for wedding photographers who are also looking to deliver video.

So, what might the S1H offer to justify this price-hike (and the creation of a whole new model)?

Full resolution output

The Panasonic S1 creates its 4K footage from 5.9K capture, but we’re assuming Panasonic means that the S1H won’t downsample to 4K, when it says the S1H will shoot 5.9K.

The camera’s 6K 3:2 mode is likely to essentially an ‘open gate’ mode, shooting a larger area than the final shot, giving scope for cropping, re-positioning, rotating or stabilizing the footage. To achieve the full benefit of this, the camera would need to output its 6K capture at 6K.

Likewise, we’d expect the camera’s ‘5.9K 16:9’ footage to be retained at full resolution. For a professional workflow, this greater detail would provide some flexibility to crop in post while still maintaining true 4K resolution could be the difference between a primary camera and a secondary ‘B’ camera, and a major selling point over the S1.

Higher bitrates?

Even with the paid video upgrade, the Panasonic S1 can only shoot video at up to 150Mbps: a long way short of the 400Mbps capabilities of the GH5 and GH5S. This seems like the most obvious added extra to include in the camera.

The GH5 and GH5S already show that Panasonic can write 400Mbps (50 MB/s) to the latest V90-rated SD cards, which is not necessarily utilized in the S1.

There’s also the possibility that the S1H will support the Micro P2 standard of cards, used elsewhere in Panasonic’s VariCam range. These look like standard SD cards but use a different write method with greater data integrity. Adding P2 support would boost cross-compatibility with VariCam cameras.

Regardless of memory format, we think higher bitrate capture is a near certainty.

ProRes-compatible Raw output?

Also possible is that Panasonic has been working on a way to deliver the sensor’s Raw output (in a manageable bit-depth) across the HDMI port, to allow the potential for ProRes Raw or CinemaDNG Raw capture using an external recorder.

Nikon has rather stolen a march on the rest of the photo industry by promising Raw video output from the Z6. Raw video hasn’t been universally adopted, as a result of the storage and processing demands that it imposes on the workflow. However, the ProRes Raw format offers clever-enough compression options that it becomes easier to adopt. Panasonic may already looking ahead to Raw becoming format of choice in the industry. We’d rate this as 50/50.

Industry-standard connectors

The hint of a slightly larger body makes SDI, micro XLR or more pro-friendly connectors a possibility. However, historically Panasonic has preferred to offer these through a series of adapter add-ons (such as the XLR-1 adapter) that can be compatible with a number of cameras, so we think this is pretty unlikely.

Fixed sensor?

The company was distinctly tight-lipped when we asked whether the S1H would be image stabilized. At the time of the GH5S launch, the company claimed that a fixed sensor works better with external stabilization system (though it’s equally true that the GH5S’s sensor is so big that there’s limited scope for moving it around within the image circle of Micro Four Thirds lenses).

It’s possible that this greater gimbal and steadicam friendliness, combined with the improved heat management of being able to attach the sensor to a heat sync would push the S1H towards using a fixed sensor. That would also explain its existence as a distinct model, since most photographers would prefer to have in-body IS.

We’d rate this one as 50/50, too.

It’ll be fascinating to find out

At this point we can only speculate but, if Panasonic thinks it can charge an extra $ 1300 for the S1H, then they must be pretty confident about the value proposition it’ll offer.

We’d expect Panasonic to hold onto the precise details of the S1H until nearer its autumn/fall release. We’d also expect them to hold some surprises back, to really catch the industry’s attention.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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No Filter? No Problem! 3 Simple Methods to Fix Your Sky in Post-Production

01 Jun

The post No Filter? No Problem! 3 Simple Methods to Fix Your Sky in Post-Production appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nils Heininger.

What you see is not what you get

Quite often, we look at an amazing scene, take out our camera, make a snap, and become disappointed. We are not able to capture what we saw. Sometimes it depends on the perspective and composition. Other times it is an issue of dynamic range. When we are working under a bright sky, the latter is a problem.

Dynamic range means the range of light, in which we can still see detail. It is everything between pitch-black and dazzling-white. The human eye has a very wide dynamic range. For us, it is not a problem to see all the detail in the sky, while also recognizing every rock on a mountain.

Our camera, however, has to find a compromise. It either gets the detail of the rocks and a blown-out (white) sky in the background, or it gets the detail in the sky, but just the dark silhouette of the mountain. Sometimes you want that effect, and sometimes it is merely disappointing.

If you are really into landscape photography, you might consider getting a graduated neutral-density filter. You can put the filter in front of your lens and darken part of the image while leaving the rest untouched. There are systems for square filters, which you fix on using an adapter in front of your lens. You can also get screw-on filters, which you fix directly onto your lens. Both have advantages and disadvantages, and there are many options for ND-grad filters.

If you are just occasionally shooting landscapes, or you don’t want to invest too much money at the moment, you can fix the images in post-production.

Here are three different ways you can fix your sky in Lightroom or Photoshop.

1. Graduated Filter in Lightroom

Fixing something in post-production does not mean that you can be lazy while shooting. When you take your image, you have to make sure that you get the necessary detail and find a good exposure. I always recommend shooting in RAW format as it saves far more detail than .jpg files do.

Lightroom’s graduated filter changes the exposure of a part of your image. It will never recover lost information. Shoot your image as balanced as possible. Find a compromise of getting some detail in the sky and some in your foreground.

Before you use the graduated filter, you should adjust the image in a way that the darker parts are well exposed, and the sky is blown out. In the example image, I pushed the shadows and the whites, to make the buildings pop. It all depends on your image. Just make everything except your sky look like you want it to be.

Then click on the little rectangle in your toolbox. This is the graduated filter.

Applying the graduated filter is easy. Just left-click somewhere in your image, hold the mouse button, and pull it in the direction you want the graduation to happen.

In landscapes, we usually pull it down, as we want graduation along the horizon.

The tool marks the borders where the filter will affect the image. You can also see the intensity of the filter, by pressing “O.” This marks the area in red to give you a visual of the graduation.

If the selected area of your image somehow gets pitch-black, white, blue, or looks weird in any other way – don’t panic! Just check if the filter adjustments on the right are already active. Reset the filter adjustments by double-clicking on the sliders and the image will look like it did before.

Now you can adjust the sky. Usually, this means that you have to make the highlights darker. Pull the Highlights-slider to the left. I also added a little blue in the white-balance and pushed the whites, to have a little dramatic contrast in the sky. If you are irritated by the filter-marks, press “H” to make them disappear.

Still, there is a big issue with the image. As there is no straight horizon, the graduated filter also affects the buildings. This is not always a problem in landscapes – especially when using images of the sea, where the horizon is straight. If objects are towering above the horizon, there is an easy way to deal with it.

Add the Range Mask

The Range Mask helps us to quickly deal with deselecting some parts of the applied filter. In this case, we click on Range Mask -> Luminance in the filter options on the right. Here we can select which parts of the graduated filter will be affected. It’s a filter in a filter!

Luminance means that we can make the filter affect a certain range of brightness within the selected area. In the example, we want the filter to only affect the brighter parts (i.e., the sky) and not the darker ones (i.e., the skyscrapers). Hence, we will push the left marker of the range-slider to the right until we exclude the buildings from our selection.

That’s it!

Pros and Cons of the graduated filter in Lightroom

The graduated filter in Lightroom basically does the same thing that an ND-grad filter in front of your lens does – it changes a part of the image and leaves the other untouched. In Lightroom, however, you can choose between many different adjustments, while the physical analog ND-graduated filter will just make the image darker. You can also individually set up the area you want to edit and decide about the softness of its edge.

The disadvantage of the digital graduated filter is its limitations. You can’t recreate the information that your sensor did not capture. A filter in front of your lens will influence what your camera captures on its sensor. The digital filter can only work with what you have. You cannot push everything as far as you want and usually, you will lose some detail.

Still, the graduated filter in Lightroom is often a decent way to make your sky pop.

2. Mix different exposures with HDR

HDR is the abbreviation for High-Dynamic-Range. HDR images artificially increase the dynamic range of our camera by summing up the information of different exposures. Hence, you have to plan an HDR-image in advance.

While you are shooting, you have to create different exposures of the same image.

I usually take three images:

  1. A “well-exposed-compromise-picture” like I would take for applying the graduated filter in Lightroom.
  2. A darker image (silhouette with great sky-detail), one or two stops below the first.
  3. A bright one (good detail in the foreground, blown out sky), one or two stops above the first.

Make sure, these shots show the same image, and you don’t move your camera. It’s best if you shoot using a tripod.

If you are not familiar with calculating stops, there is good news – most cameras can do it for you. Your camera will likely call it “bracketing.”

Somewhere in your menu, you can select the bracketing setting. My camera asks me how many different exposures I need and how many stops they should differ from each other. Then I hit the shutter three times and have my three exposures.

Don’t forget to reset the bracketing, because it is more than annoying to have different exposures when you don’t want them.

The next step is quite easy. Upload your three exposures into Lightroom and select them. Right-click on one of them. Choose Photo Merge -> HDR and wait until the calculation is done. This can take a little while, depending on the image size and your computer speed.

A fresh window of photoshop should pop up. I always check the boxes Auto Align and Auto Settings and mostly use medium Deghosting. Deghosting is the process Lightroom uses to deal with small dissimilarities in the three images (e.g., moving people, clouds, waves).
Then you hit the merge button and wait again. Here is your finished HDR-image.

Wasn’t that easy?

Mix methods!

Sometimes, you won’t be happy with the HDR-image. You can still adjust it! Even though the image above looks a little innocent, there is a lot of detail in there. Get it out by applying local adjustments like a grad-filter.

Nonetheless, you have to be careful. HDR is still just a computer calculation, that does not know what you saw on location. If you do hard editing, you will find artifacts on your image. Artifacts are disturbances caused by processing an image.

Look closely at the example below, and you will find a black shade around the top of the highest tower. Artifacts like this often occur around areas of high contrast.

Pros and Cons of HDR

HDR is a quick and effective tool to make your sky pop. While the graduate filter in Lightroom can only work with the available information, HDR increases this information. If you check the file size of the original image, you will also find that the HDR image is often three times as big as each single exposure. If your computer is a little slow in processing images, it will have more issues with HDR images.
Another disadvantage is the preparation involved on location. You will need extra equipment to get a similar composition under different exposures. Movement in the image, as well as high-contrast areas, can also create artifacts.

HDR has often been overused to create an “edgy effect.” Don’t over-do it here. There is an easy rule of thumb – if you see that it’s an HDR, it is too much.

3. Make a composite in Photoshop

Composite means cutting out parts of one image and putting it above another. There have been many debates about this issue in the past and present. Are composites fake?

In our example, I think it is fine to cut out the sky of a good exposure and put it on top of the same scene. At least the sky looked like this some few seconds before. It was there – the camera simply couldn’t capture it.

To make a composite in Photoshop, you should already have adjusted the images in Lightroom. Prepare one image with a great sky and another one with a good foreground. Select both images, right-click, and choose Edit In -> Open as Layers in Photoshop. A Photoshop project with two layers will pop up.

In this example, I chose to treat the image with the blown-out sky as the background and put the blue sky on top of it. That means that we have to arrange the layers accordingly. Photoshop will always display the upper layer of your project. Thus, we need to keep the sky as the upper layer, but make the buildings disappear, so the lower layer is visible.

The best method to do this is to create a Layer Mask. It allows us to hide a part of the lower image without deleting any information. To create a Layer Mask, we select the upper layer and click on the little square-symbol with the circle in it. A white rectangle appears next to your layer.

Every white part of the layer mask will be displayed. The black areas will be invisible, while everything grey will be partly visible. Now, we need to fill the areas we don’t want to see (i.e., the buildings) with black. This process is called masking.

Masking involves skill and experience. A proper guide to masking in photoshop can fill books. In our example, we try the basics. We want to see the sky and hide the buildings. Thus, you have to mark the buildings with the Quick Selection tool (Press “W” on your keyboard). We need to select everything except the sky. For hiding the selection, we choose the layer mask and fill the selected area with black color (Edit -> Fill or press Shift+F5).

Now, you have your first composite. It looks a bit weird and artificial in the example. Usually, you need to make some adjustments after masking. Work on the layer mask for the edges of the building. This can be done manually brushing the parts you do not want to see.

You can also make some adjustments to fit the look of the sky and buildings. By using adjustment layers and pulling the opacity of the sky a little back, you will create a more natural look.

Pros and Cons of Composites

The big advantage of a composite is that you take two independent images and blend them into each other. It does not matter if the clouds or cars in the image move. You can control every part that you want to see. The result is pretty much dependent on your skills.

However, a composite is a lot of work. It takes a while to understand all the options, tools, and shortcuts to edit a layer mask. The amount of works depends on the scene. Editing the horizon of a seascape is easy. A skyline can be challenging. Put a bush in front of it, and it is easy to mess it up. You don’t want your image to look like the one below.

Which technique to use?

There is no right or wrong here. It differs from case to case. How much energy do you want to invest? Are your skills advanced? Did you prepare more than one exposure?

You can also mix methods or even manually create an HDR-image in Photoshop.

One day, I will get myself a bunch of ND-grad filters and work things out on location. Until then, I will continue using HDR or – if possible – get along with the graduated filter in Lightroom. So far, it has worked fine for me.

What do you think?

Is there a method you prefer? Do you work with ND-grad filters, or have another method of dealing with the issues of dynamic range? I would be glad if you share your own experiences and images in the comments below.

 

The post No Filter? No Problem! 3 Simple Methods to Fix Your Sky in Post-Production appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Nils Heininger.


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Panasonic’s versatile Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm F1.7 lens available in July

01 Jun

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Panasonic has announced that its Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm F1.7 ASPH lens – first teased at Photokina 2018 – will be available for purchase in July. Panasonic is marketing the 10-25mm, which in full-frame terms is equivalent to 20-50mm on a Micro Four Thirds body, as a single lens that covers five commonly used equivalent focal lengths: 20, 24, 28, 35 and 50mm.

The lens features a total of 17 elements, including aspherical, ED and UHR glass. The lens uses a stepping motor to provide fast, quiet focus. It has a nine-blade aperture and minimum focus distance of 28cm (11″). The lens isn’t as large or as heavy as one would expect, and is very well-built and fully weather-sealed. It’s the first Panasonic Micro Four Thirds lens with a focus clutch and a clickless aperture ring is also provided.

The 10-25mm was very much designed with video in mind, with minimal focus breathing, ‘seamless’ iris control for smooth exposure changes and linear focus response.

The Panasonic Leica DG 10-25mm F1.7 ASPH will be available in July for $ 1799/£1799.

Panasonic Introduces The World’s First* Standard Zoom Lens Achieving Full-range F1.7

LEICA DG VARIO-SUMMILUX 10-25mm / F1.7 ASPH. (H-X1025)

*As a digital interchangeable lens for a mirrorless camera, as of May 31, 2019

Newark, NJ (May 31, 2019) – Panasonic is proud to introduce a new standard zoom digital interchangeable lens, the LEICA DG VARIO-SUMMILUX 10-25mm / F1.7 ASPH.

(H-X1025), which boasts a large F1.7 aperture throughout the entire 20-50mm (35mm camera equivalent) zoom range and exceptionally high optical performance, clearing the stringent LEICA standards. The LEICA DG VARIO-SUMMILUX 10-25mm / F1.7 ASPH. is suitable not only for stills shooting, but also for video recording, to satisfy both professional photographers and videographers.

The full-range F1.7 ASPH. high-speed aperture provides beautiful bokeh and high descriptiveness. Covering a focusing distance from wide angle to standard zoom range, the LEICA DG VARIO-SUMMILUX 10-25mm / F1.7 ASPH. functions as a multiple fixed focal-length lens, providing the same or higher level of descriptiveness than a fixed focal-length lens can offer. It is suitable for a variety of daily shooting situations, from dynamic landscapes to portraits–even in low-lit scenes– eliminating the need to change lenses between variations in environment.

Comprising 17 elements in 12 groups, the lens system features three aspherical lenses and four ED (Extra-low Dispersion) lenses that effectively suppress the axial chromatic aberration and chromatic aberration of magnification. Spherical aberration and distortion are also corrected by the aspherical lenses for stunningly high resolution. The use of aspherical lenses coupled with the optimum design of the lens system, results in a compact size and light weight, while maintaining its outstanding optical performance.

Compatibility with a maximum 240-fps high-speed sensor drive realizes high-speed and high-precision auto focusing. Notably, the new lens excels in video recording performance. In addition to the silent operation achieved by the inner focus drive system, the stepless aperture ring and micro-step drive system in the aperture control section help the camera smoothly catch up to brightness changes when zooming or panning. The optical design achieves exceptional barycentric stability to minimize image shifts during zooming. Adoption of a focus clutch mechanism enables instant AF/MF switching and accurate manual focusing. The LEICA DG VARIO-SUMMILUX 10-25mm / F1.7 ASPH. also excels in video recording performance with a mechanism that suppresses focus breathing, which was previously a fatal problem of all interchangeable lenses designed for still image photography.

The rugged dust/splash-resistant* design withstands use under harsh conditions even at -10 degrees Centigrade for high mobility. Nine blades give the aperture a rounded shape that produces an attractively smooth defocus effect in out-of-focus areas when shooting at larger aperture settings. Filter diameter is in 77mm. A highly reliable metal mount endures long time use.

Panasonic is committed to expanding the of Micro Four Thirds lineup through its LUMIX G series of cameras and lenses.

*Dust and Splash Resistant does not guarantee that damage will not occur if this lens is subjected to direct contact with dust and water.

  • Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.

Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm F1.7 ASPH lens specifications

Principal specifications
Lens type Zoom lens
Max Format size FourThirds
Focal length 10–25 mm
Image stabilization No
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds
Aperture
Maximum aperture F1.7
Minimum aperture F16
Aperture ring Yes
Number of diaphragm blades 9
Optics
Elements 17
Groups 12
Special elements / coatings 1 UHR, 3 aspherical, 4 ED elements
Focus
Minimum focus 0.28 m (11.02″)
Maximum magnification 0.14×
Autofocus Yes
Motor type Stepper motor
Full time manual Yes
Focus method Internal
Distance scale Yes
DoF scale No
Physical
Weight 690 g (1.52 lb)
Diameter 88 mm (3.46″)
Length 128 mm (5.04″)
Materials Magnesium alloy
Sealing Yes
Colour Black
Zoom method Rotary (extending)
Power zoom No
Zoom lock No
Filter thread 77 mm
Hood supplied Yes
Tripod collar No

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Panasonic’s upcoming Lumix DC-S1H cinema camera can capture 6K video

01 Jun

Panasonic has announced the development of its video-focused, full-frame Lumix DC-S1H mirrorless camera, which will be available in the third quarter of 2019 for $ 4000.

The S1H will be able to capture 6K/24p video from the 3:2 region of its sensor and 5.9K from the 16:9 area. The camera will also be capable of 10-bit 4K/60p recording. In addition, it will support multi-aspect recording, such as anamorphic 4:3. Regardless of what video setting you’re using, the S1H will be able to keep recording until the battery dies or your card fills up.

The S1H has been designed to produce video virtually identical to that of Panasonic’s pro-level VariCam cinema camera, through the use of V-Log and V-Gamut. The company claims that the S1H will match the VariCam in terms of both dynamic range (14+ stops) and color reproduction.

Panasonic Lumix S1R, S1H and S1

Panasonic says it plans to have ten L-mount lenses by the end of 2020 and, via EF and PL adapters, S1H users will be have access to more than 50 cinema lenses from its L-mount partners Sigma and Leica.

And that’s all we know about the S1H at this point. A prototype will be shown at the CineGear expo this weekend, and we have no doubt that Panasonic will drip out more information in the months to come.

Press release:

Panasonic Announces the New LUMIX S1H Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera

With Cinema-Quality Video and the World’s First 6K/24p*1 Recording Capability

Newark, NJ (May 31, 2019) – Panasonic Corporation is proud to announce the newest addition to the LUMIX S series, the LUMIX S1H, a new Digital Single Lens Mirrorless camera equipped with a full-frame image sensor. As the world’s first camera capable of video recording at 6K/24p *1 (3:2 aspect ratio), 5.9K/30p (16:9 aspect ratio), and 10-bit 60p 4K/C4K.*2 *3, it combines the video quality of a professional camera and the high mobility of a mirrorless camera. The LUMIX S1H will be released to world markets in fall 2019.

The main features of the new LUMIX S1H are as follows:

  1. High resolution up to 6K for multiple formats.

Maximizing the use of the pixels in the full-frame image sensor, the LUMIX S1H, as a digital camera, has achieved 6K/24p (3:2 aspect ratio) or 5.9K/30p (16:9 aspect ratio) video recording for the first time in the world.*1 It is also the world’s first full-frame digital interchangeable lens system camera*1 to enable 10-bit 60p 4K/C4K *2*3 video recording. It accommodates a variety of recording formats like 4:3 Anamorphic mode, to meet professional needs. Its high-resolution data can also be used to create 4K videos with higher image quality or to crop images in 4K.

  1. Rich gradation and a wide color space virtually equal to those of cinema cameras.

The LUMIX S1H features V-Log/V-Gamut with a wide dynamic range of 14+ stops, which are virtually the same as those of the Panasonic Cinema VariCam, allowing it to precisely capture everything from dark to bright areas. So much so, that the color and even the texture of human skin are faithfully reproduced. Designed under consistent color management, the S1H’s recorded footage is compatible with V-Log footage recorded by VariCam or the LUMIX GH5/GH5S.

  1. High product reliability that allows unlimited video recording. *7

In every S1H recording mode, video can be recorded non-stop under the certified operating temperature so the user can concentrate on shooting.

Since the 1990s, Panasonic has been a leader in the development of video recording technologies for digital cinema, and has produced a host of innovative technologies for impressive cinematic imagery, such as 24p video recording, slow motion video using a variable frame rate, and the wide dynamic range and color space of V-Log/V-Gamut. By working with film creators for more than 25 years, Panasonic has successfully designed a number of cinema cameras that exhibit stunningly high video performance. The LUMIX GH1 made its debut in 2009 as the world’s first Digital Single Lens Mirrorless camera capable of full-HD AVCHD video recording. *4 The LUMIX GH4 was launched in 2014 as the world’s first Digital Single Lens Mirrorless camera*5 capable of 4K video recording. Next, the LUMIX GH5 was released in 2017 with the world’s first 4K/60p, 4:2:2 10-bit 4K/30p recording capability.*6 The LUMIX GH5 is highly acclaimed by film creators for its high performance, excellent mobility, and superb versatility in film production. And now, in 2019, the LUMIX S1H joins as Panasonic’s newest cinema camera.

Panasonic now offers three innovative models in the LUMIX S Series of full-frame Digital Single Lens Mirrorless cameras – the S1R, the S1, and the new S1H. The LUMIX S1R is ideal for capturing high-resolution images, while the LUMIX S1 is an advanced hybrid camera for high-quality photos and videos, and the LUMIX S1H is designed especially for film production. With this lineup, Panasonic is committed to meet the demands of every imaging professional by challenging the constant evolution of the photo/video culture in today’s new digital era.

The LUMIX S1H prototype will be exhibited at the 2019 Cine Gear Expo.*8?

*1 As a digital interchangeable lens system camera, as of May 31, 2019 (U.S.). Panasonic research.

*2 As a full-frame digital interchangeable lens system camera, as of May 31 May, 2019 (U.S.). Panasonic research. In Super 35mm-equivalent size.

*3 Corresponding to 4K (4096×2160) as defined by Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI).

*4 As of March 25, 2009, as a digital interchangeable lens system camera. Panasonic research.

*5 As of March 25, 2014, as a Digital Single Lens Mirrorless camera. Panasonic research.

*6 As of January 25, 2017, as a digital interchangeable lens system camera. Panasonic research.

*7 Recording time varies depending on the battery capacity and memory card capacity. When the camera’s temperature rises above the specified operation temperature, the camera may automatically stop video recording to protect it from heat damage.

*8 Cine Gear Expo 2019 is the premier annual event for professionals engaged in the technology, entertainment and media industry to be held at Paramount Studios in Los Angles, U.S., through May 30 to June 2.

?Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Weekly Photography Challenge – Travel

01 Jun

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Travel appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

This week’s photography challenge topic is TRAVEL!

Ross Parmly

Let’s face it; we all love to travel – especially as photographers. So, go out and take some of your best travel photography images and share them with us all. As usual, they can be color, black and white, moody or bright. They can be people, iconic travel landmarks, stunning landscapes, aerial shots etc. You get the picture! Have fun, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Steven Lewis

Alan Hurt Jr.

 

Check out some of the articles below that give you tips on this week’s challenge.

Tips for Shooting TRAVEL images

The dPS Top Travel Photography Tips of 2018

5 Ways to Photograph Travel Icons

8 Elementary Travel Photography Mistakes to Avoid When Starting Out

How to Find the Best Kinds of People to Photograph While Traveling

The Best Fujifilm X-Series Kits for Travel Photography

How to Travel Light With Your Photography Gear

 

Transcending Travel

 

Weekly Photography Challenge – TRAVEL

Simply upload your shot into the comment field (look for the little camera icon in the Disqus comments section) and they’ll get embedded for us all to see or if you’d prefer, upload them to your favorite photo-sharing site and leave the link to them. Show me your best images in this week’s challenge.

Share in the dPS Facebook Group

You can also share your images in the dPS Facebook group as the challenge is posted there each week as well.

If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites – tag them as #DPStravel to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Travel appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.


Digital Photography School

 
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Hands-on with Panasonic’s 10-25mm F1.7 Micro Four Thirds lens

01 Jun

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm F1.7 ASPH

The Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm F1.7 ASPH is a fast zoom lens that covers several popular focal lengths. When mounted on a Micro Four Thirds body, where it’s equivalent to 20-50mm, you can hit 20mm, 24mm, 28mm, 35mm or 50mm with a single lens (and a fast one, at that). It will ship in July for $ 1799/£1799.

The lens was originally announced last year at Photokina, and saw a mockup under glass at CP+ back in March.

We were able to get our hands on a preproduction lens, so click through to learn more about this beast of a lens.

Big, but not that big

Make no mistake, the 10-25mm F1.7 is a hefty lens, but it’s not nearly as large or heavy as one would expect given its ambitious spec. The lens is 128mm (5″) long, has a max diameter of 88mm (3.5″) and weighs in at 690g (1.5lb). By comparison, Sigma’s 18-35mm F1.8 Art lens is a bit shorter, but almost 20% heavier, despite covering a narrower range of focal lengths.

The 10-25mm is a pricey lens, and it feels like it in the hand. It’s virtually all metal and is dust and splash-resistant. The lens can function down to -10°C/+14°F.

Seventeen elements

It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that this ambitious lens requires a lot of glass. The 10-25mm F1.7 has 17 elements in 12 groups and includes aspherical, ED and UHR elements. The lens is threaded for 77mm filters, which serves as an example as how compact (relatively speaking) the 10-25 is.

The lens uses a stepping motor that focuses quickly and quietly.

Grabbing control over focus

The 10-25 is the first Panasonic Micro Four Thirds lens to have a focus clutch, making it easy to quickly switch between auto and manual focus. As you can see from the photo above, the lens can focus down to 28cm (11″).

With the clutch pulled back, the manual focus response is linear. This will be especially useful for video shooters, since it means you can be certain of how much the focus will change in response to you turning the lens. There’s a feedback stop at either end of the focus range but they’re not hard stops: the focus ring will continue to rotate beyond the close and far points, so it’s not great for use with a follow-focus.

Stills shooters are likely to appreciate that it gives an experience much more like an old, mechanically-driven lens,

Put a ring on it

The aperture ring, which travels from F1.7 to F16, is click-less, another feature the video crowd will appreciate. Something we like about the dial, at least on the prototype we used, is that there’s a detent to prevent you from accidentally switching the ring out of Auto mode.

Just as importantly for videographers, the aperture/iris is driven smoothly, without steps. This allows subtle adjustments in exposure (either manually or in auto mode), without the brightness of the video visibly jumping.

No going to great lengths

The lens extends when you adjust the zoom, but not by much: here it’s shown at full-extension.

Its comparably low weight should make it easy for a gimbal to stabilize, and the limited change in length should also mean its center of gravity doesn’t move very much. This should make it possible to get away without having to re-balance for different focal lengths, which is a clear benefit over using a series of prime lenses.

L-mount teleconverters

Panasonic released a pair of teleconverters for its S-series full-frame bodies alongside the 10-25mm F1.7. These 1.4x and 2x converters are compatible with Panasonic’s S Pro 70-200mm lenses: the currently available F4 version as well as the F2.8 model coming later this year.

Both teleconverters feature UHR (ultra-high refractive index lens) elements, and Panasonic claims that there’s virtually no reduction in resolution when using them.

The 1.4x and 2x teleconverters are priced at $ 499/£489 and $ 599/£579, respectively.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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DPReview TV: Panasonic 10-25mm F1.7 preview + Cine Gear announcements

01 Jun

Hot on the heels of Panasonic’s announcements from Cine Gear 2019, Chris and Jordan give us a hands-on preview of the new 10-25mm F1.7 lens, along with details of the new VLog upgrade for the S1 and the announcement of a new video-oriented full frame mirrorless model, the S1H.

Get new episodes of DPReview TV every week by subscribing to our YouTube channel!

  • Introduction
  • Design and handling
  • Focus breathing
  • Versus Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 with Metabones Speedbooster
  • Macro capability
  • Autofocus
  • Size and weather sealing
  • Panasonic S1 firmware update (SFU2)
  • Panasonic S1H pre-announcement details
  • Wrap-up

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Kickstarter campaign seeks funding for Alter RFS, a hinged lens filter adapter

01 Jun

Alter has launched a Kickstarter funding campaign for Alter RFS, a Rapid Filter System that attaches lens filters to a camera via a hinged adapter. The Alter RFS friction hinge supports 270 degrees of rotation, enabling photographers to lower a filter over the lens when needed, then quickly lift it out of the way again.

Alter RFS, which is made out of milled anodized aerospace aluminum, features a magnet for sealing the filter over the lens and a light shield for preventing light leaks. The adapter supports existing lens filters with universal threads and can be rotated to move the hinge to the ideal position for the user’s needs (from the top to the side of the lens, for example).

The friction hinge prevents the filter from falling back down over the lens even during rough camera movements. Alter plans to offer the Rapid Filter System in filter sizes 40.5mm to 105mm, as well as an RFS+ adapter model that includes a built-in step-up.

Alter is offering Kickstarter backers various discounts for pledging funds to the campaign, with those discounts starting at $ 67 USD for a single Alter RFS up to $ 59 USD each for three units and $ 55 USD for any additional units beyond that. The company anticipates a retail price of $ 79 USD, assuming the campaign is successful and the product is brought to market. Shipments to backers are estimated to start in September.

Disclaimer: Remember to do your research with any crowdfunding project. DPReview does its best to share only the projects that look legitimate and come from reliable creators, but as with any crowdfunded campaign, there’s always the risk of the product or service never coming to fruition.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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