Tag Archives: Auto Focus

DJI Ronin 4D Delivers Cinematic Stabilized Slow Motion!

In what could be called a new paradigm or class of camera, DJI the drone maker has launched a couple of cinema full-frame cameras geared to professional productions that merge their Ronin gimbal products with their Drone pro Zenmuse cameras to create a massively appealing system for pros and enthusiasts that want no compromise stabilization with enough image quality to be able to use them in professional productions for TV and film.  The pricing at just over 11.5k for the 8k version and 7.2k for the 6k version is small potatoes for movie and TV studios but might put off some buyers. 

It is of note that a fully working system bundle is assembled at that price which is much better than other options. It includes the Gimbal, camera and body, 1TB SSD M.2 card, battery, touch screen and cabling. In cinema systems like RED and ARRI this is just the brain or camera body with everything else being added on top as ancillary costs. The frame rates on these cameras are limited to 120fps as the highest at 4k and 75fps at 8k.  They might not be huge but the quality and stabilization should make them quite useful.  → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Panasonic Lumix BGH1 Slow Motion at 240fps is good!

Panasonic Lumix BGH1 Slow Motion

The Panasonic Lumix BGH1 is a strange camera if you are used to DSLR or Mirrorless camera body styles. It is tiny and full of connections with no screen unless you provide one via a computer that is tethered or an HDMI field monitor.  It uses the same dual ISO sensor found on the Panasonic Lumix GH5s which is a very good low light camera in a Micro 4/3ds package.  The BGH1 has a better internal recording set of options than the GH5s but it is more intended as a tethered studio solution with the addition of Genlock synch and SDI out.

The camera also has VFR or a Variable frame rate mode which is identical to the Lumix GH5s as it records from 1fps to 240fps in Full HD 1080p and delivers pretty good performance up to 200fps then lowers the quality along with providing a small added crop to the image at 225fps and 240fps. It is still not as sharp as regular 1080p video and the codec is saved at a lower bit rate but having 240fps as an option is great.

Panasonic LUMIX BGH1 Video Specs:

Video Modes: AVC-Intra/AVC-LongG/H.264 Long GOP/H.265/MOV 4:2:2 10-Bit:
4096 x 2160p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (100 to 400 Mb/s)
3840 x 2160p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (100 to 200 Mb/s)
3328 x 2496p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (100 to 400 Mb/s)
1920 x 1080p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (100 to 200 Mb/s)
AVC-Intra/AVC-LongG/H.264 Long GOP/H.265/MOV 4:2:0 8-Bit:
4096 x 2160p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (100 to 150 Mb/s)
3840 x 2160p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (100 to 150 Mb/s)
3328 x 2496p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (100 to 150 Mb/s)
1920 x 1080p at 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (100 Mb/s)
AVC-Intra/AVC-LongG/H.264 Long GOP/H.265/MP4 4:2:2 10-Bit:
3840 x 2160p at 23.98/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (72 to 100 Mb/s)
AVC-Intra/AVC-LongG/H.264/H.264 Long GOP/H.265/MP4 4:2:0 8-Bit:
3840 x 2160p at 23.98/25/29.97 fps (100 Mb/s)
1920 x 1080p at 23.98/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (24 to 28 Mb/s)VFR Mode 1-240fps Full HD 1080p (24 to 28 Mb/s) 

As you can see, the camera is capable of recording up to 60fps in 10 bit 4:2:2 internally which is better than other m4/3 lumix cameras that top out at 4:2:0 color space in this mode.

Of note is that the VFR Panasonic Lumix BGH1 Slow Motion mode is limited in bit rate from 24Mbits/sec to 28Mbits/sec which is passable but hardly ideal since the image is more compressed.  The quality of the VFR should be identical to the GH5s and the sample below by the great youtube reviewer Richard Wong you can see the softness associated with 240p in VFR.  We are told that up to 200fps the image looks a bit better and there is no crop associated with it.

Pretty In-Depth Panasonic Lumix BGH1 by Richard Wong: 

As you can see in the excellent in-depth review above, the camera has Auto Focus that is pretty similar to the other cameras in the Lumix line and suffers from the same pulsating qualities of the DfD Depth from Defocus algorithm used by Panasonic. We are no fans of it for video even when it has improved a lot. For AF to work reliably you need to have dual Pixels in the sensor with Phase and contrast-detection like those on systems from Canon or Sony.

The camera is very small and it is ideal for drones that can carry the 545g of the body plus a lens.  At $1,997.99 at Adorama Camera it is about the same price as a Panasonic S5 which is a full-frame camera that delivers even better performance in low light and has a photo mode and screen.  The S5 in our view is a better overall camera for the majority of people but the BGH1 is geared to a different market altogether.

You could build a studio with them as they have Genlock timecode sync and SDI out which is what you want for tethering many of these cameras together. The uses for a camera like this are plenty considering its great low light performance and beautiful image with 13 stops of Dynamic Range when Shooting V-Log L.

Pricing and availability:

Panasonic LUMIX BGH1 – Review – Unboxing the box camera by extrashot: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Sony ZV-1 Slow Motion is a newer cheaper RX100 alternative!

Sony ZV-1 Slow Motion

Sony has revealed the ZV-1 Vlogging camera which uses the tried and true technology of the RX100 series and simplifies the body controls plus allows the screen to be of the vari-angle kind to work essentially as a do it all solution for web Vlogs. The body is reminiscent of the latest RX100 VII and very close to the previous generations but with the added benefit of a real video-oriented 360-degree screen.

As an RX Camera it features our favorite slow motion mode of the compact camera world, the Motion Eye or HFR Sony mode which offers up to 1000fps on sub HD resolution at capture time and near 1080p at 240fps with excellent quality.  We dive into the camera’s slow motion mode to see if anything has improved from the RX line and if this camera with it’s lower entry price makes more sense to own than the RX100 line.

Sony ZV-1 Main Specs:

  • SENSOR TYPE: 1.0″-type (0.52″ x 0.35″) Exmor RS® CMOS sensor, aspect ratio 3:2  Stacked!
  • NUMBER OF PIXELS (EFFECTIVE)Approx. 20.1 Megapixels
  • OPTICAL ZOOM2.7x
  • F-NUMBER (MAXIMUM APERTURE)F1.8 (W) – 2.8 (T)
  • FOCAL LENGTH (F=)f = 9.4–25.7 mm
  • Eye AF & Object tracking AF
  • 315 points (phase-detection AF), 425 points (contrast-detection AF)
  • Vari angle touch screen
  • Directional three-capsule mic with wind screen
  • Optical SteadyShot

Sony ZV-1 Video Modes:

MOVIE RECORDING MODE (NTSC)

AVCHD: 24 M FX (1,920 x 1,080/60i) / 17 M FH(1,920 x 1,080/60i), XAVC S 4K: 30p 100 M (3,840 x 2,160/30p) / 30p 60 M (3,840 x 2,160/30p) / 24p 100 M (3,840 x 2,160/24p) / 24p 60 M (3,840 x 2,160/24p),

XAV C S HD: 60p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/60p) / 60p 25 M (1,920 x 1,080/60p) / 30p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/30p) / 30p 16 M (1,920 x 1,080/30p) / 24p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/24p) / 120p 100 M (1,920 x 1,080/120p) / 120p 60 M (1,920 x 1,080/120p)

MOVIE RECORDING MODE (PAL)

AVCHD: 24 M FX (1,920 x 1,080/50i) / 17 M FH (1,920 x 1,080/50i), XAVC S 4K: 25p 100 M (3,840 x 2,160/25p) / 25p 60 M (3,840 x 2,160/25p),

XAVC S HD: 50p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/50p) / 50p 25 M (1,920 x 1,080/50p) / 25p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/25p) / 25p 16 M (1,920 x 1,080/25p) / 100p 100 M (1,920 x 1,080/100p) / 100p 60 M (1,920 x 1,080/100p)

Sony ZV-1 Slow Motion HFR Video Modes:

HFRRecording:

[PAL] mode

XAVC S

  • Full HD: 50p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/250fps)
  • 50p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/500fps)
  • 50p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/1,000fps)
  • 25p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/250fps)
  • 25p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/500fps)
  • 25p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/1,000fps)

[NTSC] mode

XAVC S HD:

  • 60p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/240fps)
  • 60p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/480fps)
  • 60p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/960fps)
  • 30p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/240fps)
  • 30p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/480fps)
  • 30p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/960fps)
  • 24p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/240fps)
  • 24p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/480fps)
  • 24p 50 M (1,920 x 1,080/960fps)

Sensor Readout Number of effective pixels:

Quality Priority – 2 second rec time: 240fps/250fps (1,824 x 1,026),

Quality Priority – 1 second rec time:480fps/500fps (1,824 x 616) 960fps/1,000fps (1,244 x 420)/

Shoot Time Priority – 3 second rec time: 240fps/250fps (1,824 x 616), 480fps/500fps (1,292 x 436), 960fps/1,000fps (912 x 308)

Has anything changed in HFR?

In a word no when it comes to resolutions, the same HFR that debuted years ago is still here as it is using the same stacked 1″ EXMOR sensor from the RX100 line of cameras and the latest version at that with the new AF module. Other than that it is essentially a cheaper RX series in terms of capture modes without sacrificing video quality.  In fact video wise it does better in auto exposure modes and it is tuned to better preserve highlights while popping up skin tones which may be more pleasant for many.

You can check the official HFR Manual online here for the ZV-1!

However, when it comes to recording time it is a notch below the RX100 and RX10 series with a maximum recording time of 3 seconds on Shoot time priority and a low of 1 second for Quality priority on frame rates above 240fps.  (Thanks to reader Klaus for bringing this to our attention). This is a big deal as previous RX releases allow up to 7 seconds on SHoot time priority and 4 seconds on Quality priority.  So your capture will be severely limited time wise.

All in all an RX series for HFR mode compacted under $800 USD with some features added and some hardware controls removed.  What is not to like when you get essentially the same performance video-wise to a significantly costlier camera except for the recording time in HFR being so limited.

Video sample at 250fps and 500fps below:

Sony ZV-1 slow motion tests by Mark Wilson (Well done Mark!):

What is missing from the RX100 Line?

Thre are a few things that are absent which may or may not bother you.

  1. No multi-function ring on the lens barrel
  2. No EVF, only the Touch LCD Screen
  3. No Manual focus just Touch 2 focus!
  4. Lower recording times in HFR Mode but at same quality.

The lack of the EVF might be the toughest pill to swallow but as a Vlogging camera, it was bound to happen.  The RX line is still relevant with it’s more well-rounded features however software-wise the video Auto modes on this camera are ideal for its intended blogging purpose with excellent auto exposure, amazing built-in microphone, and AF that really captures faces and object demos in real-time with almost no lag.

Is a new RX camera coming in 2020?

The rumor mill had been quiet on this front until the ZV-1 launch was coming which probably tells us that the RX line is either migrating or will get a debut with a whole new platform of sensor and lens design for the future.  With P&S cameras being less and less relevant every day, Sony has been forced to cater to Vloggers and kind of side step camera enthusiasts that want pocketable options. However, the excellent RX100 and RX10 lines are still out there as options until a replacement is announced.

We have not heard any rumors about an RX100 version 8 camera so it is safe to say that we may not see one soon.  If we do, it may be closer to Christmas time in any case.

The ZV-1 is recycling the best of the RX100 line and gearing it to Vloggers in a way that won’t break the bank, and at that, it is a real winner for your money considering how capable it is.

Should I get it?

Yes but…

If you already have an RX100 or RX10 camera we think you should skip this camera unless you want to Vlog and want a vari-angle screen and need higher recording times in slow motion. If you were thinking about getting an RX camera and you do not need an EVF and multifunction ring or the extra rec time then this is the camera to get for a significant price drop without sacrificing image quality.

Pricing and Availability:

The camera will be released on June 11th, 2020 in just a few days and you can pre-order at Amazon below!

$749.99  Standard Kit Pre Order at Amazon!

There is a Vlogger accessory kit bundle for $100 more which has the Wireless Bluetooth Grip which lets you record and zoom from the controller as well as use it as a tripod.   We believe that for $848 it’s very fair value as it also bundles a 64GB SD card.  However, we recommend the RX100 line for slow motion enthusiasts due to the higher recording time as the ZV-1 is quite limited above 240fps.

This ZV-1 Camera may become our favorite Sony HFR camera since it ticks almost all the boxes at an affordable price. If you are getting one, it will help us if you click our Amazon links before ordering to help this site continue.  Thanks for your support! -HSC 

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→ Continue Reading Full Post ←

Sony FX9 Slow Motion is Good But Not Great!

Sony FX9 Slow Motion

The new Sony PXW-FX9 XDCAM 6K Full-Frame Camera is what Sony fans have been waiting ever since the APS-C cameras Super 35 cameras like the FS5 and FS7 made the rounds. It is all that those cameras offered but now on a state of the art Full Frame sensor with Dual ISO capable of 800 and 4000 depending on the needed use. By being extremely sensitive the camera needs ND filtration and it doesn’t disappoint on that feature either by including a ramping – smooth increments ND filter from 1/4 to 1/128 which adjusts on Auto Mode depending on the scene without ruining the shot. An industry first.

On the Slow Motion front, the camera is consistent with Sony pedigree with now offering 120fps Full HD and with a promised firmware update 180fps Full HD and also 16-bit raw 4K/2K footage up to 120 fps to an external recorder.  This is close but not quite what the FS5 is capable of in FHD which includes 240fps. The FS7 has in contrast 240fps @ 2K RAW Ext Rec & 180fps 1920*1080 Internal. Much closer to what the FX9 is capable of doing.

Sony FX9 Main Specs:

  • 6K Full-Frame Exmor R CMOS Sensor
  • 15 Stops of Dynamic Range
  • UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) up to 59.94p
  • HD Recording up to 120 fps & 180fps with Firmware Upgrade
  • 120fps 4k RAW 16 bit External Recording (Future Firmware)
  • 10-bit 4:2:2 to dual XQD media card slots
  •  561-point phase-detection AF sensor
  • ISO of 800/4000
  • Auto ND Filter 1/4 to 1/128
  •  XAVC-I with 422 10-bit quality
  • Built-in gyro For Metadata Post Stabilization. No IBIS!
  • 4-channel audio recording
  • 12G-SDI and an HDMI for 4K output
  • 28-second Cache Recording to prevent missing any shot!

Slow Motion Specs of the FX9:

  • 4k 50p/60p
  • 4k 100/120fps RAW 16 Bit Firmware External Recorder
  • 120fps Full HD at launch
  • 180fps Full HD after Future Firmware Upgrade

The camera includes a “Quality priority setting that maximizes Full HD slow-motion image quality with advanced oversampling technology.” As to how good the camera will be able to preserve full HD quality at up to 180fps remains to be seen but it is encouraging to see that they are serious about the image quality in these modes. If Sony is able to deliver identical quality at 120 and 180fps as the regular supersampled Full HD we will be impressed.

The Slow Motion component of the FX9 is a good compromise when we see that it sports such a large sensor that needs to be great at several ISOs from lows to highs.  The rolling shutter might be larger than other S35 cameras but you are also able to record in crop 4k S35 mode. So it really is an FS7 II camera with an impressive Full Frame Sensor, usable Autofocus and the world’s first variable ND filter with Auto mode.

The letdown here is the no mention of the Sony 240, 480fps and 960fps Super Slow Motion HFR modes that were in the FS7 as options. Sure there were not ready for full production quality since the information was lost but this is apparently a compromise from the full-frame sensor unable to scan at such high frame rates. For serious users of this camera this should not even be a problem, image quality in regular modes trumps gimmicky high frame rates. So the HFR mode is gone here and we hope not for ever on Sony Pro video cameras.  We can excuse it due to the state of the art Full Frame sensor.

Destined Evolution:

The FX9 is the culmination of the evolution of the DSLR revolution started by the Canon EOS 5D Mark II which introduced the Full Frame look to digital video. However, this camera is so much better in all respects that it is kind of a bad comparison. No Aliasing or moire artifacts in 4k supersampled mode, better frame rates, better color science, better codec and features unique like the ND and AF with face detection.  If Sony can translate a lot of this technology to the long-awaited Sony a7s III if it ever ships, will be really mind-blowing.

Maybe the best part about the FX9 announcement is that the Sony FS7 & FS7 II will be lowered in price due to the displacement made by the new camera. The FS7 is an incredible performer that is production tested with very good slow motion performance.

We will have Sony FX9 slow motion clips as the become available. Since the firmware is pre-production we will not be able to judge any clips until the final release to avoid making an uneducated guess for the final quality.  In the meantime look at the videos below about the camera which will educate you really well on the capabilities and quality, you can expect.  Thanks for reading -HSC

Sony FX9 | First Look by ProAV TV:

SONY FX9 TEST SHOTS – Amazing colour and autofocus! by Philip Bloom: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Sony RX100 VII Has Stagnant Slow Motion Specs!

The Sony RX100 VII or also known as the RX100M7 is the latest in the stacked 1″ CMOS sensor line from the company in what amounts to another evolutionary incremental step without a real revolution.  New is the impressive real-time AF technology from the Sony a9 professional camera now miniaturized into this pocketable beast with up to 20fps at full resolution and up to 90fps in high burst mode but for only 7 shots which is kind of a letdown as it is very limited.

The HFR mode in previous RX series cameras have been one of our favorites among the cameras released in the past few years by including truly usable 240p, 480/500p, and 960/1000p depending on NTSC or PAL mode selection with also the ability to trigger a pre and post record time to not miss the moment. This ability is akin to what a real dedicated serious slow motion camera can deliver. The problem is that the RX cameras are severely time-limited at 4 seconds quality priority time and or 7 seconds in shoot time priority.

Sony RX100 VII Main Features:

  • ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* 24-200mm1 F2.8 – F4.5 high magnification zoom lens  8x Optical Zoom!
  • World’s fastest (0.02sec) AF, 357-point phase detection and 425-point contrast-detection
  • Up to 20 fps Blackout-free Shooting, using up to 60 times/sec.5 AF/AE calculations
  • Single Burst Shooting captures 7 shots at up to 30/60/90 fps in JPEG/RAW
  • AI-based Real-time Tracking for stills and movies,and Touch Tracking
  • Real-time Eye AF for human (stills and movies), and for animal (stills only)
  • Newly developed 20.1MP10 1″ Exmor RS stacked BSI CMOS sensor with DRAM (Better AF, Not Better HFR)
  • 4K movie with direct pixel readout, no pixel binning, HLG instant HDR; Interval Shooting
  • Microphone Jack!
  • Flippy Screen with Vlog 90 degree function.
  • HFR Mode with up to 1000fps Slow Motion Video Capture!

HFR Mode Details:

Quality Priority (Same as Older RX100 VI from 2018):

4 seconds expected (Not Confirmed)

  • 240fps/250fps (1824×1026) – Near full 1080p
  • 480fps/500fps (1824×616)
  • 960fps/1000fps (1244×420) 

Shoot Time Priority (Same as Older RX100 VI from 2018):

7 seconds expected (Not Confirmed)

  • 240fps/250fps (1824×616)
  • 480fps/500fps (1292×436) 
  • 960fps/1000fps (912×308)

Recording: NTSC/PAL Selector:
[PAL] mode XAVC S HD: 50p 50M(1920×1080/250fps), 50p 50M(1920×1080/500fps), 50p 50M(1920×1080/1000fps)/25p 50M(1920×1080/250fps), 25p 50M(1920×1080/500fps), 25p 50M(1920×1080/1000fps),

[NTSC] mode XAVC S HD:60p 50M(1,920×1,080/240fps), 60p 50M(1,920×1,080/480fps), 60p 50M(1,920×1,080/960fps)/30p 50M(1,920×1,080/240fps), 30p 50M(1,920×1,080/480fps), 30p 50M(1,920×1,080/960fps)/24p 50M(1,920×1,080/240fps), 24p 50M(1,920×1,080/480fps), 24p 50M(1,920×1,080/960fps)
Sensor Readout Number of effective pixels:
Quality Priority:
240fps/250fps(1,824×1,026)
480fps/500fps(1,824×616)
960fps/1000fps(1,244×420)
Shoot Time Priority:
240fps/250fps(1,824×616)
480fps/500fps(1,292×436)
960fps/1000fps(912×308)

Audio recording is not available. A Class 10 or higher SDHC/SDXC memory card is required.

Super slow motion at up to 40x slower speed

The stacked CMOS sensor enables an extra-high frame rate of up to 960fps/1000fps39, so even when shooting at 200 mm20 telephoto it’s possible to record impressive close-up, super slow-motion footage40. The frame rate and recording setting can be set independently for slow-motion playback speeds from 1/4 to 1/40th of real-time speed and can be captured using either start or end triggers to record even the most fleeting of moments.

The New along with the Old:

The new in this camera is all about speed and Auto Focus accuracy. Eye AF and Face AF are now the best in the entire Sony camera line and a sign of things to come in other camera platforms.  You can now rest assured the camera will have people and objects in focus while video is recording with an extremely accurate hit-rate with very little second-guessing.

The camera also includes a new Microphone jack that allows along with the 90 degree flip screen to directly Vlog either in horizontal or vertical mode for the web with an external microphone. Suddenly a full 4k HDR camera kit with pro audio can fit in your pocket if you can live with the low battery life of around 1hr recording at best.

The HFR mode which enables high-speed video is as we have shown above remained the same resolution wise but the jury is still out on recording time.  There is no mention in the current crop of specs about the HFR mode and any modification in the allowable rec time. With the new burst modes it seems the camera buffer has been increased which may mean we may get longer quality recording times for slow motion. But judging by the lack of a mention, we believe there will be no changes. The resolution being the same as the two previous cameras the V and VI mean that Sony is not innovating in the HFR mode anymore.  Has slow motion gone to the background for the foreseeable future on camera specs?

The RX100 VII is a marvel of technology and it is by any measure a superb technological milestone. The evolution of these series is still untouched by the competition in features and image quality. The 1″ sensor continues to be the state of the art in pocketable cameras. We may also see an RX100 VII VA version with a shorter zoom range and faster glass which was released last year alongside the RX100 VI to appease low light enthusiasts.

Should I get this instead of the RX100 VI?

Right now the price difference between an RX100 7 and 6 is just $200 USD between the old camera and a new pre-order. We expect the price on the older camera to drop considerably as stock dwindles and the new model becomes widely available.  We should see an RX100 VI (6) at less than $998 by Thanksgiving November 28th.

If you have money to burn and want this camera, pre-ordering makes sense now as this camera will probably be a best seller and inventory wise hard to find the first few months.

The RX100 VII should be available on Friday August 16th for $1,199 on the standard kit without accessories.

Last year’s RX100 VI ($998) was already an amazing all-rounder of a camera and the improvements this time around even while impressive when it comes to AF tracking, make not a must-have for previous owners. If you absolutely need a Microphone jack then this new model is the one you been waiting for in the RX100 line.

As a slow motion camera, there is no justification for choosing this camera above the previous two years of releases considering the feature is essentially unchanged resolution wise and most probably time recording limited to the previous spec also.  We will know more about this when the manual is released and we can confirm this is the case.

We will have more info including HFR samples of the RX100 VII when they are released which should be in about a months time. In the mean-time make sure you check out the pretty excellent explanation of the RX100 VI HFR mode from last year’s camera so you can get acquainted and tailor your expectations accordingly.  Thanks for reading -HSC

 

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Lumix G95 120fps Full HD and Why Its a Pass!

Lumix G95 Slow Motion

Let us start by saying that we are huge fans of the Lumix line by Panasonic and their cameras in general. The GH5 is still a powerhouse of a camera for serious video work and the 180fps FUll HD slow motion is better than many others before or since at that frame rate while at 120fps is as good as the best Sonys out there.  However, the recently announced Lumix G95 drops the ball in several fronts when it comes to really good video performance which has become a trademark for Panasonic.

The G95 has all the looks and character of a great hybrid camera but has a crippled video mode that may put off many buyers looking for the perfect intermediate camera. The 4k, for example, has a 1.25x crop on top of the nearly 2x crop of the micro 4/3 sensor. Making it a little larger than the area of a 1″ sensor. This will sacrifice video quality in the lack of supersampling and low light will suffer from the added megapixels.

Lumix G95 Main Features:

  • 20.3MP Digital Live MOS Sensor
  • Venus Engine Image Processor
  • UHD 4K30p Video, Pre-Installed V-Log L
  • 5-Axis Sensor Stabilization; Dual I.S. 2
  • 120fps, 90fps and 60fps Slow Motion in 1080p*
  • 0.74x 2.36m-Dot OLED Viewfinder
  • 3.0″ 1.24m-Dot Free-Angle Touchscreen
  • Advanced DFD AF System; 4K PHOTO
  • ISO 25600 and 9 fps Continuous Shooting
  • Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi Connectivity
  • Lumix G Vario 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens

So the G95 camera has the latest Dual IS 5 axis IBIS stabilization including IS Lock which was on the GH5 and is a near tripod like substitute on the go.  It has a mic jack and headphone jack but all of those great video features including the V-Log L bundled in have little to do with recommending this camera.

The 1.25x crop in 4k is massive as it is added to the already smaller Micro 4/3rds sensor compared to a 35mm full frame camera. It becomes an exercise in frustration to use wide angles here. Sure telephoto and macro video will benefit but you have to deal with cramped pixels and much more noise in low light.

1080p has no crop but the slow motion mode at 120p, 90p and 60p have a lack of manual controls. That means that setting a shutter speed and aperture combination is left to the camera with only exposure compensation available as a setting to aid the shot.  As you know slow motion requires precise control of the shutter speed to be able to avoid motion blur and get a crisp subject.  In a sunny day with bright objects, you might give the camera a pass but anything else and you are leaving the creativity behind and entering the decision making of the software which will surely get it wrong more often than not. That is why the slow motion mode cannot be counted for serious users.

Same fail of DfD Auto Focus, Why?

The GH5, G9 and GH5s all suffer from the use of the Depth from DeFocus AF system from Panasonic. Works amazingly well in still images but it is horrendous in video mode especially when you want to keep a subject in focus and not hunt around the background or foreground. It is always stuttering and breathing in and out of focus even in situations that should be extremely easy.  Panasonic needs to grow up and accept that this AF mode is a keeper for stills at best and a total failure for continuous video AF.  Phase detection with dual pixel AF on the sensor is a proven technology that works wonders for video mode and photo mode. It is time to bring a camera in the Lumix line that uses that tech and eliminates DfD for video.  Competition is only improving on an already great system while the stubbornness of the Panasonic team is only frustrating owners with sub-par video AF performance.

Panasonic, its time to do the right thing and offer Dual Pixel AF in video mode!

The video below by Richard Wong who has been a Lumix AF tester for a couple of years now shows the problem with the DfD system in the G95.  His perseverance is admirable but Panasonic needs to accept defeat here unless they crack real smart AI for a camera AF system.

Panasonic Lumix G90 | G91 | G95 Face Tracking Video Continuous Autofocus Test by Richard Wong:

Lumix G95 Slow Motion Quality:

One good thing about the G95 is that the 1080p video quality is very good and that translates to the slow motion HFR mode as well.

With Lumix G95 Slow Motion we have performance very close to the GH5 and G9 in Full HD which means there is excellent supersampling to 1080p and 90p and 60p on this camera. The detail and overall sharpness is very good at higher frame rates.  You also have to know that you are not getting 4k 60p which is available on the GH5 and G9.

Panasonic G95 slow motion at 120fps by Panasonic Lumix Québec: → Continue Reading Full Post ←