Tag Archives: Variable frame rate

Sony IMX472-AAJK sensor offers huge frame rates in 4/3ds format!

Sony has released some white paper specs on a new Micro 4/3rds sensor that is as of now, the most advanced ever on the format considering the mix of Backside illumination, Stacked technology and high resolution color at 10 bits on full sensor read outs. The frame rates offered are also quite impressive with up to 1139fps at 0.46 Megapixels or 1760px Horizontal x 262px Vertical on the fastest range and 121fps at the full sensor area read-out at 20.9MP.

The Panasonic GH6 is coming later this year and it is estimated that this new sensor is actually the one that will be used on that camera. If Lumix technology can make full use of the sensor specs even for small fractions of time, we could have a killer slow motion mass produced camera.  The VFR mode on Panasonic Lumix cameras has always been more than acceptable and they could breathe new life into the format if these sensor specs are used to their fullest. We expect at least 1080p at 240fps which will be a slightly stretched delivery from the 1760 x 1318 240.2fps mode listed on the sensor specs → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Panasonic GH5s Boosts High ISO dumps IBIS!

Panasonic GH5s

So the rumors proved to be accurate on the GH5s and now we have a low light version of the GH5 that can shoot cleanly up to ISO 12,800 with up to 100k ISO and by then a much noisier picture. It is claimed by Panasonic that there was a 1.5 stop improvement in noise performance.  Judging by the initial video samples it is clear that the new 10.28MP sensor along with dual native ISO circuitry for each photosite “one at ISO 400” and “one at ISO 2400” make a huge performance leap if low light is desired in a m43 camera.

All is not rosy in Lumix land however as the camera now lacks IBIS or In Built Image Stabilization on the sensor which was a main selling point of both the GH5 and the G9.  Panasonic claims that it was a decision made to cater to filmmakers that need no wobble or vibrations in a shot that can be produced when the stabilizer fails. But why not just add an On-Off switch? 1080p 240fps is also included in the camera but as initial samples show it reduces quality substantially.

Panasonic Lumix GH5S Main Specs:

  • 10.28MP Multi-Aspect Ratio MOS Sensor
  • DCI Cinema 4K – 50-60p 
  • Full HD 1080p 240fps Slight Crop!
  • Internal 4:2:2 10-Bit Long GOP
  • V-Log L Gamma and HDR Hybrid Log Gamma
  • 0.76x 3.68m-Dot OLED Viewfinder
  • 3.2″ 1.62m-Dot Free-Angle Touchscreen
  • Dual Native ISO 400 and ISO 2500
  • Dual UHS-II SD Slots; Wi-Fi & Bluetooth
  • Advanced DFD AF System
  • 12 fps Cont. Shooting and 4K PHOTO Modes
  • MSRP $2,499.99 USD -Pre Order Here!
  • Release Date End of January-Start February 2018!

Panasonic GH5S Video Hands-On – Highlights of the New Camera by cinema5D:

GH5s VFR Slow Motion performance?

As you can see from the excellent first look video above by Cinema 5D the video quality in low light is very much improved from the GH5 and G9. However, the slow motion at 240fps is full of resolution loss, jaggies, and moire which is to be expected as information is being thrown out to cope with the data rate.  This begs the question so what does it look like up to 190fps which is the limit before the VFR mode starts to crop the image. We estimate that it may actually do better than the GH5 and G9 at 190fps and below in which those two other cameras suffer resolution loss as well.  It will be interesting to see if the 180-190fps GH5s is excellent quality. There might be something to cheer here for high frame rate enthusiasts.

Panasonic LUMIX GH5S – Variable Frame Rate (VFR) for Impressive Slow Motion by PanasonicLumixVideo: → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Lumix GH5 vs G9 High Speed VFR Mode Capped!

Lumix GH5 vs G9 High Speed

As suspected in a previous article from HSC the Panasonic G9 bitrate for VFR or high frame rate mode is much lower than on the GH5. The Manual has been released for the G9 showing this lower spec.  It is of note that the codec used on both cameras is very efficient which lends itself to good quality even at 20mbps.  However, for those that want to prioritize fine detail and the utmost sharpness, the GH5 will, in the end, be the better option for slow motion.

There is also the upcoming announcement rumor of the GH5s Lumix camera now with leaked images here with 240fps at full HD using a completely new sensor which may be able to improve of the GH5 slow-motion quality which in our analysis was lacking when using 150fps and 180fps on the regular GH5. Aliasing and moire were evident in footage which is not present in the 120fps mode.  Considering the GH5s might be recycling the same image processing engine but with a new sensor, we may still see some artifacts.

Lumix GH5 vs G9 High Speed VFR From PDF Manuals:

Lumix GH5 Manual Page Showing High Frame Rate Bit Rates up to 100Mbps depending on Codec / Low of 24Mbps:

Lumix G9 Manual Page Showing High Frame Rate Bit Rates Max 20mbps at 1080p:

You can download the Panasonic G9 and GH5 Manuals here for comparison:  http://www.panasonic.eu/downloads/en_GB/popup.html

Is this a big deal?

For the majority of users, the 20mbps on the G9 vs 24 -100mbps on the GH5 for the slow motion VFR mode will be of no consequence. Detail will be lost and color correction/grading will be less forgiving but for anything broadcasted over the web at 1080p, you may see almost no difference.  Still, we think the GH5 is the superior video product as the camera is more geared to the footage acquisition camp since the start.  G9 is a photographers camera that does excellent video as a side effect of Lumix GH pedigree, probably the best stills performance from a Lumix camera yet.

Panasonic Lumix G9 Slow Mo test FHD- 180FPS by ЗВЕРЬЕ live:

We are eager to see next Monday, January 8th, 2018 the rumored announcement of the Panasonic GH5s which should be important going forward as 240fps continuous shooting might be possible for the first time in a camera of this kind.  -HSC

Panasonic G9 vs GH5 for Video Compared!

Panasonic G9 vs GH5

Panasonic seems to be doing a lot of things right lately with their fantastic GH5 with 10 bit recording and 4k 60p for the first time in a mirrorless camera and of course the 180fps Full HD slow motion to boot.  The just-announced Lumix G9 is a monster of a camera in its own right but Panasonic is right to segment it as a Stills first and video second machine.

The GH5 is the best video-centric portable camera in recent memory and the aim with the G9 is to go after the Sony a9 which is arguably the best stills camera ever conceived performance wise.  The G9 is capable of shooting 60 RAW images in a single burst per second and while the buffer is only 50 RAWs worth; it becomes easily renewed thanks to dual card slots.

Panasonic G9 Main Feature Highlights:

  • 20.3MP Digital Live MOS Sensor (Same as GH5)
  • Venus Engine Image Processor (Improved from GH5)
  • UHD 4K 60p Video 150mbit/sec
  • 1080p 180fps VFR Mode
  • 80MP High-Res Shot Mode (Combines 8 Shots in RAW or JPG)
  • 5-Axis Sensor Stabilization; Dual I.S. 2  6.5 stops worth!
  • 0.83x 3.68m-Dot OLED Viewfinder
  • 3.0″ 1.04m-Dot Free-Angle Touchscreen
  • Top Status LCD; Rear Joystick
  • Advanced DFD AF System
  • 6K PHOTO & 4k Photo Mode with Pre Burst!
  • ISO 25600 and 60 fps Continuous Shooting
  • Dual UHS-II SD Slots
  • Wi-Fi & Bluetooth
  • USB3 Battery Charging Plug!
  • MSRP $1,699.99 – Pre Order Amazon Here!

At first glance, there is really no big differences on the whole with the GH5 but you have to really dig in the spec sheet to appreciate what has been done here and why the GH5 not only remains relevant but essential in the line-up!

80MP High Res Mode:

The addition of the Olympus/Pentax Style High Res shot mode allows for the sensor to merge 8 – 20.3 MP stills shots into either RAW or JPG in camera while on a tripod or very stable surface.  The end product is an 80MP shot with outstanding color and sharpness that should rival Medium Format cameras.   For landscapers who are shooting still life scenes, this should be worth the purchase of the camera on its own.  However as we have seen with other similar systems that do the merging is that motion artifacts from foliage, water, birds and other parts of the scene could be a detriment to the shot. For product photography and studio setups, this is not a problem, however.

There is a sense that the GH5 sharing the same sensor and also having a 5-axis sensor stabilizer, that it should just be a firmware release away from having this functionality built in.   But the deeper buffer memory on the G9 might be needed for this to be implemented. However, the GH5 should be able to produce a 40MP shot from 4 shots without trouble if buffers are a concern.

Video Crippling or Heat Buildup?

The Panasonic G9 has impressive video built in but it is a far cry on closer inspection to the GH5 in several aspects. The table below compares the GH5 against the G9 video wise:

GH5 G9 Rec Duration
4k 23.98, 29.97, 48, 59.94 fps 23.98, 29.97, 48, 59.94 fps 10 Minutes
1080p 1920 x 1080p at 29.97, 59.94 1920 x 1080p at 29.97, 59.94 30 minutes
Slow-Mo 12,20,22,24,26,28,36,48,60,72, 84, 96 60fps or 180fps (No 120fps) 10 Minutes
  108,120,132,144,156,168 & 180fps 20mbps
Codec 100, 200,150, & 400mbps 10 bit rec except 60fps 4k. No 10 Bit, Only 150mbps 4k
  1080p  20,24,28,72,100 & 200mbps 28mbps 1080p Very Low
5-Axis Stabilizer 5 Stops Dual IS 6.5 Stops Dual IS
GH5 Has Unlimited Recording Time hispeedcams.com

As you can see from our comparison the GH5 is in a whole other league when it comes to video recording.  The G9  slow motion VFR mode has only 60fps 28mbps and or 180fps recording at up to 20mbps which is a far cry from up to 200MBPS on the GH5 and the plethora of intermediate frame rates like the excellent artifact free 120fps on the GH5 which is free from resolution loss and moire.

The G9 180fps VFR mode will probably be full of aliasing artifacts and has a 10min time limit. The 60fps 4k, however, should be the same quality as the GH5s with 150Mbps with of course the 10 min time limit.  For 1080p the 28mbps cap on the G9 will be a deal breaker for quality and of course the 29min 59-second cap in recording as well.  There is no question the G9 can’t hold a candle to the pro features of the GH5 video modes.

The GH5 has heat dissipation in a class of its own according to Panasonic and why the G9 cannot go head to head on duration in video recording and bit rates for the codecs.  We will not be surprised to see a hack of sorts on the G9 to remove the time limitations.  However, that may damage the camera electronics by going above spec!

 What About the Improved In Body Stabilizer?

This is really an upgrade, the GH5 allowed for up to 5 stops using Dual IS 2.0 with compatible lenses and offered about 4 stops without those lenses and for manual lenses in the best cases. The G9, however, estimates 6.5 fstops of stabilization with any lens and with or without Dual O.I.S. 2.0  However if you use the new Dual OIS lenses you gain better telephoto stabilization and a learning algorithm while walking along with the camera for example.  This is a really impressive spec and it improves on the already class-leading in body IS of the GH5.  The G9’s in body IS is probably the new standard for the feature on any camera!

Panasonic G9 Image Stabilisation Demo by Photo By Richard:

LUMIX G9 first look: the ultimate photography camera by Panasonic Australia: → Continue Reading Full Post ←