Blackmagic RAW is an attempt to give you the majority of the benefits of RAW in a video file that can be smaller than some existing codecs. It’s a great thing and it will make media costs go way down. We’ll be doing all our shooting in BRAW. There are gains to be had by shooting DNGs but it’s diminishing returns.
Panasonic AG-CX350 4K 1-Inch Sensor Video Camera
Key features include:
- 1-Inch sensor
- 20X Optical zoom lens
- OLED viewfinder
- 3.2-Inch monitor screen
- Timecode
- Optional wireless abilities
- Rings for zoom, focus, and iris
- HEVC
- 10-bit 4K
- $3700
The one thing that surprised us is that both 4K and 1080P have a max 60 FPS rate. We were expecting 120 FPS or more in 1080P mode.
We find that larger sensors are needed for 4K video cameras than what were used in 1080P video cameras, so we will welcome this new camera from Panasonic.
Panasonic Lumix S1 Video Abilities
We are fans of Panasonic entering the full-frame camera arena. Unfortunately they’re going for more of the premium market unlike their approach in m43 where they have offered some of the best value.
Here are some examples of what this camera can do:
Pigeons Courtesy of the Olympus OM-D E-M1X
We are happy to see a manufacturer try something different. Unfortunately with this camera, Olympus came close to greatness but didn’t quite make it there. This could have been a great wild-life and photojournalism camera. It’s improved on the video side but again they didn’t go the distance we wanted them to.
Review of the Sony A6400 as 4K VLOG Camera
Sony’s A6500 replacement is coming, maybe not right away, but it’s around the corner. Thus we caution against buying the A6400 right now if you don’t need something right away. The A6400 is definitely an improvement over the A6300, but compared to the innovation we’re seeing from the likes of Fuji and Panasonic we’re still disappointed with the overall experience of this camera for video use.
New Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K Firmware Update
No, there is no BRAW in firmware 6.1, nor do we have an ETA on when BRAW might be coming to the Pocket 4K, but they have added the following:
- Added support for pixel remapping in camera.
- Added 2:1 monitoring frame guide.
- Improved media formatting user interface.
- Improved audio monitoring latency performance.
- Improved auto focus performance.
- Improved signal to noise ratio performance of camera internal microphone.
- Improved power efficiency for improved battery life.
- Improved 3.5mm audio input selection interface.
- Improved AV sync performance.
- Fixed an issue where time and date is not updated on camera when connected to the Blackmagic Camera Setup utility.
- Fixed an issue where the 3.5mm audio input level is 6dB lower than expected.
- Fixed an auto focusing issue with Lumix 20mm f/1.7 lens.
- Fixed an issue where some USB-C external SSDs were not detected when connected before camera is powered up.
- Fixed an issue where some batteries might shut off earlier than expected.
- Fixed an issue where low battery indicator is not displayed appropriately.
- Fixed an issue with camera not being detected by host computer when connected to certain USB ports.
- Updated dynamic range and ISO chart in user manual.
Blackmagic Pocket 4K Versus RED
No surprise that the RED is better, but what may surprise some is just how much the Blackmagic Pocket Camera 4K holds its own when you consider the price differential. Blackmagic has taken the throne away from Panasonic for their budget cinema offerings.
Olympus E-M1X for Video
We’re a bit disappointed by the E-M1X. It feels like Olympus got half way there with making this camera amazing but on account of some cost cutting measures didn’t make something amazing. This could have been an amazing high-frame rate camera with great video features.
A More In-Depth Hands-on Look at the Panasonic S1/S1R
These are interesting cameras but Panasonic’s targeting the higher end market is a departure from its approach with M43 where it released very affordable products for the features they offered. Premium is where the camera makers believe the money is at I guess.
Regardless, we wish Panasonic success because they have shown more innovation the Nikon and Canon and we’d be happy to have them survive as a competitor.
Here’s Lok’s first Look:
Panasonic S1R Hands On
We’ve really appreciated Panasonic’s video contributions via their m43 cameras. It appears that they are going a premium product route with their new full frame cameras. However, given the competence they’ve displayed in the past we’re hopeful that their new full frame bodies might bring something different to the table.