PANASONIC LUMIX S1 II
Of course, it’s all about what the footage looks like, and it’s simply excellent. Lots of detail, very natural- looking colour and loads of meat on the files to play with in post. There’s lots of choice, the footage looks great out of camera and it can be graded easily. That’s vent attainment A built-in cooling fan and vents help prevent overheating during long sessions, and thermal performance can be adjusted in the menu if it’s particularly hot. Even in 4K/60p, the camera stayed surprisingly cool and reliable during extended takes. Panasonic continues to lead the pack with its eight-stop IBIS, which now extends to video stabilisation, even in 4K/60p. This allows very stable handheld shooting, especially when using Boost IS mode. The camera also supports cropless stabilisation, which cleverly uses the pixels at the edge of the sensor to achieve super-stable footage with no crop. It’s a wonderful thing, although occasionally there are a few odd artefacts at the very edges. The camera also offers a USB webcam on MacOS or Windows and wireless timecode syncing through an Ultrasync Blue device. Ergonomically, the S1 II takes its chassis design from the recent S1R II, which is a rugged magnesium alloy body with tally lamps, lockable dials, dual card slots, an enormous 5.76-million-dot OLED EVF that’s a thing of beauty and fully articulating, tiltable LCD touchscreen. The bare body weighs 718g/1.58lb – that’s lighter than the S1H but heavier than many rivals. But the ergonomic benefits, grip stability and port layout justify the weight.
“A built-in cooling fan and vents help prevent overheating, and thermal performance can be adjusted in the menu if it’s really hot”
FAST ZOOM IS A COMPACT POWERHOUSE As well as the lower-spec S1 II E camera that’s similar to the S1 II but with an older and conventional 24-megapixel sensor from the S5 II, Panasonic has also launched the Lumix S 24-60mm f/2.8 standard zoom that costs just £899/$897. It might not have the same range as the more high-end S Pro 24-70mm f/2.8 or its 11-bladed iris, but is designed to be smaller, lighter and cheaper. The 24-60mm lens has 14 elements in 12 groups, but it’s an excellent performer with great bokeh and lots of detail. When paired with most of the latest Lumix S cameras, a Hybrid Zoom function can extend focal length digitally up to 187mm. This is a nice feature for when you
need that extra reach, and looks better than just cropping stills or video in post. It’s the first Panasonic with a dual-function focus ring you can reassign to control aperture or exposure compensation and reversed for a custom feel. It’s dust-, splash- and freeze resistant too – a useful, well-priced optic that works well in many situations. You don’t notice the 10mm focal length deficit at the long end either.
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