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GEAR GROUP NEW CAMERAS
DJI ZENMUSE X7 PANASONIC EVA1 Panasonic has a track record for making small, high-quality, mid-priced camcorders. The DVX-100 was a classic. So there was some excitement at the launch of the AU- EVA1 – a small-bodied, interchangeable lens camcorder with a 5.7K, S35 sensor, pitched to compete with Canon’s C200, Sony’s FS7 MkII and Blackmagic’s URSA Mini Pro.
PANASONIC GH5S Sony may had got the ball rolling by offering a video-focused version of its mirrorless camera in the A7S, but Panasonic has smashed it out of the park with the impressive new GH5S aimed squarely at filmmakers with no compromises. It may only have a sensor that’s roughly a quarter the size of full frame and with only 10.2 megapixels, but the new Panasonic GH5S is far from just another mirrorless camera that pays lip-service to filmmaking. Like Sony’s full-frame A7S II, its video performance is paramount and the low pixel count makes for larger pixels which handle noise better and makes for less rolling shutter. The GH5S is based on the recent GH5 but now comes with an obvious red Video Record button on the top plate and uses an all-new high-sensitivity Live MOS sensor. This reaches a new high for Panasonic of 51,200 ISO which can be expanded to 204,800. There’s also Panasonic’s Dual Native ISO technology as used in its far larger and more pricey Varicam and EVA1 cinema cameras. This system reads the chip in two different ways and each has a different native ISO. So one setting has a lower native ISO of 400 for maximum dynamic range and the other is at higher 2500 ISO but aimed at minimising noise. And to aid the filmmaker for multi camera shooting, there is a Timecode In/Out port. While the GH5 was the first mirrorless camera to offer 4K video recording at 60fps, the GH5S goes a small step further by offering it in the slightly larger Cinema 4K format thanks to a slightly larger sensor. This larger sensor also affects the angle of view, although only very slightly. For video the footage is processed to an internal 4:2:2 10-bit signal at a very high 400Mbps in Cinema 4K 30p/25p/24p. At 60fps in Cinema 4K, it’s 8-bit footage recorded internally or at 10-bit if you record the signal via an external recorder.
As series 2 of The Grand Tour was wrapped up, the new DJI Zenmuse X7 camera was added to their system and added a new layer of gloss to the rest of the shoots. The combination of an S35 sensor and brand new DJI glass means added low light capabilities and an even higher 6K resolution available. The Zenmuse X7 is a compact Super 35 camera with an integrated gimbal made for high-end filmmaking that delivers stunning resolution and image quality. Its compatibility with the Inspire 2 offers the best in next-level professional aerial cinematography. A 24-megapixel CMOS sensor rated at 14 stops of dynamic range preserves astonishing detail and offers both 6K CinemaDNG and 5.2K Apple ProRes with support for continuous RAW burst shooting at 20fps and 24-megapixel stills. The X7 also introduces the DL-Mount, the world’s first integrated aerial lens mount that allows switching between four available prime lenses quickly. For seamless editing, a new DJI Cinema Color System preserves accurate colours for easier post- processing. These latest innovations allow filmmakers to reach new heights and capture scenes as they imagine them with the DJI Zenmuse X7. The X7 uses a Super 35 sensor, and its high readout speed supports RAW output at 6K/30fps and 3.9K/59.94 fps. The pixel size reaches 3.91µm and the diagonal length of the sensor is 26.6mm when recording. A sensor this size offers a higher sensitivity to light and 14 stops of dynamic range – much wider than the 12.8 stops featured on the Zenmuse X5S. Furthermore, the SNR of the X7 is 46dB, 8dB higher than the X5S, and the tonal range is as high as 9.41 bits. All of these features offer unlimited creative options for a better workflow in the most demanding situations on set.
The camera comes with a Canon EF lens mount, and weighs just over 2kg (without a lens, but with all the accessories attached). Behind the lens mount is a new 5.7K-pixel (5720x3016) sensor with a claimed 14 stops of dynamic range. The sensor is downsampled to 4K, UHD, 2K, HD or 720p as required, providing a little extra colour resolution over standard 4K sensors, to help with that lost by the Bayer filter. The camera records .mov files, using a 10-bit, 4:2:2 Long GOP CODEC (or 8-bit 4:2:0) at up to 150Mbps. There’s also an AVCHD option. Files are recorded to a pair of SDHC or SDXC cards, either using the two together, or ping-ponging. A future firmware update is promised that will allow the recording of intraframe encoded files at 400Mbps, as well as the output of 5.7K RAW sensor data over the SDI. With the current CODECs, the camera will record 4K at up to 59.94fps, and 2K/HD at up to 120fps (full sensor) or 240fps with the sensor cropped. The sensor has two native ISO ratings – 800 and 2500. This basically means that there are two gain structures on the sensor chip, so you would expect this to perform better than, for instance, an 800 ISO sensor with the gain turned up to 2500. If your pixel signal is amplified on-chip to produce the ‘ISO 800’ signal, then amplified again to produce ISO 2500, the second amplifier also amplifies the noise produced by the first (as well as the noise inherent in the pixel). The Panasonic solution is to have another amplifier on-chip, connected directly to the pixel, in parallel with the ISO 800 amp, to producing the ‘ISO 2500’ signal. No need for further off-chip amplification.
DEFINITION APRIL 2018
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