Pro Moviemaker Spring 2020

GEAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS SPECIAL AWARDS

Filmmaking technology never seems to slow down – every year there’s always a slew of innovative ideas that are launched onto the market, really firing up the imagination of professionals all over the world. And the past year has been a bumper year, for sure. There have been lots of new and exciting cameras, often packing innovations such as 6K resolution, full-frame sensors, fast and precise new focusing systems, Raw recording, and even shockingly affordable prices in some cases. In our innovation of the year class, seven of the shortlist of nine products are cameras – showing exactly how fast this sector is moving. Of those seven cameras, six have a full-frame sensor. However, the winner is the only camera that doesn’t have a full 35mm sensor, yet still records in 6K and undercuts all the others by a long way. The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K wins our Innovation of the Year Award, boasting an impressive Super35 sensor and 6K internal Raw recording. There’s a brand new CMOS sensor with dual native ISO, and a Canon EF lens mount sits on the camera’s unusual carbon fibre composite body. It shoots 6K in Blackmagic’s own Raw format, which it uses for all full-sensor and windowed sensor formats (that’s 6K, 5.7K in 16:9, 3.7K anamorphic

Innovation of the Year • Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Editor’s Choice:

Apple ProRes Raw Launch of the Year • Panasonic Lumix S1H

and 2.8K in 19:9). For scaled formats, such as C4K, 4K or HD, you have to shoot in one of the built-in ProRes codecs. Apart from in full 6K, which tops out at 50fps, the fastest frame rate is 60fps for all other sizes. And 60fps in 4K DCI ProRes recorded internally is something pretty special. There is also 120fps super slow-motion in 2.8K 17:9 Raw or in HD ProRes, scaled from 2.7K. For a filmmaker who wants to take full control and spend time in post to get a precise look, it’s a staggering performer with fantastic image quality – at a low price. Our Launch of the Year award goes to the incredible full-frame Panasonic S1H. The S1H sets a new standard in full-frame mirrorless cameras for video, with lots of incredible spec that other full- frame rivals don’t have, like the truly unlimited recording time. The build quality is excellent, the menu system easy to understand and operate, and the ergonomics

are as good as anything else on the market. The lens choice isn’t as wide as other makers yet, but this will improve. If you want a 6K full-frame mirrorless camera for shooting video, and demand no time restrictions on your shooting, the Panasonic Lumix S1H is a camera you really should consider – especially for the price. And if you want full-frame anamorphic shooting in 6K quality from such a small body, it’s the only camera at any price. It’s a stunner.

ABOVE The new Panasonic S1H and Blackmagic PCC6K bring the joys of larger sensors to the masses

EDITOR’S CHOICE: APPLE PRORES RAW The Editor’s Choice goes to Apple ProRes Raw, a codec that brings Raw quality and control, in a more manageable size, to lots of different cameras.

The experience of having the best quality information right off your camera’s sensor, that you can push and pull around in post processing to your heart’s content, is a joy. If you have one of the supported cameras, a compatible Atomos monitor/recorder and use Final Cut Pro X to edit, then Apple ProRes Raw gives your camera a very real boost in quality. It’s a huge upgrade – and it’s free.

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PRO MOVIEMAKER SPRING 2020

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