ACADEMY BUYINGUSED
7 Panasonic Lumix GH5S The Lumix GH5S is the flagship Panasonic Micro Four Thirds camera aimed at filmmakers, but has been a bit overshadowed by the new full-frame range. But from about £1400/£1500 used, it’s a compelling buy. The GH5S uses a high-sensitivity Live MOS sensor that goes up to ISO 51,200 and can be expanded to 204,800. There’s also Panasonic’s Dual Native ISO technology, which reads the chip in two different ways. One setting has a lower native ISO of 400 for maximum dynamic range and the other is at higher ISO 2500, but aimed at minimising noise. And to aid the filmmaker for multicamera shooting, there is a time code in/out port. The GH5S records 4:2:2 10-bit video at high 400Mbps in Cinema 4K 30p/25p/24p for strong colour reproduction. 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. And the GH5S comes with V-Log video profile to maximise dynamic range, which comes pre-installed on the camera. 8 Panasonic Lumix S1 With the launch of the Lumix S1H and more compact S5 full-frame mirrorless cameras targeted towards filmmakers, the all-rounder Panasonic S1 might not grab the headlines, but it is very capable. The Panasonic S1 has a large, tough body and controls like the S1H, but costs significantly less. But the 24-megapixel sensors are very similar. It records 10-bit 4:2:2 colour internally from the full width of the sensor and records oversampled 4K in all frame rates up to 30fps. And this 10- bit HEVC capture is perfect for Hybrid Log Gamma for quick and easy HDR workflow.
“Suddenly Red Raven cameras are on the usedmarket at about £4200 or $5000”
9 Red Raven A Red is a dream camera for many filmmakers, with its internal Redcode Raw codec, modular body style and fast frame rates. And while the DSMC2 range such as the Helium 8K or Gemini 5K are still hugely expensive, Red is venturing into a lower-priced market with the new Komodo 6K. That means there will be a knock-on effect at the bottom of the Red range when buying used, and suddenly Red Raven cameras are on the used market at about £4200 0r $5000. The Raven records in 4.5K up to 120fps and 2K up to 240fps from its 8.8-megapixel Super 35 sensor. It takes Canon EF lenses, but there is no decent AF. Of course, you have to factor in the very substantial cost of things like Red’s own Mini-Mag media, which can cost £2200/ $2350 for a 960GB SSD card. But that’s the price you pay for owning one of the most high-profile cameras in the world.
The S1 records up to 180fps in HD slow motion, recorded to the camera’s internal SD or XQD card or externally to a recorder via HDMI. For 60p in 4K, you need to record externally. There is a bright 5760k dot OLED electronic viewfinder with 100% coverage that offers two refresh rates, 60 and 120fps. However, Panasonic is the last man standing to ignore the charge towards phase detection AF and still is pushing on with its contrast detect-based Depth from Defocus (DFD) technology, which isn’t as good. But at around £1300/$1350 used, it’s a lot of camera for your cash.
IMAGES Whether you want the full-frame performance of the Panasonic S1 (left) or have always dreamed of owning a Red cinema camera (above), buying used is a great option without breaking the bank
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