In presenting Lumix GH5s, its flagship of digital imaging, Panasonic has always talked about “the top for video” to testify its strong propensity for moving images.The camera needs no introduction: presented at the last CES in Las Vegas (we have already made a full-bodied hands on), GH5s is a very high profile camera with technical specifications clearly dedicated to the advanced photo / videomaker and to the professional of the shooting.Some data are explanatory: 10-bit 4: 2: 2 internal recording, ultra-high sensitivity 10 megapixel sensor, a newly developed Venus Engine, support for Cinema 4K video recording (C4K: 4096 x 2160) at 60p / 50p without recording time limits, V-Log L video recording function and HDR Hybrid Log Gamma are not features that are encountered everywhere, besides the fact that the machine can record up to 240 fps in Full HD mode and has a sensor capable of handling multiple aspect ratios as needed: 4: 3, 17: 9, 16: 9 and 3: 2.For these reasons we have decided to carry out a test a little different from the usual one.We delivered GH5s to a professional videomaker of the team of Industria Creativa, an agency specializing in video creations, asking him to test it for a month and to give us back his impressions, which are therefore the daughters of 30 days of intense work.The following are his impressions of the machine itself and its relationship with GH5, of which GH5s inherits several characteristics (but not all, of course).Panasonic Lumix GH5S is made of magnesium alloy and in appearance it is very similar to GH5.Two drops of water: like GH5 it is resistant to dust and is protected against splashes of water, immediately returning a good feeling of resistance.There are only two cosmetic changes compared to the GH5, really minimal: the red video recording button and the dial of the shooting mode selector with a red ring on the style of the G9.For the rest, the body of the Lumix GH5S is almost identical to that of the GH5, there is no change even in the layout of the buttons.This offers a couple of positives: meanwhile, it brings with it all the characteristics of solidity, ease of grip and handling of its sister, but also offers advantages to those who intend to switch from GH5 to GH5s: the same body design is great for GH5 users since it allows you to easily share or transfer accessories, cages and custom mounting on GH5S, while those with GH4 can only change their cage.The above does not have much relevance for consumer users (who will hardly go from GH5 to GH5s, ed), but it does have it for those who make video recording their job.GH5s weighs 660 grams with the memory card and battery;65 grams less than GH5, a nice weight saving considering that the two cameras have the same body design and a relevant figure for those who work on them all day, even if the lower weight probably comes from a missing functionality that we will see later.GH5s has two SD slots, just like GH5, which can record in parallel or sequentially, with no time limit.Both slots are intended to accommodate V60 and V90 SD cards, which is high-speed to support writing at 400Mbit with certainty, one of the flagships of this product.It is also possible to find on the body the 3.5 mm jack for microphone, for headphones and the full size HDMI socket, very comfortable thanks to the plastic box able to protect the socket from twisting or accidental blows.Still in the field of connections, we note with favor the presence of the USB 3.1 socket on the side of the camera, while a relevant novelty during processing, especially live, is the camera charging mode: thanks to the micro USB, Lumix GH5s can be recharged and also operate with a canonical external power bank rather than any USB powered source.In reality we must admit that the batteries of GH5 last very long, without intensive use in continuous shooting you exceed the hour by using the display as a monitor, a plus not just but if you use remote monitoring via Wi-fi for example for give a preview to the director or clientAnother interesting thing for the purposes of the videomaking routine: the 3.5mm microphone jack can now capture a line input as well as being able to power a microphone that needs phantom, while the flash sync port on the front can also be used as a TC (Time Code) input / output terminal, using the BNC conversion cable supplied with the camera.Those who have used Lumix GH5 will soon notice greater hardness in the keys, a detail that in the long run could prove to be positive as it could guarantee greater durability of the chamber.Having used the machine for a month, we certainly cannot come to definitive conclusions on this point, but the premises are good.The biggest difference between the GH5 and GH5s is the 10.2 megapixel image sensor which has a considerably lower resolution than any recent micro-four-thirds camera from Panasonic and Olympus.When Panasonic launched the GH series, GH1 and GH2 were equipped with a large multi-aspect sensor, but then the company reverted to regular micro four thirds sensors starting with GH3.The difference between a multi-aspect sensor and a regular one (like the one on GH5 or G9), is that if you film anything other than 4/3 aspect ratio you basically crop the output output, which means lower resolution and lower level image quality, plus the fact that the actual focal length also changes when shooting in different aspect ratios.For example, a 24mm lens would become approximately 25mm when shooting in 3: 2 and 26mm when shooting in 16: 9.After 7 years of waiting, the oversized multi-aspect sensor is back on track with the GH5S: for this reason, when shooting in 16: 9 aspect ratio (i.e. most video formats), the sensor area used for recording on GH5S is nearly 20% wider than that of GH5, and as such can provide significantly higher level results.This improves image quality and “adds up” to the lower megapixel sensor, which is anything but a flaw for video makers.In fact, if we reduce the brightness to a minimum in the environment in which we find ourselves, operating at high ISO the camera turns out to be extremely brighter, thus guaranteeing a truly surprising image cleaning even for those who have used most of the previous generations of the same product.Since there are fewer pixels than the previous model, they are larger and therefore allow for much higher light absorption.For videomakers and filmmakers, therefore, this is to be considered an exceptional feature, since the camera is not afraid of low light conditions at all.In V-Log L mode even at ISO 6400 the shots are clean and in the ISO 12,800 range hybrid Log mode with a little overexposure you get a cleaner image than an R.709 color space at ISO 6400.If you are not super demanding cinematographer, therefore, in all probability you will not feel the need to use plug-ins such as Neat Video to clean the image, even when recording at night with the little ambient light present.Another topic that must be touched, but always related to the new sensor, is the Dual Native ISO design, which is actually nothing new because Panasonic has included this specification in high-end camcorders such as Varicam35 and EVA1.By this we mean that for each pixel on the sensor there are two dedicated circuits, each optimized for a different ISO sensitivity.There is a low ISO circuit and a high ISO circuit: the circuit affects the reading from the sensor even before gain amplification, so as not to introduce noise during the conversion.The low ISO circuit is enabled when recording with ISO below 800 (or below 1250 when shooting slo-mo video).Anything above instead uses the high ISO circuit to deliver better image quality at high sensitivity.The maximum native ISO is now 51,200 and can be extended by operating the menu at ISO 204,800, eight times and three stops higher than the maximum ISO of GH5.In addition to this it should be noted that even the minimum native ISO has dropped from ISO 200 to ISO 80, which is great news for those who shoot quality videos: most camera manufacturers seem to focus only on increasing the ISO limit at the top. and not very often we see a decrease in the minimum ISO, which is important for using the ND filters to a minimum, indispensable for attenuating the ambient brightness in full light conditions.The color rendering on the skin tones - thanks to the 4: 2: 2 10-bit color sampling - looked very natural, the 4k image is extraordinarily clean and the shadows and highlights retain great detail.Obviously, going up with the ISO, you will gradually notice a desaturation of the image and also a loss of detail, but this must be taken into account as the electronics still make its own intervention.On the quality, nothing to say.However, we point out two other important technical aspects that can affect the workings of those who use GH5s every day, and in particular the fact that in the GH4 and GH5 models a 50 mm lens was an equivalent to 100 mm in Super 35, while on the Lumix GH5s camera our 50mm becomes a 90mm.It is not a particularly relevant aspect, of course, but the most scrupulous filmmakers in the choice of optics will probably have to make a different calculation to obtain the optimal result.On the one hand, we benefit from a greater wide angle, but the larger sensor most likely prevented Panasonic from inserting an integrated stabilizer without changing the mirrorless form factor.And this from a practical point of view is not a trivial matter, as it results in greater difficulty in making fluid and stabilized hand movements even where you have a good level of experience.The optical stabilization in GH5S is no longer in the body and in the optics, operating on the 5 axes, but remains only available on the stabilized optics of the house, while inside the body it operates only in electronics with a mediocre result.For all "agile" productions, the fact that this new Panasonic camera is not easy to tame could represent a critical issue that should not be overlooked, as it is necessary to have a steady and therefore carry more equipment, when instead with GH5 it was possible perform smooth movements only to be stabilized in post production, simulating the steady effect very well.Unfortunately, there has been no progress here.The setup of GH5s is similar to that of a pro camera and takes place through the management of Timecode, synchronizing a special cable.Timecode can therefore be used to step multiple cameras.In any case, it is useful to remember that for necessity of this type there are still very effective plug-ins available as an alternative and then act in multicam during the edit.We point out another important thing for production purposes: in the Lumix GH5s the V-Log L profile is standard.It is good to point out what it is and why it is important: the V Log L recording was developed with characteristics similar to Cineon, that is with a typical curve of the digitization of films, a logarithmic curve capable of making small changes in brightness in the most dark, ensuring an optimization to shadows and mid-tones, while in the highlights this curve flattens out to capture a much wider range.At first glance, the recording viewed on the monitor seems washed out, desaturated, deprived of colors, everything seems flat.In reality, the image must be treated subsequently in post production by applying what are defined as LUTs (Look up tables) or presets capable of correcting the colors of the image by emulating types of film and color and contrast treatments typical of the cinema world. .Each company has its own typical Log, different from any other.Panasonic is different from Sony, Blackmagic, Alexa, Red etc.Therefore the LUTs will be found among those dedicated to our room model.Returning to the V-Log L technology, we must underline that it is actually a Lite version of the V log, but still able - albeit combined with the micro 4: 3 sensor - to add more stops of light both in the light and dark parts of the video. , increasing the nuances and details.With GH5s there are 12 stops, while for EVA the entry level professional version of Panasonic cameras there are 14 stops also thanks to the adoption of the extended V-Log version.Unlike GH4 and GH5, here the V Log L profile does not have to be purchased, it is standard and, especially compared to GH4, the internal recording bitrate of 400 megabits means that there is almost no more video noise given by the compression that previously it forced GH4 owners to purchase an external recorder such as the Atomos Ninja, capable of encoding a qualitatively higher signal thanks to the adoption of the ProRes codec and higher bitrates.Another feature to underline also present on GH5 is HDR recording.Thanks to HDR it is possible, on a compatible TV, to reproduce a high dynamic range, that is to return a higher peak brightness while preserving details and nuances just like it happens in the world of cinema, where films are shot and projected at the cinema in HDR.With the GH5S it will therefore be possible to record and view metallic shades with greater realism on an HDR compatible TV, rather than a sunset with many more shades of color than a standard recording.Clearly GH5S does not allow the HDR preview on the camera display, it is necessary to use a monitor that supports the signal and returns the preview in real time.In our case we used an Atomos Flame recorder which performs this function quite well.The wider color space makes the images appear more realistic: you have to get used to the HDR look & feel because you are not yet used to seeing images that can reproduce both the bright and dark parts in a similar way to what the eye does. human.It is therefore easy to understand why HDR will increasingly become a reference for the cinematographer who aims to have a technically and qualitatively much more expressive and engaging product.Also among the camera adjustment menus it is interesting to know that if you want to customize a color profile that is not V Log or Rec 709 it is possible to act on the behavior of the shadows and its relative curves by raising and lowering the contrasts in order to then be able to operate if necessary. in post production to optimize yield.To highlight the whole Wi-fi and bluetooth sector that allows you to control the cam remotely, via a dedicated app that can be downloaded for free from the IOS and Android stores.For those who use the cam mounted on a Gimbal, a Crane or even simply in suspension for example for shooting in Table Top, this solution is the maximum of practicality since it allows, in addition to total control over the parameters of the camera, also to have a second wireless monitor with the possibility of recalling clips in play to reproduce them remotely on the device.This experience with GH5S tells us that the camera has made a sidereal leap in terms of shooting quality in the absence of light.That's all, so to speak, because the ultimate goal of Panasonic was to fill this gap highlighted by all filmmnaker compared to some models of the competition.Now he has done it by improving on all fronts, including slow motion.Only two shortcomings preclude the title of "state of the art" to GH5S.The absence of even electronic ND filters, and the disappearance of the optical stabilizer that worked great on GH5.Especially the latter is the subject of contention for many video / filmmaker forums.How much will affect the final judgment in the Pro sector is difficult to establish a priori, but what we can say is that this camera is really a Top solution, currently the best performing on the video market in the quality / price ratio.Dual ISO system for noise-free shooting in the dark4K 4096x2160 footage at 60pLack of stabilizer in the camera body10MP may not be enough for some photographersCopyright © 2022 DDay.it - ​​Scripta Manent publishing services srl - All rights reserved - VAT number 11967100154