stephen

@Walter H - Yes can post some clips shot with Paansonic S1/S5 + BM Video Assist. Have many but the best would be to make some new test shots - one using internal 10bit 4:2:2 recording and same scene using BRAW and Video Assist. It would be easier for you to see the difference and decide if external recording is worth for you. Just give me a 7-8 days and I'll do the tests and upload source files on google drive or something similar and post the links here.

I took this path more than a year ago for several reasons. 1. BRAW. Using BMPCC 4K realized how good BRAW is - various degree of compression and file size - ability to adjust white balance - great support in Davinci Resolve, - smooth playback, scrubbing and editing One of the main reason I've choose Panasonic, instead of Sony or Canon was support of external BRAW recording. Only Panasonic and Nikon cameras had it. But Panasonic support is better as it gives you 6K and no line skipping, auto focus was not a problem for me because can use manual focus for 100% of what I shoot The other reason was price. Even then Panasonic S5 almost new from the box but second hand costed me 1100 Euro. Cheaper than BMPCC 4K which new came at 1400 Euro. If we add speedbooster and monitor price is also pretty much comparable to Panasonic S5 + Video Assist 2. BMPCC 4K is great but it's difficult to shoot without external monitor. Maybe it's just me but without a good 1500+ nits monitor which sits at 45 to 90 degree to the top of the camera or camera + cage + top handle it was really difficult and painful to shoot. In general I find that the most convenient, practical and useful setup for professional or serious shoots is camera + cage + top handle + monitor. It adds weight which is good for stability and it makes shooting so much easier. If we add the monitor to BMPCC 4K, then in terms and weight and size Panasonic S5 + BM Video Assist, suddenly became almost identical to BMPCC + monitor and even more compact in terms of length. Panasonic S5 can be used on most gimbals, BMPCC 4K on just a few. If I stayed only with BMPCC 4K had to buy a new gimbal. Sometimes it is great to be able to shoot with one small camera and lens, similar to the reporter style of Henri Cartier-Bresson. But BMPCC 4K is not good at this. It lacks EVF and is too big in length. Panasonic S5 on the other hand is. For those shoots I can skip the recorder and use 10bit 4:2:2 internal codec which is also very good or simply put the recorder in a bag and have a small and tiny HDMI cable hanging on the side. 3. BMPCC 4K sensor size. I used Metabones speedbooster x0.64 and in term of DOF and bokeh this camera and setup were great. However crop factor is kind of weird - 1.21, can't use my primes lens sets on their specific focal length. No big deal but still kind of problematic. With Panasonic S5 any vintage lens has exactly the same focal length / angle degree it was designed for. Panasonic S5 + BM Video Assist 5'' 12G solves most of BMPCC 4K shortcomings like poor battery life, lack of EVF, IBIS and smaller sensor size. Plus it is a great photo camera on it's own. Plus it could be used without BM Video Assist 5'' and will still give great image quality. Shortcomings of Panasonic S5 + Video Assist: Micro HDMI, always kind of problematic, needs special attention and mini cage with a clamp to hold it on place or micro HDMI to HDMI adapter clamped to a cage as well. You need a bigger bag in order to be able to put camera and recorder together as one piece but same is true for BMPCC 4K + monitor. You have to start / stop two different devices. In general I find S5 + BM Video Assist to be more convenient and enjoyable camera setup than BMPCC 4K + monitor + speedbooster. New S5 II solves the micro HDMI port problem and adds tracking auto focus. Can we call it cinema camera ? Yes, with BRAW it certainly is capable to deliver high picture quality.

BMPCC 4K in smaller more compact body with tilt adjustable LCD.

HIDDEN S5ii Feature NOBODY is Talking About! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxZdTozSzcI Panasonic also posted a message that preorders and demand for S5 II is way bigger than estimated and cameras will be in short supply for some time.

35mm Already use it for 75% of all shots

Do Panasonic S5 II has the 200$ option for external RAW video ? Is BRAW supported as external RAW video format ? It should be as all current models have it. Just want a clarification as all other reviewers talk about ProRes and ProRes RAW as external video option for Panasonic S5 II X model

According to CVP's review Panasonic S5 II PDAF auto focus in video is still behind Sony and Canon. According to them auto focus with Sigma MC21 + Canon EF lenses is no different than auto focus with native lenses https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VPQoWRS0l4

For me, the most important thing is that Panasonic continues to invest in their FF bodies, improve their functionality and have plans to stay in photo / hybrids business. That alone is no small feat with heavy weights like Canon and Sony on the side and constantly shrinking sales. At one point in time started to doubt my investment in 3 Sigma L mount lenses and 2 Panasonic FF bodies. Not anymore 😀 They solved a major bottleneck and hopefully their bodies and L Mount will get more sales and popularity. Sigma and Leica for sure will follow and this gives L mount much more chances to survive and even thrive in this very difficult business. For my type of work, the lack of tracking AF for video has never been an issue or I wouldn't have invested into the system 😀 However PDAF + some other improvements that S5 II has are worthy for an upgrade - PDAF and tracking video AF - nice to have - Full HDMI port - Improved viewfinder - better compatibility with Canon EOS mount lenses. Richard Wong also says that Sigma MC21 + Canon EF lenses = continuous video auto focus with Lumix S5II - There is some confusion will regular Panasonic S5 II get external RAW video recording with additional 200$ upgrade. Some places and reviewers say yes, others say no. Hopefully Panasonic would keep this as paid option available for the S5 II too and not only for S5 II X. Hopefully they also keep BRAW option for external recording too. Was surprised to see so much youtubers in Tokyo and most of them were never into Panasonic system. No doubt this is a massive advertising campaign with loaner bodies and lenses, etc.. Another good sign that Panasonic makes all the efforts to stay relevant in this very difficult business.

We know that DJI LIDAR module will work with cameras and without the need of RS 3 gimbal. Their module however still needs an external motor and smartphone for the application to move / focus the lens. Maybe Panasonic will demo a new camera where LIDAR will focus the lens internally without the need of external motor and smartphone. Just a speculation.

Here is a hint that on this event Panasonic (and DJI) will present LIDAR type of auto focus tech. Saw on one of the pictures the guy from MAKE. ART. NOW. youtube channel. He doesn't use Panasonic cameras but had an extensive review of LIDAR tech on DJI RS3 gimbal and also reviewed DJI Ronin 4D. He is more connected to DJI than Panasonic. So DJI seems to be involved and it will be most likely a joint event and presentation. Lets see :)

Did a test with 75 degree and 60 degree, still not satisfied with the results. Maybe am doing something wrong ? It is possible. Lens on BMPCC 4K was vintage one with no electronic contacts. Correct focal length was set in camera. Even if gyro stabilization works great, shooting at angle different than 180 degree breaks one of the major technical rules that give us esthetics that we call cinematic. This is still a problem for me. For others it may be OK.

Use 180 degree rule and in most cases stabilization in post works fine. But of course it is used to smooth and compensate for small movement and jitter when camera itself is panning or moving rather slowly. I try to use proper technique while shooting in order to get stable footage at first place. Most of the time shoot handheld without gimbal. One of the keys to get stable footage without gimbal or IBIS or IS in lens is to use heavier rig (2-2.5 kg). The other is to use good technique, lots of tip and tricks. For example with top handle and 35mm or wider lens can even do short walks. For long walks or runs will not shy away and use gimbal. Still proper walking technique is needed as gimbal can't compensate for up and down movement. BMPCC 4K/6K Giro stabilization was kind of disappointment for me. In all tests normal 'warp' stabilization in Resolve worked better than gyro. Unfortunately there is no substitute for good shooting technique and heavier rigs or gimbals. My observations are that in the professional video/cinema world nobody complains about camera size or rigs. You either go after ultimate picture quality (whatever this for you is) or convenience. I often watch this video about DP Hoyte van Hoytema and Christopher Nolan. Why Christopher Nolan & Hoyte van Hoytema Films Everything In Camera & IMAX Impressive how big the iMax 70 mm film camera is. Somebody has to help put it on Hoytema's shoulder. Аs they say: Go big or go home. 🙂

Speed booster from the link doesn't have electronic contacts, S1 won't crop the picture. Camera won't know what kind of lens is attached. S1/S5 do the crop with ASP lenses when they have electronic contacts and are recognized by the camera. However I don't think it's a good idea to use FF with speed booster on a FF body. At least you need to try it first. Recently bought a relatively good and cheap Chinese lens with positive reviews: https://phillipreeve.net/blog/review-syoptic-50mm-1-1/ Never had such a fast lens and wanted to try one for photography. For video such a shallow DOF is totally unusable. For photography it was a disappointment too. It's a specialized tool only for portraits but at f1.1 it is soft and very difficult to manually focus. Almost any good 50mm f1.4 performs better than this one at f1.4. Other f/1.1 or f/0.95 don't differ much. If you are after ultra/super shallow DOF type of lenses try LAOWA 35mm f0.95 or 45mm f0.95 or Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f0.95. I know people who similar to me bought some of those lenses used them for some time for portraits then sold them. It is really a special tool, you definitely has to like this type of look.

Changed Lens Data in Camera Metadata. Entered lens type and name plus focal point (length) and distance. All those changes didn't solve the problem. Would be interesting to know do you get the same black screen with gyro stabilization and vintage manual lenses.

Also did a test. Here are some observation: 1. It doesn't work with lenses that don't have electronic contact with the camera. Gyro data is there but after applying gyro type of stabilization in Resolve got a black screen. This may be a bug in the beta version but it's unlikely. Seems logical that software needs to know focal length of the lens. 2. Can it replace gimbal while walking ? Short answer - no. OK to stabilize simple panning or static shots. With 60p + slow motion in post it can give almost gimbal like results. Good if you want to have a hand held like shots and feeling without the jitter. Still having a good shooting technique is essential. Unfortunately lens IS can't be used in conjunction with gyro stabilization. It is one or the other. 3. It doesn't compensate for up and down movement or does it in somehow subtle manner. 4. As already said and demonstrated it needs 45 degree shutter angle to work best which is not OK for me. Apart of slow motion and simple rather slow pans and static shots when shooting at 180 degree shutter angle it won't be practical. 5. Easy to apply in Resolve. As fast / slow as other types of stabilization in post. 6. Expect with time and new Resolve versions Blackmagic to give more control options to gyro type of stabilization. Bottom line is: Good to have one more option for BMPCC line of cameras for hand held shooting but it has many limitations and won't replace tools and technique required to stabilize shots. It is not a game changer. This explain why it was not introduced with fanfare but rather quietly between lines by Blackmagic. On a side note : With new firmware BMPCC 4K menus look now nicer. A lot of minor improvement to a 4 years + old camera. Well done Blackmagic ! Blackmagic already carved a solid place in cinema cameras business making RAW video available at a low price point. Camera picture quality is great, build quality not that much, but I guess this is the compromise to make for the low price point. If they come with a more compact and solidly build bodies and put a mirrorless mount in next generation of cameras this will be a step in the right direction even with expected price hike.

Last trend in movies is to use 2 or more different set of lenses from different manufactures including stills photography lenses. Using a set of cine color matched lenses from one manufacturer is no longer a rule. Just look for example at technical specs of Joker, No Time to Die, Tenet on IMDB. Joker is the most revealing in this regard: Arri Prime 65-S, Prime DNA, Zeiss Compact Prime, Vintage 765, Leica R, Canon CN-E and Nikon Nikkor Lenses. Is it because they need/want to do different scenes with different visuals and atmosphere. Or because technically in the past when analog film was used cinematographers didn't have the tools to easily color match different lenses or film emulsions. Now it is easy to do it in post production. What do you think ? Using completely different lenses from different manufacturer all the time is probably not a good idea as it will create more work for the colorist. But bottom line for me is that occasionally it can be done and there is one rule less to worry about. Especially if you are the colorist and have the time, patience and skills to do it 🙂

Will also test over the weekend. The beauty of this method is that we can do stabilization with gyro data in Resolve. Newer Sony cameras also have gyro data but stabilization is done in another program. It's additional and time consuming operation. More that 3 years after a camera is out they keep updating the firmware and adding new features. To a 1000$ camera (BMPCC 4K in my case). Stabilization with gyro data is almost a game changer. Hope it will work nicely. How not to like Blackmagic. 😀

WOW ! Really. My plan was to sell BMPCC 4K, since Panasonic S5 became my main one. Now have to pause and think again. 🤔 A little crop is really not a problem if it saves me the efforts to carry and use a gimble for some of the shots.

@PannySVHS - Check Zeek's channel on youtube. He has good tutorials how to shoot raw video with EOS M. Lots of tips and tricks. You work all the time in live view mode that ML hack gives you. Histograms are used to measure exposure but I have found they are not perfect. If there is a strong source of light in the frame, measurements are not accurate and number misleading. But it's RAW you have at least 3-4 stops of latitude for exposure, so no worries if exposure is not perfect. Just make sure you don't burn the highlights. With ML RAW hack I always tend to underexpose a bit especially if there is light source in the frame as a lamp for example. The opposite of what most people advise, ETTR and so on. in 1080p it is easy, you have correct live view on screen. Crop mode is very problematic as live view is a black and white image with 1fps refresh rate. According to Zeek you can now use external monitor for framing in crop mode but this never worked for me. 1080p has lots of moire and aliasing, crop mode is beautiful but difficult to shoot. At the end frustration and quirks led me to the point to abandon EOS M and ML RAW and sell the camera. Hopefully you'll have a better experience. 👍

Yes it is most likely this, because developing new processor is very expensive. Most likely Panasonic sales are not enough to cover the cost. At the same time Leica depends on Panasonic for SL series. They will share the expenses, internals and maybe also large part of the firmware / software. On the market they occupy different niches - Leica takes the premium high end segment and Panasonic mid to low end. This all of course is just speculation.

https://www.l-rumors.com/leica-and-panasonic-signed-strategic-comprehensive-collaboration-agreement-and-develop-l2-technology-as-symbol-of-the-collaboration/

Maybe a hint of what's coming: S1CK A.F. https://www.l-rumors.com/lumix-ambassador-makes-another-easter-egg-teases-the-launch-of-a-new-camera-with-sick-af/ If Panasonic wants to survive in photo/video mirrorless camera world, good tracking auto-focus is a must. Having in mind that inside Leica SL-2 and SL-2S is most likely the same Panasonic processor that is in S5/S1/S1R/S1H, IBIS and so on, it is more than just Panasonic survival but Leica's also. Announcement makes sense. Happy with my Panasonic S5 and S1 but it's good to know that L mount and system has a future. It would be great if Blackmagic joins the alliance. Blackmagic need a mirrorless mount covering FF for their next gen cameras.

Would rather put a new camera in series of practical tests shooting scenes that typically shoot, rather then set expose based on some assumptions. Those assumptions may not be true. We have no idea how exactly a particular manufacture is interpreting the RAW data from a given sensor. If we have to believe this test: Sigma FP shooting raw video handles underexposure much better than overexposure. Some people interpret the Sigma RAW video as BM Log and then do CST (Color space transform) and claim this is the way to extract more dynamic range to the full potential of the sensor (12.7 stops). CDNG files from Sigma RAW video according to them give lower dynamic range. Have similar experience with Canon ML RAW video on hacked Canon 5D Mark III and Canon EOS M. There is ETTR function in the hack and multiple people advice to do ETTR in order to reduce noise when shooting at HIGH ISOs. In practice at lower ISOs (and high as well) risk of burn in highlights is quite high. Canon RAW CDNG files are handling underexpose better than overexposure. I was able to recover at one occasion 4 or 5 stops of underexposure due to forgotten VND for daylight when shooting at night. As result when shooting Canon ML RAW tend to underexpose half a stop, and almost never go for ETTR. And like the results and footage better.

Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 DG DN has almost 0 breathing and manual focus is smooth for a focus by wire lens. With latest firmware that gives extra control over focusing similar to Panasonic lenses it is almost perfect for video. Was pleasantly surprised. But it is relatively big and heavy 🙂

P.S.2 - Forgot to say that when using the hard stops ND filters will use them to adjust exposure in steps of 3,6,9 stops. And then use aperture (if possible) or ISO to fine tune in between the 3 stops steps. I use Dual ISO or second (high) ISO mostly at night. For daylight shoot use the first base (lower) ISO but will not shy away to increase it with 1 -2 stops in order to tune the exposure. Or just overexpose / underexpose a stop or two depending on camera that use. Most cameras tolerate better overexposure.