DPReview TV: The Panasonic S1 V-Log Firmware Update

Thanks to an optional firmware update, the Panasonic S1 now offers advanced video features historically reserved for the company's GH series of cameras. Does this make the S1 the best full frame camera for video on the market? The boys in Calgary have been putting it to the test and have the answers.
If you want to experiment with ungraded V-Log footage from the Panasonic S1 you can download these ungraded clips:
download.dpreview.com/panasoni...
download.dpreview.com/panasoni...
download.dpreview.com/panasoni...
download.dpreview.com/panasoni...
-----------------------
DPReview.com is the world's largest digital camera review website. Welcome to our KZbin channel! Subscribe for new feature videos, reviews, interviews and more.
Discover the world's most in-depth digital camera reviews at www.dpreview.com

[@MrChomiq]

I don't mind having all Jordan episodes, they're fun.

[@sunnybizz4857]

100% Jordon please!

[@CarloTimothy]

concur

[@jan-hendrikbussmann4644]

Nice video! Found it very helpful that you continued to show ungraded/graded comparisons throughout the whole video. And, as always, great presentation. Like your humor.

[@quitelikeryan]

Absolutely loving all these intros!

[@cactustweeter2890]

Jordan I appreciate your segments. I learn things about video capture and postprocessing I never knew. That's why you and Chris make such a great pairing.

[@JonPais]

Great job, guys! Like all the backlighted shots too.

[@JasonWendling]

Thanks, Chris and Jordan. Informative and helpful as always.

[@TheFilmmakersWorkshop]

Nice job Chris with the filming and likewise Jordan for the presentation.

[@GlenReed]

I love my S1 "aka Beast" and now that it has that new Filmmaker Upgrade the camera is even better!

[@peterlemke3468]

Nice work Jordan thanks for updating us. To DPReview TV more videography content please.

[@bogdanspineanu]

Chris is getting better and better at this video thing ( behind the camera, not only in front ). Maybe he got bit by the bug, finally. Thank you both for the review.

[@rockymhs]

Video quality does look awesome with this firmware.

[@district5rookie]

The video quality is pretty outstanding.

[@djrbfmbfm-woa]

Jordan doesn't know how to lie.............a big plus on YT. j.

[@fingatipps6779]

Always a great production from you guys! And I always get an honest pro opinion from yall on products that I value...oh have y’all made a video showing how you color grade (with/without your own LUTS) your videos?

[@ApostolosVakirtzis]

Excellent video!!!

You are selling yourself short Mr. Jordan, your presence is very fluent and natural and at least your accent is not as obnoxious ( ;P

[@Wynner3]

This gets me excited for the future of the S1 and I don't even shoot with Panasonic.

[@hanhneevo]

Chris as Cameraman footage looks amazing! I like his choice of framing and angles he shot this video at

[@hanhneevo]

Actually the only framing i didn't like was at 6:01 lol but awesome footage Chris!

[@FabioMeloLuiz]

Very very nice. Interesting as explained about Slog. #Congratulations

[@avarmadillo]

Great summation---and yes, the upgrade procedure and the WAITING for them to produce a box with some numbers to open WHAT IS ALREADY THERE is absurd beyond words.. But the V-log upgrade (and HLG) puts the camera into another league. Some comments on Jordan's comments: I Like that the vector scope is missing---or at least NOT connected to waveforms. So many times I have used the GH5, want to get my exposure in a HURRY--and what do I get, when I get the exposure and want to eliminate the waveform from the screen and shoot all of a sudden a vector scope pops up that I also have to clear off the screen! It's a little thing in and of itself, but having to do the extra procedure can make the difference between getting or losing the shot. Good job Panasonic in separating the vector scope from waveforms: light and color---not the same thing. Lots of things are missing from the GH5: true, but that's not all bad. Everything you need to make basically great video is there on the S1. Face it, how many of us shoot anamorphic and how frequently do we actually do it? Me. Never, and all I do is shoot video. Is shutter angle a deal breaker regarding an otherwise great camera, with a great image and MUCH improved color over the GH5. Not for me? What about fewer MBPS? It's 422 10 bit, for heaven's sake!! Grades up great. If you need to torture your video more than that you need to review your fundamentals of shooting and don't need a camera like this. The economy of H.265, the ease and speed of grading is fantastic. At least in FCPX you can just load, edit and grade---no need to waste time transcoding. What the SH1 has to offer may be great---but not all of us need that much. And if you don't the simplicity of use, the simplicity of the menus, with V-log and HLG, make the S1 more than enough to make fantastic video for all but a few shooters. I worked for a musical instrument company years ago who advertised their products using FAB (features and benefits).This list was used to justify an inflated price. And people bought it. But the truth is, there were features that did not provide that much benefit. And some "benefits" were actually an encumbrance and even got in the way. But you paid for them. If I shot anamorphic all the time the S1 would be out. If I had to have C4K it would be out. But I don't, and few of us do. So, why pay for added features that don't actually provide that much benefit for the way you shoot---and many even add difficulties and menu complications that slow you down and get in the way??? Finally, I understand the SH1 still has two major flaws for video shooters also shared by the S1: Specifically, when you shoot video using MF--as soon as you hit the start button the peaking feature all but vanishes and you cannot punch in to check focus while rolling. ( on the Fujifilm X-H1 and XT3 peaking remains easy to see and you can punch in while rolling--great job Fuji!). No punch in while rolling and a significantly diminished peaking really cripples you if you have to track movement in the shot and keep the subject in focus. Why, Panasonic!?! Why did you do this? It's almost a deal breaker....to the point when I go to do run and gun and don't want to struggle with following focus I am FORCED to pick up the X-H1 when I leave the studio.

[@thebentzenable]

Nice filming Chris 💪🙏👍👍👍

[@kalisti2323]

You guys are like batman and robin, except its more like batman and video batman XD

[@AdamMuise]

Nice video Jordon, good cadence!

[@alcomposer]

Yes, Shutter Angle, HighSpeed Exposure, and Waveforms in photo mode are solid requests.

[@alwinbenjamin]

Awesome video 👏

[@GeorgeNiksch]

Great video! The S1 really does retain highlights way better than the GH5s. I noticed that if I expose both cameras the same the clipped highlights can be brought back on the S1, but not on the GH5s. VLOG just put the S1 in a class above the competition in terms of dynamic range.

[@nixolo86]

Is it a real usable 14+ stops DR?

[@GeorgeNiksch]

@@nixolo86 It depends on who you ask, but I would say yes. Cinema 5d is really harsh with their measurements, but they say 12.2 stops. However, they said its the 3rd best dynamic range they've ever tested...right behind the Ursa Mini Pro 4.6 and the Arri Alexa. Cinema 5d is always below what manufacturers claim.

[@WildlifeMoto]

I use this camera for casual shooting and personal projects. It’s everything I need and more.

[@LeesChannel]

I plan to shoot a documentary in HDR. How great is the difference between the HLG profile and VLOG when the final output is rec.2100 HDR 10?

[@drewcrawford3211]

Not sure if I'm more jealous of Jordan's cold opens, or of how perfectly he color grades everything...

[@NathanYoungman]

Thanks Jordan. Looking forward to this update once it's in stock, and glad Panasonic Canada is offering it free to early adopters (bought the S1 back in May $-). Hopefully Panasonic brings shutter angles to the S1 in a future firmware upgrade (perhaps alongside CFexpress support). Would love to see more mid-week videos with tips on making videos (ND, audio, technique, post).

[@ruff1draft]

Good day guys I have always loved your camera reviews. But was just wondering if the Panasonic S1 and Panasonic Gh5s have a Neutral profile also

[@joeframo3347]

Hey Jordan thank you for sharing the video hello from Atlanta Georgia you doing a great job my friend you and Chris are jam up team thanks again

[@thatjordandrake]

Thanks for watching!

[@BirdsEyePortugal]

Hi! What lens did you use in this video? Thanks great video

[@aleriga1981cr]

Nice take Jordan... I also dislike the forced auto in slowmo but you have to admit is the best looking slowmo footage yet from any Lumix camera... also have you been able to play with the HDMI out 10bit 60p to atomos recorders? My take on using it with GH series is that it is a bit harder to grade than the recorded in camera footage, usual Luts/Filmconvert profiles didn't match properly... let us know what do you think on this S1 HDMI output signal....

[@thepicturesphactory9433]

I shoots b rool in slow me, is this camera is good for shoot b rools as well, because you are saying in high speed we can't change exposure is it right?

[@FinalLugiaGuardian]

Dang! I thought I was going to switch from Canon to Nikon when I jumped to full frame, but I think I may now jump from Canon to Panasonic.

[@karlbratby4349]

FinalLugiaGuardian I have and no regrets here... love the s1

[@xmlthegreat]

Wait for the S1H to drop. Don't go rushing off if you know gear's coming out that might affect your buying decision.

[@GlenReed]

I love my S1 and think it gives you way more bang for the buck! If it had Canon's autofocus it would be unstoppable lol (the autofocus is not bad but its not the greatest as seen in my latest video).

[@starnutron6147]

@@GlenReed how is it going with your S1

[@Drascojah]

Thank for all this useful information. I wanna order a new S1 and was wondering whether it's PAL or NTSC. Please help me out. I live in Africa and it will be difficult for me to return the camera if it's not PAL.

[@_hold_the_line_]

Nice review Jordan, those colours are going to be hard to fix IMO.

[@philk7472]

Can't select the waveform monitor wich remains grey. Any clue ?

[@JeffDvrx]

Loving that 90's sitcom intro Chris cameraman Also the update's pretty cool, well done Panaphonics

[@JSDeditz]

Hi, could anyone tell me if the 10-bit 422 files are h.264 or h.265? Thank you!

[@JonPais]

Are the downloads all 8-bit???

[@hansboon3353]

Nice & Good review about the V Log for Panasonic users. Would be great if you can make a review of EOSHD Z-LOG for Nikon users combined with a Atamos Shinobi LUTs

[@pieterpauwelbeelaerts5995]

thank you for the video. Can I assume there is no c4k (4096x2160) in 24p 10 bits on the s1? it looks like even with this key it is still UHD 4k (3840x2160). So if you shot something in c4k with gh5 it isn't compatible with the s1... Also, I have looked at the specs, no all Intra 400mbit. It seems they want to sell more expensive S1H models...

[@hoodaffairstv]

Can you shoot 4k v log on the sd card or do you need to shoot it on the xqd card.

[@dpreview]

You can shoot all the S1’s video formats to the SD or XQD card.

[@magnuseriksson8081]

What about the autofocus, Sony and Canon are the best and next..?

[@DennisSchmitz]

Looks great. Even doesn't show the GH5(s) oversharpening either. Either getting this or the Pocket 6K. Does it record in 400Mbit as well? The 150MBit codec is a chore to work with.

[@DennisSchmitz]

nvm... :(

[@nexuses1]

Hoping to see an update for the new upcoming update :)

[@DaniloDelTufo]

Interesting video! How the autofocus works in V-LOG? I've read somewhere that it can't focus very well. Thanks! :-)

[@GeorgeNiksch]

The autofocus works great for me in VLOG. I pretty much never use manual focus on the S1.

[@DaniloDelTufo]

@@GeorgeNiksch Thanks, you're the first person that confirm autofocus in VLOG works. From your experience In general how autofocus works in S1? For example I've watched a video where there was more people in the frame, and the autofocus tried to focus on other people instead of one man that was chosen to focus on. So I dunno if the upcoming cameras from Sony (watched some videos about A7RIV autofocus) could offer a more reliable autofocus, for this aspect I'm waiting also Sony's move.

[@GeorgeNiksch]

@@DaniloDelTufo It does seem to try to grab people in the background sometimes, but if I select the person in the foreground then it usually keeps them. Honestly though, for the sake of time during run and gun, when I find myself in a situation like that I will switch to manual focus and the just push the AF On button to lock in the focus and it looks great.

[@DaniloDelTufo]

@@GeorgeNiksch Thanks! All information that I can have about this camera is very useful for me. I will decide next months what to do, when also S1H will be available.

[@GeorgeNiksch]

@@DaniloDelTufo Check out my channel. I've done a couple videos about the S1 and I'll be doing more.

[@RogerOThornhill]

More Jordan! Not less!

[@axelfoley133]

3:57 Captain America: I understood that reference. Drax: Metaphor.

[@jeffreyvelasco5900]

OH nice

[@PhaseSkater]

this camera is 1,500 bucks used on ebay... very tempting

[@nobimathew9092]

Loves the gh 5..It have shutter angle...

[@harryburnett7086]

I hope they don't give up on m43 , love that format and price I good on the little brother cameras

[@theinfinate]

I totally agree, if they made a gh6 with the sensor from Gh5s and pdaf, that could be the ultimate camera

[@fellowcitizen]

They could have some amazing capacities if they made an m4/3 camera with the S1 chassis

[@theinfinate]

Fellow Citizen in seeing what olympus did with the stabilisation on their new camera, i wouldn’t be offended if they used a larger chassis to pack it full of goods! look at what zcam packed into that little e2 body

[@noenken]

Really interested to see what Leica will do to set their SL2 apart from these Panasonic bodies. Gonna be tough.

[@80-80.]

Best camera for talking heads and non-moving subjects.

[@PostColorGear]

"I'm not a betting man" haha I say that all the time. "If I was a betting man..." 😂

[@videocieldiffusion]

yeah, give us the shutter angle !!! please panasonic, come on !!!

[@closeshot7161]

Great review, but I was expecting to see Chris curled up on the road in torment. It's only fair after all.

[@niccollsvideo]

I'm surprised he didn't make me do that!

[@electronicbox6990]

How about to see more of you lately? I like that. Still part of the cameras are so close lately, that I don't see any reason to discuss them at all. Video is other story. As you know all debates lately are exactly video related.Nobody care about stills anymore. Even my G9 pana is good for that.

[@estebanisswimming]

Never too much Jordan

[@bencorwin]

Dang, that's a huge difference between V-Log L and the full V-Log profile.

[@cloremancey2653]

Ben Corwin you may want to check this. I am not sure this is full vlog. On B&H the upgrade is said to be vlog L. I’m wondering too

[@jayonair]

If it is all by Jordan , you guys will definitely miss Chris' good looking.

[@scdobserver835]

Intro: Ooo, Haaah!

[@avarmadillo]

Good review insofar as it went. Full V-log is fantastic---and though there are things the GH5 had that were great the simplicity of operation on the S1 has its virtues. It's the easiest, most enjoyable camera I've ever shot video on. I'm using the Leeming LUTs for the V-log and footage is gorgeous---and the .vlt Leeming in-camera view assist LUT makes shooting LOG a real joy. And what is better than the LCD and EVF?!? Don't mind the vectorscope not being tethered to the waveform. Most of the time you just want to check that waveform, clear the screen, and get your shot--and then the vector scope pops up.

[@Arcadianx98]

I looked at Leeming Luts is their lut shows foe the G series - not the S1. Those are still compatable?

[@avarmadillo]

@@Arcadianx98 Sorry. Not sure what you mean by "G series." I can say this about the Leeming Pani LUTs presently available: I'm on a FB page with Mr. Leeming. He said he's planning on a set of S1 LUTs. Until then he said those he made for V-log L will be fine with minor adjustments, mainly in exposure. Basically, you expose full V-log, keeping highlights below 85 IRE Zebras, and pull the highlight exposure down in post to 80 IRE for the LUT. But I'll have to say the Leeming HLG LUT for the Panasonic is really fantastic---keep highlights below 90 IRE--drop in the LUT, adjust exposure to taste---Voila! Spielberg! Of course, I'll buy the Leeming LUTs for full V-log when they come out.

[@Arcadianx98]

@UC24CBzlkJKw6dvv8QWkSYMg thanks for the info. Ill keep an eye out for the s1 release. Do you have any videos uploaded with the lut?

[@avarmadillo]

@@Arcadianx98 No. I'm working on putting up a test video. Hope to have it up tonight later.

[@ainolinternational]

At 1:00 you had a facelift by the famous panasonice DFD auto lose focus, you are welcome :)

[@aussie8114]

99% of this goes straight over my head 🤪

[@mystic7splace]

Have you tried standing up while watching? ;-)

[@AESvis]

I think new S1H should match ฺBMPCC6K in spec or at least close enough. Please give us RAW Video.

[@Alchemist1330]

WAAAAAIIIITTT. The Higher framerates are automatic exposure...... How is that possible.

[@aghielahmadi2539]

Actually I like see more of jordan

[@deathdoor]

It's silly but I was just expecting to be called "P-Log".

[@MazinoAmuno]

S1 now has shutter angle😅.

[@GinoFoto]

Some youtubers discourse worse AF performance on Sony cameras when they using flat profile, this Panasonic rely only to contrast detect, cost thare V-Log some AF performance as well?

[@TechnoBabble]

Panasonic was probably smart enough to pre-apply some kind of contrast back to the image before trying to autofocus, like the processor is looking at a Rec.709 version instead or something.

[@GeorgeNiksch]

The autofocus works great for me in VLOG on the S1. It actually works better than before the update.

[@MichaelTapel]

What the benefit of vlog compared to usual footage mode?

[@NMEdiary]

Higher Dynamic Range. That means that you get greater flexibility with shadows and highlights in post production.

[@MichaelTapel]

Ultimate Luck Is it really a big difference? I would love to see a comparison .

[@8020Alive]

@@MichaelTapel - watch the video. He shows it.

[@lumixs1vlogproblem42]

Bad news - The S1 has an absolutely severe blue color clipping issue in VLog in low light situations. Blue LED lights in shadows will literally notch out the green and red channels wherever blue light is reflecting on. This absence of green and/or red will literally leave a HOT blue "blob" isolated and left on it's own. Sony sensors have shown this in the past but this problem in the S1's VLog is horrendous! Important - This artifact only happens in VLog but HLG and rec709 are PERFECTLY fine. I have already contacted Panasonic about it and they are investigating. See this problem demo here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5mpc6F3fMabfK8

[@dima1353]

Guys, please review 1.2.0 EOS R firmware, there is a live eye AF !!! Thank you !

[@linusfaymonville]

sadly the focus does not work good

[@xmlthegreat]

Yeah that's the main issue I have with Panasonic, else I'd have bought the GH5 eons ago and wouldn't need anything else. It's so frustrating... Panasonic has almost everything except the AF...

[@en.6565]

@@xmlthegreat Firmware 1.2 tests on youtube say otherwise kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpyWkmqCg8pjg9k & kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaHLqImEnL1maNU

[@GeorgeNiksch]

I find the autofocus to work great on the S1 in most cases. The only time it has trouble is in extreme low light and sometimes with extreme backlight.

[@xmlthegreat]

@@GeorgeNiksch doesn't it jitter while in video AF?

[@GeorgeNiksch]

@@xmlthegreat I don't see a jitter. I set it to recognize people and animals. It locks in and stays pretty good. Its not nearly as good as Canon, but it works good enough that I almost never do manual focus.

[@Eliot0697]

There’s some issues about the vlog’s blue channel. The blue is clipping when blue led light appears. When using rec709 and HLG profiles, this blue light looks perfectly normal. It's only when the camera is set for VLog that this happens. Hope you guys can take a test about that.

[@w.w.7148]

Fake news.

[@Eliot0697]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5mpc6F3fMabfK8 you can check this video about what I said. This problem only happens to vlog

[@w.w.7148]

@@Eliot0697 I saw your other video and could not recreate it on my own S1.

[@Eliot0697]

@@w.w.7148 this happens to my own S1, so maybe it's some individual problem

[@MrNils3373]

I'ts a shame newer S1 owners need to pay for this option when any other camera manufacturer give it for free. Thumbs down.

[@w.w.7148]

The update was/is free in the first couple of months, which wasn't mentioned in the video.

[@MrNils3373]

@@w.w.7148 Actually it was mentioned (6:45) but still then new owners need to pay for it $200....

[@mrScemp]

@@w.w.7148 so, after trial period i have to pay for it ?

[@mavfan1]

mr.Scemp no

[@studiomarand]

Payed firmware?? Is it a joke?

[@thatjordandrake]

It's very common with pro-video products.

[@WildlifeMoto]

Try spending £40k on a car only to find that half of its features are locked until you spend another £5k on software. It’s a common practice.

[@norseatheart1086]

Its a perfect camera except for the crappy AF and lousy battery life.

[@Mindartcreativity]

use manual focus lenses and a battery grip/dummy battery/wall plug. There you go.

[@eusouoabel]

The battery life is great..

[@norseatheart1086]

@@eusouoabel It's really isn't.

[@norseatheart1086]

@@Mindartcreativity Sure, LOL.

[@eusouoabel]

@@norseatheart1086 I think you might have the wrong settings or a faulty battery. In my s1 the battery lasts a long time.. for photos and video.

[@sharathchandra1023]

Why do you people always shoot at noon!🤷🤷 This video- it's ok because it's a test for dynamic range but there are some other videos...maannnnn get some ND filter bro!😂 I don't know why I am saying this but it could be due to people overuse studio lights and indoor lighting unlike you.. Jordan🤙😂😂

[@petrub27]

false colors is better than waveform;

[@thatjordandrake]

Not when you're actually rolling.

[@petrub27]

@@thatjordandrake rolling what?

[@bigdhav]

Thumbs up if you think most of these missing features will be added to the S1H?

[@ThePhotographyHobbyist]

1:21 Free with Nikon

[@8020Alive]

Wrong. Nikon is external not internal.

[@ThePhotographyHobbyist]

@@8020Alive Ah yes. Soon there will be raw video via HDMI. External, but it's a free upgrade ;-)

[@samatkinsphotography]

The S1 is nailing the updates atm.

[@mavfan1]

sam atkins if only they were selling.