Florida Birds with Panasonic S1H

[Doug Jensen]

Here's a shocking surprise . . . more bird footage from Doug Jensen!!

I've been working on producing a 4-hour master class training video for the Panasonic S1H since mid-December and I've really enjoyed getting out a couple of times to shoot wildlife footage (mostly birds!) with the camera as I get to know it better and learn it's strengths and weaknesses. This video was shot with a Panasonic Lumix DC-S1H using just the naked camera with no cage, external monitor, or viewfinder. Just the camera, a lens, and a tripod (Sachtler FSB-6 with Flowtech75 legs).

I used three lenses:
Red 300mm f/2.9 (PL lens)
Canon 200mm f/2.8
Canon 200-400 f/4

Focus and exposure were on full manual. The slow-motion footage ranges from 60 fps to 180 fps. The resolution of the footage ranges from 5.9K down to HD. About 25% of the footage was shot with V-LOG and the rest was shot with a Rec709 PhotoStyle I have created called VORTEX-1. Grading was done in DaVinci Resolve Studio 16.

Panasonic Lumix S1H Demo Footage - Florida Birds on Vimeo

[Gordon Hoffman]

Doug actually the shocking surprise is the camera you are using! I'll definitely have to watch this.
Thanks.

Gordon

[Bob Safay]

Doug, as usual beautiful footage. The lighting was perfect and such smooth following. These clips really show why you need a really professional and stable tripod. I love my Sachtler FSB-6 with my Flowtech75 legs. You were so right about using a truly professional tripod and head. Hope to see you again in Florida this year. Bob

[Jase Tanner]

Doug, if there were birds like that where I live, I could easily see filming them as much as you do. Also loved how you edited the piece. Curious to know how long the editing took you.

[Doug Jensen]

Hi Jase, thank you for the compliment. Most of the footage was shot in about 2 hours on two different days, so about 4 hours of shooting in total. Actually, one of those days I was just killing time waiting to shoot a rocket launch. I have to get to my position about three hours before they start closing roads near the launch pads, so shooting birds is a good way to pass the time.

I'd say it took about two hours to grade all the bird footage in Resolve. The footage in this video represents only about 1/3 of the clips that were good enough to grade and export for stock.

Then it took me about 1.5 hours to edit the video in Premiere. There's really not much to the editing really, just putting the clips in the best order and then dissolving between them. Done.

I hope that answers your question. The most important thing is that I enjoyed the whole process. I love this stuff.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Nice work. Great variety of shots and birds. Your panning and tracking is very smooth. The slow motion from the camera pleasing.

[Nick Wilcox-Brown]

Very nice work as always Doug - how has the reliability been with the S1h? I was about to pull the trigger, but I have seen a few horror stories on the FB group with media corruption, although to be fair, it is sometimes hard to work out if people are talking about the S1 or the S1h.

[Doug Jensen]

I'm not on Fecebook so I don't know what their complaints are, but the camera has been nothing but 100% reliable and rock solid for me. I'd chalk up any problems to operator error or using the wrong memory cards, which is still, operator error.

[Nick Wilcox-Brown]

Doug, I'm always circumspect myself, hence my check with a voice I trust.
Thanks for the confirmation!

[Paul Cronin]

I fully agree with Doug here, I now own and use the S1H as my A-cam having sold my FS7 MK2. The S1H is a monster in a small package. 100% reliable, and first time I have used a mirrorless, or SLR type body for video. This camera is a game changer!

Originally Posted by Doug Jensen

I'm not on Fecebook so I don't know what their complaints are, but the camera has been nothing but 100% reliable and rock solid for me. I'd chalk up any problems to operator error or using the wrong memory cards, which is still, operator error.

[Gordon Hoffman]

Hi Doug. Very nice footage. The slow motion looks pretty good. I suspect with your skills you could make most cameras look pretty good. One question. What are you using or plan to use for ND filters? Thanks.

Gordon

[Doug Jensen]

Thanks for the compliment, Gordon.

The lack of ND filters was one of the most difficult things to get used to with the S1H but so far it hasn't been a problem. I have three solutions:

1) For all my lenses that have threads I already had several 77mm .6 and .9 ND filters laying around and they have been put into service. Some of my lenses are smaller than 77mm so I also have a bunch of step-down rings (or step-up, I can never remember which is which?) so the 77mm filters work on almost anything. I have enough of them that I just let the filters live on a couple of my lenses, such as the 35mm Sigma that is my day-to-day lens on the S1H.

2) A couple of my bigger telephoto lenses, such as my Canon 200-400 and Red 300 have filter holders in the rear. So those smaller ND filters are even cheaper and faster to swap out.

3) Most of my PL lenses require the use of a matte box to mount ND filters. So I have pulled by 21 year-old 4x4 Chroziel mattebox out of retirement and use a clamping device on those lenses. I could use rods but then I have to put a baseplace on the camera and I'm trying to keep it simple.

I hopp that answers your question. BTW, I'm against the use of variable ND filters because they have artifacts. Real ND filters are just fine.

[Donald McPherson]

Hi Doug, I was just suggesting to photographic vlogger has she ever tried any of those gradient landscape filters on her video logging camera. I think they might be good for a landscape shot.

[Doug Jensen]

ND grads are an excellent tool for darkening skies and they give you power for controlling exposure and dynamic range that goes well beyond what can be done in post -- even with LOG or RAW. I have several different grades of grad filters plus a blue tinted and amber tinted gradients. Combine them with a polarizer and then you've got some great control over the image.

But you need to tell her she must use a matte box, Cokin filter holder, or some other device that allows the filter to be raised or lowered in front of the lens in order to get the split in the right place. Those screw-in grad filters I see advertised that don't offer any adjustment except rotation are a waste of money and prey on the uneducated. Who puts the horizon line right in the middle of the frame? Dumb.

[Gordon Hoffman]

Thanks Doug it does. Yes I've read that a lot of people do not like VND because of those issues.
Thanks again.

Gordon