Panasonic can now boast another feature of the powerful Lumix S1H: certification for Netflix productions as part of the streaming giant’s Post Technology Alliance. Netflix has published its requirements for cameras and settings that must be used when creating Netflix shows, and this list has generally included higher-end (and much larger cinema), cameras. Panasonic is making this level of filmmaking quality more accessible with the S1H, since it is now the first mirrorless camera to make the cut and it has an incredibly accessible cost of entry at just $3,997.99.
[Related Reading: Panasonic Officially Announces 6K Video Capable Lumix DC-S1H Camera and S Pro 24-70mm f/2.8 Lens]
Baseline specs for potential certification include a true UHD 4K sensor, a capture format that is, at a minimum, 10-bit with data rates in excess of 240 Mb/s, and a log capture transfer function. That isn’t everything required for certification, because Netflix will consider more subjective aspects such as form factor and workflow compatibility. Being certified isn’t just about hitting some numbers. Among the other factors that went into certification were the inclusion of timecode jamming and the ability to capture a dynamic range of more than 14 stops with V-Log. If you check the official Netflix documentation (linked just above), you’ll see there’s a lot of cameras already on that list, but most are heavy duty cinema grade “professional” cameras that have a very high cost of entry.
The requirements also ask for pixel-for-pixel readout, which the S1H is able to do with DCI or UHD 4K recording in full-frame or Super 35. The camera then requires the use of the 10-bit 4:2:2 All-I mode at 400 Mb/s to reach needed requirements. Additionally, 4K at 60 fps is supported since it will perform pixel-for-pixel readout using the cropped Super 35 area of the sensor. This makes it extremely capable and a versatile addition to any film production.
Netflix’s requirements for secondary cameras makes this one of the most affordable options on the certified list, and the S1H will excel as a second or third camera. Its small form factor would also be an asset for capturing unique shots. Smaller productions could even use the S1H as their main camera, and it opens the door to many up-and-coming filmmakers wishing to create films that could catch the eyes of the Netflix and Film Festival admins.
What do you guys thing? With this camera being accepted as an official option for Netflix, do you think it’ll have a greater appeal to the masses and amature film makers? Do you think this news will make videographers shift their entry level purchases to this instead of the “normal” Sony or Black Magic expectations? WIll you be testing this camera out for your own video projects? At a price of only $3,997.99, it seems like too good of an option to let pass. Let us know what you think in the comments below!
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