Panasonic has announced details for its newest cine-live camera, the DC-BS1H. This LUMIX Digital Single Lens Mirrorless Camera is a full-frame, 6K-capable box-style camera, which the company says is great for adding a cinematic look to live productions.
The BS1H’s compact, light-weight aluminum-magnesium alloy frame is designed to be durable and practical in a variety of applications. According to Panasonic, this camera “combines the cinema-quality video performance of the LUMIX S1H with an easy-to-deploy box-style profile.”
Cinema-Style Features
The LUMIX BS1H utilizes “advanced deep learning technology” to enable precise focus as part of real-time subject detection, and it works for animals as well as humans. When deployed with LUMIX S lenses, cinematographers can take advantage of Boost I.S. (image stabilizer), and if O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) is mounted, the company says superior AF/AE control is available.
In terms of colorimetry, the BS1H’s CMOS sensor achieves an optimum color space that is wider than BT.2020,” known as V-Gamut. According to Panasonic, it “delivers a color space even larger than film.”
It incorporates colorimetry from Panasonic’s VariCam line, which translates to “accurate colors and rich skin tones,” thanks in part due to 14+ stops of Dynamic Range with a V-Log. The company describes V-Log’s log curve as having “characteristics reminiscent of negative film.”
(Filmmaker Jacob James digs into V-Log and V-Gamut in the video, below.)
The camera records HDR video, as well as video with a designated ITU-R BT.2100-compatible gamma curve. BS1H users can also select Hybrid Log Gamma in Photo Style.
The LUMIX BS1H is compatible with a variety of recording formats, including two RAW (Blackmagic or Apple ProRes) workflow alternatives.
Note that shooting assist functions (V-Log View Assist, Luminance Spot Meter and Zebra Pattern) can be used during RAW output, and V-Log or V709 is selectable on the external monitor through SDI during RAW output.
Panasonic also says the BS1H is appropriate for live streaming. It’s capable of streaming 4K 60p (50p) video in H.265, and 4K streaming at low bitrate is possible even with limited bandwidth.
Flexibility, Compatibility, Creativity
Users can also control up to 12 LUMIX BS1H cameras when utilizing Panasonic PC software LUMIX Tether for Multicam.
But if you’d prefer to mix and match, the BS1H can accommodate that as well. If end users already have the BGH1 or the S1H in their stable, Panasonic notes that adding the LUMIX BS1H won’t complicate post-processing; they tout image consistency as an important feature.
Additionally, the BS1H is built for flexibility: users can create the right camera system for each job with this box-style camera as the base because of numerous connectivity options and mobility.
Panasonic’s LUMIX BS1H full-frame box-style live and cinema camera 
Panasonic’s LUMIX BS1H full-frame box-style live and cinema camera 
Panasonic’s LUMIX BS1H full-frame box-style live and cinema camera 
Panasonic’s LUMIX BS1H full-frame box-style live and cinema camera 
Panasonic’s LUMIX BS1H full-frame box-style live and cinema camera 
Panasonic’s LUMIX BS1H full-frame box-style live and cinema camera 
Panasonic’s LUMIX BS1H full-frame box-style live and cinema camera
The LUMIX BS1H in Action
Learn how LUMIX brand ambassador and cinematographer Carissa Dorson used her BS1H to shoot the “Night Lights” dance film in this “making of” video. ⬇
Watch the stunning final product. ⤵
And this product review from B&H ⬇ digs into some of the specs and use cases for the BS1H, highlighting its advantages for low-light shoots and tonal adjustments.
The camera is slated for a November release, selling for MSRP $3,499.99.