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Watch Panasonic's CES 2020 press conference in 7 minutes
Let's be real: Panasonic isn't the most exciting or talked-about technology company. But if you've ever stopped and wondered "what is the Japanese titan up to these days?" then we heartily recommend watching its CES 2020 press conference. The company used its precious stage time to talk about the projection technology it deployed for the Tokyo 2020 'One Year to Go' ceremony and various Disney attractions including Star Wars: Galaxy Edge. Panasonic also touched on the power assist suit that will be used by weightlifting assistants during the 2020 Paralympic Games, as well as CIRRUS, a vehicle-centric data platform that's being trialled in Utah.
Panasonic introduces its first true wireless, noise-cancelling earbuds
True wireless earbuds are obviously trending. At CES this year, we've already seen models by Harman Kardon, Jabra and Shure. Now, Panasonic and its Technics brand are introducing three more options: the Panasonic RZ-S500W and RZ-S300W and the Technics EAH-AZ70W.
Panasonic S1H review: Production quality video in a mirrorless camera
The day that it came out, Panasonic's S1H shot to the top of filmmakers' lists of must-have mirrorless cameras for video. The company's GH5 was already a hugely popular camera among vloggers and videographers, and the S1H is much like that model, on steroids. It has a dual-ISO, 24.2-megapixel full-frame sensor that lets you shoot 60 fps, 4K and even 6K video. Better still, it recently became the first-ever mirrorless camera approved for Netflix productions. The fact that it's been poked and prodded by Netflix means you can be confident about the video quality. Still, I was very curious, and I'm sure you were, too, to see what else the S1H can do. At $4,000, it's expensive for a consumer camera, but for TV and film producers, it will actually be a tempting low-budget option -- especially given the artistic possibilities of a full-frame sensor. With a flip-around screen, vloggers with some money (and muscle, because it's heavy) will be looking at this big camera, too. All that said, the S1H is expensive and there are lot of other options in its price range. To see what it's capable of, I brought it into Paris to shoot (a lot of) video and take some photos, too.
Panasonic's Lumix G9 is less than $1,000 for the first time ever
The Panasonic Lumix G9 4K digital camera body is on sale for $998 on Amazon today. This is the first time we've seen the price drop below $1,000. Considering that the G9's recommended retail price is $1,500, that's a significant discount on an all-around great camera.
Panasonic's S1H is the first mirrorless camera approved by Netflix
Panasonic's latest full-frame S1H has become the first mirrorless camera certified for Netflix productions, as part of the streaming company's Post Technology Alliance. Production units are allowed to use it as a main camera shooting in either DCI 4K (4,096 x 2,160) or Ultra HD (3,840 x 2,160) resolutions. That gives Panasonic's fledgling full-frame S1 lineup a boost of prestige, and filmmakers a relatively inexpensive way to create Netflix shows.
Panasonic's modular Toughbook 55 lets you swap out seemingly everything
Panasonic is upping the ante on customization for its Toughbook laptops. The tech firm's new Toughbook 55 touts a highly modular design that lets you add or replace many of the rugged system's components. Add-on packs let you add more ports, dedicated graphics, a fingerprint reader and a second storage drive, while all drives are quick-release to help with upgrades or fixes. You can replace the RAM, as you might expect, but you can even replace the keyboard -- unlike some laptops, you won't have to visit a technician if your input goes haywire.
Panasonic's high-contrast dual LCD does a great impression of an OLED
Panasonic's cavernous IFA booth had everything from high-concept beauty products through to cameras and TVs. Regarding the latter, it had two prototype TVs, an advanced transparent OLED that Panasonic has showed off at tradeshows in the past, and a "mega contrast" TV that could, one day, power movie production house mastering monitors.
Panasonic's S1H is the pinnacle of mirrorless video, for a price
Panasonic was not willing to give away its crown as the ultimate mirrorless camera company for video shooters. It has officially unveiled the 24.2-megapixel S1H and it definitively blows away all rival mirrorless cameras from Sony, Canon and Nikon when it comes to video. For the first time on a mainstream mirrorless camera, you can shoot full-frame, uncropped 6K video (5,888 x 3,312) at 24 FPS, and 60 FPS 4K using a cropped, Super 35 (APS-C) sensor size. The S1H can handle video with 4:2:2 10-bit billion color depth, both internally and externally, for maximum flexibility when editing. Sure, this doesn't measure up to what Blackmagic's Pocket Cinema 6K camera can do -- at least, not yet. But unlike the Pocket 6K, Panasonic's S1H has a continuous contrast-detect autofocus system, a fully-articulating display and in-body stabilization -- huge features for vloggers and shooters on the go. This comes at quite a price, though, so to get a feel for the camera and see how it performs, I shot with a pre-production S1H for a day at Panasonic's launch event in Los Angeles.
LG, Panasonic and Vizio fight motion smoothing with 'filmmaker mode'
Today the UHD Alliance -- an industry group of various companies involved in getting 4K video to you -- banded together and announced something that couldn't come too soon: filmmaker mode. According to its backers, which include manufacturers like LG, Vizio and Panasonic, the feature will make sure movies and TV shows are seen as intended. That means automatically disabling motion smoothing technology (Tom Cruise will be very happy), as well as ensuring the correct color, aspect ratio and framerate. Until now, figuring out the settings has been something everyone needs to do one their own -- we have some suggestions for you -- with out of the box defaults that can absolutely destroy the viewing experience. As described in the press release, Filmmaker Mode is activated either automatically through metadata in a disc or stream, or via a single button press on the remote, to make it as easy as possible for 4K TV owners to use. Vizio said in a statement that the feature will be available in its 2020 televisions, while we haven't heard from the others. Netflix launched a similar setup with its "Calibrated" mode last year, but this could have a much wider reach. The name and settings will be consistent no matter which brand of TV you're buying. Rian Johnson spoke at the event, while other directors including JJ Abrams, Christopher Nolan, Ryan Coogler and Martin Scorsese offered support in pre-recorded comments. "The thing that sets Filmmaker Mode apart is it will be a pure, clean expression of what the movie was meant to look like when it was made," said Johnson. Ryan Coogler said that "By allowing the artists in the tent to help consult and give feedback to the electronics companies on Filmmaker Mode, we can collectively help make the consumer's experience even more like it is in the cinema."
Panasonic S1R review: Big, powerful and too expensive
In a brutal camera market, only the strong survive. Until recently, Panasonic has not just survived, but thrived by focusing on niche, video-centric mirrorless cameras like the GH5. With the S1 and S1R models, though, it's going head-on with rivals Nikon, Canon and Sony in the more competitive, and potentially lucrative, full-frame mirrorless market.
Leica's V-Lux 5 is a high-end, travel-friendly camera
Leica isn't exactly known for offering cameras that both offer long-zoom lenses and a relatively affordable price, but it's ready to bend those rules a bit. The company has introduced the V-Lux 5, an upscale rebadge of Panasonic's FZ-1000 II long-zoom camera. The differences mostly boil down to a spruced-up design with the signature red dot on the front, but that's not necessarily a bad thing when the core camera is solid -- this is a fairly powerful option for travelers.
Tesla is quietly developing its own EV battery cells
Tesla has powered its electric cars using Panasonic's battery cells for years, but it may ready for a greater degree of independence going forward. Employees talking to CNBC claim that Tesla is developing its own "advanced" lithium-ion battery cells as well as the processes to manufacture them at scale. The company reportedly conducts some of its research at a "skunkworks" facility minutes away from its Fremont plant.
Netflix details the ‘best’ 2019 TVs for watching Netflix
Choosing what to watch on Netflix can be a time-consuming experience, but actually accessing the platform, and navigating your way around it, doesn't need to be. Some TVs are better at this than others, so Netflix has revealed its official 2019 list of recommended TVs for the best streaming experience. If you're in the market for a new model and this is a key concern for you, the company reckons TVs from Samsung, Sony and Panasonic are your best bet.
Panasonic's cinema-centric S1H mirrorless camera can shoot 6K video
Panasonic has added a third full-frame mirrorless camera to its L-Mount lineup with the launch of the video-oriented Lumix S1H, revealed at Cine Gear Expo 2019. It packs many of the specs we were hoping for but didn't receive with the S1, like 6K video, 10-bit 4:2:2 internal recording and V-Log/V-Gamut with a Sony A7 III-beating 14+ stops of dynamic range.
Do Micro Four Thirds cameras have a future?
For years, photographers and industry pundits have predicted the demise of the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) camera system. Many believe that the smaller sensor has been superseded by APS-C cameras and the ever-growing lineup of full-frame mirrorless shooters. "Not suddenly, but slowly over the course of the next couple of years," photographer and author Tony Northrup said in a YouTube video last October. The upload, which attracted more than 200,000 views, triggered a wage of counterarguments from prominent MFT users like Peter Forsgård, Joseph Ellis and others. Six months later, there's still no consensus.
A brief history of mirrorless cameras
Mirrorless cameras are here to stay. The argument to own one isn't only about them being small and lightweight anymore, because nowadays many mirrorless shooters rival DSLRs in image quality -- something that would've been unimaginable a decade or so ago. Today, the likes of the Sony A7 III, Nikon Z7, Canon EOS R and Panasonic S1R are some of the best cameras, period. But none of these flagships would exist today if it weren't for the hundreds of Micro Four Thirds and APS-C models that came before them, some of which are still popular and have paved the way for manufacturers to turn photographers and videographers alike into mirrorless fans.
How to pick a lens for your mirrorless camera in 2019
When buying a mirrorless camera, there's an equally crucial side question: What lenses do I need for this thing? The glass you place in front of that sensor plays a key role in how your photos or videos look and what kind of shooting you can do. It's a complex decision too. You need to consider factors like sharpness, distortion, speed, prime or zoom and, most important, price. In this guide, I'll touch on all that and look at some of the best lenses for Sony, Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm and Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras.
How to buy a mirrorless camera in 2019
You can mark down 2019 as the year that mirrorless cameras vaulted to the top of photographers' wish lists. They sold nearly as well as DSLRs in 2018, thanks largely to Sony, and may outsell them for the first time in 2019. That's because the number available exploded at the end of 2018 and most of the important new cameras are mirrorless models. All of them have improved autofocus tech, better electronic viewfinders and excellent 4K video features. Nikon, Canon and Fujifilm are determined to cut into Sony's market share, so they all released new models -- to various degrees of critical acclaim. And it's working: Where Sony once had 99.5 percent of the full-frame mirrorless market in Japan, for instance, its share has dropped to 60 percent. More choice is terrific, but it does make your buying decision more difficult, which is why we're here. Our deep and detailed camera guide, dedicated to mirrorless models, will help you sort out which one that suits you best, depending on your needs and budget.
Tesla and Panasonic hold off on Gigafactory expansion
Tesla and Panasonic are delaying plans to expand the electric car maker's Gigafactory 1 battery plant in Nevada. The two companies decided to freeze spending on the world's largest EV battery plant following less-than-stellar demand of new Teslas, reported Nikkei Asian Review. The two companies had initially planned to raise capacity by 50 percent by next year. Panasonic has also apparently canceled plans to invest in Tesla's new Gigafactory in Shanghai, as well.
Panasonic S1 review: A perfect camera, except for its autofocus system
Panasonic is last to the full-frame mirrorless fight, but it's coming out swinging. In February, it unveiled the S1 and S1R cameras and both of them are tough, beastly models with impressive feature sets. The 24.2-megapixel S1 I'm reviewing here is the more affordable at $2,500, but it's also the most versatile, aimed equally at photographers and videographers. Feature-wise, it lines up closely with Sony's A7 III and the new Nikon Z6. The spec sheet is packed with things like 5-axis in-body stabilization, 10-bit internal 4K recording, a stellar electronic viewfinder and dual card slots. I had concerns about the price and autofocus system, however, so I was very curious to see how it stacked up against its main rivals in a full review. Now, let's find out.
