Just looking at the Panasonic S1H you can tell it’s ready for business, and by many accounts it is a great hybrid-style camera to shoot video with. However, there are some important things to be aware of before buying.
Panasonic’s strategy of using a contrast-detect autofocus system is a well-known source of frustration for users, and makes Dustin Armstrong’s number one spot of ten things you should know before buying the S1H. As he bluntly puts it, it’s not very good. Continuous autofocus for video recording has really come a long way, especially in the last year or two, and although some purists will forever disregard anything other than manual focus it does have its benefits for solo shooters and gimbal rigs. While other companies have long understood that the benefits to phase-detect autofocus outweigh the negatives, Panasonic is not so easily convinced.
However, using manual focus mode on the S1H is not perfect either as Armstrong points out, and there’s a particular annoyance with the software he has. Other features examined on the list include slow motion recording, SD card compatibility, white balance, and more. Check out the full video above for all the details you’ll want to know first before adding the S1H to your shopping cart.
