Standards come and go, and it seems a new one is forming right before our eyes. With the recently announced Panasonic LUMIX S1R II, I believe a critical mass has been reached – enough to suggest a new standard for professional hybrid cameras. Full-frame sensors, high resolution, fast burst rates, robust codecs, and reliable autofocus now define the category. These features are shared across the Canon R5 II (and its predecessor, which arguably kicked off the trend), the Nikon Z8, and now the S1R II. And what about Sony? Sony is currently taking a different path. Let’s dive in! Is it a coincidence that Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, FUJIFILM, and Sony all offer 40+ Megapixel 8K capable cameras with various video codecs and features, as well as a robust stills-oriented feature set? As with all good questions, the answer is both “Yes” and “No”. We won’t dive into a conspiracy rabbit hole; we have enough of these elsewhere. We will, however, try to look into the emergence of a new professional standard: Why and how it’s formed, what makes it a standard, and what happens to those who won’t comply with it. What is a professional standard? In the mostly unregulated world of filmmaking and photography gear, a standard is mostly set by the available gear, its popularity, and professional adoption. It can describe a specific feature or a set of features that become thoroughly adopted by professionals, hence forming a standard. For example, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a commercial...
Published By: CineD - 2 days ago