SH-1 to complement SH-50

After eleven months of ownership, the SH-1 remains my primary camera - because WB AUTO presents rainy scenes in neutral colours, not blue. The SH-1 retains the 2 WB Custom settings I learnt to value on the SH-50. The SH-50 remains in service for demo videos, and recording sound for the (silent) SH-1 time lapse videos. The SH-1 and SH-50 complement each other as intended.

No weather resistance is claimed for the SH-1, but it consistently survives rainy ferry trips on an open deck. It also continued after a big splash of bird droppings on the lens barrel.

During the January 2015 New Plymouth Festival of Lights, the Li-92B battery lasted for 132 minutes of HD720p video. The SH-1 recorded our 2015 Gary Bold radio club lecture in HD720p for 74 minutes, with spare capacity for downloading. The Li-92B battery also works in the SH-50.

When the battery does run down, the SH-1 retracts the lens and saves the video just taken, like the SH-50 and the SZ-30MR do. To me, this is a vital reliability issue, since Li-Ion batteries for any camera brand are not universally available (I have walked home with a C-750UZ with the lens extended after the batteries died).

The video and audio quality are suitable for my accordion playing, and other instruments playing with me, and they are compatible with the SH-50 output. Both SH-1 and SH-50 do not hunt for the correct audio frequency response (the SZ-30MR does). Wind noise appears to be less, even without the wind noise reduction being activated. However, I leave it on for speech indoors because it also reduces unwanted reverberation.

I have tried the SH-1 WiFi connection to my PC laptop directly. The camera broadcasts no SSD without a connection, so my laptop does not see the camera.

The 120 fps videos delight as they do on the SH-50. I have tried the time lapse with 20, 10 and 5 minute original periods, and they all gave good results. I am using the SH-50 to record sound for later dubbing into the (silent) time lapse 20 second videos.

With the SH-1 and SH-50 I do not experience hang-ups that need temporary battery removal. This avoids exasperating delays when working with dance performers and glamour models. As time goes by I value more this inherent reliability.

The 'Level' feature does have to be calibrated by putting the SH-1 on a flat and level base first. The default setting results in slightly slanted pictures.

The SH-1 has a metal tripod socket, and it comes with a neck strap.

Niggles? The sharpening is overdone at the saturation 2 'natural' setting. But the saturation 3 'muted' setting reduces the in-camera sharpening, both for 33x23 inch prints and for video. Contrast in both stills and video often needs no increase during post processing.

Henry