Originally announced at Photokina 2018, Panasonic has finally officially announced release dates and final specs for their two new full-frame cameras – the LUMIX S1 and LUMIX S1R. Panasonic is definitely entering into a very crowded market dominated by Sony but can the two new full-frame cameras offer photographers a robust and fresh enough leap forward to convince them to switch? Here’s how the two new LUMIX cameras stack up.
Panasonic LUMIX S1 Feature Specs (via Panasonic)
- FULL FRAME SENSOR – 24.2-megapixel full-frame (35.6mm x 23.8mm) MOS sensor that provides a wide dynamic range and excellent performance at high sensitivity. (ISO 51200 Max sensitivity)
- 4K HDR VIDEO – 4K 60p/50p, 4K 24/30P unlimited recording, 4K60P 29:59 min limited recording. HDR Mode and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG). V-Log with Internal 4:2:2 10-bit 4k30/24p (4K60p output only) available via optional software upgrade key.
- 96MP HIGH RESOLUTION MODE – A sensor shift technology suitable for taking very high-resolution landscapes and fine art photos via tripod with toggleable motion correction capabilities
- LVF and MONITOR – 3.2” 2,100K-dot RGBW LCD monitor (3:2 aspect ratio) with triaxial tilt moving element, plus large 5,760k-dot high-resolution OLED eye viewfinder
- RUGGED MIRRORLESS CAMERA DESIGN – Dust/splash*/freeze-resistant design withstands heavy field use under harsh conditions for high mobility
Panasonic LUMIX S1R Feature Specs (via Panasonic)
- FULL FRAME SENSOR – 47.3-megapixel full-frame MOS sensor that provides a wide dynamic range and excellent performance at high sensitivity (ISO 25600 Max sensitivity)
- 4K VIDEO – Up to 4K 60p/50p recording plus 6K Photo functions and HLG Photo.
- 187MP HIGH RESOLUTION MODE – A sensor shift technology suitable for taking very high-resolution landscapes and fine art photos via tripod with toggleable motion correction capabilities
- LVF and MONITOR – 3.2” 2,100K-dot RGBW LCD monitor (3:2 aspect ratio) with triaxial tilt moving element, plus large 5,760k-dot high-resolution OLED eye viewfinder
- RUGGED MIRRORLESS CAMERA DESIGN – Dust/splash*/freeze-resistant design withstands heavy field use under harsh conditions for high mobility
The L-Mount Alliance
The biggest challenge for any new camera format is not packing more pixels, larger sensors, or even new technologies into a camera, it’s having enough compatible lenses to truly entice photographers to invest in a new system. At the last Photokina, Panasonic announced both their S line of full-frame mirrorless cameras and the L-Mount Alliance with Leica and Sigma. The Panasonic S1 and S1R shares the same lens mount system as the Leica SL and is compatible with any of their available lenses, but if Leica glass is out of your price range you can look to Sigma for more competitively priced lens options in the near future.
While Panasonic was unable to leverage their existing line of Micro Four-Thirds lenses for their new system, their participation in the L-Mount Alliance will allow them to offer more than the initial kit offerings at launch. We’re excited about the possibility of seeing Sigma’s Art lenses made for L-mount cameras – this will help Panasonic especially compete with Nikon, Canon, and Sony.
What We’re Checking For
It’s way too soon to make any concrete predictions, but we’re already excited about the possibilities of the new S1 and S1R. Panasonic came out of the full-gate with a camera that is rugged and can handle the elements, they have a great lens roadmap and strategy, and unlike the offerings from Nikon and Canon – managed to include a dual-card slot. If Panasonic’s has proven anything with their MFT cameras is that they understand how to make amazing video capture cameras in an SLR-styled body, we’re hoping that they can give Sony a run for their money.
The full-frame wars are here and we’re excited to see where it goes.
