Panasonic has launched the Lumix S1R II. After sitting through the media briefing, I wondered if I had been daydreaming. On paper, the Lumix S1R II is possibly the best hybrid camera on the market. The specs are simply incredible. Potentially, it’s a creator’s dream come true. Let’s take a look at why.
In 2019, Panasonic introduced the Lumix S1R to the world. It was a very impressive full frame camera. Its 47.3 MP sensor produced some lovely photos and videos. It wasn’t perfect—it didn’t quite match some of its competitors with its autofocus system, and battery life wasn’t the best. But the S1R was the most solidly built camera in its class, with good weather sealing. This was a pro-level camera for $3,700. No other camera felt so good to hold or gave the user as much confidence. No other camera was quite so chunky and heavy, either.
Six years on, and a great camera just got better—much better. First of all, it’s not as chunky and heavy as the previous iteration. This new model has been to the gym, shed weight, and firmed up nicely. It’s gone from 1,016 g to 795 g. The old version was 148.9 mm wide, 110 mm tall, and 96.7 mm deep. The new model is 134.3 mm wide, 102.3 mm tall, and 91.8 mm deep. That’s impressive. But so is the price, which has also had a workout. It’s shed $400 over the past six years and will retail at $3,300.
A Photography Camera That’s Caught Up With The Times
The Lumix S1R II features a newly developed 44.3 MP BSI CMOS sensor. It now has real-time recognition Phase Hybrid AF, a big improvement from the old Contrast Recognition AF. The focus tracking can now recognize trains, planes, motorcycles, etc., in addition to humans and animals—the usual suspects most newer cameras are capable of recognizing. So that addresses one of the old S1R’s weaker points.
It has high-speed continuous shooting up to 40 fps and a pre-burst mode, taking pictures before the shutter is fully pressed, ensuring you never miss a shot. There’s a High Resolution Mode allowing you to create a 177 MP photo.
Image stabilization has been improved, now achieving up to 8.0-stop shutter speed compensation with in-body stabilization. I like the useful addition of a closed shutter when changing lenses to keep the sensor clean.
There’s a really neat, innovative tilt-and-free-angle monitor. Photographers can tilt the monitor, and vloggers can flip it out to face them. There’s no more arguing over which type of monitor one prefers—you’ve got the best of both worlds with this one.
OK, I’ve skipped over the photography side of things fairly quickly here. In a nutshell, this camera now has the capabilities to rival any other camera on the market with the latest technology—but in a more solid, professional-feeling body than most.
“Whoop-de-doo,” “Big deal!,” “So what!,” some may exclaim, but this is not the reason to consider buying this camera. Oh no, dear reader, not even close.
This Camera Is a Video Production Beast
If you’re a video content creator or filmmaker, this camera—at least on paper—is possibly the best on the market. I’ve yet to test it—that’s coming—but right now, looking at the specs, firmware, and hardware improvements, well, I’m excited.
The Lumix S1R II is clearly designed as a video-centric camera.
- The first Lumix to shoot 8K
- 8.1K at 17:9, 8K at 16:9 – 30p 4:2:0 10-bit
- C4K/4K 60p 4:2:2 10-bit, C4K/4K 120p 10-bit
- 5.8K ProRes RAW HQ internal recording
- External 8K video output via HDMI
- Up to 14 stops of dynamic range with Dynamic Range Expansion (Log) selected. The drawback with this is rolling shutter, so this function is for static shots—like when the camera is mounted on a tripod.
We’ve not gotten to the good features yet! Here are some things that grabbed my attention:
Open Gate
Such a useful feature—being able to record using the full sensor and crop in post for multiple social media applications. There’s a frame marker—a mask you can overlay to help you compose your shots for every aspect ratio you’ll likely need, in addition to creating custom ratios.
False Color
I nearly fell off my chair when this was announced. This is the single most useful feature in a camera for run-and-gun video work, in my opinion. Why brands like Nikon haven’t introduced this yet, I have no idea. They will now!
Real-Time LUTs
You can overlay LUTs, saving up to 39 LUTs in-camera, which makes life so much easier when you’re shooting in Log. Traditionally, you apply your LUT to an external monitor to get a better idea of your final look, but not everyone uses one.
E-Stabilization (E.I.S.)
Allows for smooth handheld filming while moving, without the need for a gimbal. An advanced E.I.S. works with anamorphic lenses, helping correct roll blur and perspective distortion.
External SSD recording
Perfect for memory-intensive, high-bit-rate recording. The advantage is better heat management for long recordings, and SSDs are more budget-friendly than fast write-speed memory cards.
Proxy Video Recording
There’s a CFexpress card slot and an SD card slot in the S1R II. You can record ProRes to the CFexpress card while simultaneously recording a low-bit-rate proxy file to the SD card.
Tally Lights
On both the front and back of the camera—useful for vloggers. The brightness can be adjusted, which is useful.
Dedicated Video Record Button
On the front bottom left of the camera. It’s a bigger deal than you may first think. I'd certainly use it.
Who’s This Camera For?
The Lumix S1R II is aimed at professional photographers and videographers/filmmakers, as well as skilled amateurs looking for something robust with pro specs.
With the huge improvements in video capability and so much useful functionality, I believe the main target market to benefit from this camera is solo video content creators and filmmakers.
The Competition
In my opinion, in the $3,500 price range, the Nikon Z8 is the best hybrid camera on the market right now, particularly for those serious about video production. Also vying for the top spot is the Canon EOS R5C and the Sony a7R V. All great hybrid cameras, and priced similarly.
All four cameras do a great job helping you make a broadcast-quality production. So I believe it comes down to the little details and user experience as the way to choose one over another.
For full transparency, as a professional video producer and filmmaker, I chose Nikon. The S1R II has a few features that Nikon owners have been begging for years—such as false color, Open Gate, direct-to-SSD recording, and tally lights. Sure, small things, but they add up.
The R5C has false color but can’t record to SSD or shoot Open Gate. The a7R V, like the Z8, doesn’t have false color, can’t shoot Open Gate, and can’t record to SSD. But these details have been addressed by Panasonic—and many more—with the Lumix S1R II.
So the question is, will those looking to buy the Z8—and OK, the Canon and Sony too—now take a good look at the S1R II as a serious contender? I think they should. I would.
Specs are one thing, but the proof is in the pudding—or, rather, the recording of test footage. I hope to get my hands on the new Lumix S1R II soon, test it, and report back.
Does the Lumix S1R II pique your interest, or is it just me getting all hot under the collar? Let me know!
I appreciate Panasonic updating this, but for about the same price as a Z8, why would anyone choose this over the Nikon Z8 or Canon R5II?