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Panasonic Lumix S1R (Lumix S1) Hands-On Preview

Panasonic has today announced the arrival of the Lumix S1 and Lumix S1R full-frame mirrorless cameras and we've got hands-on with the new kit. Take a look at the sample photos and learn more about the new full-frame mirrorless camera.

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Panasonic Lumix S1R (Lumix S1) Hands-On Preview: Panasonic Lumix S1R Hands On | 1/60 sec | f/5.0 | 30.0 mm | ISO 320
 

Panasonic has joined the mirrorless full-frame market with the introduction of the Panasonic Lumix S1 and Panasonic Lumix S1R

The Panasonic Lumix S1 has a 24.2MP full-frame sensor, 6-stop dual IS for stills/video and an electronic viewfinder with 5760K OLED display. The camera's 3.2-inch touchscreen features 2.1-million-dot resolution and is mounted on a triaxial tilt rear monitor that allows it to flip out.

Video fans will be happy to hear that the Lumix S1 captures 4K video at 60/50p. 

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The Panasonic Lumix S1R has almost the same specs as the S1 but it has a 47.3 Megapixel full-frame sensor instead of 24.2MP. They look pretty similar, too, with just the added red 'R' differentiating them. 

At the time of launch, there are just three native Panasonic lenses available. More are coming in the next couple of years, and you can also use Leica L mount lenses should you have any. For now, the three lenses comprise of a 24-105mm f/4 lens which you could describe as a kit lens, plus a 70-200mm f/2.8 and a 50mm f/1.4 lens. The latter two are "certified by Leica" and feel slightly more solid and robust than 24-105mm.

Pricing & Availability 

The Panasonic Lumix S1R is priced at £3,399.99 (body only) and the Panasonic Lumix S1 is available for a little less at £2,199.99 (body only). If you want to add a 24-105mm lens, the price goes up to £4,199.99 and £2,999.99, respectively. Both cameras will be available from 18 March 2019. 

The three lenses will be available at the following prices:

  • 50MM F/1.4 - £2,299.99
  • 70-200MM F/4 O.I.S. - £1,749.99 
  • 24-105MM MACRO F/4 O.I.S. - £1,299.99

 

Panasonic Lumix S1R Handling

Using the S1 or S1R is very familiar to anyone who has used many of the Lumix mirrorless cameras in the past, particularly the G9 - in fact, it feels very much like a beefed up version of the G9, with a chunky handgrip and larger body to accommodate the full-frame sensor. 

The controls are, for the most part, arranged very sensibly. On the top of the camera, you have a front dial and the shutter release button, along with three buttons for directly accessing a few different key settings, such as ISO and white balance. There are dual dials which sit conveniently under your thumb and forefinger for changing certain settings – depending on the shooting mode, while the on/off switch is slightly awkwardly located just in front of the rear dial. It’s not a huge problem, but it doesn’t feel as natural as the G9’s placing of the switch around the shutter release.

 

Panasonic Lumix S1R (Lumix S1) Hands-On Preview: Panasonic Lumix S1R Hands On | 1/60 sec | f/4.0 | 30.0 mm | ISO 250
 

Other features of the top plate include an LCD screen which displays all your key settings, along with a mode dial which is lockable into place to prevent accidentally switching between modes when the camera is in a bag and so on.

Moving to the back of the camera, there are even more handy dials and buttons to give you direct access control to a number of key settings. The AF mode button gives you the option to switch between the different AF modes available, including new functionality to detect certain subjects – such as animals and human figures.

 

Panasonic Lumix S1R (Lumix S1) Hands-On Preview: Panasonic Lumix S1R Hands On | 1/60 sec | f/4.0 | 30.0 mm | ISO 250
 

A joystick lever will be a familiar sight to lots of previous Lumix users, and it can be used to move focus points around the scene very quickly and easily. A handy new feature is that you can push in the joystick to switch between detected subjects in the frame – so for example, if you’re photographing a scene with two or three people in it, you can push in the joystick to alter the main focus between each of the faces as appropriate.

 

Panasonic Lumix S1R (Lumix S1) Hands-On Preview: Panasonic Lumix S1R Hands On | 1/60 sec | f/5.0 | 30.0 mm | ISO 800

 

Key settings can be easily accessed through the “Q” button which gets you to the quick menu. Here there are a number of frequently used settings, but you can change what you find in this menu depending on your shooting preferences.

Other buttons making up the rear panel include a menu/set button, a scrolling wheel and the playback button. An operation lock lever can also be used to fix settings in place and remove the chance of accidental changes, while it can also be customized to only lock certain functions in place if you prefer. There are further buttons on the front of the camera surrounding the lens mount, including a function lever and the lens release button.

 

Panasonic Lumix S1R (Lumix S1) Hands-On Preview: Panasonic Lumix S1R Hands On | 1/60 sec | f/4.0 | 30.0 mm | ISO 320
 


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Comments

banehawi Avatar
banehawi Plus
19 3.0k 4373 Canada
1 Feb 2019 3:02PM
Coincidentally, the Olympus CEO stated this week that sensor size is not the answer.

Seems the m4/3 alliance is crumbling.
ricohflex Avatar
ricohflex 10 1
2 Feb 2019 4:41AM
In 1989 you could buy a 340MB hard disk for USD$ 1,800.
Now in 2019 you can get a Samsung 2TB 970 EVO NVMe M.2 Internal SSD for USD$500.
In 1980 you could buy a PC with 5¼ inch floppy drives.
In 2019 you cannot buy a PC with 5¼ inch floppy drives, even if you want to.
As technology improves and price differentials between formats drop and old formats die.
Due to the need to streamline manufacturing processes, manufacturers need to consolidate the production lines to make the format that SELLS. The format that 95% of the mass market consumers want.
That is why even in the film negative days, the old odd formats like 110, 126, 127, 220, photo disc and the fiasco APS (championed by Kodak, Fujifilm, Minolta, Nikon, Canon in 1996) fell by the wayside - long before the death of film.
Lumix can see the death of Micro4/3 format coming. It is not because the M4/3 is no good.
It is because other competing formats (full frame) are better and now have become cheap and affordable.
The stark message is that in future full frame will become even more cheap and affordable.
Manufacturers follow what the consumers want.
Manufacturers cannot stake their company's future on the few odd professionals who insist they love Micro4/3 but who represent only 0.0001% of the camera market.
AlexHanin Avatar
2 Feb 2019 12:17PM
@ricohflex: Well, that's a rather long-winded way of saying: "Hi there, my name is Nostradamus" Wink

This new Pana camera is anything but "cheap and affordable", BTW.
ShaunsPics Avatar
ShaunsPics 12 87 United Kingdom
3 Feb 2019 9:09AM
at these prices no wonder pound shops do well. to save wear and tear on my D500 I think ill buy a couple of d3500 so I don't have to keep changing lenses.
trackrecords Avatar
6 Feb 2019 12:15PM

Quote:In 1989 you could buy a 340MB hard disk for USD$ 1,800.
Now in 2019 you can get a Samsung 2TB 970 EVO NVMe M.2 Internal SSD for USD$500.
In 1980 you could buy a PC with 5¼ inch floppy drives.
In 2019 you cannot buy a PC with 5¼ inch floppy drives, even if you want to.
As technology improves and price differentials between formats drop and old formats die.
Due to the need to streamline manufacturing processes, manufacturers need to consolidate the production lines to make the format that SELLS. The format that 95% of the mass market consumers want.
That is why even in the film negative days, the old odd formats like 110, 126, 127, 220, photo disc and the fiasco APS (championed by Kodak, Fujifilm, Minolta, Nikon, Canon in 1996) fell by the wayside - long before the death of film.
Lumix can see the death of Micro4/3 format coming. It is not because the M4/3 is no good.
It is because other competing formats (full frame) are better and now have become cheap and affordable.
The stark message is that in future full frame will become even more cheap and affordable.
Manufacturers follow what the consumers want.
Manufacturers cannot stake their company's future on the few odd professionals who insist they love Micro4/3 but who represent only 0.0001% of the camera market.

trackrecords Avatar
6 Feb 2019 12:17PM
Full-frame is taking a life-time to become 'cheap and affordable' - that's why I've an EOS 7D and not an EOS 5D!
ElSid Avatar
ElSid 15 11 United Kingdom
11 Feb 2019 5:22PM
£2299 for a 50mm lens! Not what I'd call 'cheap & affordable', not sure I'd call it justifiable either...
rustyshackleford Avatar
As a photograph taker and a guitar player, I can see similarities in attitudes,expectations realistic and fantastic. As a guitar player: when I was younger, I used to think that if only I had a Gibson or a Fender, I'd be able to play so much better. When I played more expensive guitars, I wasn't any better.

As a photograph taker; i started on a 1974 Zenit E. An inexpensive camera which took a lot of time to get a decent shot, but when it did, it was very satisfying. Then I got a Pentax ME Super, and to cut it short, I would still be using it regularly today if digital hadn't come along. I don't honestly think my pictures today would be any better than if I'd forked out a couple of thousand on a body the same for a lens or two. It's not going to make you a better photographer. If you can't frame a shot, or compose it properly, or press the shutter at the right moment, spending large sums of cash isn't going to make THAT much difference.

I'm now a pretty good guitar player, which is down to hard graft and practise. I've never spent more than £250 on a guitar. If anyone cares to look at my portfolio and say that by spending a lot more, I'd have got FAR better results, then I would be interested to hear from them.
dougarts Avatar
8 May 2019 11:40PM
Yesss!!. Why I sold all of my full frame 35mm stuff many years ago was because I got fed up of lugging around kilogrammes of lenses in a big ruksack.
Nothing has changed. Now you have to lug around the same huge lenses and the same big body except it is a 47 megapixel digital camera.
That is why I bought a micro four thirds camera and lenses and why I will never go back to a full frame digital camera. AND that is why micro four thirds will continue to satisfy people like me.
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