Panasonic Lumix S1R Review

The 3-Minute Panasonic Lumix S1R Review

Full Frame Mirrorless At Best Resolution

The Specifics

The Panasonic S1R is the more expensive offering of the S series. Combining Panasonic’s innovative leadership in 4K video with a mirrorless camera aiming to give the best a good run for their money, Panasonic could make the S1R the best 4K camera for filmmakers.

It includes a 47.3 MP full-frame CMOS sensor at 36.0 x 24.0 mm with a Venus image processor engine. This sensor is 24 million pixels and priced to engage photography enthusiasts and professional videographers.

Build quality in the S1R is uncompromising with a magnesium alloy construction and weather sealing that makes it dust and moisture resistant and “freeze-proof” at even 10 degrees. The viewfinder is OLED EVF, 5.76 m dots, 100% coverage, and 0.78x magnification, while the screen is 3.2 inches tilting touchscreen, with 2.1 million dots.

You also get WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, along with multiple metering modes (multi, center-weighted, spot, highlight weighted). All this goodness and more sit snugly within a 148.9 x 110.0 x 96.7 mm body that weighs 1, 016 g with battery and SD card.

Panasonic is using its DFD contrast AF system instead of the faster phase detection used by others. Panasonic’s high-speed data processing and AF algorithms feel really fast and responsive.

As the AF system detects a face, it picks out the subject’s eyes with a set of cross-hairs and you can choose which eye is selected using the autofocus lever.

Features & Design: 4/5 | Performance: 5/5 | Value: 5/5 | Battery Life: 5/5

The Best

The electronic viewfinder is on a whole other level. Beyond being lag-free, it is superbly sharp, saturated, and contrast is excellent. There is neither blurring nor smearing with fast camera movements.

The screen on the back is special too. A 2,100k resolution means it’s exceptionally sharp, and has a clever tri-axial tilt mechanism that permits sideways movement in addition to up and down, essentially making this a tilting screen you can use with the camera held vertical.

The Bugs

The software for the Panasonic Lumix S1R is quite intuitive and stable. No bugs have been reported yet, but expect to pay for V-log updates.

Is it for you?

Many professional photographers will invest in the S1R after carefully analyzing the features, so if you’re going to be getting acquainted with pro-level tools, you might as well put your money where your mouth is.

What we like

The strength and durability present in all aspects of the Panasonic S1 is enviable. The shutter inside has a life expectancy of 400,000 shots, and there are firm, positive controls and plenty of them.

There is a dedicated drive mode dial and a dual-function dial for setting both the focus mode and selecting the focus area. A focus lever/joysticks for setting the focus point and a lock lever to prevent unintentional adjustments while handling the camera.

What we don’t like

The sensitivity of the touchscreen display is the one issue with the Panasonic S1R. It is very easy to set the focus point near the bottom left corner of the frame when your nose touches the screen during shooting.

This is a common issue with cameras that offer touch-focus control and the S1R is by any measure, really annoying. Yet, you can always deactivate the touch control.

The Eye AF system is quite impressive, but the Eye AF cross-hairs can be hard to recognize. So even while quick and, effective, and accurate, the visual AF display is a tad uncluttered.

Should you buy it?

The Panasonic S1R is the highest-resolution full frame mirrorless camera to come to market. The price tag is almost incomparable to the array of features you can enjoy while using this camera.