5 minute read
Panasonic has just announced the long awaited successor to the S1 series, the $ 3299 LUMIX S1RII, promising 8K+ resolutions and internal ProRes RAW recording amongst rather a lot else.
It's fair to say that the LUMIX S1RII has been very long awaited. Despite the release of the S5 series, users have been demanding a true successor to the S1. It's fair to say that from the specs we've been given, the new camera is going to be a bit of a beast.
LUMIX S1RII specifications
First off, the new camera features a 44.3MP full-frame sensor, capable of an ISO range of 80-51200 and a claimed 14-stops of dynamic range. Shooting speed for stills has been drastically improved, with 10fps possible with the mechanical shutter, and a whopping 40fps with the electronic shutter. Additionally, these modes are supported with a pre-burst ability, meaning that the camera will be able to capture images before you've even pressed the shutter.
LUMIX S1RII front view
Dual native ISO also features, and is user selectable. These are different from the previous cameras due to the new sensor. In natural colour mode the native ISOs are 80 and 400. In hybrid log gamma, the native ISO values are 320 and 1600. In Cinelike modes the values are 100 and 800. In V-Log there are two separate modes depending on whether the dynamic range expansion mode is turned on or off. With DR expansion turned off, the low and high native ISO points are 200 and 1000. With DR expansion turned on the native ISO values are 400 and 2000.
Panasonic says it has been working closely with creatives to develop and enhance the camera's colour science. This is an area in which Panasonic cameras have always excelled, and it's good to see such an emphasis being placed on it.
The original S1 series was always known for being a bit, err, chunky. In other words, the S1s were built like proverbial tanks, and the bodies were pretty big. Panasonic rectified this with the S5 series, but there was a question over whether the new S1RII would downsize. I'm pleased to say that it has been reduced in size and weight compared to the original cameras, although once you add a big telephoto lens, just like with the S5, any weight reduction will be mitigated somewhat. But for smaller lenses and street photography, the reduced size and weight will be very welcome.
Stabilisation has been improved, with 8-stops of in-body stabilisation, with a new cropless distortion correction mode for the E.I.S (electronic stabilisation). Autofocus is now a 779-point hybrid phase-detection, with improved AI focus tracking and object identification.
Rear view of the LUMIX S1RII, showing the fully articulating LCD screen
S1RII video modes
Okay, so the the recording modes for video is what most RedShark readers will be waiting for. Some of the higher resolution modes will need a forthcoming firmware update, but at a glance the S1RII supports video modes of up to 8.1K 4.2.0 at 30fps open gate. There will also be a 7.2K open gate mode mode as well.
On release the camera will support up to 6.4K open gate. In a welcome change from the previous S1 series, the S1RII supports 4K/120/60* without a crop, and in fact produces the image by downsampling from the full resolution of the sensor
The big news, however, is that the S1RII supports internal ProRes RAW recording up to 5.8K to a CFexpress Type B card. It appears the landscape regarding internal raw recording has changed somewhat since Nikon acquired RED, and the inclusion of internal raw recording on the S1RII is pretty significant news.
S1RII top view
Other features
Other features of note are a 1.84 million dot fully articulating LCD and a 5.76 million dot EVF. The body is fully weatherproofed and is freeze proof down to -10 degrees centigrade. The shutter is also rated for 400,000 cycles, and can be set to close when the camera is turned off, protecting the sensor in extreme environments when changing lenses.
A major new feature is the DMW-XLR2 audio interface, which mounts to the hotshoe on the top of the camera. Just like the previous XLR1 model, the DMW-XLR2 allows the interface of XLR microphones with the camera, but also introduces 32-bit float recording. Anyone who has used 32-bit float will know how much reassurance it gives that you don't need to be constantly worrying about audio levels if you're running and gunning. You could put the camera next to an explosion, and if it survived the audio still wouldn't have peaked. This is a great inclusion to see.
Exposure tools have expanded to introduce false colour, which means users no longer need an external monitor to gain access to such a thing. The S1RII is compatible with external SSDs for recording. For high powered modes such as for internal raw video recording, it's recommended that users obtain the new DMW-BG2 battery grip, although the camera can also be powered via USB-C from a power bank.
Much was made of the S1RII's compatibility with photo and video sharing apps. The camera is natively compatible with Capture One for tethered shooting, as well as with remote proxy workflows with Frame.io.
Pansonic itself has developed two apps, LUMIX Lab for fast sharing of images with clients and social media directly from the camera, and Lumix Flow. The Flow app has been developed to allow fast creation of storyboards, and it can also be used as an external monitor.
The S1RII will be available in March for $3299 / £2999 / €3599 for the body only, with a more expensive S1RM2ME Kit also being available, although Panasonic hasn't specified what this includes.
S1RII side view
Conclusions
As an owner/user of the S1 since its original release, it has long been one of the best cameras I have ever used. I love its image quality, its robustness, and its overall capabilities. It's great to see, finally, that the S1 series has been continued with a camera that looks to take things to the next level.
The inclusion of internal raw recording was a pleasant surprise, and 4K/120/60 is at least now not cropped. The high frame rate stills shooting means that the S1RII will be useful for casual sports photography, too. Though professional sports photogs will likely look for even faster burst rates elsewhere.
Some will ask about whether there's an optical low pass filter. Panasonic says that there isn't, and the reason given is that the sensor is of such a high resolution that it negates the need for one. There's a good amount of logic in this, particularly when the sensor is downsampling from the full sensor area to produce the video. As you go up in resolution, issues like moire increasingly disappear, at least to the human eye.
The camera also feature an active cooling system, so it should be good for recording for long periods. Lastly, the price of $3299 is also a welcome surprise. Given the huge increases in camera prices, for a flagship camera of this nature, that would appear to represent a quite substantial bang for the buck.
tl;dr
- The LUMIX S1RII features a 44.3MP full-frame sensor, improved shooting speeds (10fps mechanical and 40fps electronic), and dual native ISO settings across various modes.
- Video capabilities include up to 8.1K recording, 4K/60 without a crop, and internal ProRes RAW recording up to 5.8K, with some higher resolutions requiring a future firmware update.
- It has a more compact design compared to the original S1 series, enhanced in-body stabilization with 8 stops, and a 779-point hybrid autofocus system with advanced AI tracking.
- Additional features include a fully articulating LCD, a weatherproof body, the DMW-XLR2 audio interface for XLR microphones with 32-bit float recording, and compatibility with external SSDs for video recording.
*Article corrected to acknowledge the inclusion of 4K/120 recording.
Tags: Production Cameras mirrorless
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