Gear Talk: The Panasonic S1R II
There’s a lot to say about this camera release, but honestly I’m just “meh” about it. It’s not exciting unless you’re already in the L-Mount. If you’re shooting Sony, Nikon, or Canon, you’re probably better served by your current camera or their flagship model.
Out of all the reviews I saw, Camera Conspiracies(as usual) sums this release up perfectly for me.
Basically the major selling point is a lot of camera…for less. The spec sheet looks very impressive, but a camera is more than its specs. Does it overheat? What are the limitations of all the modes? Is the Autofocus up to par for the increased speed they’re boasting about?
Before people start screaming that L-Mount is back, there are still lingering issues with the system and this camera in particular:
Panasonic’s abysmal customer support. Good luck getting anyone on the phone.
Still no S PRO Prime lenses to round out the system. Where’s the S PRO 85mm, 35mm, or 24mm? All the other systems have premium primes in these focal lengths. Panasonic front-loaded when they released their first batch of S PRO lenses, but haven’t released anything premium in years. Not entry level f/1.8 lenses, I mean knock your socks off premium lenses. Where are they? Sigma has great options but we all know Panasonic lenses will work best with their own system. It’s a no-brainer for them to have them. It’s been too long.
Non-stacked sensor. For a flagship, this should have been standard. Given the cameras specs and focus on speed, a stacked sensor would have probably alleviated many of the issues. At least it would have added to the wow factor.
Large lenses, rivaling those of Fuji’s GFX system. If you want ultimate image quality and don’t mind weight, I’d wager the GFX 100S II is a better value than this camera.
If you’re a video shooter, the rolling shutter may put a damper on your plans. I don’t do extensive video with the A7RV for this very reason and apparently the S1RII’s is worse.
If you’re a stills shooter, 44 megapixels is pretty good, but a higher resolution like 60 megapixels would have probably been better. At least they could brag about increased resolution. I wager they went with 44 megapixels to accommodate the video side of the camera which is understandable but also causes the camera to not excel in one area or the other.
Lower res EVF than competing options like the A7RV.
There are many more to point out, but that’s just off the top of my head. For a camera seven years removed from its predecessor, I would have expected a lot more in way of “knock your socks off” features.
EOSHD also shares my sentiment about the release in the accurately titled post, “Panasonic S1R II – Great spec, dying brand.”
Ouch.
I guess my main question is, “In what area does this camera excel over the competition?” Where does it absolutely trounce what other companies are offering at the moment? I can’t think of a single area. And because of this, I don’t think it will be the red hot seller they need at the moment. It will keep them alfoat, but when the other companies inevitably counter, I expect to see deep discounts and bundle offers on Panasonic’s 1.8 lenses.
If I sound very apathetic, I am. For a company that’s far behind the competition, they need more than price and a fancy spec sheet to convince people to give the mount a serious look. You need a true flagship, something way ahead of what the competition is doing. Canon has the R5II, Sony has the A1II, and Nikon the Z8/Z9. Each excels in a particular category over this camera. It’s cheaper, but not better in the ways that matter.
Additionally I could see it cannobilizing sells of the S5II. Between those two, it’s probably the better purchase from the stills performance alone. Unless money is the limiting factor, just get the S1RII.
If you’re already invested in another mount, nothing to fret over. It’s exciting if you’re in L-Mount, if you’re elsewhere you’re probably better off staying put. I know I am.
Meh indeed.
Unfortunately I think since the S9, the writing has been on the wall for a minute. Panasonic is a brand that lacks ambition as well as direction. They refuse to make obvious decisions that would bolster their system (Remember how they fought hard against phase detect autofocus for years?!), they release cameras that are more “me too” than trendsetting, and their release windows have become so long between products the competition will leap them in quick succession in a matter of months!
It’s not a brand I have faith in nor a brand I can really recommend to someone looking to invest in a system. This should have been a homerun and instead…it’s a bunt.
All for now.
