Panasonic Unveils Its First Full-Frame Lumix S1 Mirrorless Camera System

Panasonic Unveils Its First Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera System called the Panasonic Lumix S1 and Lumix S1R at Photokina 2018.  So the Panasonic Full Frame Mirrors Rumors were true.

For Panasonic lovers the introduction into the full frame arena is both good and a little annoying for those with micro 4/3rd owners.  At present the new Lumix S1 and SR1 cameras will have a brand new mounting system (L Mount) which isn’t backwards compatible to the micro four thirds lenses.  Some type of adapter will need to be added.

The Lumix will be in direct competition with the newly announced Nikon Z6/Z7 and Canon EOS R models as well as Sony’s A7 line of mirrorless cameras.

It’s a little funny that 3 of the largest Camera companies are all launching full frame mirrorless cameras in roughly the same quarter.  Sony of course took the lead in introducing the A7iii and A7Riii, which were huge hits and certainly made long time Canon and Nikon users think about switching brands.  That is exactly what I did earlier this year when I dumped all my Canon gear for Sony.

Photokina 2018 Panasonic Lumix S1 and Lumix S1R announcement

Panasonic announced their brand new full frame mirrorless cameras called the Panasonic Lumix S1 and the Panasonic Lumix S1R

Lumix S1 Lens Offerings

Obviously Lens selection is really important for photographers and the new Lumix S1 will only have 3 native lenses available including

• 50 mm/F1.4 fixed-focus lens
• 24-105 mm standard zoom lens
• 70-200 mm telephoto zoom lens

Because of this Panasonic has teamed up with both Leica and Sigma using the L-Mount to offer even more lenses (possibly up to 10) and potentially have them all ready to go at launch or at least within a year of launch.  They call this partnership the L-Mount Alliance.  Leica has 8 L-mount lenses and I am sure by launch time Sigma will also have some available.

Panasonic Lumix S1 Vs Lumix S1R

As a Youtuber, a photographer and a reviewer, the Lumix S1 seems to be the camera to get from the new Panasonic lineup.

Panasonic Lumix S1

The Lumix S1 offers 24 mega pixel performance and the first full frame mirrorless camera to support 4K 60p/50p video recording in a full-frame Digital Single Lens Mirrorless camera.  While the Sony A7iii can capture 4K at 30p, Panasonic’s 60p offers a bit more flexibility when shooting video.

Another sweet feature, which the Lumix GH5 does really well, pertains to image stabilization.  Panasonic is introducing Dual I.S. (Image Stabilization), enabling handheld shots for dark or distant scenes that would previously have required a tripod or other equipment.

The camera will also feature a double slot for XQD memory cards and SD memory cards, something that Nikon couldn’t figure out with the new Z mirrorless cameras.

Both cameras also feature what Panasonic calls a rugged triaxial tilt LCD, which sounds perfect for the Youtuber wanting to capture vlogging events.

Panasonic SR1

The Panasonic Lumix SR1 is more geared towards photographers who want the 47 mega pixel performance that it delivers.

Panasonic is introducing a few first with there Lumix S series cameras as well as some significant improvements over their previous mirrorless cameras.

• Expressive capabilities with high definition and high level of expression achieved with the newly-developed 35 mm full-frame image sensor and image processing engine.
  (Effective pixels: approximately 47M for the S1R and 24M for the S1)
• World’s first *¹ support for 4K 60p/50p video recording in a full-frame Digital Single Lens Mirrorless camera.
• World’s first *¹ full-frame camera equipped with Dual I.S. (Image Stabilization), enabling handheld shots for dark or distant scenes that would previously have required a tripod or other equipment.
• A double slot for XQD memory cards and SD memory cards, the first for Panasonic
• A rugged triaxial tilt LCD, emphasizing ease of use and supporting professional photography and videography.
• Leica Camera’s L-Mount, making it possible to use interchangeable lenses that meet the L-Mount specifications of the partners Leica Camera and Sigma.

The biggest takeaway is Panasonic is not only in the game, but has a good game plan for keeping it’s customers and potentially attracting more.  The partnership with both Sigma and Leica means more lenses for a camera system that can compete against Sony, Canon and Nikon.

If Panasonic’s autofocus can match that of Canon and Sony in the video department, that will bode well for Panasonic.  If Panasonic can match or beat the image stabilization of the Panasonic GH5, that will be another feather in their cap.

The fact that they have added 2 memory card slots makes them one up Nikon’s Z series of cameras.

All in all it looks to be an outstanding year for mirrorless camera lovers.

Release date for the Panasonic Lumix S1 and S1R is Spring of 2019