Arriving over five years after the original Panasonic S1R, the sequel act, the Panasonic S1R II, has finally arrived, and nearly everything about the camera has changed, including its imaging pipeline, body design, and performance.
The Lumix S1R II Features a New 44.3MP BSI CMOS Sensor: Promising Panasonic’s ‘Best’ Image Quality Yet
The Lumix S1R II features a newly developed 44.3-megapixel BSI CMOS image sensor and high-performance L2 image processing engine, which promises improved still image and video performance. Although the original S1R had more megapixels — 47 — the new sensor is significantly faster, promises up to a stop better noise performance, and improved color rendering. Panasonic says that the S1R II delivers the “best photos” of any Lumix camera to date. As expected, the S1R II supports Real-Time LUTs and works alongside Panasonic’s popular Lumix Lab app. There is also a new video workflow Lumix Flow app, which PetaPixel will cover in detail in a future article.
Photographers seeking additional resolution can use the camera’s high-resolution mode to capture up to 177-megapixel images, including in handheld mode. The images are processed entirely in-camera, so photographers do not need to rely on external software to create high-resolution images.
Panasonic S1R II Has AI-Powered Phaase-Detect Autofocus and Shoots at 40 Frames per Second
The Panasonic S1R II, following the lead of other recent Panasonic cameras, features Phase Hybrid AF, which now features artificial intelligence-powered subject detection and tracking. The hybrid autofocus system has 779 phase-detect AF points, evolved tracking and recognition, and, per Panasonic, is substantially faster and more reliable than the original S1R.
Thanks to the more powerful processor and faster sensor, the S1R II can capture full-resolution images at up to 40 frames per second with continuous autofocus. The new SH pre-burst mode, up to 1.5 seconds, starts capturing images before the shutter is fully pressed, ensuring photographers never miss the key moment. This 40 fps mode uses the camera’s electronic shutter and is blackout-free, while the S1R II’s mechanical shutter tops out at a competitive 10 fps.
Lots of (Stabilized) Lenses
The Lumix S1R II is not only fast and high-resolution, it promises very impressive stability. The in-body image stabilization delivers up to eight stops of shutter speed compensation with shorter lenses and seven stops when using Dual I.S. 2 compatible telephoto lenses.
Speaking of lenses, while not directly related to the S1R II, it is worth noting how much the L-Mount System has evolved since the original S1R landed in 2019. Given the L-Mount Alliance, Panasonic treats all L-Mount lenses as “first-party,” meaning that photographers don’t give up anything when using non-Panasonic L-Mount lenses, including those from Sigma and Leica. There are over 80 lenses in the L-Mount Alliance now, with more arriving all the time, which is highly competitive with other full-frame mirrorless camera systems.
The S1R II Delivers 8K Video, Open Gate Recording, and ProRes RAW
While the original S1R is clearly aimed at photographers, the S1R II is built to satisfy demanding hybrid shooters. To that end, the S1R II is the first Lumix camera to record 8K video with 14 stops of dynamic range. The camera’s Open Gate recording allows shooting in 6.4K, although a future firmware update will increase the resolution options to 7.2K and 8.1K. Another first for the Lumix S series is internal Apple ProRes RAW HQ/ProRes RAW 5.8K recording to a CFexpress Type B card.
Panasonic S1R II Is Slimmer, Lighter, and More Versatile
Speaking of memory cards, the S1R II has dual card slots. One supports CFexpress Type B cards, while the other supports UHS-II SD memory cards. As is always the case with CFexpress-equipped cameras, users should equip their cameras with a CFexpress card to achieve the best photo and video performance. The camera also supports external recording to an SSD, a typical video workflow.
The original Panasonic S1R was a beefy camera, among the biggest full-frame mirrorless cameras on the market. Panasonic has shaved quite a bit of volume and weight off the new S1R II, bringing it much more in line with Panasonic’s S5II(X) cameras.
The original S1R’s dimensions, width by height by depth, are approximately 149 by 110 by 97 millimeters (5.9 by 4.3 by 3.8) inches, and the camera weighs 1,020 grams (2.2 pounds) with a battery and memory card. The S1R II, by contrast, is 134 by 102 by 92 millimeters (5.3 by 4 by 3.6 inches), and it weighs about 795 grams (1.75 pounds). That is a significantly shrunk and lighter body, although the S1R II is still slightly larger than the S5II.
As for displays, the S1R II has a 5.76-million dot OLED EVF (approximately 0.78x magnification) and a 3.0-inch vari-angle display with approximately 1.84 million dots. This is the same EVF as the original S1R, but the rear display is slightly smaller (0.2 inches) and has fewer dots. However, it also has a much more free-moving hinge and is significantly more flexible during use, so it’s mostly good news on that front.
The Panasonic S1R II is natively compatible with Capture One and Frame.io. It works with Lumix Lab and a new Lumix Flow video workflow application.
Panasonic Lumix S1R II Pricing and Availability
The Panasonic Lumix S1R II will be available in late March for $3,299.99.
A new accompanying DMW-BG2 battery grip, designed to match the feel and control layout of the redesigned S1R II, will arrive simultaneously.
Image credits: Panasonic
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