Canon Could Lose me to the Panasonic Lumix S1R.

Panasonic has just dropped their new Lumix S1 and S1R cameras at Photokina; and oh my goodness it’s a good one! We’ve gone from having few viable choices for mirrorless full frame cameras to Canon, Nikon and now Panasonic dropping mirrorless full frame bodies on us.

So far, the main difference between the S1 and S1R is that the likely less-expensive S1 will be an all-around shooter balanced between both photo and video capture, while the S1R’s larger 47-MP sensor will be aimed more towards dedicated still photographers.

For me however; a lot of my decision to jump off of Canon and onto this new offering from Panasonic will be the actual size of the body. 

While I have no doubt that Sony a7 and the new Canon EOS R fullframe mirrorless are great cameras, but they both seem to feel very small in my hands. (I didn’t review the Canon EOS R because well they didn’t see fit to include me in any press information or events.)

Key Features of The S1R and S1

1. Newly-developed 35 mm full-frame image sensor and image processing engine (Effective pixels: approximately 47M for the S1R and 24M for the S1)

2. World’s first*1 support for 4K 60p/50p video recording in a full-frame Digital Single Lens Mirrorless camera

3. 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 additional equipment

4. A double slot for XQD memory cards and SD memory cards: a first for Panasonic

5. A rugged triaxial tilt LCD: emphasizing ease of use and supporting professional photography and videography

6. Utilising Leica Camera’s L-Mount, making it possible to use alternative lenses that meet the L-Mount specifications of partners*4 Leica Camera and Sigma, increasing options for alternative lenses

With the jump up from Micro Four Thirds to full frame, Panasonic also announced a partnership with Leica and Sigma (called the L-Mount Alliance) to create interchangeable lenses that work across multiple camera brands and bodies.

Panasonic promises to pump out 10 Lumix S lenses by 2020, including an f/1.4 50mm prime lens, a 24-105mm zoom, and a 70-200mm telephoto zoom.

Of course at this moment we have no information on pricing as of yet.  In what is becoming typical Panasonic fashion, they are announcing cameras long before you can actually purchase one. Both the S1R and the S1 won’t be available till early 2019.

We have no doubt that sticker shock will certainly be something that many photographers will experience once these do come out.