Panasonic Lumix S1 and S1R Full-frame mirrorless cameras first impressions

Name: Panasonic Lumix S1 and S1R Full-frame mirrorless cameras first impressions
Item: Panasonic Lumix S1 and S1R Full-frame mirrorless cameras first impressions
Rating: 3.0
Author: Rohit Arora

Lumix S1 is priced at Rs 1.99 lakh for body only and comes at Rs. 2,67,990 when bundled with a 24-105mm F4 lens.

By Rohit Arora

| Published: Tuesday, April 16, 2019, 17:32 [IST]

Panasonic has heated up the full-frame mirrorless camera competition in India with the launch of Lumix S1 and S1R. Both the cameras are based on the L-Mount standard, an alliance between Leica, Panasonic, and Sigma. The new cameras take on the recently launched Nikon Z6, Nikon Z7, Sony's Alpha series and Canon's full-frame mirrorless cameras in the Indian market.

Panasonic Lumix S1 and S1R Mirror less Cameras First Impressions

Panasonic Lumix S1 features a 24.2-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor that has a native ISO range of 100-51,200. The camera has 5-axis Sensor-Shift system with Dual I.S. 2 support. It records 4K UHD videos at 60fps and the 4K footage captured can be output in slow motion also. Panasonic has also added a high-resolution mode that allows you to capture images in 96-megapixel ultra-high resolution mode. The camera applies pixel shift technology to combine 8 images into one. A good thing, you can capture 96MP shots in RAW and Jpeg both.

Panasonic Lumix S1R

In Lumix S1R, you can touch 187MP resolution which is insane. The camera boasts a big 47.3-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, which highest level of resolution in the full-frame mirrorless cameras. The image and video output from both the cameras is just brilliant. Both the cameras are super fast at locking subjects. The high-speed Auto Focus system is the result of the lens and sensor communicating at a maximum 480 fps. Both the cameras also offer high-speed burst shooting at 9 fps (AFS) or 6 fps (AFC).

Interestingly, both the mirrorless cameras also use artificial intelligence to analyze images. The AI is built right into the Venus engine, the underlying imaging processing that produces stunning colors and contrast for the final image output. The advanced AI can recognize not only the human body but also animals and birds.

Touch screen and 5,760 K-dot RVF

Both the cameras come fitted with the world's highest 5,760 k-dot resolution Real View Finder. The magnification ratio can be switched to 0.7x or 0.74x according to the shooting situation. A triaxial tilt screen is provided with both the mirrorless cameras.

Highly durable- Best suitable for travel, wildlife and street photography

Both the cameras are also tough enough to withstand heavy field use. The main structure is composed of a magnesium alloy full die-cast, both front/rear. You will see robust construction and a sealing for every joint, dial, and button. The cameras are not only splash resistant and dust resistant but also freeze resistant down to -10 degrees Centigrade. The shutter unit is durable for approximately 400,000 cycles. The cameras come with dual- memory card slots and are powered by a 7.4-V 3,050 mAh high-capacity battery unit.

Lens support

As far as lens support is concerned Panasonic has also introduced three new interchangeable lenses especially focusing on professional use. The three new lenses include- LUMIX S PRO 50mm F1.4 (S-X50), LUMIX S PRO 70-200mm F4 O.I.S. (S-R70200) and LUMIX S 24-105mm F4 MACRO O.I.S. (S-R24105).

The L-Mount will allow photographers to ‘mix and match' any of the three manufacturers' APS-C and full-frame cameras with any lens from each other's product portfolios. Together with Leica and Sigma, there will be 42 more lenses available for L mount series over the next 2 years.

Pricing and Availability

Prices of both the cameras are on a higher side and might come as a deal-breaker in a price-conscious market like India. Panasonic Lumix S1 is priced at Rs 1.99 lakh for the body only and comes at Rs. 2,67,990 when bundled with a 24-105mm F4 lens. The Lumix S1R costs Rs 2,99,990 for the body and with the same lens kit, it is priced at Rs 3,67,990. Both the cameras will be available for purchase in the offline market. There's no word on their online availability yet.

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