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Panasonic S1 review: A perfect camera, except for its autofocus system
Panasonic is last to the full-frame mirrorless fight, but it's coming out swinging. In February, it unveiled the S1 and S1R cameras and both of them are tough, beastly models with impressive feature sets. The 24.2-megapixel S1 I'm reviewing here is the more affordable at $2,500, but it's also the most versatile, aimed equally at photographers and videographers. Feature-wise, it lines up closely with Sony's A7 III and the new Nikon Z6. The spec sheet is packed with things like 5-axis in-body stabilization, 10-bit internal 4K recording, a stellar electronic viewfinder and dual card slots. I had concerns about the price and autofocus system, however, so I was very curious to see how it stacked up against its main rivals in a full review. Now, let's find out.
Photokina marks a massive upheaval in the camera landscape
Remember the days when Panasonic was dedicated to Micro Four Thirds cameras and Nikon and Canon wanted you to see their latest DSLRs? That was so last month. Over the last 35 days or so, Nikon launched a pair of mirrorless full-frame cameras, the Z6 and Z7, along with the all-new Z-Mount system. Canon then went and announced its full-frame EOS R mirrorless camera and RF mount. This week at Photokina, Panasonic, Sigma and Leica unveiled the L-Mount alliance and Pansonic announced the Lumix S1R and S1 full-frame mirrorless cameras. Sigma will reveal its own full-frame L-Mount model soon too. There hasn't been this much major camera news in ages, and camera fans -- who tend to be loyal to their preferred brands -- have a lot to digest. You can put much of the credit (or blame, if you hate mirrorless) on Sony's success with its A7 mirrorless full-frame lineup, but it's also clear that these models and alliances have been in the works for a long time. All of this is a good thing for buyers, once you sort out the pluses and minuses of all the new models, so let's take a look, shall we?
