LumixS1R
Latest
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?
Panasonic's full-frame mirrorless S1R is loaded with potential
Yesterday, Panasonic made a big splash by announcing the L-Mount alliance with Leica and Sigma, and unveiling its first full-frame mirrorless cameras, the Lumix S1 and S1R. The 24- and 47-megapixel cameras, respectively, are still prototypes and the specs aren't final, but they look promising. Both have built-in image stabilization, a large, high-resolution EVF, triaxial tilt LCD for both selfie photographers and vloggers, the highest flash sync speeds on the market, and double slots for SD and XQD cards. We were able to get our hands on the S1R, and although the camera was non-operational, the design and layout are nearly final. As such, I was able to check out the handling of the camera and compare it to Panasonic's flagship GH5. So far, in terms of dials and buttons, I prefer it to what Canon and Nikon have done. Where Canon tried some bold layout changes on the EOS R, Panasonic has stuck to a more traditional and more tactile layout.
