John Matthews

There's a lot of whining about Panasonic not pushing hard enough in raw specs. Yet, many of these critics go silent when firmware updates completely transform the camera's usability. Panasonic focuses on features and tools that don’t generate the same hype as 4K 120fps or internal RAW—but they offer things like false color, shutter angle, and a lower price point. It’s just a different approach.

I think it's clear: if you prefer RS performance over DR and tools, go for the Sony, Canon, or Nikon (and if you don't mind paying significantly more too). I'm sure there will be in-camera workarounds like with the S5ii (shooting in APSC).

I'm betting the S1rii will get significant improvements over the next 2 years. Who knows what the final product will be by then. However, Sony, Canon, and Nikon are practically WYSIWYG. To get more features, you'll need to shell out another 3 grand or so after selling the old one.

S1rii looks like a great upgrade over the original- lots of improvements. I won't be getting it as it's too expensive for me, but I think it's going to sell rather well. Don't really care about rolling shutter as long as it's reasonable. Also, it seems that if the rolling shutter performance were much better (like with a stacked sensor), there would be a cost elsewhere. 

13 minutes ago, ac6000cw said:

At this point in time, I don't really see M43 and FF competing very directly with each other.

You're probably right about that for now. Currently, that highest MP count on an L-mount camera is 61MP. If it gets to 100MP, the pixel density will equal the highest resolution M43 sensor (25MP). This would mean you could double a focal length and still have the same output of a M43 camera, effectively "reducing the size" of the lens.

Also, the lens size argument really only holds true today for longer focal lengths because the shorter ones have been roughly the same size (for pro zooms). Look at the 20-60 f/3.5-5.6 kit zoom- some would say it renders a 10-30mm f/1.7-2.8 in M43. That's not bad for what it weighs and what it costs. In M43 at the wide end, it's the 15mm and 20mm f/1.7 that are hard to beat (for now), but it'll happen soon enough. I doubt FF will ever be able to have a 24 to 600mm covered in under a kg, camera included. With M43, you could get a used E-M10 iii, Panasonic 12-32mm, Olympus 45mm f/1.8, and Olympus 75-300mm- that's not far off from 1kg. FF can't do that in any system.

10 minutes ago, IronFilm said:

Well, the GH7 shooting package will be both lighter, and probably merely half the price. 

Yes, it will. I was talking more in terms of "flagship," whatever that means. I'm really hoping they get the M43 cameras smaller with decent features. I want a small 4k 420 10bit camera with full-sensor readout. It's 2025 and should be possible for them now.

I have to hand it to Sigma for trying new and different designs. This is probably a niche product, but the design seems like the antithesis of Panasonic design. The Sigma BF seems "industrial," more like a solid chunk of metal straight from the machine shop and forgetting that a human is going to touch it. The Panasonic is about the human hand and practical at all cost.

It's great to have L-mount as no other mount has this type of variety of design. We now have classic design (Panasonic), minimalist design (Leica), and ultra-minimalist, "industrial" design (Sigma).

Also, this should bode well for more pancakes which makes me happy.

From the look of it, I'm just happy that the S1rii definitely doesn't sound like a BS update where everyone will be saying "that could have been done with a firmware update." Sure, they don't release very often, but when they do, they make the most of it. Now, give us some pancakes.

Objectively, the S1rii will become the "video camera" over the GH7 in the line-up. It makes me wonder where M43 is going to go after this.

36 minutes ago, MrSMW said:

And for stills over the A7RV that I already have…??

In camera crop markers.

Err, struggling.

It’s not looking like being any kind of upgrade for me and possibly not even a sideways one…but still waiting to see the official announcement. And what Sigma might have cooking…

Well for you, it's all about the shutter sound, right? ;-)

Obviously, a main competitor for this camera is the Sony A7r V (also at roughly the same price). I've been looking through the specs and found advantages for the Sony like: webcam capable, maybe slightly better AF, better lens selection, better card slots, and a little more resolution. If these Panasonic specs are correct, the Panasonic will have a host of things:

• Opengate
• Maybe better IBIS
• Dual ISO sensor (couldn't find anything with the Sony)
• More Pro Codecs
• 32-bit audio with the accessory
• High Resolution photo mode, in-camera AND handheld
• Support for anamorphic
• Fantastic video tools
• Realtime LUTs
• Live View Composite

Already, that would be great! Am I missing something?

Yeah, could be amazing, but would it do video? I have serious doubts. Going from the Merrill series taking quite a long time to output 50 shots on one battery to a camera that can output 61MP shots anywhere in the realm of a modern camera with a Bayer sensor would be a stretch IMO. However, going back to any of the previous Foveon equipped cameras, the output was amazing and I'd love to have one.

2 hours ago, MrSMW said:

I don't know what some folks are doing (or smoking) but I've been shooting with S5II's since they came out and not experiencing all this crazy rolling shutter, moire, open gate long lens talk.

I have at least 20 hours of total finished work on-line from just last year alone shot exclusively on S5II's in 6k open gate and if you can spot any of these issues, you have sharper eyes than I do.

I just have my fingers crossed that the S1-2RXii is slightly more useable than the piece of shit S5ii. Because it's been holding me back and if only...

Same here. If I were to think RS were a problem, I'd simply shoot in crop mode because it keeps up with everything in that mode. RS performance is way over-rated anyway. I've never said to myself "look at that crappy RS"! You only say that kind of thing in reviews and when you A-B test cameras.

I believe he had brain surgery a few years back. I don't remember what exactly the problem was. He's clearly fighting something. There have been others too on YouTube. It reminds me to make more efforts to eat healthily and take care of myself that much more. Life is so fragile. I send my good wishes his way.

I think what we're seeing from the S5Rii might be Panasonic moving to more broadly appealing cameras rather than the more video centric cameras. I don't think there's going to be a S1Hii because it's too niche. This camera could be "the one" though, a super-capable photo and video beast with many of the usability functions many like.

1 hour ago, newfoundmass said:

I might be in the minority but I don't mind the S5 body, though I do like the S1H body the most out of all the Lumix cameras I've used. My only two complaints about it really are the screen (I'd like the S1H screen) and the lack of lock that can turn off certain buttons that I'm accidentally hitting while recording accidentally. 

I also like the S5 and S5ii/x bodies, except for not having a flip up screen. Otherwise they're great. I really just want a smaller, more-efficient flip-up and out GH6 style of screen on the back. It's not a deal-breaker though!

Count on people saying "it doesn't have internal NDs" or "only 44MP".

36 minutes ago, eatstoomuchjam said:

I have the Hexanon... I want to say 57/1.2?  It's pretty great, but I don't use it as often as I should since it doesn't really match a lot of my other lenses.

Yes, I have it too. Those radioactive lenses never match anything, really. It’s a one-and-done lens due to yellowing. Still, it’s really great IMO.

1 hour ago, BTM_Pix said:

Of course, its stretching a point a bit with the T/TL/TL-2 as they have been discontinued but then again so has the CL, which means there is no currently produced APS-C L mount camera.

However, it wouldn't surprise me to see Sigma fill that void.

I'd love to see an fp Mini, an APS-C camera with IBIS and decent AF. That could be interesting, but it would be tough competition with the S9 unless it has a EVF and proper shutter. Now, I'm just dreaming. :-)

FYI: There are 18 total cameras in L-mount- 17 are Full-frame and one APS-C. There are 2 box cameras and one gimbal.

It would be great to see another APS-C from anyone. Even better, I'd like to see where DJI might take the system. I suppose Sigma, Blackmagic, and DJI are just waiting to see what Panasonic and Leica are going to do in the end. The intriguing one is Sigma. I think they've said the fp and fp L were largely failures for them, but don't get the impression they're giving up.

Quick question: Has anyone used Konica lenses? Which one is your favorite? I already have quite a few, but I'm considering others. Namely the 28mm f/1.8 and the 85mm f/1.8. Maybe some other zooms?

I understand that most M43 cameras are about value. The OM-3 is not that. The pricing of the OM-3 says it. It should be cristal clear at this point. They're going after Leica wannabes, something that Olympus had done time and time again back in the days of Maitani Yoshihisa, a well-documented Leica lover. 

33 minutes ago, MrSMW said:

I rarely watch reviews of anything these days unless it is for something I specifically need or want.

There is just too much hype and often complete BS with every new camera launch these days.

Most of it just seems to be talk for the sake of talk, (a bit like some of my posts on this forum…), ie, ‘content for content sake’.

Looks aside, this new OM camera based on specs looks very overpriced to me, especially compared with what else is available.

Other than for folks determined to fit a square peg into a round hole.

I agree it's overpriced, especially when looking at the market as a whole. However, it's one of one in M43 land (minus the PEN F, which is still expensive even used). I guess the Fuji phenomena has now carried over to M43. Over the past 2 years, I've seen used prices only go up at least 50% on the small M43 cameras of yesteryear. IMO, the reason for the pricing is most certainly to squeeze out every last bit of profit and also to protect it from being over-sold like the Fuji's. I think it will go down though, probably to $1799 within 6 months if it doesn't sell out too quickly.

I've been watching quite a few negative "reviews" or just people sharing their thoughts on the OM-3 (because they weren't given one to review). I've never seen so many comments saying basically "yeah, it's expensive and not innovative, but I'll buy it anyway".

1 hour ago, ac6000cw said:

They contained MFT sensors, but never used the full area of it (I owned an LX100 for few years) - see the interactive graphic here: https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonic-lumix-dmc-lx100

It's the same basic idea that the GH2 used (which had an 18.3MP larger-than-MFT sensor, with a maximum of 16MP used).

On the LX100, the highest pixel count aspect-ratio was 4:3 giving 12.7MP out of 16MP:

 

Yes, that's right. The GH2 and LX100 sensors were worlds apart, possibly having completely different suppliers too. The GH2 had 16MP in 3:4, 2:3, and 16:9 ratios, but not the 1:1 oddly.

18 hours ago, Marcio Kabke Pinheiro said:

I understand the decision to just go FF, but if Panasonic make a APS-C GX9 with the 26mp sensor that Fuji and Sony uses, with a good EVF, IBIS and LUTs system, I would jump from Fuji in the next day.

It won't happen because it wouldn't have functional IBIS, a feature that everyone knows panasonic for, unless you're talking about a M43 crop on a S35 sensor. I don't see the point. They just want you to buy a S5 or S9.

3 hours ago, ac6000cw said:

The LX100 & LX100 ii also had it for stills (different aspect ratio crops out of 16MP & 20MP m4/3 sensors, but none gave you the full sensor area).

The LX100/ii series had the standard 16MP and 20MP sensors respectively, but they included "cropping" features. The GH2 and the GH5S were the only ones that had the larger sensors with 1.86x crop (I believe). I don't believe the GH5S had crop modes like the GH2 though. Both cameras didn't have IBIS.

7 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

You keep banging on about "innovation" without mentioning the elephant in the room which I've pointed out time and again, that OM System have innovated jack shit and all they have done is cut & paste from Olympus.

 

Reread my post:

On 2/10/2025 at 2:18 PM, John Matthews said:

I have a feeling the OM-3 will be a desirable camera for years to come, with its lack of innovation and all.

7 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

You say it looks great, aesthetically pleasing and all that, well this is subjective but I think it looks cheap for a $2000 camera and certainly worse than the E-M5 III.

That's subjective. Watch the NarrowBand channel. He actually has it and compared it.

8 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

The size difference between the OM-1 and OM-3 is not equivalent to the GH4 v GM1, the OM-3 is wider at 140mm wide and 500g vs 590g for the OM-1 and 135mm, so a GM1 it ain't.

Again, that was not my point. My point was that they have different use-cases.

So many people were wrong about OM System when Olympus was sold to them. It must be hard to admit. There have been several releases; some were engineered by Olympus, for sure. However, this camera is not as it was engineered by OM System. No, it didn't turn into a cheap Chinese company making e-waste. No, it didn't fail 100% of the time like some would like to believe.

Olympus Imaging is dead. Why? Scandals, bloat, and marketing probably. OM System got rid of some that. I'd say that's successful. Also, their products are unique, even today, with quite a following. Other manufacturers somehow cannot offer the same features. That's not bad and much better than I would have expected.

Here's a great walk though of build on the OM-3: