BTM_Pix

I did a post about it a while back on the OG Pocket where it’s kind of accidentally par focal at f5.6 but maybe on a native Panasonic body it might be properly corrected ?
I did a video of it on the P4K to illustrate the functionality of the BM controller app that I wrote and it was so so with that as you can see when it shows the servo zoom function .
If you’re looking for a cheap 12-32 then the Panasonic f3.5-5.6 kit lens one is limited functionality wise (no manual focus or aperture) but has OS and is absolutely tiny.
I did some stuff (again with the OG Pocket) here. And it also has a companion lens in the same vein in the 35-100mm f4-5.6 to make a tiny two lens kit with a great range.
 

I feel for them a little bit.
Full-frame mirrorless camera with a 24.1MP partially stacked CMOS sensor Powered by a Venus Engine for fast processing, refined colour and low noise Over 15 stops of dynamic range with Dual Native ISO support 1.6x faster Phase Hybrid AF system with 779 focus points and AI tracking Records uncropped 5.1K open gate video at up to 60p and 6K at 30p Supports 5.9K 60p and 5.8K Apple ProRes internal recording via CFexpress C4K and 4K video recording up to 120p in 10-bit for high frame rate capture 10-bit HEIF captures rich tonal detail, smaller file sizes and HDR-ready stills Real-time LUT preview and false colour for on-set monitoring Features 8-stop in-body image stabilisation without crop 32-bit float audio recording achieved via optional XLR adapter Dual card slots with CFexpress Type B and SD UHS-II support Supports direct USB-SSD recording for high bitrate capture and fast offloading Compatible with UltraSync BLUE for wireless Bluetooth timecode sync Blackout-free electronic burst shooting up to 70fps for fast action capture Tilt and vari-angle 3.0-inch LCD with 1.84M-dot resolution 5.76M-dot OLED EVF with 100% frame coverage and high refresh rate Dust and splash-resistant body, weighing only 800g Includes a 3-month Capture One licence in the box After producing something with that spec, they're entitled to be a bit like..

By the same token, we are probably entitled to say "we might have been a couple of years ago and if it was cheaper".
I've said it before but the S5ii continues to be Panasonic's problem child in that it raised expectation for the 2nd generation of cameras and at a price that was pretty surprising.
That camera got the upgraders from Panasonic's MFT cameras (myself included) and this new one is asking the question "2x the price, 2x the camera?" for both the holdouts of to the MFT system and those who already moved up to the S5ii and are looking to go up again.
I think it probably is 2x the camera for some people but I can't see anyone who isn't in the L mount prison (and that is what L mount is) walking into a shop and paying 50% more for it over the Z6iii let alone paying the 10% more than a lightly used Z8.
Hard reality is that they are not Nikon, Canon or even Sony and they're going to struggle with flagship cameras.
Annoyingly for them, they can create the cameras that will attract a premium price technology wise and produce a fine image as they've been doing it for years with Leica branded versions but, again, when it comes to the other type of image they aren't Leica.
They have the opportunity to do a FujiFilm and offer an alternative but they've left them to it to pursue two companies that absolutely out heritage them and another company that  they are at the mercy of when it comes to sensors.
This will all end with someone at corporate HQ dispassionately looking at the Lumix division and striking a red pen through it.
Exactly like what happened to Samsung.
Cameras that I think they could look at doing to offer some difference would be :
New GX80 with the bulk of the GH7 inside or at the very least the GH5 and then not charge a stupid amount of money for it  as it should be possible for sub £1000.
A Super35 bridge camera with a 7x or even 5x zoom, no compromise video internals, ND and then not charge a stupid amount of money for it  as it should be possible for sub £2000.  Essentially a grown up version of the FZ2000.
I'd buy either of those and I don't think I'd be alone.
Currently, Lumix are like the smart, quirky indie girl that you fell in love with and now ten years later she's got hair extensions, fake tits, a trout pout and two ton of fillers because she wants to be a Kardashian.
 
 
 
 

You might want to have a look at the Xreal range 
https://www.xreal.com

I've now got a vision of the prostitute reaching for the marketing team's trousers and whispering "Lets Get Undone".
Thanks for that.

Yeah the spec is the least of the problems, and props to the crafty engineers in Japan for the wide ranging feature set.
The problem is it's equivalent in spec to the Nikon Z6 III, but that came out 1 year ago and costs £1999 new now, in the UK.
That extra £1000 for the Panasonic, the average bloke is going to question what for.
Sony a7s III also very close in spec, but that came out nearly 5 years ago (and itself was a bit late, a big gap from the a7s II)... At least the S1 II is 6K, and 24 megapixel... as 12mp seems very long in the tooth now.
The EOS R5 is also around £1999 now... at least used in good nick... That we know had a trouble start to life. But the spec still holds up today and for £1000 less than the S1 II you're getting 8K RAW, 45 megapixel, Canon colour and so on...
2022 was the time to launch this... Getting it out before the same sensor comes along in a cheaper Nikon, would have been a half decent plan.
I think the S1 II is aimed at existing Panasonic pro customers.
It's almost if they have given up trying to appeal to the rest who are locked into a non-L lens mount.
Also interesting is that the S1 II didn't form the basis for the SL3-S, and Panasonic didn't give Leica the fundamentals and sensor from the S1R II. A big change in strategy, that.
Lightly used Z8 is now £500 less than the S1 II new, and you can slap E-mount lenses on it.
The other problem I have with it, is that I really wish they'd add a bit of Fuji-style flare to proceedings, I am so bored of all cameras looking and feeling the same. And in terms of ergonomics the S5 II body was always going to be a cheaper feeling a7 IV. The buttons are not as well laid out, the jog wheel is spongy and the finish of the magnesium alloy chassis makes it look and feel shiny and cheaper than it actually is. Where's my Fuji looks like this...

Yeah this is what I fear too...
Which is why I'm so harsh on them.
They need to be doing a lot better than they are, strategically, creatively and everything... And this of course, is a different angle to take on the S1 II than most people who buy it will take... They just want to shoot with it and explore the new features, and fair play to 'em.
Honestly the GX80 and GX9 are mega popular on eBay with the instagram crowd, they definitely all these years later are proving to be what people want in terms of a small body design.
The LX100 also, has seen hefty used price inflation.

You really have embraced the French culture.

You really have embraced the French culture.

I feel for them a little bit.
Full-frame mirrorless camera with a 24.1MP partially stacked CMOS sensor Powered by a Venus Engine for fast processing, refined colour and low noise Over 15 stops of dynamic range with Dual Native ISO support 1.6x faster Phase Hybrid AF system with 779 focus points and AI tracking Records uncropped 5.1K open gate video at up to 60p and 6K at 30p Supports 5.9K 60p and 5.8K Apple ProRes internal recording via CFexpress C4K and 4K video recording up to 120p in 10-bit for high frame rate capture 10-bit HEIF captures rich tonal detail, smaller file sizes and HDR-ready stills Real-time LUT preview and false colour for on-set monitoring Features 8-stop in-body image stabilisation without crop 32-bit float audio recording achieved via optional XLR adapter Dual card slots with CFexpress Type B and SD UHS-II support Supports direct USB-SSD recording for high bitrate capture and fast offloading Compatible with UltraSync BLUE for wireless Bluetooth timecode sync Blackout-free electronic burst shooting up to 70fps for fast action capture Tilt and vari-angle 3.0-inch LCD with 1.84M-dot resolution 5.76M-dot OLED EVF with 100% frame coverage and high refresh rate Dust and splash-resistant body, weighing only 800g Includes a 3-month Capture One licence in the box After producing something with that spec, they're entitled to be a bit like..

By the same token, we are probably entitled to say "we might have been a couple of years ago and if it was cheaper".
I've said it before but the S5ii continues to be Panasonic's problem child in that it raised expectation for the 2nd generation of cameras and at a price that was pretty surprising.
That camera got the upgraders from Panasonic's MFT cameras (myself included) and this new one is asking the question "2x the price, 2x the camera?" for both the holdouts of to the MFT system and those who already moved up to the S5ii and are looking to go up again.
I think it probably is 2x the camera for some people but I can't see anyone who isn't in the L mount prison (and that is what L mount is) walking into a shop and paying 50% more for it over the Z6iii let alone paying the 10% more than a lightly used Z8.
Hard reality is that they are not Nikon, Canon or even Sony and they're going to struggle with flagship cameras.
Annoyingly for them, they can create the cameras that will attract a premium price technology wise and produce a fine image as they've been doing it for years with Leica branded versions but, again, when it comes to the other type of image they aren't Leica.
They have the opportunity to do a FujiFilm and offer an alternative but they've left them to it to pursue two companies that absolutely out heritage them and another company that  they are at the mercy of when it comes to sensors.
This will all end with someone at corporate HQ dispassionately looking at the Lumix division and striking a red pen through it.
Exactly like what happened to Samsung.
Cameras that I think they could look at doing to offer some difference would be :
New GX80 with the bulk of the GH7 inside or at the very least the GH5 and then not charge a stupid amount of money for it  as it should be possible for sub £1000.
A Super35 bridge camera with a 7x or even 5x zoom, no compromise video internals, ND and then not charge a stupid amount of money for it  as it should be possible for sub £2000.  Essentially a grown up version of the FZ2000.
I'd buy either of those and I don't think I'd be alone.
Currently, Lumix are like the smart, quirky indie girl that you fell in love with and now ten years later she's got hair extensions, fake tits, a trout pout and two ton of fillers because she wants to be a Kardashian.
 
 
 
 

Even with 'Arry Log you have to be careful exposing it.

 

'Arry Log would definitely be played by Alan Ford.

I didn't and would not pay for any of that so will now be having an affair with my secretary.

I feel for them a little bit.
Full-frame mirrorless camera with a 24.1MP partially stacked CMOS sensor Powered by a Venus Engine for fast processing, refined colour and low noise Over 15 stops of dynamic range with Dual Native ISO support 1.6x faster Phase Hybrid AF system with 779 focus points and AI tracking Records uncropped 5.1K open gate video at up to 60p and 6K at 30p Supports 5.9K 60p and 5.8K Apple ProRes internal recording via CFexpress C4K and 4K video recording up to 120p in 10-bit for high frame rate capture 10-bit HEIF captures rich tonal detail, smaller file sizes and HDR-ready stills Real-time LUT preview and false colour for on-set monitoring Features 8-stop in-body image stabilisation without crop 32-bit float audio recording achieved via optional XLR adapter Dual card slots with CFexpress Type B and SD UHS-II support Supports direct USB-SSD recording for high bitrate capture and fast offloading Compatible with UltraSync BLUE for wireless Bluetooth timecode sync Blackout-free electronic burst shooting up to 70fps for fast action capture Tilt and vari-angle 3.0-inch LCD with 1.84M-dot resolution 5.76M-dot OLED EVF with 100% frame coverage and high refresh rate Dust and splash-resistant body, weighing only 800g Includes a 3-month Capture One licence in the box After producing something with that spec, they're entitled to be a bit like..

By the same token, we are probably entitled to say "we might have been a couple of years ago and if it was cheaper".
I've said it before but the S5ii continues to be Panasonic's problem child in that it raised expectation for the 2nd generation of cameras and at a price that was pretty surprising.
That camera got the upgraders from Panasonic's MFT cameras (myself included) and this new one is asking the question "2x the price, 2x the camera?" for both the holdouts of to the MFT system and those who already moved up to the S5ii and are looking to go up again.
I think it probably is 2x the camera for some people but I can't see anyone who isn't in the L mount prison (and that is what L mount is) walking into a shop and paying 50% more for it over the Z6iii let alone paying the 10% more than a lightly used Z8.
Hard reality is that they are not Nikon, Canon or even Sony and they're going to struggle with flagship cameras.
Annoyingly for them, they can create the cameras that will attract a premium price technology wise and produce a fine image as they've been doing it for years with Leica branded versions but, again, when it comes to the other type of image they aren't Leica.
They have the opportunity to do a FujiFilm and offer an alternative but they've left them to it to pursue two companies that absolutely out heritage them and another company that  they are at the mercy of when it comes to sensors.
This will all end with someone at corporate HQ dispassionately looking at the Lumix division and striking a red pen through it.
Exactly like what happened to Samsung.
Cameras that I think they could look at doing to offer some difference would be :
New GX80 with the bulk of the GH7 inside or at the very least the GH5 and then not charge a stupid amount of money for it  as it should be possible for sub £1000.
A Super35 bridge camera with a 7x or even 5x zoom, no compromise video internals, ND and then not charge a stupid amount of money for it  as it should be possible for sub £2000.  Essentially a grown up version of the FZ2000.
I'd buy either of those and I don't think I'd be alone.
Currently, Lumix are like the smart, quirky indie girl that you fell in love with and now ten years later she's got hair extensions, fake tits, a trout pout and two ton of fillers because she wants to be a Kardashian.
 
 
 
 

I feel for them a little bit.
Full-frame mirrorless camera with a 24.1MP partially stacked CMOS sensor Powered by a Venus Engine for fast processing, refined colour and low noise Over 15 stops of dynamic range with Dual Native ISO support 1.6x faster Phase Hybrid AF system with 779 focus points and AI tracking Records uncropped 5.1K open gate video at up to 60p and 6K at 30p Supports 5.9K 60p and 5.8K Apple ProRes internal recording via CFexpress C4K and 4K video recording up to 120p in 10-bit for high frame rate capture 10-bit HEIF captures rich tonal detail, smaller file sizes and HDR-ready stills Real-time LUT preview and false colour for on-set monitoring Features 8-stop in-body image stabilisation without crop 32-bit float audio recording achieved via optional XLR adapter Dual card slots with CFexpress Type B and SD UHS-II support Supports direct USB-SSD recording for high bitrate capture and fast offloading Compatible with UltraSync BLUE for wireless Bluetooth timecode sync Blackout-free electronic burst shooting up to 70fps for fast action capture Tilt and vari-angle 3.0-inch LCD with 1.84M-dot resolution 5.76M-dot OLED EVF with 100% frame coverage and high refresh rate Dust and splash-resistant body, weighing only 800g Includes a 3-month Capture One licence in the box After producing something with that spec, they're entitled to be a bit like..

By the same token, we are probably entitled to say "we might have been a couple of years ago and if it was cheaper".
I've said it before but the S5ii continues to be Panasonic's problem child in that it raised expectation for the 2nd generation of cameras and at a price that was pretty surprising.
That camera got the upgraders from Panasonic's MFT cameras (myself included) and this new one is asking the question "2x the price, 2x the camera?" for both the holdouts of to the MFT system and those who already moved up to the S5ii and are looking to go up again.
I think it probably is 2x the camera for some people but I can't see anyone who isn't in the L mount prison (and that is what L mount is) walking into a shop and paying 50% more for it over the Z6iii let alone paying the 10% more than a lightly used Z8.
Hard reality is that they are not Nikon, Canon or even Sony and they're going to struggle with flagship cameras.
Annoyingly for them, they can create the cameras that will attract a premium price technology wise and produce a fine image as they've been doing it for years with Leica branded versions but, again, when it comes to the other type of image they aren't Leica.
They have the opportunity to do a FujiFilm and offer an alternative but they've left them to it to pursue two companies that absolutely out heritage them and another company that  they are at the mercy of when it comes to sensors.
This will all end with someone at corporate HQ dispassionately looking at the Lumix division and striking a red pen through it.
Exactly like what happened to Samsung.
Cameras that I think they could look at doing to offer some difference would be :
New GX80 with the bulk of the GH7 inside or at the very least the GH5 and then not charge a stupid amount of money for it  as it should be possible for sub £1000.
A Super35 bridge camera with a 7x or even 5x zoom, no compromise video internals, ND and then not charge a stupid amount of money for it  as it should be possible for sub £2000.  Essentially a grown up version of the FZ2000.
I'd buy either of those and I don't think I'd be alone.
Currently, Lumix are like the smart, quirky indie girl that you fell in love with and now ten years later she's got hair extensions, fake tits, a trout pout and two ton of fillers because she wants to be a Kardashian.
 
 
 
 

I've now got a vision of the prostitute reaching for the marketing team's trousers and whispering "Lets Get Undone".
Thanks for that.

I've now got a vision of the prostitute reaching for the marketing team's trousers and whispering "Lets Get Undone".
Thanks for that.

Here’s a little tip for anyone being gaslit into believing they are friends with a corporation.
Friends don’t have to threaten friends with a €35K fine for releasing their free marketing material a few minutes early.
Friends don’t even have to ask.
 

It is a friendship, just a very transactional one. Only in this case the prostitute is not waiting patiently in Knightsbridge at a fancy bar.
It's me.

Here’s a little tip for anyone being gaslit into believing they are friends with a corporation.
Friends don’t have to threaten friends with a €35K fine for releasing their free marketing material a few minutes early.
Friends don’t even have to ask.
 

The 51st state of American YouTube

Maybe they went with that old fashioned notion of believing that the actual President of the United States wouldn't say that Canada is the 51st state unless it had any basis in reality whatsoever.
Schoolboy error that one.
 

Maybe they went with that old fashioned notion of believing that the actual President of the United States wouldn't say that Canada is the 51st state unless it had any basis in reality whatsoever.
Schoolboy error that one.
 

And, as Sham 69 once said... 'urry up 'arry.

Just some thoughts on the current situation.
https://www.eoshd.com/news/the-panasonic-s1-ii-pricing-is-wrong-so-is-the-entire-product-strategy/
TLDR:
You can't charge £3000+ for a 24 megapixel camera in 2025 without a flagship sensor anywhere to be seen.
Plus, they have made us wait 7 years for it.
Autofocus performance only 5th, behind Sony, Nikon, Canon, OM System.
There's still no rangefinder-style L-mount camera from Panasonic to replace the Micro Four Thirds stuff, GX80, GX9, and so on. (S9 doesn't count as it doesn't have an EVF or a proper shutter in it).
Engineering doing a great job, product planning, marketing and ergonomic design is the problem. And to add to that, sensor procurement and the too-low R&D budget since 2020.
Competition have better sensors, and lower prices, and more lenses, and more popular branding, and more popular lens mounts. Not good.
Conclusion is that Panasonic's sales may fold.

Out of interest, here is a "6x the price, 6x better?" comparison of the two lenses.
I have the cheaper one and it is indeed a great little lens.
 

Does this mean that those specialist art films his wife made back in the old country will now have a 100% tariff ?