Panasonic Lumix S1R Mark II coming soon

[eatstoomuchjam]

Only 7.1k?  Better just stay home then.  Everybody knows that it's a waste of time to shoot anything less than 7.2k.  😉

[BTM_Pix]

[MrSMW]

I think it will come in a firmware upgrade.

Or from Santa Claus at Christmas if I'm a really good boy for the rest of the year.

I'm sure of it.

[MrSMW]

It's arrived.

First impressions = impressed.

Feels like a very slightly chunkier S5ii and as it is taking over from a Sony A7RV (and a Nikon Zf), that is no bad thing.

When it was first announced, I was disappointed on two counts...

Count 01 = the body, - it was and is not a mini S1H. No top dial for one thing. Boo! 

Count 02 = it didn't have and still doesn't have the 61mp sensor from the A7RV/Leica SL3. Boo. Initially boo anyway.

Count 03 = I am The Count and I like to count ha ha ha. (Bonus Count)

But over time, these two 'issues' have become non-issues for me.

The body first. Yes, I would rather it had the top LCD and was it's own design, but they have addressed my criticisms of the OG S5 and S5ii which were less than great rear LCD and horrible clacky shutter. It does have a sort of mini S1H feel, despite the lack of a top LCD.

Summary, in reality, in the hand, I genuinely like it and everything works exactly or at least very similar to, how I am used to with the S5ii's, but just better.

And the 44mp sensor over the 61mp? Came to the conclusion that 61mp was overkill anyway and was always shooting in 26mp mode so with the new Panny, I will actually be shooting in a higher resolution.

Most importantly of all though, this has been an exercise in both downsizing my overall kit; this year from 5 bodies and 9 lenses to 4 bodies and 7 lenses, and then in 2026 (or poss later this Summer) from 7 down to 6 lenses. And all 4 cameras with the same batteries, menus and very close manual controls.

Setting it up now for stills duty across 5 days from the end of this week and then it will also be on hybrid duty from mid Aug.

Looking forward to pulling some 7.2...1k frame grabs.

[newfoundmass]

It is a very nice camera from my experiences with it, though I've only used it a half dozen times. I actually just texted my buddy who owns it and asked if it had overheated yet, since it's now the hottest time of year here in Vermont, and he said it hasn't and he has had it out in the sun on 90 degree days. He doesn't do super long takes though like I would as an event shooter. 

[zerocool22]

Looks like a great camera, but what prevents me buying it is the colour science. It looks worse then s5ii, and s5ii was already worse then the s5. 

The skintones look horrific magenta with red blotches. Which is the biggest problem with this camera imo. Sure you could fix it with some post work. But why would I buy this camera when there are numerous options out there that dont have this problem. And saves me time each project.

[newfoundmass]

5 hours ago, zerocool22 said:

Looks like a great camera, but what prevents me buying it is the colour science. It looks worse then s5ii, and s5ii was already worse then the s5. 

The skintones look horrific magenta with red blotches. Which is the biggest problem with this camera imo. Sure you could fix it with some post work. But why would I buy this camera when there are numerous options out there that dont have this problem. And saves me time each project.

I've never really felt like the color science was bad, though I do think the S5 had a special image, but even if I did, with real time lut you can pretty much nail it right in camera after making your own lut, negating any issues one might have with color science.

[MrSMW]

10 hours ago, zerocool22 said:

Looks like a great camera, but what prevents me buying it is the colour science. It looks worse then s5ii, and s5ii was already worse then the s5. 

The skintones look horrific magenta with red blotches. Which is the biggest problem with this camera imo. Sure you could fix it with some post work. But why would I buy this camera when there are numerous options out there that dont have this problem. And saves me time each project.

I disagree and you can call me a Lumix fangirl or shill, but having or having had all 3, nah.

The OG S5 did/does have a marginally better image quality than the S5ii as did the S1H and S1R and I think the magic is back with the S1Rii. Based on both my limited so far testing and the results of others who have not just jumped to Lumix or have limited skills in the first place.

There is some outright shit out there as there is for any and every camera because it’s not just the camera, but the lens, the use of the kit, the environment, the editing/processing, the output and presentation and yada yada yada.

The bottom line is if you don’t feel it’s for you and you have a system that works better for you, cool, but this system other than a couple of lens shaped holes is now extremely mature.

IMO, the mojo is back.

S5ii still rocks for longer form content and whilst SOOC it might have an image a fraction behind the older stuff and the newer kit, it takes hardly any effort to tweak it.

As above, credit where credit is due and I was heading towards Nikon or Sony, but Lumix have done enough to have my loyalty and I am now 100% within L Mount.

*Caveat; subject to the next 5 days real world test, ie, paid work that no amount of testing can replicate, but expect no issues as 3 of 4 cameras I have been working with for 1.5 years already and it’s only the S1Rii that is new*