Panasonic S1R Review Conclusion: Panasonic impresses with its first full-frame mirrorless camera
posted Friday, March 27, 2020 at 2:53 PM EST
Click here to read our Panasonic S1R Review Conclusion
In recent years, it seems many of the camera makers have been going full-steam into the full-frame mirrorless world. Sony jump-started this revolution years ago, forcing many of its rivals to take note and rev-up their design and engineering teams to bring out their own full-frame mirrorless cameras. One of the most recent to enter the fray is Panasonic. A major force in the Micro Four Thirds market, Panasonic isn't starting from scratch when it comes to mirrorless cameras. As such, their first of now three full-frame mirrorless cameras in their Lumix S series, the Pansonic S1R, hits the ground running with impressive features and image quality performance right out of the gate.
Sporting an all-new Panasonic-designed 47.3-megapixel full-frame sensor, it's clear the "R" in the model name stands for "resolution." The S1R is all about image quality. In standard shooting, the 47MP sensor captures excellent images across a wide range of ISOs, and if you -- for some reason -- need even more resolution, there's a whopping 187MP High-Res Shot mode thanks to the fast processor and in-body image stabilization.
On the performance side of things, the S1R is generally a fast and responsive camera. Like Panasonic's Micro Four Thirds cameras, the autofocus system here is still a contrast-detection AF system combined with Depth from Defocus technology. In the field, single-shot AF proved to be very fast in both good and dim lighting. The CDAF-based focusing systems does, however, struggle somewhat with fast-moving subjects. And with a dip from 9fps burst shooting to just 6fps with C-AF enabled, it's clear the S1R isn't the best choice if you shoot a lot of sports, fast action to quick-moving wildlife subjects. For most everything else, however, the Panasonic S1R is a stellar choice.
For all the details, including an in-depth field test, sample images, gallery shots and our final verdict, check out our just-wrapped Panasonic S1R Review!