Panasonic Lumix S1RII Review: A Full-Frame Flagship That Can Flip, Fold And Twist

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

The Panasonic Lumix S1RII might just be the camera which brings the L-mount system to a wider audience. While numerous excellent cameras and an enormous number of lenses have been launched for this shared lens mount, all have fallen just shy of the mark for mainstream adoption beyond niche audiences. Panasonic's newest version of the S1R is a major step up from the original model, and it brings to the L-mount system a camera which, at least on paper, can go toe-to-toe with flagship cameras from the likes of Nikon, Canon, and Sony.

If this camera lives up to the hype, it could be a really exciting option for anyone in the market for a new full frame camera who wants to save some money without serious compromises. With a high resolution sensor and features which will appeal both to professional photographers and serious videographers, the S1RII seems like it might be the ideal camera for a wide range of creators. Panasonic provided the Lumix S1RII for this review.

The 44.5 megapixel sensor in the S1RII provides plenty of resolution, and is within what I personally consider to be the goldilocks zone where you have tons of versatility for cropping and refinement in post processing, but don't deal with the downsides of huge files and slower shooting speeds that are often a symptom of super high resolution cameras. Outside of pure resolution, color reproduction and overall image quality are excellent.

Andy Zahn/SlashGear

Andy Zahn/SlashGear

Andy Zahn/SlashGear

Autofocus is also exceptionally good in the S1RII, with subject detection that I found to be quick and fairly sticky. It's good enough that, while using it, I didn't miss the AF in my Nikon Z8. Similarly, the in-body image stabilization (IBIS) is highly effective for both photo and video shooting, and the S1RII can do 4K 120fps and 8K at 30fps. It's also capable of filming in a wide range of advanced file formats, including Apple ProRes RAW.

Andy Zahn/SlashGear

Andy Zahn/SlashGear

Andy Zahn/SlashGear

For burst shooting, the S1RII can shoot at up to 40fps using the electronic shutter, or up to 10fps using the mechanical shutter. You also get up to 1.5 seconds of pre-capture shooting capability, which is an almost indispensable tool for wildlife photographers.

The solid, durable design of the S1RII immediately stood out to me upon first inspection, and it's very clear that this is built to the standard you'd expect from a pro-level camera. It's water and dust resistant, and the body really seems like it could take a beating.

Controls seem similarly tough, and are very tactile, but in terms of durability what really impressed me the most was the grip and port cover materials, which are always something I look for first when determining whether a camera will stand the test of time. For example, with Nikon cameras I've always had troubles with the port and grip materials degrading severely over time, but I feel much more confident in what I see used by Panasonic for these parts. It's a very durable feeling rubber material, and the port covers have nicely hinged doors. It's hard to say for certain how they'll wear over time, but I'm optimistic.

The grip is also designed so that it's easy to maintain a firm, reliable hold on the camera, and for small to medium sized hands it should be very comfortable. However, I have very large hands, and I encountered the usual problem I face with many cameras of my pinky slipping off the grip. Also, I felt my hands becoming cramped after a long period of use. For the majority of people, this will probably not be your experience, but if your hands are similar to my ungainly catcher's mitts, it might be something to consider. The S1RII features both CFExpress type-b and SD card slots.

The Lumix S1RII has the best and most innovative display I've yet encountered on a camera, and it may finally be what brings an end to the age-old debate of tilting vs fully articulated displays. That's because this radical display does both. It can flip out to the side, twist around to face forward, and be folded screen-side-in to protect the display just like any other fully articulating display. However, it can also be operated by a tilting display, the articulation locked in place. What's more, it does all this while also featuring seemingly the toughest mechanism I've ever seen on either a fully articulating or tilting display. It really is the best of both worlds. Both the touchscreen display and the viewfinder are crisp and bright.

Andy Zahn/SlashGear

The control layout is also highly innovative, with all the buttons, dials, and switches layed out in a way that just makes sense to me, even as someone who has never owned a Panasonic camera. Everything's in easy reach of my fingers, and it's quick and easy to jump between settings and modes on the fly. As a hybrid shooter who does as much filmmaking as photography, I also very much appreciated the second start/stop button for video recording, located on the lower left front side of the camera. It's much easier to reach than the more traditional top-control panel button, though I did record a couple of accidental videos before getting used to its placement.

In terms of battery life, the S1RII is rated for up to 350 photos on a charge. In real world use, I never felt limited by battery life with this camera, at least no more so than with my Nikon Z8.

Like with practically all modern cameras, the Lumix S1RII features Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capability, and can wirelessly connect to an app on your smartphone or tablet. Unlike most other camera systems I've tested, the companion app to the S1RII actually offers an experience which is actually somewhat user friendly. In fact, the LUMIX Lab app offers genuinely great functionality beyond firmware upgrades and transferring content from your camera to your phone.

LUMIX Lab features extensive editing options for both photos and videos, to an extent that many creators might not need to pay for apps like Adobe Lightroom Mobile. What's more, it offers a remarkably deep LUT system in which you can create your own image presets and apply them to images, sync them with the camera to use in real time as you're taking pictures, and even share them with the community. There's already a large library of user-made LUTs available, so it's easy to find a look you like. It's quick to download LUTs and to sync them with the camera.

The layout and operation of LUMIX Lab is slick and modern, lacking much of the hassle typically associated with companion apps for cameras. There's also the videography focused LUMIX Flow app, which includes some more advanced features such as storyboarding, and it's designed to enable you to script, shoot, and edit videos with the S1RII entirely using your smartphone.

What really makes the Lumix S1RII special is its lens mount. As Panasonic is a member of the L mount alliance, the S1RII is equipped with an L-mount, and this widely shared standardized lens mount opens up a vast range of native glass from various manufacturers. For example, I had the new Sigma Contemporary 50mm f2 DG lens on hand to test at the same time as the S1RII, and since it was an L-mount lens I was able to use it on the S1RII. Sigma and other L-mount alliance lens makers offer professional grade lenses at a fraction of what you'd pay from Canon or Nikon, and offer niche options which you just can't get elsewhere, such as Sigma's 15mm f/1.4 fisheye lens.

Andy Zahn/SlashGear

Regarding the 20-60mm f3.5-f5.6 lens which Panasonic included with the S1RII to test, It delivers overall decent optical quality and very broad field of view at the wide end, while also being nice and compact, but it's not a lens I'd personally choose to pair with the S1RII. At close focusing distances, image quality becomes rather soft, while the design has a cheap feel to it. It's also hard to get much bokeh or subject separation thanks to the relatively dark variable aperture. It's not a bad lens, but it just feels like a lens which belongs on an entry level camera, and not a pro-level body like the S1RII.

If you're looking for a great general purpose lens to pick up with the S1RII, I would suggest opting for the Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm f/4 Macro O.I.S. Lens instead. It's $997 on Amazon, and is a much more versatile focal length and has a constant aperture.

Being able to buy native glass from many different companies really helps to make the Lumix S1RII an appealing proposition from a value perspective. Some of those companies charge significantly less than other brand's comparable products, and competition between them helps keep prices low. It's much more consumer friendly than camera manufacturers with proprietary lens mounts.

On top of that, the Lumix S1RII is surprisingly low priced itself at just $3299. That puts it about $400 less than what you can find a Nikon Z8 at time of writing, and $700 less than the Canon R5 Mark II. The gap is even larger if you compare the S1RII to the original MSRP of those cameras, and combined with the relatively affordable price of many lenses for the system, the S1RII offers an extremely attractive proposition in terms of value for money. In comparison to other L-mount cameras, the Leica SL3 is probably the closest competition to the S1RII, and that camera typically goes for around $5300 right now.

If I was buying a new camera today, as either my first interchangeable lens camera, or as someone upgrading from an older camera system, then I would buy the Panasonic Lumix S1RII. Don't get me wrong, I love my Nikon cameras and lenses, but the S1RII and L-mount lenses are just so much more affordable, while also offering more niche options to choose from. As much as I've enjoyed shooting with the Leica SL3, Sigma BF and FP, and as excellent as those cameras are in their own right, the Panasonic Lumix S1RII is the first camera in the L-mount Alliance which I would feel completely happy using in place of my Nikon Z8.

The S1RII has the resolution, subject tracking, and features to make it highly competitive with any other flagship camera on the market today. My few minor gripes are that its grip is designed for smaller hands than my giant meaty claws, and that it lacks a top display for quickly changing your settings, but those are small complaints which are somewhat subjective. For anyone in the market for a high end camera with all the bells and whistles you could hope for at a relatively affordable price, the Panasonic Lumix S1RII is easy to recommend.

The Panasonic Lumix S1RII is available for $3299.99 from Panasonic's online store. You can also purchase the Panasonic Lumix S1RII from the Panasonic Store on Amazon for $3,297.99.