The brand new LUMIX S1II from Panasonic is a video-first hybrid digital camera with loads of spectacular options for occasion videographers, content material creators and extra. We put it to the take a look at to see what it has to supply when it comes to options and efficiency.
Contained in the LUMIX S1II
At its core, the LUMIX S1II includes a new-to-Panasonic, partially stacked, 24-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor. The brand new sensor design guarantees 3.5 occasions sooner readout over earlier sensors, but it avoids a few of the pitfalls typical of stacked sensors, like a smaller dynamic vary.
The LUMIX S1II shoots in resolutions as much as 6K open gate (5,952 x 3,968 pixels) at as much as 30 frames per second (fps). At 5.1K open gate (5,088 x 3,392 pixels) it captures as much as 60 fps. Open gate capturing permits for video seize utilizing the total top of the sensor. This leads to a picture with a 3:2 side ratio that may be cropped and stabilized as wanted.
Video choices
Together with 6K and 5.1K open gate, the S1II provides dozens of different resolutions and body charges. These embrace Full body 6K (5,952 x 2,512 pixels) at as much as 60 fps, Cinema 4K (4,096 x 2160 pixels) and UHD 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) at as much as 120 fps (with a 1.17 crop), Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) at as much as 240 fps and all the pieces in between. One be aware on the crop issue when recording 4K120p: Sure, it’s there and can must be thought of. Nevertheless, it’s not important sufficient to be a difficulty in most conditions.
There are 19 menu pages of video high quality choices. Don’t fear; you’ll be able to filter by body price, decision and different key attributes to seek out what you want sooner. Plus, there’s an possibility so as to add your most-used resolutions to a favorites checklist for simpler entry. Most video codecs seize 10-bit 4:2:0 colour with some bumping it as much as 4:2:2 for extra correct colour replica.
Accessible file codecs for video embrace MP4, MOV, Apple ProRes and ProRes RAW. Nevertheless, as is to be anticipated, some codecs can’t be recorded to SD card. As an alternative, you’ll want to make use of CFExpress, SSD or an exterior recorder. The digital camera helps ProRes RAW video recording internally at as much as 5.8K30p. As for HDMI RAW, it should output resolutions as much as 6K open gate. When recording externally, proxies might be configured to file concurrently to inner media. Media saved on one card may also be copied to a different card for backup.
We talked about open gate capturing, however the S1II additionally helps full-frame, APS-C and cinematic 2.4:1 video side ratios. This provides you loads of flexibility to seize the framing that most closely fits your use case.
Lastly, Panasonic has since launched Firmware Model 1.1 for the S1II, and it’s a free obtain. The replace brings in-camera focus stacking for deep depth-of-field pictures, a multi-frame show that permits you to preview as much as three aspect-ratio guides without delay and wi-fi tethering to Seize One over Wi-Fi or a USB-LAN adapter. Should you additionally need ARRI LogC3 to match Alexa footage, you’ll be able to nonetheless add it with the DMW-SFU3A paid key.
Picture high quality
General, the digital camera offers you that cinematic LUMIX look we’ve come to anticipate from LUMIX cameras. The footage regarded nice straight out of the digital camera, nevertheless it was additionally simple to paint grade in post-production.
With V-Log and V-Gamut image profiles, the S1II guarantees 14 or extra stops of dynamic vary. We are able to verify that the digital camera captured element in each the shadows and highlights, even when there have been brightly sunlit and closely shaded areas within the body collectively — when a small herd of free-range cows lumbered into the shadow of an oak tree, for instance.
The LUMIX S1II boosts low-light efficiency with its twin native ISO system. This newest iteration includes a larger upper-level native ISO to lower noise in low-light conditions. To check this, we steadily elevated the ISO whereas letting the digital camera compensate for publicity. We discovered that noise was not a difficulty, even on the highest ISO.
The digital camera’s Dynamic Vary Increase Mode extends its dynamic vary even additional. It information one video streams at two ISO ranges concurrently. This mode is barely obtainable in sure resolutions and body charges. Plus, truthful warning, it’s more likely to present extra rolling shutter impact with fast-moving topics than different recording modes.
AI-powered autofocus
Like earlier LUMIX cameras, the S1II options AI-powered Section Hybrid autofocus. Human topic detection nonetheless comes with face/eye and full physique choices, however the S1II provides an City Sports activities mode that may acknowledge the human kind even in uncommon orientations. Assume breakdancing, BMX or skateboarding. This helps seize in-focus footage when different topic detection modes don’t see your topic as human-shaped.
On our first outing with the digital camera, we saved AI topic detection off and relied on normal AF and handbook focus — and we remorse it. Taking pictures with topic detection turned on is far simpler and way more dependable. After we did lastly activate topic detection, we largely leaned on the human and animal detection modes.
The AI isn’t good, nevertheless it labored 90 % of the time, giving us way more confidence in rapidly capturing clear, sharp footage. The occasions it didn’t work, the topic was probably too shut or too distant for the system to precisely acknowledge.
The S1II helps topic detection AF recording in resolutions all the best way as much as 6K. For top body price recording, topic detection is obtainable in 4K at as much as 96 fps. We had enjoyable pairing excessive body price recording with animal topic detection to seize sluggish movement video of some calico cat antics.
Picture stabilization
The LUMIX S1II offers as much as eight stops of in-body picture stabilization. That’s sufficient for handheld capturing with a fairly regular hand. Quicker-paced strolling pictures, although, can profit from the S1II’s cropless digital picture stabilization possibility. This, because the title implies, can stabilize video footage with out loss in decision.
The digital camera additionally provides a particular stabilization mode for anamorphic capturing, complementing the in-camera anamorphic desqueeze choices.
Image Types for cinema manufacturing
For log capturing, the S1II helps the acquainted V-Log and V-Gamut image profiles and introduces a brand new profile, Cinelike A2, which provides a large dynamic vary and wealthy colour gradation. These complement current image profiles like normal, vivid, pure, flat, Cinelike D2 and V2 and others.
There’s even an possibility to use the LUT of your selection in actual time by loading the LUT you wish to use into the digital camera after which utilizing the Actual Time LUT image model. The LUMIX Lab App is a handy solution to handle LUTs and in addition offers a hub for creating, sharing and shopping user-created LUTs.
For photographers, too
The LUMIX S1II is a real hybrid digital camera. Photograph and video modes are fully separate, so your settings for every keep constant if you swap modes utilizing the swap on the highest of the digital camera.
Like video, picture high quality advantages from the brand new partially-stacked sensor and its sooner readout speeds. It provides 10 fps blackout-free burst capturing, which is flash-validated to sync up with industry-standard flashes. In terms of digital burst seize, the S1II can seize as much as 70 frames per second with as much as 1.5 seconds of pre-burst buffer.
The S1II’s Hello-Res Shot Mode offers you a 96 MP picture, stitched in-camera with out the necessity for a tripod. Together with Hello-Res Shot Mode, the S1II additionally options Dwell View Composite Mode for capturing startrails and creating gentle work. Multi-exposure images, in addition to timelapse and cease movement video, can all be created throughout the digital camera.
The LUMIX S1II additionally provides the HEIF format, which helps excessive dynamic vary photographs which can be robotically detected by most sharing and enhancing platforms.
In addition to AI autofocus, the S1II additionally options AI-assisted auto white steadiness when enhancing RAW picture recordsdata in-camera. This makes it simpler to painting correct colours when recording in blended gentle, similar to, a room with each heat indoor lamp lighting and cooler daylight from an uncovered window.
Type issue and choices
The brand new LUMIX S1II is barely smaller than the unique S1, however nonetheless barely larger than the S5IIX. With no lens, the digital camera weighs round 800 grams or 1.76 kilos when loaded up with a battery and an SD card.
Mud, splash and freeze-resistant, the S1II is supplied with a free-angle, full-tilt LCD rear monitor. Meaning it could each tilt and rotate to accommodate numerous capturing angles, together with selfies. General, the digital camera feels stable out within the subject. Throughout testing, we took it with us on a average hike in rugged Northern California. It was a heat day with loads of wind, mud and, at one level, even some stray water droplets from a small waterfall. The digital camera carried out nice.
You probably have giant palms or want extra battery life, there’s an optionally available battery grip obtainable for the S1II. Not like the grip for the LUMIX S1R II, this grip doesn’t unlock every other options past extending the battery and making the digital camera extra comfy to carry in sure positions, like capturing vertically. Nevertheless, the battery contained in the grip is hot-swappable, so with sufficient batteries, you can conceivably lengthen the battery life indefinitely.
High quality of life
Together with the core options already mentioned, the LUMIX S1II provides some options with extra area of interest enchantment. For occasion videographers, the S1II is prepared for Bluetooth wi-fi timecode sync.
For anamorphic shooters, the S1II provides in-camera anamorphic desqueeze, which is now a staple for LUMIX cameras. And for cinematographers, there’s an choice to activate the acquainted VariCam person interface.
Lastly, livestreamers will respect wired and wi-fi direct-to-RMTPS streaming and the flexibility to attach the S1II to a pc as a USB webcam. The digital camera additionally options tether help for the Seize One picture enhancing app, direct camera-to-cloud workflows by means of Body.io and compatibility with the LUMIX Movement and LUMIX Lab cell apps.
Pricing and worth
General, the Panasonic LUMIX S1II feels good to make use of and delivers an amazing picture. Priced at $3,199, it isn’t low-cost, however the wealth of options makes it value it. The S1II will particularly enchantment to skilled occasion videographers and high-end content material creators who need a cinematic picture, irrespective of the atmosphere.
Panasonic LUMIX S1IIE
For the budget-minded cinematographer, Panasonic can be releasing the LUMIX S1IIE. This “necessities” digital camera makes use of the identical APS-C sensor from the S5IIX however provides a lot of the performance of the S1, together with open gate 6K, the S1II shutter mechanism and the choice to unlock ARRI LogC3 with a paid firmware improve. That makes the S1IIE probably the most inexpensive digital camera to help LogC3 at $2,499.
Each cameras are slated to ship on June sixteenth, 2025.
Strengths
- 6K open gate
- Eight stops of in-body picture stabilization
- ProRes RAW help
- Stacked, 24-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor
Weaknesses
- Rolling shutter noticable with fast-paced
Tech specs
Lens mountL-MountSensor resolutionActual: 26.8 megapixel
Efficient: 24.1 megapixelImage sensor35.8 x 23.8 mm (full-frame) CMOSSensor crop (35 mm equal)Crop issue: 1x
*Further crop happens in choose video modesPicture stabilizationSensor-shift, 5-axisBuilt-In ND filterNoCapture typeStills and videoShutter typeMechanical focal aircraft shutter and digital rolling shutterShutter velocityDigital entrance curtain shutter
1/2000 to 60 seconds
Mechanical shutter
1/8000 to 60 secondsBulb/time modeBulb mode (As much as half-hour)ISO/achieve sensitivityDual base: 100 / 800*
Native: 100 to 51,200 (50 to 204,800 prolonged)
*Base ISO depends on chosen colour spaceMetering methodCenter-weighted common, spotlight weighted, multi-zone, a number of, spotExposure modesAperture Precedence, Auto, Guide, Program, Shutter PriorityExposure compensation-3 to +5 EV (1/3 EV steps)Metering range0 to 18 EVWhite balance2500 to 10,000 Okay
Presets: AWB, Cloudy, Colour Temperature Filter, Daylight, Flash, Incandescent, Shade, White Set 1, White Set 2, White Set 3, White Set 4Continuous shootingUp to 70 fps at most resolutionSelf-timer2/10-second delayAspect ratio1:1, 2:1, 3:2, 4:3, 16:9, 65:24Image file formatHEIF, JPEG, RAWInternal recording modesProRes RAW/ProRes RAW HQ
4800 x 3600 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97 fps [1.9 Gb/s]
5760 x 3040 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97 fps [4.2 Gb/s]
3328 x 2496 at 23.98/24.00/29.97/59.94 fps [1.8 Gb/s]
4096 x 2160 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps [1.9 Gb/s]
3840 x 2160 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps
4096 x 1728 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps [4.2 Gb/s]
1920 x 1080 at 23.98/24.00/29.97/50/59.94/100/120 fps
H.264 ALL-Intra/H.264 Lengthy GOP 4:2:2 10-Bit
3328 x 2496 at 23.98/29.97/47.95/59.94 fps [800 Mb/s]
4096 x 2160 at 23.98/29.97/47.95/59.94 fps [800 Mb/s]
3840 x 2160 at 23.98/29.97/47.95/59.94 fps [800 Mb/s]
4096 x 1728 at 23.98/29.97/47.95/59.94 fps [800 Mb/s]
1920 x 1080 at 23.98/29.97/47.95/59.94/120/240 fps [800 Mb/s]
H.265 Lengthy GOP 4:2:0 8/10-Bit
5952 x 3968 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97 fps [200 Mb/s]
4800 x 3600 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/47.95/48.00/50/59.94 fps [300 Mb/s]
5088 x 3392 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/47.95/48.00/50/59.94 fps [300 Mb/s]
5888 x 3312 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/47.95/48.00/50/59.94 fps [300 Mb/s]
5760 x 3040 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/47.95/48.00/50/59.94 fps [300 Mb/s]
5952 x 2512 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/47.95/48.00/50/59.94 fps [300 Mb/s]
3328 x 2496 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/47.95/48.00/50/59.94/120 fps
DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) at 23.98/25/29.97/47.95/50/59.94/96/120 fps [300 Mb/s]
3840 x 2160 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/47.95/48.00/50/59.94/120 fps [300 Mb/s]
4096 x 1728 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/47.95/48.00/50/59.94/96/100/120 fps [300 Mb/s]
1920 x 1080 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/47.95/48.00/59.94/100/120/200/240 fps [800 Mb/s]Exterior recording modes4:2:0 10-bit by way of HDMI
4096 x 2160 at 120 fps
1920 x 1080 at 59.94 fpsFast-/Sluggish-motion supportYesRecording limitNoIP streamingRTMPS
1920 x 1080 at 59.94p (8.0 Mb/s)Constructed-in microphoneStereoAudio recordingMOV: Two-channel 24-bit 48 kHz LPCM audioMedia/reminiscence card slotSlot 1: CFexpress Kind B
Slot 2: SD/SDHC/SDXCVideo I/O1x HDMI outputAudio I/O1x 1/8-inch / 3.5 mm TRS stereo headphone output
1x 1/8-inch / 3.5 mm TRS stereo microphone inputPower I/O1x USB-C inputOther I/O1x USB-C information output (shared with energy enter)Wireless5 GHz Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)Cell app compatibleYes: Android and iOS
App title: LUMIX LabGlobal positioning (GPS, GLONASS, and many others.)GPS
*By way of related smartphoneShow size3 inchesResolution1,840,000 dotDisplay typeFree-angle tilting touchscreen LCDTypeElectronic (OLED)Resolution5,760,000 dotEye point21 mmCoverage100percentMagnificationApprox. 0.78xDiopter adjustment-4 to +2Focus typeAuto and handbook focusFocus modeAutomatic, Steady-Servo AF, Guide FocusAutofocus factorsPhotograph, Video
Distinction Detection, Section Detection: 779Built-in flash/lightNoFlash modesAuto, Auto/Pink-Eye Discount, Compelled On, Compelled On/Pink-Eye Discount, Off, Sluggish Sync, Sluggish Sync/Pink-Eye ReductionMaximum sync speed1/250 secondFlash compensation-3 to +3 EV (1/3 EV steps)Devoted flash systemTTLExternal flash connectionShoe mountBattery1x rechargeable lithium-ion, 7.2 VDC, 2200 mAh (included)Shoe mount1x scorching shoeTripod mounting thread1x 1/4-inch-20 feminine (backside)Working conditions14 to 104°F / -10 to 40°C at 10 to 80% humidity (advisable)Dimensions (W x H x D)5.29 x 4.03 x 3.61 inches / 134.37 x 102.36 x 91.69 mm (with out protrusions)Weight1.58 lb / 717 g (physique solely)
1.76 lb / 798 g (with battery, recording media)
