Panasonic is going full frame – Alternative to Sony, Canon and Nikon?
The camera market may be past its peak, but 2018 is already a legendary year. Not only did Canon and Nikon recently enter the full-frame system camera market, which can more or less be seen as a new era, Panasonic is now suddenly joining the list. And that is striking, because in 2008 – also during the Photokina – Panasonic was the first to come up with a system camera.
But then Panasonic, together with Olympus, opted for a four thirds sensor: a smaller sensor than aps-c format in a 4:3 ratio. Both brands already used that sensor in their dslr’s. The relatively small size had the advantage that the lenses could also be small and compact, but it had the disadvantage that the cameras could never compete with aps-c and full-frame sensors in terms of image quality and depth of field. That is not equally important for everyone, but especially in the higher regions of the market, there was a backlog that could not be made up. And that while both Olympus and Panasonic also made excellent cameras.
Just now that the focus of the market is shifting towards large full-frame sensors, the disadvantage of a relatively small sensor is becoming increasingly important. The Panasonic GH5, for example, is very popular among videographers and the G9 among photographers, but both cameras – good as they are – can never match the depth of field, resolution and dynamic range of full-frame cameras. Then you can stick to the original concept or tack and join the trend where it is going: full frame.
That is exactly what Panasonic is doing now with the Lumix S1 and S1R. At Photokina it was only an announcement. The cameras are not expected until the first half of 2019, probably around spring. Therefore, only mock-ups were on display at the fair; non-working cameras behind glass that otherwise look like real ones. We therefore have an idea about the design and size, but since there was no possibility to hold the cameras and lenses in our hands, we cannot form a concrete judgment about the grip and operation. According to Panasonic itself, this is a must. Just like Nikon and Canon, Panasonic seems to have opted for a somewhat larger grip than Sony, and the buttons and dials are not small either. A monochrome LCD is mounted on the top of both cameras.
Two cameras
Although we are missing quite a bit of concrete information, we at least know that two cameras will appear, of which we could already catch a glimpse at the Photokina. We know that the S1 will get a 24-megapixel sensor and that the S1R will get a 47-million-pixel one. For now, that seems to be the main difference, and Panasonic seems to be following Nikon’s strategy a bit: two identical bodies with more or less the same specs – so the cheaper model doesn’t skimp on specs – but with different sensors.
According to their own words, the S1R is mainly intended for professional photography and only to a limited extent for video, while the S1 can be used more all-round. For the S1, Panasonic envisions a target group that is seventy percent occupied with photography and thirty percent with video. That sounds like video will be less of a spearhead than with the GH5, but we hope that this camera will get GH5-like specifications.
At least we know that both models support 4k at 60fps, which is becoming the new video standard. Currently, the GH5s is one of the few cameras that supports it. Sony will probably soon release the A7S III, which will also be able to do it, but it is missing from the recently announced Canon and Nikon system cameras. Especially for the supposedly cheaper Lumix S1, 4k60 would be an interesting plus. Little has been released about the further video specifications, so we have to wait and see.
It is also striking that Panasonic focuses on a combination of stabilization in the lens and the body, with a stabilized sensor, but also moving lens elements in the lenses. That is the method that Panasonic currently uses in its system cameras and Sony also does the same with its E-mount cameras, but otherwise there are few manufacturers with the same strategy. Canon opts for stabilization in its lenses for its EOS R and Nikon opts for ibis .
As for autofocus, Panasonic is once again leaning on its DFD technique – which stands for depth-by-defocus . That concept has proven itself, but it uses contrast detection as a basis instead of a combination of contrast and phase detection autofocus. How that plays out remains to be seen, but the current Leica SL – which uses Panasonic engineering – is probably a good reference. In terms of tracking, phase detection is usually a bit smoother and more accurate, although that is certainly something to test in 2019, when the cameras come on the market. Whether the camera also supports eye autofocus is still unclear. Panasonic also mentioned that the autofocus system would use ‘deep learning’ artificial intelligence, but how this works remains to be seen.
Other notable features
We were curious whether the LCD of the cameras, just like the GH5 and G9, can also be folded out in addition to tilting. We couldn’t get a definite answer about that and because the cameras were set up behind glass, we couldn’t try it out ourselves. Although Panasonic speaks of a three-axis, tiltable LCD, we have not seen a hinge on the prototypes with which it can be folded out to the side. Canon does offer this on its EOS R and that is interesting, among other things, for vloggers who like to film themselves with the limited focal depth of full-frame. So for now there doesn’t seem to be a screen that folds out to the side – the third axis is probably used to tilt the screen up and down when using the camera vertically.
According to Panasonic, the S1 and S1R will have an electronic viewfinder that offers a very high level of detail. Whether that is higher than that of today’s high-end cameras remains to be seen, because it was not further substantiated with figures, but the viewfinder claims to come close to what the human eye can perceive.
Furthermore, both cameras have two memory card slots, just like recent Sony cameras. That is a plus compared to Canon and Nikon, who omitted it in their first full-frame mirrorless cameras. Panasonic offers space for an SD card slot and the more robust XQD.
Finally, both cameras would have seals against dust and water and are therefore completely weatherproof. They would also have no problem with sub-zero temperatures.
Lenses
Panasonic has announced the development of three future lenses, which should be available at the same time as the S1 and S1R. It concerns a 50 mm f/1.4, 24-105 mm and 70-200 mm. No aperture has been specified of the latter two, but the prototype of the 24-105mm seemed to point to an f/4 variant and that would also make the most sense. For the 70-200 mm, f/2.8 would be a desirable value. Three lenses is of course anything but much, but as a starting point it is comparable to that of Canon and Nikon.
The advantage of Leica’s collaboration and the use of its L mount is that all six – eight in 2019 – Leica lenses can also be used immediately on the new cameras. For example, we still miss a super wide angle, but the Leica 16-35 mm f/3.5-4.5 is a suitable candidate – regardless of the price. Leica also has quite a few primes, and the 24-90mm and 90-280mm zoom lenses. As a result, the total will be eleven in mid-2019, which is a good start. In addition, Panasonic has indicated that it wants to have ten L-mount lenses ready within a year of the introduction.
The silent third is Sigma, which is also part of the Panasonic-Leica alliance. Sigma has indicated that it will also develop lenses, but during the official announcement it did not yet have a single model on the roadmap. That is striking, because Sigma has a huge range of full-frame lenses. It seemed a bit as if Sigma has joined the table a bit later and therefore has no plans for the short term yet. The company did indicate that it would release native L-mount lenses sometime in 2019, but it is still a guess which one. Furthermore, Sigma confirmed that it will also develop a full-frame camera itself – with a Foveon sensor! – and that it’s working on adapters for Canon EF and its own SA mount. There will also be a conversion option for SA lenses.
What does this mean for microfourthirds and the collaboration with Olympus?
Olympus has not joined the L-mount alliance. The company stated at Photokina that it sticks to microfour thirds, mainly because of the possibility to develop compact cameras and lenses for them. So there are no plans for a full-frame camera.
Panasonic also emphasized that it does not intend to stop with microfour thirds and immediately announced the development of a Leica 10-25 mm f/1.7 to emphasize that. Canon and Nikon had the same message when they introduced their full-frame mirrorless cameras, announcing lenses for existing systems as well. However, it may turn out differently in the long term, but that remains a guess.
What does this mean for the full-frame camera market?
Another competitor has now joined the ranks. A month ago, Sony ruled the full-frame mirrorless camera market. Although Leica also participated with its SL Typ 601 from 2015, its market share was negligible in absolute terms. Nikon announced the Z6 and Z7 at the end of August and Canon also entered the market with the mirrorless EOS R at the beginning of September . If it had stopped there, it would already have been a landslide, but now Panasonic and Sigma have indicated that they will enter the new battlefield in 2019. The number of players making full-frame mirrorless cameras has now suddenly reached six! That is an unprecedentedly large development for the photography world, especially since the peak is already some time behind us .
The new battleground can be a new impulse. Competition leads to a wider range and – in the long term – also to lower prices. This gives the consumer more choice, although in many cases this also requires a new investment in glass. DSLR owners may be tempted by the unique features offered by mirrorless cameras, now available from six manufacturers: use the viewfinder while filming, portrait photography with Eye AF, focus points all over the frame, a larger viewfinder with real-time WYSIWYG, more photos per second and so on. See also the article The end of the mirror .
The full frame trend
And owners of APS-C cameras also face much more temptation. Full-frame seems to be becoming the new standard. Not only for the professional, but also for the advanced amateur. Now that almost every brand offers a camera with a full-frame sensor, a multitude of upgrades is suddenly possible, both within the ‘own’ brand and beyond. Although mft, aps-c and full-frame all have advantages and disadvantages, full-frame is the icing on the cake. Such a large sensor offers maximum image quality; a higher resolution, a higher dynamic range, a better signal-to-noise ratio and therefore less noise at high iso values, and of course better depth of field and bokeh. Especially if the new and second-hand supply grows, it can become increasingly tempting to buy a camera with a full-frame sensor. Apart from the fact that not everyone needs such a large sensor, of course.
Conclusion
As far as we are concerned, the introduction of the L-mount alliance and the announcement of the two Panasonic cameras are the biggest news of this Photokina. The news also ties in directly with that of the past few weeks, with both Canon and Nikon announcing their new systems in the run-up to this major photo fair. But for Panasonic, of course, the step to a full-frame camera is particularly special. Canon and Nikon had been offering it for many years, but only now in mirrorless form.
While we still have many question marks and gaps surrounding the final specs of the S1 and S1R, the cameras look promising at first glance. Everything will soon depend on the prices of both the cameras and the lenses, but the possibilities in the photo and video field are of course also important. In the photo field, the S1R with its 47-megapixel sensor should be an interesting alternative to the Sony A7R III and the Nikon Z7, and in the video field, Panasonic’s own GH5 is the benchmark. The question is whether the full-frame models will offer at least the same possibilities as the GH5, so that Panasonic can compete with the forthcoming A7S III in that area. In this way, the S1 and S1R would also become interesting for videographers who currently use the GH5 – and of course those from other systems.
However, with this announcement, Panasonic seems to want to reassure its existing target group in two ways. Firstly, the mft standard will continue to exist, and secondly that users who are ogling for full-frame now no longer have to switch to the competition.