Panasonic Lumix S1 sample gallery

I've been reading DPR for 15 years and it has always been like this. No camera company has ever invented a secret technology that allows them to catapult ahead of any other. So much of what they do depends on outside companies coming up with new materials, processors, and all the related electronics that go into a camera.
From what I've seen, the industry moves together like a herd, some a little ahead, some a little behind. But they all get to the same place about the same time.
The poor writers have been trying to inject excitement into the topic but once the newness of digital wore off and the frenzy of the megapixel race ended, it's all just been moderately steady improvement.

Agree, I think the differences in image quality are minimal and even unnoticeable to the average guy/girl. Camera companies try to differentiate themselves now with video options, stabilizers, ergonomics, viewfinders, screens etc.

Honestly this galleries are only an indication of the JPEG processing engine in the camera. Nothing else.

This camera is aimed at professional.

If they want lighter camera, they will compromise on video specs or IBIS.

It's like a Canon EOS R with better sensor, 5.76 million dot EVF, dual IS for 6 stop stabilization, dual card slot, better 4K and eyeAF for $200 more

but no DPAF or any PDAF focusing in sight, which may hinder it in terms of video (AF related).

They make a smaller, lighter version.. the GH5..

Why S1? Because Panasonic looks into the future - the future is FF and MFT will be dead soon.

@bobogdan78 So in short you think that the image quality shown here would take MFT - which I don't use but Panasonic makes - to an early departure?? What photo exactly would sway you across?

@bobogdan78
Much bigger, much heavier, much more expensive. If this is the future, I'll just stick to the past! :)

on your screen maybe?

Agreed! Most of the jpegs look really good in my view, with some exceptions. High ISO's seem super too. Too big though, but a pretty good camera over all.

Best way I could describe the overall look of S1 files is by far the most "Leicaesque" look. The bokeh has that same melting off the depth of field look I've ever seen just like the Leica which is what they are known for. I truly believe I'd tell a S1 file from a Canon, Nikon or Sony file right off. I also love the color science of them as well.

I truly believe you wouldn't see the difference...

FWIW, It's signature Panasonic colors but with more dynamic range and color richness than mft... At least they are being consistent.

...sure it's cold/blue in it's overall look (though that's debatable once in RAW) and does have some tendencies toward primary-colour vibrancy rather than overall saturation - which helps heal colour uncertainty in struggling highlights,

...but it's the tone (-not the hue response) that's strikes me as particularly odd. Low-contrast/flat with high-contrast extremes (looks like hi-fi sounds, some people like it and don't find anything wrong in it, yet I use monitor speakers and studio headphones - for a reason).

Nothing that can't be "tuned to taste" very easily in post.

Consistent in underexposing.

eno - Yes there have been a few comments in hands-on first reviews about this.

From what I've gathered, the AF is said to be extremely precise and very fast, but there is a "psychological" problem because the view in the EVF "flutters" momentarily prior to hitting focus, and some reviewers find this slightly off-putting.

But the reviewers only had the beta version, and there will have been more firmware changes prior to the camera hitting the stores. So we should really wait until we see full reviews before forming possibly inaccurate preconceptions.

It looks like the 2nd photo is not focused on the walking man, but the fence behind him, intentional?

pollup - Yes, the camera has definitely focused on the fence and the guy is clearly out of focus.

It's hard to say what went wrong without knowing what AF settings were used. It looks as if the photographer pre-focused on the fence instead of the ground in front of it, and locked the focus there.

If the camera was on its default AF settings, it certainly shouldn't have chosen the background, when the main subject is so conspicuous and central. Odd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCOaQag-1tw

My ex G9 with the Leica Nocticron was focusing better and the new A7III with the Sigma 50mm is focusing several orders of magnitude better than this!

This kind of AF-C performance is simply unacceptable in 2019 IMO!

eno - Uggghhhh!, that's pretty awful, even my 4 year old Canon 5DS can do better than that in live view (and a hunded times better via the OVF for stills).

I was really wanting the SR1 to be great, and in some ways it is. Bit heavy , not as rounded as latest designs, with great high ISO for a high MP camera compared to 5DSR .... But, I cant believe that the autofocus can be worthy of the rest of the package. I guess that this system is quite similar to the S1 , and compared to the best of the pack its not up there. And yes I have a pile of recent shots from a release version.

For a camera that prides itself on the video capabilities, the AF video eno2 posted is abysmal...

@MikeRan

And keep in mind, it's with the final firmware.
The continuous AF performance is indeed very pour. Whatever Panasonic says, without PDAF their AF always did and it'll always suck!

It’s a physical impossibility for this to be able to keep up with PDAF?.. unless Panasonic came up with some magic way to tell how far out of focus a subject is (which they seem to have done??) but also whether the image is front or back focused based strictly on the look of the bokeh.

I don’t think it’s happening...

The net effect is the camera MUST guess... and move the lens in one direction or the other, and see if the focus is getting further or closer. Perhaps it can guess right a little more than 50% of the time based on the scene (is the subject getting bigger or smaller).. but it’s not going to get it right every time like PDAF can.

I am interested to see what the full review shows, particularly with the bicycle test. I would be surprised if 30% or more are in focus.

I shoot with the A9 now.. which we know is one of the top focusing cameras on the market. But once you get used to such amazing AF, it’s hard to imagine a step back. This seems to be a huge step back..

The bicycler on the bridge is nicely focused. And that's a good test. Lol, but for all we know that could have been a 30-frame burst and this is the only focused shot! Haha. Or all 30 could be sharp. Dunno. Gotta wait for an objective test or hands-on...

"Quite obviously these images are not intended to demonstrate AF performance"

No it's not obvious. Maybe they went out to get action shots and these were the only keepers.

They did take it to the ski slopes on a nice day and came back with practically nothing. If that's not an AF red flag I don't know what is.....

Looks good to me. Particularly for a 1/500 sec. (not very fast for a moving subject) shot. Plus, subject's face is only taking up about 0.1% of the frame so it's resolution-limited. And it's a JPEG. But yeah, i think it's a perfectly good shot.

Still, nothing in this gallery really evidences AF capabilities though. Need a test.

I know. Geez, I'm just teasing you, and you know my disdain for Sony...

I still think you should wait for a real Canon MILC. For BIF and macro just shoot what you have now. Why do you need mirrorless for that? No sense getting 1 or 2 Sonys now, only to get a real Canon MILC in a year or two, and then have to dump all that expensive Sony stuff.

I've never been one who bought into the whole "patience is a virtue" baloney, but you and i are totally in the same boat. Except that you're Canon and I'm Nikon. I'm gonna wait it out.

Sir 7 - I wouldn't use the a7Riii for BIF, it would be primarily for macro and landscapes. For BIF and animal photography the Sony option would be a9.

Shooting macro at F16 or F22 is a beginners game. You might end up with a subject that is sharp front-to-back, but you also end up with backgrounds that have too much detail - very distracting.

You also have major issues with diffraction softening the image, even with the best lenses. And of course you end up with a much slower shutter speed, and camera-shake and subject movement are highly exaggerated in macro.

I generally shoot macro at about F8. With a lot of practice and carefully chosen angles, you can get the entire subject sharp, but render the background nice and blurred, so the subject is isolated from the background. It's easier to do this with mirrorless, due to focus aids such as peaking and magnification.

Sir 7 - Well I can only speak from practical experience with lenses including your 105mm Micro-Nikkor, Sigma 105mm macro, Sigma 180mm macro, Canon 100mm macro and Canon 180mm macro. I've owned and used them all - check my gear list!

I definitely see overall softening at F16 with all these lenses, actual observation, nothing to do with theory or maths. I don't know about Nikon, as I no longer have the lens or its manual, but Canon specifically advise against using small apertures, and even incorporate "diffraction correction" in their JPEG processing options on their hi-end DSLRs.

The 5DS and 5DMkiv can nail focus perfectly, what I was talking about was the problem of aligning the camera so that the sensor plane is parallel to the subject plane, which is difficult to judge manually without using focus peaking or magnifying aids.

If you're happy with your sharpness and background rendition at F16 or F22, that's fine with me :-)

lol. Which rival have this level of durability? 400,000 shutter actuations; an articulated screen that can be used as a handle to hold the full weight of the camera and lens; genuine weather-sealing? Not to mention the EVF of 5.7m, white LEDs for high noon, 6K recording, and unlimited recording in 4K30.

I shudder to think what you think the excellent A7III is worth, which has to crop 4K to x1.2, skimps weather-sealing on the base, skimps on EVF/LCD res etc.

I find the $2500 to be a bargain. Especially given that one has full native access to Sigma's ART/Sports lenses and use of other EF lenses. The L mounts will have advantages, but this is a system that can be used with existing EF and M lenses with only the cost of the first-party MC-21.

Full native support from Sigma is killer.

it's a bargain if you look at $$/KG

U Puny girls.