Bottom line: Panasonic makes some of the best mirrorless cameras for video that money can buy. Its new Lumix S series full-frame cameras are expected to carry on that tradition when they arrive later this spring. Sony, Nikon and Canon now have some additional competition to contend with.
Panasonic on Friday announced full specifications for the Lumix S1R and S1. First teased at Photokina 2018 in September, the cameras are Panasonic's first full-frame mirrorless shooters.
The higher-end of the two, the Lumix S1R features a 47.3-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor without a low pass filter. It boasts a native ISO range of 100 to 25,600, 4K60P video recording and dual memory card slots.
The S1R also features a high resolution mode capable of turning out 187-megapixel stills.
The Lumix S1, meanwhile, packs a 24.2-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor with a native ISO of 100 to 51,200. It has a high resolution mode, too, although it only churns out 98-megapixel images, and can also do 4K60P video.
Both cameras sport Panasonic's new 5.7 million-dot Live View Finder, offering a minimum lag of less than 0.005 seconds as well as 10,000:1 high contrast. Based on early feedback from hands-on time, it very well could be the best EVF on the market.
Panasonic introduced three new lenses to go with the new bodies including the Lumix S Pro 50mm f/1.4, the Lumix S Pro 70-200mm f/4 O.I.S. and the Lumix S 24-105mm f/4 Macro O.I.S. The 50mm prime will set you back $2,300, the 70-200mm zoom carries an asking price of $1,700 and the 24-105mm macro goes for $1,300.
The Panasonic Lumix S1 will command $2,499 for the body only while the S1R is a bit pricier at $3,699. Look for them to hit the market sometime this spring.