Panasonic Lumix S1R

Following the sensational S1R announcement at Photokina 2018, Panasonic finally announced the full details of its new LUMIX S1R full frame mirrorless camera on February 1st, 2019. With a 47.3-million-pixel CMOS sensor it is the world’s highest resolution full frame mirrorless camera (As of February 1, 2019), and offers images of unprecedented quality exhibiting exceptional detail, rich graduation and superior colour reproduction.

Powered by a new Venus Engine, the LUMIX S1R incorporates a high-speed, high-precision AF system ensuring the camera meets the exacting demands of professional photographers in all shooting situations. To capture the decisive moment, the photographer frames the image using the world’s highest resolution* electronic viewfinder with unrivalled clarity via a 5.76-million-dot OLED display.

Built around the wide diameter L-Mount the LUMIX S1R is designed to provide uncompromising image quality by combining best-in-class detail resolution and photographic control, with outstanding image stabilisation and advanced video recording.

The ground breaking image detail capability of the full-frame 47.3-million-pixel CMOS-sensor (36 x 24 mm) is boosted by absence of a low pass filter, ensuring the finest textures in any scene will be captured accurately.

The new aspherical micro lenses over each pixel improve the light-sensitive capabilities of the sensor, which allows low noise levels to be maintained at high ISO settings. The LUMIX S1R offers an ISO range of up to ISO 25.600, making it ideal for working in low light conditions. For situations demanding greater resolution than 47.3-million-pixels, photographers can create incredible 187-million-pixel images using the camera’s High Resolution Mode. This feature combines information recorded in eight exposures that are taken as the Body I.S. system makes adjustments to the sensor position. The result is a 16.736 x 11.168-pixel RAW-file bursting with information. A feature of the High Resolution Mode is the option to supress motion blur.

The 5-axis Body I.S. (Image Stabiliser) system compensates for the effects of camera shake to make shutter speeds of up to 5.5-stop slower than usual safe to use (Based on the CIPA standard [Yaw/Pitch direction: focusing distance f=50mm, when S-X50 is used.]). Combined with the 2-axis O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabiliser) in the LUMIX S Series lenses the Dual I.S. 2 system increases the level of compensation to 6-stop (Based on the CIPA standard [Yaw/Pitch direction: focusing distance f=200mm when S-R70200 is used.]), and works to eliminate the effects of a wide variety of camera movement types in both still and video photography. (5-Axis Dual I.S.2 can be used with the lens S-R24105 and S-R70200 as of February 1, 2019.)

Making use of more sophisticated technology, vibration measurements are taken not only from a gyro-sensor but also using information from the image sensor itself and from an accelerometer sensor in the camera. To help photographers remove sources of camera shaking, an I.S. Status Scope has been added that displays a graphic interpretation of vibration.

While developed primarily for outstanding photography the LUMIX S1R is capable of advanced video recording in 4K resolution at up to 60/50p (50p only in PAL-area, Maximum 15 minutes in 4K60p, unlimited recording time in Full HD. When the temperature is too high, the camera may stop the recording to protect itself. Wait until the camera cools down.). High Speed Video allows 2x slow motion at 60 fps in 4K, and settings down to 6x slow motion in Full HD with frame rates of up to 180 fps.

The signal can be recorded in camera on SD or XQD (XQD is a trademark of Sony Corporation) or externally via the HDMI Type A port. Line-input is supported by a 3.5 mm microphone socket while audio can be monitored using the 3.5 mm headphone port. Advanced audio quality can be achieved using the DMW-XLR1 microphone adapter in the hot shoe with professional microphones and XLR input sources.