After a six-year wait, Panasonic’s S1 II is in any case right here and there is a lot to unpack. As you’d be expecting from this corporate, it’s creator-centric with as much as 5.8K ProRes RAW inner video recording. On the similar time, it’s Panasonic’s quickest full-frame picture digital camera ever with 70 fps burst speeds and lowered rolling shutter distortion due to the brand new in part stacked 24-megapixel sensor. And with an AI-powered hybrid part hit upon gadget, autofocus is not a vulnerable level because it used to be with the unique S1.
There may be one factor regardless that, and a shocking one for Panasonic: the fee. The $3,200 S1 II is very similar to Nikon’s Z6 III, proper right down to the in part stacked sensor and inner RAW video. Then again, the latter is a few $700 less expensive and will regularly be discovered on sale for even much less. Since Panasonic regularly undercuts competitors, that places the S1 II within the strange place of being overpriced subsequent to the contest. After trying out it for the ultimate month, I’ve discovered that whether or not it is value it will depend on your priorities.
Panasonic/Engadget
The S1 II is Panasonic’s highest author digital camera due to options like 6K RAW video and exceptional stabilization, nevertheless it’s dear in comparison to the contest.
- Speedy capturing speeds
- Nice dealing with
- Very good video high quality
- Best possible-in-class stabilization
- Professional video options
- Deficient battery lifestyles
- Pricey
Dealing with and design
The S1 II stocks its very good physique design with the higher-resolution S1R II and the less expensive, non-stacked S1 IIe. It’s significantly lighter than the unique S1 at 1.76 kilos and far smaller as smartly, either one of which make it much less burdensome. It’s additionally clean to carry due to the large ridged grip. Then again, it’s extra angular and has a more difficult rubber pores and skin than Canon’s rival EOS R6 II, so it’s no longer slightly as relaxed over lengthy capturing classes.
The very good regulate structure makes the S1 II a breeze to make use of. It has the entire buttons and dials you want they usually’re smartly positioned — specifically the joystick and regulate dials. There’s a devoted transfer for footage, video and sluggish and fast (S&Q) modes, and each and every has separate changes so that you received’t combine them up. It additionally has a devoted autofocus transfer, two video document buttons (most sensible and entrance), 10 different programmable buttons and a tally mild.
I hardly ever had to seek for settings due to the logical color-coded tabs and easy-to-use fast menu, each out there through contact or the joystick. Panasonic additionally made it easy to program buttons, dials and the short menu in your non-public personal tastes and it lets you save them to a reminiscence card as a backup.
The S1 II’s digital viewfinder is vivid and sharp, matching the Z6 III with a decision of five.76 million dots and nil.78x magnification. The rear show no longer simplest swivels out but additionally tilts up and down for overhead or hip-level pictures. Compared, Nikon’s Z6 III display doesn’t tilt, so it’s no longer as flexible.
As with the S1R II, battery lifestyles isn’t a robust level right here, with simplest 360 photographs on a rate or 320 when the use of the EVF. To be truthful, that fits the Z6 III precisely (and Panasonic’s non-stacked S1 II is simplest relatively higher at 380 photographs), however Canon’s less expensive R6 II has greater than two times the battery lifestyles at 760 photographs.
As a way to seize RAW video, the S1 II has a CFexpress Sort B card slot at the side of a slower SDXC UHS-II slot. Just like the S5 IIx and GH7 (and several other Fujifilm fashions), it additionally helps high-bandwidth RAW video seize to an SSD by means of the USB-C port.
The S1 II comes with a full-sized HDMI port that helps Blackmagic and ProRes RAW seize. You additionally get mic and headphone ports, and you’ll seize 32-bit glide audio by means of the non-compulsory XLR2 accent to cut back the opportunity of clipping. In any case, the S1 II has a carbon fiber curtain that comes down to offer protection to the sensor like fresh Canon and Sony fashions.
Efficiency
The S1 II can fireplace bursts at a pedestrian 10 fps in mechanical shutter mode, however helps a excellent 70 RAW pictures consistent with 2d with the digital shutter. And in the event you’re nervous about skewed pictures, don’t worry. Distortion is minimum in digital mode due to the partially-stacked sensor that has a speedy readout velocity of round 12 milliseconds. That’s speedy sufficient for sports activities or natural world pictures, until the topic strikes very hastily.
Pre-burst seize, which begins whilst you half-press the shutter, could also be to be had on the very best speeds. That permits you to save as much as 1.5 seconds of footage you will have in a different way overlooked if you absolutely press the shutter button. The buffer is a bit of small, regardless that, so you’ll simplest seize about 3 seconds (220 photographs) on the 70 fps velocity.
The hybrid phase-detect autofocus is the most efficient of any Panasonic digital camera I’ve examined up to now. Then again, it’s no longer but as much as Sony and Canon’s requirements for velocity and accuracy, and falls a bit of in need of Nikon’s Z6 III. In the event you’re capturing a fast-moving topic on the most burst fee of 70 fps, you may even see various out-of-focus footage.
The S1 II helps more than one AI modes — together with animals, birds and automobiles — on most sensible of human eye-tracking modes. I had blended luck with the ones because the digital camera had bother locking onto the eyes of a few birds and marine mammals I shot on the Vancouver Aquarium. Then again, it used to be higher with extra conventional animal topics like canine, cats, horses and ducks. Panasonic additionally offered an AF mode known as City Sports activities that improves monitoring for breakdancing, skateboarding and parkour. I examined that mode with some skate boarders on the very best burst settings and noticed a excessive proportion (90-plus) of in-focus photographs.
One space the place Panasonic tops its competitors is stabilization. That’s been boosted to 8 stops (relatively in need of the R6 II’s 8 and a half of stops), which allowed me to shoot at shutter speeds right down to a half of 2d and nonetheless get sharp photographs. And as I’ll provide an explanation for in a while, the S1 II is peerless on the subject of video stabilization.
Symbol high quality
I’ve been inspired with Panasonic’s coloration science of overdue, discovering that it suits Nikon in handing over one of the crucial maximum color-accurate pictures of any gadget. Via comparability, Canon’s pictures skew hotter, and I believe that Sony fashions just like the A7 IV lack some accuracy, specifically with blue-green colours.
The S1 II delivers enjoyable JPEGs with a pleasant stability between sharpness and noise aid, regardless that the latter can get overly competitive at excessive ISO ranges. RAW pictures be offering various element in mild and darkish spaces of the picture, letting you tweak and proper to a nice level. Take into account that the use of the digital shutter in burst modes reduces RAW bit intensity from 14 to twelve.
The drawback of any stacked sensor is further noise, and the S1 II is not any exception. That is maximum obvious at increased ISO ranges the place the digital camera shows a bit of extra grain than Panasonic’s S5, which has the similar decision however isn’t stacked. That mentioned, the S1 II has about the similar low-light prowess because the Z6 III and beats maximum absolutely stacked cameras.
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If the local 24MP decision isn’t sufficient, the S1 II gives a high-resolution mode that captures 8 pictures with a relatively offset sensor place and composes them right into a unmarried 96-megapixel document (both RAW or JPEG). I used to be in a position to take sharp pictures in that mode with out using a tripod due to the S1 II’s very good in-body stabilization gadget.
Video
The S1 II doesn’t shoot 8K RAW just like the 44MP S1R II because of its decrease decision. Then again, it does make stronger 5.8K 30 fps ProRes RAW, open gate complete sensor video and tremendous slow-mo (4K 120p) — all with a long way much less rolling shutter distortion. On account of that, I feel it is a higher digital camera total for creators.
After all, the S1 II gives 10-bit video in each MP4 and Quicktime codecs on most sensible of RAW. Panasonic’s V-Log could also be on faucet to spice up dynamic vary, and due to a contemporary firmware replace, you’ll pay $200 to get ARRI LogC3 to compare that corporate’s professional virtual cinema cameras.
With that very same firmware replace, the S1 II now helps 17 body facet ratios (up from 10), and permits simultaneous show of as much as 3 frames directly (in contrast to the LogC3 replace, those are unfastened). That may can help you shoot open gate, for example, whilst seeing how the picture will glance in each vertical and horizontal facet ratios.
Total, video high quality is exceptional with sharp oversampling, very good coloration accuracy and first rate dynamic vary. The latter can also be greater the use of Panasonic’s dynamic vary spice up choice, despite the fact that that successfully doubles rolling shutter distortion. With out the environment enabled, skew from rolling shutter is simplest a topic with whip pans or very fast-moving topics.
Video AF is cast, holding topics in concentration so long as they don’t transfer too briefly. Face, eye, animal, city sports activities and automobile detection paintings smartly, regardless that you’ll see a bit of extra accuracy and velocity on Canon and Sony’s newest fashions.
The S1 II gives higher video stabilization than its competitors, regardless that. Optical stabilization supplies just right effects for hand held video, whilst digital stabilization (EIS) supplies gimbal-like smoothness at the price of an important crop. As with different fresh Panasonic fashions, the S1 II additionally gives “cropless” EIS that corrects nook distortion when the use of extensive lenses, whilst additionally decreasing rolling shutter.
Due to a integrated fan, overheating is never a topic with the S1 II. The one time I ever noticed an issue used to be with 5.8K at 60 fps and 5.1K open gate recording, when the digital camera close down after 50 mins and 40 mins respectively. That’s nonetheless very good for a small mirrorless digital camera. The ones limits are eradicated, through the way in which, in the event you document to an SSD by means of the USB-C port.
Creators might marvel how the S1 II compares to Nikon’s Z6 III. The latter gives extra RAW choices, with the collection of 5.8K Nikon RAW (N-RAW) at as much as 60 fps slightly than simply 30 fps. Each be offering identical video high quality as they use the similar sensor. The Z6 III has relatively higher autofocus, however the S5 II has awesome stabilization and dealing with. In any case, the S1 II has some great professional options like timecode, waveform tracking and professional audio. I’d say the S1 II is relatively higher for video shooters, however the Z6 III is considerably less expensive.
Wrap-up
Panasonic’s S1 II is a formidable hybrid digital camera, and if it wasn’t so dear, it could be a no brainer for creators. Then again, Nikon’s Z6 III has just about the similar video features, is a greater digital camera for pictures and prices no less than $600 much less, so I’m vulnerable to suggest that style for many customers.
Another choice at a cheaper price is Panasonic’s new $2,500 S1 IIe, which used to be introduced concurrently the S1 II. It has the similar physique and most commonly the similar characteristic set, however makes use of the non-stacked sensor from the S5 II, so rolling shutter is extra of a topic.
In the event you choose pictures, the higher-resolution S1R II is a more sensible choice and prices simply $100 extra. Then again, in the event you’re a video professional who wishes options like time code, ARRI LogC3 and complex tracking or audio options, the S1 II is a cast selection. The ones people would possibly wish to watch for a sale regardless that.
