The new LUMIX S1RII is a Full-Frame mirrorless S Series camera, built for stills capture and video, with an 8.1K / 44.3MP BSI CMOS sensor and more Open Gate flexibility for framing.
Panasonic’s new LUMIX S1RII is a Full-Frame mirrorless camera in the S Series, built for stills photography and video, with an 8.1K / 44.3MP BSI CMOS sensor. A professional camera, it is 20% smaller and lighter than its predecessor in the series, the S1R.
Capabilities new to the S Series include 8.1K 25p full-width and 5.8K RAW video recording, plus 6.4K Open Gate. 8.1K Open Gate will become available later this year via a firmware update. Other new features are 4K 120p/60p full-area 10-bit video, 32-bit float audio with the LUMIX XLR2 Microphone Adaptor, ProRes RAW internal recording, false colour tool and CINE A2 profile.
8K Video Recording, 14 Stops of Dynamic Range
The S1RII is the first LUMIX camera to achieve 8K video recording with 14 stops of dynamic range. The Open Gate feature has been enhanced to increase resolution to 6.4K in a 3:2 aspect ratio, which makes framing more flexible. Video producers can capture vertical and horizonal video in one take, speeding up content delivery for applications such as YouTube and Instagram Stories. As mentioned, up to 8.1K / 7.2K RAW will be possible with an Open Gate firmware update due in 2025.
The camera captures full sensor area video in cinema 4K at 100/120p and 5.8K at 50/60p, adding the option to shoot slow motion without affecting wide angle capabilities. It also supports standard professional video codecs including 5.8K Apple ProRes RAW HQ / ProRes RAW recorded directly to a CFexpress Type B card. This makes it possible to record high-quality video data with minimal setup and without using external devices or cables, supporting mobile, single-person operations and small-scale shoots.
The S1RII’s 44.3MP BSI CMOS sensor features high speed readout, and works together with the L2 Technology processing engine to output stills and videos with LUMIX’s natural colour science. This approach to colour adjusts brightness, saturation and hue for each colour individually, using this three-dimensional framework to control looks more precisely.
For action, wildlife and other stills photography, the S1RII achieves extremely fast burst shooting for LUMIX full-frame at 40fps. A very convenient new Photo/Video switch on top of the camera is added so that users can change modes instantly and also access their custom settings.
High Resolution Mode, Real-time AF, Image Stabilisation
High-resolution mode is for handheld shooting, producing images at up to 177MP with precise detail and higher dynamic range, good for landscapes. Cameras with this feature use a very sensitive image stabilisation system that shifts its sensor by tiny half-pixel distances and, most important, stops and starts these moves very quickly and accurately – right, left, up and then down – recording an image with each movement. The movement of the sensor creates off-set pixels that, when taken together, record four times the amount of data in the area that one pixel usually occupies, and the camera combines all the information collected into one file.
The real-time recognition Phase Hybrid AF has continued to develop its use of AI tracking, which precisely detects human eyes and faces very quickly and smoothly follows a subject’s movements. By combining AF tracking with the high-speed 40 fps burst shooting, dynamic subjects can be captured accurately. The SH pre-burst mode adds more assurance by commencing capture before the shutter is fully pressed.
Regarding image stabilisation, the LUMIX S1RII achieves 8.0-stop shutter speed compensation with in-body stabilisation in line with the new 2024 CIPA Standardised testing. A new feature available on LUMIX L Mount lenses is cropless E.I.S. to help with handheld wide-angle shooting. It stabilises the images digitally, using lens correction information to smooth out shaky footage, and can hold the subject steady without continuously cropping in on the field of view to compensate for shifting edges.
Ergonomics
The camera’s ergonomics include a 3.0in 1840K-dot touch monitor with a triaxial tilt design that adapts to most shooting styles and avoids issues with cables. A carbon fibre shutter closing function is also new, to protect the sensor from dust when changing lenses.
An optional battery grip (DMW-BG2) supports vertical shooting by matching the feel of the S1RII when holding the camera normally. It also means you can operate with two batteries - one in the camera and one in the grip, effectively doubling battery life. Useful functionality includes hot-swapping the battery in the grip while the camera is on, and simultaneous power supply that allows both batteries to work together in a power-intensive recording mode.
The magnesium alloy frame is splash-resistant, dust-resistant, weather-sealed and freeze-resistant down to -10 degrees Celsius.
Workflow Support
Several features support different recording workflows, including the option to record proxies, and support for CFexpress Type B and SD UHS-II/I cards. The camera also integrates with LUMIX apps and third party software.
LUMIX Flow is a new app (App Store, Google Play) used to create and manage scripts, storyboarding, shot lists and other procedures that help plan productions, remember tasks to perform on set and avoid wasting time. It will also recognise a smartphone as an external monitor. Because it has tools to automatically organise files right after shooting and shorten the time devoted to editing, it works well for smaller crews on short form productions like music videos, corporate promotions and short films.
The camera’s integration with Frame.io can be used to automatically transfer photo and video files directly to the cloud for immediate collaboration with colleagues located anywhere, reducing the need to upload files manually. Typical applications are live event content and newsgathering. The S1RII is the first LUMIX model to support tethering [remote camera control via USB, network cable or Wifi] via Capture One editing software, assisting producers across many different studio production scenarios.
The LUMIX S1RII is also compatible with the LUMIX Lab smart phone application. This tool is used to load LUTs directly into the camera – again, shortening post-production time and helping to avoid errors on client deliveries.
The LUMIX S1RII will be available in Australia in late March 2025. oc.connect.panasonic.com
