Panasonic’s new full-frame mirrorless pair

Last night, 4 February 2019, was an exciting night for Lumix fans and full-frame enthusiasts alike as Panasonic released details of their much-anticipated Lumix S1R and Lumix S1.

D-Photo’s David Burns attended the event, where he was treated to Panasonic Product Manager Andrew Reid presenting a full preview of the cameras and their capabilities to industry professionals. David commented that “Panasonic have announced a fantastic all-new Lumix product release for 2019 this week at Auckland’s Metro Gallery”.

While a relatively late entry to the full-frame mirrorless scene, it has come to the table with the Lumix S1R and Lumix S1, professional-grade cameras that trade freely across moving and still image territories.

The S1R features a 47.3MP sensor and the S1, a 24.2MP sensor, and both feature high-spec 4K video recording up to 60p, top-notch image stabilization in both lenses and body, as well as memory card slots for both XQD and SD.

The new cameras make use of the L-Mount Alliance between Panasonic, Leica, and Sigma, sharing one lens-mount format across all three companies. This means that S1 and S1R users will be able to explore the high-end lenses offered by Leica as well as having three new exceptional lenses from Panasonic to look forward to. These lenses include a 50mm f/1.4, a 24–105mm zoom, and a 70–20mm telephoto zoom, and both Panasonic and Leica promise even more lenses over 2019 and 2020.

Product Manager Andrew Reid says “At Panasonic we’re committed to pioneering new innovations under the vision of ‘changing photography’, which is why we’re excited to be launching the new full-frame mirrorless Lumix S1R and S1 cameras in New Zealand.”

The new offerings are set to be released in March, with the S1R priced at $6099 (or $7899 with the 24–105 lens), and the S1 for $4099 ($5899 with the 24–105mm). Lenses alone are priced from $2299 for the 24–105mm, $2899 for the 70–200mm, and $4399 for the 50mm.