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General thoughts about S1 and/or S1R
- Thread starter ptomsu
- Start date
iiiNelson
Well-known member
The newest firmware was released shortly before I purchased my camera so it’s all I know. By most accounts it improved it greatly but I don’t have the prior experience to compare it to. What I can compare it to is the A7RII (plus limited experience with the A9 and newer Sony bodies), limited experience with the EOS R, limited experience with the Nikon Z, and limited experience with the Fuji X/G bodies. I will say the Sony is clearly better at continuous focus but I find that the Panasonic is every bit as snappy as the PDAF counterparts in decent to excellent light. In lower light it isn’t as good and I recommend switching to single point at that junction for more reliability.
I’m still testing and learning the camera but I recommend renting it for yourself and test how you shoot to make the decision. I don’t want to sell you the camera not knowing how YOU work. I know that it works for me but it’s my “personal” camera. The Sony cameras are my “when I need work done” cameras.
Understand! Yeah, I never shoot with AF-C, perhaps because of my all mechanical film cameras. Another reason is devaluation. I purchased my Z7 as an OB, with a kit zoom and full warranty for $2100 last year. Now, I can sell the Z7 only for $1800/1900 and part off the rest (50mm 1.8S, battery, XQD, etc and easily make up that difference considering I sold the kit zoom right away. The S1 is $1899 and would consider Sigma Art to start off. I had a Sigma 35mm Art for a Nikon D810 and loved that lens. I like a bigger camera and really like the look of this camera and that is a major part of my relationship with any camera. But, with all things said, I would like to handle it first.
iiiNelson
Well-known member
Completely understand. The open box/demo deal I got on the Panasonic S1R sealed it for me at ~$2450 shipped with tax. Loved the idea of the camera but I didn’t love it enough to take that big of a chance at nearly $5k for the kit without getting my hands on it. The included 3 year warranty sweetened the deal for me.
It’s my opinion that not enough has been made of the value of the 24-105. It’s an excellent lens and very versatile with the ability to provide 1:2 magnification. It’s the only native lens I own and I’m not considering any autofocus lenses that weren’t designed for Mirrorless on this system. I’ve seen too many mechanical results that were all over the place with DSLR designs. Some better than others obviously but I think the kit lens and the Sigma 45/2.8 or the 14-24 are an excellent pairing until Panasonic introduces some faster primes. The Leica lenses are excellent as well but obviously are pricier. I’d personally wait on the new Sigma designs. I think you’d be happier with them, I believe that optically they’re fantastic, yet mechanically compromised, but most of all I don’t believe they’re optimized for the system.
As you say though... try them out. I remember that they were hit or miss even on the Sony but the new designs (35/1.2, 45/2.8, and 14-24/2.8) don’t have those issues at all.
Also check out this link... there have been two software updates since but this speaks to some of the performance.
https://youtu.be/CphwVNgX32s
Panasonic had a recent firmware upgrade (11/19) that apparently fixes some of the AF issues in the S series cameras. So, my understanding is regarding lenses, is that the newer Sigma 35mm 1.2 L mount is a good match as is the native Panasonic S 50mm 1.4 for the S1/R? The Panasonic S 50mm 1.4 has fantastic reviews and MTF. It should I suppose as they make most of the Leica digital lenses. I just read the s1/r is made in China? I thought Panasonic made these in Japan. What about the Pro S lenses and Leica digital?
Last edited:
iiiNelson
Well-known member
Yes I’m aware of the v1.3 firmware and it’s what I’m running. From my understanding there wasn’t as big of an AF performance jump from 1.2 to 1.3 as there was going from 1.0/1.1 to 1.2. Firmware 1.2 was nearly entirely focused on autofocus performance and adding the ability to unlock V-Log. Firmware 1.3 was mostly about CFExpress compatibility, adding options to customize Sigma lenses, lens firmware updates, and minor AF improvements.
The Sigma mirrorless lenses focus better than the DSLR versions but it seems that the Sigma lens mechanical performance is all over the place right now to be honest. I’d be wary of purchasing many of their offerings without trying them. Optically they are all very good to excellent. Focus wise they still need fine tuning in L-mount. From what I understand the Panasonic lenses perform better across the board and the user ratings at various online camera stores seem to reflect this as well.
As far as the S1R being made in China, I never gave it a thought. If it’s built to spec and performs as intended then the country of manufacture is of little importance to me. It’s common for people to praise the build quality of the cameras so it’s mostly a non-issue I’d say. If it’s a deal breaker for you then there are other great options an the Sigma 35/1.2 is excellent on the A7RIV. It’s almost like they designed it with the Sony in mind and like the L-Mount will likely be improved through firmware later on.
Here’s a review of the Sigma 35/1.2 on the Leica SL2 which largely should reflect comparable performance to the S1R. Some say that one may be slightly faster to focus than the other with different lens combinations but internally they are largely the same camera.
https://youtu.be/YHZzEzXxZxs
Im not trying to talk you off the Sigma but I am saying that you may want to manage some of your expectations. The Panasonic 50/1.4 doesn’t seem to have the same issues that the Sigma experiences when it comes to focus hunting. The same can be said for the Sigma 14-24/2.8 or 45/2.8. Perhaps the performance will improve but it’s not quite there yet.
iiiNelson
Well-known member
You’re welcome. I did a lot of research before making the decision to finally add L-Mount. For me a camera really has to add something tangibly different. The Sony system really has only a few flaws and I’d say most of them are highly subjective. Like I’ve said many times, there really aren’t any bad cameras but not every camera will work for everyone. I stress the importance of trying the cameras out for yourself and see how it is.
iiiNelson
Well-known member
Highlights of a recent interview with Panasonic.
https://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/pa...ming-and-no-8k-camera-is-coming-soon-for-now/
https://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/pa...ming-and-no-8k-camera-is-coming-soon-for-now/
iiiNelson
Well-known member
Great thoughts regarding the L-Mount as a whole.
https://petapixel.com/2020/03/09/the-state-of-the-l-mount-alliance-one-year-later/
https://petapixel.com/2020/03/09/the-state-of-the-l-mount-alliance-one-year-later/