Panasonic Lumix S1RII

Overall, I think s1rii is Lumix's Dilemma and the Product of Expediency:Poor Lumix—it wanted both strong video capabilities and excellent still image quality, but the nefarious Sony only permitted it to use a sensor like the IMX366 (rather than one like the IMX609)—a component that no one would ever want to put in a consumer-grade camera—ultimately resulting in the S1RII performing poorly across the board.

G Gerald Undone Gerald Undone · 486K subscribers · Feb 2025

This is the LUMIX S1RII, a camera that I have mixed feelings about. On one hand it's the best photo camera LUMIX has ever made, but on the video side, it's probably the LUMIX camera with the most caveats and complications as well. For disclosure, LUMIX did lend me this camera and all of the accessories to make this review.

M Master of Camera dfotos · owner · Nov 2025

However, when recording in MP4 (Lite) on my S1RII, the only option displayed for recording quality is 1920x1080 (16:9), 59.94p. I cannot select a higher resolution. I checked the firmware information. You have to reset the camera. Before doing so, you should back up your user settings and restore them after the reset. Now I have 4K quality. BUT after a few seconds of filming with MP4 (Lite), the m

J Jason Morris Jason Morris · 146K subscribers · Feb 2025

The LUMIX S1RII is a great camera, mine was just full of bugs and when you're doing professional shoots you don't want these bugs to exist. But it would be safe to say it is almost all firmware fixable.

M Matti Sulanto nicolasfischer8831 · owner · Feb 2026

My main issue/ annoyance with the S1Rii and also S1R is the incredible slow CFExpress card slot. And if I need to complain especially about the S1Rii it‘s close to unacceptable that Panasonic did not improve the speed between both cameras. I have not a single CFexpress card which is slower than 1400MB/s writing and even faster when reading and simple card readers. But the camera limits the speed t

G Geeky Nerdy Techy Geeky Nerdy Techy · 54.2K subscribers · Feb 2025

Welcome to my review of the LUMIX S1RII Mirrorless Camera. This camera has a new 44.3-megapixel sensor and can shoot 8K video!

T The Film Guy grahmdoughty · owner · Jan 2026

Great review and matches exactly what I found with the S1II. For me the AF is just not there yet coming from Sony. The lack of an OLPF is also frustrating. It's also worth noting that wireless monitoring is not reliable with the Lumix cameras, whereas Sony's Monitor & Control app is pretty reliable. But they do have a lot of great video features that I think all cameras should have — open gate, fa

K Key-In Key-In · 38.6K subscribers · Jun 2026

Considering the fact that I am a Dance Photographer/Producer, and also use the Lumix S Series cameras (Lumix S1II and S1RII) for my work, this was something that confused me as I've never had as poor of an experience as they describe when it came to AF with these cameras.

V Vladislav Ihl dcassat · owner · Feb 2026

The S1RII seems to add depth to the subjects that the S5 does not. It's the "pop" factor. Perhaps the rendering in its higher resolution does this but I tested myself by identifying them before I looked at your labeling. There is something there. Also, I was amused by the fact that you hold the S5 in such high regard because I felt the same. I know that its sensor is superior in DR. But the render

C Caleb Hoover Caleb Hoover · 38.2K subscribers · Mar 2026

I’ve used the Lumix S1Rii for over a year and I’m gonna be honest, I have not been using it this camera to its fullest potential.

C Captured Light Creative doogieham · owner · Aug 2026

I love my S1RII. Interestingly, I bought this camera strictly for photography because of its class-leading manual focus aids, excellent stabilization with vintage lenses and SOOC colours. However, I can see why Leica users might find the array of buttons overwhelming. For my use cases, I love all of the buttons. I’ve customized some of the buttons so that I don’t need to do any menu diving.

A Anson & Co. Anson & Co. · 23.5K subscribers · Jul 2025

Today we are chatting about why I chose the Lumix S1Rii over the S1ii for my video freelance work.

P Pav SZ doogieham · owner · Jul 2025

I bought the S1RII in May strictly for its stills capabilities and have loved using it. My A7RV has been sitting in a drawer ever since and I’m likely going to sell it. Many reviewers note that its AF is not up to the standard set by the Big Three but I’m glad you mentioned that it’s a matter of tweaking the AF settings and getting to know the camera really well to maximize its AF.

A Anson & Co. Anson & Co. · 23.5K subscribers · Apr 2026

And so I wanted to take an opportunity to talk about some of my favorite features from this camera and why I continue to choose to use this camera a year later.

W We've updated our S1RII review and added some sample images Article

This isn't to say that it's terrible or anything – if you take the time to learn it you could absolutely use it as a professional – but our original conclusion, that its autofocus isn't on par with that of its competitors, still stands, I think. I was hoping for a bit more seeing just how much better the S1II was, but at least from my tests, the S1RII isn't at that level yet.

S Scott Edwards Scott Edwards · 15.2K subscribers · Feb 2026

Over the last 12 months this camera has become my workhorse. As a solo creator who is primarily a photographer but deeply invested in video and filmmaking, the Lumix S1RII has completely changed how I work. It’s the first hybrid camera I’ve used that truly feels photo-first, while still delivering everything I could ever need on the video side.

So far, the experience has been very good. The image quality is better than all the mirrorless cameras I've shot with so far, and even slightly better than my Nikon Z bodies imho (which are already fantastic). This has nothing to do with sharpness, but with the color intensity you see when editing the raw images. The sensor has something special that you also see in video.

C Chris Freitag Chris Freitag · 4.9K subscribers · Jul 2025

Why I Returned the Panasonic Lumix S1RII

J Jake Griffin slows728 · owner · Aug 2025

Regarding the AF, it's true the face AF is worse than by example with Nikon. However, the regular small areas focus are much more accurate than on Nikon. With Nikon you have slightly better face AF and tracking but for everything statics like objects or non human/animal subjects, the AF of the Panasonic is more reliable. On Nikon I often get slightly out of focus shots.

C Captured Light Creative Captured Light Creative · 1.1K subscribers · Aug 2026

The Panasonic Lumix S1RII is one of the most capable hybrid cameras available today. With its high-resolution sensor, excellent autofocus, powerful video features, and professional build quality, it delivers outstanding image quality in almost every situation.

T Tim Graf Klaus_Aut · owner · Jun 2025

good timing, it just confirmed that I made the right decision to keep the S1RII. I recently upgraded my S5IIX for the S1RII. I then had buyers remorse when the S1II came out. After trying the S1II for two days I decided to stick with the SR1II after all. The reason was exactly the same as yours - the image quality like colors and sharpness of the S1RII are very good.

D Dorn To Film Dorn To Film · 823 subscribers · Aug 2025

It made me think, did I make a mistake buying the S1R2? Now, to be honest, rolling shutter is not a huge deal to me personally. But when it comes to anamorphic shooting, rolling shutter sucks and really shows in footage when you're shooting handheld because I was so excited for the R2's release and I had no idea they were going to release an S12.

K Key-In TwoTimesRmedia · owner · Jun 2026

I am not on the S1RII and S1II and I honestly feel they can keep up with the Sony and Canon cameras. When I say this some Sony users get very upset but I'm basing it off of my experience , not something I heard on the Internet which is what they are doing . I always ask them if they are speaking from personal experience rather than what someone said on socials.

J Jake Griffin Jake Griffin · 693 subscribers · Aug 2025

I've always admired the original S1 series for its robust build and impressive feature set, but if I'm being honest, it struggled to stand out against the competition in terms of future proofing and innovation at the time they were released, and that spec gap has only increased every year since this was announced.

J Josh Cameron FeetFirstAthletics · owner · May 2025

I did my research, and as a photographer I chose the S1rii. I have an S5iix, but im at the point where my work is gaining traction so i feel justified in the investment. However, I always come to your videos just to validate my decisions! Awesome job, I just got my S1rii today and haven't had a chance to try it, but ill be testing it heavily tomorrow.

T Tim Graf Tim Graf · 494 subscribers · Jun 2025

I share my experience with the shortcomings of the S1RII, notably regarding overheating and rolling shutter performance, and make suggestions on how to mitigate these issues. I also explain how this camera made me rethink my misconceptions about the potential of 8K for video.

J Jan Bors Creative rockatanescu · owner · Mar 2025

There's one thing I'd like to comment, though: I've seen the pricing of other cameras fluctuate a lot in my local camera store. For example, the Canon R5 got a deep discount before it went out of stock (roughly 3100 Euros body only) and right now the Nikon Z8 is on sale (3200 Euros) while the S1R II is still at its launch price of 3300 Euros.

C Cody Scheff Cody Scheff · 102 subscribers · Mar 2026

This isn’t a spec-heavy breakdown. This is what it’s actually like to use this camera in the real world.

S Scott Edwards simon_Firehorse_Photography · owner · Feb 2026

Its only real weakness is even after the firmware update, it still has overheating issues. It cannot be trusted in 30+ direct sunlight for long takes. The pair of mine shut down time and time and time again, throughout the recent heatwave. Meanwhile, S5ii says hold my beer. But otherwise, as a hybrid rather than a video camera, it’s superb.

A Aiur Media MichaelLaing71 · owner · Apr 2025

There are of course big advantages to the S1RII, particularly for video, and I have no issue with Panasonic going after video/hybrid market, because that is where their bread and butter is. Also, the weight of the S1R is heavy, compared to most mirrorless cameras, and the body will not suit those with smaller hands.

C Cody Scheff lego_minifig · owner · Mar 2026

Loving the camera so far. My only fear is how quickly the burst modes shoot. Wish it had more flexibility to shoot slower. The files are noticeably larger. I fear how quickly it may fill up drives on my server especially with how expensive HDDs are rn and my tendency to never delete photos unless they are unusable.

G Gerald Undone DerbyshireDave · owner · Feb 2025

Great camera by the looks of it! All this talk of rolling shutter in the comments, it's better than A7RV at 8k lol, even quicker than the A7IV at 4k24p! Didn't they say only recently they didn't plan on chasing 8K due to little demand anyway? So the fact we have it in this S1RII is a bonus more than an expectation.

L Lens & Shutter Andrew · reviewer

If you want the best Panasonic camera for still photography first, the Lumix S1RII is the clearest answer in the current lineup. Panasonic officially announced it on February 25, 2025, as the latest high-resolution model in the full-frame S series, and that positioning makes sense in real-world buying terms too.

K Kensei Akatsu catattackcat8754 · owner · May 2025

The burst fills the buffer much too fast on the S1RII for photography. And rolling shutter is much worse for both photo and video. I had the choice but I bought the Z8 for these reasons and also because Lumix no more S pro prime. The Sigma are really not comparable to have used both fast Sigma and Nikon lenses.

My S1RII is very reliable though. Are you on the latest firmware? Edit: a lot of people on here saying LUMIX just hasn’t gotten this down yet, and I disagree. It has worked pretty well since S5II/G9II in 2023. I think the issue is that it’s not consistent from unit to unit. There’s a looot of variance.

C Chris Freitag Klaus_Aut · owner · Jul 2025

I agree with everything you said, with the exception of the physical fit in the hand (I actually prefer the S1RII, it is great for my hands) and the image qualitiy for video and foto. I am not very experienced, but I personally like the image quality and sharpness of the S1RII better than the S5IIX.

C CineD Article

Although the new LUMIX cameras still all feature an active cooling system, there is now significantly more heat being generated by the internal components. That is why some recording modes were prone to overheating, especially with the photo-centric LUMIX S1RII camera.

Image quality is wonderful. I guess it depends how important the extra video options enabled by the faster sensor in the S1II are along with the dynamic range bump. For me, because I'm 70% photo those came under a 'nice to have' rather than essential.

L L-MOUNT Forum N_Trovert · reviewer

The AF of the S1Rii is sufficient enough for sports photography. For sports & AF tracking there is a substantial difference to the AF of the S5ii. I am very happy with the AF of the S1Rii for field hockey. It is not Sony a1 level, but good enough.

A Anson & Co. Ranger7Studios · owner · Apr 2026

I sent this one back. The only reason is that when I film, I use a focus puller. The delay in the HDMI was too much to use with any system. Other then that, It preformed great. It just didn't tick all the right boxes like the Pixys 6K did.

A Anson & Co. vu.binhan · owner · Jul 2025

There are Noise and Rolling Shutter problem. I think the higher mp it has, the more noise there is. Because more mp in same size sensor means each mp has smaller size, so one pixel of S1rii captures less light than one pixel of S1ii.

A Amateur Photographer Andy Westlake · reviewer

Overall, you get the same excellent handing as previous Panasonic cameras. There are three electronic dials for changing exposure settings, plus a well-placed 8-way joystick on the back and a large drive mode dial on the top left.

R Remy Leonard Pr.JoseLopes · owner · May 2026

I own both of these cameras, and they really are excellent—though I do prefer the colors from the S1RII. In fact, in my opinion, it’s the best camera I’ve ever owned; the only thing I don’t like is the short battery life.

W what is YOUR experience? Article

Overall I don't think this camera gets the credit it deserves. Sony gets rave reviews and I'd rather use the S1RII over my A7RIV any day. If landscapes are your main subject I don't see how you could go wrong with it.

Now using the S1RII and honestly, it barely misses. It’s confident, assured and has locked focus when I fully expected it to fail – not because of the brand, but because it was handling a genuinely tough scenario.

C Chris Turner Photographer wing333-ach · owner · Jun 2025

Af still struggles in low light, especially wide open or in low contrast scenes. And yes, tracking works well on people but not on objects. I am hoping for a firmware update to improve things further.

T That Wedding Videographer Podcast GMWTravels · owner · Feb 2026

I think that for me the S1Rv2 is a better option than the S1v2 and I think that for anyone who is just starting out in photography or video, the S1Rv2 is the best camera on the market today.

R Richard Wong ChenHaiping · owner · Feb 2025

It can be seen that the S1RII is an excellent camera, though not perfect. I'm even looking forward to reading your review on the S1HII a year later. A Lumix user from China, saluting you.

T Tyler Stalman mashudali8482 · owner · Feb 2025

Really want this camera to pait with S5iix for video/photos etc. R5 and Z8 look amazing too. I guess all camera's are amazing. Would love yo offer video and photo with one system.

B Bobby Tonelli 504cool · owner · Nov 2025

Ended up sending back the S1rII due to overheating on a shoot. Got the S5iix and it’s been a true successor to my GH5 video wise. Might revisit the S1rII a few years from now.

M Matthew Dangyou CarlosN · owner · Mar 2025

I preordered the S1R II, but now I’m having second thoughts since my main goal was to get into cinematography. I’ll only be doing photography about 20% of the time.

A Andoni Lopez Erecktor · owner · Jun 2025

underrated review bro, just bought a S1Rii and ive watched soo many reviews, yours is by far the best, most balanced and entertaining, please keep it up.

D Dorn To Film edwink824 · owner · Jan 2026

S1Rii image is beautiful. I sold my S1ii picked it up solely because of that 🤷🏻‍♂️ like you said, it depends on the work you do. Both amazing cams!

J Jason Morris mariiiioh · owner · Feb 2025

You need to title this S1Rii vs S5iix as I looked EVERYWHERE for this comparison and found you by accident - so glad I did. Fastest sub in a while!

C Connor McCaskill DennisSchmitz · owner · Mar 2025

Panasonic really nailed their processing with the S1RII it seems. Their codecs also can be pushed much further than that of many other cameras.

Z Zach Mayfield KieraPriceTheVideographer · owner · May 2025

The S1RII looks like a BEAST. Thanks for pointing that out! Your video has been very helpful in making a decision on Lumix and which model.

D Dorn To Film slows728 · owner · Aug 2025

The S1RII could be my perfect camera if it could get 8K raw internal. The crop is near APS-C on the S1RII, and only 1,1x on the S1II.

C Caleb Hoover ConnorRydland · owner · Mar 2026

There is just something special about the image that this 8k sensor gives that I can't seem to find in any other camera

G Geeky Nerdy Techy calumfitzwater8431 · owner · Feb 2025

Shame about the overheating and small battery - but I can see that the camera would be an excellent stills camera.

M Macfilos Ed Lara · reviewer

As the S1RII had these features, I rented one for a few days and then decided to go ahead and make the purchase.

M Micro Four Nerds Thestrangeislander · owner · May 2025

The L-mount system is really looking like a great ecosystem now, there is very little we don't have available.

W Witchdoctor Simon Wolf · reviewer

The Panasonic LUMIX S1RII didn’t disappoint and really hasn’t (with one exception) since it was unpacked.

M Master of Camera WillTurner-Maker · owner · Jun 2025

Love my S1RII, especially since firmware version 1.3. Unlimited recording in a variety of conditions.

M Media Division YouTube review · Feb 2025

Lumix S1RII Test & Review – Amazing Stabilisation, Low Light, Internal 8K RAW – A Filmmakers view

C Caleb Hoover JohnnyHendrikus · owner · Mar 2025

I love this camera so far man, from the S5M2x to this, its a huge upgrade!

M Manny Ortiz YouTube review · Feb 2025

After 1,000 Photos with the Lumix S1RII | A Photographer’s Perspective

J Julia Trotti jessestarks3128 · owner · Feb 2025

I enjoyed your impression of the S1RII and thanks for doing it!

Short answer get rhe s1rii. Long answer . Depends.