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A New Journey with the Lumix S1 — Vintage Glass on L-Mount

ElisemkII

New Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2026
Messages
4
Hello everyone,

My name is Alberto, I’m 64 years old and photography has been one of my passions for many years. Over time I have enjoyed both film and, of course, digital photography.

I still shoot film occasionally and currently own a Rolleiflex 3.5T, Canon A-1 and Canon T50. When shooting black and white, I also develop the films myself, which is still a part of the photographic process that I particularly enjoy.

Over the years I have accumulated several vintage lenses, and the desire to use them more effectively was actually one of the main reasons behind my recent move from a Fujifilm X-H1 to a Panasonic Lumix S1. The excellent EVF of the S1 was a major factor in my decision, as I find it particularly helpful when focusing older manual-focus lenses.

Along with the S1, I also bought the Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6, which gives me a compact and versatile native autofocus option alongside my collection of vintage glass.

My digital journey has taken me through quite a few different systems. I started with cameras such as the legendary Canon 5D, then used several Nikon bodies — most recently the D850 and Zf — as well as Leica, including the M8 and M9.

My first impressions of the S1 have been extremely positive. I particularly appreciate its natural colour rendering, the low level of noise even at relatively high ISO settings, and the quality of the RAW files, which I find very flexible and pleasant to work with in Lightroom. I have also been impressed by its black-and-white files: the tonal range and separation between different shades of grey can be remarkably rich.

I still need to get fully accustomed to the PASM control philosophy, which has never been my favourite way of operating a camera, but apart from that the S1 is proving to be a very enjoyable camera to use.

And the weight certainly doesn’t bother me. Quite the opposite: I actually prefer a substantial, solid camera body with professional ergonomics, good controls and plenty of possibilities for customisation.

I am now looking forward to exploring the L-Mount system further, both with the 20-60mm and, especially, with my vintage lenses, and to sharing some photographs and experiences with you.

Best regards to everyone,
Alberto
 
Welcome to LMF33
 
Greetings! Love to see another vintage glass enthusiast on the forum. :)
 
Welcome to LMF33
 
Hi Alberto, and welcome!
 
Welcome, Alberto. I know this is a L-mount forum, but the Nikon d850 and Zf are still on my radar... I use Lumix cameras with old Nikon glass. Fun experience.
Hi Xavier, the D850 is an exceptional DSLR that produces files with incredible detail and plenty of latitude for adjustments in Lightroom. However, to get the best out of it, it really needs high-quality lenses, and it also benefits from using relatively fast shutter speeds. High-ISO performance is very good as well.

I was sorry to sell mine, mainly because I was tempted by the Zf, which ultimately didn’t fully satisfy me. I really liked its retro design and, above all, the ability to adjust the exposure triangle quickly using the physical dials, but I never really developed a connection with the camera. In the end, I sold it without any regrets.
 
the ability to adjust the exposure triangle quickly using the physical dials
That's one of the reasons I still have my Nikon Df. But I did indeed connect with this camera. I love the images that sensor produces, especially the colors. It's the camera I use when I'm in "pure photography" mode (because there are people who don't know that this camera can't make video). Sometimes I think about trading the Df for the Nikon Zf, but if I dedicated the Zf to pure photography I don't need all those impressive video capabilities and features that the Zf offers. For hybrid cameras I prefer the Lumix... I don't know...

But thank you for telling us your story, it is always interesting to take a journey in the lives of photographic colleagues
 
I still need to get fully accustomed to the PASM control philosophy, which has never been my favourite way of operating a camera,

Best regards to everyone,
Alberto

Specially the "A" (Aperture control) is an often used setting by me. As I always want control over the used depth of field.
(Often using full wide open, or just nearly open, to have a small DOF, for separation of a subject from the background).

And the "M" (Manual) setting, for Aperture + Exposure Time, but in combination by the Auto ISO setting.
So I still have a kind of semi auto exposure configuration.
 
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