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Lumix S1Rii from the perspective of a S5ii owner

dirk

dirk

LMF-Founder
Administrator
Since the announcement of the Lumix S1Rii, I am thinking back and forth whether it could be the right camera/upgrade for me as a Lumix S5ii owner.

As some of you might know, I do mainly family, street, travel and people photography as a hobbyist. Sometimes sport for my kids (field hockey).

I do not do video with my S5ii.

Everyone has different use cases for his photography. This is why I made a list of features in my S5ii, which I would value if they would be improved in a new camera. Not a comparison of all features. Only the few features on my S5ii, which I would like to be "better" for my use cases.

I compared the specs and what we know from reviews of the Lumix S1Rii vs. my Lumix S5ii. This is the result. Maybe this helps also others in their decision making process:

S1Rii vs. S5ii.

0,5 or 1= advantage S1Rii vs. S5ii
0 = equal
-0,5 or -1 = disadvantage S1Rii vs. S5ii

(criterias are in order of importance for me)

size 0
weight -0,5
dynamic range 0
high ISO 0
noise 0

AF fields 0
AF speed ?
AF tracking reliability ?

more MP for cropping in combination with pixel binning 1

more MP for cropping without pixel binning -1

tilting screen 1
fps mechanical 0
EVF 0,5

As you can see, the S5ii is not missing many things I would like to get improved. Some features I do not value very much for my use cases. This makes it hard for the Lumix S1Rii to beat the Lumix S5ii really. if there is only a 0.5 difference, it does not count really. It is then more a "nice to have" improvement, like the EVF. With fps it does not matter whether it is 1fps more or less, once you pass 7-8fps.

It seems like that the Lumix S1Rii has no "real" pixel binning, for sure not in RAW. Therefore mor MP are more likely negative for me.

We do not know yet, whether the AF of the Lumix S1Rii is really better than the AF in the Lumix S5ii. My guess is not. They have the same number of fields etc. But time will tell.

At the moment it looks like that I would have to pay 3.600€ for a tilting screen and slightly better EVF resolution. That does not make sense for me.

My conclusion at the moment with the information I have access to as of today is that I will not "upgrade" and rather wait what else will come this year or buy just new lenses, if the ones I pray for come this year at all. Z02 Banned1
 
Thx for sharing. I look at it same way. I have a s5iix and earn money with video but s5iix is good enough. Lowlight not improved, no internal braw. 4kp120 would be very nice to have, would have used it some projects ago. I would love the flippy screen, but no dealbreaker to not have it.
 
JohnnyMauser said:
Lowlight not improved,
Click to expand...

To be fair, low light is improved, because you have now the same low light perfomance with 44MP as with 24MP. That is an improvement, but does not help, if you do not need the 44MP. :cool:

It might be interesting to watch, what a future 24 MP Lumix camera might bring on low light improvements, if one comes at all in 2025/2026.
 
dirk said:
At the moment it looks like that I would have to pay 3.600€ for a tilting screen and slightly better EVF resolution. That does not make sense for me.
Click to expand...
I've watched a lot of the reviews and was starting to feel the GAS about the S1RII. Z04 Smileys26

But in all honesty, the two things you've identified are really the only things I'd like to have, i.e. a tilting LCD (I've never been a fan of the flippy screen) and a higher-res EVF. Having more megapixels to enable some heavier cropping would be nice but not a big deal.

The downside (aside from the cost) is having bigger file sizes to deal with and maybe needing to upgrade my computer.

So I won't be pulling the trigger any time soon. I had great fun with my S5II yesterday, it's almost perfect for me.
 
Dirk,
If you don't shoot video at all, then the advantage is much smaller.
You have listed most of the improvements for photographers, mainly higher resolution and more flexible monitor design and higher res EVF.
But there are still a few more:

Burst speed is 10fps with AFC. for S1RII vs 7fps for S5II
Better image stabilisation (1 stop or so in real world from my experience)
Better AF for tracking and improved subject detection
Constant Preview - M mode half click won't change exposure (this is probably a big one for those who shoot in M mode regularly)
Capture One tether shooting
Lockable Dials and Lock lever
Shutter Close Mechanism
Faster cold startup time
External SSD (for timelapse..etc)
Multiple Exposure Mode
All the new changes but only 50g heavier and virtually same size body.

To be honest, a S5II is fine and good enough for most photographers.
 
I know, my use case is very extreme, because I do not need video at all and even not all features for photography.

I think the Lumix S1Rii would be on my shopping list, if there would be a pixel binning like with the Leica Q3, because then I would have only upside and no downside vs. my S5ii.

I do not use AFC in sport. In AFS the S5ii offers 9fps. As long as I can not see the proove that the AF tracking is significantly better with erratic movements, I have to compare 9 vs 10fps with mechanical shutter.

The Lumix S1Rii is a great camera. But the S5 and S5ii too. That is something we should not forget. That is the reason why it is tough for the S1Rii to beat the S5ii.

Panasonic has with this trio, S5, S5ii/iix and S1Rii the best "bang for the buck" on the market. In each price range and on each feature level. If you do video on a high level with 44+ MP or use anamorphic lenses, the S1Rii is a no-brainer.

Panasonic and L-Mount just need to get it in front of the buyers and show at the same time, how many native lenses we already have.

Maybe I will change my mind in a year with new FW updates, new information regarding AF or the lack of a new, smaller body in LMount.

The S1Rii is still very seductive for me.
 
Pete_W said:
I've watched a lot of the reviews and was starting to feel the GAS about the S1RII. Z04 Smileys26

But in all honesty, the two things you've identified are really the only things I'd like to have, i.e. a tilting LCD (I've never been a fan of the flippy screen) and a higher-res EVF. Having more megapixels to enable some heavier cropping would be nice but not a big deal.

The downside (aside from the cost) is having bigger file sizes to deal with and maybe needing to upgrade my computer.

So I won't be pulling the trigger any time soon. I had great fun with my S5II yesterday, it's almost perfect for me.
Click to expand...
^^^^^^Pretty much me. I don't want to continually deal with big raw files. I think my computer would be fine, & I've got a NAS for storage so that's not the problem, I just don't want to.

I have the S5 original, about the only thing I can think of that would be handy is the Autofocus, and that would be in the future if Panasonic completely removed DFD support for any new lenses. I'm guessing my current adapted EF lenses would probably work better too, but that's no biggie really. I don't do video, so DFD is perfectly fine & useable for me. And I'd like to peer through the EVF, just to see what it's actually like. Maybe if a 24-32MP version ever appears in the future I might be more tempted, but at the moment my S5 works just fine for me :)
 
Richard Wong said:
But there are still a few more:
Click to expand...
Wider range with Hybrid Zoom and Crop Zoom (x1.76)
40 fps with electronic shutter (vs 30 for S5II)
5 custom photo modes (separate from 5 custom video modes)
Separation of photo menu settings from video settings
Larger LCD screen (3.2 inch versus 3.0 inch)
Much higher high resolution mode (x1.76)
 
dirk said:
At the moment it looks like that I would have to pay 3.600€ for a tilting screen and slightly better EVF resolution.
Click to expand...
You could mitigate your GAS a bit with a S1R original... Z04 Breakdance.gif with the same EVF and a tilting screen...

Yes, I know, it is not the same AF, but for landscapes, portraits, product, etc. is still and incredible camera z04 dance00
 
xaviergut said:
You could mitigate your GAS a bit with a S1R original... Z04 Breakdance.gif with the same EVF and a tilting screen...

Yes, I know, it is not the same AF, but for landscapes, portraits, product, etc. is still and incredible camera z04 dance00
Click to expand...
Of course I am joking, if you need a fast camera the S1R OG is not ideal. I still have mine und use it mainly for portraits with the 50mm 1.4. For landscapes too. But I like the size and the shape. I started usig it with manual lenses: Voigtlander and old Nikon glass. It is really a fun camera for slow photography and more "personal" projects.

I need for my job the S5II and the S5IIx because I need two good cameras for video. But the option of the new S1Rii does not sting that much... yet hahahaha :D:D

maybe I really really need 3 good video cameras hahahaha
 
I have the original S5, so the S1Rii has quite a few improvements to me around AF. I shoot mainly landscape and wildlife. For landscape, I don't think the S1Rii brings me much. The increased MP does enable larger printing, but I rarely do this. For wildlife, improved AF is useful although I tend to focus more on wildlife within their environment rather than pure action shots so most of the time I shoot with AFS anyway. The increased MP could be useful as it effectively adds a optional 1.4x TC to the body which can be activated at any time. This converts my 70-300f5.6 into a 70-420f8, or enables greater magnification of close-up subjects (eg butterflies). I don't have the Sigma 500f5.6 yet, but if combined with the S1Rii, the additional cropability would convert it in pesudo-zoom of 500f5.6-700f8. Of course with the Sigma I could purchase a real 1.4x TC, but this costs almost £400 and I am then faced with the annoyance of having to keep adding/removing it depending on the shot.

Overall the S1Rii is an attractive upgrade, but at the price I am not sure it is compelling. Happy to wait 6 months and then re-visit the decision
 
xaviergut said:
You could mitigate your GAS a bit with a S1R original... Z04 Breakdance.gif
Click to expand...

too big and heavy. The S5ii size is the maximum I want to have. This is more important for me than MP etc.

Everyone has different criterias. As I said in my first posting, I made that list only for my very individual most important points. That was NOT a list about all differences between the S1Rii and S5ii.
 
Markuswelder said:
What country do you live in? In mine, it's a smashing bargain. If you want that feature set
Click to expand...
Don't get me wrong - in terms of pricing vs its competition it represents extremely good value. However, for me personally, I'm not sure it gives me enough to justify a upgrade from my existing S5. Clearly that is a personal view and it will be different for everyone depending on what they are looking for.
 
Markuswelder said:
I have the S5 original, about the only thing I can think of that would be handy is the Autofocus, and that would be in the future if Panasonic completely removed DFD support for any new lenses. I'm guessing my current adapted EF lenses would probably work better too, but that's no biggie really. I don't do video, so DFD is perfectly fine & useable for me. And I'd like to peer through the EVF, just to see what it's actually like. Maybe if a 24-32MP version ever appears in the future I might be more tempted, but at the moment my S5 works just fine for me :)
Click to expand...
Yes, the S5II's AF was worth the upgrade for me with moving trains. The addition of train detect mode recently was a bonus as it's helped me concentrate more on framing because I'm not having to think about moving the joystick while I shoot. I'm sure DFD will still be supported for years to come in the lenses because the CDAF technology is still in the newer models anyway.

The S5 is a great camera, a bit smaller and lighter and IQ is exceptional.
 
I won’t be replacing or adding to my S5iiX kit anytime soon. I immensely enjoy what I have, and learn something new about it, and photography, every time I use it — which isn’t often enough. Cheers.
 
Richard Wong said:
Dirk,
If you don't shoot video at all, then the advantage is much smaller.
You have listed most of the improvements for photographers, mainly higher resolution and more flexible monitor design and higher res EVF.
But there are still a few more:

Burst speed is 10fps with AFC. for S1RII vs 7fps for S5II
Better image stabilisation (1 stop or so in real world from my experience)
Better AF for tracking and improved subject detection
Constant Preview - M mode half click won't change exposure (this is probably a big one for those who shoot in M mode regularly)
Capture One tether shooting
Lockable Dials and Lock lever
Shutter Close Mechanism
Faster cold startup time
External SSD (for timelapse..etc)
Multiple Exposure Mode
All the new changes but only 50g heavier and virtually same size body.

To be honest, a S5II is fine and good enough for most photographers.
Click to expand...
I was wondering if the AF changes require a faster processor or that they maybe get implanted in the S5ii and S5ii X as well....
I'm not a videographer so I will pass, or if I want higher resolution I might pick up a used S1R. But most of the time when I would want a higher resolution I can use the hand held multiple shot version. The only reason I would want to have a higher resolution sensor is for cropping tele foto's.
 
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