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Panasonic Lumix S1R for sport?

dirk

dirk

LMF-Founder
Administrator
Hi,

I normally use either my MFT system (G9 or Olympus EM1iii) or my S5ii for sport photography (field hockey).

I use single AF Point and depending on the zoom I use AFC or AFS, Jpeg only and at 7-9fps mechanical shutter.

But very often I need to crop because I am too far away. There is not a lot of flexibility for cropping with 20MP/ 24MP. This is why I thought about the S1R.

Has anybody experience with the Lumix S1R for sport photography like soccer, hockey or basket ball outdoors?

My benchmark would be the Lumix S5 (not Mk2) or G9. Both have DFD only.
 
I have both an S5 and an S1R, and have used them both for wildlife & birds with lenses like the Sigma 100-400 and 150-600. I would say that there is little to no difference in the "hit rate" I get from either camera. They perform about the same from an AF perspective, and so I almost always use the S1R to get the crop.

The one situation where I reach for the S5 over the S1R is if the ISO needed is 6400 or above.
 
This is interesting. It seems that the Lumix S1R has a faster burst speed than the Lumix S5 although it has more MP.

Lumix S5

AFS/MF: H: 7 frames/sec, M: 5 frames/sec (with Live View), L: 2 frames/sec (with Live View)
AFC: H: 5 frames/sec (with Live View), M: 5 frames/sec (with Live View), L: 2 frames/sec (with Live View)

Lumix S1R

AFS/MF: H: 9 frames/sec, M: 5 frames/sec (with Live View), L: 2 frames/sec (with Live View)
AFC: H: 6 frames/sec (with Live View), M: 5 frames/sec (with Live View), L: 2 frames/sec (with Live View)

Only the S5ii can match the S1R in AFS and has 1 frame more in AFC.

Lumix S5ii

H: 9 frames/sec (AFS/MF), 7 frames/sec (AFC) (with Live View)
M: 5 frames/sec (AFS/MF) (with Live View), 5 frames/sec (AFC) (with Live View)
L: 2 frames/sec (AFS/AFC/MF) (with Live View)


Obviously the Lumix G9 and the Olympus E-M1 Mkiii are even better

Lumix G9

AFS/MF: H: 12 frames/sec, M: 7 frames/sec (with Live View), L: 2 frames/sec (with Live View) *When H-ES12060 is used.
AFF/AFC: H: 9 frames/sec (with Live View), M: 7 frames/sec (with Live View), L: 2 frames/sec (with Live View) *When H-ES12060 is used.


Olympus E-M1 Mkiii

AFS: 15 frames/sec
AFC: 10 frames/sec

But this is an interesting result for the S1R with fullframe and almost double the MP vs. the Lumix S5
 
BTW, the S5 & S1R offer similar buffer performance - which is to say, if I set them side-by-side and shoot in high-speed burst mode (MF to get maximum frame rate) they both fill their buffers in about the same amount of time. However, given the incrementally faster shooting rate of the S1R, that should mean that it gets a few more shots in before things start slowing down.

Also, the time required to clear the buffer is similar, even when using a CFExpress card in the S1R (and a Lexar 1667x card in the S5). It's too bad that the S1* bodies don't really take advantage of the speed advantage of the CFE cards.
 
I really have to think about this option. But the S1R is still very expensive second hand. I would have to sell gear for it to finance it, since the S1R would then be used only for this indiviudal use case. 46MP is too much for me for normal photography and the body is for my personal taste too big for travel/vacation with the family. I would always use the S5ii instead.
 
Perhaps you are better off putting the money & weight into a longer lens? Not sure what you are using now, but if you are not using 500mm+, I'd just get a long lens and put it on that S5II. But I realize that's even more weight than the S1R.
 
GeorgeHudetz said:
Perhaps you are better off putting the money & weight into a longer lens? Not sure what you are using now, but if you are not using 500mm+, I'd just get a long lens and put it on that S5II. But I realize that's even more weight than the S1R.
Click to expand...

I have the Sigma 100-400 already. But depening on where I am allowed to stand, even this is not long enough sometimes. Longer lenses are too heavy. The 100-400 is already the maximum I would tolerate.

The other problem ist that the longer zooms start only at 150mm or even more. Then I can not photograpg the kids when they are close to me. 100mm is already not perfect. 70mm would be better. But you can not have it all. Life is a compromise :)

If a successor of the S1R would come in spring, the second hand prices would probably drop significantly. That would be good for me. Or I sell my Lumix S9 to finance it. Have to think about it...
 
Hi Dirk,
That is the reason why I still use MFT and L-mount both. MFT is used for travel and action, L-mount for studio and everything where I don‘t have to carry the equipment for long :)
What about a longer lens for your MFT?
 
RBecker said:
Hi Dirk,
That is the reason why I still use MFT and L-mount both. MFT is used for travel and action,
Click to expand...

Same for me.


RBecker said:
What about a longer lens for your MFT?
Click to expand...

I have already several up to 400mm. But still cropping is king. You can not be always fast enough with a zoom.
 
S5ii 30fps electronic, use it if you have to, rolling shutter may not matter depending on situation but onviously can do.

I hated the racing cycling photography the past lot of years with the bendy spokes with them using electronic shutter but now global shutters and high speed stacked put that to bed.

Bottom line is I'll use 30fps if I need it, better than not nailing it or no photo.
 
With field hockey you will have very often problems with rolling shutter. You can see it easily with strange looking hockey sticks :)

Mechanical shutter is a must. No, I think I will have to wait for a cheap S1R next year.

The outdoor season is finished now. Only 1 week left. After that they play indoors. I do not like to shoot indoor photos because the halls are tiny, light is horrible and the background is looking always ugly. So I have time until after eastern 2025 when the outdoor season starts again to look for a bargain or see what else will be released.

I have this wonderful Sigma 100-400 and this paired with the cropping capabilities of the S1R would be really cool.
 
dirk said:
Mechanical shutter is a must. No, I think I will have to wait for a cheap S1R next year.
Click to expand...
Yip it is but S1R isn't the camera for sports, yet I seen great skateboard photography done with Leica SL2S and Lumix 24-105 f4 but god knows his hit rate.

It largely depends on your skills also. TBH I haven't yet tried my S5ii for sports or fast action but surely the detection/tracking in it is better? This is something I must rectify and give a valid opinion on.

I haven't even delved into the AF sensitivity settings, I wish it just did the best job out of the box. The amount of options do my head in and it'll be a long learning curve of trial and error with these. It should and can be a simpler process but maybe it'll happen with updates. I believe it is easier with Canon from talking to my neighbour who hates options and is non-technical.

At least with S5ii L2 chip there is a possibility whereas S1R will not, what it is is now is that, no updates. Saying that the L2 processor could be nothing special and obsolete, nobody knows anything about it.
 
I never use Tracking. Even not AFC.

Field hockey is a sport with unpredictable movements. Similar to socker but faster. You have to have a Nikon Z9 if you want to rely on AF algorithms.

I use AFS, high fps, 1/1000s, ISO Auto, manual mode.

If you know the sport, the strategies and the movements, you kind of know which options the player has to go. I only need 1-2 seconds of a movement. With AFC you are risking that the AF catches another hockey stick or another hand or head and goes back and forth.
 
I don't do a lot of action photography, but I think it's fair to say that you can get decent shots with practically any camera, if you are prepared to use tricks to work around the camera's limitations. Hell, you can even get shots with MF using pre-focus. But of course to get a decent hit rate you need good CAF. I don't think the CDAF in the S1 and S5 is that bad, but it's not as good as the PDAF in the S5ii for sure. I think for sport, you could get some decent results with an S1R. The proof of the pudding of course is in the eating!!
 
pdk42 said:
The proof of the pudding of course is in the eating!!
Click to expand...

Yes. But unfortunately the price of the pudding is too high atm for me. Have to wait a couple of months, sell some stuff and hope that the Leica Q3 43 does not satisfy me to be able to sell it again with no regrets.... and.... then fund other gear. Do not tell the last part to my wife... Teufel Grinsend Schwanz
 
dirk said:
Yes. But unfortunately the price of the pudding is too high atm for me. Have to wait a couple of months, sell some stuff and hope that the Leica Q3 43 does not satisfy me to be able to sell it again with no regrets.... and.... then fund other gear. Do not tell the last part to my wife... Teufel Grinsend Schwanz
Click to expand...
We can’t take our cash with us! YOLO
 
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