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Nikon brings pro video features to the Z6III and Z8 with its latest firmware update

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nikon-z6iii
Photo: Richard Butler

Nikon has quietly released new firmware for its Z8 and Z6III cameras. These updates bring features previously introduced to the Z9 in December to two more of Nikon's mirrorless bodies. The focus is clearly on video, as all of the firmware changes in version 1.10 for the Z6III and version 2.10 for the Z8 are video-related. They address a range of custom settings and fix a problem with N-Log that has plagued the Z6III since launch.

The standout update for the Z6III is a change for N-Log. Nikon says it has "reduced noise in dark areas of N-Log videos." This should be a welcome change, as some users have reported seeing frustratingly high noise and flickering in the shadows when shooting N-Log. Most have mentioned this issue only crops up when shooting in low-light situations, though some have said it's more widespread. Either way, this firmware update should hopefully solve the situation.

The other most notable change is that both cameras will now have the option to set a shutter angle instead of a shutter speed. Shutter angles are useful for professional videographers who frequently change recording framerates since shutter angles remain consistent, unlike shutter speeds. Like the Z9, the Z6III and Z8 will support 15 steps of shutter angles from 5.6° to 360°.

Outside of shutter angles, the firmware updates include various custom controls and settings. They introduce custom zebra pattern colors, with the option to choose black, gray, red, green, or blue. You can adjust the transparency, size and position of the histogram and wave-form monitor. Hi-Res Zoom is now available when the image area is set to DX.

Nikon also introduced a set of features specific to its 28-135mm f/4 PZ lens, including custom controls, the ability to use power zoom and Hi-Res zoom at once and the ability to load and save zoom position. Plus, users can customize the direction of rotation of the zoom ring and how far it needs to be rotated to go from wide to telephoto. The Z8 also gets the benefit of configurable photo and video modes.

You can download firmware v1.10 for the Z6III and v2.10 for the Z8 as of today.

Venus Optics to unveil several new Laowa lenses at the 2025 CP+ show

At the 2025 CP+ show, Venus Optics will unveil several new Laowa lenses:

  • Laowa 35mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift 1X Macro – the versatile lens offering tilt-shift functionality for precise perspective control, combined with 1:1 macro capabilities for stunning close-up details.
  • Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Wide Angle Macro – the unique ultra-wide macro lens, that allowing photographers to capture immersive close-up perspectives with a dramatic depth of field.
  • Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 Fisheye – the fast, ultra-wide fisheye zoom lens, perfect for dynamic, creative compositions in both photography and videography.
  • Laowa Proteus 2X Anamorphic Zoom Series – the lightest, most compact, and most affordable 2X anamorphic zoom lenses in its class, offering a 3x zoom range across two focal lengths (26-45mm & 45-85mm T2.9).
  • Laowa Ultima 12-120mm T4 8K S35 Broadcast Zoom – the ultra-wide zoom lens featuring an expansive 10X zoom ratio and superior optical performance to meet demanding working condition.
  • Laowa 10mm T2.9 Zero-D FF ML Cine – the widest rectilinear lens with T2.9 and Zero-D feature, designed to be compact and lightweight for enhanced mobility.

Pricing & Availability

The upcoming new lenses showcased at the event will be available later this year. Pricing details will be confirmed closer to the release date. Stay tuned for updates on availability and pricing as we get closer to the launches.

Lens Name Available Mounts:
Laowa 35mm f/2.8 Tilt-Shift 1X Macro Sony E, L mount, Canon RF, Nikon Z, Fujifilm GFX, Hasselblad XCD
Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Wide Angle Macro Canon EF, Canon RF, L mount, Sony E, Nikon Z, Nikon F
Laowa 8-15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Sony E, L mount, Canon RF, Nikon Z, Fujifilm GFX, Hasselblad XCD
Laowa Proteus 2X Anamorphic Zoom Series ARRI PL, Canon EF, Canon RF, Sony E, L mount
Laowa Ultima 12-120mm T4 8K S35 Broadcast Zoom Lens ARRI PL
Laowa 10mm T2.9 Zero-D FF ML Cine ARRI LPL, Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, L mount

The post Venus Optics to unveil several new Laowa lenses at the 2025 CP+ show appeared first on Photo Rumors.

Sony 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G and 16mm f/1.8 G lenses officially announced




The previously rumored Sony 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G (the furthest reaching Sony lens to date) and 16mm f/1.8 G lenses are now officially announced:

Sony 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS Super Telephoto Zoom G Lens

  • The first*1 α series super-telephoto zoom lens to cover the 400 to 800 mm range
  • High resolution and natural bokeh throughout the zoom range
  • Internal zoom for stable handling
  • Fast, precise AF captures even fast-moving subjects
  • High-performance 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters extend the lens’s focal length
  • Durable for tripod-mounted shooting and mount to UNC standard 1/4-20, or 3/8-16 screws
  • Optical SteadyShot™ stabilization, with mode switch
  • New lens hood designed with a lock button and filter opening
  • Dust and moisture resistance*6 plus high durability
  • Minimal focus breathing for movies

Extended Reach, Bokeh, and Autofocus

As the newest addition to our G lens lineup, the 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS is designed for exceptional performance and consistency, even while extended to the furthest focal length. It is the first Alpha lens to offer a super-telephoto range of 400mm to 800mm, delivering unparalleled reach for the Sony Alpha full-frame system. For applications such as birding photography, the 400mm to 800mm zoom range allows photographers to locate subjects at the wide 400mm end before zooming in up to 800mm for tight, detailed shots. For those who need even more reach, the 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS is compatible with the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters2, extending its range up to a staggering 1600mm.

An internal zoom mechanism maintains a balanced length and weight distribution while adjusting focal lengths—enhancing stability and handling. A smooth, responsive zoom ring allows for precise adjustments, while a carefully designed structure helps prevent accidental focal length shifts. In addition, this lens’ zoom ring features a short rotation throw which enables quick zoom adjustments essential for tracking fast-moving subjects in birding, wildlife, and sports photography.

The 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS is designed for exceptional optical performance, featuring an 11-blade circular aperture that produces beautifully smooth, creamy backgrounds with stunning bokeh when shooting at a narrow depth of field. Six ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements effectively minimize chromatic aberration, while advanced coatings suppress flare and ghosting, ensuring crisp, high-contrast images even in backlit conditions.

For fast, precise focusing, the lens is equipped with two precision linear motors, enabling seamless tracking that keeps up with the Alpha 9 III’s 120 fps3 maximum burst speed and up to 240 fps in video4. Its quiet operation, focus range switch, and suppressed focus breathing allow for enhanced control and make this lens an excellent choice for both photo and video use.

Enhanced Stability, Control, and Durability

The 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS delivers solid support for both handheld and tripod-mounted shooting. Its built-in Optical SteadyShot™ (OSS) image stabilization minimizes shake-induced blur, and when paired with an Alpha camera body featuring in-body stabilization, stability is further enhanced. Durable construction, optimized balance, and a non-removable foot maximize reliability and performance. For tripod use, the tripod mount foot allows quick rotation between horizontal and vertical orientations, offering versatility for various shooting scenarios.

Designed for high-level control and reliability, the lens features three customizable focus hold buttons positioned at 90° increments for easy access in any orientation. Full-time Direct Manual Focus (DMF) automatically engages manual focus when the focus ring is adjusted, allowing for seamless fine-tuning. The redesigned lens hood includes a lock button and filter opening, ensuring effortless operation in any environment.

Additionally, the dust- and moisture-resistant5 design enhances durability, while a fluorine-coated front element repels contaminants for easier cleaning.

Sony 16mm F1.8 G Full-Frame Ultra-Wide Prime Lens

  • 16 mm ultra-wide G Lens™ with a stunning blend of high resolution and beautiful bokeh at F1.8
  • Two AA (Advanced Aspherical) lens minimize field curvature and astigmatism for stunning resolution
  • Minimum focus distance: 0.15 m (0.5ft) (AF)/0.13 m (0.43ft) (MF)
  • Compact and lightweight design of approx. 304 g (10.8 oz.)
  • Two XD linear motors for fast, precise, quiet autofocus that supports high-level imaging
  • Minimized focus breathing, refined, stable performance for movies
  • Front filter can be attached (filter diameter φ67 mm)
  • Both a click ON/OFF switch and an iris lock switch for quick, flexible aperture control
  • A dust and moisture resistant design

Ultra-Wide Performance with Stunning Bokeh

The 16mm F1.8 G is engineered for breathtaking, dynamic perspectives with an ultra-wide 16mm focal length. Its advanced optical construction includes two AA (Advanced Aspherical) elements to ensure razor-sharp resolution across all apertures. A combination of one Super ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass element and three ED elements effectively suppresses chromatic aberration, delivering edge-to-edge clarity. Additionally, Sony’s optimized coating minimizes flare and ghosting, resulting in stunning image quality even in challenging lighting conditions.

With a bright F1.8 maximum aperture and an 11-blade circular diaphragm, the 16mm F1.8 G produces beautiful, creamy bokeh that enhances subject separation. Its impressive close-up performance allows for a minimum focus distance of just 0.5 ft (0.15 m) with autofocus and a maximum magnification of 0.25x. When using manual focus, these values improve up to 0.43 ft (0.13 m) and 0.30x, enabling unique wide-angle compositions with extraordinary depth.

Powerful Performance in a Compact Form

Through advanced optical engineering, including Sony’s high-precision AA lens elements, the 16mm F1.8 G maintains ultra-wide capabilities in an impressively compact and portable form factor. Measuring just 3 x 3 in (73.8 x 75 mm) and weighing approximately 10.8 oz (304 g), it offers exceptional mobility without compromising image quality. Designed for professionals on the go, this lens excels in capturing expansive landscapes and intricate architectural compositions with precision and clarity.

Fast and Accurate Autofocus

Equipped with two XD (Extreme Dynamic) linear motors, the 16mm F1.8 G delivers rapid, precise autofocus with remarkable tracking performance. A newly developed control algorithm enhances responsiveness while reducing delay and vibration, ensuring smooth, near-silent operation. This makes it an exceptional choice for both stills and video, especially when capturing fast-moving subjects.

Optimized for Stable Video

Designed with videographers in mind, the 16mm F1.8 G minimizes focus breathing for seamless focus transitions. It fully supports the breathing compensation function1 available in compatible Sony Alpha camera bodies and pairs effortlessly with in-body Active Mode2 image stabilization to ensure steady footage, even while shooting handheld or on the move. The lens also features a standard 67mm front filter thread, making it easy to integrate with a wide range of filter accessories. The compact design3 is ideal for gimbal use.

Intuitive Controls and Reliable Build

The 16mm F1.8 G offers comprehensive manual controls, including a responsive focus ring, customizable focus hold button, focus mode switch, aperture ring, and iris lock switch. The aperture ring allows for tactile exposure adjustments, while the click ON/OFF switch enhances flexibility for both photography and video applications. Built to ensure durability and reliability in challenging environments, the 16mm F1.8 G features a dust- and moisture-resistant design and a fluorine-coated front element.

The post Sony 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G and 16mm f/1.8 G lenses officially announced appeared first on Photo Rumors.

A practical ultra-wide: Sony's new 16mm F1.8 prime

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ILCE-7RM5 SEL16F18G  DSC06474
Image: Sony

Sony has announced the FE 16mm F1.8 G, a new ultra-wide, fast prime for full-frame E-mount cameras. The company's lineup hasn't exactly been short of wide-angle options, but Sony is pitching this as a happy medium between its existing 14mm and 20mm F1.8 options for those interested in videography, landscapes and more.

The 16mm F1.8 is comprised of 15 elements in 12 groups, with 2 aspherical lenses and 3 ED elements. Its aperture has 11 blades, which Sony says should provide smooth, circular bokeh. It can focus on subjects at as close as 0.15m (5.9") away.

The 16mm F1.8 packs several features into a relatively compact body

At 304g, it's relatively lightweight, and it packs several features into a relatively compact body. The lens is 75mm long and has an aperture ring that can be locked and set to either clicked or clickless mode, as well as a customizable focus hold button. It accepts 67mm filters. The body is weather-sealed, and the front element has a fluorine coating to repel dirt, oils and water. Autofocus duties are handled by a pair of linear motors, and the lens is compatible with the a9 III's 120fps mode.

Sony-16mm-f1p8-g
Image: Sony

Sony says its new lens will be more practical than the wider 14mm GM model, as it's much more affordable, weighs 156g (5.5oz) less and doesn't have a bulbous front element that prevents you from using screw-on filters. While the 16mm is similar in price to the 20mm model, its field of view gives you a bit more room when shooting large or close-up subjects or vlogging. Sony also says the 16mm will be much better than the 20mm when it comes to focus breathing, which could be a selling point for videographers.

The FE 16mm F1.8 G will cost $800 and will be available starting in April.

We were able to spend some time with a pre-production copy of the lens and put together a sample gallery, which you can see below.

DPReview sample gallery

Sample gallery
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Press Release:

Sony Electronics Launches the Ultra-Wide 16mm F1.8 G Full-Frame Prime Lens

Compact and Lightweight Design Meets Exceptional Optical Performance

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 26, 2025 - Sony Electronics introduces the 16mm F1.8 G (SEL16F18G), a full-frame E-Mount lens that combines an ultra-wide 16mm focal length with a compact, lightweight build. Delivering high-resolution image quality, smooth bokeh, precise autofocus, and a bright F1.8 aperture, this lens is ideal in a variety of photo and video scenarios including landscapes, architecture, astrophotography, and more.

"At Sony, we are committed to providing creators of all levels with a diverse range of lens options to meet their artistic and technical needs,” said Yang Cheng, Vice President of Imaging Solutions, Sony Electronics Inc. “The 16mm F1.8 G is now the widest prime lens in our G lens lineup and pairs seamlessly with all our latest full-frame Alpha series cameras, as well as the FX3 and FX30 cinema cameras. With 79 E-Mount lenses now available, we are continuing our mission to ensure photographers, filmmakers, and creators have a breadth of high-performing lens options to bring their visions to life."

Ultra-Wide Performance with Stunning Bokeh

The 16mm F1.8 G is engineered for breathtaking, dynamic perspectives with an ultra-wide 16mm focal length. Its advanced optical construction includes two AA (Advanced Aspherical) elements to ensure razor-sharp resolution across all apertures. A combination of one Super ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass element and three ED elements effectively suppresses chromatic aberration, delivering edge-to-edge clarity. Additionally, Sony’s optimized coating minimizes flare and ghosting, resulting in stunning image quality even in challenging lighting conditions.

With a bright F1.8 maximum aperture and an 11-blade circular diaphragm, the 16mm F1.8 G produces beautiful, creamy bokeh that enhances subject separation. Its impressive close-up performance allows for a minimum focus distance of just 0.5 ft (0.15 m) with autofocus and a maximum magnification of 0.25x. When using manual focus, these values improve up to 0.43 ft (0.13 m) and 0.30x, enabling unique wide-angle compositions with extraordinary depth.

Powerful Performance in a Compact Form

Through advanced optical engineering, including Sony’s high-precision AA lens elements, the 16mm F1.8 G maintains ultra-wide capabilities in an impressively compact and portable form factor. Measuring just 3 x 3 in (73.8 x 75 mm) and weighing approximately 10.8 oz (304 g), it offers exceptional mobility without compromising image quality. Designed for professionals on the go, this lens excels in capturing expansive landscapes and intricate architectural compositions with precision and clarity.

Fast and Accurate Autofocus

Equipped with two XD (Extreme Dynamic) linear motors, the 16mm F1.8 G delivers rapid, precise autofocus with remarkable tracking performance. A newly developed control algorithm enhances responsiveness while reducing delay and vibration, ensuring smooth, near-silent operation. This makes it an exceptional choice for both stills and video, especially when capturing fast-moving subjects.

Optimized for Stable Video

Designed with videographers in mind, the 16mm F1.8 G minimizes focus breathing for seamless focus transitions. It fully supports the breathing compensation function1 available in compatible Sony Alpha camera bodies and pairs effortlessly with in-body Active Mode2 image stabilization to ensure steady footage, even while shooting handheld or on the move. The lens also features a standard 67mm front filter thread, making it easy to integrate with a wide range of filter accessories. The compact design3 is ideal for gimbal use.

Intuitive Controls and Reliable Build

The 16mm F1.8 G offers comprehensive manual controls, including a responsive focus ring, customizable focus hold button, focus mode switch, aperture ring, and iris lock switch. The aperture ring allows for tactile exposure adjustments, while the click ON/OFF switch enhances flexibility for both photography and video applications. Built to ensure durability and reliability in challenging environments, the 16mm F1.8 G features a dust- and moisture-resistant design and a fluorine-coated front element.

Pricing and Availability

The 16mm F1.8 G will be available in April 2025 for approximately $799.99 USD and $1099.99 CAD. It will be sold directly through Sony and at a variety of Sony’s authorized dealers throughout North America.

A product video on the new 16mm F1.8 G can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/04fkjfK1tbQ

For detailed product information about the 16mm F1.8 G please visit: https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/lenses/full-frame-e-mount/p/sel16f18g

1 Camera compatibility info at: https://www.sony.net/dics/breathing/

Not available when shooting stills. Angle of view and image quality may change slightly when this function is [ON]. Effective compensation may not be achieved in all situations.

2 Compatible models only

3 Not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof

Sony FE 16mm F1.8 G Specifications:

Principal specifications
Lens typePrime lens
Max Format size35mm FF
Focal length16 mm
Image stabilizationNo
Lens mountSony E, Sony FE
Aperture
Maximum apertureF1.8
Minimum apertureF22
Number of diaphragm blades11
Optics
Elements15
Groups12
Special elements / coatings2 asph, 3 ED, flourine coating
Focus
Minimum focus0.13 m (5.12)
Maximum magnification0.3×
AutofocusYes
Motor typeLinear Motor
Focus methodInternal
Distance scaleNo
DoF scaleNo
Physical
Weight304 g (0.67 lb)
Diameter74 mm (2.91)
Length75 mm (2.95)
SealingYes
ColourBlack
Filter thread67 mm
Hood suppliedYes
Tripod collarNo

Sony's 400-800mm super-telephoto is built for maximum reach

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Sony-400-800mm-g
Image:Sony

Sony has announced the FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G, the company's new furthest-reaching super-telephoto zoom for full-frame cameras.

It's made of 27 elements in 19 groups, with 6 ED elements, and has an 11-blade aperture. At 400mm, its minimum focusing distance is 1.7m (5' 7"), which goes up to 3.5m (11' 6") at 800mm. It's also compatible with Sony's 1.4x and 2x optical teleconverters, which can give you up to 1600mm of reach at the cost of 2EV of light.

The lens weighs 2475g (4.66lb) and accepts 105mm filters. It's weather-sealed and has a fluorine coating on the front element. It has three customizable buttons as well as a variety of switches to control focus mode, its focus limiter and optical image stabilization. Its zoom mechanism is internal, and Sony says its weight distribution puts the center of gravity over the integrated tripod foot.

The 400-800mm is compatible with the 120fps burst mode on Sony's a9 III, and its autofocus is handled by two linear motors.

Sony says the lens is meant for wildlife and sports shooters who need a bit more reach than its 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 or 600mm F4 lenses can provide. It will be available in March, at a retail price of $2900.

Manufacturer samples

Sample gallery
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Photos provided by Sony

Press Release:

Sony Electronics Unveils Specialty 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS Super Telephoto Zoom G Lens: The Furthest Reaching Sony Lens To Date

Full-Frame E-Mount Lens Designed for Birding, Wildlife, and Sports Professionals

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 26, 2025 - Sony Electronics introduces the 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS (SEL400800G), its longest-range full-frame E-Mount lens to date1, setting a new benchmark in focal length reach for the Sony mirrorless system. The Sony E-Mount lens lineup previously peaked at 600mm, but the 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS extends the focal length to an incredible 800mm for specialty shooting. The additional reach is especially beneficial for birding, wildlife, aerial, and sports photographers seeking long-range lens capabilities.

The 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS is designed to provide exceptional image quality and lens control across the entire ultra telephoto zoom range. Its internal zoom mechanism ensures stable handling, while its advanced optical design delivers creamy bokeh and sharp, detailed images. With a fast and accurate autofocus system combined with a durable, versatile build, this lens is a powerful tool ideal for both photographers and videographers documenting far away subjects.

"At Sony, we are dedicated to equipping photographers and videographers with the tools they need to push creative boundaries. The 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS is a testament to this commitment, delivering unparalleled reach and reliability as a super telephoto within the G Series lens line-up,” said Yang Cheng, Vice President of Imaging Solutions, Sony Electronics Inc. “By continually expanding our lens offerings, we ensure that Sony mirrorless users have the specialized gear to capture stunning imagery in even the most challenging environments."

Extended Reach, Bokeh, and Autofocus

As the newest addition to our G lens lineup, the 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS is designed for exceptional performance and consistency, even while extended to the furthest focal length. It is the first Alpha lens to offer a super-telephoto range of 400mm to 800mm, delivering unparalleled reach for the Sony Alpha full-frame system. For applications such as birding photography, the 400mm to 800mm zoom range allows photographers to locate subjects at the wide 400mm end before zooming in up to 800mm for tight, detailed shots. For those who need even more reach, the 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS is compatible with the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters2, extending its range up to a staggering 1600mm.

An internal zoom mechanism maintains a balanced length and weight distribution while adjusting focal lengths—enhancing stability and handling. A smooth, responsive zoom ring allows for precise adjustments, while a carefully designed structure helps prevent accidental focal length shifts. In addition, this lens’ zoom ring features a short rotation throw which enables quick zoom adjustments essential for tracking fast-moving subjects in birding, wildlife, and sports photography.

The 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS is designed for exceptional optical performance, featuring an 11-blade circular aperture that produces beautifully smooth, creamy backgrounds with stunning bokeh when shooting at a narrow depth of field. Six ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements effectively minimize chromatic aberration, while advanced coatings suppress flare and ghosting, ensuring crisp, high-contrast images even in backlit conditions.

For fast, precise focusing, the lens is equipped with two precision linear motors, enabling seamless tracking that keeps up with the Alpha 9 III’s 120 fps3 maximum burst speed and up to 240 fps in video4. Its quiet operation, focus range switch, and suppressed focus breathing allow for enhanced control and make this lens an excellent choice for both photo and video use.

Enhanced Stability, Control, and Durability

The 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS delivers solid support for both handheld and tripod-mounted shooting. Its built-in Optical SteadyShot™ (OSS) image stabilization minimizes shake-induced blur, and when paired with an Alpha camera body featuring in-body stabilization, stability is further enhanced. Durable construction, optimized balance, and a non-removable foot maximize reliability and performance. For tripod use, the tripod mount foot allows quick rotation between horizontal and vertical orientations, offering versatility for various shooting scenarios.

Designed for high-level control and reliability, the lens features three customizable focus hold buttons positioned at 90° increments for easy access in any orientation. Full-time Direct Manual Focus (DMF) automatically engages manual focus when the focus ring is adjusted, allowing for seamless fine-tuning. The redesigned lens hood includes a lock button and filter opening, ensuring effortless operation in any environment.

Additionally, the dust- and moisture-resistant5 design enhances durability, while a fluorine-coated front element repels contaminants for easier cleaning.

Pricing and Availability

The 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS will be available in March 2025 for approximately $2,899.99 USD and $4,099.99 CAD. It will be sold directly through Sony and at a variety of Sony’s authorized dealers throughout North America.

A product video on the new 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/P7om9s8E6Fk

For detailed product information about the 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS please visit: https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/lenses/full-frame-e-mount/p/sel400800g

Exclusive stories and exciting new content shot with the new 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS and Sony's other imaging products can be found at www.alphauniverse.com, a site created to inform, educate, and inspire content creators.

1 As of the February 2025 product announcement

2 Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter SEL14TC Lens and 2x Teleconverter SEL20TC Lens

3 Sony test conditions. Maximum continuous shooting speed may be lower in some conditions. Continuous shooting speed may vary in the AF-C focus mode.

4 Functional compatibility may vary depending on the camera used.

5 Not guaranteed to be 100% dust and moisture proof

Sony FE 400-800m F6.3-8 G Specifications:

Principal specifications
Lens typeZoom lens
Max Format size35mm FF
Focal length400–800 mm
Lens mountSony E, Sony FE
Aperture
Maximum apertureF6.3–8
Aperture ringYes
Number of diaphragm blades11
Optics
Elements27
Groups19
Special elements / coatings6 ED, flourine coating
Focus
Minimum focus1.70 m (66.93)
Maximum magnification0.23×
AutofocusYes
Motor typeLinear Motor
Focus methodInternal
Distance scaleNo
DoF scaleNo
Focus distance limiter10m - near, Infinity - 8m
Physical
Weight2475 g (5.46 lb)
Diameter120 mm (4.72)
Length346 mm (13.62)
MaterialsPlastic
SealingYes
ColourWhite
Zoom methodRotary (internal)
Power zoomNo
Hood suppliedYes
Tripod collarYes

The new Canon PowerShot V1 and two other compact cameras will be in short supply


Canon issued a notice that the new PowerShot V1 and two other compact cameras will be in short supply:

Apologies and information regarding product supply status

Thank you for your continued patronage of Canon products.

We are currently receiving more orders than expected for the following products, which is causing delays in delivery. We sincerely apologize to our customers and business partners for the inconvenience caused. We would like
to apologize again for keeping our eagerly awaiting customers waiting for these products. We will continue to take measures to ensure a stable supply of products so that we can deliver them as soon as possible. We appreciate your understanding.

Product name (model number) Availability
PowerShot V1 We plan to ship the products one by one, but delivery may take longer than usual.
PowerShot G7X Mark III We plan to ship the products one by one, but we are currently suspending orders. We will inform you of the resumption of orders and delivery dates as soon as we have a clear idea of ​​when the products will be shipped.
PowerShot SX740HS We plan to ship the products one by one, but we are currently suspending orders. We will inform you of the resumption of orders and delivery dates as soon as we have a clear idea of ​​when the products will be shipped.

Canon PowerShot V1 compact camera additional information

Canon PowerShot V1 compact camera officially announced

The post The new Canon PowerShot V1 and two other compact cameras will be in short supply appeared first on Photo Rumors.

5DayDeal Landscape Photography Bundle 2025


The new 2025 5DayDeal Landscape Photography Bundle will officially go on sale in a few days. The corresponding $10,000 prelaunch giveaway is already live online. Here is the prize list:

  • Mylio Concierge Plan (includes 3 hours with a professional photo manager)
  • Mylio Family Plan
  • Evoto Al 3600 credit Professional Plan
  • Suprise Photography Bundle Resource
  • Nikon Z50 Mirrorless Camera Bundle
  • Canon EOS R100 Mirrorless Camera Bundle
  • DJI Flip

Stay tuned for updates and additional information next week

The post 5DayDeal Landscape Photography Bundle 2025 appeared first on Photo Rumors.

Canon celebrates 22nd consecutive year of No. 1 share of global interchangeable lens digital camera market


Canon celebrates 22nd consecutive year of No. 1 share of global interchangeable lens digital camera market:


MELVILLE, N.Y., - February 24, 2025 — Canon U.S.A., Inc. today announced that its parent company, Canon Inc. is celebrating that the company’s interchangeable-lens digital cameras (digital SLR and mirrorless cameras) have maintained the No. 1 share1 of the global market for 22 consecutive years from 2003 to 2024.

Canon’s EOS series of interchangeable lens digital cameras is an imaging system based on the basic concept of “Speed, Comfort, and High Image Quality,” for which the company has developed proprietary key components, including CMOS image sensors, the DIGIC image processors, and interchangeable lenses. Putting together a wide-ranging product lineup—from high-performance flagship models that are highly trusted by professionals to entry-level models that allow users to enjoy full-scale shooting with easy operation, as well as a rich selection of over 1202 RF and EF series lenses that make possible a wealth of creative expression—Canon continues to support the diverse needs of customers.

Throughout its 22-year history, the EOS series has led the market with a range of outstanding models. During the dawn of digital SLR cameras, Canon introduced its breakthrough EOS Kiss Digital (EOS Digital Rebel or EOS 300D in other regions) in September 2003. By launching this groundbreaking camera, which was competitively priced and featured a compact, lightweight design, Canon spurred growth in the digital SLR market, capturing the top share of the global market and heralding the age of digital SLR cameras.

Canon has continued to release further innovative cameras by launching the professional-model EOS-1D series and the EOS 5D series, which paved the way for digital SLR video recording. The company’s desire to further expand the boundaries of visual expression led to its next-generation EOS R SYSTEM, launched in October 2018, that includes the full-frame mirrorless camera EOS R5—the first camera to feature 8K video recording3—released in July 2020 and the EOS R3 in November 2021, which features tracking of fast-moving subjects and continuous shooting performance. In addition, it launched the EOS VR SYSTEM, designed to record video for virtual reality content, in December 2021.

In 2024, Canon managed to secure the No. 1 share of the global market once again for the 22nd consecutive year by further enhancing its lineup of EOS R Series cameras and lenses.

For cameras, Canon released the EOS R5 Mark II (August 2024), a full-frame mirrorless camera that combines the capability to cover shooting in a wide range of scenarios with a single camera with mobility, and the EOS R1 (November 2024), the first flagship model of the EOS R SYSTEM. Both models featured the new image processing system “Accelerated Capture” and included diverse video shooting functions accumulated through the CINEMA EOS SYSTEM for achieving high-speed analysis and high-speed shooting.

As for lenses, in 2024 Canon expanded its L-series lineup of large-aperture single-focus lenses, which contribute to full-fledged video production, and added 15 models of RF lenses4, including two types of lenses that facilitate making 3D VR videos to meet the growing demand for video and handle 3D imaging.

Going forward, Canon will continue to refine its proprietary imaging technologies while bringing fulfillment and excitement to people’s daily lives as well as promoting the spread of photo and video culture by providing products, services, and solutions that meet its customers’ diverse needs.

The post Canon celebrates 22nd consecutive year of No. 1 share of global interchangeable lens digital camera market appeared first on Photo Rumors.

Share your thoughts and speculation as we get ready for CP+

CP Plus 2025 logo
Image: CP+

CP+ – the International Camera and Photo Imaging Show – in Yokohama, Japan, is nearly upon us, running from February 27 to March 2. Some of the DPReview team is onsite in Japan and will get a chance to see things in person and chat with brands. If you're curious about our past coverage, you can check out what the team did last year.

This year's show is already gearing up to be quite an event for new releases and announcements in the camera and lens worlds. Even though things haven't officially kicked off yet, we've seen some pre-show surprises, like the Sigma BF, many Sigma lenses and the Panasonic S1RII mirrorless cameras.

What do you think will come next? Visit our forum thread about the show and let us know what you think will get announced this week!

Camera enthusiasts already have a lot of thoughts on Sigma's "radically simple" BF camera

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Simga-bf-with-wood-box
Photo: Sigma

On Monday, Sigma kicked off what looks to be a very busy week in camera news by announcing a new full-frame mirrorless camera called the BF. The company says it's an exercise in "radical simplicity," and the camera features only five buttons and a single dial, integrated storage and a menu system designed to put all your exposure settings at your fingertips.

Given how much of a departure this camera is from the mainstream, it's unsurprising that it's generated a fair bit of conversation among the camera enthusiasts in our forums and in the comments. We thought it'd be interesting to highlight a few to give you an idea of how the community has reacted to this bold new camera.

Read our launch coverage of the Sigma BF

One important caveat: these opinions are entirely the commenters' own and don't necessarily reflect those of DPReview. Once we've had time to review the BF, our thoughts will be in our official review.


"Intriguing"

There are some launches where people see the camera and immediately decide they want it without further questions. That hasn't necessarily been the case with the BF, though the design and interface do seem to make people interested in at least trying one out.

"I'd love to handle one for a day, it looks super interesting," said MJ_Photo38. "Paying $2000 for one though? Hmm. Not sure about that."

Sigma-bf-top-plate
Image: Sigma

SigmaChrome was also unsure about actually buying one – early in the thread, they showed some trepidation. "I'm sure it's a beautifully made piece of engineering but it doesn't seem to have been designed for human photographers. Sharp edges, no grip, not enough controls, no removable storage, only one port, no viewfinder.... This is not a versatile camera. Not for me I'm afraid."

After a bit more time to think about it, though, SigmaChrome seemed a bit more open to the idea. "I'd sure like to have a play with one too. The menu system seems to be nice and simple; Sigma is good at menu design. Maybe shooting with it for a day or two might make me change my mind. You never know... I might fall in love, or a least become infatuated."

ArchiMark, who owns a Sigma fp-L, says the BF "Looks very intriguing.....," and that it "will be interesting to see how it compares, especially in stills" to the company's compact, high-resolution camera.


Too minimal?

Sigma says the BF "cuts out everything that distracts, limits or stifles creativity." As a result, it lacks many of the things you'll find on most other $2000 cameras: there's no mechanical shutter, stabilized sensor, wireless connectivity, hot shoe, viewfinder, memory card slot or tilting screen, and there's only a single 10Gbps USB-C port for I/O.

A fair number of commenters aren't fans of the radical minimalism, with both SigmaChrome and SandyF saying that the camera isn't very versatile. "I see few positive selling points. It's more like what it does not have, rather than positive features," said the latter.

MJ_Photo38 agreed. "To me the BH only makes sense for the few people that want to have a extremely high end build quality, super modern design and UI, etc. This doesn't look like a pragmatic camera decision." Some people, like Jeffry7, were even harsher: "By ruthlessly stripping down the concept of a camera, Sigma has made a far less capable, and far less versatile a device."

Sigma-Bf-back

The BF isn't exactly bursting with controls, and you'll have to compose using the fixed display. However, the company says the UI will provide a "distraction-free view."

Image: Sigma

The lack of a viewfinder seems to be the biggest sticking point, with Tom Schum lamenting: "why oh why did they not put an EVF in the BF? Can we have a BF2, a little bit bigger and with an EVF?" SnowBeard expanded on that thought in a separate thread: "Again, they left off a decent viewfinder - no EVF. The hype about this and some other cameras is 'we strip it down to its simple form so you can focus on the subject and what you want to say'. Maybe so but you still have to view the subject, no viewfinder makes that frustratingly hard. Viewing a 3 inch LCD from 10-12inches away is more like aiming a shotgun. Viewing the scene through an enlarged viewfinder is like being in the scene."

That's not to say that everyone agreed. Some of our members praised the design, with SigmaTog saying "Fantastic idea, wish I was younger, I would take it up immediately," and SandiWay saying that "It is 'beautiful' for sure."


"Beyond Foveon"

Sigma-BF-Sensor

The BF's sensor is a conventional full-frame, 24MP BSI model that we suspect we've seen in several other cameras.

Image: Sigma

The other elephant in the room for the BF is its choice of color filter. Like the vast majority of cameras on the market, it uses a Bayer pattern to capture color. Normally, that wouldn't be notable, except that Sigma has been the flagbearer for Foveon technology, which works completely differently, capturing full-color data across the entire sensor rather than relying on interpolation. The company has said it's working on making a full-frame Foveon sensor – its previous efforts have maxed out with a 476mm² APS-H sensor – but that's not what's in the BF.

Unsurprisingly, this comes as a disappointment for those who have been waiting years for a new Foveon camera. Responding to a joke about "BF" standing for "Beyond Foveon" (we're told it actually stands for "beautiful foolishness"), Heritage Cameras hopes it actually means "Before Foveon."

Roger also bemoaned the choice, saying "I was hoping to see something with a Foveon sensor, but maybe those days are gone." In another thread, Manzur Fahim and Tirpitz666 both cited the lack of Foveon as their reasons for not buying the camera, with the latter stating "No Foveon No Party, will happily continue to use my Merrills and Quattros."


Like a Leica

LeicaTL2.ACR 4
The BF's design reminded several people of the Leica TL2.

Several users said the BF reminded them of something you'd see from Leica, specifically models like the TL, which was also machined out of aluminum, featured a photo-focused interface and did away with things like an electronic viewfinder.

"The entire design reminds me of the Leica TL & TL2," said bs1946. "A handful of simple controls and milled from a solid block of aluminum, even though Sigma claims the BF's milled aluminum block is a first." SaltyDogStudios agreed, saying that "Sigma seems to be taking a lot of cues from Leica on this camera," especially when it came to a focus on design. "I remember reading a blog post about the Leica TL and how it was a real conversation piece of a camera. [..]. That’s clearly what this camera is intended to be."

Sigma-BF-front-and-back
Photo: Sigma

DavidMillier made a similar connection, commenting: "Interesting, Sigma goes Leica/Hassie! Not for me, though. Whilst I love minimalist industrial design, there are certain things I demand of any camera: a built in viewfinder, a hand grip, minimum of two command wheels (I prefer 3 or even 4)." Roger had a similar take. "The camera reminds me of the Leica TL series which I wouldn't buy either."

Heritage Cameras, meanwhile, said the design "seems to make little sense logically, but (as with the Leica T) I want one anyway. I suspect I'm not alone."

Leica wasn't the only reference point people jumped to, with several commenters saying the design reminded them of something produced by Apple or Teenage Engineering. Another common point of comparison: the Panasonic Lumix S9.


Not the last word...

We've had the chance to get some hands-on time with the BF and plan on writing an article detailing our experiences and answering some of the most frequent questions we've seen about it. However, we want to get one out of the way right now: yes, it does have a tripod thread.

Complete list of new/upcoming Viltrox products for the 2024 CP+ show

Viltrox will announce the following new products at the 2025 CP+ show (see previous reports):

The announcements will happen February 27-28th.

Here is the list of other upcoming/rumored Viltrox lenses:

Additional pictures:


In the US, Viltrox lenses are sold at AdoramaB&H, and Amazon. International shipping is available at Pergear and at the official Viltrox website (you can get 8% off at the online store with code NIKONRUMORS):


The post Complete list of new/upcoming Viltrox products for the 2024 CP+ show appeared first on Photo Rumors.

High-res hybrid: Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII initial review

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Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII front
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Product photos: Mitchell Clark

The Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII is the company's latest high-resolution full-frame mirrorless camera, now beefed-up with 8K video capabilities and improved autofocus.

Key features

  • Full-frame 44MP dual gain CMOS sensor
  • Up to 40fps continuous shooting with pre-burst capture (e-shutter only)
  • 8.1K/8K video at up to 30p
  • 5.76M dot viewfinder
  • Flip-out and tilt rear screen
  • ProRes 422 and ProRes RAW capture
  • Capture to CFExpress Type B, UHS II SD or external SSD
  • Multi-shot high res mode up to 177MP
  • 32-bit float audio via optional XLR 2 adapter

The S1RII will be available from late March with a recommended retail price of $3300.


Index:

What's new

New sensor

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII sensor

Rather than the 47MP used in the original S1R, or the 61MP chip used in Leica's SL3, Panasonic has opted for a slightly lower resolution but faster sensor for the S1RII.

It features dual conversion gain on which, as usual on Panasonic cameras, you can manually select which of its two readout modes it uses. Panasonic doesn't always disclose when it's using BSI technology, but in this instance it has confirmed it.

Autofocus

The S1RII represents the second generation of Panasonic cameras to feature phase detection autofocus, with the inherent depth awareness that this brings. The company says it's significantly improved both its subject recognition and its tracking algorithms in the new camera, to bring its performance closer into line with the best of its peers.

The S1RII has algorithms trained to recognize the following subjects:

  • Human
  • Animal (Dog, Cat, Bird)
  • Car
  • Motorcycle / Bike
  • Train
  • Airplane

We're told it should be quicker at finding a subject and better at continuing to track it, even if, for instance, the subject turns away from the camera or is partially obscured. As before, you can choose whether the camera homes-in on specific details, such as the helmet of a motorbike rider, the nose of a plane or the eyes of an animal. Selecting the more precise focus position can lower the system's responsiveness to smaller, faster-moving subjects.

Cinelike A2 color mode

The S1RII gains a new 'Cinelike A2' color mode, in both stills and video modes. It offers a very gentle response, somewhere between the flat, DR-prioritizing Cinelike D2 and the punchy, ready-to-go Cinelike V2 profile.

Panasonic says the A2 mode's color response stems from work they've been doing in recent months. And it's perhaps worth considering which partners Panasonic has been working with, recently, to guess at the significance of the letter 'A' in the name. Unlike the camera's Leica Monochrome mode, any connection isn't made explicit.

Real time LUT

The S1RII gains the Real Time LUT function we've seen on recent Panasonic cameras, letting you create and upload color and tone-modifying profiles in format with a workflow that's already widely supported across the industry. The S1RII allows you to load up to 39 LUTs onto the camera, with the option to combine two LUTs with varying intensity, if you wish.

Additional LUTs can be created or downloaded via Panasonic's Lumix Lab app.

False color

Panasonic S1RII false color index

The S1RII becomes one of the first stills/video cameras to include a false color display option. This is a feature common in the video world, giving a mono preview with certain brightness levels highlighted in different colors, to help you recognize which bits of the image are clipped or near clipping and which areas are exposed as mid tones or at a level appropriate for light skin tones. This display can be used in boths stills and video modes.

Capture One tethering

The S1RII becomes the first Panasonic camera that can be shot, tethered, from Capture One, the popular studio software. We're told any decisions about whether to expand support to other models will depend on customer demand.


What's new for video

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII video

The 44MP sensor means the S1RII has slightly more horizontal pixels than necessary to deliver UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) footage and a fraction short of what's needed to capture the DCI 8K's 8192 x 4320 resolution. Instead it offers what Panasonic called 8.1K (8128 x 4288), which conforms to the same 1.89:1 aspect ratio as DCI footage.

The degree to which the sensor resolution is suited to 8K capture is unlikely to be coincidental, and the S1RII offers the kind of extensive video feature set that you might expect from the company that brought us the GH series, rather than the pared-back list of options the original S1R brought.

It also includes everything you'd expect from Panasonic: the option to set exposure in terms of shutter angle, waveforms, vectorscopes, filtering or custom lists of video modes, four-channel audio and 32-bit Float audio via the optional XLR2 accessory, support for anamorphic lenses and a tally lamp to let you know you're rolling. The attention to detail goes beyond the addition of a big red button on the front.

Video options:

Output
dimensions
Frame
Rates
Crop MOV ProRes
1.89:1 modes
8.1K 8128 x 4288 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:0
5.8K 5760 x 4030 30, 25, 24 1.0 422/HQ
30, 25, 24 1.31 RAW/HQ
60, 50, 48 1.04 4:2:0
DCI 4K 4096 x 2160 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:2 422/HQ
60, 50 1.04
60, 50, 30, 25, 24 1.52
120, 100 1.10 4:2:2
16:9 Modes
8.0K 7680 x 4320 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:0
5.9K 5888 x 3312 30, 25, 24 1.0
60, 50, 48 1.11
UHD 4K 3840 x 2160 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:2 422/HQ
60, 50 1.11
60, 50, 30, 25, 24 1.52
120, 100 1.17 4:2:2
3:2 Modes
6.2K open gate* 6432 x 4228 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:0
4:3 Modes
4.7K 4736 x 3552 60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24 1.65 4:2:0 422/HQ**
- Boxes marked green off All-I compression options.
- Red boxes have a ProRes option.
* 8.1K and 7.1K open gate capture promised in future firmware
** ProRes 422/HQ only available up to 30p

The S1RII can also shoot Full HD (1920 x 1080) footage at any of the frame-rates and crops offered in UHD 4K mode, with the additional ability to capture 120 and 100p footage from the APS-C region.

Dynamic Range Expansion

The S1RII gains a DR Expansion mode, letting you capture an additional stop of highlight information in high-contrast situations. This can be activated in any of the movie modes at frame rates up to 30p, and can only be applied when shooting V-Log footage (where the response curve can easily accommodate different levels of DR capture).

Base ISO 2nd gain step
Standard color mode ISO 80 ISO 400
Cinelike D2, V2, A2 ISO 160 ISO 800
HLG ISO 320 ISO 1600
V-Log ISO 200 ISO 1000
V-Log + DR Expansion ISO 400 ISO 2000

This is not the same system as the dual readout DR Boost function in the company's 25MP Micro Four Thirds camera. Instead it moves to a higher bit-depth readout, meaning there's a rolling shutter cost to engaging it. It also boosts the minimum available ISO, to prompt the use of a lower exposure, to capture that additional stop of highlights.

Open gate shooting

At launch the S1RII will be able to capture 6.4K footage from the entire 3:2 region of its sensor, downscaled from full-resolution capture.

Open gate shooting lets you choose and adjust your crop during post production. It also makes it possible to frame wide and then take both landscape and portrait video crops if you're trying to deliver to multiple different output platforms.

5.XK at up to 60p, 4K at up to 120p

Like the S5II models, the S1RII gives you the choice of 1.89:1 DCI 4K capture or 16:9 UHD 4K, or 5.9K or 5.8K versions taken from the same capture regions. All four are available as 10-bit footage, with 4K encoded with 4:2:2 chroma precision and the 5.XK modes in 4:2:0.

Footage up to 30p is taken from the full width of the sensor using the full capture resolution, with a slight crop in to give 60p. 4K (in both flavors) is available at up to 120p with the addition of a further slight crop. Line skipping is used to deliver these 100p and 120p modes.

DCI and UHD 4K can also be captured at up to 60p from an APS-C region of the sensor.

UHD DCI
Crop Rolling shutter Crop Rolling shutter
8K, 5.xK*, 4K
30/25/24
1.00 24.9ms 1.00 22.4ms
5.xK*, 4K
50/60
1.11 15.4ms 1.04 15.3ms
4K
100/120
1.17 7.3ms 1.10 7.3ms
4K/30 DRExp* 1.00 31.7ms 1.00 29.8ms
*8.1K and 5.9K modes give the same results as DCI 4K, 8.0K and 5.8K matches UHD

Tellingly the rolling shutter rate in DR Expansion mode is consistent with the rate of 14-bit stills, which suggests it's based on 14-bit capture, explaining Panasonic's claims of greater dynamic range.

In turn, the 60p output's rolling shutter is consistent with the 12-bit stills readout rate. This stongly implies that the standard 24, 25 and 30p modes, which are slower than this but quicker than 14-bit mode are taken from 13-bit capture.

In addition to the conventional MOV compressed footage, the S1RII also lets you capture various resolutions in either ProRes 422 or ProRes RAW formats, both of which can either be recorded to the camera's internal CFExpress type B card or to an external SSD. ProRes RAW (with a choice of HQ or standard compression levels) is taken from a 1.31x crop of the sensor, whereas the ProRes 422 (again HQ or Std) is derived from the full-width 8.1K capture.

Forthcoming attractions

As usual for Panasonic cameras, the company has already given some details of features that are still being worked-on for the camera, and which it has promised will come in later firmware updates.

At launch the S1RII can capture open gate video footage at 6.4K resolution, but we're told 7.1K and 8.1K (native resolution) will be enabled in a later firmware update.

Similarly, the S1RII can currently output footage at up to 8K over HDMI but will gain the option to output a Raw data stream in 8.1K or 7.2K resolutions, at a later date.


How it compares

The new, more compact S1RII arrives in a market where you can choose between the high resolution Sony a7RV or pay more for the likes of Nikon's Z8 and Canon's EOS R5 II that are both high resolution and fast. The Panasonic occupies something of a middle ground: offering some of the speed of the faster cameras (a higher peak frame rate but with more rolling shutter), but at a lower cost than Canon and Nikon's Stacked CMOS cameras.

We've opted to include the Canon EOS R5 II in this table, but the Nikon Z8 ends up looking very similar in terms of areas of strength, if you were to substitute that in. We've also chosen the DSLR-shaped a7R V from Sony, rather than the smaller, less expensive a7C R, because the larger model more closely resembles the Panasonic in terms of form factor, viewfinder quality, shutter options and screen articulation. But if size and price are your biggest concerns, the a7C R is in the running.

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII Canon EOS R5 II Sony a7R V Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R
MSRP $3300 $4300 $3900 $3700
Pixel count 44MP 45MP 61MP 47MP
Sensor type BSI CMOS Stacked CMOS BSI CMOS FSI CMOS
Stabilization
(IBIS / Synced)
8.0 EV /
7.0 EV
– /
8.5 EV
8.0EV /
6.0 EV /
7.0 EV
Max burst rate (Mech / E-shutter) 10 fps / 40 fps 12 fps / 30fps 10 fps / 9 fps /
Viewfinder res / mag 5.76M dot OLED / 0.78x 5.76M dot OLED / 0.76x 9.44M dot
OLED 0.9x
5.76x dot OLED / 0.78x
Rear screen 3.2" 2.1M dot Tilt + Fully Artic. 3.2" 2.1M dot Fully Artic. 3.2" 2.1M dot Tilt + Fully Artic. 3.2" 2.1M dot two-way tilt
Max video resolution

8.1K [1.89:1] / 30p
UHD 8K / 30p
Full-width 5.9K 60p

DCI 8K / 60p
UHD 8K / 60p

UHD 8K / 24p

5K [3:2] / 30p
UHD 4K / 60p

Output options MOV H.264
MOV H.265
ProRes 422
ProRes RAW

MP4 H.264
MP4 H.265
Canon Raw (/Light)

MOV H.264
MOV H.265
MOV H.265
MP4 H.264
Storage formats 1x UHS-II SD
1x CFe B
External SSD
1x UHS-II SD
1x CFe B
2x UHS-II SD / CFe A 1x UHS-II SD
1x CFe B / XQD
Flash sync speed 1/250 sec 1/250 sec
1/160 sec
1/250 sec 1/320 sec
HDR output options (Stills / Video) - / HLG video HDR PQ HEIF / HDR PQ video HLG HEIF
/ HLG video
HLG Photo / HLG video
USB USB-C
3.2 Gen 2
(10 Gbps)
USB-C
3.2 Gen 2
(10 Gbps)
USB-C
3.2 Gen 2
(10 Gbps)
USB-C
3.1 Gen 1
(5 Gbps)
Battery life
LCD / EVF
350 / 300 540 / 250 530 / 440 380 / 360
Dimensions 134 x 102 x 92mm 139 x 101 x 94mm 131 x 97 x 82mm 149 x 110 x 97mm
Weight 795g 746g 723g 1,020g

Despite being comfortably less expensive than its immediate peers, the S1RII's specs are competitive across the board. And while its video exhibits a fair bit more rolling shutter than the Stacked-sensor Nikon and Canon models, it significantly out-performs the Sony.

The a7R V's rolling shutter rate of 38ms means it can't deliver 8K/30, whereas the Panasonic can shoot 8K 30 and do so as fast as 24ms. This is respectable but not as impressive as the ∼13 and 14ms that the EOS R5 II and Z8 provide, respectively, from their much more expensive sensors.

Much of whether it's actually competitive, for both stills and video, will come down to whether the autofocus improvements are as significant as Panasonic promises.


Body and handling

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII top down

The S1RII uses a body based on the smaller S5II series, rather than the more substantial design of the first-gen S1 series cameras. This leaves it both smaller and lighter than its predecessor.

It has the internal fan from the S5II, with two small exhaust ports on either side of its viewfinder hump. This doesn't give quite 'GH series' recording reliability, but still allows the S1RII to record for extended periods.

However, while the body itself is similar in size to the S5II, it has a deeper hand grip, making it more comfortable to use with larger lenses. It maintains a row of three buttons along its top plate, immediately behind the shutter button, but omits the top plate display that the Mark 1 had.

Other losses in the move to the smaller body see the S1RII offer only a single function button between the mount and the hand grip, and the replacement of the two-position switch at the lower corner of the front panel by a large red [REC] button (whose function can be customized).

The S1RII also goes without a flash sync socket, but gains a dedicated Stills/Movie/Slow&Quick switch. Moving the exposure modes to the right of the camera allows the drive mode to be promoted to the top of the left-side dial, making room for shooting mode to occupy the switch underneath. Both mode dials have toggle lock buttons.

The removal of movie mode from the exposure mode dial in turn provides room for five custom positions on the exposure dial, each of which can be customized separately for stills and video custom settings. Position 5 on the dial can be used to access custom banks 5-10, if you wish, giving you a total of up to ten photo and ten video custom setting sets. Thankfully the camera's settings can be saved to a memory card and duplicated across cameras.

Rear screen

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII rear screen

On the back of the camera, Panasonic has adopted a similar screen layout to the one Panasonic used on its explicitly video-focused S1H: a fully articulated rear screen mounted on a cradle that tilts up and down. This means that stills shooters can use the tilt mechanism if they want to keep the screen on-axis (and can flip the screen to face inwards for protection, when stowing the camera), but video shooters can extend the screen out and tilt it away from the mic, headphone and HDMI sockets while shooting.

Battery

The S1RII uses the same 15.8Wh DMW-BLK22 battery as the S5II, a significant reduction compared with the original S1R. Despite this, it achieves a CIPA battery rating of 350 shots per charge if you use the rear screen and 300 via the viewfinder. The usual caveats apply to this number: most people get many, many more shots out of a camera than the CIPA rating (between two and three times the rated figure isn't unusual). To put it in context, 350 is a respectable figure and shouldn't leave you caught out during a busy day's shooting, but it doesn't have the confidence-inspiring duration that Sony's a7R V offers.

A new DMW-BG2 battery grip is also available to fit the S1RII. It adds a second battery in the grip, and is designed to allow hot-swapping of batteries: the external battery is used until the battery door is opened, at which point the camera switches to using the internal battery until a new battery is inserted in the grip. The grip also allows the camera to use both batteries simultaneously, for high power-consumption combinations such as capturing high bit-rate video to an external SSD.


Initial impressions

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII ports

The S1RII is an interesting proposition: replacing a camera we get the impression didn't exactly fly off the shelves. Panasonic has done a lot to broaden its appeal, making it smaller, faster, more video capable and, notably, less expensive.

The easiest to spot changes are on the video side of things: Panasonic pitched the S1R as a photographer's camera, so the decision to make the S1RII more of a hybrid sees even more of an expansion in video capabilities than we've become used to over the past few years.

The S1RII's sensor seems genuinely capable of delivering video, despite its high pixel count and the lack of Stacked architecture often used to speed up readout. Despite its much higher pixel count, the S1RII's main 8K, 5.XK and 4K modes exhibit comparable rolling shutter to the widely-used 24MP full-frame sensor, and with a promise of better detail and dynamic range capture. This means it can also deliver 4K/60 with a minimal crop and without the need for line-skipping.

Wedded to this underlying capability are all of Panasonic's usual video features, developed for the GH series of cameras, so it has the feature set and well-polished usability that's not always present when video gets added. For instance, if you decide you want to shoot 5.9K ProRes 422 / 24 for the bulk of your project but want to shoot some 4K/60 or 4K/120 for some slow-mo cutaways, you can add these two modes to "(My List)" to quickly swap between them, rather than having to switch from ProRes to MOV capture and then find the modes in the 18 pages of quality options those two codecs cumulatively give.

You can then set the camera to report Shutter Angle, so that you maintain an appropriate shutter speed as you switch frame rates, without the risk of forgetting to reset it when you switch back. It's not quite a full-frame GH7, but it's closer than you'd normally expect from a high-resolution body.

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII rear
The S1RII is smaller than its predecessor but still finds room for a good level of control points without them becoming too small or too cramped. There's a customizable 'Lock' switch on the left of the camera to prevent accidental changes of settings.

Even more than usual, this risks overshadowing the improvements made on the stills side of the camera, because the S1R already had a very solid stills feature set, so there's less room for dramatic improvement. We weren't overly impressed by the sensor of the S1R, so we hope to get the S1RII into our studio in the next few weeks to check for improvements in that regard. The smaller, lighter body is likely to be of benefit to some photographers, whether they're landscape shooters lugging the camera to a picturesque nowhere or a wedding shooter using it for hours on end.

But, whether you shoot stills or video, it's the promised autofocus improvements on which the S1RII is likely to stand or fall. The previous camera used Panasonic's depth-from-defocus system that could deliver good results but was often disconcerting and distracting to shoot with. The new camera promises an improved version of the phase-detection system introduced with the S5II. If it really is faster and more dependable, the S1RII starts to look very interesting indeed. Our initial impressions are mixed: when it locks on it seems really tenacious, but there are other occasions on which it fails to focus on anything, to a degree we're not used to seeing in modern cameras. We're really hoping this can be addressed in firmware.

On paper, the S1RII promises to be an affordable option for someone looking to capture high res photos and high-quality video. We're already out using the camera and will report back on its real-world performance as soon as we can.

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Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

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Voigtlander to announce 5 new lenses at the 2025 CP+ show


Cosina will announce five new Voigtlander lenses at the 2025 CP+ show (check for pre-orders):

  • Voigtlander PORTRAIT HELIAR 75mm f/1.8 lens with built-in bokeh control ring for Sony E-mount
  • Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 28mm f/2 Aspherical VM for Leica M-mount
  • Voigtlander NOKTON 35mm f/1.2 Aspherical IV VM for Leica M-mount
  • Voigtlander NOKTON 40mm f/1.2 Aspherical II VM for Leica M-mount
  • Voigtlander NOKTON 50mm f/1.2 Aspherical II VM for Leica M-mount

The technical specifications of the new lenses can be found here.

Additional pictures of the new lenses:











The post Voigtlander to announce 5 new lenses at the 2025 CP+ show appeared first on Photo Rumors.

Panasonic Lumix S1R II camera officially announced



The previously rumored Panasonic Lumix S1R II camera is now officially announced:

  • Orders: Adorama | B&H Photo | Erhardt | KochCalumet | WEX
  • Additional information
  • Product page
  • Features:
    • Lifelike detail with the new 44.3MP sensor
    • AFC 40 fps burst shooting
    • High-resolution and wide dynamic range
    • Phase Hybrid AF with advanced AI technology
    • Active I.S. technology
    • Robust video production assistance and extensibility
    • Compatible with a wide range of software
    • A highly adaptable monitor for any style
    • Built to withstand extreme temperatures from -14°F to 104°F
    • Compatible with a variety of recording media



Comparing Panasonic S1R II vs Panasonic S5 IIx vs Panasonic S1R cameras

Comparing the Panasonic S1R II and Leica SL3 camera specifications


The LUMIX S1RII is designed to be the ideal partner for creators who wish to pursue high-resolution artistic expressions. Featuring a new 44.3MP full-frame sensor and high-performance engine that work together to deliver a delicate and natural rendering of reality. The compact body, packed with refined operability and reliability, delivers a whole new level of shooting experience, supporting your creative activities across the entire workflow.

Experience stunning detail with the LUMIX S1RII’s revolutionary 44.3MP sensor. From breathtaking landscapes to intricate artwork and everyday moments, the "Capturing it All" philosophy comes to life with vivid color science and handheld high-resolution mode. The LUMIX S1RII is built for action with AFC 40 fps burst shooting, making it ideal for capturing high-speed moments in sports and wildlife photography. With its 8K video recording and wide dynamic range log support, create cinematic content without compromise. Enjoy the flexibility of slow-motion video to capture every mesmerizing detail. Advanced tools like the False Color function and the LUMIX Flow app provide seamless support for video production. Pair it with the optional microphone adaptor (DMW-XLR2) for professional 32-bit float audio recording.

Featuring Phase Hybrid AF with advanced AI, the LUMIX S1RII delivers exceptional precision and tracking performance, even in complex scenes. Active I.S. technology ensures steady shots and smooth framing, whether walking or using a wide-angle lens. Compatible with powerful software and apps like Capture One, Frame.io, and LUMIX Lab, the LUMIX S1RII streamlines your workflow for both personal and professional projects. Elevate your creativity and capture every moment with the LUMIX S1RII.

The post Panasonic Lumix S1R II camera officially announced appeared first on Photo Rumors.

Zeiss Otus ML mirrorless lenses for Z/E/RF mount officially announced


The previously rumored Zeiss Otus ML mirrorless lenses for Z/E/RF mount are now officially announced:

"The ZEISS Otus ML lenses are crafted for photographers who live to tell stories. The legendary ZEISS quality is now being made available for mirrorless cameras to meet the demands of today’s photographers

ZEISS Otus ML Lenses• Optical excellence for the finest details• The distinctive ZEISS Look with the iconic 3D Pop• Exceptional depth of field and a harmonious bokeh• Ultimate control through precise mechanics• Highest craftsmanship for an unparalleled feel

ZEISS Otus ML 1.4/50 -  The Otus ML 1.4/50 is indispensable in every photographer’s toolbox. The smooth manual focus gives you complete control, allowing you to craft images with unparalleled depth and emotion. Whether you’re capturing portraits, streetscenes, or landscapes. This lens is your perfect partner for bringing your creative vision to life.

ZEISS Otus ML 1.4/85 - Portray your story. Designed for the art of portrait photography, with the Otus ML 1.4/85, you can isolate yoursubject beautifully, capturing the depth and detail that bring characters to life. This lens allows you to highlight powerful expressions, subtle emotions, and the finest details, portraying your subjects exactly as you see and feel them. Portray your story."

The post Zeiss Otus ML mirrorless lenses for Z/E/RF mount officially announced appeared first on Photo Rumors.

High-res hybrid: Panasonic Lumic DC-S1RII initial review

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Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII front
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Product photos: Mitchell Clark

The Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII is the company's latest high-resolution full-frame mirrorless camera, now beefed-up with 8K video capabilities and improved autofocus.

Key features

  • Full-frame 44MP dual gain CMOS sensor
  • 8.1K/8K video at up to 30p
  • 5.76M dot viewfinder
  • Flip-out and tilt rear screen
  • ProRes 422 and ProRes RAW capture
  • Capture to CFExpress Type B, UHS II SD or external SSD
  • Multi-shot high res mode up to 177MP
  • 32-bit float audio via optional XLR 2 adapter

The S1RII will be available from late March with a recommended retail price of $3300.


Index:

What's new

New sensor

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII sensor

Rather than the 47MP used in the original S1R, or the 61MP chip used in Leica's SL3, Panasonic has opted for a slightly lower resolution but faster sensor for the S1RII.

It features dual conversion gain on which, as usual on Panasonic cameras, you can manually select which of its two readout modes it uses. Panasonic doesn't always disclose when it's using BSI technology, but in this instance it has confirmed it.

Autofocus

The S1RII represents the second generation of Panasonic cameras to feature phase detection autofocus, with the inherent depth awareness that this brings. The company says it's significantly improved both its subject recognition and its tracking algorithms in the new camera, to bring its performance closer into line with the best of its peers.

The S1RII has algorithms trained to recognize the following subjects:

  • Human
  • Animal (Dog, Cat, Bird)
  • Car
  • Motorcycle / Bike
  • Train
  • Airplane

We're told it should be quicker at finding a subject and better at continuing to track it, even if, for instance, the subject turns away from the camera or is partially obscured. As before, you can choose whether the camera homes-in on specific details, such as the helmet of a motorbike rider, the nose of a plane or the eyes of an animal. Selecting the more precise focus position can lower the system's responsiveness to smaller, faster-moving subjects.

Cinelike A2 color mode

The S1RII gains a new 'Cinelike A2' color mode, in both stills and video modes. It offers a very gentle response, somewhere between the flat, DR-prioritizing Cinelike D2 and the punchy, ready-to-go Cinelike V2 profile.

Panasonic says the A2 mode's color response stems from work they've been doing in recent months. And it's perhaps worth considering which partners Panasonic has been working with, recently, to guess at the significance of the letter 'A' in the name. Unlike the camera's Leica Monochrome mode, any connection isn't made explicit.

Real time LUT

The S1RII gains the Real Time LUT function we've seen on recent Panasonic cameras, letting you create and upload color and tone-modifying profiles in format with a workflow that's already widely supported across the industry. The S1RII allows you to load up to 39 LUTs onto the camera, with the option to combine two LUTs with varying intensity, if you wish.

Additional LUTs can be created or downloaded via Panasonic's Lumic Lab app.

False color

Panasonic S1RII false color index

The S1RII becomes one of the first stills/video cameras to include a false color display option. This is a feature common in the video world, giving a mono preview with certain brightness levels highlighted in different colors, to help you recognize which bits of the image are clipped or near clipping and which areas are exposed as mid tones or at a level appropriate for light skin tones. This display can be used in boths stills and video modes.

Capture One tethering

The S1RII becomes the first Panasonic camera that can be shot, tethered, from Capture One, the popular studio software. We're told any decisions about whether to expand support to other models will depend on customer demand.


What's new for video

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII video

The 44MP sensor means the S1RII has slightly more horizontal pixels than necessary to deliver UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) footage and a fraction short of what's needed to capture the DCI 8K's 8192 x 4320 resolution. Instead it offers what Panasonic called 8.1K (8128 x 4288), which conforms to the same 1.89:1 aspect ratio as DCI footage.

The degree to which the sensor resolution is suited to 8K capture is unlikely to be coincidental, and the S1RII offers the kind of extensive video feature set that you might expect from the company that brought us the GH series, rather than the pared-back list of options the original S1R brought.

It also includes everything you'd expect from Panasonic: the option to set exposure in terms of shutter angle, waveforms, vectorscopes, filtering or custom lists of video modes, four-channel audio and 32-bit Float audio via the optional XLR2 accessory, support for anamorphic lenses and a tally lamp to let you know you're rolling. The attention to detail goes beyond the addition of a big red button on the front.

Video options:

Output
dimensions
Frame
Rates
Crop MOV ProRes
1.89:1 modes
8.1K 8128 x 4288 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:0
5.8K 5760 x 4030 30, 25, 24 1.0 422/HQ
30, 25, 24 1.31 RAW/HQ
60, 50, 48 1.04 4:2:0
DCI 4K 4096 x 2160 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:2 422/HQ
60, 50 1.04
60, 50, 30, 25, 24 1.52
120, 100 1.10 4:2:2
16:9 Modes
8.0K 7680 x 4320 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:0
5.9K 5888 x 3312 30, 25, 24 1.0
60, 50, 48 1.11
UHD 4K 3840 x 2160 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:2 422/HQ
60, 50 1.11
60, 50, 30, 25, 24 1.52
120, 100 1.17 4:2:2
3:2 Modes
6.2K open gate* 6432 x 4228 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:0
4:3 Modes
4.7K 4736 x 3552 60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24 1.65 4:2:0 422/HQ**
- Boxes marked green off All-I compression options.
- Red boxes have a ProRes option.
* 8.1K and 7.1K open gate capture promised in future firmware
** ProRes 422/HQ only available up to 30p

The S1RII can also shoot Full HD (1920 x 1080) footage at any of the frame-rates and crops offered in UHD 4K mode, with the additional ability to capture 120 and 100p footage from the APS-C region.

Dynamic Range Expansion

The S1RII gains a DR Expansion mode, letting you capture an additional stop of highlight information in high-contrast situations. This can be activated in any of the movie modes at frame rates up to 30p, and can only be applied when shooting V-Log footage (where the response curve can easily accommodate different levels of DR capture).

Base ISO 2nd gain step
Standard color mode ISO 80 ISO 400
Cinelike D2, V2, A2 ISO 160 ISO 800
HLG ISO 320 ISO 1600
V-Log ISO 200 ISO 1000
V-Log + DR Expansion ISO 400 ISO 2000

This is not the same system as the dual readout DR Boost function in the company's 25MP Micro Four Thirds camera. Instead it moves to a higher bit-depth readout, meaning there's a rolling shutter cost to engaging it. It also boosts the minimum available ISO, to prompt the use of a lower exposure, to capture that additional stop of highlights.

Open gate shooting

At launch the S1RII will be able to capture 6.4K footage from the entire 3:2 region of its sensor, downscaled from full-resolution capture.

Open gate shooting lets you choose and adjust your crop during post production. It also makes it possible to frame wide and then take both landscape and portrait video crops if you're trying to deliver to multiple different output platforms.

5.XK at up to 60p, 4K at up to 120p

Like the S5II models, the S1RII gives you the choice of 1.89:1 DCI 4K capture or 16:9 UHD 4K, or 5.9K or 5.8K versions taken from the same capture regions. All four are available as 10-bit footage, with 4K encoded with 4:2:2 chroma precision and the 5.XK modes in 4:2:0.

Footage up to 30p is taken from the full width of the sensor using the full capture resolution, with a slight crop in to give 60p. 4K (in both flavors) is available at up to 120p with the addition of a further slight crop. Line skipping is used to deliver these 100p and 120p modes.

DCI and UHD 4K can also be captured at up to 60p from an APS-C region of the sensor.

UHD DCI
Crop Rolling shutter Crop Rolling shutter
8K, 5.xK*, 4K
30/25/24
1.00 24.9ms 1.00 22.4ms
5.xK*, 4K
50/60
1.11 15.4ms 1.04 15.3ms
4K
100/120
1.17 7.3ms 1.10 7.3ms
4K/30 DRExp* 1.00 31.7ms 1.00 29.8ms
*8.1K and 5.9K modes give the same results as DCI 4K, 8.0K and 5.8K matches UHD

Tellingly the rolling shutter rate in DR Expansion mode is consistent with the rate of 14-bit stills, which suggests it's based on 14-bit capture, explaining Panasonic's claims of greater dynamic range.

In turn, the 60p output's rolling shutter is consistent with the 12-bit stills readout rate. This stongly implies that the standard 24, 25 and 30p modes, which are slower than this but quicker than 14-bit mode are taken from 13-bit capture.

In addition to the conventional MOV compressed footage, the S1RII also lets you capture various resolutions in either ProRes 422 or ProRes RAW formats, both of which can either be recorded to the camera's internal CFExpress type B card or to an external SSD. ProRes RAW (with a choice of HQ or standard compression levels) is taken from a 1.31x crop of the sensor, whereas the ProRes 422 (again HQ or Std) is derived from the full-width 8.1K capture.

Forthcoming attractions

As usual for Panasonic cameras, the company has already given some details of features that are still being worked-on for the camera, and which it has promised will come in later firmware updates.

At launch the S1RII can capture open gate video footage at 6.4K resolution, but we're told 7.1K and 8.1K (native resolution) will be enabled in a later firmware update.

Similarly, the S1RII can currently output footage at up to 8K over HDMI but will gain the option to output a Raw data stream in 8.1K or 7.2K resolutions, at a later date.


How it compares

The new, more compact S1RII arrives in a market where you can choose between the high resolution Sony a7RV or pay more for the likes of Nikon's Z8 and Canon's EOS R5 II that are both high resolution and fast. The Panasonic occupies something of a middle ground: offering some of the speed of the faster cameras (a higher peak frame rate but with more rolling shutter), but at a lower cost than Canon and Nikon's Stacked CMOS cameras.

We've opted to include the Canon EOS R5 II in this table, but the Nikon Z8 ends up looking very similar in terms of areas of strength, if you were to substitute that in. We've also chosen the DSLR-shaped a7R V from Sony, rather than the smaller, less expensive a7C R, because the larger model more closely resembles the Panasonic in terms of form factor, viewfinder quality, shutter options and screen articulation. But if size and price are your biggest concerns, the a7C R is in the running.

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII Canon EOS R5 II Sony a7R V Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R
MSRP $3300 $4300 $3900 $3700
Pixel count 44MP 45MP 61MP 47MP
Sensor type BSI CMOS Stacked CMOS BSI CMOS FSI CMOS
Stabilization
(IBIS / Synced)
8.0 EV /
7.0 EV
– /
8.5 EV
8.0EV /
6.0 EV /
7.0 EV
Max burst rate (Mech / E-shutter) 10 fps / 40 fps 12 fps / 30fps 10 fps / 9 fps /
Viewfinder res / mag 5.76M dot OLED / 0.78x 5.76M dot OLED / 0.76x 9.44M dot
OLED 0.9x
5.76x dot OLED / 0.78x
Rear screen 3.2" 2.1M dot Tilt + Fully Artic. 3.2" 2.1M dot Fully Artic. 3.2" 2.1M dot Tilt + Fully Artic. 3.2" 2.1M dot two-way tilt
Max video resolution

8.1K [1.89:1] / 30p
UHD 8K / 30p
Full-width 5.9K 60p

DCI 8K / 60p
UHD 8K / 60p

UHD 8K / 24p

5K [3:2] / 30p
UHD 4K / 60p

Output options MOV H.264
MOV H.265
ProRes 422
ProRes RAW

MP4 H.264
MP4 H.265
Canon Raw (/Light)

MOV H.264
MOV H.265
MOV H.265
MP4 H.264
Storage formats 1x UHS-II SD
1x CFe B
External SSD
1x UHS-II SD
1x CFe B
2x UHS-II SD / CFe A 1x UHS-II SD
1x CFe B / XQD
Flash sync speed 1/250 sec 1/250 sec
1/160 sec
1/250 sec 1/320 sec
HDR output options (Stills / Video) - / HLG video HDR PQ HEIF / HDR PQ video HLG HEIF
/ HLG video
HLG Photo / HLG video
USB USB-C
3.2 Gen 2
(10 Gbps)
USB-C
3.2 Gen 2
(10 Gbps)
USB-C
3.2 Gen 2
(10 Gbps)
USB-C
3.1 Gen 1
(5 Gbps)
Battery life
LCD / EVF
350 / 300 540 / 250 530 / 440 380 / 360
Dimensions 134 x 102 x 92mm 139 x 101 x 94mm 131 x 97 x 82mm 149 x 110 x 97mm
Weight 795g 746g 723g 1,020g

Despite being comfortably less expensive than its immediate peers, the S1RII's specs are competitive across the board. And while its video exhibits a fair bit more rolling shutter than the Stacked-sensor Nikon and Canon models, it significantly out-performs the Sony.

The a7R V's rolling shutter rate of 38ms means if can't deliver 8K/30, whereas the Panasonic can shoot 8K 30 and do so as fast as 24ms. This is respectable but not as impressive as the ∼13 and 14ms that the EOS R5 II and Z8 provide, respectively, from their much more expensive sensors.

Much of whether it's actually competitive, for both stills and video, will come down to whether the autofocus improvements are as significant as Panasonic promises.


Body and handling

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII top down

The S1RII uses a body based on the smaller S5II series, rather than the more substantial design of the first-gen S1 series cameras. This leaves it both smaller and lighter than its predecessor.

It has the internal fan from the S5II, with two small exhaust ports on either side of its viewfinder hump. This doesn't give quite 'GH series' recording reliability, but still allows the S1RII to record for extended periods.

However, while the body itself is similar in size to the S5II, it has a deeper hand grip, making it more comfortable to use with larger lenses. It maintains a row of three buttons along its top plate, immediately behind the shutter button, but omits the top plate display that the Mark 1 had.

Other losses in the move to the smaller body see the S1RII offer only a single function button between the mount and the hand grip, and the replacement of the two-position switch at the lower corner of the front panel by a large red [REC] button (whose function can be customized).

The S1RII also goes without a flash sync socket, but gains a dedicated Stills/Movie/Slow&Quick switch. Moving the exposure modes to the right of the camera allows the drive mode to be promoted to the top of the left-side dial, making room for shooting mode to occupy the switch underneath. Both mode dials have toggle lock buttons.

The removal of movie mode from the exposure mode dial in turn provides room for five custom positions on the exposure dial, each of which can be customized separately for stills and video custom settings. Position 5 on the dial can be used to access custom banks 5-10, if you wish, giving you a total of up to ten photo and ten video custom setting sets. Thankfully the camera's settings can be saved to a memory card and duplicated across cameras.

Rear screen

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII rear screen

On the back of the camera, Panasonic has adopted a similar screen layout to the Sony a7R V: a fully articulated rear screen mounted on a cradle that tilts up and down. This means that stills shooters can use the tilt mechanism if they want to keep the screen on-axis (and can flip the screen to face inwards for protection, when stowing the camera), but video shooters can extend the screen out and tilt it away from the mic, headphone and HDMI sockets while shooting.

Battery

The S1RII uses the same 15.8Wh DMW-BLK22 battery as the S5II, a significant reduction compared with the original S1R. Despite this, it achieves a CIPA battery rating of 350 shots per charge if you use the rear screen and 300 via the viewfinder. The usual caveats apply to this number: most people get many, many more shots out of a camera than the CIPA rating (between two and three times the rated figure isn't unusual). To put it in context, 350 is a respectable figure and shouldn't leave you caught out during a busy day's shooting, but it doesn't have the confidence-inspiring duration that Sony's a7R V offers.

A new DMW-BG2 battery grip is also available to fit the S1RII. It adds a second battery in the grip, and is designed to allow hot-swapping of batteries: the external battery is used until the battery door is opened, at which point the camera switches to using the internal battery until a new battery is inserted in the grip. The grip also allows the camera to use both batteries simultaneously, for high power-consumption combinations such as capturing high bit-rate video to an external SSD.


Initial impressions

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII ports

The S1RII is an interesting proposition: replacing a camera we get the impression didn't exactly fly off the shelves. Panasonic has done a lot to broaden its appeal, making it smaller, faster, more video capable and, notably, less expensive.

The easiest to spot changes are on the video side of things: Panasonic pitched the S1R as a photographer's camera, so the decision to make the S1RII more of a hybrid sees even more of an expansion in video capabilities than we've become used to over the past few years.

The S1RII's sensor seems genuinely capable of delivering video, despite its high pixel count and the lack of Stacked architecture often used to speed up readout. Despite its much higher pixel count, the S1RII's main 8K, 5.XK and 4K modes exhibit comparable rolling shutter to the widely-used 24MP full-frame sensor, and with a promise of better detail and dynamic range capture. This means it can also deliver 4K/60 with a minimal crop and without the need for line-skipping.

Wedded to this underlying capability are all of Panasonic's usual video features, developed for the GH series of cameras, so it has the feature set and well-polished usability that's not always present when video gets added. For instance, if you decide you want to shoot 5.9K ProRes 422 / 24 for the bulk of your project but want to shoot some 4K/60 or 4K/120 for some slow-mo cutaways, you can add these two modes to "(My List)" to quickly swap between them, rather than having to switch from ProRes to MOV capture and then find the modes in the 18 pages of quality options those two codecs cumulatively give.

You can then set the camera to report Shutter Angle, so that you maintain an appropriate shutter speed as you switch frame rates, without the risk of forgetting to reset it when you switch back. It's not quite a full-frame GH7, but it's closer than you'd normally expect from a high-resolution body.

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII rear
The S1RII is smaller than its predecessor but still finds room for a good level of control points without them becoming too small or too cramped. There's a customizable 'Lock' switch on the left of the camera to prevent accidental changes of settings.

Even more than usual, this risks overshadowing the improvements made on the stills side of the camera, because the S1R already had a very solid stills feature set, so there's less room for dramatic improvement. We weren't overly impressed by the sensor of the S1R, so we hope to get the S1RII into our studio in the next few weeks to check for improvements in that regard. The smaller, lighter body is likely to be of benefit to some photographers, whether they're landscape shooters lugging the camera to a picturesque nowhere or a wedding shooter using it for hours on end.

But, whether you shoot stills or video, it's the promised autofocus improvements on which the S1RII is likely to stand or fall. The previous camera used Panasonic's depth-from-defocus system that could deliver good results but was often disconcerting and distracting to shoot with. The new camera promises an improved version of the phase-detection system introduced with the S5II. If it really is faster and more dependable, the S1RII starts to look very interesting indeed. Our initial impressions are mixed: when it locks on it seems really tenacious, but there are other occasions on which it fails to focus on anything, to a degree we're not used to seeing in modern cameras. We're really hoping this can be addressed in firmware.

On paper, the S1RII promises to be an affordable option for someone looking to capture high res photos and high-quality video. We're already out using the camera and will report back on its real-world performance as soon as we can.

Sample gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

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