Hands on: I've tested the Panasonic Lumix S1R II, and it beats its bulky predecessor in almost every respect

The Panasonic Lumix S1R II is the new flagship model for Panasonic’s Lumix S series of full-frame mirrorless cameras, replacing the original, 2019-released S1R.

Built first and foremost for capturing massive amounts of detail (the ‘R’ in its name presumably referring to ‘resolution’), the S1R II features a new full-frame 44.3MP CMOS sensor and can record 8K video at up to 30fps, not to mention 4K video at 120fps – a significant resolution and frame rate improvement over its predecessor.

Panasonic is trumpeting meaningful advances in other areas too, most notably autofocus, continuous shooting speed and image stabilization, all while reducing the overall size and weight of the camera body in comparison to the Lumix S1R.

Having had a couple of days to put some of these claims to the test using a pre-production review sample, I’m ready to share my first impressions of the Lumix S1R II. Read on for my hands-on review – and don’t forget to check back soon for a full, in-depth and extensive final review of Panasonic’s new range topping mirrorless camera.

Panasonic Lumix S1R II: price and release date

• Lumix S1R II body only: $3,299 / £2,999 / AU$5,499
• UK-only Lumix S1R II with 24-105mm lens bundle: £3,799
• On sale March 2025

The Panasonic Lumix S1R II will be available from March 2025 priced at $3,299 / £2,999 / AU$5,499 body only. In the UK, it'll also be available in a kit with a 24-105mm f/4 standard zoom lens for £3,799. These are roughly the same as the original Lumix S1R cost upon its launch in 2019, so it's hard to have too many complaints about the pricing.

Additionally, Panasonic is launching a battery grip accessory, the DMW-BG2, alongside the camera. This will be available from March 2025 also, priced at $349 / £299.

specs

Panasonic Lumix S1R II: design and handling

• Relatively compact and just 795g
• Large, detailed OLED viewfinder
• Front and rear tally lamps

The original Lumix S1R was a large and bulky camera, sometimes annoying so – but I don’t feel the same way about the S1R II. With a significantly lighter (over 200g) and more compact body than its predecessor, it feels much more like a camera you could take out with you every day rather than on special occasions. That does depend somewhat on the lens you choose, of course: the 16-35mm zoom Panasonic sent me for this review is a hefty piece of glass – but the 85mm prime makes for a much more manageable and agile setup.

The classic DSLR-style shape is a joy to handle and the physical controls are all nicely placed in my opinion. There’s a dial to flick quickly between photo, video and S&Q (slow and quick) shooting modes, front and top record buttons and more than enough dials to ensure any setting can be swiftly adjusted. The original S1R's top plate LCD info panel has gone here, which helps keep the size down in this its successor – but I suppose some people might miss it.

The on-screen UI, meanwhile, will be immediately familiar to anyone who has used a recent Lumix camera. The 3-inch screen itself is a pretty standard affair, able to tilt and swivel nicely in almost any direction, while the large, ultra-sharp OLED viewfinder is a highlight and a pleasure to hold your eye against.

Connectivity is very solid. There’s a full-size HDMI plus USB-C, mic, headphone and wired remote sockets, now each with their own protective door. On the storage front, there’s a single SD card slot plus an additional slot for high-performance CFexpress Type B cards.

Finally, there are front and rear tally lamps to indicate when recording is active. It might seem like a basic feature, but so many cameras skimp on it.

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Panasonic Lumix S1R II: features and performance

• Phase hybrid autofocus
• Dual I.S. 2 image stabilization
• 10fps / 40fps burst shooting

The S1R II comes with a number of performance improvements over its predecessor. First and possibly foremost is its phase hybrid autofocus system, which is faster, smoother and more accurate than the contrast-based system on the old model. It’s particularly great for video use, slickly keeping subjects in sharp focus without any of the hunting that was sometimes seen on older Lumix models. It can also identify and automatically track a variety of subjects, from humans to animals to motorcycles. I’ve only tested it with humans and cats so far, but found it highly effective with both.

Image stabilization is Panasonic’s Dual I.S. 2 variety, combining sensor-shifting in-body and lens-based stabilization with user-configurable electronic stabilization tailored to specific shooting scenarios. Panasonic does stabilization particularly well and from my testing so far that seems to be the case here too, with vlogging and handheld video gaining an almost gimbal-like stability at the cost of a crop to the frame. Panasonic claims the system adds up to 8 stops of shutter speed compensation, as opposed to 5.5 stops on the original S1R.

Shooting speed has likewise been given an improvement. With the mechanical shutter, it’s risen from 9fps to 10fps with AF-S and 6fps to 8fps with AF-C, while switching to electronic shutter now allows for 40fps bursts with AF-C.

Bucking the trend, battery life appears to be slightly worse than that of the S1R, but you can still expect around 350 images on a full charge – or over 1000 when using the Power Save LVF mode.

Panasonic Lumix S1R II: image and video quality

• 44.3MP stills and 8K/30p video
• 177MP high-resolution mode
• 10-bit color depth and wide range of bitrates for various qualities / file sizes

The S1R II is the resolution king for Panasonic’s Lumix S range, and both photos and videos are extremely rich in detail and dynamic range.

Photos are captured at 44.3MP which, while marginally smaller than the 47.3MP images captured by the S1R, are more than sufficiently detailed for creating huge prints or heavy cropping. Pixel peepers have absolutely nothing to fear from the images here: I found them richly detailed even when zoomed right in, with smooth color gradation and superb dynamic range. I shot both in JPEG and RAW, processing the latter in Adobe Lightroom.

I haven’t yet tested the handheld high-resolution shooting mode, which combines several shots into one huge 177MP photo, but look forward to seeing just how convincingly it stitches things together.

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On the video front, the camera can record 8K footage at up to 30fps, as well as a variety of ‘lesser’ resolutions at higher frame rates. It has an Open Gate recording option, which uses the entire surface of the sensor and results in up to 6.4K video now – with 8.1K or 7.2K options being promised via a future firmware update later in 2025. It also offers an option to record video in Apple ProRes RAW and RAW HQ formats at up to 5.8K internally, provided you use a CFexpress Type B card. Panasonic claims videos can exhibit up to 14 stops of dynamic range too.

Unfortunately, I haven’t yet had enough time with the S1R II to fully test out its video capabilities. From my limited vlog and b-roll recording of 6.4K and 4K video, though, I’m already very impressed, not only with the detail, color and dynamic range on display but with the camera’s beautifully assured image stabilization and smooth, accurate hybrid autofocus.

How I tested the Panasonic Lumix S1R II

• Pre-production model with latest firmware
• Paired with wireless mic gear
• Vlogging and photography in a range of scenarios

Panasonic loaned me a pre-production model of the Lumix S1R II running the latest firmware (the firmware that will be on the retail units on launch day), plus two L-Mount lenses: a 16-35 f/4 zoom and an 85mm f/1.8 prime.

I've used the camera for vlogging, both testing its internal mics and pairing it with a DJI Mic 2 wireless mic kit. I've also taken lots of photos in different scenarios, including a sunset walk along the East Kent coast and a day trip to Canterbury.

First reviewed February 2025