PANASONIC S1 TEST
THE NEW NIGHT KING Panasonic’s Lumix S1 is ready to take the throne as the ruler of low-light shooting
T he recipe for creating a camera that can perform formula. First, you need a CMOS sensor that’s as big as you can get. In reality, that’s a full-frame chip. You need it to not have the highest resolution, as toomany pixels can create more noise – fewer but fatter pixels that just soak up all that lovely light is usually best (but not so few that resolution is compromised). And of course you need fast processors and clever software to get the best out of the sensor. Right now, that sweet spot seems to be around 24megapixels. This gives high enough resolution for most real-world use, and less information to remove to achieve 4K video compared with super- high resolution sensors such as the 47.3-megapixel Panasonic S1R. Sony, Nikon, Canon and Leica all offer their best all-roundmirrorless cameras with roughly 24megapixels. And now you can add the Panasonic S1 to this list. With its video-friendly 10-bit 4:2:2 capability in the HEVC codec and an ISO range that can be used up to a dizzying 204,800, the Panasonic aces all its rivals when the light levels drop. Of course, massive ISO settings are largely academic. At more useable settings such as 12,800 ISO and below, however, the Panasonic has the edge on any of the latest crop of full-frame mirrorless cameras incredibly well in low light is a reasonably tried-and-tested
in terms of control of noise and ultimate image quality. That includes the current creamof the crop, the latest Sony A7 III and Nikon Z 6 mirrorless. The only camera that can come close at very high ISO is the Sony A7S II, thanks to its very conservative 12.2-megapixel sensor. But this is an old-generation camera, yet to be updated in Sony’s range, and offers specs and performance in other areas that nowadays is not really in the same league as the ultra-modern Panasonic. If you want the best-performing camera in terms of low-light and high-ISO performance, the S1 should be at the top of your shopping list. Of course, a camera is not just all about how good it is at high ISO performance, and the new Lumix delivers inmany ways. The Panasonic S1 shares the rugged and large, tough body and all the controls with the S1R that we tested in the last issue. At 47.3 megapixels, the S1R isone of the highest resolution full-frame camera, ideal for stills shooters whose quest for detail seems never-ending. Both have fantastic control buttons and wheels that are better to use than even those made by long-established camera companies like Canon or Nikon. The S1 costs significantly less than the S1R, thanks to the lower cost of producing a less densely-packed sensor. But that makes it a far better video camera. There is less excess data to get rid of to get the signal
WORDS & IMAGES ADAM DUCKWORTH
“Of course, a camera is not just all about howgood it is at high ISO performance”
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AUTUMN 2019 PRO MOVIEMAKER
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