PANASONIC AGENDA
FULL-FRAME REVOLUTION
Targeting the Pro Terry Hope met Panasonic imaging boss Yosuke Yamane directly after the announcement of its full-frame mirrorless models. He asked about the target market for the new cameras
WORDS TERRY HOPE
Y osuke Yamane had the look of a man who knew the day had gone well. He’d recently stepped off the stage of a packed press conference having announced Panasonic’s first foray into full-frame mirrorless technology, and reception to the Lumix S Series had been resoundingly positive. Two cameras, the 47-megapixel Lumix S1R and 24-megapixel Lumix S1, had been announced, and while all the world had to look at for now were prototypes, the concept was clear. I was lucky enough to be able to grab some time with Mr Yamane to find out more about the launch and to get a feel for Panasonic’s aspirations moving forward. It was clear which sector the S1R and S1 would be targeting – very much the
high-end professional. But what had made the company consider this should be the primary target with the first models in this series, and how would they overcome the fact that there are already some very established players in this area? “We are prepared for this,” Mr Yamane told me. “The professional camera sector is controlled by some very well-known manufacturers, and Canon and Nikon DSLRs are very widely used. However, the reality is that there is now a very clear shift from SLRs to mirrorless models, and this is where we have an advantage. Ten years ago we were the first company to manufacture a mirrorless MFT camera, the Lumix DMC-G1, and we’ve been heavily involved ever since. “The advantages of mirrorless models are well understood and allow photographers and filmmakers to see what they’re achieving in real time and to access much more information in the viewfinder. In many ways the DSLR is now becoming outdated and mirrorless is the future.”
ABOVE Mr Yosuke Yamane recently announced the launch of Panasonic’s new venture into the world of full-frame mirrorless cameras, the S Series.
“The reality now is that there is a very clear shift fromSLRs tomirrorless models, and this is where we have the advantage”
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PRO MOVIEMAKER WINTER 2018
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