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Product photos: Mitchell Clark

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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 is available now with a recommended retail price of $3300.

Index:

• What's new
• What's new for video
• How it compares
• Body and handling
• Image Quality
• Autofocus
• Conclusion
• Sample gallery
• Specifications
• Press release

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• Feb 25: Initial review published
• Mar 31: Image quality and Autofocus results published
• Apr 23: Autofocus section updated and conclusion added

What's new New 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, at intermediate ISO settings. Panasonic doesn't always disclose when it's using BSI technology, but in this instance it has confirmed it.

Its design means it's appreciable slower than the more expensive Stacked CMOS sensors, with an electronic shutter mode that takes 37.5ms (~1/27 sec) to read out in 14-bit mode and 20.2ms (~1/50 sec) in the 12-bit mode used for bursts and other quick-fire shooting modes.

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

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

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

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

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.

Image Quality

Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors and detail types you'll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes to see the effect of different lighting conditions.

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The results are pretty positive. In terms of detail capture, the S1RII performs as we'd expect, capturing less detail than the 61MP Sony a7R V but with no meaningful difference vs the likes of the Canon EOS R5 II, Nikon Z8 or its own predecessor.

There's a fair bit of moiré visible in various places suggesting there's no anti-aliasing filter. But it's not significantly more pronounced than in most of its rivals, suggesting we were just unlucky that we got to see some artefacts in one of our real-world shooting. If anything, looking around various high-frequency targets in the scene, Panasonic's JPEG engine seems to be doing a pretty good job of suppressing the effects of moiré.

In terms of color rendition the Panasonic looks a lot like its immediate peers, with no significant differences in most colors, compared with its peers. The light skin tone patch is perhaps a fraction more pink than Canon's rendering, but there aren't any nasty surprises: something backed up by our experiences of shooting with the camera.

Noise levels seem competitive at low to moderately-high ISO settings but it looks like noise reduction is being applied to the Raws at the higher ISO settings, with distinct blurring of the noise patterns. JPEG noise reduction strikes a pretty good balance between noise suppression and detail retention, but gets a bit overwhelmed at the highest settings.

Dynamic range

The S1RII's sensor is a modern design with dual conversion gain; it has Panasonic's 'Dual Native ISO' function that lets you decide exactly where the switch in modes happens, but at default settings, it's at ISO 400 that the switch happens. Sure enough, if you brighten an ISO 320 image, you'll see it has slightly more noise than images shot at ISOs above that point, with the same exposure.

The further you venture into the ISOs from that low gain mode, the more noisy you'll find the very deep shadows (this is exactly the read noise that using the higher gain step minimizes). So the widest possible dynamic range is encountered at ISO 80, but if you're tempted to underexpose in low light, to protect highlights, you shouldn't venture below ISO 400.

The S1RII has a lower base ISO than its predecessor, so you can't make a direct comparison (the new camera receives 1/3EV more light), but even with that slight discrepancy, it's results seem comparable. It's a competitive result, even compared with the best of its peers.

High res multi-shot

Shot using hand-held multi-shot mode.

Lumix S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 | 26mm | F8 | 1/250 sec | ISO 80
Photo: Richard Butler

While we generally haven't found high-resolution multi-shot modes to be particularly useful, they can help you capture a bit more detail in the right circumstances. The S1RII has one of the best implementations of the feature, too, with both tripod and handheld modes and the option to compensate if your subject moves a bit at the cost of resolution in that area. Perhaps most importantly, the processing happens in-camera; you don't have to manually combine the shots later on in desktop software.

It's pretty apparent that the Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII is built around the IMX366 sensor from Sony Semiconductor. So we see a sensor with dual conversion gain giving lots of dynamic range at base ISO and well-controlled noise once you move to the second gain mode. Its BSI design means its high image quality should be maintained right to the corners of the image, as it means the pixels can reliably receive light from more acute angles than on older FSI sensors.

Autofocus Autofocus operation

The Panasonic S1RII features a revised version of the phase-detection AF system introduced with the S5II cameras. It can detect and track more subjects than the S5II supported at launch, and Panasonic promises it's both quicker to find focus and more tenacious in terms of tracking.

The S1RII's button layout puts all your autofocus controls close at hand.

The interface will be familiar to anyone who's used a Panasonic in the past ten-or-so years: pressing the AF Area button on the back of the camera brings up a row of seven icons representing the different AF areas the camera offers. Pressing upwards on the four-way controller or joystick then lets you choose whether the camera should look for a recognized subject near your chosen AF area. Pressing the 'DISP' button lets you select which subjects the camera looks for.

The S1RII's autofocus menu gives you a lot of options from a single screen.

There's a twist, though: the S1RII can either be set to use its focus tracking system or it can be set to track a recognized subject but, unlike most modern cameras, these are separate functions. The upshot is that if you want to focus on a non-recognized subject for one shot, or the camera fails to find the subject it's supposed to recognize, you'll need to disengage the subject tracking: the S1RII will not fall back to its generic tracking system.

This is disappointing as the S5II has now gained the ability to detect all the same subjects as the S1RII, but its subject recognition is built on top of the generic tracking system, so the camera will fall back to tracking AF, making it more flexible.

AF interface

The interface generally does a good job of managing multiple subjects without overwhelming you with information. In most AF area modes, it'll only draw a box over the recognized subject nearest your selected area. If you move the point over another subject in the scene, it'll instantly snap the box to that subject instead. It's responsive enough that it doesn't feel like you're missing out by not having all the recognized subjects highlighted.

When the S1RII finds faces, it can do a good job of sticking with them. In this scenario, it was able to track someone who started out walking straight-on towards the camera but who ended up at an angle to it without losing track of them or jumping to the person next to them.

Lumix S Pro 24-70 F2.8 | 35mm | F4 | 1/200 | ISO 80
Photo: Mitchell Clark

If you prefer, you can use the 'full area' tracking mode. In this mode, the camera highlights all the recognized subjects, letting you select which one you want to focus on using the joystick or touchscreen. The boxes do jiggle quite a bit, though, and can sometimes flicker on and off, which isn't the most confidence-inspiring user experience and means a tap of the joystick doesn't always select the subject you wanted.

Autofocus performance

Our experiences with the S1RII were distinctly mixed: when the AF system works, it can be very good, but overall, we found it to be appreciably less reliable than we've come to expect from the likes of Canon, Nikon and Sony cameras.

We found the camera's AF Custom Setting Set 3 mode was better at tracking the subject than the defaults, which frequently lost track of it if it changed speed as it approached the camera. The custom setting, which is designed to handle unpredictably moving subjects, increased success in following the subject around, but the camera usually still struggled to keep it in focus as it changed speeds.

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Standard tracking, AF Custom Setting Set 3

The subject recognition mode is more successful at tracking the subject and keeping it in focus; using AF Custom Setting Set 3 upped this dependability further. While the camera couldn't respond quickly enough to the subject's approach-rate changing to get every shot in focus, unlike the generic tracking it recovered quickly enough to give a good hit rate.

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Subject recognition mode, AF Custom Setting Set 3

Testing the camera in a variety of settings suggests the S1RII's AF performance varies much more with adjustment of the AF Custom Settings than we've become used to with other brands. Generally, we consider Set 3 to be a good starting point.

Perhaps the most concerning behavior, though, was one we've seen in other recent Panasonic cameras, where very occasionally, tracking AF will fail to find something to focus on at all and will simply present a red flashing box and make no further attempt to focus. This is offputting enough to undermine our faith in the reliability of the camera, probably out of proportion to how often it occurs. Just knowing that the camera will sometimes fail to focus and make you wait a few moments is an unpleasant thought to have lingering in the back of your mind and not something we're used to encountering on a modern camera.

Conclusion

By Mitchell Clark

What we like What we don't

• Excellent image quality
• Solid and highly customizable controls
• Comfortable ergonomics
• Large, responsive viewfinder
• Versatile display with tilting and articulation
• Competitive burst rates and pre-burst options
• In-camera multi-shot provides resolution boost for static subjects
• Solid L-mount lens ecosystem
• Relatively extensive suite of video features, codecs, and resolutions
• Fan allows dependable video recording for extended periods

• Relatively short battery life
• Autofocus tracking still isn't as reliable as its rivals
• Subject detection doesn't fall back to standard tracking autofocus
• Higher rolling shutter rates than Stacked-sensor cameras
• Relatively small buffer given fast burst rates
• In rare instances the AF will fail to focus altogether

The S1RII is very much a hybrid camera and we'll be looking into its video handling and performance at a future date. But for now we're going to assess the stills side of the camera.

Image quality is, as you should expect from a modern camera, very good. The out-of-camera JPEGs are attractive, and the Raws seem to be both detailed and flexible when you process them. The S1RII gains Panasonic's LUT options, giving you essentially endless customization options if you want to develop your own 'look.' And, while we tend to find multi-shot high res modes quite limited in their value, the S1RII has probably the most usable implementation.

A 177MP image, produced using the hand-held multi-shot mode.

Lumix S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 | 21mm | F8 | 1/500 sec | ISO 80
Photo: Richard Butler

We were also impressed by the S1RII's body and handling. It has a more comfortable grip and retains a good level of direct control and customization without these control points getting too cramped, despite a move away from the large 'professional' style body of its predecessor. It's only really button backlighting that goes missing in the transition, but the updated tilting/articulating screen more than makes up for that, in our opinion.

Our biggest concern with the camera is its autofocus system. While AF tracking is an improvement from previous Panasonic cameras, its performance is still well behind that of its competitors. That's combined with Panasonic's unusual decision to separate general tracking from subject recognition, which makes the camera slower and less dependable to use. The battery life also isn't great, considering its pro-level aspirations, though that can be mitigated with Panasonic's battery grip, which supports hot-swapping.

If the S1RII was everything Panasonic promised it would be, this would be a very different conclusion, especially given just how much cheaper it is than its high-res peers. But while it's a very capable camera, especially for video, the autofocus system and performance make a compelling argument to spend the bit more for one of its competitors if your shooting includes action and movement. While it may be possible to fix some of those issues with firmware updates, at the moment we don't feel the S1RII stands out enough to get one of our awards.

Scoring

Scoring is relative only to the other cameras in the same category. Click here to learn about what these numbers mean.

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RIICategory: Semi-professional Full Frame CameraBuild qualityErgonomics & handlingFeaturesMetering & focus accuracyImage quality (raw)Image quality (jpeg)Low light / high ISO performanceViewfinder / screen ratingOpticsPerformanceMovie / video modeConnectivityValuePoorExcellentConclusionThe S1RII is a hybrid camera that offers solid detail capture, pleasing JPEGs and plenty of video capabilities, but its autofocus system isn't the best for capturing action and movement.Good forHigh quality movie and stills shooting without stacked sensor priceNot so good forShooting action when absolute dependability is required91%Overall scoreRegularScoreCompareWidget({"mainElementId":"scoringWidget","mainProduct":"panasonic_dcs1rii","scoringSchema":{"id":"SLRs","variables":[{"id":"BuildQuality"},{"id":"ErgonomicsAndHandling"},{"id":"Features"},{"id":"MeteringAndFocusAccuracy"},{"id":"QualityRaw"},{"id":"QualityJpeg"},{"id":"LowLightHighISO"},{"id":"ViewfinderScreenRating"},{"id":"Optics"},{"id":"Performance"},{"id":"Movie"},{"id":"Connectivity"},{"id":"Value"}],"categories":[{"id":"EntryLevel","label":"Entry Level Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Entry Level"},{"id":"MidRange","label":"Mid Range Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Mid Level"},{"id":"EntryLevelFullFrame","label":"Entry Level Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Entry Level Full Frame"},{"id":"MidRangeFullFrame","label":"Mid Range Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Mid Range Full Frame"},{"id":"SemiProfessional","label":"Semi-professional Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Semi-professional"},{"id":"SemiProfessionalFullFrame","label":"Semi-professional Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Semi-professional Full Frame"},{"id":"Professional","label":" Professional Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Professional"},{"id":"LargeSensorCompactEntry","label":"Entry Level Large Sensor Compact Camera","shortLabel":"Entry Level Large Sensor Compact"},{"id":"LargeSensorCompactEnthusiast","label":"Enthusiast Large Sensor Compact Camera","shortLabel":"Enthusiast Large Sensor Compact"},{"id":"VideoCamera","label":"Video Camera","shortLabel":"Video Camera"}]},"helpText":"Choose one or more cameras from the drop-down menu, then roll your mouse over the names to see how their scores compare to the camera on review."}) Compared to its peers

The Canon EOS R5 II and the Nikon Z8 are the S1RII's main competitors. They offer similar image quality and hybrid capabilities, though they don't have the excellent tilting/articulating rear display or the ability to process high-res multi-shot in-camera. Both, however, have better battery life, deeper buffers and lower rolling shutter rates for shooting video or stills using the electronic shutter. We also find their autofocus tracking performance to be more capable and user-friendly, as they both fall back to their still quite reliable generic tracking systems when there's no subject to detect. You'll certainly pay for the extra speed and reliability, but it's probably worth it.

Sony's a7R V also has a very capable autofocus system, though it trades speed for even higher resolution. If you're looking to do video or shoot faster-moving subjects, the S1RII is a much better pick, as the a7R V reads out quite slowly. However, it produces even more detailed photos, which may be useful depending on what you're shooting.

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Product photos: Mitchell Clark

The Nikon Z5II is a full-frame mirrorless camera built around a 24MP BSI CMOS sensor. It's an update to Nikon's entry-level full-frame Z5 and is essentially a version of the Zf that trades retro styling for a more conventional design.

Key Features

• 24MP BSI full-frame CMOS sensor
• In-body image stabilization, rated up to 7.5EV
• Autofocus subject detection with support for 9 subject types
• 11 fps Raw w/ mechanical shutter
• 30fps JPEG-only mode with pre-release capture
• 3.69M dot 60Hz EVF with 3000-nit peak brightness
• 4K/30 full-width, 60p w/ 1.5x crop
• 10-bit N-Log or N-Raw capture
• Dual UHS-II card slots
• Downloadable color mode presets via Imaging Cloud

The Z5II will be available in April and will retail for $1699 – a $300 increase over its predecessor in absolute terms, though a very similar price when considering inflation and its greater ambitions. Kits will also be available with a 24-50mm f/4-6.3 lens for $1999, or with a 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR for $2499.

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• What's new
• How it compares
• Body and handling
• Initial impressions
• Sample gallery
• Specifications
• Press Release

What's new A new old sensor

The Z5II's sensor is one we know well, as it features in cameras like the Zf and Z6 II. While it's certainly not state-of-the-art, it's historically performed excellently and offers noticeably faster readout speeds than the non-BSI sensor found in the original Z5, which hailed from the early 2010s.

That'll be most noticeable in video modes – its readout speeds are still slow enough that you likely won't want to use e-shutter mode unless you really need to shoot silently or are doing JPEG-only bursts where it drops to its faster, 12-bit readout mode. However, the Z5II supports much faster burst rates than its predecessor, shooting in Raw at up to 11fps with its mechanical shutter, where the original topped out at 4.5fps.

Hybrid abilities

The Z5II is a much more capable video camera than its predecessor, which could only manage shooting at 4K/30 with a substantial 1.7x crop. The new model, meanwhile, can shoot full-width 4K at up to 30fp and 120fps in 1080p for slow-motion shooting, double what the Z5 was capable of.

It also has a slate of advanced video features such as a product-priority focus mode, electronic stabilization, 10-bit N-Log, waveform monitors and even N-Raw. While the Z5II's target audience likely won't find much use for those later modes, it's hard to complain about their inclusion.

However, while its sensor has good readout speeds, it isn't anything near as fast as the one on the more expensive Z6III. That means you'll see more rolling shutter in full-width 4K, and will have to deal with a 1.5x crop if you want to shoot 60p, though the Z5II is at least capable of the higher framerate.

Latest-gen processor

The Z5II has Nikon's latest processor, the same one that powers cameras like the Z8 and Z6III. That means it largely has the same autofocus capabilities as those more expensive models. It supports the same subject recognition types – the Z5 only recognizes humans and animals, while the Z5II can also detect birds, cars, bicycles, motorcycles, trains and planes.

It also gains a 30fps JPEG-only mode, which supports pre-burst capture. The Z6III's faster sensor gives it a leg up in this area, though: it can shoot full-resolution JPEGs at up to 60fps and can hit 120fps by dropping down to an APS-C crop.

The company also claims the Z5II supports more advanced noise reduction, putting out cleaner JPEGs at high ISOs, and has added an AF-A mode, where the camera decides whether to use single or continuous autofocus.

A bright viewfinder and a more flexible screen

Nikon says the Z5II's viewfinder can reach a brightness of up to 3000 nits, which should help when shooting in harsh daylight. The company doesn't quote brightness figures for the Z5's EVF, though it otherwise has similar specs – both cameras use a 3.69M dot display running at 60Hz.

There are also some changes to the Z5II's LCD. At 3.2", it's the same size as the Z5's, but it's higher resolution and fully articulated, while the original's screen was limited to tilt adjustments.

How it compares

While the Z5II isn't as cheap as its predecessor, it is still among the least expensive full-frame ILCs ever released. Some other cameras on that list, like the original Z5 and Canon's EOS R8, are among its competitors.

At $2000, Panasonic's S5II has a substantially higher MSRP than those cameras and, before the Z5II, offered a more complete package than any full-frame camera in the sub-$2000 range. The S9, which is based around the same sensor, is closer in price to the Z5II but is aimed at a more video-focused audience, as it lacks both an EVF and a mechanical shutter. Given that, it didn't feel as appropriate for this list. While the S5II frequently goes on sale, street prices for cameras drop relative to their MSRPs – a camera that starts off at $1700 is likely to end up significantly cheaper than one that started life at $2000.

The one exception to that rule is if a camera sticks around long enough to get a permanent price cut to reposition it when its replacement arrives. That's essentially what's happened with Sony's a7 III, which was originally released in 2018. It shows its age in many ways but is still in a similar class to the other cameras in this comparison.

Nikon Z5II Nikon Z5 Canon EOS R8 Panasonic S5II Sony a7 III MSRP $1699 $1399 $1499 $1999 $1799 (Originally $2000) Pixel count 24MP 24MP 24MP 24MP 24MP Stabilization IBIS IBIS No IBIS IBIS Max burst rate (Mech / E-shutter)

11fps Raw
30 JPEG-only

4.5fps 6fps elec. first curtain
40fps e-shutter 7fps mech.
30fps e-shutter 10fps Pre-buffer Yes, JPEG No Yes, Raw, 0.5 sec Yes, Raw, 0.5 sec No Autofocus recognition subjects People
Birds
Animals
Vehicles Human
Animal People
Animals
Vehicles Human, Animal, Car, Motorcycle, Airplane, Train Eye AF Max video resolution 4K 60p w/ 1.5x crop
4K 30p full-width 4K 30p w/ 1.7x crop 4K 60p full-width

6K 30p open gate
4K 60p w/1.5x crop
4K 30p full-width

4K 30p w/ 1.2x crop
4K 24p full-width 10-bit options N-Raw
N-Log
HLG N/A C-Log3
HDR PQ V-Log
HLG S-Log 3
HLG Headphone / Mic jack Yes / Yes Yes / Yes Yes / Yes Yes / Yes Yes / Yes Viewfinder res / mag 3.69M dots
0.8x 3.69M dots
0.8x 2.36M dots
0.7x 3.68M dot 0.78x 2.36M dots
0.78x Rear screen 3.2" 2.1M dot fully articulated 3.2" 1.04M dot tilting 3" 1.62M-dot fully articulated 3" 1.84M-dot fully articulated 3" 921.6K tilting Storage formats 2x UHS-II SD 2x UHS-II SD 1x UHS-II SD 2x UHS-II SD

1x UHS-II SD
1x UHS-I SD

Battery life (CIPA) 330 shots 470 shots 290 shots 370 shots 710 shots Dimensions 134 x 101 x 72 mm 134 x 101 x 70 mm 133 x 86 x 70 mm 134 x 102 x 90 mm 127 x 96 x 74 mm Weight 700g 675g 461g 740g 650g

With the upgrades it gains over its predecessor, the Z5II has become one of the most complete full-frame options for under $2000. You're not giving up IBIS, battery life and an autofocus joystick like you would be with the EOS R8, and you're not giving up an EVF and dual top-plate control dials like with the Panasonic S9. It's relatively evenly matched with the S5II, though we've generally found Nikon's autofocus performance to be more reliable.

The a7 III may still seem like a worthy competitor on paper, especially considering that Nikon and Canon can't match E-mount's wide range of lenses. However, other brands have caught up to its once class-leading autofocus system, and its menus were dated and annoying to use even back in 2018. The once enthusiast-focused Sony is really showing its age.

Body and Handling

The Z5II's design is relatively unchanged from its predecessor, though that isn't a complaint. It has a standard mode dial with three custom slots, as well as two top-plate dials for controlling your exposure settings. The camera also comes with a wide variety of buttons, including two customizable ones on the front near the lens mount.

Nikon has added its Picture Control button, which debuted with the Z50II and lets you easily control your JPEG color mode. While the Z5II comes with Nikon's classic range of color modes built-in, you can also download more via the company's Nikon Imaging Cloud service and create or customize your own using the company's desktop software.

Out of camera JPEG, shot using the 'Deeptone Monochrome' color mode.

Nikkor Z 50mm F1.8 S | F5.6 | 1/2000 sec | ISO 100
Photo: Mitchell Clark

This setup provides a fair amount of flexibility and control over the look of your out-of-camera JPEGs, though it doesn't come with the freedom and enormous back-catalog of the industry-standard LUTs that companies like Panasonic let you use.

Handling

The Z5II is a solid camera with a deep grip, which fits well in the hand. It's sturdy – Nikon says the front, back and top covers are made from magnesium alloy – and sealed against moisture and dust. We shot our sample gallery in light to medium rain with no issues.

The control layout is the same one that Nikon has used across much of its Z lineup – anyone familiar with the original Z5 or Z6 series will be instantly familiar with it. Most of the buttons on the back are generally easy to access while shooting, as is the autofocus joystick. The Z5II also supports using portions of its touchscreen to control the autofocus point. The one button that can be difficult to reach in general use is the Picture Control button, as its position on the top plate will likely require you to re-adjust your grip to hit it.

Viewfinder

The Z5II's viewfinder is high-resolution and has a relatively high magnification, but where it really sets itself apart from the crowd is in brightness. It has a peak brightness of 3000 nits, which means it should still be clearly visible, even on a bright, sunny day.

The panel runs at 60Hz. While that's not as fast as the 120Hz mode found on Nikon's higher-end cameras, it should be responsive enough for all but the most fast-paced situations.

Screen

The Z5II features a large, high-resolution, fully-articulated display. While it doesn't provide stills shooters with the ability to tilt up or down in a single motion, once you flip it out, you can use it at pretty much any angle. It also lets you monitor video you're taking of yourself, an essential feature for anyone looking to try their hand at vlogging.

Ports and slots

Again, the Z5II's port selection remains largely unchanged from its predecessor's. It retains the dual UHS-II SD card slots, headphone and microphone jacks, USB-C socket and micro HDMI port. Overall, it's hard to find fault with this selection.

Battery

The Z5II uses the same 16Wh EN-EL15c battery as many of Nikon's other full-frame cameras. It's CIPA-rated to get around 330 shots on a single charge. While you can generally expect to get a fair bit more than the literal number of rated shots, the rating provides a consistent benchmark we can use to measure cameras against each other.

We'd consider a rating around 300 to be acceptable for a day of shooting or a weekend where you're occasionally taking photos, but anything more, and you'll probably want to keep an extra battery or USB-C battery bank at hand.

If you routinely have marathon shooting sessions, the Z5II can be fitted with the sold-separately MB-N14 battery grip, the same that's used for cameras like the Z6 II and Z6III. It should roughly double your battery life and lets you hot-swap in a fresh battery without cutting power to your camera.

Initial Impressions

The Z5II seems like an extremely calculated move in that it fits precisely into Nikon's lineup and the full-frame camera market as a whole. It's a budget-ish model that gives you one or two good reasons to pay a bit more for it than its competitors while not being so good as to dissuade those with deeper pockets from buying a more expensive model like the Z6III.

It's one of the most remarkably complete full-frame cameras that you can get for under $2000, and that makes it easily fit into a flowchart. Care about video and shooting fast-moving subjects? That rules out the Z5. Want IBIS? The EOS R8's out. Want a viewfinder, mechanical shutter and modern menus? Well, that leaves the Z5II. But what if you just have to have full-width 4K/60p, faster burst rates and an even better viewfinder? Well, Nikon will be more than happy to sell you a Z6III for $700 more.

Of course, there are more options if you're willing to consider other sensor sizes. Fujifilm's APS-C X-T5 is a similar class of camera, and the lenses for it are generally going to be less expensive if budget is a big concern for you. Nikon sells the APS-C Z50II, which has surprisingly similar capabilities, is smaller and is almost $800 cheaper. For those set on full-frame, though, the Z5II remains a very well-rounded entry point.

The Z5II is a much more ambitious camera than its predecessor

It's easy to overstate the importance of the price bump from the Z5 to the Z5II. The original was the second cheapest full-frame mirrorless camera ever released, and its successor is coming out after several years of high inflation at a time when the economy doesn't seem to be doing so well. It's also a much more ambitious camera; it's extremely similar to the Z6 II, which launched for $2000 in 2020, except it comes with a better viewfinder and vastly improved autofocus. Sure, people will wish all that was available for the same price the Z5 launched at (or less), but the reality is that even with its higher MSRP, the Z5II is still one of the least expensive full-frame mirrorless cameras at launch.

The one final wrinkle is the Nikon Zf, a camera that is, by all important metrics, the same as the Z5II but with a higher price tag. It comes with a style that the rest of the cameras we've talked about today can't match; it looks like a classic film SLR with all the dedicated dials, but it can also be used like a modern twin-dial mirrorless camera.

Some people won't care about or for that design, and that's great – they can get the Z5II and never think about the Zf again. Others will care about that and pay extra to get it – or wish they could and feel slightly bad about it. Either way, it's the one competitor that requires an emotional decision, not a logical one.

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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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Photo: Dale Baskin

On a recent trip to Japan, I found myself in one of those situations universally dreaded by travelers: showing up for an international flight with a pocketful of unspent local currency and nowhere to spend it except a duty-free shop. I was swimming in a Scrooge McDuckian sea of unused Yen.

The idea of bringing home yet another Toblerone bar, that triangular brick of duty-free despair, was soul crushing. I desperately searched for something – anything – else to needlessly throw my money at.

Then I saw the Hello Kitty Toy Camera, a small rangefinder-shaped camera complete with an optical viewfinder and removable memory card. You can find these toy cameras all over Japan at stores like Bic Camera, but I never considered buying one until I was in a use-it-or-lose-it cash scenario.

Watch our hands-on review of the Hello Kitty toy camera.

Given the choice of drowning my sorrows in yet another Toblerone bar, snagging a box of Tokyo Bananas or dropping a pocketful of Yen on the Hello Kitty camera, my duty to DPReview came first. Which is why, dear readers, I'm going to tell you about yet another camera you never knew you didn't want.

Key specifications

• 1.3MP Type 1/10 CMOS sensor (approximately 1.28 x 0.96mm)
• 3.2mm F2.8 fixed-focus lens
• Optical viewfinder
• ISO 100 (fixed)
• Single Micro SDHC card slot
• Video capture (720x480/30p)
• Fake buttons and controls
• Pink Hello Kitty styling

How it compares

It's hard to find cameras that are directly comparable to the Hello Kitty Toy Camera, so we decided the best course of action would be to compare it to another rangefinder-style camera: the Fujifilm X100VI.

As the table below illustrates, we can make the Hello Kitty camera appear competitive with the more expensive X100VI by picking just the right specs to compare.

Hello Kitty Toy Camera Fujifilm X100VI MSRP $45 $1599 Sensor size (crop factor) 1.25mm² *
(27x) 369mm²
(1.53x) Resolution 1.3MP 40MP Max aperture F2.8 F2 Viewfinder Optical Optical Hello Kitty-themed art Yes No Trendy color options Yes No Fake buttons to look more professional Yes No Memory card type Micro SDHC UHS-I SD Number of existential mid-life crises induced in the average camera reviewer during testing 3 0 Weight 18g 521g

On paper, both cameras earn superlatives in some areas. While the Fujifilm wins on key specs like sensor size and resolution, it's hard to ignore the price tag and uber-light weight of the Hello Kitty camera. Along with the fact that the Hello Kitty camera can fit in a real pants pocket, not the ambiguous 'jacket pocket' reviewers always talk about.

The number of existential mid-life crises induced in a camera reviewer is a spec that's often overlooked in reviews. The Hello Kitty camera definitely wins here. As long as we're clear that by 'wins', we mean 'loses'.

Body and handling Photo: Dale Baskin

The Hello Kitty camera is a rangefinder-shaped camera with silver-colored top and bottom plates and an optical viewfinder. I call it a 'rangefinder-shaped' camera because it's not actually a rangefinder. But, then again, neither is the Fujifilm X100VI.

You won't use the viewfinder. It's either so bad that it makes you dizzy, or it's a window into 4-dimensional space the human brain isn't wired to comprehend. Either way, it will drive you to madness.

The optical viewfinder is a nice touch, but trying to use it will drive you to madness.

Photo: Dale Baskin

The camera includes two functional controls along with two other controls that are just for show. The On/Off button on the top plate doubles as the shutter button, and the Mode button adjacent to it lets you switch the camera between photo, video and audio recording modes.

The other controls are fake, fooling absolutely no one.

The 3.2mm F2.8 lens, which I'm pretty sure is made of a chunk of polished candy, has ridged edges that beg to be rotated. But trying that would be a mistake as it would break the camera. You just have to embrace it for what it is.

Here's a picture of the Hello Kitty camera that better illustrates its size. Yep, it's that small. Also, that lever on the front is fake.

Photo: Dale Baskin

Taking photos is best accomplished with a 'spray and pray' approach. You point, shoot and hope. I say 'hope' because the camera doesn't actually take a photo of what's in front of you but something off to one side. It's like having an integrated AI that guesses what you're trying to photograph, then fails spectacularly every time.

Image quality

No DPReview camera review would be complete without our studio test scene.

A quick glance at the studio scene doesn't reveal anything except digital despair. The camera captures light, but it's notably short on fine detail. Or any detail. The sensor's dynamic range can best be described as 'on' or 'off'.

I have to come clean. I didn't take this photo in our studio because I couldn't justify the time it would have taken to do so. Instead, I used a life-sized print of the studio scene I keep at home, captured using a $45,000, 150MP Phase One camera. Don't worry; you won't be able to tell the difference in the images from the Hello Kitty camera.

For that matter, you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the real studio scene and an impressionist painting of it.

The photos from the Hello Kitty camera are so bad as to border on some kind of avant-garde art.

Photo: Dale Baskin

The one redeeming quality I can see in the images is that they're so bad as to border on some kind of avant-garde art. They have a certain je ne sais quoi, if the 'quoi' is 'blurry, pixelated and eye watering.'

Video This clip shows the video capabilities of the Hello Kitty camera, which captures 720x480 resolution at 30fps. And yes, of course it's a cat video.

It's incredible that this camera even shoots video, capturing 720x480 resolution, which I'm pretty sure is the same resolution my not-inexpensive Panasonic DVX100 vIdeo camera captured about 20 years ago. Though the Panasonic had the advantage of being a 3-CCD system. And having a lens that could fully resolve an image of an avocado.

If your idea of quality video is watching a bootleg copy of the movie ET your parents recorded on network television in 1984, you'll be delighted with the results.

Conclusion

With my journalistic integrity now hanging by a thread – or a pink piece of yarn – I have to find some way to wrap up this review. My professional reputation is in the hands of an animated cat, and I'm strangely OK with that.

Photo: Dale Baskin

I'm not sure if this camera is a toy or a subtle form of psychological warfare aimed at photographers. I've temporarily convinced myself it was a sound purchase, knowing a crushing pink wave of buyer's remorse will eventually hit me like a pixelated tsunami; after all, this is one of the worst photography products I've ever used.

And yet, I have a weird affinity for it.

My six-year-old niece loves using the Hello Kitty camera. So does my cat. But instead of taking photos, he mostly just wants to kill it. I don't know if he has some kind of Hello Kitty issue he's working through or if it's just because cats are basically little killing machines who happen to be cute.

But it does make me wonder if it might actually be possible to put a price on happiness: $45 (plus the cost of therapy).

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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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