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I understand the cost saving/standardisation perspective but I think Panasonic are definitely taking the piss a bit now by re-using the S5ii body for all their products.

Slashcam said the S5II had a flawless and quite "cinematic" video rendering in their review. This is not true at all, the bad processing just destroy the fine details, even more in 4k. So I would take their words with a grain of salt for now. And I found very strange all these reviews showing there is still a good amount of moiré whereas in the video of hopkinsfilms the S1RII looks even better than the S1H. Also it's hard to say because of Youtube compression but I found a video from Vistek showing a comparison between the R5II and S1RII in 8K, and like on the S5II I wonder if these are not the same smoothed out details on skin texture that I can see on the S1RII. His forehead looks more blurred on the S1RII (right image). Never mind, I already pre-ordered the camera, I will compare the video engine to my S1 and S5II, but if it is close to the S5II, I will return the camera this time.

Just keep in mind to get "cool" cfexpress cards. Z8 has no serious overheating issue, unless you put a card that consumes a lot of power. There is huge gap in efficiency between some of these cards that nobody talks about (one of the reasons a reviewer says I got 1 hour and another says only 20 minutes). Angelbird CFe v4 1TB is rated 3.75w, but v2 that is slower is rated 2.4w. v4 sustained write speed is 2100MB/s (insane in such a small package) and v2 is 1300MB/s, meaning you get 60% higher speed for 56% more power consumption, which I don't think a good tradeoff, considering 1300MB/s is already fast enough, and I dont think you take too much 8k60p shots at highest bitrate.

It's nearly time for a spring clean where 4 or 5 cameras turn into 1! I have decided to divest in L-mount. The Sigma Fp-L is staying but I'm moving on from Panasonic and the L-mount lenses with no plans to get more. When the Sigma BF comes out I'll certainly consider swapping the Fp-L for it but want to see if it retains Cinema DNG raw video. Nikon Z8 used prices are now under $3000/3000 euro. So it's a cheaper option than the Panasonic S1R II, with a much more flagship design of body and very nice chonky EVF. Of course the autofocus is in a different league and the sensor is a lot faster. I thought about returning to a Sony a1 and selling my a7 IV along with some Fuji stuff. But the a1 prices are still as high as 12 months ago and well above what I'll find a Z8 for. Nikon Zf mount has the nifty Leica M autofocus adapter (latest version) from Techart, and the MegaDap Sony E mount adapter which serves all my autofocus needs without requiring a $15,000 investment in Nikon Zf lenses. Thank the lord. Whereas with the S1R II and L-mount, options are very limited for adapters. Sigma 35mm F2 ART for Sony E-mount on a Nikon Z8 is a tempting duo. Build quality tip top and not too big. Ergonomically fantastic. 8K RAW video and super fast. One of the best range of H.265 codec options and some very good crop modes. 4K/120p full frame mode. So I think it's time to get into Z mount in a big way and commit to it. Would you go for the Z8, or something else for $3000?

Nice long (2 hour!) review from Richard Wong. I've been thinking about the standardisation of body designs at Panasonic. Taking inspiration from Sony they seem to want to design a one-body fits all standardised ergonomics. But the lack of the top panel LCD and the angular body of the S5 Mark II does nothing for me. And I'm wondering when Panasonic will start adding a bit of flair and soul to their designs. If they came up with the S5 Mark II body design as a way of creating a Sony a7 IV mould to then go and do a whole set of other cameras with only minor ergonomic changes, they have done a really bad job. The S5 Mark II body is not flagship material. Sony a7 IV is. The Sony a1 has an almost identical design and ergonomics to the a7 IV, but still feels like a flagship. It's been the same since the Sony a9 being based on the a7 III. The Nikon Z8 is probably the nicest of the bunch I think? Not too small, not too big, top panel LCD, very nice viewfinder hump, feels premium. So in general just the design... what do people think of the direction Panasonic have taken since the S5 Mark II to standardise their bodies? The G9 II of course shares the same basic layout and looks too. Maybe they will break the mould a bit with the S1H Mark II if we ever see it? They could certainly use some imagination at this point.

The new boy probably is a better option than the S1H now. The S1H probably has the better build, albeit with a bit of extra size & weight. The S1H has a higher res LCD and better battery life, but that's probably about it? The S1H comfortably beats it on price however as you can pick up 2 for the price of a brand new S1Rii. If I was shopping between the two today, with the cost taken out of the equation, it would almost certainly be the S1Rii even though I think the S1Rii is not a completely worthy successor to the S1R (which it is arguably replacing and not the S1H).

All the ex-BBC cameramen left to become wedding videographers ages ago. I know this because they were always telling me so when I met them at weddings as a photographer. Which was really special for me.

Haha. Nice. Must be confident in the autofocus performance then! Although perhaps I am reading too much into it and it tells us more about the state of BBC News than anything camera related!!

This would be a 'maybe' for me. What do I like? The body. I think it's best in class for size, weight, ergos, build etc. It's Goldilocks for me from that perspective. For video, easily nails my needs. For stills, it would cover it, just... I'd rather have another 15 or so mp as with my A7RV, but... Lenses is a bit of a tricky one in two regards. 1. I think the native Z line is still a bit thin. It has some of the rebadged Tamron lenses, but not all of them and the Tamron lenses, specifically the trio of 20-40, 25-75 and 70-180, all f2.8 and in their latest spec, are insanely good for their size & weight with no discernible real world difference to their fatter 24-70 and 70-200 equivalents. 2a. Adapted lenses. I wouldn't trust the adapted M lenses as far as AF goes and all the tests vindicate that as in it's 'OK' at best, in good light, but you would not rely on it for anything critical. But for using manually, I think adapting M glass is superb. Voigtlander especially for quality vs cost. 2b. Megadap. For video use, possibly less of an issue. For stills however, because there is no in camera correction that native Sony lenses provide, you can get some weird distortions that are almost impossible to correct. This is mostly in regard to verticals. I know because I used all 3 adapted Tamron lenses listed above on my Zf for 4-5 jobs at the start of last year and though it was not an issue or noticeable in over 90% of shots, especially outdoors, for indoor work, not so great. AF though with the Megadap is very good. It's not quite native, but it's not that far off. I think for me as a user of currently 3 systems; Sony + Tamron for stills, LUMIX + Sigma for video and Nikon Zf for 'less serious' stills, ie, a foot in all 3 camps, the system that makes the most sense for my needs would still be L Mount with Sony & Nikon tied for second, Sony for stills and Nikon for video. To be honest, I'd be happy with any of them and have come so close to pushing the Z8 button myself other than what it would cost for me to do so because any future changes for me, I want to go all in on one single system. Financially, that is currently beyond my means.

Well as a former S1H, S1R and OG S5 owner plus currently an S9 + S5ii + A7RV + Zf user… I don’t ‘mind’ them essentially reusing the S5ii chassis now that they have implemented the S1H style rear screen. The S5ii body though to me is simply adequate. I don’t like; the shutter mechanism sound or feel. It’s not the worst, but compared with the S1H it’s pretty poor. That is only really an issue for the photographer side of me. The rear LCD isn’t great. Anything under 2000 wotsits isn’t great so the S1Rii despite having a better mech, is still a bit low res for me. The rest of the body is just OK. It’s OK to hold, the build is generally OK, the design/visual appeal is OK but dull. The size & weight is good. In fact, I would not object to it being slightly heavier, but not by much. The new S1Rii has better locking dials and positioning. It’s not a brand new body and I do not think ‘flagship’ worthy, but I think it is a reasonably decent upgrade and overall on a rating of 1-5 is now a 3.5/4. Compared to OG S5 = much better and that didn’t have the cooling. Compared to the S5ii = better. Compared to the S9 = blows it out of the water, but I did not buy the S9 for it’s build but for it’s size & weight. Compared to the S1R = hmmm equal. The build quality of the OG S1R was/is better as is the shutter mechanism, but a bit too much whiff of old school DSLR about the S1R for me. Compared to the S1H = a downgrade. The S1H still remains my favourite camera ever. (I would still be using it today as my principal unit except for one single factor and that is I can’t burn a LUT into Vlog like I can with my S5ii’s, so swapped it for an S9. It makes a MASSIVE difference to my workflow and I think stuff such as digital sharpness and moire). Compared to Zf = totally different bodies so no comparison really. The Zf is more a ‘fun but pro’ camera to me but the S5ii/S1Rii is significantly better ergonomically. Compared to the A7RV = this is where it falls apart a bit… The A7RV is just better built, better to hold, better to use, has a better rear LCD, better AF, smaller and lighter lenses at the same apertures, twin Type A card slots, also shoots 8k though I think it’s video specs are not quite as good so as a pure video machine, the S1Rii probably beats it for video spec. I am no Sony fanboi and would like to hate on it if I could, but for me, right now, it is the top dog. Would I swap it for a Leica SL-3? Yes if I had the funds. Would I swap it for an S1Rii? Possibly if I was not already invested. Would I swap it for a Z8? Maybe… I think the Z8 body is best in class, but doesn’t quite have the lenses and that AF is slightly suspect. My Zf is certainly not as good as my A7RV.

HDMI has very little lag now. Major improvement finally.

At least for me the AF works and works and then out of the blue decides to just lock on some where out of the focus box and refuse to let go, or keep focus on the subject ( not just people ) but slightly in front or behind. Funny enough when I had the GH4 and GH5 I used AF, but always know when to just not bother and flip over to MF!

I would be very interested to read your experiences on this front specifically. Where it not for reading in various internet spaces about poor H.265 implimentation resulting in compression artifacts, I'd likely be swayed (and might overlook the lack of a mechanical shutter). I think everything else about the camera is stellar. But I'm consistently unclear if H.265 10-bit is 422 or 420. The manual says the latter but 422 is referenced online repeatedly (perhaps due to people making assumptions about 10-bit?). This is obviously mute if your intensions are to live in NRAW and ProRes-land. If so, I think this would be an incredible camera and a good if not the direction to go given your Lumix misgivings. It would be my next pick.

And the main lenses I use are Atlas Mercury, so… pretty open field on cameras I could use. I’m not locked into L-Mount.

Yep my main challenge is, I’m not shopping between the two, I already have an S1H. It’s gonna take a bit extra to tempt me away, especially at $3K+

For stills or video, as long as you were aware the AF is not always 100% reliable for forward motion tracking such as entrances and exits. For anything else, the AF is actually pretty decent and sticky. It's just a bit slow to lock on initially in that forwards or subject moving away scenario, but not as big of a deal as some made out. It could be improved by tweaking the settings, using S35 mode, lens choice (zooms better than primes) and shooting smaller apertures such as f8...but some of these are 'workarounds' and we'd all rather stuff just worked without having to align the planets. It's quite funny though that the image is considered 'as good'. It's a 2019 camera vs a 2025. How is that progress??!! But then to be fair, the S1H image was and still is very good. Also a vastly underrated stills camera unless you absolutely had to have the sharpest images around such as for maybe say product photography, but for portraits and events, superb IMO.

To return the design language, it would be a nice touch when the S1R II overheats to have a loud “DING!” to let you know it’s done instead of a boring symbol on the rear screen.

Not to resurrect an old thread, but since there are folks here who actually have the camera… How is the readout speed in the binned 4K mode? Apparently on the upcoming Eterna, they’ve confirmed it will have open gate video, based on the binned sensor mode. @eatstoomuchjam

Funnily enough that massive microwave screen bezel doesn't look out of place. Only at second glance did I see it 🙂

I’ve seen BBC News use the A7III (and completely mess up the frame rate… for a report which went out on their global news channel!). So BBC approval really isn’t all that.

Plus I think there is a lens bundle deal for $500 more. Not sure which lenses it allows for but looks like a limited offer. Lastly, if you sign up for their online newsletter email thing you can get 10% off your first order. If it works at the $3k price level with no cap that’s an extra $300.

Yeah I had the GH5 briefly and swapped it back for a GH5S pre-order. They really were great. But the S1H is still their best camera. The full V-slog and excellent OLPF really still haven’t been surpassed at its price. Maybe equaled by the Pyxis, but I haven’t tried one yet. Really the two things I don’t love on my S1H are readout speed (a bit slow for using my Mercury especially,) and the HDMI output lag (which eliminates the possibility of giving a 1st AC a fair shake.) Speaking of, did anyone test the S1RII’s output lag? That’s plagued every S-series body somewhat since the beginning.

I think we have to keep in mind that we all shoot different things and use and set up cameras in different ways. I have no care who's name is on the top of the camera in my hand and have always used multiple brands at the same time, currently have 1x R6ii, 2x S5iiX and 1x Fuji XH-2s, I have shot Lumix and Canon for like ever, so naturally feel a lot more at home with them, however always curious so will rent gear to try out and sometimes shoot along with main rig on gigs to have identical footage to judge later. I found the Z6iii and the Z8 AF inconsistent, they have a tendency to try to find what's closest to the camera and I had lots of shots where on a talking head either the nose or ear is sharp, the camera will maintain focus and not jump back and forth, the eye AF box is locked on the eye but after import when you look closely the focus point is a few centimetres behind or in front of the eye. Again, it could be how I set up cameras, and I'm sure there are people out there that love their Z8/9 or 6iii... @Andrew I see your other post, You are right, the Z line does have a lot going for it which is why I have been renting them on shoots, (there is no replacement for using the camera on an actual shoot) But it just didn't quite hit it out of the park the way I was hoping for me.

Also, for those of us in the US, I just see that if you preorder the S1Rii from Adorama, not only is there the Sandisk memory offer, there is also an offer for one year (yes - subscription-based) of C1 for $50. If these are of value to you (and you will need the latest C1 for raw and tethering support), that makes the S1Rii effectively a $3k camera. This is a pretty crazy price at release that I would not have imaged.

They will leave 8K 60p and faster sensor performance for an S1H Mark II presumably. It will probably be able to match the Nikon Z8. The question is, do we need another Z8?

Slashcam tested 6K 60p with exellent results on a 4K timeline, almost as detailed and with resolution like 24 to 30p. No moire nor aliasing nor any other artefacts. Readout in that mode was tested with a result of 15.6ms.

Back then, capturing detailed video was the priority—and the GH4 made that possible. As a bonus, it also eliminated many of the moiré issues we were dealing with. Over time, our focus shifted to achieving high-quality, detailed video with a shallow depth of field. Later, IBIS became the next major step forward. Panasonic has been at the forefront of all these innovations. The only real drawback was autofocus in video, which eventually became the defining feature on YouTube. This killed their sales. Fast forward to today, and most cameras have nearly everything—but Panasonic still excels in IBIS, video tools, and in-camera photographic features. Their autofocus is only slightly behind, if at all (in fact, they lag in AF far less than other brands do in IBIS, video tools, and built-in photography features). Their image quality is second to none. If there’s something drastically better that justifies a significant price jump, I’d love to hear what it is. Sure, rolling shutter can be an issue. So can slow motion. But even Panasonic would probably agree—if those are your top priorities, you might need a different camera. Personally, I’d take slightly worse rolling shutter and slow motion in exchange for that flip-out, flip-up screen—especially if it means saving a lot of money compared to other cameras with that feature. The "do everything" hybrid camera is not that far off. We're an in-camera ND filter and slightly faster sensor away. I bet Panasonic is going to get there first.

I don't normally google people, but for the sake of science. It actually takes more than 0.5 seconds to google someone, i just tried it... Well it takes me longer... not sure what says about my internet skills. Hello, I'm Ed! I'm a director and DP based in London with a focus in socially conscious, factual work. yada, yada, yadda. I hope i googled the right person because that could be embarrassing. Likes dark colours obviously. Cant hold the beard or glasses against him either, as i have both too. I do worry that he goes dressed out at night in dark clothing, cause thats like, just asking to be run over, he should probably have some hi vis on... Maybe Mr Reid knows him, however i don't and neither does eatstoomuchjam apparently.. Although i do watch media division and generally like their content. They do produce some pretty slick content, but at the end of the day their still selling something. Not sure how, there's no obvious affiliate links. I'd say 90 % of youtube are trying to sell you something. Perhaps the other 10% are approaching it from the other end and hoping to review stuff and and keep it. If i was cynical i'd then say, sell it on the quiet a few weeks later. However its 2025 and that kinda stuff wouldn't happen right ? Btw at what age can i justify grumpy old men syndrome ? (i feel like im almost there...) I know its a small group and not everyone lives long enough to join. I feel like there should be a merit badge or button perhaps for when you do. Being grumpy doesn't necessarily make you wrong either, just grumpy. Me being me, i tend to avoid the obviously grumpier ones (there's some real gold for you there ! ) eatstoomuchjam, may i suggest you add some Manuka honey, either Nz honey or Australian maluka honey. Both have excellent antimicrobial and antibacterial characteristics. affiliate links down below...😉

Different planet these fucking filmmakers 😉

Christopher Frost spent some days with one and shows a somewhat detailed navigation through the interface.

Is this why they sent you the box of chocolates?

Yes. But that is running against the fundamental design principle of this camera - minimalism. After all, anyone who wants/needs EVF, internal ND, IBIS etc etc isn't short of choice. That need is already met. This camera is very clearly intended as a niche product for a design-aware type of audience. It is (far too) expensive for the feature set. It is unique at the price. Choose one. (Personally, I'm totally fed up with myriads of too-small-to-use buttons and seemingly infinite layers of menus... so definitely the second option for me).

Sigma cameras have always been quirky in a good way I think. Niche cameras from a niche company. As Andrew stated they aren’t competing with Canikon or Sony. More of a Japanese Leica without the price tag. Also differentiating themselves from other sister company Panny so yeah very different from S9 despite similarities. More high brow artsy, very early Apple/Braun philosophy. Design first, form over function. There is no open-gate AFAIK. I don’t think the target audience is social media users like S9. Video is really a side show here. This is more for the Leica audience. Stills oriented for mature enthusiasts that doesn’t want to delve into technical aspects yet want a sleek compact rugged camera with minimal controls that’ll output beautiful SOOC stills. It’s not so unlike their Merill/Foveon cameras.. I won’t lie I want one just because I’m a sucker for this type of design philosophy but it makes very little sense spec wise in todays market. Beautiful Foolishness, name really checks out!

Lumix releases a camera without EVF, hot shoe and mech shutter for 1.5K = "crippled". Sigma releases a camera with the above shortages plus the lack of IBIS, SD, etc for 2K = "innovative". A real example of it's not what you sell, it's how you sell it.

The problem is that the artists are loosing in this new world of social media. I recently caught up over coffee with a few filmmaker friends here in LA. All of them work pretty regularly shooting commercials. They told me last year that roughly 60% of their content was shot vertical with 40% horizontal. Even for the "traditional" spots, many times the clients didn't like the look of the sample video and asked if it could be made to look more like a "mobile phone" They claimed that they were going for a reality based, "Tik Tok" look. This made all of us sad. I've been working with a client that has slowly been moving away from anything on his company website or YouTube and now I'm just shooting reels for him. I used to do nice little 3-6 minute mini docs and now he just wants 12-15 short 15 second clips.