John Matthews

I guess it depends on what you’re looking for. I’ll give Panasonic credit for their primes — the other makers feel more like wannabes than real contenders when it comes to consistent size, look, feel, and output. Canon seems unwilling to let third-party manufacturers do what they want, probably out of fear. Sony, on the other hand, seems to cripple third-party lenses for no real reason. Nikon offers some 1.4 primes, but they’re a bit all over the place — not ideal if you’re looking for a cohesive lineup. Only Panasonic has released a true roadmap of lenses, much like a publisher releasing a series of books that all share the same design and cover style. Other manufacturers are putting out books of all different shapes and sizes. That’s fine for the average user, but if consistency is what you’re after, it’s hit or miss. Sony is all over the place — they started with a mount made for APS-C! Meanwhile, Panasonic and Leica developed one of the more recent mounts, designed specifically for full-frame. Leica has their set of APO primes — arguably the best lenses they’ve ever made — though at a crazy cost. Panasonic and Sigma, on the other hand, are pushing out lenses at a relatively fast pace, including some truly unique focal lengths that have never been done before, like the 20–200mm.

It's not that bad in L-mount. We now have a small 40mm F/2 from TTartisan, but it could be better. Most of the lenses from Panasonic make a lot of sense- a full set of clinical 18, 24, 35, 50, 85, 100mm lenses at f/1.8 (except for the 100mm). They're the same size, rendering, in-camera corrections, usage and everything you'd expect. No other camera maker has that. The zooms are also great. Sure, no Tamron, but should that be the deal-breaker? Personally, I'm no longer going for "clinical and sharp". Give me anything with character- that's what I want; set yourself apart a little. Clinical = boring in my book. Still, I have many of the primes, but I almost always take out the vintage stuff when shooting for myself (not a pro). Also, mark my words, L mount will win in the end with lens selection. What lenses are you after?

I think they're acting either conservatively with a wait-and-see approach. IMO, they're waiting to see how the S1 series sells. Based on that and the market/competition, they'll act or not. I've been having a hard time getting excited about these newer bodies. Really, it's more about 4k120fps (if anything). I just cannot justify that kind of expense as a hobbyist. RAW isn't for me. I'm much more excited about lenses now, but even with them, they're becoming too similar across brands. I don't know why, but they're also becoming boring. The Chinese lenses seem to be where the more unique looks are coming from. I have a really hard time thinking that the ZR will be viable on the beach in summer with MF lenses. After the GX800 and S9, even though they can be bright, the EVF is non-negotiable now. Maybe I'm getting old.

What happens if you know the boat has a hole in it and you know it's going to sink if it's out there? This might be the more realistic situation for Panasonic. They have the camera, but does it make sense at the price they can make it for (and still make money)? Or, perhaps even more likely, they can make a few of these awesome cameras they've designed, but there are some sort of tooling or production issues that prevent making a lot of them at the right price.

I remember @Mattias Burling posting this. I always wondered if he tried to repair or even open that RX100. Starts at 1m39s.

The GX7 had it too. I had one and loved it. The GX7 Is also had the flip-up screen rather than the flip-out screen of the GX8.

Agreed. I have a hard time thinking that in the modes of the S5ii, somehow we're getting systematic overheating on the S1rii. Granted the processor and sensor are different, but Lumix, who is known for testing their cameras well, would have not released it had the thermals been off the wall.

Quite possible, but if Panasonic wants to continue with Lumix and it makes money and takes money from Sony, I don't see really any changes. I understand this one. Have you had any problems with the S1rii locking up or overheating? I heard someone say that the other day. Maybe they fixed it. I'm not a pro and I'm still fully enjoying the S5ii. These days, I'm more interested in lenses, especially vintage and MF ones. I should be getting the Laowa 28mm f/1.2 in a few days. There's something about the wide and shallow look that attracts me. That lens seems to be the widest, brightest. I was really hesitating between it and the Konica 28mm f/1.8 UC, which is still one of the most unique 28mm on the market. Maybe, I'll pick up both.

I understand. On the other hand, they could just call it Panasonic Pro Services and it would be completely seamless. I can’t help but feel there’s something going on behind the scenes, though. You’re right — moving from Lumix Pro Services to My Panasonic just doesn’t make sense from a user’s perspective, at least in my opinion. I smell a rat — the whole thing feels a bit fishy.

I'm really not sure what to make of it. Apparently, the North American service is still up. In Europe, they're transitioning to "My Panasonic". Maybe, and this would be a good thing, they're getting rid of the Lumix name, suggesting more of a commitment from them. If not, they're either restructuring/streamlining (good?) or winding down operations on a service that wasn't profitable in the first place (maybe for all the manufacturers). From the perspective of pros, if they don't have a priority turn-around on a device, it could be a problem, but maybe it's just not a thing anymore. Maybe just have backups and go with the slower service?

I will say, all of this is confusing — Sean (of Lumix Live) spent about five minutes talking about Lumix Pro Services just today. Either he’s not aware of what’s going on, or I’ve completely misunderstood. But if he isn’t aware, it really doesn’t look good… and here he is still promoting it while their doors are apparently closing in 25 days. That's communication for you!

Fair point.

Google "Lumix closing pro services on November 30, 2025." and click "I'm feeling lucky". Otherwise, https://www.lumixpro.panasonic.com/uk/ Also, everyone with a Lumix pro account received an email... and it wasn't the first. Actually, more than a month old news. I was just wondering what it could mean for Lumix and Panasonic.

I've never had a Panasonic really break on me. It did happen to me with an Olympus E-P7. It had faulty IBIS. I sent it in and they eventually replaced it with an E-M5iii (an upgrade). I was super happy. Not it's the same service today.

I did find a post that said it will still exist, but under the “My Panasonic” name. Maybe because no one was actually using it, they just decided to move the service under the Panasonic brand. Personally, I think they should just get rid of the Lumix name altogether and fully embrace Panasonic. That way, people would immediately know what it’s about and wouldn’t have to think about—or explain—that Lumix means Panasonic too.

I have a bad feeling about this, but does anyone actually use these services? What does this mean for Lumix?

For small M43 cameras like the GM5, prices have skyrocketed to the point where you’d actually make money if you bought one new when it came out, used it, and then sold it in 2025. This trend can’t last—I think it’s a bubble. For anything larger, prices have been tanking for the most part. Cameras like the GH5 and GH5S were roughly double their current prices just two years ago. I suspect that’s because affordable full-frame bodies are now tempting many M43 users to finally make the switch, especially since OM System and Panasonic still haven’t released the camera that truly blows everyone away. Both companies seem to have missed the memo about the kind of very small, capable cameras people actually want in the M43 format. Instead, they keep trying to compete with full-frame—packing similar capabilities into ever-smaller bodies with ever-smaller lenses. Eventually, M43 might only remain relevant for niche situations (like birding). Personally, I still love the format and keep my G7 with two AF lenses. I’m holding out hope. I just wish I could get the capability of the G9 II in an E-M5-sized body. You’d think that would be possible by now. Basically, I use M43 for fun outside and travel. FF is for anything inside.

I took it from the same site that @Andrew Reid mentioned: https://www.slashcam.de/artikel/Test/ARRI-ALEXA-35-Sensor-Bildqualitaet--Rolling-Shutter--Dynamik---Die-neue-Referenz---alles-.html I looked for the Nikon ZR, but I couldn't find similar IQ tests regarding 120fps. It's important to note these are super crops. Andrew thinks it was a bad performance for the Alexa. I don't think so. I don't see the same amount of aliasing as I do on the A1 and S1R ii (which line-skipped) shots.

I'm not sure of the practicality of sensor processing/detail tests at 120fps. Who watches much more than just a short clip? The only exceptions I can think of are in Clockwork Orange and Billy Elliot- both shot on film. I had a look at the GH7 test at 100fps and 120fps. It looks better than both the Sony A1 and Lumix S1r ii. For reference, here's the Alexa 35 at 120fps:

That would make more sense than starting a whole new lens system IMO. Just make a body in the $2500 range and loads of people will come in. Add to it a fast f2 prime that isn't gigantic (I'm ok with in-camera software corrections) and I think it would be way cheaper than making and marketing a new system. There's already so much confusion for the limited number of consumers left buying cameras. I would say a FF point and shoot would make more sense for them. It would also sell really well IMO.

I intend on doing this, but Sean's response rubbed me the wrong way. It's too bad Panasonic doesn't have the same spirit as it had with the GM1 (the camera referenced in the release of the S9). I wanted a 28mm and 40mm pancake. The TTArtisan isn't quite pancake status, but it's the best we've got. It seems like a decent price.

That’s definitely a shift in their marketing strategy—not one that really appeals to me. Owning the S9 (though not the painted gold version), I can’t help but feel Panasonic has done the camera-world equivalent of polishing a turd. That said, I actually like the S9 for what it is—though not at the original price. At the discounted sub-1000 euro mark, it makes sense. My main issue is that it didn’t deserve the attention of a redesign because it’s a fiddly little camera that lacks proper lenses. I’m still waiting for a Panasonic-branded, real pancake lens with autofocus—the kind that should have been released alongside the S9. I even mentioned this to Sean on his weekly livestream. I asked why Panasonic wouldn’t create a lens like the 40mm f/2 that TTArtisan just released, even if it cost twice as much. His response was that they wouldn’t, because everyone would hate on it—much like the 26mm joke of a lens. I disagree. I believe they’d sell plenty of copies of a 40mm f/2 with AF (even if plastic) at around 350 euros. Sometimes, Panasonic just can’t see the obvious, IMO.

I cannot fathom why Panasonic is spending its resources on 200 copies of a camera and giving half of the copies away to YouTube scrubs. Rather, shouldn't they be looking more concerned with releasing a SH1ii- THE camera that 99% of us want to see be released? Perhaps, the pulled another S9 smokescreen on us as it was planned, but regrettably still not ready- only 3 years behind schedule! Then again, maybe it was never planned from the get-go.

Maybe it's me, but the ZR seems more like a S9 with a bigger LCD, internal RAW, and a slightly more functional hotshoe in a heavier body, worse IBIS, not as many tools, and roughly for $1200 more. Am I missing something? The ZR also has 4k 120 in S35, which could be a big deal for some.

Inspired by this post, I tried to make some flares with the Makinon. Some were shot at f/16 and others f/3.5 with an ND filter. I shot in v-log and corrected for exposure and add the official Panasonic LUT.