MrSMW

Well having mulled it around in my noggin for a few months, plus based on actually owning one and shooting a wedding with it...and then selling it for another S5II for a couple of reasons, I have decided I will get an S9 again. Why? I'm pretty sure I am welded to LUMIX/L Mount (for video at least) for what remains of my career and I have gone backwards and forwards over whether I am best served by having 2 units or 3 and come to the conclusion, 3 is the magic number. If I had not recently sold my third S5II, I'd have been running with 3 of the things in 2025, but as I did sell it last month, I'm going to take the opportunity to pick up an S9 again. Why an S9 over another S5II? I have an S5II with battery grip on a heavyweight tripod with 70-200 pulling static duty. I have an S5II in a cage on a lightweight tripod with 28-70 pulling static and quick to move about duty. I need/want a roaming in hand/lightweight monopod unit I can keep on me that is super lightweight. Lack of a second card slot and no built in fan were and still are slight negatives, but the rest of the what are for me, features over the S5II make sense. Ideally I'd like those multiple frame markers and the video zoom function will make shooting prime lenses more practical and along with some other very minor stuff, makes up a compelling package for me. I've gone around the houses also regarding what lens to pair it with and initially it was going to be a used S Pro 50mm f1.4 but then for the same money, I could get a smaller and lighter Sigma 50mm f1.2, but then for less than one third of the cost, an even smaller and lighter Lumix 50mm f1.8. So that's what I am going to pair it with. Already have the Smallrig cage I saved from last time. And it's available in my corporate logo red colour so it would be rude not to also have a camera with a red body 😋

My plan for 2025 is to add a second copy to YouTube because I can link to that from my website if Vimeo was to cease to exist. I'd still need to re-upload anything I wanted to use from prior to the 1st Jan this year though and that is dozens of videos. I actually have around 700+ but the vast majority I couldn't care less about now and some are over 15 years old! But the last couple of years work that I'd still want the world to see would amount to 50+ pieces, so 50 overnight uploads based on my rural location. Hopefully it won't come to that and I really only used Vimeo as an on-line storage/host to link my own website to...

I was at uni and it was cheap wine, snacks and packed student house every evening it was on. It was an event. No one distractedly scrolling on their phones either…because no one had phones back then, other than people that worked in The City in banking!

IMO, THE best series of the 90’s and one of the best series of all time.

True, but personally I’ll take build over lesser weight, ie, +300g for: higher quality build, better & larger LCD, damped shutter mech etc are all wins for me, but would I rather have them in a smaller & lighter body? If possible, sure. And I do. It’s called the Sony A7RV 😘 I had the S1R and S1H and currently have the S5II and the A7RV. Based purely on build, ergos, how they feel in the hand as lens platforms, I would place them: A7RV S1H S1R S5II IMO, the A7RV and the S5II (book ended here as best and ‘worst’ overall based purely on weight vs size vs build vs features, ie not internal spec) are the least suited to the bigger lenses and the more mid-sized stuff suits them better and then stuff like the A7CR, primes or compact zooms. Anything can work though of course, it’s more a case of what suits each of us. I think the SL3 is about the sweet spot in terms of size and weight. But doesn’t have the rear LCD I need which is where the S1H and A7RV score massive wins for me. So if any future S1R mk II, is anything around that size & weight with a rear LCD like the S1H or A7RV, happy days!

The S1R has better build quality over the S5II, better EVF, better rear LCD, MUCH better shutter mech and the 47mp sensor was...and still is great. Where it's not so great is 'average to good' AF for stills, but very limited AF for video. Has a great 5k SOOC Natural profile, but no log. Body design of the S1H was much better, albeit slightly beefier. I personally would be 100% happy to have the the 61mp sensor from the SL3/A7RV in the S1H body and would buy instantly. Ditto, the S5II/SL3-S sensor in the S1H body. My issue with LUMIX has always been as above, - the right sensors in the wrong bodies! I'd buy one of each instantly...but maybe I'd be their only sales, I dunno 🤪

An S5II-R then? IMO, the body, shutter mech, rear LCD and EVF would need to be upgraded because none of these elements are 'flagship' worthy.

Both Lynch and Blue Velvet were one of the staples of my film studies days at uni back in 90-92. RIP old fella.

I was thinking about making a YouTube comparison but then decided it would simply be quicker to add a link to the 37x S5II’s for sale on MPB Eu at less than €1.5k a pop. My maths tells me it’s +€4k to get one with a slightly better EVF and an arguably much better LCD, but with LUMIX spelt differently on the front. I’m still hoping my previous ‘trade’ comment is a reality and hope @Andrew Reid is wrong! But if he isn’t, no biggie because I have an entire Sony A7RV kit already in the house and it’s bloody good…just not cross-compatible with my LUMIX video tools…😏

I am hoping the deal went something like this… Leica: “Can we please use the internals from your S5IIX for our SL3-S?” LUMIX: “Sure can, but immediately after you announce that, can we have the internal stuff from your SL3 for our S2R?” And both parties agreed.

I think this one any one of us could have written the script for this release any time within the last year. And so it came to pass... Now where is my S1R mk II??!!

Is about the real world sum of it. I would MUCH rather have one of these over the S5II, but financially, back in my real world... Agreed, highly unlikely or LUMIX will be up a creek because it's just S5II spec internally which you can get for around €1k.

Ah gotcha. They have had a few collabs and I really thought they were moving closer with the ‘LS3’, but if that isn’t still a thing, then it appears to have at least fizzled, another example of LUMIX’s shite marketing. But yes, maybe this imminent announcement will reveal some hints as to what possibly could be, but until LUMIX start blowing their own trumpet…

I think it will need to be a hell of a camera simply to exist…which may explain why we have heard next to nothing about it. If one will ever exist… I’m still not sure about the latter but think it more likely than not and if one ever does appear, probably last chance saloon for them at that level? The ‘S2R’ seems far more likely doesn’t it and ‘should’ be a re-bodied SL3. I have my fingers crossed for that for mid-Spring latest or it won’t work for me this year. Or possibly ever. (Pure business perspective). For video I have needs and they are covered. For photo I have both needs and wants and those are technically also already covered, but I want to have everything within one system ideally.

I'm guessing it's a combo of size + lack of hype. Plus a little of 'maybe the price was a bit too high in the first place?' I'd have one for sure. If only I had slightly different needs... And that is probably the 4th element. Same as stuff like the Sigma FP, it's a little too quirky and doesn't quite fit into the low-end pro market for wedding vid hacks like me, but also isn't something the bigger boys can work with, so these things find homes with the slightly left-field enthusiasts. I've tried the 'wilfully different' approach many times over the last couple of decades and have come to the conclusion that whilst it might be fun, it's also frustrating and frustrating in business costs time and money. So whilst I refuse to conform 100%, I have to lean evermore into the 'sensible corner' 😏

Is it even available to them? (Leica & Lumix) Does that even exist? But it is much smaller and I think that is the main appeal? Always have been and always will be 😉 Well maybe 'idiot' is too strong and I can see the appeal of say an X100VI over an OG GFX100 as in one has a fixed lens and can just about be squeezed into a pocket and the other you'd have to have pockets like Matt Granger to even attempt that feat. But if comparing outright imaging capability, it's a no-brainer isn't it. But apples and pears. The rule applies though that generally you can get MUCH better value on a used product and have to pay a premium for the so called latest and greatest.

Exactly and whilst Leica have stuck their brand on LUMIX cameras before (point & shoots mainly), I can't see any scenario where Leica would allow LUMIX to rebrand one of their own bodies such as the SL3.

Do you mean a potential S1HII vs a S5II or SL3-S vs SL2-S? Both are pretty niche aren't they as in 'we' may love the S1H but in terms of global sales next to the likes of the equivalent Sony & Canon options, it's not exactly been a massive seller. Leica is just niche full stop and that is part of their thing, ie, being small (as a company), desirable and expensive whereas LUMIX can't play in that arena. Same as Hassie. They can both play that heritage card even if one of them is owned by DJI. Leica could get away with simply having the SL3 body and the tilt screen over the old SL2 body in order to create an SL3-S. If LUMIX were simply to stick the internals of the S5II in the S1H body, they would be slaughtered. Personally I think that would be a great camera and I'd have one over the S5II but the Armchair YouTube Authorities would destroy it. Other than a handful of LUMIX diehards. Any S1H mk II HAS to be more. What the 'more' is, is the big question...

Leica will not announce a single thing relating to Lumix on any SL3s launch. Not even a sliver of a sausage. They may make these cryptic LS3 announcements from time to time (not had one for a while I think?) but product or roadmap info? Ha, absolutely no chance! Possibly a missed opportunity, each (not) leveraging each other for marketing purposes but otherwise all members of the L Mount Alliance are independent of each other and seem determined to remain that way.

My money would be on the SL3 body with a 24mp sensor. Leica would be mad to use the S5II body as it’s not in the same league build-wise. They might have got away with it on some rebadged Sigma lenses but with the body, can’t see it.

I preferred the body/build of the S1H over my S5II. Easily. All an S2H would need to be for me is FF 6k 60p version of the S5II internals and it’s a done deal for me. If it wasn’t for the less than stellar AF, I’d still have my S1H. Decent, but not Sony level stickiness, ie, could be better.

Well with zero anything officially from Panasonic, there's only going to be the usual rumour mills spouting the same old stuff. Either it will have this year or not. My opinion based on nothing more than pure speculation is I think it's more likely than not they will pop out at least one successor in the S1 line. Whether that will be an S2, S2R or S2H, the most likely I would think is the S2R because of the existence of the Leica SL3. Least likely IMO, an S2. No idea really, just speculating but probably about as valid as if I'd made a 10 minute YouTube video on the same subject... LUMIX has until the end of March to have it in existence and for sale otherwise won't be happening for me.

Well if comparing the S1R to the SL2, the SL2 had the arguably slightly better build by all accounts, (not that the S1R was shabby by any means), plus the badge and a nicer looking body, but otherwise, pretty much the same thing. Just half the price. And with a multi-angle rear screen vs the flat back of the camera which for my work is terrible. I can't see any future S2R simply being a rebadged SL3 though, but I would be pretty stoked if it was as I'd love an SL3 other than on price. It's probably the perfect camera for my needs as in: Want, but can't afford a Hassie X2D, never mind the cost of the system with lenses. Like the idea of a Fuji X100 but don't care for the lenses. Like my A7RV and the lenses, but would rather have all 3 of my cameras within the same system for cross compatibility and my video needs are served with 2 LUMIX cameras and various lenses...so an S2R makes a whole load of sense to me!

Voice trumpets. These productions will be live and rely entirely on voice projection and acoustics.

I heard the Amish community were thinking of doing the same...except it will have to be a series of live action events rather than a recorded production or stream. The acting will probably also be a bit wooden... Boom, I'm here most days 😘