Lumix Live Event Stream 8th October 15:00 BST

[jgharding]

I feel some genuine sadness about this. The most Arri-like image and only a few issues in the S1H. They could have released a minor update with just the PDAF, a lower HDMI delay and a few tweaks and it still would have sold, even I would’ve bought it and sold the S1H.

I sold the S1H a while back and kept the S5ii, but also got an A6700 and some of the smaller lenses for it to cover the most mobile situations. Partly this was also so I could get used to grading Sony’s now-improved colour in case Panasonic never put out an S1H ii and I have to go to the dark side fully 😂

the ONLY HOPE is the rumour that after introducing an official Arri log upgrade for some cameras, and their clear skill for Arri-like imaging, that Panasonic were working closely with Arri to make their next high-end camera. I’ve only seen that mentioned once, the idea is very cool and it seems logical since Arri sales are also apparently not as high as expected in both lighting and cameras due to competition.

i just desperately hope this isn’t the end for Panasonic high end. It would be a real tragedy. The out-of-camera image neither need the intense massage of Sony slog3 nor has the tomato skin of a Canon, it just tends to look great.

[ArashM]

I started with a GH4, then 2 GH5 bodies, they worked pretty great, went off to Fuji XT-3 as I was hoping to have one system for both Photo and video. Didn't work out and this was when Lumix had the big FW for G9, so bought 2 G9 and a bunch of lenses, went to GH6 (x2) from there. Ended up selling all my M43 once the S5iix was released, as the future was FF and PDAF, and I'm currently on 2 S5iix bodies and a mess of lenses as I had to buy APS-C for Crop 60P and normal range FF glass, I don't Love the S5IIx but they work fine so I guess I'll keep using them till the pro FF bodies arrive, But when will that be? then the GH7 comes along with PDAF, so do I sell everything and go back to GH7? Or sell everything and go Sony???

This is where Lumix has left me personally.

Looking back, I can say that my GH5s and G9s just worked for what I did and served me very well. GH6 and beyond just don't have the same Mojo for me personally!

[KnightsFan]

32 minutes ago, ArashM said:

then the GH7 comes along with PDAF, so do I sell everything and go back to GH7? Or sell everything and go Sony???

The main question is which features are you currently missing, and which bodies have those features? If Sony has the features you need now, it's worth considering. If you're thinking about potential features they might add later, then wait until they are here, and decide at that time.

[j_one]

When first trying to get my foot in the door in filmmaking, lumix mft and canon rebels were the popular choices 10 years ago. Panny cameras (and blackmagic) in particular were the lesser known cameras you'd pick up if you wanted to get your feet wet with great specs at a great price, but they were also the cameras seen as "low tier", the cameras you'd trade in for a more mature and reputable system like Canon (and now Sony) when you moved up in your career.

I thought that with the introduction of the S series lumix bodies (especially the S1H), as well as PDAF, that budget stigma for Panny would change. But it really hasn't unfortunately. I suspect it comes down to the ecosystem. The S1 cameras were a great introduction, but they weren't taken seriously at the time by the market (no system track record or PDAF, expensive/limited lenses, etc). They were already behind and mostly dismissed at launch. Most of the S series launch "issues" have been remedied now, and the S1 bodies are proven workhorses, but now where are the new cameras? How can anyone plan an ideal upgrade path from the S5ii?

What it's really about for me: I'm still shook by how Samsung disappeared with no warning after the NX1/NX500 and believe any under-performing company could follow suit in pulling the plug like that. When you're investing thousands into a system, you'd get nervous too if you notice signs of trouble for it's future.

 

 

[ArashM]

16 minutes ago, KnightsFan said:

The main question is which features are you currently missing, and which bodies have those features? If Sony has the features you need now, it's worth considering. If you're thinking about potential features they might add later, then wait until they are here, and decide at that time.

On the whole I agree with you, and it's not that I'm missing anything major, so I'll keep plugging along on the S5iix's.

But there are little things that get annoying shoot after shoot. 

Also would have been nice to have a clean and clear upgrade path.

[MrSMW]

5 hours ago, John Matthews said:

Wow. It sounds like everyone is giving up on Panasonic

Not giving up, not personally anyway as in I don’t see a scenario where L Mount does not form 75% of my kit as it presently does and for probably the next couple of years…

But disappointed.

I thought the S9 was a pretty OK release and it’s an even better tool now, despite buying and returning one pretty quickly. (A third S5ii just made more sense).

Mainly disappointed not so much there has been no replacement for the S1R/H, but that they are not giving any indication whatsoever re. the future.

It’s not game over yet by any means, just not looking so positive longer term.

[MrSMW]

5 hours ago, John Matthews said:

Wow. It sounds like everyone is giving up on Panasonic

Not giving up, not personally anyway as in I don’t see a scenario where L Mount does not form 75% of my kit as it presently does and for probably the next couple of years…

But disappointed.

I thought the S9 was a pretty OK release and it’s an even better tool now, despite buying and returning one pretty quickly. (A third S5ii just made more sense).

Mainly disappointed not so much there has been no replacement for the S1R/H, but that they are not giving any indication whatsoever re. the future.

It’s not game over yet by any means, just not looking so positive longer term.

[Thpriest]

I actually think the S9 now looks pretty interesting. I had considered trading my S5 for a S9 but the recording limits and a few other things put me off. Now I'm reconsidering it again! In fact, if the S9 had the same lens bundles on offer as the S5mk2 then I'd probably go for it. I really like the idea of lightening the gear I carry and a S5mk2 with a S9 seems to make more sense than the S5mk2 and S5 (apart from the spending money bit😆). They have the same PDAF which I now use a lot as well as the punch in to check focus and have the exact same look. Hmmm🤔

[jgharding]

TBH I think they should've done a Sony and released an intermediate model

S1HX - Basically an S1H with the PDAF sensor. 

And updated firmware etc. even that would have been enough for most people,

EASY MONEY!

[KnightsFan]

1 hour ago, ArashM said:

On the whole I agree with you, and it's not that I'm missing anything major, so I'll keep plugging along on the S5iix's.

But there are little things that get annoying shoot after shoot. 

Also would have been nice to have a clean and clear upgrade path.

I agree it would be nice to have an s1h ii announcement, but unless a competitor makes something better, I'm not too concerned. I used the nx1 for 3 or 4 years after samsung left the market, so it will likely be years before I think about a new camera regardless.

10 minutes ago, Thpriest said:

I actually think the S9 now looks pretty interesting. I had considered trading my S5 for a S9 but the recording limits and a few other things put me off.

The s9 would be nice for me if it had an evf. I could use a smaller photo camera for backpacking.

[Beritar]

The lack of new S Pro lenses since 2020 and the fact that they use the same IMX 410 sensor since the S1 in 2019 (a sensor from 2018 introduced with the Sony A7III) is very concerning to say the least.

I like my Lumix cameras and lenses but honestly, I really think about switching to Nikon and adapting my FE lenses on a Z6III and Z8.

[SRV1981]

21 hours ago, KnightsFan said:

The s9 would be nice for me if it had an evf. I could use a smaller photo camera for backpacking.

Ricoh GrIIIx

[KnightsFan]

25 minutes ago, SRV1981 said:

Ricoh GrIIIx

Definitely not for me. Worse sensor, no filter thread, and a fixed lens that isn't wide at all.

[Al Dolega]

22 hours ago, jgharding said:

TBH I think they should've done a Sony and released an intermediate model

S1HX - Basically an S1H with the PDAF sensor. 

And updated firmware etc. even that would have been enough for most people,

EASY MONEY!

That's exactly what the S5iiX is. The formats/capabilities from the S1H, same sensor, plus PDAF. Different body style of course but the large body style of the S1H was not super popular so it made sense to stay with the S5 body.

Personally I love the S1/S1R/S1H bodies' handling, I understand they are a bit unwieldy for those with smaller hands though. I think a midpoint between them and the S5 would be perfect for the new high-end cameras, plus if they could make the combo tilt/flip screen mechanism a bit lower-profile like it is on the Sonys.

[Beritar]

7 minutes ago, Al Dolega said:

That's exactly what the S5iiX is. The formats/capabilities from the S1H, same sensor, plus PDAF. Different body style of course but the large body style of the S1H was not super popular so it made sense to stay with the S5 body.

Personally I love the S1/S1R/S1H bodies' handling, I understand they are a bit unwieldy for those with smaller hands though. I think a midpoint between them and the S5 would be perfect for the new high-end cameras, plus if they could make the combo tilt/flip screen mechanism a bit lower-profile like it is on the Sonys.

Not really, the S5IIX has no OLPF, in fact even the S1 and S5 have better internal video quality than the S5IIX. Most people can't see the difference, but if you crop a bit in the videos, the difference is not small, especially in 4K and even more when using the 709 profiles.

[Al Dolega]

That's true, I have definitely noticed the different processing in my S5iiX. But model/lineup-wise, the S5iiX is the intermediate model you mentioned. I just hope the new camera isn't super expensive, or if it is, they do an S1 successor that meets my wants and is $2500-ish.