Amateur Photographer - UK (2019-07-27)

42 27 July 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113

Testbench CAMERA TEST

For and against

Superb viewfinder and screen

offers an unparalleled experience

composing images

5-axis in-body stabilisation helps

keep every image sharp

Well-designed control layout

places all key settings at

your fingertips

Comprehensive feature set
Excellent video specification
and 4K output
Large and heavy: as big as a
high-end, full-frame DSLR
Extremely expensive native
lens system
Not quite as refined as its
main competitors
Slightly uninspiring JPEG output
ALL PRICES ARE APPROXIMATE STREET PRICES

Panasonic

Lumix DC-S 1

Data file

Sensor 24.2MP CMOS, 35.6 x 23.8mm

Output size 6000 x 4000

Focal length mag1x

Lens mount/LensLeica L-mount

Shutter speeds 1/8000sec-60sec + B

Sensitivity ISO 100-51,200 (standard),

ISO 50-204,800 (extended)

Exposure modes PASM, iAuto, Movie

Metering Multi, centre-weighted, spot,

highlight-weighted

Exposure comp +/-5EV in 0.3EV steps

Cont shooting 9fps (AFS), 6fps (AFC)

Screen 2.1-million-dot, 3-way tilting LCD

Viewfinder 5.76-million-dot OLED, 0.78x

magnification, 100% coverage

AF points 225

Video 3840 x 2160, 60p, 150Mbps

External mic 3.5mm stereo

Memory card 1x XQD, 1x SD/SDHC/SDXC

Power DMW-BLJ31 Li-ion

Battery life 400

Dimensions 148.9 x 110 x 96.7mm

Weight 1,021g

Panasonic’s full-frame mirrorless camera is

very capable, says Andy Westlake, but bulkier

and slightly less refi ned than its competitors

W

hen Panasonic

announced its

entry into the

full-frame

mirrorless sector in September

last year, it reaffi rmed the fi rm’s

ambition to be taken seriously in

the high-end photography market.

Its Micro Four Thirds GH-series

cameras have long been

appreciated by videographers,

but the perceived image-quality

disadvantage of the smaller sensor

has clearly limited their appeal to

enthusiast and professional stills

shooters. So teaming up with Leica

and Sigma to form the L-Mount

Alliance, with all three fi rms making

full-frame cameras and lenses

based around Leica’s mirrorless

mount, looked like a logical step.

When the fi rm unveiled its initial

product line-up earlier this year,

it also looked perfectly sensible,

at least on paper. Panasonic has

adopted a similar strategy to Sony

and Nikon in offering twin cameras

with the same body design but

different sensors, with the 24.2MP

S1 playing the all-rounder to the

47.3MP S1R’s high-res specialist.

These are joined by an initial lens

line-up comprising a 24-105mm

f/4, 70-200mm f/4 and a 50mm

f/1.4. The big surprise, however, is

the system’s high price and sheer

bulk, exemplifi ed by the 50mm

f/1.4, which weighs 955g and

costs a staggering £2,300.

The fi rst thing you notice when

you pick up the S1, too, is its

size and weight. Fitted with its

24-105mm f/4 standard zoom,

it’s just as large and heavy as a

high-end full-frame DSLR, such

as the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

with its equivalent lens. Compared

to its main mirrorless competitors,

the Nikon Z 7 and Sony Alpha 7

III, which offer the same resolution

At a glance

£2,200 body only

● 24.2MP full-frame sensor

● 5.76-million-dot OLED EVF

● 3-way tilting touchscreen

● 5-axis in-body stabilisation

● 4K video at 60fps