Amateur Photographer - UK (2019-07-27)

subscribe 0330 333 1113 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 27 July 2019 47

FEATURES 9/10

BUILD & HANDLING 8/10

METERING 8/10

AUTOFOCUS 7/10

AWB & COLOUR 9/10

DYNAMIC RANGE 9/10

IMAGE QUALITY 8/10

VIEWFINDER/LCD 10/10

Examining our test images shot in raw and developed using Adobe Camera

Raw, we see that the S1 is capable of very fine image quality, with plenty

of detail and strong colour. There’s barely any drop in quality on raising the

sensitivity to ISO 1600, but at higher settings noise starts to creep visibly

into images and degrade fine, low-contrast detail. However even at

ISO 12,800 files are eminently usable, especially with a touch of extra

luminance noise reduction over Adobe’s conservative defaults. But there’s

something of a step-change at ISO 25,600, with noise becoming more

problematic. The top standard setting of ISO 51,200 is as high as I’d go.

Noise

RAW ISO 50 RAW ISO 1600 RAW ISO 12, 800

RAW ISO 25,600 RAW ISO 51,200 RAW ISO 102,400

Resolution

Tested using the 24-105mm at 70mm and f/5.6, the S1
delivers around 3,900 lines per picture height in raw,
which is as much as we could theoretically expect.
Resolution initially decreases very slowly as the
sensitivity is raised, with around 3,600l/ph registered

at ISO 1600. Even at ISO 12,800 we can measure over

3,100l/ph, and almost 2,600l/ph at the top ISO 204,800

setting. Panasonic’s JPEG processing prioritises

suppressing image artefacts, giving slightly lower

resolution as a result.

With its 24-million-pixel full-frame sensor, it should come as no surprise to fi nd that the Lumix
S1 delivers image quality that’s broadly comparable to its similarly specifi ed peers. It produces
crisp, highly detailed images, and special mention has to be made of its Lumix S 24-105mm F4
Macro OIS standard zoom which delivers excellent cross-frame sharpness, even at its 30cm
minimum focus distance. High-ISO noise is extremely well controlled, and I wouldn’t hesitate to
use images shot at sensitivities as high as ISO 12,800 at least.

Lab results

Andrew Sydenham’s lab tests reveal just how the camera performs

Our cameras and lenses are tested using the industry-

standard Image Engineering IQ-Analyser software.

Visit http://www.image-engineering.de for more details.

WITH THE Lumix S1, there’s no doubt

that Panasonic has produced a highly

accomplished camera that’s a strong

competitor to its 24MP rivals, the Nikon Z 6

and Sony Alpha 7 III. It’s solidly built and

handles exceptionally well, while its superb

viewfi nder and screen give a class-leading

viewing experience. The image quality is

genuinely superb, too. Overall there’s a

huge amount to like here, especially if you

habitually shoot a mix of stills and video. But

the question is whether these benefi ts are

suffi cient to offset Panasonic’s decision to

make the system so large and expensive.

This is brought into sharp relief when you

compare systems based on the S1 and the

Sony Alpha 7 III. For the same price as the

S1 and its three lenses (24-105mm f/4,

70-200mm f/4 and 50mm f/1.4), you could

buy the A7 III and Sony’s equivalent optics,

then add a 16-35mm f/4 wideangle zoom

and 90mm f/2.8 Macro, and still have

money to spare. What’s more, the S1 with its

three lenses is heavier than the A7 III-based

kit, even with one of those extra two lenses

added into the bag.

As a result, it feels that in its determination

to distinguish between its high-end

full-frame and Micro Four Thirds models,

Panasonic has rather painted itself into a

corner. By making a camera that’s strongly

tailored towards the needs of professionals,

it’s limited the S1’s appeal to enthusiast

photographers, and in particular DSLR

users looking to reduce the weight of the kit

they’re carrying. For such buyers, Sony and

Nikon offer better-balanced systems.

This isn’t to belittle the S1: it really is a very

good camera indeed, and the more I used it,

the more I came to appreciate its very real

strengths. But if Panasonic wants to make

serious inroads into the full-frame mirrorless

market, I suspect it needs to make a smaller,

lighter and simpler body that’s closer in

concept to its main competitors.

Verdict

On the right we show details
from our resolution chart test
pattern (above). Multiply the
number beneath the lines by
200 to give the resolution
in lines per picture height.

RAW

ISO 104,000

RAW

ISO 12,800

RAW

ISO 1600

RAW

ISO 50

Recommended

The crops shown below are taken
from the area outlined above in red