46 27 July 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
zone modes that use
horizontal, vertical or oval
groups of points, along with a
conventional subject-tracking
mode. New to the S1, however,
is an intelligent subject-detection
mode that can identify faces, eyes,
bodies, and even animals. Tested
in the relatively dimly lit and
fast-moving environment of
a circus, I found this did an
impressive job identifying and
outlining subjects of interest, and
keeping track of their movements.
However the continuous-shooting
rate slowed right down, as the
camera prioritised getting the
subjects in focus instead. As a
result, the S1’s shooting speed
ended up being considerably
slower than I’d expect from its
main competitors.
Performance
Panasonic was the first company
to make a mirrorless camera,
and it’s now had over a decade
to perfect the technology. So it
should come as no surprise to
hear that the S1 is an extremely
capable camera that does what
you ask with the minimum of fuss.
It’s quick and responsive, and the
excellent control layout makes it
a pleasure to shoot with.
As we’d expect the metering
system generally does a very good
job, although it has a tendency
to underexpose in low-contrast,
cloudy conditions. However you
can see this live in the viewfinder,
and compensate easily enough. If
you’re a fan of the ‘expose to the
right’ exposure methodology for
shooting raw, then the HighlightWeighted Spot metering option is
well worth exploring.
Panasonic’s colour palette and
auto white balance has improved
dramatically over recent years,
although it still can’t quite match
the best in the business at making
attractive out-of-camera JPEGs.
Its colour palette prioritises
accuracy over saturation, and
its standard auto white balance
setting errs towards the cool side
for my preference. Thankfully
Panasonic has provided cool-
and warm-biased alternatives.
Most users will, I suspect, be
shooting raw. It’s here that you’ll
discover just how fine the S1’s
image quality really is. Low ISO
raw files are highly detailed and
noise-free, with an astonishing
degree of malleability, meaning
you can retrieve a phenomenal
amount of detail from deep
shadows without having to worry
about noise. High-ISO image
quality is also excellent, and I
wouldn’t hesitate to shoot at ISO
12,800 as a matter of course,
with ISO 25,600 being entirely
usable with careful processing.
High-resolution mode works
remarkably well too. It can run into
problems with moving elements in
a scene, which can be problematic
for landscape shooters. But in
favourable conditions it produces
fine results with much more detail
than a standard 24MP image,
especially when set to Mode 2
to suppress motion blur.Despite the huge battery, the
S1’s stamina isn’t noticeably better
than the Sony A7 III’s, which
presumably reflects the power
required to drive its huge,
high-resolution EVF. However it
should still last a day’s shooting,
and can be topped up using a
powerbank via the USB-C port.
Panasonic’s in-body Dual I.S. 2
image-stabilisation system works
extremely well, particularly if you
can find somewhere to rest your
elbows for extra stability. Using
the 24-105mm f/4, in favourable
conditions I was able to get sharp
shots at shutter speeds as slow as
0.5sec at the 50mm setting, and
1sec at 24mm. This corresponds
pretty closely to the claimed 5.5
stops of stabilisation.
Like most cameras the S1 also
has its quirks and irritations. For
example, you have to use different
buttons to engage magnified view
for focus checking depending on
whether you’re in AF or MF mode,
which can be confusing. The Q
Menu is nicely designed for use
with the LCD, but the icons and
settings are displayed far too small
in the viewfinder. Also, when using
the two cards sequentially, once
you’ve filled the first the camera
will obtrusively remind you of the
fact every single time you turn it
on, despite the fact that it will have
switched to using the second card.
But these are all quite minor
concerns that could be easily
fixed via a firmware update.Testbench CAMERA TEST
Panasonic’s colour
rendition tends towards
life-like and neutral, rather
than punchy and saturated
24-105mm at 105mm,
1/50sec at f/8, ISO 100High-ISO image quality
is excellent, even
in difficult lighting
24-105mm at 41mm,
1/320sec at f/4, ISO 12,800