When the Panasonic Lumix S1R II was announced, it looked like a contender for one of the best mirrorless cameras and I immediately knew I had to test it out. On paper, it looked like the perfect hybrid camera. It had the video power of my Sony A7S III, with full-frame 4K 120fps recording, but its 44.3MP sensor also made it a strong stills camera like my Sony A7 IV.
Sony has been rock solid for me for years, but I was ready to try something new. I was especially curious about open gate and 8K recording, features I hadn’t really had the chance to use much before. On top of that, I kept hearing creators and filmmakers talk about Panasonic’s stabilization, and how the new autofocus might finally rival or even beat Sony’s. That was enough to get me interested.
