I’ve been out shooting with one of the brand-new full-frame mirrorless cameras from Panasonic, the LUMIX S1 (it’s also sometimes listed under its formal model number as the Panasonic LUMIX DC-S1).
I’ve posted a detailed hands-on review separately, but the short version is that it has a 24-megapixel full-frame sensor that produces images that are 6000 pixels by 4000 pixels. (There’s also another model, the S1R, that has a 47-megapixel sensor.) It has a native ISO range from 100 up through 51200 and an extended range down to ISO 50 and up to ISO 204800. For a mirrorless camera, it’s quite large–more like a full-size DSLR–but it’s also very solidly built. But what I’ve been most impressed with is the image quality, especially when using it with the new LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 lens, which is offered as a bundle option with the camera.
Full frame sensor – 24. 2-Megapixel full-frame (35. 6mm x 23. 8mm) MOS sensor that provides a wide...
Lumix s camera lens – easy-to-use 24-105mm standard focal macro zoom F4 l-mount for Lumix s Series...
I’m posting some sample images I’ve taken with the S1 here to go along with my hands-on review. I’ve tried to include a variety of different types of shots, especially ones under challenging lighting conditions that will put the sensor and camera to the test.
These were all shot on the S1 in RAW (the S1’s RAW format has a file extension of .rw2). They’ve been run through Lightroom, but most of them have had only a very light processing touch. Most have some exposure and contrast tweaks, as you’d expect when using RAW files. What I haven’t applied to any of them is any corrections beyond the default embedded ones–so no extra sharpening beyond the Lightroom defaults, for example.
There are some high-ISO shots below, but if you’re interested in seeing some more examples of the S1’s high-ISO performance, I’ve posted some side-by-side examples here.
Sample Images Taken with the Panasonic LUMIX S1
I’ve included the aperture and focal length for each one in its caption, and you can click on each image to get a full-size version for a closer look.
Exposure details: ISO 125 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/9 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 24mm.
Exposure details: ISO 2500 at ¹⁄₁₀₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 86mm.
Exposure details: ISO 1000 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/5.6 and exposure compensation of ‒ 1 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 26mm.
Exposure details: ISO 100 at ¹⁄₄₀₀ sec at ƒ/5.0 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 30mm.
Exposure details: ISO 5000 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/5.0 and exposure compensation of ‒ 1 ³³⁄₁₀₀ EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 24mm.
Exposure details: ISO 100 at ¹⁄₃₂₀ sec at ƒ/11 and exposure compensation of ‒ 1 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 63mm. Another good test of the smooth runoff from the very bright sun to the darker tones around it. Some camera sensors struggle with shots like this and create ugly banding, but the transition is buttery smooth with this one.
Exposure details: ISO 100 at ¹⁄₅₀₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 24mm. Another shot using a circular polarizer filter.
Exposure details: ISO 100 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/6.3 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 26mm.
Exposure details: ISO 100 at ¹⁄₁₂₅₀ sec at ƒ/11 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 73mm. The sensor handles the smooth transition from the very bright sun to the darker tones around it without any trouble at all and none of the nasty ridging that you can get on some cameras.
Exposure details: ISO 1250 at ¹⁄₁₂₅ sec at ƒ/9 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 105mm. I was testing the lens as well with this shot, but there are a few things I was looking for here. The subtle colors, the straight lines, and the fine detail of the wire railing along the pier.
Exposure details: ISO 800 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/7.1 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 51mm.
Exposure details: ISO 2000 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 24mm.
Exposure details: ISO 1000 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 38mm.
Exposure details: ISO 204800 at ¹⁄₂₀₀ sec at ƒ/4.
Shot of lights at an intersection at night with the lens deliberately out of focus.
Exposure details: ISO 125 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/11 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 26mm.
Exposure details: ISO 100 at ¹⁄₂₅₀ sec at ƒ/11 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 105mm.
Exposure details: ISO 6400 at ⅙ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 24mm. Like all the other shots on this page, this one was hand-held, but it’s still sharp even at a slow shutter speed of 1/6 second where the lens’s optical image stabilization comes into play.
Exposure details: ISO 3200 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 34mm.
Exposure details: ISO 3200 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 24mm.
Exposure details: ISO 2000 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/6.3 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 42mm.
Exposure details: ISO 6400 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 83mm.
Exposure details: ISO 160 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/11 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 24mm.
Exposure details: ISO 204800 at ¹⁄₁₂₅ at ƒ/8 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 24mm.
Exposure details: ISO 200 at ¹⁄₁₀₀ sec at ƒ/10 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 92mm.
Exposure details: ISO 200 at ¹⁄₁₂₅ sec at ƒ/11 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 105mm.
Exposure details: ISO 100 at ¹⁄₄₀₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 24mm.
Exposure details: ISO 100 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/11 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 35mm. This was taken with a circular polarizer filter.
Exposure details: ISO 640 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/13 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 52mm.
Exposure details: ISO 100 at ¹⁄₅₀₀ sec at ƒ/6.3 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 105mm.
Exposure details: ISO 100 at ¹⁄₁₀₀ sec at ƒ/11 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 56mm.
Exposure details: ISO 800 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/10 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 48mm.
Exposure details: ISO 100 at ¹⁄₁₀₀₀ sec at ƒ/6.3 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 24mm.
Exposure details: ISO 16000 at ¹⁄₄₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 25mm. I’ve included several versions of this shot taken at higher ISOs below.
Exposure details: ISO 51200 at ¹⁄₁₂₅ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 25mm. At the camera’s maximum ISO of 51200.
Exposure details: ISO 6400 at ¹⁄₁₅ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 25mm.
Exposure details: ISO 40000 at ¹⁄₁₀₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 25mm.
Exposure details: ISO 51200 at ¹⁄₁₂₅ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 45mm.
Exposure details: ISO 20000 at ¹⁄₈₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 45mm.
Exposure details: ISO 12800 at ¹⁄₃₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 45mm.
Exposure details: ISO 6400 at ¹⁄₂₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 43mm. This is a shot I take often that makes for a good test of shadow tones and high ISOs. I’ve included several versions of this shot at higher ISOs below. It’s also worth noting the shutter speed on this one–a slow 1/20 of a second–where the built-in image stabilization of the lens comes into play.
Exposure details: ISO 100 at ¹⁄₁₀₀₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 105mm.
Exposure details: ISO 100 at ¹⁄₁₆₀ sec at ƒ/8 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 36mm.
Exposure details: ISO 6400 at ¹⁄₅₀ sec at ƒ/5.6 and exposure compensation of ‒ 1 ³³⁄₁₀₀ EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 24mm.
Exposure details: ISO 12800 at ¹⁄₂₅₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of ‒ 1 ³³⁄₅₀ EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 37mm.
Exposure details: ISO 25600 at ¹⁄₅₀₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of ‒ 1 ³³⁄₅₀ EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 37mm.
Exposure details: ISO 51200 at ¹⁄₁₀₀₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of ‒ 1 ³³⁄₅₀ EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 37mm.
Exposure details: ISO 12800 at ¹⁄₂₅₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of ‒ 1 ³³⁄₅₀ EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 48mm.
] Exposure details: ISO 51200 at ¹⁄₁₀₀₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of ‒ 1 ³³⁄₅₀ EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 45mm. This is with the camera’s ISO settings maxed out to ISO 51200.
Exposure details: ISO 3200 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of ‒ ³³⁄₅₀ EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 24mm.
Exposure details: ISO 2000 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 40mm.
Exposure details: ISO 125 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/11 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 24mm. The fine details in the masts and rigging make for a good test of sharp detail.
Exposure details: ISO 2000 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 24mm.
Exposure details: ISO 100 at ¹⁄₄₀₀ sec at ƒ/4 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 43mm.
Exposure details: ISO 100 at ¹⁄₁₀₀ sec at ƒ/9 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 46mm.
Exposure details: ISO 100 at ¹⁄₆₀ sec at ƒ/16 and exposure compensation of 0 EV with a Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 O.I.S. zoom lens at 24mm.
Price & Availability of the Panasonic LUMIX S1
Panasonic has set the MSRP for the LUMIX S1 at $2497.99 (body only).
You can buy it either as a standalone body or bundled with the very impressive and versatile LUMIX S 24-105mm ƒ/4 Macro lens.
Images and product information from Amazon PA-API were last updated on 2023-05-31 at 16:14. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon Site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
David Coleman
I'm a professional freelance travel photographer based in Washington DC. Seven continents, up mountains, underwater, and a bunch of places in between. My images have appeared in numerous publications, and you can check out some of my travel photography here. More »
