Panasonic Lumix S1RII Review: 44MP and Internal 8K Video at a Price Below Its Rivals

The Panasonic Lumix S1RII is Panasonic’s high-resolution camera, and the first Lumix that’s as good for video as for stills at this level. Panasonic announced it in February 2025 at $3,299 for the body, well under the Canon R5 Mark II and Nikon Z8. It has a 44.3MP sensor, 8K video and internal ProRes RAW.

High resolution pays off in scenes with fine detail and wide tonal range, like a grand façade at blue hour reflected in water. The sky, the stone and the people all hold detail, and there’s room to crop.

Photo: Media Gallery

It replaces the 2019 S1R in a smaller, lighter body shared with the Lumix S1II and S1IIE, weighing about 795 grams with battery and card.

Video review: Gordon Laing

What it does well

Image quality is excellent, according to DPReview and TechRadar. The 44.3MP back-side illuminated sensor delivers detailed files, and stabilization is rated at 8 stops in the center.

Video is where it pulls ahead of other high-resolution cameras at its price. It records 8.1K at 30p, 6.4K open gate in 3:2, 4K at 120p, and 5.8K ProRes RAW internally. A cooling fan keeps it going, and it can record to an external SSD over USB-C.

Autofocus is much improved over the old S1R, with phase detection and subject detection for people, animals, cars, motorcycles, trains and planes.

What holds it back

Battery life is short, a complaint from DCW, DPReview and TechRadar alike. The sensor isn’t stacked, so rolling shutter is noticeable with the electronic shutter and in fast pans.

Autofocus is still behind Canon and Sony for fast action. DPReview pointed out that you must choose the subject type yourself; the camera won’t switch automatically between a person and a car. The buffer is small for its 40 fps burst, and there’s no top LCD.

Who should buy it

Landscape, architecture and commercial photographers who also shoot serious video, and who want to stay in the L-mount system with Sigma and Leica lenses. At its price it’s the cheapest way to get 44MP and 8K in one body.

For faster action, the Nikon Z8 and Canon EOS R5 Mark II are better. For video at a lower price, the Lumix S5IIX does most of the work for much less. Pair it with the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II for a sharp, affordable standard zoom.