Key Take-Aways:

The S1R is Panasonic’s first full-frame mirrorless camera, launched together with the S1 for demanding professionals who want stills and video from one L-Mount body. Three reviews (TechRadar, Digital Camera World, Imaging Resource) praise the image quality and the image stabilisation and fault the big, heavy body, two (TechRadar, Imaging Resource) say the autofocus trails for fast-moving subjects, two (TechRadar, Digital Camera World) find the battery life short, and one review (Digital Camera World) calls it more expensive than its rivals.

From Panasonic:

Following its development announcement at Photokina 2018, Panasonic is proud to introduce the full specifications of its much-anticipated LUMIX S1R and S1, its first Digital Single Lens Mirrorless cameras to have a 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor. The new LUMIX S Series delivers class-leading image quality, design and ergonomics for demanding professionals; and offers an unequalled videography feature set.

Official Website

Panasonic’s English product pages block automated reads, so the maker page above is Panasonic Australia’s launch post (1 Feb 2019); the specs come from Panasonic USA’s DC-S1R specification page and Panasonic Japan’s DC-S1R spec table.

Weight of 1,016 g is with battery and one SD card (Panasonic Japan spec table; the USA page agrees). The price of USD 3,699 is the reported US launch price for the body only, as DPReview’s review states it and Imaging Resource’s review confirms (US$3,699 body-only); no Panasonic page reachable for automated reads gives a price. Announced as a development at Photokina in Sep 2018; the full specifications and price followed on 1 Feb 2019, and it went on sale in April 2019.

The S1R has no 6K or open-gate video mode (unlike the S1), so open gate is None. The High Speed Video mode records Full HD at 29.97p from 180 fps sensor output, hence FHD 180p. The viewfinder is a 5,760k-dot OLED, and the lowest standard ISO is 100 (ISO 50 is an extended setting). Panasonic gives 9 fps for both mechanical and electronic shutter with single AF (AFS) and 6 fps and 5 fps with continuous AF (AFC); the table uses the AFS figure. Pre-burst is true because Panasonic USA’s DC-S1R specification page lists “6K/4K Photo (Pre-Burst)” among the features, and the hot shoe is listed as the Hot Shoe Cover in the accessories. Panasonic lists only memory cards as recording media, so internal storage is 0. Slot 1 took XQD at launch and accepts CFexpress Type B since firmware 1.3 (Panasonic firmware release notes); slot 2 takes SD cards up to UHS-II. Panasonic names the DC-S1/S1R among the cameras supported by its LUMIX Webcam Software. The battery is the DMW-BLJ31 that Panasonic Japan’s product page lists among the accessories; Panasonic Japan’s spec table gives its 7.4 V, 3050 mAh ratings. Battery life is the CIPA rear-monitor figure with an SD card, 380 shots; Panasonic also gives 360 with XQD, 360 and 340 with the viewfinder, and 1,150 and 1,100 in power-save viewfinder mode. No US body-only SKU is published on a page reachable for automated reads, so the SKU is left out.

Discontinued: Panasonic has published no end-of-production notice; the S1R was reported as discontinued in 2023 by Asobinet, 30 Nov 2023 (Japanese camera stores listed it as production-complete: Yodobashi had ended sales of body and kit, Map Camera of the kit only, while others were still selling it) and by Photo Rumors, 28 Dec 2023 (listed among discontinued bodies); Mirrorless Rumors, 4 Dec 2023 relays the Asobinet report.

Reviews and videos were a light pass because the body is discontinued. DPReview published a full review, listed first under Reviews; it could not be read, so it is not used for the Key Take-Aways, which draw on the three other reviews. Cameralabs’ S1R review was not used because its verdict page is still marked as to follow. Imaging Resource’s review was first posted in Sep 2018 and updated Mar 2020; the date below is the update, with four named authors. Product image: Panasonic press render from DPReview’s product page.

Reviews:

• DPReview: Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R review, Carey Rose and Richard Butler, Jul 2019
• TechRadar: Panasonic Lumix S1R review, Matt Golowczynski, May 2019
• Digital Camera World: Panasonic S1R review, Rod Lawton, Sep 2020
• Imaging Resource: Panasonic S1R Review, William Brawley, Jaron Schneider, Zig Weidelich and Jeremy Gray, Mar 2020

YouTube:

• DPReview TV: DPReview TV: Panasonic S1R vs. Nikon Z7 vs. Sony a7R III, May 2019
• Engadget: Panasonic S1R Review: Worth the price?, Jul 2019
• Jeremy Neipp Creative: Panasonic S1R Review | A Flagship Camera, Jan 2021
• Owen Howitt: Panasonic S1R Review in 2022 for photography, Feb 2022