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Product photos: Mitchell Clark

91%Overall scoreJump to conclusion

The Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII is the company's latest high-resolution full-frame mirrorless camera, now beefed-up with 8K video capabilities and improved autofocus.

Key features

• Full-frame 44MP dual gain CMOS sensor
• Up to 40fps continuous shooting with pre-burst capture (e-shutter only)
• 8.1K/8K video at up to 30p
• 5.76M dot viewfinder
• Flip-out and tilt rear screen
• ProRes 422 and ProRes RAW capture
• Capture to CFExpress Type B, UHS II SD or external SSD
• Multi-shot high res mode up to 177MP
• 32-bit float audio via optional XLR 2 adapter

The S1RII is available now with a recommended retail price of $3300.

Update, Jan 2026: In light of the significant improvement in autofocus performance we experienced with the latest firmware on the S1II, we've re-tested the S1RII with its Ver. 1.3 update. The improvements to the S1RII appear to be much more subtle, so we've made slight adjustments to phrasing but don't feel it warrants a revision to the score or award.

Index:

• What's new
• What's new for video
• How it compares
• Body and handling
• Image Quality
• Autofocus
• Video
• Conclusion
• Sample gallery
• Specifications
• Press release

Buy now:

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2025

• Feb 25: Initial review published
• Mar 31: Image quality and Autofocus results published
• Apr 23: Autofocus section updated and conclusion added
• Aug 7: Video section added, conclusion updated

2026

• Jan 30: Updated with note about AF performance after V1.3 update

What's new New sensor

Rather than the 47MP used in the original S1R, or the 61MP chip used in Leica's SL3, Panasonic has opted for a slightly lower resolution but faster sensor for the S1RII.

It features dual conversion gain on which, as usual on Panasonic cameras, you can manually select which of its two readout modes it uses, at intermediate ISO settings. Panasonic doesn't always disclose when it's using BSI technology, but in this instance it has confirmed it.

Its design means it's appreciably slower than the more expensive Stacked CMOS sensors, with an electronic shutter mode that takes 37.5ms (~1/27 sec) to read out in 14-bit mode and 20.2ms (~1/50 sec) in the 12-bit mode used for bursts and other quick-fire shooting modes.

Autofocus

The S1RII represents the second generation of Panasonic cameras to feature phase detection autofocus, with the inherent depth awareness that this brings. The company says it's significantly improved both its subject recognition and its tracking algorithms in the new camera, to bring its performance closer into line with the best of its peers.

The S1RII has algorithms trained to recognize the following subjects:

• Human
• Animal (Dog, Cat, Bird)
• Car
• Motorcycle / Bike
• Train
• Airplane

We're told it should be quicker at finding a subject and better at continuing to track it, even if, for instance, the subject turns away from the camera or is partially obscured. As before, you can choose whether the camera homes-in on specific details, such as the helmet of a motorbike rider, the nose of a plane or the eyes of an animal. Selecting the more precise focus position can lower the system's responsiveness to smaller, faster-moving subjects.

Cinelike A2 color mode

The S1RII gains a new 'Cinelike A2' color mode, in both stills and video modes. It offers a very gentle response, somewhere between the flat, DR-prioritizing Cinelike D2 and the punchy, ready-to-go Cinelike V2 profile.

Panasonic says the A2 mode's color response stems from work they've been doing in recent months. And it's perhaps worth considering which partners Panasonic has been working with, recently, to guess at the significance of the letter 'A' in the name. Unlike the camera's Leica Monochrome mode, any connection isn't made explicit.

Real time LUT

The S1RII gains the Real Time LUT function we've seen on recent Panasonic cameras, letting you create and upload color and tone-modifying profiles in format with a workflow that's already widely supported across the industry. The S1RII allows you to load up to 39 LUTs onto the camera, with the option to combine two LUTs with varying intensity, if you wish.

Additional LUTs can be created or downloaded via Panasonic's Lumix Lab app.

False color

The S1RII becomes one of the first stills/video cameras to include a false color display option. This is a feature common in the video world, giving a mono preview with certain brightness levels highlighted in different colors, to help you recognize which bits of the image are clipped or near clipping and which areas are exposed as mid tones or at a level appropriate for light skin tones. This display can be used in boths stills and video modes.

Capture One tethering

The S1RII becomes the first Panasonic camera that can be shot, tethered, from Capture One, the popular studio software. We're told any decisions about whether to expand support to other models will depend on customer demand.

What's new for video

The 44MP sensor means the S1RII has slightly more horizontal pixels than necessary to deliver UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) footage and a fraction short of what's needed to capture the DCI 8K's 8192 x 4320 resolution. Instead it offers what Panasonic called 8.1K (8128 x 4288), which conforms to the same 1.89:1 aspect ratio as DCI footage.

The degree to which the sensor resolution is suited to 8K capture is unlikely to be coincidental, and the S1RII offers the kind of extensive video feature set that you might expect from the company that brought us the GH series, rather than the pared-back list of options the original S1R brought.

It also includes everything you'd expect from Panasonic: the option to set exposure in terms of shutter angle, waveforms, vectorscopes, filtering or custom lists of video modes, four-channel audio and 32-bit Float audio via the optional XLR2 accessory, support for anamorphic lenses and a tally lamp to let you know you're rolling. The attention to detail goes beyond the addition of a big red button on the front.

Video options: Output
dimensions Frame
Rates Crop MOV ProRes 1.89:1 modes 8.1K 8128 x 4288 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:0 – 5.8K 5760 x 4030 30, 25, 24 1.0 422/HQ 30, 25, 24 1.31 – RAW/HQ 60, 50, 48 1.04 4:2:0 – DCI 4K 4096 x 2160 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:2 422/HQ 60, 50 1.04 60, 50, 30, 25, 24 1.52 120, 100 1.10 4:2:2 – 16:9 Modes 8.0K 7680 x 4320 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:0 – 5.9K 5888 x 3312 30, 25, 24 1.0 – 60, 50, 48 1.11 – UHD 4K 3840 x 2160 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:2 422/HQ 60, 50 1.11 60, 50, 30, 25, 24 1.52 120, 100 1.17 4:2:2 – 3:2 Modes 8K open gate 8064 x 5376 24 1.0 4:2:0 – 7.2K open gate 7200 x 4800 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:0 – 6.2K open gate 6432 x 4228 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:0 – 4:3 Modes 4.7K 4736 x 3552 60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24 1.65 4:2:0 422/HQ* - Boxes marked green offer All-I compression options.
- Red boxes have a ProRes option.
* ProRes 422/HQ only available up to 30p

The S1RII can also shoot Full HD (1920 x 1080) footage at any of the frame-rates and crops offered in UHD 4K mode, with the additional ability to capture 120 and 100p footage from the APS-C region.

Dynamic Range Expansion

The S1RII gains a DR Expansion mode, letting you capture an additional stop of highlight information in high-contrast situations. This can be activated in any of the movie modes at frame rates up to 30p, and can only be applied when shooting V-Log footage (where the response curve can easily accommodate different levels of DR capture).

Base ISO 2nd gain step Standard color mode ISO 80 ISO 400 Cinelike D2, V2, A2 ISO 160 ISO 800 HLG ISO 320 ISO 1600 V-Log ISO 200 ISO 1000 V-Log + DR Expansion ISO 400 ISO 2000

This is not the same system as the dual readout DR Boost function in the company's 25MP Micro Four Thirds camera. Instead it moves to a higher bit-depth readout, meaning there's a rolling shutter cost to engaging it. It also boosts the minimum available ISO, to prompt the use of a lower exposure, to capture that additional stop of highlights.

Open gate shooting A still grab from the S1RII's 8K open gate mode.

The S1RII can capture 8K footage from the entire 3:2 region of its sensor, which can be recorded as-is, or downsampled to 6.4K.

Open gate shooting lets you choose and adjust your crop during post production. It also makes it possible to frame wide and then take both landscape and portrait video crops if you're trying to deliver to multiple different output platforms.

5.XK at up to 60p, 4K at up to 120p

Like the S5II models, the S1RII gives you the choice of 1.89:1 DCI 4K capture or 16:9 UHD 4K, or 5.9K or 5.8K versions taken from the same capture regions. All four are available as 10-bit footage, with 4K encoded with 4:2:2 chroma precision and the 5.XK modes in 4:2:0.

Footage up to 30p is taken from the full width of the sensor using the full capture resolution, with a slight crop in to give 60p. 4K (in both flavors) is available at up to 120p with the addition of a further slight crop. Line skipping is used to deliver these 100p and 120p modes.

DCI and UHD 4K can also be captured at up to 60p from an APS-C region of the sensor.

UHD DCI Crop Rolling shutter Crop Rolling shutter 8K, 5.xK*, 4K
30/25/24 1.00 24.9ms 1.00 22.4ms 5.xK*, 4K
50/60 1.11 15.4ms 1.04 15.3ms 4K
100/120 1.17 7.3ms 1.10 7.3ms 4K/30 DRExp* 1.00 31.7ms 1.00 29.8ms *8.1K and 5.9K modes give the same results as DCI 4K, 8.0K and 5.8K matches UHD

Tellingly the rolling shutter rate in DR Expansion mode is consistent with the rate of 14-bit stills, which suggests it's based on 14-bit capture, explaining Panasonic's claims of greater dynamic range.

In turn, the 60p output's rolling shutter is consistent with the 12-bit stills readout rate. This stongly implies that the standard 24, 25 and 30p modes, which are slower than this but quicker than 14-bit mode are taken from 13-bit capture.

In addition to the conventional MOV compressed footage, the S1RII also lets you capture various resolutions in either ProRes 422 or ProRes RAW formats, both of which can either be recorded to the camera's internal CFExpress type B card or to an external SSD. ProRes RAW (with a choice of HQ or standard compression levels) is taken from a 1.31x crop of the sensor, whereas the ProRes 422 (again HQ or Std) is derived from the full-width 8.1K capture. It can also output 8.1K and 7.2K Raw over HDMI to a compatible recorder.

How it compares

The new, more compact S1RII arrives in a market where you can choose between the high resolution Sony a7RV or pay more for the likes of Nikon's Z8 and Canon's EOS R5 II that are both high resolution and fast. The Panasonic occupies something of a middle ground: offering some of the speed of the faster cameras (a higher peak frame rate but with more rolling shutter), but at a lower cost than Canon and Nikon's Stacked CMOS cameras.

We've opted to include the Canon EOS R5 II in this table, but the Nikon Z8 ends up looking very similar in terms of areas of strength, if you were to substitute that in. We've also chosen the DSLR-shaped a7R V from Sony, rather than the smaller, less expensive a7C R, because the larger model more closely resembles the Panasonic in terms of form factor, viewfinder quality, shutter options and screen articulation. But if size and price are your biggest concerns, the a7C R is in the running.

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII Canon EOS R5 II Sony a7R V Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R MSRP $3300 $4300 $3900 $3700 Pixel count 44MP 45MP 61MP 47MP Sensor type BSI CMOS Stacked CMOS BSI CMOS FSI CMOS Stabilization
(IBIS / Synced) 8.0 EV /
7.0 EV – /
8.5 EV 8.0EV /
– 6.0 EV /
7.0 EV Max burst rate (Mech / E-shutter) 10 fps / 40 fps 12 fps / 30fps 10 fps / 9 fps / Viewfinder res / mag 5.76M dot OLED / 0.78x 5.76M dot OLED / 0.76x 9.44M dot
OLED 0.9x 5.76x dot OLED / 0.78x Rear screen 3.0" 1.84M dot Tilt + Fully Artic. 3.2" 2.1M dot Fully Artic. 3.2" 2.1M dot Tilt + Fully Artic. 3.2" 2.1M dot two-way tilt Max video resolution

8.1K [1.89:1] / 30p
UHD 8K / 30p
Full-width 5.9K 60p

DCI 8K / 60p
UHD 8K / 60p

UHD 8K / 24p

5K [3:2] / 30p
UHD 4K / 60p

Output options MOV H.264
MOV H.265
ProRes 422
ProRes RAW

MP4 H.264
MP4 H.265
Canon Raw (/Light)

MOV H.264
MOV H.265 MOV H.265
MP4 H.264 Storage formats 1x UHS-II SD
1x CFe B
External SSD 1x UHS-II SD
1x CFe B 2x UHS-II SD / CFe A 1x UHS-II SD
1x CFe B / XQD Flash sync speed 1/250 sec 1/250 sec
1/160 sec 1/250 sec 1/320 sec HDR output options (Stills / Video) HLG HEIF / HLG video HDR PQ HEIF / HDR PQ video HLG HEIF*
/ HLG video HLG Photo / HLG video USB USB-C
3.2 Gen 2
(10 Gbps) USB-C
3.2 Gen 2
(10 Gbps) USB-C
3.2 Gen 2
(10 Gbps) USB-C
3.1 Gen 1
(5 Gbps) Battery life
LCD / EVF 350 / 300 540 / 250 530 / 440 380 / 360 Dimensions 134 x 102 x 92mm 139 x 101 x 94mm 131 x 97 x 82mm 149 x 110 x 97mm Weight 795g 746g 723g 1,020g

Despite being comfortably less expensive than its immediate peers, the S1RII's specs are competitive across the board. And while its video exhibits a fair bit more rolling shutter than the Stacked-sensor Nikon and Canon models, it significantly out-performs the Sony.

The a7R V's rolling shutter rate of 38ms means it can't deliver 8K/30, whereas the Panasonic can shoot 8K 30 and do so as fast as 24ms. This is respectable but not as impressive as the ∼13 and 14ms that the EOS R5 II and Z8 provide, respectively, from their much more expensive sensors.

Much of whether it's actually competitive, for both stills and video, will come down to whether the autofocus improvements are as significant as Panasonic promises.

* - Sony's implementation of HLG HEIF disables Raw recording, so you only get the output file.

Body and handling

The S1RII uses a body based on the smaller S5II series, rather than the more substantial design of the first-gen S1 series cameras. This leaves it both smaller and lighter than its predecessor.

It has the internal fan from the S5II, with two small exhaust ports on either side of its viewfinder hump. This doesn't give quite 'GH series' recording reliability, but still allows the S1RII to record for extended periods.

However, while the body itself is similar in size to the S5II, it has a deeper hand grip, making it more comfortable to use with larger lenses. It maintains a row of three buttons along its top plate, immediately behind the shutter button, but omits the top plate display that the Mark 1 had.

Other losses in the move to the smaller body see the S1RII offer only a single function button between the mount and the hand grip, and the replacement of the two-position switch at the lower corner of the front panel by a large red [REC] button (whose function can be customized).

The S1RII also goes without a flash sync socket, but gains a dedicated Stills/Movie/Slow&Quick switch. Moving the exposure modes to the right of the camera allows the drive mode to be promoted to the top of the left-side dial, making room for shooting mode to occupy the switch underneath. Both mode dials have toggle lock buttons.

The removal of movie mode from the exposure mode dial in turn provides room for five custom positions on the exposure dial, each of which can be customized separately for stills and video custom settings. Position 5 on the dial can be used to access custom banks 5-10, if you wish, giving you a total of up to ten photo and ten video custom setting sets. Thankfully the camera's settings can be saved to a memory card and duplicated across cameras.

Rear screen

On the back of the camera, Panasonic has adopted a similar screen layout to the one Panasonic used on its explicitly video-focused S1H: a fully articulated rear screen mounted on a cradle that tilts up and down. This means that stills shooters can use the tilt mechanism if they want to keep the screen on-axis (and can flip the screen to face inwards for protection, when stowing the camera), but video shooters can extend the screen out and tilt it away from the mic, headphone and HDMI sockets while shooting.

Battery

The S1RII uses the same 15.8Wh DMW-BLK22 battery as the S5II, a significant reduction compared with the original S1R. Despite this, it achieves a CIPA battery rating of 350 shots per charge if you use the rear screen and 300 via the viewfinder. The usual caveats apply to this number: most people get many, many more shots out of a camera than the CIPA rating (between two and three times the rated figure isn't unusual). To put it in context, 350 is a respectable figure and shouldn't leave you caught out during a busy day's shooting, but it doesn't have the confidence-inspiring duration that Sony's a7R V offers.

A new DMW-BG2 battery grip is also available to fit the S1RII. It adds a second battery in the grip, and is designed to allow hot-swapping of batteries: the external battery is used until the battery door is opened, at which point the camera switches to using the internal battery until a new battery is inserted in the grip. The grip also allows the camera to use both batteries simultaneously, for high power-consumption combinations such as capturing high bit-rate video to an external SSD.

Image Quality

Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors and detail types you'll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes to see the effect of different lighting conditions.

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The results are pretty positive. In terms of detail capture, the S1RII performs as we'd expect, capturing less detail than the 61MP Sony a7R V but with no meaningful difference vs the likes of the Canon EOS R5 II, Nikon Z8 or its own predecessor.

There's a fair bit of moiré visible in various places suggesting there's no anti-aliasing filter. But it's not significantly more pronounced than in most of its rivals, suggesting we were just unlucky that we got to see some artefacts in one of our real-world shooting. If anything, looking around various high-frequency targets in the scene, Panasonic's JPEG engine seems to be doing a pretty good job of suppressing the effects of moiré.

In terms of color rendition the Panasonic looks a lot like its immediate peers, with no significant differences in most colors, compared with its peers. The light skin tone patch is perhaps a fraction more pink than Canon's rendering, but there aren't any nasty surprises: something backed up by our experiences of shooting with the camera.

Noise levels seem competitive at low to moderately-high ISO settings but it looks like noise reduction is being applied to the Raws at the higher ISO settings, with distinct blurring of the noise patterns. JPEG noise reduction strikes a pretty good balance between noise suppression and detail retention, but gets a bit overwhelmed at the highest settings.

Dynamic range

The S1RII's sensor is a modern design with dual conversion gain; it has Panasonic's 'Dual Native ISO' function that lets you decide exactly where the switch in modes happens, but at default settings, it's at ISO 400 that the switch happens. Sure enough, if you brighten an ISO 320 image, you'll see it has slightly more noise than images shot at ISOs above that point, with the same exposure.

The further you venture into the ISOs from that low gain mode, the more noisy you'll find the very deep shadows (this is exactly the read noise that using the higher gain step minimizes). So the widest possible dynamic range is encountered at ISO 80, but if you're tempted to underexpose in low light, to protect highlights, you shouldn't venture below ISO 400.

The S1RII has a lower base ISO than its predecessor, so you can't make a direct comparison (the new camera receives 1/3EV more light), but even with that slight discrepancy, it's results seem comparable. It's a competitive result, even compared with the best of its peers.

High res multi-shot

Shot using hand-held multi-shot mode.

Lumix S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 | 26mm | F8 | 1/250 sec | ISO 80
Photo: Richard Butler

While we generally haven't found high-resolution multi-shot modes to be particularly useful, they can help you capture a bit more detail in the right circumstances. The S1RII has one of the best implementations of the feature, too, with both tripod and handheld modes and the option to compensate if your subject moves a bit at the cost of resolution in that area. Perhaps most importantly, the processing happens in-camera; you don't have to manually combine the shots later on in desktop software.

It's pretty apparent that the Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII is built around the IMX366 sensor from Sony Semiconductor. So we see a sensor with dual conversion gain giving lots of dynamic range at base ISO and well-controlled noise once you move to the second gain mode. Its BSI design means its high image quality should be maintained right to the corners of the image, as it means the pixels can reliably receive light from more acute angles than on older FSI sensors.

Autofocus Autofocus operation

The Panasonic S1RII features a revised version of the phase-detection AF system introduced with the S5II cameras. It can detect and track more subjects than the S5II supported at launch, and Panasonic promises it's both quicker to find focus and more tenacious in terms of tracking.

The S1RII's button layout puts all your autofocus controls close at hand.

The interface will be familiar to anyone who's used a Panasonic in the past ten-or-so years: pressing the AF Area button on the back of the camera brings up a row of seven icons representing the different AF areas the camera offers. Pressing upwards on the four-way controller or joystick then lets you choose whether the camera should look for a recognized subject near your chosen AF area. Pressing the 'DISP' button lets you select which subjects the camera looks for.

The S1RII's autofocus menu gives you a lot of options from a single screen.

There's a twist, though: the S1RII can either be set to use its focus tracking system, or it can be set to track a recognized subject but, unlike most modern cameras, these are separate functions. The upshot is that if you want to focus on a non-recognized subject for one shot, or the camera fails to find the subject it's supposed to recognize, you'll need to disengage the subject tracking: the S1RII will not fall back to its generic tracking system.

This is disappointing as the S5II has now gained the ability to detect all the same subjects as the S1RII, but its subject recognition is built on top of the generic tracking system, so the camera will fall back to tracking AF, making it more flexible.

AF interface

The interface generally does a good job of managing multiple subjects without overwhelming you with information. In most AF area modes, it'll only draw a box over the recognized subject nearest your selected area. If you move the point over another subject in the scene, it'll instantly snap the box to that subject instead. It's responsive enough that it doesn't feel like you're missing out by not having all the recognized subjects highlighted.

When the S1RII finds faces, it can do a good job of sticking with them. In this scenario, it was able to track someone who started out walking straight-on towards the camera but who ended up at an angle to it without losing track of them or jumping to the person next to them.

Lumix S Pro 24-70 F2.8 | 35mm | F4 | 1/200 | ISO 80
Photo: Mitchell Clark

If you prefer, you can use the 'full area' tracking mode. In this mode, the camera highlights all the recognized subjects, letting you select which one you want to focus on using the joystick or touchscreen. The boxes do jiggle quite a bit, though, and can sometimes flicker on and off, which isn't the most confidence-inspiring user experience and means a tap of the joystick doesn't always select the subject you wanted.

Autofocus performance

Our experiences with the S1RII were distinctly mixed: when the AF system works, it can be very good, but overall, we found it to be appreciably less reliable than we've come to expect from the likes of Canon, Nikon and Sony cameras.

We found the camera's AF Custom Setting Set 3 mode was better at tracking the subject than the defaults, which frequently lost track of it if it changed speed as it approached the camera. The custom setting, which is designed to handle unpredictably moving subjects, increased success in following the subject around, but the camera usually still struggled to keep it in focus as it changed speeds.

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Standard tracking, AF Custom Setting Set 3

The subject recognition mode is more successful at tracking the subject and keeping it in focus; using AF Custom Setting Set 3 upped this dependability further. While the camera couldn't respond quickly enough to the subject's approach-rate changing to get every shot in focus, unlike the generic tracking it recovered quickly enough to give a good hit rate.

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Subject recognition mode, AF Custom Setting Set 3

Testing the camera in a variety of settings suggests the S1RII's AF performance varies much more with adjustment of the AF Custom Settings than we've become used to with other brands. Generally, we consider Set 3 to be a good starting point.

Overall, the S1RII's autofocus is generally reliable, and slightly more so after firmware updates, but still lags behind the best of its peers (and, given how much the firmware improved the S1II, even some of its siblings).

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Following the v1.2 update, the S1RII now supports an open-gate 8K mode, which records a 3:2, 8064 x  5376 image using (almost) the entire sensor. Unsurprisingly, it offers a noticeable increase in detail captured compared to the downsampled ∼6K open-gate mode initially offered in the camera, and the 6K open-gate modes found in its other models like the S5II/X and S9. Most people shooting in this mode will be doing so because they want flexibility to reframe their shots in post, and the higher resolution offers even more of that; you can crop in even further while still retaining a native 4K resolution.

The camera's UHD 8K and 1.89:1 "8.1K"* capture are derived from this full-width region of the sensor, and have the same level of detail, though are less flexible in post as they're already in delivery-ready aspect ratios. Still, if you plan on outputting in 4K, they'll offer at least some room to move the frame around.

Standard 4K 24p output is on par with the oversampled modes from Canon's EOS R5 II, though the Nikon Z8's output shows noticeably more detail than either, suggesting Panasonic and Canon may be filtering out aliasing before downsizing. The S1RII's rolling shutter rate is considerably higher than the Canon or Nikon; see the chart below for its readout speeds. Compared to the EOS R5 II's subsampled 4K mode, which is mainly useful for avoiding overheating or accessing higher framerates, the S1RII's footage provides finer detail.

UHD DCI Crop Rolling shutter Crop Rolling shutter 8K, 5.xK*, 4K
30/25/24 1.00 24.9ms 1.00 22.4ms 5.xK*, 4K
50/60 1.11 15.4ms 1.04 15.3ms 4K
100/120 1.17 7.3ms 1.10 7.3ms 4K/30 DRExp* 1.00 31.7ms 1.00 29.8ms *8.1K and 5.9K modes give the same results as DCI 4K, 8.0K and 5.8K matches UHD

The story is much the same at 60p, where the S1RII's 4K footage retains a similar level of detail found in the 24p mode, which is good news for anyone hoping to slow their footage down a mild amount, or who prefer the hyper-real look. It does, however, come with a slight crop, and the lower rolling shutter rates strongly imply that it's derived from a 12-bit readout rather than a 13-bit one.

While 60p isn't available in the open-gate modes, you can shoot it at greater-than-4K resolutions; it's available in the 16:9 5.9K mode and the 1.89:1 5.8K mode, which offer slightly more detail than their 4K counterparts, and more flexibility in post.

120p is only available in 4K resolutions, and the capture has a noticeable loss in detail compared to lower framerates; the S1RII is obviously skipping lines to achieve these readout speeds. (Panasonic makes a camera with a faster sensor that's much better-suited to shooting at 120p if that's vital to you.)

Raw video

Panasonic's implementation of ProRes Raw currently doesn't support lens corrections, which will likely require some more work when shooting with modern mirrorless lenses.

LUMIX S 50mm F1.4 | F5.6 | ISO 200 | 1/100 sec | 5.8K ProRes RAW (Internal) | No sharpening

The S1RII has several options for Raw video output, including the ability to send a 8.1K open-gate raw stream to a supported BlackMagic or Atomos recorder via HDMI as of the latest firmware update. It can also record ProRes and ProRes RAW to a CFexpress card using an up-to 5760 x 4030 native-pixel, 1.31x crop (though there are currently no 16:9 options).

Raw video doesn't offer the dramatic benefits that stills shooters may be used to

We'd only recommend a Raw workflow to those working on professional productions that have a compelling reason to use it. While Raw recording can offer more flexibility to adjust parameters like white balance and lightness ("ISO") in post, as we've detailed before, it doesn't offer the dramatic benefits that stills shooters may be used to from comparing Raw and JPEG files.

Shooting Raw also requires substantial post-processing to add back in noise reduction and sharpening. And, while ProRes RAW gained support for lens correction data in 2023, Panasonic's implementation currently doesn't support it, unlike Canon or Nikon's cameras. This adds further work if you're shooting with modern lenses designed with geometric distortion correction as part of their optical formulas instead of older or cinema glass (which, realistically, is what we'd expect most people shooting Raw to be using).

Autofocus and Stabilization

Panasonic continues to have best-in-class sensor stabilization performance and provides several options for tuning it, including a 'Boost' mode that increases steadiness by correcting all movement (rather than assessing whether some movement may be intentional). Outside of that mode, it responds well to pans and tilts, simply smoothing out shakes without any noticeable jumps or other odd behavior.

The electronic stabilization is similarly good, further reducing noticeable shakes without introducing the grab-and-release effect during pans that some other systems suffer from. New to the S1RII is a "cropless" e-stabilization mode, which is intended to reduce perspective distortion when using a wide-angle lens, without reducing the field-of-view. While the resulting footage obviously isn't as smooth as what you'll get from the traditional electronic stabilization, we've found that it can make a noticeable difference.

Video autofocus is capable, but not class-leading

The camera's autofocus performance in video is similar to its performance in stills mode, which is to say that it's capable, but not class-leading. The generic tracking is relatively tenacious, but can occasionally get confused, drifting off target or getting stuck onto something else. However, the camera's subject detection modes are also available in most video modes, and can provide better results depending on what you're shooting.

Conclusion

By Mitchell Clark

What we like What we don't

• Excellent image quality
• Solid and highly customizable controls
• Comfortable ergonomics
• Large, responsive viewfinder
• Versatile display with tilting and articulation
• Competitive burst rates and pre-burst options
• In-camera multi-shot provides resolution boost for static subjects
• Solid L-mount lens ecosystem
• Extensive suite of video features, codecs, and resolutions
• Fan allows dependable video recording for extended periods

• Relatively short battery life
• Autofocus tracking still isn't as reliable as its rivals
• Subject detection doesn't fall back to standard tracking autofocus
• Higher rolling shutter rates than Stacked-sensor cameras
• Relatively small buffer given fast burst rates

The S1RII was always going to be a difficult camera to build. Its predecessor was Panasonic's flagship stills camera, but since its release, the company has become famous for its devotion to providing every video feature and workflow tool you could possibly want. To its credit, Panasonic doesn't seem to have compromised much on the stills side in its quest to make the S1RII a very capable hybrid shooter.

Image quality is, as you should expect from a modern camera, very good. The out-of-camera JPEGs are attractive, and the Raws seem to be both detailed and flexible when you process them. The S1RII gains Panasonic's LUT options, giving you essentially endless customization options if you want to develop your own 'look.' And, while we tend to find multi-shot high res modes quite limited in their value, the S1RII has probably the most usable implementation.

A 177MP image, produced using the hand-held multi-shot mode.

Lumix S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 | 21mm | F8 | 1/500 sec | ISO 80
Photo: Richard Butler

We were also impressed by the S1RII's body and handling. It has a more comfortable grip and retains a good level of direct control and customization without these control points getting too cramped, despite a move away from the large 'professional' style body of its predecessor. It's only really button backlighting that goes missing in the transition, but the updated tilting/articulating screen more than makes up for that, in our opinion.

Our biggest concern with the camera is its autofocus system. While AF tracking is an improvement from previous Panasonic cameras, its performance is still well behind that of its competitors. That's combined with Panasonic's unusual decision to separate general tracking from subject recognition, which makes the camera slower and less dependable to use. The battery life also isn't great, considering its pro-level aspirations, though that can be mitigated with Panasonic's battery grip, which supports hot-swapping.

The S1RII offers the most complete video shooting package

On the video side, there's a lot to recommend the S1RII. Its sheer number of resolutions and recording modes, not to mention support for internal and external Raw, anamorphic desqueeze preview and best-in-class stabilization, make it a formidable video tool. While its rolling shutter rates may appear outdated by the standards set by Stacked sensor cameras, they're still very usable for many types of videography and filmmaking.

But while it offers video features that competitors like the Z8 and EOS R5 II don't, it's hard to argue that you should choose it over those cameras unless you need the unique things it offers. The S1RII may offer the most complete video shooting package at a lower price, but it's not like those other cameras are slouches when it comes to their filmmaking credentials.

That's ultimately the story with the camera as a whole. It is certainly a capable option, and for some people it may be the best option. But while it's a very able camera, especially for video, the autofocus system and performance make a compelling argument to spend the bit more for one of its high-resolution competitors if your shooting includes action and movement. While it's still possible some of those issues will be fixed with still further firmware updates, we don't feel the S1RII currently stands out enough to get one of our awards.

Scoring

Scoring is relative only to the other cameras in the same category. Click here to learn about what these numbers mean.

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RIICategory: Semi-professional Full Frame CameraBuild qualityErgonomics & handlingFeaturesMetering & focus accuracyImage quality (raw)Image quality (jpeg)Low light / high ISO performanceViewfinder / screen ratingOpticsPerformanceMovie / video modeConnectivityValuePoorExcellentConclusionThe S1RII is a hybrid camera that offers solid detail capture, pleasing JPEGs and plenty of video capabilities, but its autofocus system isn't the best for capturing action and movement.Good forHigh quality movie and stills shooting without stacked sensor priceNot so good forShooting action when absolute dependability is required91%Overall scoreRegularScoreCompareWidget({"mainElementId":"scoringWidget","mainProduct":"panasonic_dcs1rii","scoringSchema":{"id":"SLRs","variables":[{"id":"BuildQuality"},{"id":"ErgonomicsAndHandling"},{"id":"Features"},{"id":"MeteringAndFocusAccuracy"},{"id":"QualityRaw"},{"id":"QualityJpeg"},{"id":"LowLightHighISO"},{"id":"ViewfinderScreenRating"},{"id":"Optics"},{"id":"Performance"},{"id":"Movie"},{"id":"Connectivity"},{"id":"Value"}],"categories":[{"id":"EntryLevel","label":"Entry Level Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Entry Level"},{"id":"MidRange","label":"Mid Range Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Mid Level"},{"id":"EntryLevelFullFrame","label":"Entry Level Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Entry Level Full Frame"},{"id":"MidRangeFullFrame","label":"Mid Range Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Mid Range Full Frame"},{"id":"SemiProfessional","label":"Semi-professional Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Semi-professional"},{"id":"SemiProfessionalFullFrame","label":"Semi-professional Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Semi-professional Full Frame"},{"id":"Professional","label":" Professional Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Professional"},{"id":"LargeSensorCompactEntry","label":"Entry Level Large Sensor Compact Camera","shortLabel":"Entry Level Large Sensor Compact"},{"id":"LargeSensorCompactEnthusiast","label":"Enthusiast Large Sensor Compact Camera","shortLabel":"Enthusiast Large Sensor Compact"},{"id":"VideoCamera","label":"Video Camera","shortLabel":"Video Camera"}]},"helpText":"Choose one or more cameras from the drop-down menu, then roll your mouse over the names to see how their scores compare to the camera on review."}) Compared to its peers

The Canon EOS R5 II and the Nikon Z8 are the S1RII's main competitors. They offer similar image quality and hybrid capabilities, though they don't have the excellent tilting/articulating rear display and can't deliver multi-shot high-res images out-of-camera. Both, however, have better battery life, deeper buffers and lower rolling shutter rates for shooting video or stills using the electronic shutter. We also find their autofocus tracking performance to be more capable and user-friendly, as they both fall back to their still quite reliable generic tracking systems when there's no subject to detect. You'll certainly pay for the extra speed and reliability, but it's probably worth it.

Sony's a7R V also has a very capable autofocus system, though it trades speed for even higher resolution. If you're looking to do video or shoot faster-moving subjects, the S1RII is a much better pick, as the a7R V reads out quite slowly. However, it produces even more detailed photos, which may be useful depending on what you're shooting.

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Product photos: Mitchell Clark

91%Overall scoreJump to conclusion

The Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII is the company's latest high-resolution full-frame mirrorless camera, now beefed-up with 8K video capabilities and improved autofocus.

Key features

• Full-frame 44MP dual gain CMOS sensor
• Up to 40fps continuous shooting with pre-burst capture (e-shutter only)
• 8.1K/8K video at up to 30p
• 5.76M dot viewfinder
• Flip-out and tilt rear screen
• ProRes 422 and ProRes RAW capture
• Capture to CFExpress Type B, UHS II SD or external SSD
• Multi-shot high res mode up to 177MP
• 32-bit float audio via optional XLR 2 adapter

The S1RII is available now with a recommended retail price of $3300.

Update, Jan 2026: In light of the significant improvement in autofocus performance we experienced with the latest firmware on the S1II, we've re-tested the S1RII with its Ver. 1.3 update. The improvements to the S1RII appear to be much more subtle, so we've made slight adjustments to phrasing but don't feel it warrants a revision to the score or award.

Index:

• What's new
• What's new for video
• How it compares
• Body and handling
• Image Quality
• Autofocus
• Video
• Conclusion
• Sample gallery
• Specifications
• Press release

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2025

• Feb 25: Initial review published
• Mar 31: Image quality and Autofocus results published
• Apr 23: Autofocus section updated and conclusion added
• Aug 7: Video section added, conclusion updated

2026

• Jan 30: Updated with note about AF performance after V1.3 update

What's new New sensor

Rather than the 47MP used in the original S1R, or the 61MP chip used in Leica's SL3, Panasonic has opted for a slightly lower resolution but faster sensor for the S1RII.

It features dual conversion gain on which, as usual on Panasonic cameras, you can manually select which of its two readout modes it uses, at intermediate ISO settings. Panasonic doesn't always disclose when it's using BSI technology, but in this instance it has confirmed it.

Its design means it's appreciably slower than the more expensive Stacked CMOS sensors, with an electronic shutter mode that takes 37.5ms (~1/27 sec) to read out in 14-bit mode and 20.2ms (~1/50 sec) in the 12-bit mode used for bursts and other quick-fire shooting modes.

Autofocus

The S1RII represents the second generation of Panasonic cameras to feature phase detection autofocus, with the inherent depth awareness that this brings. The company says it's significantly improved both its subject recognition and its tracking algorithms in the new camera, to bring its performance closer into line with the best of its peers.

The S1RII has algorithms trained to recognize the following subjects:

• Human
• Animal (Dog, Cat, Bird)
• Car
• Motorcycle / Bike
• Train
• Airplane

We're told it should be quicker at finding a subject and better at continuing to track it, even if, for instance, the subject turns away from the camera or is partially obscured. As before, you can choose whether the camera homes-in on specific details, such as the helmet of a motorbike rider, the nose of a plane or the eyes of an animal. Selecting the more precise focus position can lower the system's responsiveness to smaller, faster-moving subjects.

Cinelike A2 color mode

The S1RII gains a new 'Cinelike A2' color mode, in both stills and video modes. It offers a very gentle response, somewhere between the flat, DR-prioritizing Cinelike D2 and the punchy, ready-to-go Cinelike V2 profile.

Panasonic says the A2 mode's color response stems from work they've been doing in recent months. And it's perhaps worth considering which partners Panasonic has been working with, recently, to guess at the significance of the letter 'A' in the name. Unlike the camera's Leica Monochrome mode, any connection isn't made explicit.

Real time LUT

The S1RII gains the Real Time LUT function we've seen on recent Panasonic cameras, letting you create and upload color and tone-modifying profiles in format with a workflow that's already widely supported across the industry. The S1RII allows you to load up to 39 LUTs onto the camera, with the option to combine two LUTs with varying intensity, if you wish.

Additional LUTs can be created or downloaded via Panasonic's Lumix Lab app.

False color

The S1RII becomes one of the first stills/video cameras to include a false color display option. This is a feature common in the video world, giving a mono preview with certain brightness levels highlighted in different colors, to help you recognize which bits of the image are clipped or near clipping and which areas are exposed as mid tones or at a level appropriate for light skin tones. This display can be used in boths stills and video modes.

Capture One tethering

The S1RII becomes the first Panasonic camera that can be shot, tethered, from Capture One, the popular studio software. We're told any decisions about whether to expand support to other models will depend on customer demand.

What's new for video

The 44MP sensor means the S1RII has slightly more horizontal pixels than necessary to deliver UHD 8K (7680 x 4320) footage and a fraction short of what's needed to capture the DCI 8K's 8192 x 4320 resolution. Instead it offers what Panasonic called 8.1K (8128 x 4288), which conforms to the same 1.89:1 aspect ratio as DCI footage.

The degree to which the sensor resolution is suited to 8K capture is unlikely to be coincidental, and the S1RII offers the kind of extensive video feature set that you might expect from the company that brought us the GH series, rather than the pared-back list of options the original S1R brought.

It also includes everything you'd expect from Panasonic: the option to set exposure in terms of shutter angle, waveforms, vectorscopes, filtering or custom lists of video modes, four-channel audio and 32-bit Float audio via the optional XLR2 accessory, support for anamorphic lenses and a tally lamp to let you know you're rolling. The attention to detail goes beyond the addition of a big red button on the front.

Video options: Output
dimensions Frame
Rates Crop MOV ProRes 1.89:1 modes 8.1K 8128 x 4288 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:0 – 5.8K 5760 x 4030 30, 25, 24 1.0 422/HQ 30, 25, 24 1.31 – RAW/HQ 60, 50, 48 1.04 4:2:0 – DCI 4K 4096 x 2160 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:2 422/HQ 60, 50 1.04 60, 50, 30, 25, 24 1.52 120, 100 1.10 4:2:2 – 16:9 Modes 8.0K 7680 x 4320 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:0 – 5.9K 5888 x 3312 30, 25, 24 1.0 – 60, 50, 48 1.11 – UHD 4K 3840 x 2160 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:2 422/HQ 60, 50 1.11 60, 50, 30, 25, 24 1.52 120, 100 1.17 4:2:2 – 3:2 Modes 8K open gate 8064 x 5376 24 1.0 4:2:0 – 7.2K open gate 7200 x 4800 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:0 – 6.2K open gate 6432 x 4228 30, 25, 24 1.0 4:2:0 – 4:3 Modes 4.7K 4736 x 3552 60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24 1.65 4:2:0 422/HQ* - Boxes marked green offer All-I compression options.
- Red boxes have a ProRes option.
* ProRes 422/HQ only available up to 30p

The S1RII can also shoot Full HD (1920 x 1080) footage at any of the frame-rates and crops offered in UHD 4K mode, with the additional ability to capture 120 and 100p footage from the APS-C region.

Dynamic Range Expansion

The S1RII gains a DR Expansion mode, letting you capture an additional stop of highlight information in high-contrast situations. This can be activated in any of the movie modes at frame rates up to 30p, and can only be applied when shooting V-Log footage (where the response curve can easily accommodate different levels of DR capture).

Base ISO 2nd gain step Standard color mode ISO 80 ISO 400 Cinelike D2, V2, A2 ISO 160 ISO 800 HLG ISO 320 ISO 1600 V-Log ISO 200 ISO 1000 V-Log + DR Expansion ISO 400 ISO 2000

This is not the same system as the dual readout DR Boost function in the company's 25MP Micro Four Thirds camera. Instead it moves to a higher bit-depth readout, meaning there's a rolling shutter cost to engaging it. It also boosts the minimum available ISO, to prompt the use of a lower exposure, to capture that additional stop of highlights.

Open gate shooting A still grab from the S1RII's 8K open gate mode.

The S1RII can capture 8K footage from the entire 3:2 region of its sensor, which can be recorded as-is, or downsampled to 6.4K.

Open gate shooting lets you choose and adjust your crop during post production. It also makes it possible to frame wide and then take both landscape and portrait video crops if you're trying to deliver to multiple different output platforms.

5.XK at up to 60p, 4K at up to 120p

Like the S5II models, the S1RII gives you the choice of 1.89:1 DCI 4K capture or 16:9 UHD 4K, or 5.9K or 5.8K versions taken from the same capture regions. All four are available as 10-bit footage, with 4K encoded with 4:2:2 chroma precision and the 5.XK modes in 4:2:0.

Footage up to 30p is taken from the full width of the sensor using the full capture resolution, with a slight crop in to give 60p. 4K (in both flavors) is available at up to 120p with the addition of a further slight crop. Line skipping is used to deliver these 100p and 120p modes.

DCI and UHD 4K can also be captured at up to 60p from an APS-C region of the sensor.

UHD DCI Crop Rolling shutter Crop Rolling shutter 8K, 5.xK*, 4K
30/25/24 1.00 24.9ms 1.00 22.4ms 5.xK*, 4K
50/60 1.11 15.4ms 1.04 15.3ms 4K
100/120 1.17 7.3ms 1.10 7.3ms 4K/30 DRExp* 1.00 31.7ms 1.00 29.8ms *8.1K and 5.9K modes give the same results as DCI 4K, 8.0K and 5.8K matches UHD

Tellingly the rolling shutter rate in DR Expansion mode is consistent with the rate of 14-bit stills, which suggests it's based on 14-bit capture, explaining Panasonic's claims of greater dynamic range.

In turn, the 60p output's rolling shutter is consistent with the 12-bit stills readout rate. This stongly implies that the standard 24, 25 and 30p modes, which are slower than this but quicker than 14-bit mode are taken from 13-bit capture.

In addition to the conventional MOV compressed footage, the S1RII also lets you capture various resolutions in either ProRes 422 or ProRes RAW formats, both of which can either be recorded to the camera's internal CFExpress type B card or to an external SSD. ProRes RAW (with a choice of HQ or standard compression levels) is taken from a 1.31x crop of the sensor, whereas the ProRes 422 (again HQ or Std) is derived from the full-width 8.1K capture. It can also output 8.1K and 7.2K Raw over HDMI to a compatible recorder.

How it compares

The new, more compact S1RII arrives in a market where you can choose between the high resolution Sony a7RV or pay more for the likes of Nikon's Z8 and Canon's EOS R5 II that are both high resolution and fast. The Panasonic occupies something of a middle ground: offering some of the speed of the faster cameras (a higher peak frame rate but with more rolling shutter), but at a lower cost than Canon and Nikon's Stacked CMOS cameras.

We've opted to include the Canon EOS R5 II in this table, but the Nikon Z8 ends up looking very similar in terms of areas of strength, if you were to substitute that in. We've also chosen the DSLR-shaped a7R V from Sony, rather than the smaller, less expensive a7C R, because the larger model more closely resembles the Panasonic in terms of form factor, viewfinder quality, shutter options and screen articulation. But if size and price are your biggest concerns, the a7C R is in the running.

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII Canon EOS R5 II Sony a7R V Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R MSRP $3300 $4300 $3900 $3700 Pixel count 44MP 45MP 61MP 47MP Sensor type BSI CMOS Stacked CMOS BSI CMOS FSI CMOS Stabilization
(IBIS / Synced) 8.0 EV /
7.0 EV – /
8.5 EV 8.0EV /
– 6.0 EV /
7.0 EV Max burst rate (Mech / E-shutter) 10 fps / 40 fps 12 fps / 30fps 10 fps / 9 fps / Viewfinder res / mag 5.76M dot OLED / 0.78x 5.76M dot OLED / 0.76x 9.44M dot
OLED 0.9x 5.76x dot OLED / 0.78x Rear screen 3.0" 1.84M dot Tilt + Fully Artic. 3.2" 2.1M dot Fully Artic. 3.2" 2.1M dot Tilt + Fully Artic. 3.2" 2.1M dot two-way tilt Max video resolution

8.1K [1.89:1] / 30p
UHD 8K / 30p
Full-width 5.9K 60p

DCI 8K / 60p
UHD 8K / 60p

UHD 8K / 24p

5K [3:2] / 30p
UHD 4K / 60p

Output options MOV H.264
MOV H.265
ProRes 422
ProRes RAW

MP4 H.264
MP4 H.265
Canon Raw (/Light)

MOV H.264
MOV H.265 MOV H.265
MP4 H.264 Storage formats 1x UHS-II SD
1x CFe B
External SSD 1x UHS-II SD
1x CFe B 2x UHS-II SD / CFe A 1x UHS-II SD
1x CFe B / XQD Flash sync speed 1/250 sec 1/250 sec
1/160 sec 1/250 sec 1/320 sec HDR output options (Stills / Video) HLG HEIF / HLG video HDR PQ HEIF / HDR PQ video HLG HEIF*
/ HLG video HLG Photo / HLG video USB USB-C
3.2 Gen 2
(10 Gbps) USB-C
3.2 Gen 2
(10 Gbps) USB-C
3.2 Gen 2
(10 Gbps) USB-C
3.1 Gen 1
(5 Gbps) Battery life
LCD / EVF 350 / 300 540 / 250 530 / 440 380 / 360 Dimensions 134 x 102 x 92mm 139 x 101 x 94mm 131 x 97 x 82mm 149 x 110 x 97mm Weight 795g 746g 723g 1,020g

Despite being comfortably less expensive than its immediate peers, the S1RII's specs are competitive across the board. And while its video exhibits a fair bit more rolling shutter than the Stacked-sensor Nikon and Canon models, it significantly out-performs the Sony.

The a7R V's rolling shutter rate of 38ms means it can't deliver 8K/30, whereas the Panasonic can shoot 8K 30 and do so as fast as 24ms. This is respectable but not as impressive as the ∼13 and 14ms that the EOS R5 II and Z8 provide, respectively, from their much more expensive sensors.

Much of whether it's actually competitive, for both stills and video, will come down to whether the autofocus improvements are as significant as Panasonic promises.

* - Sony's implementation of HLG HEIF disables Raw recording, so you only get the output file.

Body and handling

The S1RII uses a body based on the smaller S5II series, rather than the more substantial design of the first-gen S1 series cameras. This leaves it both smaller and lighter than its predecessor.

It has the internal fan from the S5II, with two small exhaust ports on either side of its viewfinder hump. This doesn't give quite 'GH series' recording reliability, but still allows the S1RII to record for extended periods.

However, while the body itself is similar in size to the S5II, it has a deeper hand grip, making it more comfortable to use with larger lenses. It maintains a row of three buttons along its top plate, immediately behind the shutter button, but omits the top plate display that the Mark 1 had.

Other losses in the move to the smaller body see the S1RII offer only a single function button between the mount and the hand grip, and the replacement of the two-position switch at the lower corner of the front panel by a large red [REC] button (whose function can be customized).

The S1RII also goes without a flash sync socket, but gains a dedicated Stills/Movie/Slow&Quick switch. Moving the exposure modes to the right of the camera allows the drive mode to be promoted to the top of the left-side dial, making room for shooting mode to occupy the switch underneath. Both mode dials have toggle lock buttons.

The removal of movie mode from the exposure mode dial in turn provides room for five custom positions on the exposure dial, each of which can be customized separately for stills and video custom settings. Position 5 on the dial can be used to access custom banks 5-10, if you wish, giving you a total of up to ten photo and ten video custom setting sets. Thankfully the camera's settings can be saved to a memory card and duplicated across cameras.

Rear screen

On the back of the camera, Panasonic has adopted a similar screen layout to the one Panasonic used on its explicitly video-focused S1H: a fully articulated rear screen mounted on a cradle that tilts up and down. This means that stills shooters can use the tilt mechanism if they want to keep the screen on-axis (and can flip the screen to face inwards for protection, when stowing the camera), but video shooters can extend the screen out and tilt it away from the mic, headphone and HDMI sockets while shooting.

Battery

The S1RII uses the same 15.8Wh DMW-BLK22 battery as the S5II, a significant reduction compared with the original S1R. Despite this, it achieves a CIPA battery rating of 350 shots per charge if you use the rear screen and 300 via the viewfinder. The usual caveats apply to this number: most people get many, many more shots out of a camera than the CIPA rating (between two and three times the rated figure isn't unusual). To put it in context, 350 is a respectable figure and shouldn't leave you caught out during a busy day's shooting, but it doesn't have the confidence-inspiring duration that Sony's a7R V offers.

A new DMW-BG2 battery grip is also available to fit the S1RII. It adds a second battery in the grip, and is designed to allow hot-swapping of batteries: the external battery is used until the battery door is opened, at which point the camera switches to using the internal battery until a new battery is inserted in the grip. The grip also allows the camera to use both batteries simultaneously, for high power-consumption combinations such as capturing high bit-rate video to an external SSD.

Image Quality

Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors and detail types you'll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes to see the effect of different lighting conditions.

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The results are pretty positive. In terms of detail capture, the S1RII performs as we'd expect, capturing less detail than the 61MP Sony a7R V but with no meaningful difference vs the likes of the Canon EOS R5 II, Nikon Z8 or its own predecessor.

There's a fair bit of moiré visible in various places suggesting there's no anti-aliasing filter. But it's not significantly more pronounced than in most of its rivals, suggesting we were just unlucky that we got to see some artefacts in one of our real-world shooting. If anything, looking around various high-frequency targets in the scene, Panasonic's JPEG engine seems to be doing a pretty good job of suppressing the effects of moiré.

In terms of color rendition the Panasonic looks a lot like its immediate peers, with no significant differences in most colors, compared with its peers. The light skin tone patch is perhaps a fraction more pink than Canon's rendering, but there aren't any nasty surprises: something backed up by our experiences of shooting with the camera.

Noise levels seem competitive at low to moderately-high ISO settings but it looks like noise reduction is being applied to the Raws at the higher ISO settings, with distinct blurring of the noise patterns. JPEG noise reduction strikes a pretty good balance between noise suppression and detail retention, but gets a bit overwhelmed at the highest settings.

Dynamic range

The S1RII's sensor is a modern design with dual conversion gain; it has Panasonic's 'Dual Native ISO' function that lets you decide exactly where the switch in modes happens, but at default settings, it's at ISO 400 that the switch happens. Sure enough, if you brighten an ISO 320 image, you'll see it has slightly more noise than images shot at ISOs above that point, with the same exposure.

The further you venture into the ISOs from that low gain mode, the more noisy you'll find the very deep shadows (this is exactly the read noise that using the higher gain step minimizes). So the widest possible dynamic range is encountered at ISO 80, but if you're tempted to underexpose in low light, to protect highlights, you shouldn't venture below ISO 400.

The S1RII has a lower base ISO than its predecessor, so you can't make a direct comparison (the new camera receives 1/3EV more light), but even with that slight discrepancy, it's results seem comparable. It's a competitive result, even compared with the best of its peers.

High res multi-shot

Shot using hand-held multi-shot mode.

Lumix S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 | 26mm | F8 | 1/250 sec | ISO 80
Photo: Richard Butler

While we generally haven't found high-resolution multi-shot modes to be particularly useful, they can help you capture a bit more detail in the right circumstances. The S1RII has one of the best implementations of the feature, too, with both tripod and handheld modes and the option to compensate if your subject moves a bit at the cost of resolution in that area. Perhaps most importantly, the processing happens in-camera; you don't have to manually combine the shots later on in desktop software.

It's pretty apparent that the Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII is built around the IMX366 sensor from Sony Semiconductor. So we see a sensor with dual conversion gain giving lots of dynamic range at base ISO and well-controlled noise once you move to the second gain mode. Its BSI design means its high image quality should be maintained right to the corners of the image, as it means the pixels can reliably receive light from more acute angles than on older FSI sensors.

Autofocus Autofocus operation

The Panasonic S1RII features a revised version of the phase-detection AF system introduced with the S5II cameras. It can detect and track more subjects than the S5II supported at launch, and Panasonic promises it's both quicker to find focus and more tenacious in terms of tracking.

The S1RII's button layout puts all your autofocus controls close at hand.

The interface will be familiar to anyone who's used a Panasonic in the past ten-or-so years: pressing the AF Area button on the back of the camera brings up a row of seven icons representing the different AF areas the camera offers. Pressing upwards on the four-way controller or joystick then lets you choose whether the camera should look for a recognized subject near your chosen AF area. Pressing the 'DISP' button lets you select which subjects the camera looks for.

The S1RII's autofocus menu gives you a lot of options from a single screen.

There's a twist, though: the S1RII can either be set to use its focus tracking system, or it can be set to track a recognized subject but, unlike most modern cameras, these are separate functions. The upshot is that if you want to focus on a non-recognized subject for one shot, or the camera fails to find the subject it's supposed to recognize, you'll need to disengage the subject tracking: the S1RII will not fall back to its generic tracking system.

This is disappointing as the S5II has now gained the ability to detect all the same subjects as the S1RII, but its subject recognition is built on top of the generic tracking system, so the camera will fall back to tracking AF, making it more flexible.

AF interface

The interface generally does a good job of managing multiple subjects without overwhelming you with information. In most AF area modes, it'll only draw a box over the recognized subject nearest your selected area. If you move the point over another subject in the scene, it'll instantly snap the box to that subject instead. It's responsive enough that it doesn't feel like you're missing out by not having all the recognized subjects highlighted.

When the S1RII finds faces, it can do a good job of sticking with them. In this scenario, it was able to track someone who started out walking straight-on towards the camera but who ended up at an angle to it without losing track of them or jumping to the person next to them.

Lumix S Pro 24-70 F2.8 | 35mm | F4 | 1/200 | ISO 80
Photo: Mitchell Clark

If you prefer, you can use the 'full area' tracking mode. In this mode, the camera highlights all the recognized subjects, letting you select which one you want to focus on using the joystick or touchscreen. The boxes do jiggle quite a bit, though, and can sometimes flicker on and off, which isn't the most confidence-inspiring user experience and means a tap of the joystick doesn't always select the subject you wanted.

Autofocus performance

Our experiences with the S1RII were distinctly mixed: when the AF system works, it can be very good, but overall, we found it to be appreciably less reliable than we've come to expect from the likes of Canon, Nikon and Sony cameras.

We found the camera's AF Custom Setting Set 3 mode was better at tracking the subject than the defaults, which frequently lost track of it if it changed speed as it approached the camera. The custom setting, which is designed to handle unpredictably moving subjects, increased success in following the subject around, but the camera usually still struggled to keep it in focus as it changed speeds.

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Standard tracking, AF Custom Setting Set 3

The subject recognition mode is more successful at tracking the subject and keeping it in focus; using AF Custom Setting Set 3 upped this dependability further. While the camera couldn't respond quickly enough to the subject's approach-rate changing to get every shot in focus, unlike the generic tracking it recovered quickly enough to give a good hit rate.

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Subject recognition mode, AF Custom Setting Set 3

Testing the camera in a variety of settings suggests the S1RII's AF performance varies much more with adjustment of the AF Custom Settings than we've become used to with other brands. Generally, we consider Set 3 to be a good starting point.

Overall, the S1RII's autofocus is generally reliable, and slightly more so after firmware updates, but still lags behind the best of its peers (and, given how much the firmware improved the S1II, even some of its siblings).

Video Image ComparisonThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.

Following the v1.2 update, the S1RII now supports an open-gate 8K mode, which records a 3:2, 8064 x  5376 image using (almost) the entire sensor. Unsurprisingly, it offers a noticeable increase in detail captured compared to the downsampled ∼6K open-gate mode initially offered in the camera, and the 6K open-gate modes found in its other models like the S5II/X and S9. Most people shooting in this mode will be doing so because they want flexibility to reframe their shots in post, and the higher resolution offers even more of that; you can crop in even further while still retaining a native 4K resolution.

The camera's UHD 8K and 1.89:1 "8.1K"* capture are derived from this full-width region of the sensor, and have the same level of detail, though are less flexible in post as they're already in delivery-ready aspect ratios. Still, if you plan on outputting in 4K, they'll offer at least some room to move the frame around.

Standard 4K 24p output is on par with the oversampled modes from Canon's EOS R5 II, though the Nikon Z8's output shows noticeably more detail than either, suggesting Panasonic and Canon may be filtering out aliasing before downsizing. The S1RII's rolling shutter rate is considerably higher than the Canon or Nikon; see the chart below for its readout speeds. Compared to the EOS R5 II's subsampled 4K mode, which is mainly useful for avoiding overheating or accessing higher framerates, the S1RII's footage provides finer detail.

UHD DCI Crop Rolling shutter Crop Rolling shutter 8K, 5.xK*, 4K
30/25/24 1.00 24.9ms 1.00 22.4ms 5.xK*, 4K
50/60 1.11 15.4ms 1.04 15.3ms 4K
100/120 1.17 7.3ms 1.10 7.3ms 4K/30 DRExp* 1.00 31.7ms 1.00 29.8ms *8.1K and 5.9K modes give the same results as DCI 4K, 8.0K and 5.8K matches UHD

The story is much the same at 60p, where the S1RII's 4K footage retains a similar level of detail found in the 24p mode, which is good news for anyone hoping to slow their footage down a mild amount, or who prefer the hyper-real look. It does, however, come with a slight crop, and the lower rolling shutter rates strongly imply that it's derived from a 12-bit readout rather than a 13-bit one.

While 60p isn't available in the open-gate modes, you can shoot it at greater-than-4K resolutions; it's available in the 16:9 5.9K mode and the 1.89:1 5.8K mode, which offer slightly more detail than their 4K counterparts, and more flexibility in post.

120p is only available in 4K resolutions, and the capture has a noticeable loss in detail compared to lower framerates; the S1RII is obviously skipping lines to achieve these readout speeds. (Panasonic makes a camera with a faster sensor that's much better-suited to shooting at 120p if that's vital to you.)

Raw video

Panasonic's implementation of ProRes Raw currently doesn't support lens corrections, which will likely require some more work when shooting with modern mirrorless lenses.

LUMIX S 50mm F1.4 | F5.6 | ISO 200 | 1/100 sec | 5.8K ProRes RAW (Internal) | No sharpening

The S1RII has several options for Raw video output, including the ability to send a 8.1K open-gate raw stream to a supported BlackMagic or Atomos recorder via HDMI as of the latest firmware update. It can also record ProRes and ProRes RAW to a CFexpress card using an up-to 5760 x 4030 native-pixel, 1.31x crop (though there are currently no 16:9 options).

Raw video doesn't offer the dramatic benefits that stills shooters may be used to

We'd only recommend a Raw workflow to those working on professional productions that have a compelling reason to use it. While Raw recording can offer more flexibility to adjust parameters like white balance and lightness ("ISO") in post, as we've detailed before, it doesn't offer the dramatic benefits that stills shooters may be used to from comparing Raw and JPEG files.

Shooting Raw also requires substantial post-processing to add back in noise reduction and sharpening. And, while ProRes RAW gained support for lens correction data in 2023, Panasonic's implementation currently doesn't support it, unlike Canon or Nikon's cameras. This adds further work if you're shooting with modern lenses designed with geometric distortion correction as part of their optical formulas instead of older or cinema glass (which, realistically, is what we'd expect most people shooting Raw to be using).

Autofocus and Stabilization

Panasonic continues to have best-in-class sensor stabilization performance and provides several options for tuning it, including a 'Boost' mode that increases steadiness by correcting all movement (rather than assessing whether some movement may be intentional). Outside of that mode, it responds well to pans and tilts, simply smoothing out shakes without any noticeable jumps or other odd behavior.

The electronic stabilization is similarly good, further reducing noticeable shakes without introducing the grab-and-release effect during pans that some other systems suffer from. New to the S1RII is a "cropless" e-stabilization mode, which is intended to reduce perspective distortion when using a wide-angle lens, without reducing the field-of-view. While the resulting footage obviously isn't as smooth as what you'll get from the traditional electronic stabilization, we've found that it can make a noticeable difference.

Video autofocus is capable, but not class-leading

The camera's autofocus performance in video is similar to its performance in stills mode, which is to say that it's capable, but not class-leading. The generic tracking is relatively tenacious, but can occasionally get confused, drifting off target or getting stuck onto something else. However, the camera's subject detection modes are also available in most video modes, and can provide better results depending on what you're shooting.

Conclusion

By Mitchell Clark

What we like What we don't

• Excellent image quality
• Solid and highly customizable controls
• Comfortable ergonomics
• Large, responsive viewfinder
• Versatile display with tilting and articulation
• Competitive burst rates and pre-burst options
• In-camera multi-shot provides resolution boost for static subjects
• Solid L-mount lens ecosystem
• Extensive suite of video features, codecs, and resolutions
• Fan allows dependable video recording for extended periods

• Relatively short battery life
• Autofocus tracking still isn't as reliable as its rivals
• Subject detection doesn't fall back to standard tracking autofocus
• Higher rolling shutter rates than Stacked-sensor cameras
• Relatively small buffer given fast burst rates

The S1RII was always going to be a difficult camera to build. Its predecessor was Panasonic's flagship stills camera, but since its release, the company has become famous for its devotion to providing every video feature and workflow tool you could possibly want. To its credit, Panasonic doesn't seem to have compromised much on the stills side in its quest to make the S1RII a very capable hybrid shooter.

Image quality is, as you should expect from a modern camera, very good. The out-of-camera JPEGs are attractive, and the Raws seem to be both detailed and flexible when you process them. The S1RII gains Panasonic's LUT options, giving you essentially endless customization options if you want to develop your own 'look.' And, while we tend to find multi-shot high res modes quite limited in their value, the S1RII has probably the most usable implementation.

A 177MP image, produced using the hand-held multi-shot mode.

Lumix S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 | 21mm | F8 | 1/500 sec | ISO 80
Photo: Richard Butler

We were also impressed by the S1RII's body and handling. It has a more comfortable grip and retains a good level of direct control and customization without these control points getting too cramped, despite a move away from the large 'professional' style body of its predecessor. It's only really button backlighting that goes missing in the transition, but the updated tilting/articulating screen more than makes up for that, in our opinion.

Our biggest concern with the camera is its autofocus system. While AF tracking is an improvement from previous Panasonic cameras, its performance is still well behind that of its competitors. That's combined with Panasonic's unusual decision to separate general tracking from subject recognition, which makes the camera slower and less dependable to use. The battery life also isn't great, considering its pro-level aspirations, though that can be mitigated with Panasonic's battery grip, which supports hot-swapping.

The S1RII offers the most complete video shooting package

On the video side, there's a lot to recommend the S1RII. Its sheer number of resolutions and recording modes, not to mention support for internal and external Raw, anamorphic desqueeze preview and best-in-class stabilization, make it a formidable video tool. While its rolling shutter rates may appear outdated by the standards set by Stacked sensor cameras, they're still very usable for many types of videography and filmmaking.

But while it offers video features that competitors like the Z8 and EOS R5 II don't, it's hard to argue that you should choose it over those cameras unless you need the unique things it offers. The S1RII may offer the most complete video shooting package at a lower price, but it's not like those other cameras are slouches when it comes to their filmmaking credentials.

That's ultimately the story with the camera as a whole. It is certainly a capable option, and for some people it may be the best option. But while it's a very able camera, especially for video, the autofocus system and performance make a compelling argument to spend the bit more for one of its high-resolution competitors if your shooting includes action and movement. While it's still possible some of those issues will be fixed with firmware updates, we don't feel the S1RII currently stands out enough to get one of our awards.

Scoring

Scoring is relative only to the other cameras in the same category. Click here to learn about what these numbers mean.

Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RIICategory: Semi-professional Full Frame CameraBuild qualityErgonomics & handlingFeaturesMetering & focus accuracyImage quality (raw)Image quality (jpeg)Low light / high ISO performanceViewfinder / screen ratingOpticsPerformanceMovie / video modeConnectivityValuePoorExcellentConclusionThe S1RII is a hybrid camera that offers solid detail capture, pleasing JPEGs and plenty of video capabilities, but its autofocus system isn't the best for capturing action and movement.Good forHigh quality movie and stills shooting without stacked sensor priceNot so good forShooting action when absolute dependability is required91%Overall scoreRegularScoreCompareWidget({"mainElementId":"scoringWidget","mainProduct":"panasonic_dcs1rii","scoringSchema":{"id":"SLRs","variables":[{"id":"BuildQuality"},{"id":"ErgonomicsAndHandling"},{"id":"Features"},{"id":"MeteringAndFocusAccuracy"},{"id":"QualityRaw"},{"id":"QualityJpeg"},{"id":"LowLightHighISO"},{"id":"ViewfinderScreenRating"},{"id":"Optics"},{"id":"Performance"},{"id":"Movie"},{"id":"Connectivity"},{"id":"Value"}],"categories":[{"id":"EntryLevel","label":"Entry Level Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Entry Level"},{"id":"MidRange","label":"Mid Range Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Mid Level"},{"id":"EntryLevelFullFrame","label":"Entry Level Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Entry Level Full Frame"},{"id":"MidRangeFullFrame","label":"Mid Range Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Mid Range Full Frame"},{"id":"SemiProfessional","label":"Semi-professional Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Semi-professional"},{"id":"SemiProfessionalFullFrame","label":"Semi-professional Full Frame Camera","shortLabel":"Semi-professional Full Frame"},{"id":"Professional","label":" Professional Interchangeable Lens Camera / DSLR","shortLabel":"Professional"},{"id":"LargeSensorCompactEntry","label":"Entry Level Large Sensor Compact Camera","shortLabel":"Entry Level Large Sensor Compact"},{"id":"LargeSensorCompactEnthusiast","label":"Enthusiast Large Sensor Compact Camera","shortLabel":"Enthusiast Large Sensor Compact"},{"id":"VideoCamera","label":"Video Camera","shortLabel":"Video Camera"}]},"helpText":"Choose one or more cameras from the drop-down menu, then roll your mouse over the names to see how their scores compare to the camera on review."}) Compared to its peers

The Canon EOS R5 II and the Nikon Z8 are the S1RII's main competitors. They offer similar image quality and hybrid capabilities, though they don't have the excellent tilting/articulating rear display and can't deliver multi-shot high-res images out-of-camera. Both, however, have better battery life, deeper buffers and lower rolling shutter rates for shooting video or stills using the electronic shutter. We also find their autofocus tracking performance to be more capable and user-friendly, as they both fall back to their still quite reliable generic tracking systems when there's no subject to detect. You'll certainly pay for the extra speed and reliability, but it's probably worth it.

Sony's a7R V also has a very capable autofocus system, though it trades speed for even higher resolution. If you're looking to do video or shoot faster-moving subjects, the S1RII is a much better pick, as the a7R V reads out quite slowly. However, it produces even more detailed photos, which may be useful depending on what you're shooting.

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Me in the mountains in Argentinian Patagonia, 2017. Photo from my lovely wife Camila, my girlfriend back then.

Sony DSC-RX10 IV | F6.3 | 1/250 sec | ISO 1250
Photo: Rodrigo Pasiani

DPReview community member Rodrigo Pasiani is a lifelong photography enthusiast whose journey began as a teenager in Brazil with a 4 MP Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S40, a compact that he used to document friends, family and his favorite cats. From rural Brazil to Argentine Patagonia and, more recently, the forests and trails of southern Germany, his portfolio was shaped by persistence, curiosity, and a commitment to traveling light rather than chasing ever-larger camera bags.

Submit your story to be featured in 'What's in your bag?'

About Rodrigo

Rodrigo currently lives in Southern Germany, loves shooting in the Argentine Patagonia, and has a general passion for exploring the outdoors in extreme environments.

"My first digital camera was a gift from my parents during my teenage years. It was 2005, and the compact digital camera market was booming. In the pre-smartphone era, if you didn’t carry a Sony Cyber-shot in your pocket, you simply weren’t a cool guy. Costing the equivalent of four months of minimum wage in Brazil, my 4 MP Cyber-shot DSC-S40 was indeed a luxury item. I used it mainly to document gatherings with friends and family, and for cat shots, of course."

How long have you been a photographer?

"Photography has been my hobby since 2012. In 2012, I began my professional career (unrelated to photography) at a German multinational company in São Paulo. I had the opportunity to travel for work to different parts of the world, such as Germany, India, and China - something I was definitely not accustomed to. My world expanded significantly, and photography became a tool to document my travels, which I viewed as great adventures back then."

Patagonian landscape, Argentina. The trip that changed my life (and lifestyle). I got very low on the ground to make the narrow stream look like a proper river.

Sony DSC-RX10 | F6.3 | 1/320 sec | ISO 125
Photo: Rodrigo Pasiani

"As my camera began to show signs of failure, it was time to buy a more modern compact camera: a Cyber-shot WX50, featuring a BSI-CMOS image sensor and an impressive 16 MP resolution. It accompanied me on several more international trips. Around that time, I also discovered DPReview.com. It has been my primary source of information on gear and techniques ever since. The staff and forum members possess extraordinary knowledge, and many are willing to answer questions in an incredibly deep and professional manner. My progress would certainly have been much slower without the help of all of you."

What got you started in photography?

"My main motivation for going out and starting to photograph was the 'Travels to the Edge' series by American photographer Art Wolfe.

From my bedroom window in São Paulo, I could photograph birds feeding on the fruit of a nearby tree. On television, I watched the series Travels to the Edge by American photographer Art Wolfe, of whom I became a great admirer. I was fascinated by the beautiful images and by Art’s enthusiasm for his work. That inspired me to go out and explore."

"The trails around the small town of El Chaltén led me to landscapes I had never dreamed of visiting—places that seemed inaccessible, exclusive to television documentaries."

Red deer grazing in an overgrown grassy field. My first encounter with red deer. What a pleasant surprise!

Sony DSC-RX10M4 | F4 | 1/250 sec | ISO 1250
Photo: Rodrigo Pasiani

"Equipped with a Sony RX10 (purchased in late 2016, after being impressed by the image quality of the RX100 II I had acquired a year earlier), I scheduled a vacation trip to Argentine Patagonia. The trails around the small town of El Chaltén led me to landscapes I had never dreamed of visiting - places that seemed inaccessible, exclusive to television documentaries. Enormous granite monoliths with snow-covered summits, turquoise glacial lakes, and trees twisted by winds that frequently batter the region with great force."

What's in your bag, Rodrigo?

"My current gear consists of a Sony RX10 IV, an RX100 II that I rarely use nowadays, a Zeiss T* polarizing filter, a set of three Cokin P graduated neutral density filters and a Benro magnesium travel tripod, along with memory cards and spare batteries. A lens pen and a microfiber cleaning cloth are always with me as well. I usually use a 30-liter hiking backpack, but occasionally a 40-liter one. I have embraced the philosophy of traveling light. The gain in mobility is liberating; it’s hard to go back to using a rolling suitcase."

• Camera: Sony RX10 IV
• Lens(es): Fixed ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* 8.8-220mm (24-600mm equiv) f/2.4-f/4
• Zeiss T* polarizing filter
• Set of three Cokin P graduated neutral density filters
• Benro magnesium travel tripod
• Various memory cards and spare batteries
• All in a 30-liter Quechua hiking backpack

Rodrigo's 30-liter Quechua hiking backpack with camera, lens, and other accessories.

Photo: Rodrigo Pasiani

What other photography accessories typically go in your bag, and why? "I always carry a headlamp, a whistle, and other essentials in my hiking backpack. In winter, a Thermos of coffee accompanies my water bottle. On my last hike, at the beginning of this year (2026), the water froze after 4 hours of hiking in the snow. I'm still getting used to the European winter." Are there any special moments you've had in taking that perfect shot?

"One photographic event was particularly memorable. In November 2019, during the hot and rainy season in southwestern Brazil, I had the opportunity to attend a weekend nature photography workshop with master photographer Araquém Alcântara, one of the most respected photographers in Brazil, whose more than fifty years of work documenting the country’s untouched nature is nothing short of extraordinary."

"To photograph him at eye level, I had to hold the camera above my head while staying crouched in the pasture. I wasn’t camouflaged—he could certainly see me there. It must have been quite a comical scene. "

"One day, by chance, I came across a pair of burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia). They nest in burrows abandoned by other animals, commonly in embankments along gravel roads. Owls of this species are frequently found in the region, but these were particularly bold. Normally, they do not allow an approach closer than ten or twelve meters (~39 feet), but during a late-afternoon mountain bike ride, I happened to encounter a courageous pair that allowed me to get a bit closer."

Burrowing owl perched on a fence post. He was probably thinking “Here comes that weirdo again.…”

Sony DSC-RX10 | F4 | 1/800 sec | ISO 125
Photo: Rodrigo Pasiani

"I visited this owl pair for nearly a year and, amid many mediocre images, managed to capture a few good ones from very close range. I discovered that they would allow me to approach much closer if I crawled. On two or three occasions, I got to within about two meters of the male, which was perched on a fence post. To photograph him at eye level, I had to hold the camera above my head while staying crouched in the pasture. I wasn’t camouflaged - he could certainly see me there. It must have been quite a comical scene."

Rodrigo's advice for other photographers

"Whether documenting family events, vacation trips, weekend hikes in nature, or simply a walk through the city, photography remains more than a hobby for me - it is also a way to connect with nature and with history, a true form of meditation."

You can also visit Rodrigo's social media channels on Flickr and Instagram.

Editor's note: This article continues a new series, 'What's in your bag?', highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on. Would you like to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself and your photography by filling out this form. If you're selected for a feature, we'll be in touch with next steps.

Submit your story to be featured in 'What's in your bag?'

Me in the mountains in Argentinian Patagonia, 2017. Photo from my lovely wife Camila, my girlfriend back then.

Sony DSC-RX10 IV | F6.3 | 1/250 sec | ISO 1250
Photo: Rodrigo Pasiani

DPReview community member Rodrigo Pasiani is a lifelong photography enthusiast whose journey began as a teenager in Brazil with a 4 MP Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S40, a compact that he used to document friends, family and his favorite cats. From rural Brazil to Argentine Patagonia and, more recently, the forests and trails of southern Germany, his portfolio was shaped by persistence, curiosity, and a commitment to traveling light rather than chasing ever-larger camera bags.

Submit your story to be featured in 'What's in your bag?'

About Rodrigo

Rodrigo currently lives in Southern Germany, loves shooting in the Argentine Patagonia, and has a general passion for exploring the outdoors in extreme environments.

"My first digital camera was a gift from my parents during my teenage years. It was 2005, and the compact digital camera market was booming. In the pre-smartphone era, if you didn’t carry a Sony Cyber-shot in your pocket, you simply weren’t a cool guy. Costing the equivalent of four months of minimum wage in Brazil, my 4 MP Cyber-shot DSC-S40 was indeed a luxury item. I used it mainly to document gatherings with friends and family, and for cat shots, of course."

How long have you been a photographer?

"Photography has been my hobby since 2012. In 2012, I began my professional career (unrelated to photography) at a German multinational company in São Paulo. I had the opportunity to travel for work to different parts of the world, such as Germany, India, and China - something I was definitely not accustomed to. My world expanded significantly, and photography became a tool to document my travels, which I viewed as great adventures back then."

Patagonian landscape, Argentina. The trip that changed my life (and lifestyle). I got very low on the ground to make the narrow stream look like a proper river.

Sony DSC-RX10 | F6.3 | 1/320 sec | ISO 125
Photo: Rodrigo Pasiani

"As my camera began to show signs of failure, it was time to buy a more modern compact camera: a Cyber-shot WX50, featuring a BSI-CMOS image sensor and an impressive 16 MP resolution. It accompanied me on several more international trips. Around that time, I also discovered DPReview.com. It has been my primary source of information on gear and techniques ever since. The staff and forum members possess extraordinary knowledge, and many are willing to answer questions in an incredibly deep and professional manner. My progress would certainly have been much slower without the help of all of you."

What got you started in photography?

"My main motivation for going out and starting to photograph was the 'Travels to the Edge' series by American photographer Art Wolfe.

From my bedroom window in São Paulo, I could photograph birds feeding on the fruit of a nearby tree. On television, I watched the series Travels to the Edge by American photographer Art Wolfe, of whom I became a great admirer. I was fascinated by the beautiful images and by Art’s enthusiasm for his work. That inspired me to go out and explore."

"The trails around the small town of El Chaltén led me to landscapes I had never dreamed of visiting—places that seemed inaccessible, exclusive to television documentaries."

Red deer grazing in an overgrown grassy field. My first encounter with red deer. What a pleasant surprise!

Sony DSC-RX10M4 | F4 | 1/250 sec | ISO 1250
Photo: Rodrigo Pasiani

"Equipped with a Sony RX10 (purchased in late 2016, after being impressed by the image quality of the RX100 II I had acquired a year earlier), I scheduled a vacation trip to Argentine Patagonia. The trails around the small town of El Chaltén led me to landscapes I had never dreamed of visiting - places that seemed inaccessible, exclusive to television documentaries. Enormous granite monoliths with snow-covered summits, turquoise glacial lakes, and trees twisted by winds that frequently batter the region with great force."

What's in your bag, Rodrigo?

"My current gear consists of a Sony RX10 IV, an RX100 II that I rarely use nowadays, a Zeiss T* polarizing filter, a set of three Cokin P graduated neutral density filters and a Benro magnesium travel tripod, along with memory cards and spare batteries. A lens pen and a microfiber cleaning cloth are always with me as well. I usually use a 30-liter hiking backpack, but occasionally a 40-liter one. I have embraced the philosophy of traveling light. The gain in mobility is liberating; it’s hard to go back to using a rolling suitcase."

• Camera: Sony RX10 IV
• Lens(es): Fixed ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* 8.8-220mm (24-600mm equiv) f/2.4-f/4
• Zeiss T* polarizing filter
• Set of three Cokin P graduated neutral density filters
• Benro magnesium travel tripod
• Various memory cards and spare batteries
• All in a 30-liter Quechua hiking backpack

Rodrigo's 30-liter Quechua hiking backpack with camera, lens, and other accessories.

Photo: Rodrigo Pasiani

What other photography accessories typically go in your bag, and why? "I always carry a headlamp, a whistle, and other essentials in my hiking backpack. In winter, a Thermos of coffee accompanies my water bottle. On my last hike, at the beginning of this year (2026), the water froze after 4 hours of hiking in the snow. I'm still getting used to the European winter." Are there any special moments you've had in taking that perfect shot?

"One photographic event was particularly memorable. In November 2019, during the hot and rainy season in southwestern Brazil, I had the opportunity to attend a weekend nature photography workshop with master photographer Araquém Alcântara, one of the most respected photographers in Brazil, whose more than fifty years of work documenting the country’s untouched nature is nothing short of extraordinary."

"To photograph him at eye level, I had to hold the camera above my head while staying crouched in the pasture. I wasn’t camouflaged—he could certainly see me there. It must have been quite a comical scene. "

"One day, by chance, I came across a pair of burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia). They nest in burrows abandoned by other animals, commonly in embankments along gravel roads. Owls of this species are frequently found in the region, but these were particularly bold. Normally, they do not allow an approach closer than ten or twelve meters (~39 feet), but during a late-afternoon mountain bike ride, I happened to encounter a courageous pair that allowed me to get a bit closer."

Burrowing owl perched on a fence post. He was probably thinking “Here comes that weirdo again.…”

Sony DSC-RX10 | F4 | 1/800 sec | ISO 125
Photo: Rodrigo Pasiani

"I visited this owl pair for nearly a year and, amid many mediocre images, managed to capture a few good ones from very close range. I discovered that they would allow me to approach much closer if I crawled. On two or three occasions, I got to within about two meters of the male, which was perched on a fence post. To photograph him at eye level, I had to hold the camera above my head while staying crouched in the pasture. I wasn’t camouflaged - he could certainly see me there. It must have been quite a comical scene."

Rodrigo's advice for other photographers

"Whether documenting family events, vacation trips, weekend hikes in nature, or simply a walk through the city, photography remains more than a hobby for me - it is also a way to connect with nature and with history, a true form of meditation."

Editor's note: This article continues a new series, 'What's in your bag?', highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on. Would you like to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself and your photography by filling out this form. If you're selected for a feature, we'll be in touch with next steps.

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When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Product photos: Mitchell Clark

Leica has announced the Noctilux M 35mm F1.2 Asph., the latest entry in its famed series of fast primes, and the first one to offer a wide-angle focal length. Since their introduction in 1966, Noctilux lenses have traditionally been 50mm, though the company added a 75mm option in 2017.

The lens is made up of 10 elements in five groups, and the company says it was made possible by the latest iteration of its in-house "Precision Glass Molding" process. Leica says this allowed it to obtain "an unprecedented degree of geometric freedom and surface precision" when molding the lens's three aspherical elements, with tolerances as tight as three nanometers per millimeter of diameter. It has a minimum focusing distance of 0.5m (19.7").

As is standard for Leica M lenses, the Noctilux 35mm F1.2 is a manual focus design, with an etched distance scale on the barrel. It also features an aperture ring and an integrated lens hood, which rotates to extend out or to stow away. It can also accept 49mm threaded filters. It has an all-metal build and weighs 416g (14.7oz). Despite its heft, it's quite compact at 50mm (~2") long.

The lens is an interesting offering from Leica in 2026. Even almost 20 years after its introduction, major manufacturers don't seem to be all that interested in competing with the Noctilux 50mm F0.95, so it's still a relatively unusual offering in the market*. But while the mechanical simplicity of the manual focus-only 35mm version makes it unmatched in compactness and weight, it's not a particularly singular offering. There are several modern, autofocusing 35mm F1.2 lenses available on the market from the likes of Sigma, Nikon and Viltrox, and several (shockingly cheap) manual focus offerings from the usual suspects.

That's not to say that people looking at the Noctilux would necessarily be interested in those options, just that it's not the kind of statement piece we typically associate with its nameplate. Still, it's an undeniable piece of craftsmanship, and it's hard to complain about the images it produces, at least in the samples we were able to take with it.

The Noctilux M 35mm F1.2 Asph. is available starting today at a retail price of $9650. That's a 50% premium over the Summilux 35mm F1.4, actually placing it on the lower end of what brands usually charge for that particular 1/3 stop difference.

* - There are several manual focus, 50mm F0.95 lenses from brands like TTArtisan, 7Artisans, Brightin Star and others, and, of course, there's the Nikkor Noct, but you can't get something that fast for modern mounts from Canon, Sony, Sigma, etc.

Buy now:

Buy at AdoramaBuy at B&H PhotoBuy at Leica Sample Gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

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Press release:

New: The Leica Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH.

Leica Camera AG presents the first Noctilux M-Lens with a focal length of 35 mm

Teaneck, January 29th, 2026 – Since first being introduced in 1966, the name “Noctilux” has represented the pinnacle of optical craftsmanship at Leica. The name is made up of the Latin words “noctu” and “lux”, meaning “night” and “light”, and refers to the exceptional speed of this lens series. With a maximum aperture of up to f/0.95, Noctilux lenses are considered to be the epitome of optical development, opening up creative possibilities beyond the ordinary. They deliver images with an unrivaled visual aesthetic. With the new Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH., Leica Camera AG is presenting the first Noctilux M-Lens in the company’s history to feature a 35 mm focal length.

Like all Noctilux lenses, the latest addition to the family impresses with its exceptional speed and superior imaging performance. The new, compact Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH. produces clear, high-contrast images characterized by a distinctive look. The shallow depth of field at a wide aperture, precisely separates subject and space, creating a velvety soft bokeh and lending images tangible depth as well as a cinematic atmosphere. Stopping down the aperture allows you to selectively increase the depth of field. A floating element within the complex optical construction ensures consistent performance across the entire focusing range, from the close focus distance to infinity.

Up until now, the unique offering of Noctilux glass has been leveraged exclusively for 50 and 75 mm focal lengths. The new Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH. now makes the revered Noctilux quality available for the versatile 35 mm focal length for the very first time. The perfect combination of a wide aperture and natural perspective makes it ideal for outstanding portrait, reportage, available-light, and street photography. Subjects are clearly in focus thanks to precise separation, while retaining their context thanks to harmonious transitions to the background.

This new lens is the first Noctilux to feature an extended close focus distance down to 50 cm. When used with the new Leica M EV1 and its high-resolution integrated electronic viewfinder, focusing is particularly convenient across the entire focusing range. M-Cameras with a rangefinder can focus to a distance of 70 cm via the optical viewfinder. In the close-up range of 70–50 cm, focusing is carried out via Live View on the rear LCD panel or the Visoflex viewfinder. The large focusing angle of the Noctilux-M 35 supports this, thereby enabling precise and sensitive work.

The new Leica Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH. has been optimized for M-Cameras with high-resolution image sensors, in addition to having been completely redesigned and handcrafted in Wetzlar. Decades of experience and state-of-the-art production technologies have gone into its development, including processing of special glass materials and aspherical lens elements manufactured in Wetzlar using innovative Precision Glass Molding (PGM) technology, which shapes lenses in a highly precise process, achieving exceptional quality standards. The optical design comprises ten lenses in five groups, including three aspherical lenses. A floating element ensures consistent imaging performance over the entire focusing range. The integrated lens hood reduces glare and reflections, ensuring high contrast and brilliant color rendering, even with backlighting. Measuring just 1.9 inches in length, with a diameter of 2.5 inches, and weighing only 14.6 ounces, the new lens also impresses with its remarkably compact size.

The Leica Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH. will be available worldwide as of January 29th, 2026, from Leica Stores, the Leica Online Store, and authorized dealers. The retail price is $9,650.00

Leica Noctilux M 35mm F1.2 ASPH. specifications: Principal specificationsLens typePrime lensMax Format size35mm FFFocal length35 mmImage stabilizationNoLens mountLeica MApertureMaximum apertureF1.2Minimum apertureF16Aperture ringYesNumber of diaphragm blades11OpticsElements10Groups5Special elements / coatingsThree asphericalFocusMinimum focus0.50 m (19.69″)AutofocusNoFull time manualYesFocus methodInternalDistance scaleYesDoF scaleYesPhysicalWeight416 g (0.92 lb)Diameter65 mm (2.56″)Length50 mm (1.97″)MaterialsMetalColourBlackFilter thread49 mmHood suppliedYesTripod collarNo

Image: Laowa

Laowa has announced that it will be bringing its 90mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO lens to a new mount: Micro Four Thirds. The lens was originally made for full-frame cameras, and it's been around for RF, Z, E and L mount systems for a few years now, but it's still exciting to see a manufacturer bringing out a new lens for Micro Four Thirds.

The lens, which will have a 180mm equiv. field of view on the new mount, has a design with 13 elements in 10 groups with 3 ED lenses. It can minimum working distance of 20.5cm (8.1"), allowing for 2:1 reproduction.

Its design is fully manual focus, but the lens has contacts that Laowa says will support EXIF data communication and electronic aperture control (which is, in fact, the only kind of aperture control for the lens; unlike the full frame version, there's no manual aperture ring). And while it's still a full-frame lens at heart, the Micro Four Thirds version is a bit smaller and lighter than the versions made for other mounts, coming in at 540g (19oz) and measuring 115mm (4.5") long. It accepts 67mm filter threads.

Laowa says the lens will be available starting on February 29th, for $449.

Press release:

Laowa Expands Ultra Macro Lineup: The Acclaimed 90mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO Now Available for Micro Four Thirds

Anhui, China – January 29, 2026 – Anhui ChangGeng Optical Technology Company Limited (Laowa) is pleased to announce that the Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO is now available in Micro Four Thirds (MFT) mount.

Previously released for full-frame mirrorless systems, this specialized lens now brings its industry‑leading 2x magnification and Apochromatic (APO) performance to the MFT community, with the added benefit of an Auto Aperture mechanism. Thanks to the 2x crop factor of the MFT sensor, photographers can now enjoy an impressive 4x equivalent magnification without sacrificing resolution, making it a highly precise tool for exploring the microscopic world.

Unprecedented 2x Magnification and Reach

The Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO allows photographers to capture subjects at twice life-size. When paired with the 2x crop factor of the Micro Four Thirds sensor, this lens delivers an incredible 4x full-frame equivalent magnification. This enables the capture of microscopic details and textures that are often invisible to the naked eye, providing a powerful advantage for nature and scientific photographers.

Superior Sharpness and Rendering

Designed for the most demanding imaging tasks, the lens features a sophisticated optical formula of 13 elements in 10 groups. As a dedicated Apochromat (APO), it is engineered to suppress both longitudinal and lateral chromatic aberration to nearly zero. This ensures that high-contrast edges remain crisp and free of color fringing, even when shooting wide open at f/2.8.

Beyond its technical precision, the lens utilizes 9 aperture blades to produce a soft, creamy background fall-off, making it a versatile tool for compressed, cinematic portraits with a 180mm equivalent field of view.

Optimized for the MFT Workflow

This new MFT-specific version is built for modern digital integration, featuring electronic contacts that allow for seamless aperture control directly from the camera body. This integration ensures that all EXIF metadata is recorded and better supports image stabilisation. To further enhance usability in the field, the lens employs an internal focusing design. By maintaining a constant lens length, photographers can work confidently at the minimum working distance of 205mm without the risk of the lens barrel extending into skittish subjects or interfering with lighting setups.

Compact and Portable Design

Despite being originally designed for full-frame cameras, the Laowa 90mm f/2.8 remains remarkably compact on Micro Four Thirds. Weighing approximately 540g and measuring 115mm in length, it is still significantly smaller and lighter than equivalent macro setups. This compact form factor, combined with its robust build quality, makes it an ideal companion for handheld field work and long days of exploration in the natural world.

Pricing & Availability:

The Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO MFT Mount will be available for purchase starting February 29, 2026, through the Venus Optics official website (https://www.venuslens.net/) and authorized resellers. The U.S. retail price is USD 449.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Product photos: Mitchell Clark

Leica has announced the Noctilux M 35mm F1.2 Asph., the latest entry in its famed series of fast primes, and the first one to offer a wide-angle focal length. Since their introduction in 1966, Noctilux lenses have traditionally been 50mm, though the company added a 75mm option in 2017.

The lens is made up of 10 elements in five groups, and the company says it was made possible by the latest iteration of its in-house "Precision Glass Molding" process. Leica says this allowed it to obtain "an unprecedented degree of geometric freedom and surface precision" when molding the lens's three aspherical elements, with tolerances as tight as three nanometers per millimeter of diameter. It has a minimum focusing distance of 0.5m (19.7").

As is standard for Leica M lenses, the Noctilux 35mm F1.2 is a manual focus design, with an etched distance scale on the barrel. It also features an aperture ring and an integrated lens hood, which rotates to extend out or to stow away. It can also accept 49mm threaded filters. It has an all-metal build and weighs 416g (14.7oz). Despite its heft, it's quite compact at 50mm (~2") long.

The lens is an interesting offering from Leica in 2026. Even almost 20 years after its introduction, major manufacturers don't seem to be all that interested in competing with the Noctilux 50mm F0.95, so it's still a relatively unusual offering in the market*. But while the mechanical simplicity of the manual focus-only 35mm version makes it unmatched in compactness and weight, it's not a particularly singular offering. There are several modern, autofocusing 35mm F1.2 lenses available on the market from the likes of Sigma, Nikon and Viltrox, and several (shockingly cheap) manual focus offerings from the usual suspects.

That's not to say that people looking at the Noctilux would necessarily be interested in those options, just that it's not the kind of statement piece we typically associate with its nameplate. Still, it's an undeniable piece of craftwork, and it's hard to complain about the images it produces, at least in the samples we were able to take with it.

The Noctilux M 35mm F1.2 Asph. is available starting today at a retail price of $9650. That's a 50% premium over the Summilux 35mm F1.4, actually placing it on the lower end of what brands usually charge for that particular 1/3 stop difference.

* - There are several manual focus, 50mm F0.95 lenses from brands like TTArtisan, 7Artisans, Brightin Star and others, and, of course, there's the Nikkor Noct, but you can't get something that fast for modern mounts from Canon, Sony, Sigma, etc.

Sample Gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab.

Press release:

New: The Leica Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH.

Leica Camera AG presents the first Noctilux M-Lens with a focal length of 35 mm

Teaneck, January 29th, 2026 – Since first being introduced in 1966, the name “Noctilux” has represented the pinnacle of optical craftsmanship at Leica. The name is made up of the Latin words “noctu” and “lux”, meaning “night” and “light”, and refers to the exceptional speed of this lens series. With a maximum aperture of up to f/0.95, Noctilux lenses are considered to be the epitome of optical development, opening up creative possibilities beyond the ordinary. They deliver images with an unrivaled visual aesthetic. With the new Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH., Leica Camera AG is presenting the first Noctilux M-Lens in the company’s history to feature a 35 mm focal length.

Like all Noctilux lenses, the latest addition to the family impresses with its exceptional speed and superior imaging performance. The new, compact Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH. produces clear, high-contrast images characterized by a distinctive look. The shallow depth of field at a wide aperture, precisely separates subject and space, creating a velvety soft bokeh and lending images tangible depth as well as a cinematic atmosphere. Stopping down the aperture allows you to selectively increase the depth of field. A floating element within the complex optical construction ensures consistent performance across the entire focusing range, from the close focus distance to infinity.

Up until now, the unique offering of Noctilux glass has been leveraged exclusively for 50 and 75 mm focal lengths. The new Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH. now makes the revered Noctilux quality available for the versatile 35 mm focal length for the very first time. The perfect combination of a wide aperture and natural perspective makes it ideal for outstanding portrait, reportage, available-light, and street photography. Subjects are clearly in focus thanks to precise separation, while retaining their context thanks to harmonious transitions to the background.

This new lens is the first Noctilux to feature an extended close focus distance down to 50 cm. When used with the new Leica M EV1 and its high-resolution integrated electronic viewfinder, focusing is particularly convenient across the entire focusing range. M-Cameras with a rangefinder can focus to a distance of 70 cm via the optical viewfinder. In the close-up range of 70–50 cm, focusing is carried out via Live View on the rear LCD panel or the Visoflex viewfinder. The large focusing angle of the Noctilux-M 35 supports this, thereby enabling precise and sensitive work.

The new Leica Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH. has been optimized for M-Cameras with high-resolution image sensors, in addition to having been completely redesigned and handcrafted in Wetzlar. Decades of experience and state-of-the-art production technologies have gone into its development, including processing of special glass materials and aspherical lens elements manufactured in Wetzlar using innovative Precision Glass Molding (PGM) technology, which shapes lenses in a highly precise process, achieving exceptional quality standards. The optical design comprises ten lenses in five groups, including three aspherical lenses. A floating element ensures consistent imaging performance over the entire focusing range. The integrated lens hood reduces glare and reflections, ensuring high contrast and brilliant color rendering, even with backlighting. Measuring just 1.9 inches in length, with a diameter of 2.5 inches, and weighing only 14.6 ounces, the new lens also impresses with its remarkably compact size.

The Leica Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH. will be available worldwide as of January 29th, 2026, from Leica Stores, the Leica Online Store, and authorized dealers. The retail price is $9,650.00

Leica Noctilux M 35mm F1.2 ASPH. specifications: Principal specificationsLens typePrime lensMax Format size35mm FFFocal length35 mmImage stabilizationNoLens mountLeica MApertureMaximum apertureF1.2Minimum apertureF16Aperture ringYesNumber of diaphragm blades11OpticsElements10Groups5Special elements / coatingsThree asphericalFocusMinimum focus0.50 m (19.69″)AutofocusNoFull time manualYesFocus methodInternalDistance scaleYesDoF scaleYesPhysicalWeight416 g (0.92 lb)Diameter65 mm (2.56″)Length50 mm (1.97″)MaterialsMetalColourBlackFilter thread49 mmHood suppliedYesTripod collarNo

Image: Laowa

Laowa has announced that it will be bringing its 90mm F2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO lens to a new mount: Micro Four Thirds. The lens was originally made for full frame cameras, and it's been around for RF, Z, E and L mount systems for a few years now, but it's still exciting to see a manufacturer bringing out a new lens for Micro Four Thirds.

The lens, which will have a 180mm equiv. field of view on the new mount, has a design with 13 elements in 10 groups with 3 ED lenses. It can minimum working distance of 20.5cm (8.1"), allowing for 2:1 reproduction.

Its design is fully manual focus, but the lens has contacts that Laowa says will support EXIF data communication and electronic aperture control (which is, in fact, the only kind of aperture control for the lens; unlike the full frame version, there's no manual aperture ring). And while it's still a full frame lens at heart, the Micro Four Thirds version is a bit smaller and lighter than the versions made for other mounts, coming in at 540g (19oz) and measuring 115mm (4.5") long. It accepts 67mm filter threads.

Laowa says the lens will be available starting on February 29th, for $449.

Press release:

Laowa Expands Ultra Macro Lineup: The Acclaimed 90mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO Now Available for Micro Four Thirds

Anhui, China – January 29, 2026 – Anhui ChangGeng Optical Technology Company Limited (Laowa) is pleased to announce that the Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO is now available in Micro Four Thirds (MFT) mount.

Previously released for full-frame mirrorless systems, this specialized lens now brings its industry‑leading 2x magnification and Apochromatic (APO) performance to the MFT community, with the added benefit of an Auto Aperture mechanism. Thanks to the 2x crop factor of the MFT sensor, photographers can now enjoy an impressive 4x equivalent magnification without sacrificing resolution, making it a highly precise tool for exploring the microscopic world.

Unprecedented 2x Magnification and Reach

The Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO allows photographers to capture subjects at twice life-size. When paired with the 2x crop factor of the Micro Four Thirds sensor, this lens delivers an incredible 4x full-frame equivalent magnification. This enables the capture of microscopic details and textures that are often invisible to the naked eye, providing a powerful advantage for nature and scientific photographers.

Superior Sharpness and Rendering

Designed for the most demanding imaging tasks, the lens features a sophisticated optical formula of 13 elements in 10 groups. As a dedicated Apochromat (APO), it is engineered to suppress both longitudinal and lateral chromatic aberration to nearly zero. This ensures that high-contrast edges remain crisp and free of color fringing, even when shooting wide open at f/2.8.

Beyond its technical precision, the lens utilizes 9 aperture blades to produce a soft, creamy background fall-off, making it a versatile tool for compressed, cinematic portraits with a 180mm equivalent field of view.

Optimized for the MFT Workflow

This new MFT-specific version is built for modern digital integration, featuring electronic contacts that allow for seamless aperture control directly from the camera body. This integration ensures that all EXIF metadata is recorded and better supports image stabilisation. To further enhance usability in the field, the lens employs an internal focusing design. By maintaining a constant lens length, photographers can work confidently at the minimum working distance of 205mm without the risk of the lens barrel extending into skittish subjects or interfering with lighting setups.

Compact and Portable Design

Despite being originally designed for full-frame cameras, the Laowa 90mm f/2.8 remains remarkably compact on Micro Four Thirds. Weighing approximately 540g and measuring 115mm in length, it is still significantly smaller and lighter than equivalent macro setups. This compact form factor, combined with its robust build quality, makes it an ideal companion for handheld field work and long days of exploration in the natural world.

Pricing & Availability:

The Laowa 90mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO MFT Mount will be available for purchase starting February 29, 2026, through the Venus Optics official website (https://www.venuslens.net/) and authorized resellers. The U.S. retail price is USD 449.

Image: DJI

DJI has announced the RS 5, the latest version of its gimbal designed for creators and video professionals using mirrorless cameras. The update is a relatively subtle one over last year's RS 4, but it brings improvements to the gimbal's compatibility with DJI's accessory ecosystem, some tweaks to its physical switches and knobs and refinements of the algorithms it uses to keep your camera steady.

The RS 5 will look familiar to anyone who's seen or used previous RS (née Ronin) gimbals. However, the company has included the same mechanism for switching between horizontal and vertical shooting as was found in the RS 4 Mini, which should make the process just a touch easier than it was on the RS 4. The company has also added more ways to fine-tune the balance; the RS 4 had a knob for slightly shifting the tilt axis, while the RS 5 gains additional controls for its other axes. It weighs roughly the same as the RS 4, and supports the same 3Kg (6.6lb) payload.

Image: DJI

DJI has also made some software improvements, allowing the RS 5 to control Panasonic and Fujifilm cameras via Bluetooth, in addition to the Canon, Nikon and Sony models its predecessor supported. This lets you use the gimbal's interface to start and stop recording, control powerzoom lenses and set parameters like aperture, ISO and shutter speed, so you don't have to deal with two sets of controls or work around the gimbal to reach your camera's buttons. The gimbal also now has an indicator that will suggest adjustments to your pace and gait to help achieve even steadier footage.

The RS 5 can charge 60% faster than the RS 4

The company says it's also made improvements to the battery. When paired with the included RS33 battery grip, the RS 5 can charge 60% faster than the RS 4, getting 14 hours of power with just an hour of charging, assuming you have a 65W PD-capable power brick to plug it into.

The gimbal has gotten some other accessory-related updates, too. It can now natively attach to the company's latest RS Intelligent Tracking Module, an $85, sold-separately accessory that lets you have the gimbal automatically pan and tilt to follow a selected person or other arbitrary subject. While you could connect the module to the RS 4, doing so required using an adapter that used 'RSA' port, precluding the use of other accessories that might need to connect to it. With the RS 5 that port remains free while you're using the module.

The new Electronic Briefcase Handle now includes controls.
Image: DJI

The company has also introduced a new "Electronic Briefcase Handle," which lets you shoot with the gimbal at a different angle than would be practical with the standard handle. The pre-existing briefcase handle was, essentially, just a bent piece of metal, but the electronic version gives you buttons and other controls that let you operate the gimbal while using it.

According to DJI, the fifth-gen stabilization algorithm used by the RS 5 will perform better during quick movements, with the peak torque the motors are able to provide increasing by 50%. The comapny also says it'll perform even better when you're shooting vertically, something that's becoming increasingly common and influencers and brands continue to make content aimed towards social media.

As with the rest of DJI's recent releases, the RS 5 won't be officially launching in the US. The standard configuration is available in the UK for £485, and in Europe for €569. A combo pack that includes the RS Enhanced Intelligent Tracking Module, Electronic Briefcase Handle, a cable and carrying case, is also available for an additional £134 and €150, respectively.

Press release:

DJI Launches the RS 5, an All-New Lightweight Commercial Gimbal

DJI RS 5 Prioritizes Stability and Efficiency for Videographers, with New RS Enhanced Intelligent Tracking Module

JANUARY 29, 2026 – DJI, the global leader in civilian drones and creative camera technology, today launches DJI RS 5 – an all-new, lightweight commercial camera gimbal that brings videographers new levels of flexibility, creativity, and control for their work. The latest offering from the Ronin Series empowers videographers with enhanced intelligent subject tracking, stability and control mechanisms, and a longer runtime, redefining what’s possible for solo videographers.

Enhanced Intelligent Tracking and Stable Maneuvers

First introduced with the RS 4 Mini, the latest generation of the RS Intelligent Tracking Module has been updated with a number of impressive features. The new RS Enhanced Intelligent Tracking Module allows videographers to frame live footage and track any subject right from the gimbal’s touchscreen.

The new module also provides the ability to track objects other than people, such as vehicles, pets, or any object, and can maintain locked focus on a human subject up to 10 meters away, simplifying the process of shooting a scene with a crowded environment. If the subject leaves the frame, the module can easily re-aquire him or her, ensuring efficiency during a shoot. The module can be installed magnetically, without the need for an adapter or other accessories, making operation quick and convenient. Any videographer, regardless of experience level, can now effortlessly achieve complicated camera movements, such as surround shots, reverse tracking, or single-person fixed-camera tracking.

DJI RS 5 features the 5th generation RS Stabilization Algorithm, improving peak motor torque by 50%. This ensures greater stability in fast-moving scenes, such as when a videographer captures footage while walking or running, or when the camera undergoes extreme movements or switches angles quickly. It also offers significantly improved stability when shooting vertically.

Weighing just 1.46kg with the battery grip and quick release plates, RS 5’s compact body can carry a payload of up to 3kg and is capable of carrying a wide range of mainstream mirrorless cameras and lens combinations1. It also switches to vertical shooting without needing extra accessories, ensuring flexibility and ease for a wide range of videographer needs.

Unbridled Creativity

Videographers can finally get their shot with new features that unlock creative perspectives and enable a longer shoot day. RS 5’s new Electronic Briefcase Handle makes it possible to capture intriguing camera angles from above or below the subject, while offering electronic control of the footage. Its comfortable grip and easy-to-reach joystick or button controls allow for one-hand operation, while its smooth transitions reduce wrist fatigue. Additionally, the all-new on-screen Z-Axis Indicator suggests how the videographer should adjust their gait and pace to reduce image shake, helping to achieve steadier and more professional shots.

For longer shoots, RS 5 can be fully charged in just one hour2,3, a 60% improvement in charging efficiency compared to RS 4. The standard battery delivers 14 hours2 of power to ensure it lasts during long days on set. For even more power, the new BG70 High-Capacity Battery Grip extends RS 5’s runtime to 30 hours2, reducing downtime and lost hours waiting for more power.

DJI has also expanded camera compatibility for wireless control, with RS 5’s Bluetooth shutter now supporting Panasonic and Fujifilm cameras1, in addition to previously supported cameras from Sony, Canon, and Nikon.

The new fully-adjustable, fine-tuning knobs with Teflon™ interlayers on each axis arm enable precise balancing when installing a camera. The DJI RS 5 delivers a smooth and efficient leveling experience, even with heavier professional imaging equipment.

Trusted Efficiency from DJI, with DJI Ecosystem Compatibility

Along with its impressive roster of new features, RS 5 also incorporates some of the most reliable features from DJI’s flagship gimbals:

• The 2nd-Gen Automated Axis Locks automatically unlock the gimbal when it powers on, ensuring creators are ready to film in an instant. Similarly, the gimbal locks immediately upon power-off or during sleep mode.
• The 3rd-Gen Native Vertical Switch allows videographers to switch to vertical shooting within a few seconds.

DJI RS 5 is also compatible with DJI’s comprehensive product ecosystem. When paired with two DJI Focus Pro Motors, RS 5 allows videographers to adjust the zoom via the joystick and the focus via the dial wheel. Additionally, the DJI SDR Transmission provides high-definition live feeds, remote gimbal and camera control, and more collaboration opportunities.

Catering to each individual creator's unique needs, the RSA Communication Port connects to the Electronic Briefcase Handle, the RS Tethered Control Handle, and third party ring handles, enabling videographers to switch between different shooting combinations to fit their vision. The open RS SDK also allows third-party developers to build custom functions for the RS 5, making for endless shooting possibilities.

For more information4, please refer to www.dji.com/rs-5

1 For more details on camera and lens compatibility, please refer to the Ronin Series Compatibility Search page here: www.dji.com/support/compatibility.

2All data was tested in controlled conditions. Actual experience may vary. For more details, please refer to the official DJI website.

3Requires a 65W charger supporting PD protocol and DJI RS BG33 Battery Grip.

4Not officially available in the United States via official websites.

Image: DJI

DJI has announced the RS 5, the latest version of its gimbal designed for creators and video professionals using mirrorless cameras. The update is a relatively subtle one over last year's RS 4, but it brings improvements to the gimbal's compatibility with DJI's accessory ecosystem, some tweaks to its physical switches and knobs and refinements of the algorithms it uses to keep your camera steady.

The RS 5 will look familiar to anyone who's seen or used previous RS (née Ronin) gimbals. However, the company has included the same mechanism for switching between horizontal and vertical shooting as was found in the RS 4 Mini, which should make the process just a touch easier than it was on the RS 4. The company has also added more ways to fine-tune the balance; the RS 4 had a knob for slightly shifting the tilt axis, while the RS 5 gains additional controls for its other axes. It weighs roughly the same as the RS 4, and supports the same 3Kg (6.6lb) payload.

Image: DJI

DJI has also made some software improvements, allowing the RS 5 to control Panasonic and Fujifilm cameras via Bluetooth, in addition to the Canon, Nikon and Sony models its predecessor supported. This lets you use the gimbal's interface to start and stop recording, control powerzoom lenses and set parameters like aperture, ISO and shutter speed, so you don't have to deal with two sets of controls or work around the gimbal to reach your camera's buttons. The gimbal also now has an indicator that will suggest adjustments to your pace and gait to help achieve even steadier footage.

The RS 5 can charge 60% faster than the RS 4

The company says it's also made improvements to the battery. When paired with the included RS33 battery grip, the RS 5 can charge 60% faster than the RS 4, getting 14 hours of power with just an hour of charging, assuming you have a 65W PD-capable power brick to plug it into.

The gimbal has gotten some other accessory-related updates, too. It can now natively attach to the company's latest RS Intelligent Tracking Module, an $85, sold-separately accessory that lets you have the gimbal automatically pan and tilt to follow a selected person or other arbitrary subject. While you could connect the module to the RS 4, doing so required using an adapter that used 'RSA' port, precluding the use of other accessories that might need to connect to it. With the RS 5 that port remains free while you're using the module.

The new Electronic Briefcase Handle now includes controls.
Image: DJI

The company has also introduced a new "Electronic Briefcase Handle," which lets you shoot with the gimbal at a different angle than would be practical with the standard handle. The pre-existing briefcase handle was, essentially, just a bent piece of metal, but the electronic version gives you buttons and other controls that let you operate the gimbal while using it.

According to DJI, the fifth-gen stabilization algorithm used by the RS 5 will perform better during quick movements, with the peak torque the motors are able to provide increasing by 50%. The comapny also says it'll perform even better when you're shooting vertically, something that's becoming increasingly common and influencers and brands continue to make content aimed towards social media.

As with the rest of DJI's recent releases, the RS 5 won't be officially launching in the US. The standard configuration is available in the UK for £485, and in Europe for €569. A combo pack that includes the RS Enhanced Intelligent Tracking Module, Electronic Briefcase Handle, a cable and carrying case, is also available for an additional £134 and €150, respectively.

Press release:

DJI Launches the RS 5, an All-New Lightweight Commercial Gimbal

DJI RS 5 Prioritizes Stability and Efficiency for Videographers, with New RS Enhanced Intelligent Tracking Module

JANUARY 29, 2026 – DJI, the global leader in civilian drones and creative camera technology, today launches DJI RS 5 – an all-new, lightweight commercial camera gimbal that brings videographers new levels of flexibility, creativity, and control for their work. The latest offering from the Ronin Series empowers videographers with enhanced intelligent subject tracking, stability and control mechanisms, and a longer runtime, redefining what’s possible for solo videographers.

Enhanced Intelligent Tracking and Stable Maneuvers

First introduced with the RS 4 Mini, the latest generation of the RS Intelligent Tracking Module has been updated with a number of impressive features. The new RS Enhanced Intelligent Tracking Module allows videographers to frame live footage and track any subject right from the gimbal’s touchscreen.

The new module also provides the ability to track objects other than people, such as vehicles, pets, or any object, and can maintain locked focus on a human subject up to 10 meters away, simplifying the process of shooting a scene with a crowded environment. If the subject leaves the frame, the module can easily re-aquire him or her, ensuring efficiency during a shoot. The module can be installed magnetically, without the need for an adapter or other accessories, making operation quick and convenient. Any videographer, regardless of experience level, can now effortlessly achieve complicated camera movements, such as surround shots, reverse tracking, or single-person fixed-camera tracking.

DJI RS 5 features the 5th generation RS Stabilization Algorithm, improving peak motor torque by 50%. This ensures greater stability in fast-moving scenes, such as when a videographer captures footage while walking or running, or when the camera undergoes extreme movements or switches angles quickly. It also offers significantly improved stability when shooting vertically.

Weighing just 1.46kg with the battery grip and quick release plates, RS 5’s compact body can carry a payload of up to 3kg and is capable of carrying a wide range of mainstream mirrorless cameras and lens combinations1. It also switches to vertical shooting without needing extra accessories, ensuring flexibility and ease for a wide range of videographer needs.

Unbridled Creativity

Videographers can finally get their shot with new features that unlock creative perspectives and enable a longer shoot day. RS 5’s new Electronic Briefcase Handle makes it possible to capture intriguing camera angles from above or below the subject, while offering electronic control of the footage. Its comfortable grip and easy-to-reach joystick or button controls allow for one-hand operation, while its smooth transitions reduce wrist fatigue. Additionally, the all-new on-screen Z-Axis Indicator suggests how the videographer should adjust their gait and pace to reduce image shake, helping to achieve steadier and more professional shots.

For longer shoots, RS 5 can be fully charged in just one hour2,3, a 60% improvement in charging efficiency compared to RS 4. The standard battery delivers 14 hours2 of power to ensure it lasts during long days on set. For even more power, the new BG70 High-Capacity Battery Grip extends RS 5’s runtime to 30 hours2, reducing downtime and lost hours waiting for more power.

DJI has also expanded camera compatibility for wireless control, with RS 5’s Bluetooth shutter now supporting Panasonic and Fujifilm cameras1, in addition to previously supported cameras from Sony, Canon, and Nikon.

The new fully-adjustable, fine-tuning knobs with Teflon™ interlayers on each axis arm enable precise balancing when installing a camera. The DJI RS 5 delivers a smooth and efficient leveling experience, even with heavier professional imaging equipment.

Trusted Efficiency from DJI, with DJI Ecosystem Compatibility

Along with its impressive roster of new features, RS 5 also incorporates some of the most reliable features from DJI’s flagship gimbals:

• The 2nd-Gen Automated Axis Locks automatically unlock the gimbal when it powers on, ensuring creators are ready to film in an instant. Similarly, the gimbal locks immediately upon power-off or during sleep mode.
• The 3rd-Gen Native Vertical Switch allows videographers to switch to vertical shooting within a few seconds.

DJI RS 5 is also compatible with DJI’s comprehensive product ecosystem. When paired with two DJI Focus Pro Motors, RS 5 allows videographers to adjust the zoom via the joystick and the focus via the dial wheel. Additionally, the DJI SDR Transmission provides high-definition live feeds, remote gimbal and camera control, and more collaboration opportunities.

Catering to each individual creator's unique needs, the RSA Communication Port connects to the Electronic Briefcase Handle, the RS Tethered Control Handle, and third party ring handles, enabling videographers to switch between different shooting combinations to fit their vision. The open RS SDK also allows third-party developers to build custom functions for the RS 5, making for endless shooting possibilities.

For more information4, please refer to www.dji.com/rs-5

1 For more details on camera and lens compatibility, please refer to the Ronin Series Compatibility Search page here: www.dji.com/support/compatibility.

2All data was tested in controlled conditions. Actual experience may vary. For more details, please refer to the official DJI website.

3Requires a 65W charger supporting PD protocol and DJI RS BG33 Battery Grip.

4Not officially available in the United States via official websites.

Image: Westend61 / Westend61 via Getty Images

Welcome back to our Question of the Week series! This reader-focused series aims to get our photographic community to share thoughts on all sorts of photography-related topics in our forums. We pose questions about gear, favorite camera stores, advice, problem-solving and more, and you share your thoughts and opinions.

This week, we’re leaning into the holiday spirit! The season of giving (and occasionally re-gifting) is upon us, and that means it’s time to unwrap some memories – both heartwarming and hilarious.

What are the best (and worst) photography-related gifts you've received?

What’s the best photography-related gift you’ve ever received? Maybe it was a dream lens that caused you to take on an adventure deep in the mountains, or a handmade camera strap that’s now an essential part of your kit. And what about the worst? Perhaps someone thought you needed yet another "World’s Best Photographer" mug, or that odd lens filter set that turned every photo a shade of green.

In this edition of our Question of the Week series, we want to hear your gift stories: the memorable, the useful and the truly baffling. Share your favorites (and flops) in the forum link below. Photos of the gifts (or what you created with them) are also more than welcome! We'll highlight some of your most entertaining and heartfelt responses in next week's roundup.

Click here to answer the Question of the week

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Playing 'Top Trumps' with camera specs doesn't give the full picture, but it can still reveal something interesting.

Composite image: Richard Butler

It occurred to me, recently, that the latest enthusiast cameras can often shoot faster than the pro cameras of just a few years ago. So I decided to do some quick comparisons to get a sense of how far cameras have come, in a series of regards, since the last generation of pro-level sports cameras.

The biggest change, of course, is the move from DSLRs to mirrorless. The previous gen pro sports models from both Canon and Nikon were DSLRs, whereas Sony launched its pro tier cameras in earnest with the mirrorless a9, back in 2017.

Speed Max frame rate (Mechnical / Electronic) Canon EOS-1D X Mark III (2020) Canon EOS R6 Mark III (2025) 16 fps / 20 fps 12 fps / 40 fps Nikon D6 (2020) Nikon Z6 III (2024) 14 fps / 10.5 fps 14fps / 20 fps Sony a9 II (2019) Sony a7 V (2025) 10 fps / 20 fps 10 fps / 30 fps

The most obvious spec comparison is shooting speed, as that's historically been the main area in which pro models stand out from more mainstream offerings.

The enthusiast models are all faster than the pro models in their e-shutter modes, but this does come with some rolling shutter distortion. It's worth highlighting that, despite its maximum shooting rate being lower, the Sony a9 II, with its Stacked CMOS sensor, still reads out faster than any of the newer cameras.

But in many of these instances, the enthusiast models are just as quick in their mechanical shutter modes as the previous generation sports camera was. The enthusiast models don’t always have such deep buffers as their pro forebears, but they increasingly have at least one CFexpress slot to help clear those buffers quickly.

Autofocus

Of course shooting speed means nothing if your images aren’t in focus, but the modern cameras will do remarkably well in this regard. The pro DSLRs had AF systems honed by decades of development, and could be adjusted to suit a wide range of sports and subjects.

Subject recognition (Number of subjects recognized) Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Canon EOS R6 Mark III Eye detection (LV), Face / head (OVF) 9 subjects + Auto Nikon D6 Nikon Z6 III Face detection 9 subjects + Auto Sony a9 II Sony a7 V 2 subjects 6 subjects + Auto

However, we’d expect the enthusiast models to be competitive, as they all have AF systems that directly derive from their respective company’s most recent pro cameras. They also have subject recognition AF systems and much wider AF coverage that makes them much easier to get the best out of, for those of us who aren’t full-time professionals.

As a rough generalization, modern lenses perform better and the number of pin-sharp images delivered by mirrorless camera focus systems tends to be higher.

All three of the modern enthusiast models also offer some degree of pre-burst capture, again helping to boost the success rate of photographers who can't perfectly anticipate when the key moment is going to occur.

Viewfinders

The biggest difference we see is the move from optical viewfinders in the DSLRs to electronic viewfinders in the mirrorless cameras. Whether in terms of response time or just preference, there will be some photographers who simply prefer an optical finder, regardless of the spec of an EVF.

However, it's worth noting that each of the mirrorless cameras has a viewfinder that's at least as large as the largest optical viewfinder in play here. The 0.8x magnification, high brightness finder in the Nikon Z6 III is going to feel appreciably larger than the 0.76x finder in the EOS-1D Mark III, and even more spacious in comparison with the D6's 0.72x OVF.

Image stabilization

Another big difference is that the two most popular DSLRs didn't have in-body image stabilization, instead making use of in-lens stablization. This tends to be more effective for the long focal lengths used for sports, but less effective than in-body stabilization for the wide-to-normal focal lengths used in a lot of photojournalism and general photography.

Image stabilization
(Max correction posisble, per tesing using the CIPA standard) Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Canon EOS R6 Mark III In-lens only Up to 8.0EV Nikon D6 Nikon Z6 III In-lens only Up to 8.5EV Sony a9 II Sony a7 V Up to 5.5EV Up to 7.5EV

As well as the shift to in-body stabilization, Canon, Nikon and Sony have subsequently developed systems that can combine the effect of in-body and in-lens stabilization to boost the overall amount of correction that's possible and to play to the strengths of both systems.

Video Max frame rate (Mechnical / Electronic) Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Canon EOS R6 Mark III

• 4K/60 (10-bit)
• 5.5K/60 (Raw)

• 4K/60 (10-bit)
• 7K/60 (Raw)

Nikon D6 Nikon Z6 III

• 4K/30 (8-bit)

• 5.4K/60 (10-bit)
• 6K/60 (Raw)

Sony a9 II Sony a7 V

• 4K/24 (8-bit)

• 4K/60 (10-bit)

Unsurprisingly, perhaps, video is an area in which the modern cameras show the greatest advantage, not just in the resolutions and frame rates listed here, but in terms of the support tools and capabilities. It’s increasingly common to have false colour displays or waveforms to aid with exposure, as well as 10-bit Log or Raw capabilities, that still weren’t commonplace, just one generation of pro camera ago.

Video is one of the biggest areas of difference: even the mirrorless Sony a9 II, for all of the advances of its Stacked CMOS sensor, still only shot 8-bit video footage, which gives much less scope than 10-bit or Raw footage for color grading.

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

Battery life

One difference not captured here is battery life. We haven’t quoted the CIPA figures, as they aren’t especially comparable between DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, but the pro DSLRs will have vastly better endurance, as much from not having to power a screen to show a preview as from their significantly larger batteries. The Sonys are the outliers, in that the a9 II and a7 V use the same battery, and the newer camera is rated as giving more shots per charge.

The 'pro' differences

There are differences beyond specs and capabilities, though. In all three instances, the pro models have a level of build quality and environmental sealing that are essential for high-priced tools that need to keep working, day in, day out, regardless of the rigors of the job. All three also have features such as Ethernet connections that are essential for some professional applications but irrelevant for the majority of enthusiasts.

Weight (with battery & card) Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Canon EOS R6 Mark III 1440g 699g Nikon D6 Nikon Z6 III 1450g 760g Sony a9 II Sony a7 V 678g 695g Price

Even with the high levels of inflation over the past few years, the enthusiast models are significantly less expensive than the pro models were. Even without taking inflation into account, the professional DSLRs here cost at least twice as much as the latest enthusiast cameras. Factor inflation in and the new cameras come in at as little as 1/3rd the original list prices of the pro models.

MSRP at launch
(Money terms / Real terms) Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Canon EOS R6 Mark III $6500 / $8170* $2800 Nikon D6 Nikon Z6 III $6500 / $7890* $2500 Sony a9 II Sony a7 V $4500 / $5670* $2900

*Price adjusted using the consumer price index inflation figures, adjusted to the launch date of the newer camera

And, while we’re not saying enthusiast cameras are in every way a match for the pro cameras of the last generation, it’s striking at how close they are. And at how far we’ve come, during a period where you could easily make the mistake of thinking things haven't particularly changed.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.

Playing 'Top Trumps' with camera specs doesn't give the full picture, but it can still reveal something interesting.

Composite image: Richard Butler

It occurred to me, recently, that the latest enthusiast cameras can often shoot faster than the pro cameras of just a few years ago. So I decided to do some quick comparisons to get a sense of how far cameras have come, in a series of regards, since the last generation of pro-level sports cameras.

The biggest change, of course, is the move from DSLRs to mirrorless. The previous gen pro sports models from both Canon and Nikon were DSLRs, whereas Sony's launched its pro tier cameras in earnest with the mirrorless a9, back in 2017.

Speed Max frame rate (Mechnical / Electronic) Canon EOS-1D X Mark III (2020) Canon EOS R6 Mark III (2025) 16 fps / 20 fps 12 fps / 40 fps Nikon D6 (2020) Nikon Z6 III (2024) 14 fps / 10.5 fps 14fps / 20 fps Sony a9 II (2019) Sony a7 V (2025) 10 fps / 20 fps 10 fps / 30 fps

The most obvious spec comparison is shooting speed, as that's historically been the main area in which pro models stand out from more mainstream offerings.

The enthusiast models are all faster than the pro models in their e-shutter modes, but this does come with some rolling shutter distortion. It's worth highlighting that, despite its maximum shooting rate being lower, the Sony a9 II, with its Stacked CMOS sensor, still reads out faster than any of the newer cameras.

But in many of these instances, the enthusiast models are just as quick in their mechanical shutter modes as the previous generation sports camera was. The enthusiast models don’t always have such deep buffers as their pro forebears, but they increasingly have at least one CFexpress slot to help clear those buffers quickly.

Autofocus

Of course shooting speed means nothing if your images aren’t in focus, but the modern cameras will do remarkably well in this regard. The pro DSLRs had AF systems honed by decades of development, and could be adjusted to suit a wide range of sports and subjects.

Subject recognition (Number of subjects recognized) Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Canon EOS R6 Mark III Eye detection (LV), Face / head (OVF) 9 subjects + Auto Nikon D6 Nikon Z6 III Face detection 9 subjects + Auto Sony a9 II Sony a7 V 2 subjects 6 subjects + Auto

However, we’d expect the enthusiast models to be competitive, as they all have AF systems that directly derive from their respective company’s most recent pro cameras. They also have subject recognition AF systems and much wider AF coverage that makes them much easier to get the best out of, for those of us who aren’t full-time professionals.

As a rough generalization, modern lenses perform better and the number of pin-sharp images delivered by mirrorless camera focus systems tends to be higher.

All three of the modern enthusiast models also offer some degree of pre-burst capture, again helping to boost the success rate of photographers who can't perfectly anticipate when the key moment is going to occur.

Viewfinders

The biggest difference we see is the move from optical viewfinders in the DSLRs to electronic viewfinders in the mirrorless cameras. Whether in terms of response time or just preference, there will be some photographers who simply prefer an optical finder, regardless of the spec of an EVF.

However, it's worth noting that each of the mirrorless cameras has a viewfinder that's at least as large as the largest optical viewfinder in play here. The 0.8x magnification, high brightness finder in the Nikon Z6 III is going to feel appreciably larger than the 0.76x finder in the EOS-1D Mark III, and even more spacious in comparison with the D6's 0.72x OVF.

Image stabilization

Another big difference is that the two most popular DSLRs didn't have in-body image stabilization, instead making use of in-lens stablization. This tends to be more effective for the long focal lengths used for sports, but less effective than in-body stabilization for the wide-to-normal focal lengths used in a lot of photojournalism and general photography.

Image stabilization
(Max correction posisble, per tesing using the CIPA standard) Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Canon EOS R6 Mark III In-lens only Up to 8.0EV Nikon D6 Nikon Z6 III In-lens only Up to 8.5EV Sony a9 II Sony a7 V Up to 5.5EV Up to 7.5EV

As well as the shift to in-body stabilization, Canon, Nikon and Sony have subsequently developed systems that can combine the effect of in-body and in-lens stabilization to boost the overall amount of correction that's possible and to play to the strengths of both systems.

Video Max frame rate (Mechnical / Electronic) Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Canon EOS R6 Mark III

• 4K/60 (10-bit)
• 5.5K/60 (Raw)

• 4K/60 (10-bit)
• 7K/60 (Raw)

Nikon D6 Nikon Z6 III

• 4K/30 (8-bit)

• 5.4K/60 (10-bit)
• 6K/60 (Raw)

Sony a9 II Sony a7 V

• 4K/24 (8-bit)

• 4K/60 (10-bit)

Unsurprisingly, perhaps, video is an area in which the modern cameras show the greatest advantage, not just in the resolutions and frame rates listed here, but in terms of the support tools and capabilities. It’s increasingly common to have false colour displays or waveforms to aid with exposure, as well as 10-bit Log or Raw capabilities, that still weren’t commonplace, just one generation of pro camera ago.

Video is one of the biggest areas of difference: even the mirrorless Sony a9 II, for all of the advances of its Stacked CMOS sensor, the a9 II still only shot 8-bit video footage, which gives much less scope than 10-bit or Raw footage for color grading.

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

Battery life

One difference not captured here is battery life. We haven’t quoted the CIPA figures, as they aren’t especially comparable between DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, but the pro DSLRs will have vastly better endurance, as much from not having to power a screen to show a preview as from their significantly larger batteries. The Sonys are the outliers, in that the a9 II and a7 V use the same battery, and the newer camera is rated as giving more shots per charge.

The 'pro' differences

There are differences beyond specs and capabilities, though. In all three instances, the pro models have a level of build quality and environmental sealing that are essential for high-priced tools that need to keep working, day in, day out, regardless of the rigors of the job. All three also have features such as Ethernet connections that are essential for some professional applications but irrelevant for the majority of enthusiasts.

Weight (with battery & card) Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Canon EOS R6 Mark III 1440g 699g Nikon D6 Nikon Z6 III 1450g 760g Sony a9 II Sony a7 V 678g 695g Price

Even with the high levels of inflation over the past few years, the enthusiast models are significantly less expensive than the pro models were. Even without taking inflation into account, the professional DSLRs here cost at least twice as much as the latest enthusiast cameras. Factor inflation in and the new cameras come in at as little as 1/3rd the original list prices of the pro models.

MSRP at launch
(Money terms / Real terms) Canon EOS-1D X Mark III Canon EOS R6 Mark III $6500 / $8170* $2800 Nikon D6 Nikon Z6 III $6500 / $7890* $2500 Sony a9 II Sony a7 V $4500 / $5670* $2900

*Price adjusted using the consumer price index inflation figures, adjusted to the launch date of the newer camera

And, while we’re not saying enthusiast cameras are in every way a match for the pro cameras of the last generation, it’s striking at how close they are. And at how far we’ve come, during a period where you could easily make the mistake of thinking things haven't particularly changed.

I created this image while I was working full-time, applying to far too many graduate schools and navigating a long-distance relationship.
Photo: Abby Ferguson

It's well established that photography is a superb tool for documentation purposes. It's also fairly well accepted as an art form. It's less recognized, or at least talked about, as a therapeutic tool, but it can be a powerful resource for just that. If you'll allow me to get a bit personal, photography has helped me get through some very challenging times. I won't go so far as to say that it's saved my life, but I know many people can say that is the case for them.

To be clear, I'm not a therapist, and I don't see photography as a replacement for therapy with a licensed professional. Instead, I view it as a therapeutic tool. I have seen the impact the medium has had on my own life and the lives of others. For those who haven't used photography intentionally as a tool for healing or growth, perhaps this can be a helpful guide on how to do so, or a gentle push to lean on the medium as such when you need it.

Distraction and mindfulness Sometimes using the camera as a distraction tool can be just what you need.
Photo: Abby Ferguson

Sometimes, photography can simply be a good distraction. There are times when it's best to focus on something other than current events or difficulties in your personal life, and photography can be an excellent method for that. Taking photographs requires focus (no pun intended) and attention. Instead of dwelling on heavy or hard things, you can, at least momentarily, put your energy towards something else.

When taking photographs, you pay more attention to light, shadow, shapes and details. You look carefully at the things directly in front of you at that particular moment. It forces you to stay in the here and now, which is similar to general mindfulness practices that aim to help you manage stress. It's a simple thing, but it can make a significant difference.

Having my dog with me on hikes often has the added bonus of some comedic relief.
Photo: Abby Ferguson

For some, photography is a solitary endeavor, which can be an excuse to give yourself time and space to just breathe. When I need stress relief, I often find myself going on a hike by myself (and my dog) with my camera. I typically come back feeling more refreshed and in a much better headspace than when I set out.

Simply being in the outdoors is a big part of that for me, but the camera also helps me tune out everything else more effectively while I'm hiking. Even if I only feel inspired to take a few photographs, it at least makes me pay more attention to what's around me instead of putting my head down and trudging through. Plus, if I do manage to get a photograph that I think is cool, it gives me a sense of accomplishment, which is always a nice mental boost.

Photography as an outlet I took this self-portrait just last weekend, since I was in desperate need of a creative outlet, and this concept kept coming to mind.
Photo: Abby Ferguson

What's been even more important for me at various points in my life is using photography as an outlet and a means of self-reflection. Creating photographs can be excellent for self-expression, and also a tool for working through difficulties and managing emotions.

Photography is a fantastic resource when I don't want to talk about what I'm going through but still want to express it in some way. Alternatively, sometimes I haven't even fully processed what I'm dealing with and don't have words for it. Photography helps me get out some of the emotion instead of simply bottling it up. There are even times when creating a photograph has helped me better understand my current mental state, even if I hadn't been willing to acknowledge it prior to that.

"Photography helps me get out some of the emotion instead of simply bottling it up"

For a long time, self-portraits were my preferred method of photography as therapy. I've produced some deeply emotional and personal self-portraits over the years for that reason. Some of them were the result of my knowing exactly what I was dealing with and what I wanted to convey. Others were simply a result of struggling with something and not quite knowing how to articulate it, so I poured my emotion into a self-portrait. At times, these were somewhat elaborate and thoroughly planned; others were more spontaneous. Both formats helped in their own way.

Still life has become a relatively new therapeutic tool for me.
Photo: Abby Ferguson

These days, I've been using still life as my primary outlet. Instead of putting myself in front of the camera, I'm photographing objects that I feel can convey what I'm working through in my head. They may not look as personal at first glance, but they were incredibly valuable as I processed and dealt with things going on in my life.

My method of using photography as an outlet involves conceptual work, but that doesn't have to be the case. Any type of imagery that helps you express yourself or process your emotions is beneficial, even if it isn't intentionally done.

Photography can just be for you Photo: Abby Ferguson

The bigger picture here is that photography doesn’t always have to be for an audience or a client; it can simply be for you, and that’s often where its most therapeutic power lives. I've recently written about tackling photo projects to find your creative spark again and about embracing bad photos. In all of these cases, the key is that photography can be a personal endeavor that can have a significant impact on your life. When you give yourself permission to create without pressure, photography becomes a method to clear your head, listen to yourself, notice what you’re feeling and be present with it.

Whether you’re a working photographer or a hobbyist, making space for personal projects can be therapeutic. It can reconnect you with why you picked up a camera in the first place, help you process what you’re going through and simply remind you that the act of paying attention is worthwhile in itself.

So, whether you're going through a particularly hard season or not, let me encourage you to pick up your camera with no goal other than to see what comes out. Or plan a shoot with the specific intention of showcasing your emotion or mental state. The photos don’t have to be "good." They just have to be honest, and they only ever need to mean something to you.

Image: Adobe

Adobe has announced an update to Photoshop that brings new types of adjustment layers and improves generative AI-powered fill tools. It's also adding a feature in beta that makes it easier to manipulate text into certain shapes.

Late last year, Adobe announced it was adding two new adjustment layers to Photoshop: one that controlled dehaze and clarity, and another for adding a grain effect. Now, those are coming out of beta and should be available to everyone using the app. While you've been able to use similar effects in Photoshop before, you had to bake them into a specific layer in your image, and once they were added, you couldn't adjust them. Having them as an adjustment layer, though, lets you easily adjust the effects after adding them, and easily have them apply to multiple parts of your image.

The update also brings some of Photoshop's AI-powered features out of beta, with the company promising better, higher-resolution results when using the Generative Fill, Generative Expand and Remove tools in the web version of Photoshop. The company also says it's improved the reference image feature in the Generative Fill tool, which lets you use an existing image to give the model a better idea of what you want it to generate.

Finally, there's a feature that Adobe's calling Dynamic Text, which the company says will make it "easy to transform any text layer into circular, arched, or bowed shape." While you could obviously already achieve something similar with paths and the text tool, Adobe says the Dynamic Text tool will automatically fit your text to the shape, something you'd have to manually manage using other techniques.

The new adjustment layers are available in the latest version of Photoshop, which Creative Cloud subscribers can download starting today. Dynamic Text will be available in the Photoshop Beta app.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Image: Nikon

Nikon has announced firmware V1.10 for the ZR camera, heralding the first update for the video-focused camera. Given that it comes only a few months after it launched, it's no surprise that the changes it brings are mostly small quality-of-life tweaks, rather than massive overhauls to how the camera works.

Perhaps the biggest change is that Nikon says it has "significantly extended" the amount of time the camera can record for in many of its modes. While it used to top out at 125 minutes, it can now continuously capture for up to six hours in its sub-100fps compressed modes, though doing so will require the use of an external power supply or battery.

The company has also added the option to display a red line in your histogram or waveform to make it obvious where the clipping point is, which can be especially useful as you switch between modes with different base ISOs.

When it launched, the ZR supported timecode synchronization via Bluetooth, making it easier to keep track of footage and audio captured with multiple devices in the edit. The update adds support for timecode sync over a wired connection through the microphone jack. Other quality of life features include a setting to keep the green light around the power button illuminated while the camera is on (by default, it turns off quite quickly) and the LUT import screen can now display up to 50 CUBE files, rather than 10 (though the camera can still only store 10).

The firmware update is available today as a free download from Nikon's website.

Press release:

NIKON RELEASES FIRST FIRMWARE (V1.10) FOR THE NIKON ZR CINEMA CAMERA

MELVILLE, NY (January 26, 2026) - Nikon Inc. is pleased to announce the first firmware update for the recently released Nikon ZR full-frame cinema camera. Version 1.10 is available now and adds an assortment of functional enhancements and features to benefit a wide range of videographers.

Firmware version 1.10 supports timecode input over a wired connection, making it easier to synchronize with audio recording devices and other cameras. The update also significantly extends the maximum recording time, making continuous shooting possible even for long recording sessions. In addition, a file-naming convention similar to that of RED cameras has been adopted, enabling more efficient data management, especially when shooting with multiple cameras. A number of features that enhance usability have also been added, including a function that displays a warning line indicating the maximum brightness level in the brightness information display (histogram and waveform monitor) when recording R3D NE videos in Log3G10, as well as a setting to prevent unintentional battery drain.

Nikon will continue to enhance its products through firmware updates that address user needs, while also contributing to the development of imaging culture in the field of cinema.

Enhanced Multi-Camera Production and Workflow Features

In addition to conventional timecode synchronization over a Bluetooth connection, the camera now supports a simpler and more reliable wired connection that enables timecode synchronization with external devices connected to the camera via the external microphone/line input connector. Timecode synchronization is simplified, as Bluetooth pairing is not required. Once initially synchronized, the timecode remains running even after disconnecting the generator (jam sync), eliminating the need to re-synchronize.

In addition, a file-naming function similar to that of RED cameras has been implemented to enhance production workflows. This feature prevents duplicate video file names, and makes managing large numbers of files from multiple cameras much more efficient with video-specific file names and the display of file names on the live view screen.

Significantly Extended Recording Time

The maximum recording times for continuous recording have been significantly extended from 125 minutes to up to 360 minutes (6 hours)1. This enables long takes and shooting at events that require extended recording, such as interviews, concerts, documentaries and special events. This extended recording time applies to ProRes 422 HQ, H.265 and H.264 formats at various frame rates.

Improved Exposure Monitoring

Firmware version 1.10 offers users a function that displays a warning line indicating the maximum brightness level in the histogram or waveform monitor to avoid unintentional clipping. This indicator line varies according to ISO sensitivity when recording R3D NE videos in Log3G10, making exposure easier to control.

Additional Enhancements

A [Power-on lamp energy saver] option has been added to the setup menu, allowing users to choose an option that keeps the power-on lamp lit at all times when the camera is powered on. This allows users to check whether the camera is on or off at a glance, even when the monitor is closed, helping to prevent unintentional drain on the battery while carrying or transporting the camera. In addition, [Video file type] can now be set to [R3D NE 12-bit (R3D)] in the video recording menu even if the shooting mode is set to AUTO.

Furthermore, the number of LUTs that can be viewed while importing from a memory card using Custom Setting [3D LUT] > [Import CUBE file] has been increased from 10 to a maximum of 50. This allows users to have greater variety when choosing the LUT that will best match the intended final look from a broader range of options while on location.

Availability

Starting today, ZR owners can visit the Nikon download center to get the new firmware for free.

For more information about the latest Nikon products, including the vast collection of NIKKOR Z lenses and the entire line of Z series cameras, please visit nikonusa.com.

Specifications, equipment, and release dates are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer.

*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

1.When [ProRes 422 HQ 10-bit (MOV)] (except 119.88p or 100p), [H.265 10-bit (MOV)] (except 239.76p–100p), [H.265 8-bit (MOV)] (except 239.76p–100p), or [H.264 8-bit (MP4)] (except when recording slow-motion videos), at 25°C/77°F with [High] selected for [Auto temperature cutout]. Use of an external power source such as a portable battery is required.

DJI Mavic 3 Classic | 24mm F2.8 | ISO 100 | 1/320 sec | F5.6
Photo: Erez Marom

In part one of my series about photographing Mongolia in winter, I wrote about my experience shooting the Khongor Sand Dunes and Lake Khuvsgul. This time, I'd like to take you to another north-Mongolian destination, and to the east of this vast country.

After I was done shooting in Lake Khuvsgul, I took a long 4X4 drive further north-east, across some harsh terrain and interesting, frozen landscapes. We made a short stop to drone over the mountains and valleys of the Khoridol Saridag range.

After long hours, we finally arrived in our next major destination: Jargant River. This river is unique in that its waters come from an underground spring, and so parts of it do not freeze even when it's -40ºC (-40ºF) outside. The temperature difference between the river and the air causes water to rise as droplets, which stick and coat the trees and totally cakes them in white ice. These foggy conditions are great because it emphasizes the sun penetrating between the trees, creating beautiful light rays that work really nicely with the other compositional components around.

The fog here serves both as a compositional element and as a medium through which the trees' shadows show.

DJI Mavic 3 Classic | 24mm F2.8 | ISO 100 | 1/400 sec | F10

Here, the fog serves the separation between compositional elements: the closer tree is perfectly visible, whereas the background trees are shrouded in fog, helping the viewer's brain understand that they are at different distances, thus creating depth. The light rays penetrating between the trees add a lot to the image, do you agree?

Canon EOS R5 Mark II | Canon RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM | ISO 100 | 1/320 sec | F11

A nice example of sun rays shining between the trees.

Canon EOS R5 Mark II | Canon RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM | ISO 200 | 1/250 sec | F8

A top-down image showing the icy coating of the trees. Note that this is definitely not snow, but water droplets that stuck to the trees.

DJI Mavic 3 Classic | 1/30 sec | ISO 100 | F5.6

Jargant River is especially winding, which is useful for creating nice compositions. The fog above it adds another layer of interest.

DJI Mavic 3 Classic, 1/100 sec, f/6.3, ISO 100

The fog from the river had spread across the planes, allowing me to create a dreamier scene in which only the higher-elevation elements are clearly visible.

DJI Mavic 3 Classic | ISO 100 | 1/100 sec | F6.3

Photos: Erez Marom

There are a few nice locations in the Jargant Valley area. If you're there, it's worth your while to take a drive to the Singing Springs (known locally as Duut Spring), another location where liquid water is visible even at a bone-chilling -40ºC or even -50ºC (-40º to -58ºF). The moisture carried in the air coats not only trees, but low bushes and different kinds of plants that look somewhat weird dressed in white.

An aerial shot of the Singing Spring. At -37ºC (-35ºF), liquid water is still visible and usable as a compositional element. Note that the slanted, closer, more visible tree is located in the gap between the left- and right-side trees, to avoid overlap. In general, since the colors are quite homogeneous in this image, separation and depth become more important: apart from the slanted tree's location, I also used the background fog to separate the trees from the mountains. In turn, the warm sunrise tones separate the mountains from the clouds. These planes of separation contribute to the overall feeling of depth in the image, which is critical, especially in winter imagery.

DJI Mavic 3 Classic | ISO 100 | 1/30 sec | F4
Photo: Erez Marom

After returning from northern Mongolia, I took a very long drive toward the far east region of Mongolia: the Steppe, where I spent several days shooting wildlife. My main goal was to get interesting shots of one of the cutest and grumpiest creatures on Earth: the Pallas's cat. This bundle of joy isn't much bigger than a house cat, but its super-dense fur, round pupils and less-than-friendly attitude give it a very special kind of charm.

What it lacks in size, it makes up for in ferocity and in cuteness!

Canon EOS R5 Mark II | Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM | ISO 400 | 1/2000 sec | F6.3
Photo: Erez Marom

I teamed up with an organization dedicated to the preservation of this beautiful species and stayed in a ger camp, from where we would head out twice daily to try to find the wildlife. The mornings were usually devoid of cats, as they primarily roam in the afternoon, so we dedicated them to other wildlife. I got some nice images of owls, which show the snowy, rocky environment.

A little owl perching on the snowy ground. Note how I did my best to show the animal in its environment in a compositionally-appealing way: there is a foreground subject (the owl), another small rock on the left to counterbalance it, and a clear (even if out of focus) background subject comprised of distinct elements with proper separation between them.

Canon EOS R5 Mark II | Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM | ISO 800 | 1/400 sec | F8

The nice thing about this image is the similarity in colors between the owl and the rocks. Both are brown with white blotches: in the owl, it's the feathers. In the rocks, it's the patches of snow.

Canon EOS R5 Mark II | Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM + Extender RF 1.4x | ISO 400 | 1/640 sec | F10

Photos: Erez Marom

The owls were nice, but naturally, my main focus was the Pallas' cat. The cat shooting was very much unlike any wildlife photography I'd ever done. First of all, the cats can be hard to find. We sometimes had to send a tracker to locate one of them, which, considering the vastness of the area, was an astounding feat. Once found, however, the Pallas' cat is a surprisingly easy animal to get close to and shoot. Contrary to more easily-agitated species, their natural behavior is such that they disguise themselves as rocks and stay perfectly still unless you get really close to them.

In this image, I used the color similarity between the grass and the cat's eyes to enhance interest.

Canon EOS R5 Mark II | Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM | ISO 400 | 1/2500 sec | F7.1

A very grumpy blob assuming the shape of a rock.

Canon EOS R5 Mark II | Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM | ISO 800 | 1/1600 sec | F7.1

Cats will be cats.

Canon EOS R5 Mark II | Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM | ISO 200 | 1/3200 sec | F5.6

Photos: Erez Marom

As stationary as they often are, once the cats decide to go, they bolt. This gives the photographer a chance to get some action shots. It's a hard mission, since you don't know exactly when the cat will run or in which direction, but here are my best attempts.

Canon R5II, Canon 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 254mm, 1/8000 sec, f/5, ISO 1600
Photo: Erez Marom

When the Pallas' cat is sitting down, it's possible to get relatively close to it. Morally speaking, as long as you do it in a responsible manner and understand when you're too close, there's no harm in that. This last shot shows exactly such an event: I was still at a comfortable distance, but the cat made sure I knew I'd gotten on its nerves, and so I backed up and went away.

This threatening gesture meant it was time to go.

Canon EOS R5 Mark II | Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM | ISO 1600 | 1/8000 sec | F5
Photo: Erez Marom

I hope you've enjoyed my images from frozen Mongolia. If you are well-equipped for winter photography and mentally able to handle extreme cold, I can highly recommend it as a unique photographic experience.

Erez Marom is a professional nature photographer, guide and traveller. You can follow Erez's work on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to his mailing list for updates.

If you'd like to experience and shoot some of the world's most fascinating landscapes and wildlife with Erez as your guide, take a look at his unique photography workshops in Zambia, China, Colombia, Vietnam, Madagascar, Ethiopia and more.

Erez has recently published his first e-book, Solving the Puzzle, thoroughly explaining his views about composition in landscape photography and beyond.

Selected Articles by Erez Marom:

• Lava Frenzy: Shooting Fagradalsfjall Volcano
• Behind the Shot: Tambora Sandwich
• Parallelism in Landscape Photography
• Black Hole Sun: Shooting the Total Solar Eclipse in Argentina
• Winds of Change: Shooting Changing landscapes
• Demon of the Deep: Shooting Kawah Ijen Volcano
• Shooting Kīlauea Volcano, Part 1: How to Melt a Drone
• Whatever It Doesn't Take

The photo John Abernathy took, showing his point of view as he was being surrounded by ICE officers, right before he threw his camera to another photographer.
Photo: John Abernathy | Instagram: @john_abernathy_

By now, you've probably seen the viral photo of John Abernathy, an independent photographer, throwing his Leica M10-R to another photographer after being pinned to the ground by officers of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. It's from a striking sequence of images taken by freelance photographer Pierre Lavie, which show Abernathy being tackled, locking eyes with Lavie – then a stranger – and tossing his camera and phone to him in an attempt to keep them from being confiscated.

We caught up with both photographers to get the story behind the photos they took that day, see how they've dealt with suddenly having their work presented on a global stage, and talk about how this incident, and others like it, have affected how they cover protests and other similar events.

Click to see Lavie's images of Abernathy throwing his camera

If you haven't seen the photos or aren't familiar with the backstory, this is what happened: Abernathy and Lavie were photographing a protest against ICE around the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, MN. Both photographers say that, throughout the event, police forces would gather to press into the crowd. Abernathy says that, while photographing protesters and counter-protesters, he lost his situational awareness for a moment as he was trying to simultaneously live-stream with his phone and take photos. That's when he was tackled from behind and wrestled to the ground by several ICE officers, who then pepper-sprayed him.

Lavie, who was shooting nearby, saw this happening and turned to photograph it. That's when the now-famous moment was captured. Abernathy, concerned that the police might delete photos from his camera, locked eyes with Lavie and tossed his Leica M10-R and phone to the other photographer.

"It was instinctual at that moment"

"It was instinctual at that moment," Abernathy says, adding that he believes an ICE agent was trying to grab his phone out of his hand. "I didn't know what would happen to me after that, so in a split second I decided: 'I gotta throw it.'" Lavie, who was crouching down to photograph what was happening, says it was all very quick. "It's not more than a handful of seconds that he went from being tackled to being on the ground, tossing his camera and his phone, and then being pulled back in and detained."

Lavie admits he briefly hesitated before going for the camera and phone. "In my head, I was like, 'Do I grab this? Do I not? If I do, am I gonna get pulled into this thing?" But then he told himself, "Okay, screw it. I'm doing it."

After Abernathy was released, he says he looked around for his camera, asking someone with a bullhorn to ask if anyone had seen it, but nobody had. "After they let me go, I was in an absolute panic to know where my camera was," he says. "I was like, fuck, maybe I made the wrong decision. I shouldn't have done that, why did I do that?" Eventually, though, he and a friend were able to track his phone, letting him meet up with Lavie and retrieve his camera and the images on it, some of which he's posted to Instagram.

One of the last photos Abernathy took before he was tackled.
Photo: John Abernathy | Instagram: @john_abernathy_

"When I finally got back to the images that I shot during the protest, there are some very aggressive shots of agents coming down on protesters," Abernathy says. "So in hindsight, throwing my camera was the right thing to do, for multiple reasons. One, bringing attention to this entire issue we're having. And two, the images show the aggression that they're coming down on for no apparent reason."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Captured by Rectangles (@john_abernathy_)

The photos Abernathy took while being detained, and the photos Lavie took during the event, have received a lot of attention both in national outlets and on several social media platforms, something neither photographer expected.

"I'm actually getting chills right now," Abernathy says when asked whether he was surprised at people's reactions. "I did not obviously expect literally any of this attention. If it wasn't for Pierre's photo, I literally don't think any of it would have happened. There were a lot of other photographers there, and they got some good shots as well, but his shot is literally epic. It shows so much. It's more than a photo of me. It shows the struggle against this... unidentified ominous power."

"It's resonating with everybody for a reason"

Lavie calls the response "surreal" and says he's thankful, flattered and humbled by the outpouring of support. "It's resonating with everybody for a reason. And I don't think it's a good reason. As much as I would love it to be some miraculous picture of a butterfly or something like that, unfortunately, this is the situation, and that's where we are right now. Hopefully it's gonna work its way through the system in a healthy way."

Abernathy also understands why the photos have resonated so much. "I'm most grateful that it's become a focal point to bring attention to not only this area but what's happening in the whole United States," he says. "It speaks to freedom of the press. A lot of people are picking up on that for obvious reasons, but it speaks way beyond my personal experience. It's freedom of the press, and it's individual people trying to struggle against that massive power. Both his shot and my last shot show only legs in power positions. And they're dominating, and there's weapons, and it really represents a lot more."

"it is always shocking"

The incident is just part of a recent wave of police and ICE officers tackling, pepper-spraying and arresting photographers and journalists as the agency gains an unprecedented level of power, budget and legal immunity. "I've seen it quite a few times now, unfortunately. But it is always shocking," says Lavie. "It's a fine line that journalists of all types walk out there to make sure that they can be there and not be involved, and yet still do their job to record."

It's a job both men plan to continue doing, though Abernathy says he'll make sure to have more personal protective equipment the next time he covers a protest, including vapor-tight goggles. He also says he's considering getting a ballistic helmet and bulletproof vest, both things Lavie tells me he already wears when covering similar events.

When we spoke, Abernathy said he was still recovering from the incident, with some serious bruising from the pepper spray balls and being thrown to the ground, and occasional shivers. But despite knowing that he'll need to take more precautions in the future, he still sees the need for photographers like him to document these kinds of events. "I think that's more important than probably most people realize," he says. "The amount of things that are going on – I don't know what's going on in other parts of the country except for what's been in the news, and I don't even see all of that. I know that people are seeing bad things, but they're not seeing all of it; they're not seeing the volume of it and the random moments."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Captured by Rectangles (@john_abernathy_)

Abernathy was out shooting a protest a few days afterwards, with the same camera he threw.

The event has reminded both photographers of the importance of community. Abernathy says he's received messages from all over the world expressing horror at what's happening in the US, and gratitude for those documenting it. He also spoke about how other protests he's covered in Minnesota were moments of bonding for the community, citing how, at the end of a protest over the death of Renee Good, a Somali woman and her husband showed up to feed protesters and give them tea. Lavie spoke of the camaraderie he's seen between photographers and advised people looking to document events like this to be friendly and ask questions to folks who look like they've been doing it a long time.

Finally, there's the camera. While Abernathy initially thought his Leica had come away unscathed, besides a few new scratches, he said he later discovered that its rangefinder patch had stopped working, forcing him to focus based on his finger's position on the focusing ring (a task made slightly easier by the fact that he shoots at F11 on a 28mm lens). When we spoke, it was working again, but he was unsure whether the critical focus had shifted. He also says his phone survived the ordeal, despite having been stomped on.

Still, that didn't stop him from going out and shooting another protest with it, which Lavie was also at. "I'm glad John wasn't hurt badly," Lavie says. "He was out that following Saturday taking pictures again. I saw him walk by me. I was like, 'Oh, dude, you're out here.'"

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We're back with the first episode of the DPReview team discussions show of the new year, and just in time. The first few weeks of the year have been relatively busy, with Ricoh bringing out a new variant of the GR IV, this time with a completely monochrome sensor, and Fujifilm bringing video to its Instax line.

The team got together to discuss these cameras and the community's reactions to them. Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below, and over on our forums.

This image from last year could have potential, but the composition just isn't very good in my opinion.
Photo: Abby Ferguson

I’ve been thinking a lot about growth in photography lately, especially how projects and challenges can push creativity forward. Recently, during one such project, someone asked a question that made me pause: how can taking a bad photograph possibly help you get better or feel creative again?

That question stuck with me. At face value, it can seem pointless to take photos you’re not confident will work, and it’s easy to feel bad when an image doesn’t turn out the way you wanted. Yet I’m a firm believer in the importance of bad photographs. Creating bad work is essential for any creative, and photographers are no exception.

What I mean by "bad" photographs

Photography is, of course, subjective; what's bad in one person's eyes may be brilliant to another. A photograph can also be bad for countless reasons. It may have technical mistakes, such as blur, poor focus or incorrect exposure. There can also be compositional issues that weaken the image. Or there might be a conceptual disconnect, and the photo doesn't capture what you intended to convey. It could also simply capture a subject or theme that doesn't resonate with viewers.

The list of reasons a photo might be “bad” goes on and on. What matters more, though, is that those imperfect images are often the ones that teach you the most.

Learning often happens from mistakes

In my mind, there are two distinct periods of making bad work. The first is when you’re new to photography and trying to learn the craft. Ira Glass has a well-known talk about what he calls "The Gap": you have good taste, which is what drew you to the art form, but you don’t yet know how to create work that lives up to that taste. The only way to close that gap is to keep making work that falls short, building your skills until your photographs begin to match the images you imagine.

Along the same lines, photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson famously said, "Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." It's also worth noting that Cartier-Bresson was an early adopter of 35mm film, when the medium wasn't nearly as approachable or forgiving as it is today. In our digital age, that number should perhaps be much larger, since it's significantly easier (and more affordable) to take thousands upon thousands of photographs, even in just a single day.

"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst."

Simply put, photography is a skill that requires work and practice. Bad photographs are simply inevitable. However, the key is remembering they aren’t a sign you should quit. Their existence, and your ability to recognize that they've missed the mark, is often the clearest sign that you’re doing the work, which is how progress is made.

This image is from a failed self-portrait shoot back in 2013. There were plenty of technical and compositional issues with the images, and conceptually, they weren't hitting the mark, either.
Photo: Abby Ferguson

The second stage comes after you have years of experience. Even then, you don’t magically start producing only award-winning images. In the beginning, bad photographs teach you fundamentals; later on, they keep you from getting stuck and keep your practice alive. I first picked up a camera seriously nearly 20 years ago, and I can still say, with confidence, that I produce bad photographs on a regular basis. I screw up my settings, I fumble compositions and I create images that just aren’t very interesting. I have a strong foundation of skills and knowledge, but I still make work that misses the mark.

Those mistakes can be frustrating. But they’re not a signal to put the camera away, and they aren't a sign of failure. When I’m culling images after a shoot, I go through the "bad" ones slowly, asking what went wrong and why, and how I could approach them differently next time. That deliberate look at my failures is often where the real learning happens. By taking the time to reflect on that bad work, I'm improving in the process.

"As photographers, especially in certain genres, it can be easy to slip into a perfectionist mindset"

As photographers, especially in certain genres, it can be easy to slip into a perfectionist mindset and only take images that you are confident will work out. I am guilty of having ideas for photos, but I worried about how they would turn out and let that keep me from even trying. By forcing myself to just take photographs, even when I'm uninspired or unsure of the outcome, I risk a bad or uninteresting image, but I'm also putting myself in a position to learn and grow. Plus, it also allows for the outcome that it could be good, or even the serendipity of "oh, this isn't what I imagined at all, it's better!"

Make room for bad work

For some, the idea that bad photographs are crucial to learning may seem obvious. For others, it may feel pointless to intentionally put yourself in situations where you might make bad work. But, as in most areas of life, progress usually comes when you’re uncomfortable. Trying new compositions, experimenting with unfamiliar gear or tackling a new genre – even when the outcome is likely to be bad – is often the best way to move your photography forward. Bad work is evidence that you’re still experimenting instead of coasting. I, for one, will continue to make bad work and embrace those mistakes when they happen.