Last Updated on 05/09/2019 by Mark Beckenbach
The Panasonic S1R has been making waves in the testing labs over at DXOMark.
DXOMark has been hard at work putting one of Panasonic’s new cameras through boot camp, and it’s passed with flying colors. The Panasonic S1R has set a new standard for Full Frame camera sensors as it has displaced the Nikon D850 from its third place spot. This means the Panasonic S1R is only bested by the Medium Format Pentax 645Z and the Hasselblad X1D-50C. Join us after the break for more details about the DMOMark results.
Panasonic really took a gamble by jumping into the Full Frame market with the S1 and the S1R, but there is no denying that, when it comes to raw sensor performance, the new Panasonic S1R is now the Full Frame camera to beat. We are sure the review from DXOMark will shock many, but numbers don’t lie. We know there is far more to a camera than just its sensor, and that things like ergonomics, lens support, and so much more come into play. But ranking third overall, and only being behind two Medium Format cameras on DXOMark’s league table is an astonishing feat.
The Panasonic S1R is the bigger brother of the the Panasonic S1. The S1R features a huge 47.3 Megapixel sensor; its sensor is bigger than both Sony’s and Nikon’s largest offerings. Overall, the difference between the Sony A7R III, the Nikon D850, and the new Panasonic S1R is small, but there is just enough about the S1R that makes it leapfrog the other two cameras.
DXOMark was impressed with the Panasonic S1R when it came to portrait performance (26.4bits), and its overall dynamic range capabilities, which came in at 14.1EV. You can see that the S1R is slightly behind the D850 (14.8) and the A7R III (14.7) when it comes to overall dynamic range performance, but it beats the Hasselblad X1D-50C and the Pentax 645Z when it comes to portraits (26.2 and 26 respectively). Where the Panasonic S1R really shines is at high ISO’s and the excellent color depth it’s able to retain. It slightly beats the Sony A7R III here (3523), and destroys the Nikon D850 (2660) and the Nikon Z7 (2668).
It certainly seems like Panasonic has quite a monster on its hands with the S1R, and no doubt it will likely become a favorite camera of both portrait photographers and landscape photographers who want to buy into the world of the L Mount Alliance.
Take the results as you will. We know there are many out there who take results like this with a pinch of salt, and those who prefer real world tests like the ones we do compared to those performed in a lab. But the work that DXOMark completes does have its place. At the end of the day, if it helps someone make a more informed purchasing decision then that’s a good thing. More information and more insight is always good. If you would like to see the full DXOMark review of the Panasonic S1R, head to their website and see what they have to say about it.