The S1H Mark II, and the other new S1 cameras should be here by now. Interestingly the Leica SL3 has arrived already. This is a camera that is engineered by Panasonic with Leica, and very much Panasonic in terms of electronics and firmware. The S1R Mark II has not come along with it. Instead Panasonic have given us two lower-end cameras, the S5 Mark II and S9. What could be going on at Panasonic? First let’s take a look at the release dates of Panasonic’s last major releases – these are equivalent to the Sony A7S, A7 and A7R line-up: Panasonic S1H: Q4 2019 Panasonic S1: Q3 2018 Panasonic S1R: Q3 2018 Q4 2019 is now 3.5 years ago and the S1/S1R launch dates back almost 5 years ago now. This is a very lengthy gap, the kind of gap which makes you wonder whether Panasonic is committed to the high-end camera market. The first scenario is that the S1H, S1 and S1R are cancelled. Perhaps Panasonic plan to focus on the Leica partnership for the high-end market instead, and leave Lumix catering for the entry level market which recent releases suggest could be the case. None of the flagship L-mount Lumix cameras sold all that well compared to Sony, Canon and Nikon. Plus if Panasonic wanted to prioritise a big gain in market share they would not be leaving key camera models like the S1R without a successor for the best part of 5 years. The S1 you...
Published By: EOSHD.com blog - Wednesday, 31 July