Panasonic Lumix S1 Mark II Review: A Hybrid Camera For Safaris That Deserves to Be Trusted
- Eric van Staden
- 5 days ago
- 8 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
By Eric Van Staden
Co-founder & Photographic Guide, Photo Safari Company
Packing for Safari, Trusting My Gear
I'm writing this between sorting out batteries and lens cloths. In just a few days, I’ll be heading back into the field, guiding guests across the raw, unpredictable beauty of Africa’s wilderness. It’s that part of the pre-safari ritual where gear decisions weigh heavier than they should. Not because I doubt what I’m carrying, but because I remember the times I did.
The Panasonic Lumix S1 II has been in my hand lately. A lot. Not in a specs-on-paper way, but in a "does this make me feel prepared for what’s out there?" way. And the answer, more than I expected, is yes.
This isn’t a technical review. It’s a real-world reflection.
It’s about what happens when a camera doesn’t just perform, it understands you. When it feels like someone finally made a tool with your job, your challenges, and your creativity in mind.
Why the Lumix S1 II Is Different
Let’s be honest: cameras these days are all pretty good. Many are even exceptional. But so few are made for the ones who don’t shoot from clean studios or polished locations.
Out here, we don’t get second takes. We get dust. Glare. Bounces in the back of a 4x4 as a leopard decides, right now, to face the lens.
What makes the S1 II different isn’t just its 24.1MP sensor or its oversampled 6K video. It’s that it delivers features you feel in the moment, not just read in the manual.
Things like:
Handheld 6K footage that doesn't need gimbals.
Image stabilization so solid it works mid-bump in a safari vehicle.
Waveform monitors and real-time LUT previews, because guessing exposure under harsh African sun is never a good plan.
And perhaps most tellingly, a body that feels like it’s been dragged through the bush before, and wants more.
The Lumix S1 II is a 24.1MP full-frame hybrid camera built around a partially stacked CMOS sensor and Panasonic’s new-generation Venus Engine. While its sensor may be shared with another brand’s body, Panasonic has tuned this system to deliver results that the other brand is not.
It shoots 70 FPS RAW bursts, includes Open Gate internal recording, and supports 6K and oversampled 4K video, all from a rugged, reliable body. Professional tools come standard: waveform monitors, timecode sync, focus peaking, full-size HDMI, anamorphic support, dual card slots, and industry-leading in-body image stabilization rated up to 8.0 stops.
What It Feels Like in the Field
There's a moment on every safari where everything aligns. The light, the subject, the stillness before the shutter. With some cameras, that moment makes you nervous. Will it track focus? Did I miss something fumbling between stills and video? With the S1 II, that hesitation fades. It just works.
For hybrid creators, those of us telling stories across stills and motion, sometimes seconds apart, the S1 II isn't just capable. It's comfortable.
Panasonic has also introduced several forward-looking tools, including support for ARRI LogC3 for cinema-grade color workflows and a newly enhanced real-time autofocus system. This is something I never expected at this price point. It gives me high bit-rate codecs and internal 10-bit color in formats that slide straight into my existing post workflow.
This includes AI-driven recognition for faces, eyes, and even fast, unpredictable motion. It’s not just useful for urban sports. It's useful for cheetahs too.
In the field, these features matter more than most reviewers give credit for. The new dynamic range boost mode helps preserve highlights and shadows in harsh light, ideal for capturing wildlife under patchy tree cover or dramatic midday skies. The stabilization is so good it makes handheld shooting viable even from a moving safari vehicle.
Firmware updates are set to expand capabilities even further, with frame markers, wireless monitoring, metadata tagging, and even LUMIX Flow integration for on-location editing and shot planning.
And perhaps most meaningfully? It feels like it was built by someone who listens. This camera feels like a real attempt to equip working shooters, not just impress tech press headlines.
Why This Matters to Me, and Maybe to You
I’ve spent most of my professional life relying on my gear to work without excuse. Whether I’m jumping from planes or guiding photographers across Botswana, Namibia, or the Serengeti, the need is always the same. When a leopard turns to face the lens during a dawn game drive, you don’t get a second chance.
And yet, I’ve used camera and lens combinations that cost well over $15,000, and still find myself shaking my head at basic oversights:
No Arca-Swiss plates on super-telephoto lens feet
No drop-in filter slots
Autofocus that fails in backlit scenes or loses tracking after too long
No Open Gate internal recording unless you buy a second cinema body
Firmware upgrade promises with no delivery date in sight
What I need is not a segmented system. I need one camera that shoots professional-quality stills and video, under pressure, without compromise. Surely that is not too much to ask in 2025?
The Lumix S1 II might be the first camera in a long time to actually try and deliver that.
Not Just for Spec Sheets: A Camera With Field Sense
Some of the most useful things on this camera rarely make it into spec comparisons:
A proper full-size HDMI port. Because adapters are one more thing to lose in the sand.
Focus peaking that actually works while shooting video.
A joystick that falls right under your thumb, not somewhere near your elbow.
Dual card slots that take real-world media, SD or CFexpress, and don’t complain in heat or humidity.
It’s not perfect. I’ll say that clearly. The autofocus is much improved but still lags behind Canon and Sony when tracking erratic, fast subjects. The buffer fills fast at 70FPS which, to be fair, is almost comedic to say out loud. But you will hit that limit if you're hammering a wild dog chase.
Battery life? Not bad. You’ll want at least two spares for a full day in the field.
But those flaws? They're things I can plan for, manage, and work around. The core? It’s solid.
What matters more is what this camera does offer. Its hybrid performance is the most complete I’ve used, and all in a camera body costing less than $3,500.
It shoots high bit-rate, flexible-format video that works across platforms, from cinematic productions to vertical reels. It delivers beautiful color, rich detail, and usable files even in difficult lighting. And it does all this without forcing me to choose between photography and video priorities when choosing a camera to take on Safari.
The Lens That Completes the Equation
Panasonic quietly launched a new 24–60mm f/2.8 alongside the S1 II. And it might be the most practical travel lens I’ve touched in years.
Compact. Internal zooming. Weather-sealed.
Sharp across the range, fast to focus.
And a dedicated focus button on the barrel, which sounds small until you’re locked in on a baboon troop and don’t want to move your hand off the lens.
This combo, the S1 II and the 24–60mm, is a ready-made “go anywhere, shoot anything” kit.
This feels like a camera built for the way we actually shoot. And yes, I’ve already started looking into lens adapters... (future Eric here: sigh... It looks like physics won't allow for RF lenses to be adapted for use on L-mount bodies)
The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters
I’ve worked with gear that costs more than $15,000. I’ve used systems that required two bodies just to match what the S1 II does in one. And I’ve still been let down.
Autofocus failures under backlight.
External recorders to access features that should be internal.
Lens mounts that lock you into one ecosystem with no escape.
Firmware promises with no delivery in sight.
This camera? It doesn’t pretend to be a unicorn. But it comes closer than anything I’ve used lately.
It doesn’t force me to choose between photography and video. It doesn’t assume my needs change just because the branding does. And most of all, it gives me the freedom to focus on the story, not the settings.
Photographers Deserve Better
Let’s put things in context.
Today’s photographers, whether professionals or serious enthusiasts, have access to tools that far exceed what National Geographic photographers used in the 1970s. Even mid-range mirrorless cameras offer remarkable dynamic range, resolution, and AF speed.
But expectations have changed.
Now we are hybrid shooters. We capture high-resolution stills, then pivot to stabilized video in multiple formats. We shoot for clients, social media, licensing libraries, and personal portfolios, often on the same trip. Yet many camera systems still force us into trade-offs. Want better video? You’ll need a second body. Need better stills performance? Buy the pricier model.
This is what makes the Lumix S1 II so refreshing. It doesn’t solve everything. But it does close the gap between what professionals need and what most brands are offering.
That makes it worth more than just a look. It makes it worth reconsidering everything.
Why This Conversation Belongs on a Safari Blog
You might wonder why I’m writing about a camera here instead of reviewing it on a gear site. But it’s exactly the place for it!
In the context of going on safari in Africa, there is baggage allowance considerations, then, in the field, gear is the experience. When you’re tracking lions in late light or adjusting settings mid-bounce in a vehicle as you race over to a sighting of wild dogs, the camera either works, or it doesn’t.
At Photo Safari Company, we don’t just take you to beautiful places. We help you shoot them beautifully. And whether you arrive with a phone or a flagship mirrorless setup, we want you to feel confident, creative, and unencumbered.
The S1 II supports that mission.
📚 Want proof?
Visit our African photo safari blog to see how cameras hold up where it matters.
So, Should You Buy the Panasonic Lumix S1 II?
If you’re a hybrid shooter who:
Wants pro-grade stills and cinematic video in one body
Needs gear that works in unpredictable, demanding conditions
Values tools over trends, and features that matter in the field
Then yes. The Panasonic Lumix S1 II is more than worth your time. It may not be for everyone. But it’s definitely for us.
If you are a hybrid shooter who values performance, flexibility, and not being boxed in by your gear, the Lumix S1 II may be the most complete all-in-one system on the market today under $3,500.
It is not the most advanced wildlife camera ever made. But it covers more ground in one body than many brands manage with two or three. It is a statement, that the way we work has changed, and that it's time the gear caught up.
And for the first time in years, I find myself seriously questioning my brand loyalty. Because when a camera this thoughtful shows up? It deserves a second look, and maybe, a second chance.
Final Thoughts: From the Bush to the Bench
This is not about brand bias. It is about freedom, the freedom to create without compromise.
Whether you’re capturing a lion at golden hour or producing behind-the-scenes content for social media, your camera should support your vision.
The Lumix S1 II is one of the rare cameras that does.
And if that sounds like something worth testing in the wild? Come with us.
👉 Plan Your Safari and try tools like this in the places they’re made for.
If you’ve found this article helpful and are considering the Panasonic Lumix S1 II for your own adventures, you can support our work by purchasing through the link below.
It doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it helps us continue testing gear in real safari conditions and sharing honest, field-based insights.
👉 Buy the gear we use here (affiliate link)
Thank you for supporting Photo Safari Company and the stories we love to tell from the wild.
Safe Travels!
Eric Van Staden
Co-founder & Photographic Guide
