somewhat excited about the upcoming Panasonic product launch on Tuesday. I hope the rumor sites are correct and it is indeed a replacement for the S1R Lumix camera... But I also have a few bad memories about my first S1R!!!

 

It was 2019. I'd been binge-buying new Panasonic camera bodies for a couple of months. I had two of the S1 cameras and even now I could kick myself for ever selling them or trading them in on newer cameras. They were pretty much perfect cameras. Emboldened by my success with the 24 megapixel model I decided to splash out for the 47 megapixel S1R. It arrived and I put it through its paces. Everything seemed fine. Then, a week later, I was doing a shoot for a client when the camera's frame rate and then the camera's shutter camera started to slow down. It took forever to focus, forever to be ready to shoot the next frame, and then it went black. 

I tried changing out multiple batteries. Changed out multiple memory cards. But nothing seemed to help at all. The camera was bricked. Less than a week's ownership, fewer than 1,000 shots and the camera, which was purported to be good for 400,000 shutter actuations, was dead. Kaput. 

Off we go to the dealer to see about trading out for another copy but of course I got stuck in the backorder hell. No new units to be had. The dealer called the regional rep who asked that I send the camera in to their service department and promised that he would shepherd the camera through the process with dispatch. Two weeks later the camera was returned from warranty repair and the paperwork stated that they had replaced the main circuit board as well as the sensor. I was dubious but I put in a fresh battery and memory card and fired the camera up. It came to life quickly and for a moment I was happy. But then I I took the body cap off in order to put on a  lens and was appalled to find a big, juicy fingerprint right across the new sensor. A big, obvious, inglorious, oily fingerprint. A turd in the punchbowl. 

I called the rep. He worked the phones. He called back and told me that Panasonic might or might not replace the camera but I would need to send it in to their repair facility so they could "investigate" the "issue." In the meantime they would send me a loaner but only if I secured the loaner with a credit card and agreed to send it back in exchange for my jinxed camera --- when and if said camera was re-repaired. I'm trying to remember all the "almost" polite ways I told them to go and fuck themselves. 

There were many variations. I think I used the word, "attorney" several times...

Then, needing to use the camera for real, professional, paying jobs, in the moment,  I got out the Eclipse fluid and a sterile sensor swab and cleaned off the offensive fingerprint myself. Certain I could do a much better job than the ham-fisted hacks at Panasonic. I put future purchases of Panasonic products on hold until the rep and I could reach some accommodation, which we eventually did. It involved wholesale pricing on various lenses and accessories. But the thorn was stuck deep into my metaphoric craw...

In the meantime I got great use out of the S1 cameras, the S1H camera, and even the S1R. I liked the system enough to eventually let bygones be bygones and I subsequently purchased the newer S5, which I still have and use today. Now that's a nice camera!

Rumors abound that Panasonic will announce their successor to the original S1R with a brand new product. I'm betting the body will be a familiar one. The one currently in use for the S5ii and the S5iix. I'm also betting it will contain the active cooling fan that those two bodies use. The processors will be faster and the range of video solutions will be more ample and complex. Not that I really care anymore. Nope. I'm more interested in the sensor and the photographic features of cameras at this point. 

If they do, indeed, shove a 40-60 megapixel sensor into the smaller body and use the new phase detect autofocusing of the aforementioned bodies, and price it at something reasonable, it would make a great addition to their overall system of full frame camera solutions. And a nice back up for Leica SL users...

Will I buy one? Never say "never" but I'm fine right now with a bountiful raft of Leica camera bodies. While I'd appreciate the phase detect AF and a half price MSRP I'm more than happy with the SL bodies, including the original Leica SL. It's hard to say you need yet another back up when you already have all the models previous to the SL3 series --- and in some cases multiple copies to boot.

If I were starting from scratch I'd certainly consider combining an S5iix with a new, higher resolution body, like the one I think they'll announce next week, as the basis of a good, professional system. Great performance, a wide range of system integrated Sigma, Leica and Panasonic lenses to choose from, and a much less expensive outlay than for the top of line Leica, Sony or Canon stuff... but I personally might still be haunted by the messed up, original S1R customer (dis)service of Panasonic and find myself considering a Nikon system instead. I can really carry a grudge it seems. 

Best things on offer from the current Panasonic camera products are the video performance, the newer AF, the cooling fan for endless operation, and the ability to graze across three different lens lines for great AF lenses. And, if you use Panasonic lenses with image stabilization I've heard that the combined AF of lens and new bodies will be able to delivery 8.5 stops of image stabilization. That's like having a built-in gimble!

We'll see if any of this pans out or if they are just going to drop some new variation of the S9 camera or some other useless appendage to the system. It's all up in the air. 

Getting a camera repaired? Check the sensor the minute they hand it back to you. Thank goodness the technician in my case wasn't eating gooey caramels and getting that sticky mess all over the sensor.... Talk about "professionals" Sheesh.