Panasonic’s latest and greatest cameras will have a much higher chance of success.
A few years ago, I wrote about what Panasonic will need to win the full-frame war. Their flagship S1H has great features, but lacks any reliable way to adjust the lens to the L-mount. I feel that they don’t understand their core audience.
When Sony revolutionized full-frame photography with their a7 series, no one was forced to buy Sony glasses. Most video-focused users come from the Canon-dominated DSLR arena and only use their EF-mount lenses. This is true of Panasonic’s GH5, which is usually combined with a metabolism Accelerator adapter.
Unfortunately, the S1 and S1H will only work in conjunction with Sigma’s MC-21 . converter. It cannot work with continuous autofocus and is only officially supported by Sigma glasses. There are also issues with image stabilization. Basically, Panasonic says that if you want to use the camera properly, you have to invest in expensive L-mount lenses.
Soon after, Sony released Panasonic’s a7S III and S1H in its shadow. Panasonic got off to a good start, but lacked the ability to convert users to their platform. Now, things may be changing.
Improved adapter
Glance at Sigma website, MC-21 doesn’t seem to receive specific updates that make it work better. Nothing about third-party glasses or updated autofocus. So it came as a surprise this week when S5 II Users have reported that the MC-21 has performed very well.
Continuous AF is working and is only slightly slower than the original lens. Canon lenses no longer seem to cause IBIS issues. This is great news, especially since the S5 II’s IBIS seems particularly adept.
Do not believe me? Check out Kaiman Wong’s experiment with Canon’s EF lenses. That’s an impressive turnaround from the S1H days.
Can Panasonic reclaim the ground they lost?
The Panasonic S5 is not as groundbreaking as the S1 and S1H. However, the S5II and S5IIX are turning heads with phase detection autofocus. Panasonic is finally cooking with oil, and they’ve opened the door to a plethora of adjustable lenses along the way.
By the time the S1 was released, Sony’s a7S III might have appeared. Basically, Panasonic wants users to spend a few thousand dollars on new glasses. L-Mount Alliance is new to users and there’s no guarantee it will last long, while Sony has a line-up of their own lenses, affordable third-party lenses, and a camera controller. fit. It makes more financial sense to choose a few a7S III bodies than a few S1H bodies.
It will be interesting to see if Panasonic can correct the mistakes from their first full-frame launch. Hybrid cameras are a hot market for mid-range consumers, and I’m sure the S5 II will get the attention it deserves.
