Panasonic rumors 2024
The Panasonic rumors are still swirling, with the manufacturer having plenty to whisper about when it comes to both full-frame mirrorless cameras and Micro Four Thirds cameras.
It's been super busy of late, launching the Lumix S9 compact full-frame camera and the Lumix GH7 flagship MFT video camera – confirming its commitment to the smaller sensor format.
So, what else can we expect this year from the first manufacturer to make a mirrorless camera certified by Netflix? Here are the latest Panasonic rumors…
Panasonic Lumix S1R II
Rumors persist that the Panasonic Lumix S1R II is going to be a largely rebodied Leica SL3 – with a fascinating report claiming that, unlike the past (where Panasonic released its camera first, before Leica launched a rebranded version), Leica got timed exclusivity on the technology this time.
In case you were unaware, 2021's Leica SL2 and 2019's Panasonic S1R were essentially the same camera. Leica has a history of rebadging Panasonic cameras, such as the Leica V-Lux 5 (a Panasonic FZ1000 with a red dot on the front) and Leica D-Lux 7 / 8 (a Panasonic LX100 II in a new body).
If these reports are true, the Lumix S1R II is going to be a 60MP camera, potentially with triple-resolution for stills (30MP and 18MP), along with 8K 30p video. Though I do expect Panasonic to inject the camera with its own proprietary features, namely its superior Phase Hybrid AF system.
Panasonic Lumix LX200
You might have heard that Leica has just released the D-Lux 8 compact camera. And if you know your Leica history, you'll know that D-Lux cameras have been rebodied versions of Lumix compacts; the D-Lux 7 was an LX100 II, the D-Lux 109 was an LX100, the D-Lux 6 was an LX7…
In short, Leica copies / upcycles / reimagines Lumix compacts to make its D-Lux cameras. This year, though, there is no new Lumix compact to do that with. So what's going on?
Well, much as the Leica SL3 was the first time that a Leica SL came out before the Lumix equivalent, it could be that the D-Lux 8 comes out ahead of Panasonic's version later this year.
Panasonic Lumix G100 II
While the Panasonic G100D launched late last year, it's a very minor update with a new EVF and USB-C port. However, it's been reported that a full Panasonic G100 II is on the way.
It will apparently possess phase detect autofocus – something that was sorely, sorely missing on the original, which was marketed as a vlogging camera but often struggled to keep vloggers in focus. It will also feature the same 25.1MP image sensor as the Panasonic Lumix G9 II and boast 4K 60p 4:2:2 10-bit video, but keep the same single memory card setup.
Panasonic Lumix S1 II & S1 IIX
The flagship Panasonic Lumix S1 has been discontinued, and it's also five years old, which means that a successor is almost certainly on the way. And some wild specs have surfaced suggesting that we might actually get two successors, following the template set by the hugely successful S5 II and S5 IIX.
We could be looking at a 34MP stacked CMOS sensor in a smaller, weather-sealed, magnesium-constructed body with an active cooling system and built-in ND filters, and video that offers both 6K and 4K uncropped at 120fps.
Panasonic Lumix S1H II
There are whispers afoot that a successor to the Panasonic Lumix S1H, the company's full-frame video specialist, is on the way. Most recently, rumors are circulating on Chinese social media that an S1H II would follow the launch of the S9 and GH7 – and that it is expected to arrive by the end of the year.
It has previously been suggested that the camera could have a 50MP sensor, along with a much-needed bump to CFexpress for at least one of its dual memory card slots.
However, while 50MP is enough resolution for 8K video, don't get your hopes up for 8K support; as outlined below, Panasonic doesn't believe there is sufficient demand for 8K yet. Instead, the S1H will focus on oversampled 6K and 4K.
An interesting development is that Panasonic has patented a camera with built-in ND filters – something usually reserved for cinema cameras (or, bizarrely, the Ricoh GR III). That would be a killer feature in the S1H II, and would make a huge amount of sense.
Either way, expect it to inherit some of the video features seen in the GH7 – along, no doubt, with the Lumix LUTs that seem to be Panasonic's big popularity play.
Panasonic Lumix S5R
Recently there has been mention of an entirely new camera: the Panasonic S5R. This is an interesting one, as it would mark a divergence from manufacturer's previous product segmentation: the flagship Panasonic S1 (recently discontinued), the resolution-focused Panasonic S1R, the video-focused Panasonic S1H and the enthusiast-level Panasonic S5.
Of course, when the Panasonic S5 II became the company's first camera to feature phase detect autofocus, it threw the wider product line into disarray – to the point where the S5 series may not be the primary point of interest.
Indeed, the Panasonic S5 IIX is so video-savvy that many question the need for the S1H II. And now, with chatter of a resolution-oriented S5R, it feels as if the market is demanding the S5 as its champion and leading Panasonic in a different direction.
Panasonic Lumix S1X
If you think the S5R rumor seems like a stretch, then you're going to love the reports of a Panasonic S1X. It feels super sketchy to us; at least there is some merit to the thought process of Panasonic expanding the newly successful S5 product line, but to introduce another new one? Not impossible, just implausible.
Much like the whispered specs, as shared by L-Rumors, which include the likes of a 49MP BSI sensor, 8.5K 48p video, 60fps bursts, 17 stops of dynamic range and omnidirectional phase detect autofocus. More salt, please, waiter…
The Panasonic verdict
It may feel like hyperbole, but now that Panasonic has embraced phase detect autofocus it really is in the hunt (pun intended). The Micro Four Thirds product line feels increasingly sidelined in favor of the full frame bodies, with the Lumix S1R II set to continue the trend when it appears in the second half of the year (likely looking very Leica-like).
More camera rumors: Canon rumors • Nikon rumors • Sony rumors • Olympus rumors • Fuji rumors • Sigma rumors • Hasselblad rumors • Leica rumors • Ricoh & Pentax rumors • GoPro rumors
