Camera rumors in 2025: what cameras are coming, officially and otherwise!

Panasonic rumors 2025

Mystery camera, in silhouette, on a grey virtual display shelf

Panasonic rumors (Image credit: Future)

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 – not to mention the Panasonic Lumix G97, confirming its commitment to the smaller sensor format. And it even dropped a revamped Lumix ZS99 / TZ99 before Christmas, feeding the current compact camera craze.

So, what 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 S1HII

(Image credit: Federation of Independent Photographers)

A leaked image and set of doge-tastic specs for the Lumix S1HII have hit Chinese social media, raising eyebrows across the internet. If you believe the hype, we're looking at a suitably Sony FX3-styled camera body with the following:

4K 240p uncropped
5.1K 120p open gate, ProRes RAW
V-Log2
16+ stops dynamic range
Arri codec
39 LUTs
ProRes 4444 XQ, 4444, 422 HQ, 422, 422 LT, Proxy
32-bit float audio
Phase Hybrid AF
8.5 stops in-body image stabilization
120fps continuous burst shooting
Dual CFexpress Type B slots
New active cooling system

Whether wishful thinking or right on the money, Panasonic has at least given us an official response about the S1HII, suggesting that it could be next in line to be updated:

"I'm sure at some point there'll be a replacement for the S1H. We have to kind of do things in a sequence; the S1 series was the next most logical cameras to be replaced, and so starting with the S1R made the most sense because the sensor was ready for it."

Panasonic Lumix G100 II

(Image credit: Jon Devo)

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 S5R

Could the S1R's days be numbered?

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…

More camera rumors: Canon rumorsNikon rumorsSony rumorsOlympus rumorsFuji rumorsHasselblad rumorsLeica rumorsRicoh & Pentax rumorsGoPro rumors

James Artaius
Editor in Chief

James has 25 years experience as a journalist, serving as the head of Digital Camera World for 7 of them. He started working in the photography industry in 2014, product testing and shooting ad campaigns for Olympus, as well as clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal. An Olympus / OM System, Canon and Hasselblad shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and he loves instant cameras, too.

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