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Panasonic LUMIX S1 vs Sony Alpha 9 II

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

PanasonicLUMIX S1SonyAlpha 9 II
Overview
ReleasedMarch 2019November 2019
Image and sensor
Camera typeMirrorlessMirrorless
Sensor formatFull frameFull frame
Sensor typeCMOSStacked Exmor RS CMOS with integral memory
Sensor dimensions35.6 × 23.8 mm35.6 × 23.8 mm
Effective resolution24.2 MP24.2 MP
Largest image6000 × 40006000 × 4000
RAW recordingYesYes
Standard ISO range100–51200100–51200
Sensor detail24.2 million effective and 25.28 million total pixels; primary colour filter and supersonic wave dust filter. High-resolution mode combines eight exposures into 12000×8000 composite files, not native single-shot resolutionApproximately 28.3 million total pixels; 3:2 sensor.
Image formatsJPEG, RAW and HLG PhotoJPEG, RAW and RAW+JPEG; Sony ARW 2.3 compressed or uncompressed RAW.
ISO detailStandard ISO 100–51200, expanded ISO 50/102400/204800; maker firmware 2.0 adds Dual Native ISO Setting. Photography Blog's introductory ISO 80 conflicts with its own later ISO 50 discussion and the maker; not adoptedMechanical-shutter stills use standard ISO 100–51200, expandable to 50–204800. Electronic-shutter stills use ISO 100–25600 with expanded ISO 50. Movie ISO 100–51200, expandable to 102400.
Image processorVenus EngineBIONZ X.
Lens and shooting
Lens mountL-MountSony E-mount
StabilisationLens and sensor shiftSensor shift
Maximum continuous burst9 fps20 fps
AutofocusContrast AF with DFD, human/animal detection, tracking and 225-area selection; firmware adds head recognition and tracking improvementsFast Hybrid AF with 693 full-frame phase-detection points covering approximately 93% of the image area and 425 contrast points; Real-time Tracking and Eye AF. AF/AE calculations up to 60 times per second under maker conditions.
ShutterMechanical, electronic front curtain and electronic modes; maker rated shutter life approximately 400000 images–
Burst detailNative 9 fps AFS/MF; mechanical/electronic front curtain 6 fps AFC or electronic 5 fps AFC. Maker buffer more than 90 RAW, 70 RAW+JPEG or 999 JPEG with Sony XQD G-series card. Reduced-resolution video-derived 6K/4K Photo modes are separateUp to 20 fps electronic Hi with AF/AE tracking at shutter speeds of 1/125 second or faster, depending on compatible lens and shooting settings; up to 10 fps mechanical. Sony claims 239 compressed RAW or 361 JPEG frames with UHS-II media under its test conditions.
Stabilisation detailFive-axis Body I.S.; firmware 1.2 dated 9 July 2019 raises maker rating from 5.5 to 6 stops with S-X50 at 50 mm. Compatible-lens Dual I.S. 2 rises from 6 to 6.5 stops with S-R24105 at 105 mm or S-R70200 at 200 mm, CIPA yaw/pitchFive-axis sensor shift; Sony claims 5.5 stops under CIPA pitch/yaw conditions with Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA and long-exposure noise reduction off.
Video
Highest video resolution3840 × 2160 at 60 fps3840 × 2160 at 30 fps
Video detailOptional 5952×3968 6K at maker-labelled 24p requires optional DMW-SFU2 software-key activation and firmware 2.0 dated 6 April 2021; 4:2:0 10-bit LongGOP 200 Mbps. The upgrade also enables 5.9K30/25/24p, 5.4K30/25p, C4K modes and external 12-bit RAW with compatible recorder. Standard launch body offers UHD 3840×2160 up to 60p in 8-bit; 4K60 uses crop and a 30-minute clip limit. Higher-quality internal 10-bit, V-Log and associated advanced modes require the appropriate software-key upgrade; not included in the standard body configurationJapanese specification lists XAVC S 3840 × 2160 at 30p/24p, up to 100 Mbps. Full HD 120p is lower resolution. No picture profiles or S-Log. Full-frame 24p oversampling uses approximately 2.4 times 4K information; 30p uses approximately 1.6 times.
AudioStereo microphone and monaural speaker; microphone/line input, headphone monitoring and optional DMW-XLR1Built-in stereo microphone; microphone and headphone sockets; Multi Interface Shoe with digital audio interface. Voice memos can accompany still photographs.
Screen and viewfinder
ViewfinderElectronicElectronic
Screen size3.2″3″
Screen dots2,100,0001,440,000
TouchscreenYesYes
Tilting screenYesYes
Display detailThree-point-two-inch 3:2 capacitive touchscreen approximately 2.1 million dots with triaxial tilt; separate top status LCDRear TFT LCD tilts approximately 107° upwards and 41° downwards.
Viewfinder detailOLED approximately 5.76 million dots, 100% coverage and 0.78× with 50 mm lens at infinity, −1 dioptre and 3:2 ratio; 60/120 fps display0.5-inch electronic viewfinder with 3686400 dots, 100% coverage and approximately 0.78× magnification with a 50 mm lens at infinity; selectable 60/120 fps display.
Connections and design
Wi-FiYesYes
BluetoothYesYes
Battery life (maker's claim)400 photographs690 photographs
Body weight899 g593 g
Release detailMaker Japan confirms 23 March 2019 sale; headline month avoids assuming an exact UK day. Advanced recording firmware and optional-key requirements are separate from original release specifications. No inferred direct successor across co-sold S1/S5 generationsSony Japan specifies 1 November 2019 for ILCE-9M2; this is the Japanese on-sale date, not a UK release claim. The UK legacy specification URL now redirects to a family page, so exact Japanese specifications are used.
Recording mediaSlot 1 XQD with CFexpress support through firmware 1.3 or later; slot 2 SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I/UHS-II including V90Two UHS-II SD card slots.
PortsUSB-C SuperSpeed USB 3.1 Gen 1, full-size HDMI Type A, 2.5 mm remote and 3.5 mm microphone/line/headphone connectionsUSB Type-C, Multi/Micro USB, Micro HDMI Type D, 1000BASE-T Ethernet, sync terminal, 3.5 mm microphone socket, headphone socket and digital-audio Multi Interface Shoe.
Wireless connectionsWi-Fi 2.4/5 GHz and Bluetooth Low Energy 4.2; 5 GHz subject to regional availabilityWi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac at 2.4/5 GHz; NFC and Bluetooth remote support.
Battery life detailMaker 7.4 V 3050 mAh 23 Wh pack. CIPA with S-R24105 and SD approximately 400 LCD/380 EVF shots; with XQD 380 LCD/360 EVF. One-second power-save EVF 1150 SD/1100 XQD is conditional, not headlineNP-FZ100; CIPA approximately 690 photographs with LCD or 500 with viewfinder; charging and power through USB Type-C or Multi/Micro USB.
ChargingUSB charging/power and dedicated charger–
DimensionsApproximately 148.9 × 110.0 × 96.7 mm, excluding protrusionsApproximately 128.9 × 96.4 × 77.5 mm (width × height × maximum depth); grip-to-monitor depth 67.3 mm.
Weight detailApproximately 899 g body only, 1016 g with SD/battery or 1020 g with XQD/battery; lens excludedApproximately 593 g body only or 678 g with battery and memory card, excluding lens.
MaterialsDust/splash-resistant construction, not waterproof; recommended −10 to 40 °C–
In the boxMaker Japan lists body cap, hot-shoe cover, eyecup, flash-sync cap, battery-grip contact cover, shoulder strap, cable holder, battery, charger, AC adapter, mains cable and USB C–C/A–C cables; regional contents varyNP-FZ100 battery, BC-QZ1 charger, power cord, cable protector, shoulder strap, body cap, accessory shoe cap, eyepiece cup and USB Type-C cable, according to Sony Japan.

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