DPReview TV: Panasonic S1R vs. Nikon Z7 vs. Sony a7R III 

RU-vid content creators take note: These guys know how to add "flavor" to dry content. They lead into each scene with some goofiness and are constantly switching up environments and composition. Much better than the standard "guy at his desk holding a camera."

The moment Jordan is not filming everything goes out of focus. YOU HAVE ONE JOB CHRIS!

I'm more impressed by the fact that you still use the GH5 even with the FF cameras out in the market today. Such a productivity beast of a camera..

How about a comparison between middle-resolution mirrorless cameras: Sony A7III vs Panasonic S1 vs Nikon Z6? :-)

Canon has left the chat

You're my favorite Disney princess.

Happy Birthday Jordan! Always enjoy the videos!

Great video, as always! I hope to see S1 vs. Z6 vs. a7III soon.

Great review! Love the fun bicycle theme used as a “vehicle” for this episode.

FINALLY! Been waiting on this one from you guys. Thanks!

when the z7 comes third in image quality, you gotta put in a caveat that there is more image quality in any of them than you can ever hope to use. Its like comparing 3 top F1 drivers: you can say one is better than the other, but any of them are insanely amazing.

That bridge behind you in the intro, vaguely familiar like from a dream... I can't see for sure, there was a particular sign that was "artistrized" but other such things have been "cleaned". :) A great and unbiased reviews of these cameras. The pedigree of the Sony platform is more mature than the other two, but it looks like the Panasonic platform has the most momentum. These are somewhat arbitrary words. And in the end, it all depends on the "artist" to choose the right tool. Thanks for giving us a very thought-provoking overview!

Really enjoyed this - great work and happy birthday Jordan!! :)

Great video guys! So awesome that Chris always has a helmet on. So crazy to see a FF Panasonic camera.

The S1R form factor is my favorite...built like a TANK!

Happy Birthday Jordan 😀 What an early gift that was. The big one even. 😄

Wonderful comparison video - enjoyed it. Thanks much for sharing :)

Happy Birthday, Jordan!

It is incredible that a body from 2 years ago still keep on top of the list against its rivals in Image quality, battery life, AF!, general speed, and many other points. Good job Sony with the A7r3.

I was today years old when I learned that the screen on my S1 would flip out sideways when in portrait mode! I've owned the camera for 4 months!

This video in 2023 is STILL a great resource of information!

It really bugs me how low on air Jordan is on his back tyre :/ Great video! Enjoyed it a lot as always :)

Great review. One thing getting largely overlooked is that as a system, the Nikon Z7 with 14-30 f4 S, 24-70 f4 S and 70-200 f4 F is BY FAR the smallest and lightest super-high IQ landscape kit available.

Personal opinion: it is great video and great comparison. But so far none of the so-called comparison has mentioned much about manual focusing, which is niche but very important for old school photographers like me... I did a comparison with my friends in studio and in field between S1R, A7Riii, Z7, X1R, M240, M10, A9, EOS R, X1D and GFX, among which A9/A7Riii outperformanced every other camera for it has the best image quality of liveview, best accuracy of peak display, and best frame rate when enlarging. I would say for any manual focusing lovers Sony is still the very best choice in terms of shooting experience, not to say it has the first class image quality as well.

Happy birthday, Jordan!! Can't believe I didn't notice the single card slot on the Z7. WHO KNEW?!

Wow, excellent comparison. thank you!

Excellent job you guys hit this one out of the park

The battery life issue with the Z7 is... Just weird. The camera is supposed to use EN-EL15B, the A version mostly works for convenience. The A versions for me also get chewed by video around 40% faster, which makes me wonder why you didn't use the included (!) EN-EL15b version and rant against the A version. I mean, come one. Why do that?

I would love to know about if the S1R's hi-res 180MP mode works with the silent electronic shutter, and if it combines at the same time with exposure bracketing.

Just about a perfect overview guys thanks.

Very nice. Many aspects are highly subjective of course, but at the end of the shooting day, this is a quite balanced review that gives a good overview.

While Chris is always all layered up with a jacket, Jordan is at times hardcore Canadian in a t-shirt on this fine -- brrrrrr -- Calgary spring day. 😎

Happy Birthday Jordan

Thanks. Would love to hear more about slomo, timelapse and animation capabilities!

I recently moved from Canon (APS-C) to the Z6, and have been pretty happy with it so far. The higher resolution of the Z7 just doesn't seem worth the extra cost, especially when it has to make a few sacrifices to achieve that resolution.

I GOTTA GIVE IT! You guys are fun.

just while I was going through DPreview's image comparison tool, I found s1r is better in producing fine textures in comparison with a7r3 and it was hard to find any difference with dynamic range. Was surprised to see a7r3 win the image quality. interesting perspective anyway. thank you for the video.

Had a7riii and actually went to z6 for Ergos and smaller files sizes. Z mount lenses are very nice as well

Another good review; thank you.

If you had the Fujinon MK18-55 & MK50-135 T2.9 lenses, which body would you put them on for shooting video? (It's can have Sony F or MFT mount.)

Great comparison and pretty sound conclusions at the end.

Thanks man for this great test. I have the A7iii and im thinking about to get the s1r, because i have big hands and the handling is very important for me. Also the s1r is weatherproof and i love it to taking photos in all weather conditions. The 3. point for the s1r is the highres mode. So imy a7iii is great for portraits, animals and sports because of the fast AF-C, but for landscapes i think the s1r is the best choice. Im waiting for the sigma lenses and then the s1r will be mine 😁

Really great video guys.

Great review of three amazing cameras! I missed some words about the "color science" even though this can only be subjectiver. Which color did you liked the most? Like always, GREAT work :-)

Great review! Funny and informative!

Nice job fellas as usual! Balanced review and I think you touched on all the important points and which camera is best for whom.👍😊

6:35 - Film me like one of your French Canadians! Definately more reclined reviewing, please.

Just wondering if the Z7 in the test had the update ? I had a bit of a hands on in store today with the A7R3 and the Z7 , both really nice cameras , and while the Sony is the old veteran in full frame , I couldn't help but fall in love with Z7 , I loved the feel of it , and the view finder and live view was amazing . Although conventional wisdom may say the Sony has the edge , the heart is feeling the the Z7😁. With respect the Sony feel felt arkward and uncomfortable for someone with large ish hands.

Great Info, gives people what they need before they go shopping for a new Camera :)

Excellent comparisons, Chris and Jordan! I have a question...I have zero experience with Sony, and have been a Fujifilm-X shooter for about 8 years, first with an X-Pro1. My main interest is obtaining the sharpest, most detail-rich images as possible, given the constraints of time and funds. As a landscape and product STILLS X-T3 shooter (no video), Lately I feel like I've gotten the most out of the APS-C format, hence I have been debating on selling my Fuji kit (reluctantly), and moving into FF, specifically the Sony a7Rlll and lenses like the Sony 16-35 f/2.8 GM, Sony FE 55 f/2.8, and the 90mm f/2.8 G Macro . Since I shoot 99% tripod-mounted, neither IBIS nor video interests me. So, my question is, for large print output (around 24"x 36" prints), how much of an improvement in terms of image sharpness, detail rendition, dynamic range, base ISO performance, etc., would I see over the already excellent X-T3 (combined with the ultra-sharp Fujinon XF80mm f/2.8 Macro lens), when using the a7Rlll and the Sony 90mm f/2.8 G Macro or Sony 16-35 f/4 tripod-mounted? Finally, how does the new Nikkor S glass compare to the Sony/Zeiss glass in terms of image sharpness? Thank you!

I've owned the a7riii since it was released. After updating the firmware a couple weeks ago, my battery life has drastically decreased. I now NEED 2 batteries to get through a day of shooting. Has anyone else experienced this?

Great,very professioal revievs!!! thanks gentleman

Fantastic as usual!

like the way ya'll present the camera reviews instead of just reading spec sheets : )

This review is beautiful!! 😍😍😍

If the S1R had a fully articulated screen, you would be able to flip it around and not have to worry about your nose rubbing against it.

Lovely video. Shot on the G5... excellent!

Your nose moving the focus is easily fixed by turning off the touchpad feature. You can still touch to focus it just turns off the touch to focus feature when your eye is up against the EVF.

Interesting comparison. Living in Canada's far north, where the closest real camera shop is probably a thousand kilometres away, I rely heavily on You Tube reviews to inform me as to the handling, quality and suitability of a product. All of the photographic gear I've purchased over the last decade has been the result of essentially educated guesses based on an averaging of input from hundreds of on-line sources, and so far, I feel like I've done pretty well. Anyway, you can imagine how cool it is when someone comes to town with products that you can actually pick up and feel first hand. A week ago we were lucky enough to have the new TCSTV crew in town for a photographic festival or sorts, and they brought along the new Panasonics for people to pick up and examine first hand. We also had a Nikon rep at the same event with the new Z(ed) series cameras. Unfortunately, handling both units quickly dissipated my GAS. I'd heard that the S1 was big and heavy, but in hand it was like picking up my old Canon 7D, but felt even less comfortable. I was struck by the brick-like feeling from front to back, and thought, "nope!" The Z7 was much better in the hand, but I found myself comparing it unfavourably with my OM-D E-M1. It just wasn't as comfortable or solid feeling in the hand. The other thing that really struck me about these cameras was the viewfinder in the S1. Reviewers generally seem to praise its resolution, size and quality, but I didn't like it. It seemed incredibly contrasty, and again, I found myself preferring (significantly) the view through my original OM-D E-M1. So, whats the lesson here? Well, as much as I appreciate on-line reviews, nothing beats actually holding a camera in your hands. I am now looking forward to the chance to handle the Canon EOS R. Hopefully, it will impress me where these two units didn't. I have yet to try any version of the Sony lineup so that is another form factor that I really need to get my hands on, but for now, at least, I find myself quite pleased with my aging, but still capable and reliable, OM-D E-M1. Cheers.

Interesting to see that the Pentax K-1 II had the best high ISO performance out of the bunch.

On Panasonic micro 4/3 cameras it's possible to press the LVF button to change behavior so that when the viewfinder is activated the screen will turn off. If Panasonic hasn't removed this feature it will solve the problem of Chris' nose changing the focus point.

is the A9 not the one from sony that combine with the z7 and the s1R

Thank you. Very useful.

Chris and Jordan reminds me of Kai and Lok from DigitalRev

14:05 "...more compact body design?" Why would that matter when the lenses are going to be larger than the DSLR alternative you already mentioned D850?

Great video!

Finally, Jordan got screen time in something besides video. ;D I was hoping for an entire video, but better than nothing! heh... Edit: And image quality, wow!

I might own that Jordan was awesome

Now that it's more than a year after, did anyone buy the S1R? I can't find any long term reviews about it.

Supercycle bike from Canadian Tire eh! The first bike I bought with my own money was a Supercycle back in the 70s.

Thanks for nice production vdo and content.. One thing to improve :- show some images or vdo comparison samples.. Also, One area you should compare.. which camera is "funniest" to use?… I guess, Z7.. Though I personally like S1R the most..

What is involved in "tracking" a subject with the z7?

Thought the Panasonic might have done better in the lens category given the interesting L-Mount native cross platform sharing it has.

Not sure why you used the latest from Panasonic and Nikon but the old Sony ??? the A9R has been out for some time ...

Sony went pretty much full mirrorless for video eons ago, Panasonic got this insane Leica mount idea, and Nikon seemed to jump into ML game just for the hell of it because Z line, especially with the adapter, is not all that much smaller nor lighter than DSLRs.

Wow, the Sony A7R III is "the oldest" of the group so quickly. That really got my attention.

Jordan have you actually compared the video between the lower res A7Sii and the A7iii? I've seen several comparisons where the A7iii is unanimously sharper in video because of it's 4k downsampling. Were you referring to the gradability of the footage or maybe the low light performance when you said the low res bodies are "probably a better option"? I would think most videographers in this budget will choose sharpness. I hope you've actually looked at side by side comparisons of the two before making a call like that and basically dismissing the A7iii for serious video shooters.

Great unbiased video.

👍🏻👍🏻 Great video

For me the best for foto and video (power and price) are a7III -> a6400 (whit dual card slot whit be the best body) -> GH5s/G9/OMD1mkII

I invested in Sony the last 5 years and I must admit that these G Master Lenses are just amazing.

All in all - the winner is: Sony A7 III. Why not? Until the A7 IV is coming. For me it`s the goldstandard until now.

super helpful. thanks a lot for this video. i was surprised that Sony took the battery prize. i have an a7Rii and the battery life is garbage. they must have made a real upgrade for the A7Riii

Comparing these three cameras, I really want to know what kind of camera you used to shot this video.

I

What lenses do you use on the GH5 when you filmed this episode?

Jordan and Chris stipulated in their contract that they were permitted seven (7) "zeds" per episode when on Commonwealth soil.

Very well - nice creative ideas of presentation. Only Pink Panther is missing...smile. What about Canon R - to bad to compare?

It's worth mentioning that those cameras are just the tools, the images you gonna produce or the videos are sole depending on the user, no best camera around, it's what best for your needs.

Love the S1 but with the 70-200 lens it is a wrist destroyer if you do a whole day in the streets at an event.

There is a fourth 40+ megapixel mirrorless option: The A7RII. And that camera is stupid cheap when you get it used. Less than half the price of any of those three cameras you tested here. Btw.: Why not make an episode about cameras for folks mainly interested in photography with adapted manual focus lenses? There is a lot of us! ;)

The Fuji G 50R that’s $4000 should’ve been apart of this review, even though it’s medium format, it falls around the same price range. It would’ve been nice to see the differences in sensor size and tech.

My fav is the Z7

I applaud you guys for highlighting the z7 banding and not giving it the IQ top spot when pushing 5 stops in post for that reason. However looking at Ming Theins results from a7riii sensor, the a7riii suffers with the same banding problem and posterization effects while having lower dynamic range at base and lower resolution? Also is there an interest in you guys revisiting this breakdown semi regularly as the different camera companies release firmware updates for AF. E.g sonys new AI autofocus, Panasonic's firmware updates, Nikon's new af eye detect system and pro res raw etc...

2 points in favor of z6/7 vs sony a7r3 : 1 the "b" battery lasts about as long as the sony. 2: all of my sony lenses work perfectly on nikon z using the techart adapter, including fast accurate autofocus. None of my nikon lenses focus well on the a7r3 using when adapted. The ergonomics of the Zs are far and away better than the a7r. I agree that eye af is much better on the sony, but the Zs are not horrible. Given all the nikon F and sony glass I own, the Z line is a no brainer.

Adding an L-bracket on the alpha series is very helpful. I like that you can make them bigger when you want or smaller, it's a nice option. Sony should add the ability to extend the width of the camera a few centimeters via the press of a button. I don't think it would be too difficult to create such a function.

And the best thing about the A7R iii (for me at least) is that it has an older brother: the A7R ii. If you don't care about animal eye AF (or fast AF for that matter) because you're doing landscapes/architecture/portraits/macro the A7R ii is a great camera. It can be picked up for 1400 or so nowadays and gives same IQ as the mark III.

I would like to warn your viewers to be aware of a possible issue with the new Fuji XT3 firmware update: I installed the Firmware 3.0 yesterday. Since, my XT3 has started severe focus-hunting in video, AF-C, 18-55mm lens, latest firmware. Others have reported this on other sites. Hope this saves someone from experiencing the same problem.

I kind of want the Pano. ,,, in half size.

Like if 5:32 happens to you every time you put a Sony battery in.