Panasonic Lumix S1

The Panasonic Lumix S1 is a low-cost little compact that replaces the brand's F-series entry-level snapper. It has a wide-angle 4x zoom lens (28-112 mm) and, more importantly, a built-in optical stabilisation system, which is still quite rare in cameras that cost under £100.

Handling

The S1 is a fairly standard plastic compact. It's reasonably well made but its smooth plastic casing is quite slippery and picks up fingerprints and grime. Plus, the rounded design does nothing to help you keep hold of the camera.


As usual with Panasonic compacts, the interface is simple and pleasant, with basic buttons and a clear internal menu system that doesn't overwhelm you with options. We're just disappointed to see that there's no video record button, as that means you have to go to the internal menu when you want to start filming.

Responsiveness

The S1's autofocus generally does a good job, particularly in good light. However, it does slow down a bit as the light starts to fade or when used indoors.

The start-up time is about average for this kind of product at just over two seconds, even if some models (including the old Panasonic Lumix FS7) can do better.

Picture Quality

The S1 has a CCD sensor with 'just' 12 Megapixels. That's not too much of a problem though, as the picture remains consistent and regular as the ISO settings increase. A slight smoothing is visible at 400 ISO, but this won't be much of a problem for 8" x 10" prints (20 x 30 cm) or looking at pictures on a computer. At 800 ISO, smoothing and noise are more problematic and colours seem to bleed into one another.


Some entry-level compacts accentuate the colours or contrast in parts of the picture to try and compensate for a poor quality lens, like the Nikon S3100 we tested at the same time as the S1. In comparison, the S1 takes pictures that aren't accentuated in the same way and so don't look as sharp, even if the level of detail in the middle of the frame is actually comparable in both models.

However, with the S1, quality is consistent across the frame. In fact, the edges of shots are much better quality than in most low-cost compacts (although the Canon A1200 does a slightly better job).

It's the same story at telephoto settings too, as the le S1 holds its own and does a better job than most of its competitors (again, apart from the A1200).

Video

The S1 films 720p HD video. The picture quality and white balance are fine but the excessive contrast blocks dark areas together and light areas are overexposed, wiping out detail. You can't use the optical zoom while filming and the mono sound is dry and high sounds have a tinny edge.