Panasonic S1 vs Nikon D810

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Panasonic S1

24 MP | Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

$2,497.99

BUY

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Nikon D810

36 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

$2,796.95

BUY

Panasonic S1 vs Nikon D810 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Panasonic S1, which was introduced in February 2019 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 24.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Nikon D810, which was introduced in June 2014 is a Semi-Pro DSLR camera with a 36.0MP Full frame sensor.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting. Fortunately, you can't go wrong with any of these cameras as we rank them amongst Top 10 cameras in their classes. Panasonic S1 is ranked #9 out of 38 Pro Mirrorless cameras with an overall score of 92 whereas Nikon D810 is ranked #6 out of 90 Semi-Pro DSLR cameras with an overall score of 87.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Panasonic S1 and Nikon D810 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic S1 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2019-02-01

24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor

No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter

ISO 100 - 51200

Leica L Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3.2 Tilting Screen

5760k dot Electronic viewfinder

9.0 fps continuous shooting

3840 x 2160 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

899g. 149 x 110 x 97 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Nikon D810 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2014-06-26

36MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor

No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter

ISO 64 - 12800 ( expands to 32-51200)

Nikon F Mount

3.2″ Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

5 fps continuous shooting

1920 x 1080 video resolution

980g. 146 x 123 x 82 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Nikon D800 Compare

Nikon D810 was replaced by Nikon D850. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D850 vs Nikon D810
Nikon D850 vs Panasonic Lumix DC-S1

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 over Nikon D810

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs Optional	Better connectivity
Built-in Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs None	All the lenses are stabilized
Articulating Screen	Yes vs No	Flexible shooting positions
Touch Screen	Yes vs No	Easy control of camera functions
Max ISO	51.200 vs 12.800	300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	225 vs 51	174 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution	2.100k dots vs 1.229k dots	70% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting	9.0fps vs 5.0fps	4 fps faster
Weight	899 g vs 980 g	81 g lighter
Price	$2,498 vs $2,797	$299 cheaper
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080	Higher Resolution Video
Shutter Life Expectancy	400000 cycles vs 200000 cycles	Longer use without changing the shutter mechanism
Pixel Shift High Resolution Mode	Yes (96.0MP) vs No	Increased resolution with pixel shift
Bluetooth	Yes vs No	Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Illuminated Buttons	Yes vs No	Find the buttons easily in dark
Smartphone_remote control	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Min Focus Sensitivity	EV -6 vs EV -2	Autofocus in lower light

Reasons to choose Nikon D810 over Panasonic Lumix DC-S1

Built-in Flash	Yes vs No	Useful in low-light
Max Sensor Resolution	36 MP vs 24 MP	50% more pixels
Battery Life	1200 shots vs 380 shots	820 more frames with a single charge
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
AE Bracketing Range	±5 EV vs ±3 EV	Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Autofocus at f/8 aperture	Center point vs none	Autofocus with teleconverters

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 and Nikon D810

External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Optical)	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Max Resolution	24 MP vs 36 MP	Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Size	3.2 vs 3.2″	Large display
Microphone Port	Yes vs Yes	High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port	Yes vs Yes	better video control
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs Yes	shoot at tough conditions
Top LCD Display	Yes vs Yes	Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Flash Sync Port	Yes vs Yes	Connect off-camera flash
Shutter Life Expectancy	400000 cycles vs 200000 cycles	High Shutter Rating
Storage Slot	2 vs 2	Extra Storage Slot
Support for UHS Memory Cards	UHS-II vs UHS-I	Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 and Nikon D810

Panasonic S1 vs Nikon D810: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic S1 and Nikon D810. Nikon D810 is 3mm narrower and 15mm thinner than Panasonic S1 but it is also 13mm taller.

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic S1 and Nikon D810.

Panasonic S1 vs Nikon D810 Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic S1 is 81g lighter than the Nikon D810 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Panasonic S1 and Nikon D810 have the same Full frame sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D810

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D810

Min

Average

Max

Panasonic S1 vs Nikon D810: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic S1 has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor. On the other hand, Nikon D810 has a 36.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features EXPEED 4 processor.

Nikon D810's sensor provides 12MP more than Panasonic S1's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Another similarity between these two cameras is that both Nikon D810 and Panasonic S1 sensors lack anti-alias (Low-Pass) filters. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the S1 and D810 sensor size comparison.

Panasonic S1 and Nikon D810 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Panasonic S1 and Nikon D810 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic S1 and Nikon D810 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Panasonic S1 for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon D810 for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 36.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic S1 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon D810 for Street Photography

GOOD

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Panasonic S1 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Nikon D810 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 9.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
225 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
15 Cross Type Focus sensors
51 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 1200 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Panasonic S1 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Nikon D810 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
899g
Body Thickness 97mm
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
980g
Body Thickness 82mm
Read the details

Panasonic S1 for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Nikon D810 for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 36.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Nikon D810 vs Panasonic S1 Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Nikon D810 has an advantage over Panasonic S1 There are 299 lenses for Nikon D810's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 9 lenses for Panasonic S1's Leica L lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Panasonic S1 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. On the other hand, Nikon D810 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 88 lenses for Nikon F mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type	# of Panasonic S1 Lenses	# of Nikon D810 Lenses
Standard Zoom	1 (1 Full Frame)	33 (17 Full Frame)
Standard Prime	3 (3 Full Frame)	20 (17 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom	1 (1 Full Frame)	32 (16 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime	n/a	46 (44 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom	2 (2 Full Frame)	51 (41 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime	1 (1 Full Frame)	42 (41 Full Frame)
SuperZoom	n/a	30 (6 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	n/a	8 (3 Full Frame)
Macro Prime	n/a	25 (22 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime	n/a	11 (11 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime	n/a	1 (0 Full Frame)
TOTAL	9 (8 Full Frame)	299 (218 Full Frame)

Panasonic S1 vs Nikon D810: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Panasonic S1 and Nikon D810, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Panasonic S1 and Nikon D810 scores compare:

Panasonic S1

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #5 out of 60 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #11 out of 1168 in all Cameras

Nikon D810

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #7 out of 93 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #20 out of 1168 in all Cameras

Panasonic S1 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon D810 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Panasonic S1

$2,497.99

Nikon D810

$2,796.95

Nikon D810 vs Panasonic S1 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DC-S1	Nikon D810
Brand	Panasonic	Nikon
Announced	2019-02-01	2014-06-26
Body Type	SLR-style mirrorless	Mid-size SLR
Price	$2,497.99	$2,796.95
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	Full frame	Full frame
Dimensions	35.6 x 23.8 mm	35.9 x 24 mm
Area	847.28mm²	861.60mm²
Megapixels	24 megapixels	36 megapixels
Max Resolution	6000 x 4000	7360 x 4912
Max Native Light sensitivity	51,200 ISO	12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	204800 ISO	51200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	64 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity	50 ISO	32 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	225	51
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Leica L	Nikon F
Number of Available Lenses	9	299
Screen
Type	Tilting	Fixed type
Size	3.2	3.2″
Resolution	2,100k dots	1,229k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution	5,760k dots	no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.78	0.7
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed	1/8000s	1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	no built-in flash	12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync	1/320s	1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	9.0 fps	5.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264, H.265	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Optional
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	899g	980g
Dimensions	149 x 110 x 97mm	146 x 123 x 82mm
Battery Life	380 shots	1200 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	97
DxO Color Depth	not tested	25.7
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	14.8
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	2853
	Report a correction	Report a correction