CameraDecision
  • CAMERAS
  • LENSES
  • TOOLS
    • Smart Find
    • 1-on-1 Comparison
    • Size Comparison

Panasonic S1 vs Nikon D810

x
Camera to replace
Change

Panasonic S1

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

Panasonic S1
$2,497.99
or
BUY
Change

Nikon D810

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

Nikon D810
$2,796.95
or
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.

Panasonic S1 vs Nikon D810 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic S1 and Nikon D810.
Panasonic S1 vs Nikon D810 Camera Size Comparison - Top View

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

S1
D810
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

S1
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 vs Nikon 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
Panasonic S1
$2,497.99

Nikon D810
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
LATEST HOLIDAY DEALS!

Sony A7 II with 28-70mm for $998
Olympus Holiday Savings up to $900
Nikon D750 with Grip & Accessories for $1396
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens for $299

  • See all Active Deals here


  • Most Popular Cameras
    Nikon Z 7
    Nikon Z 7
    46 MP | Full frame CMOS | Nikon Z Mount
    Fujifilm X-T3
    Fujifilm X-T3
    26 MP | APS-C BSI-CMOS | Fujifilm X Mount
    Sony A6000
    Sony A6000
    24 MP | APS-C CMOS | Sony E Mount
    Canon R
    Canon R
    30 MP | Full frame CMOS | Canon RF Mount
    Sony A7 III
    Sony A7 III
    24 MP | Full frame BSI-CMOS | Sony E Mount
    Nikon D850
    Nikon D850
    46 MP | Full frame BSI-CMOS | Nikon F Mount
    Canon M6
    Canon M6
    24 MP | APS-C CMOS | Canon EF-M Mount
    Nikon D5600
    Nikon D5600
    24 MP | APS-C CMOS | Nikon F Mount
    Nikon D3500
    Nikon D3500
    24 MP | APS-C CMOS | Nikon F Mount
    Nikon D750
    Nikon D750
    24 MP | Full frame CMOS | Nikon F Mount
    Top Rated Mirrorless Cameras
    Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $500
    Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $750
    Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $1000
    Top Mirrorless Cameras Under $1500
    Top Rated DSLR Cameras
    Top DSLR Cameras Under $500
    Top DSLR Cameras Under $750
    Top DSLR Cameras Under $1000
    Top DSLR Cameras Under $1500

    Copyright © 2018 by CameraDecision
    About Feedback Privacy Cameras

    Report a Correction