If you’re into professional content creation or cinematography, then you have to take care of the Rolling shutter in your camera. Let’s talk about Panasonic’s Lumix S1R II, a camera packed with versatile modes and high-resolution potential. However, since the camera uses the 44.3MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor, it’s a traditional sensor with a 25ms readout speed.
The question isn’t just “How bad is it?” but “How can you make it work for you?” In a recent hands-on test done by Tech Through the Lens channel and Gerlad Undone, they did a really extensive and very useful test, let’s find out the important details of the test
Beyond the Numbers: What Does Rolling Shutter Really Mean?
STacked vs Non-Stacked vs Global Shutter Sensor – We all know when we are working with stacked CMOS sensors we do not have to worry that much, that’s the reason why professional camera makers like RED mostly use Global shutter sensors. But, ARRI ALEXA cameras, including models like the ALEXA 35 and ALEXA Mini LF, primarily use rolling shutter technology, not global shutter. While ARRI is known for its high-quality image sensors, they currently lack a cinema camera with a global shutter, but thats a comletely different set of topic.
Average Sensor Readout Speed Table
| Sensor Type | Typical Readout Speed Range | Notes & Examples |
|---|---|---|
| BSI CMOS | 15–40 ms (1/50–1/25 sec) | Common in mid-tier cameras. Faster than traditional CMOS but slower than stacked designs. Sony A7 IV has a sensor readout speed of 26.8 milliseconds |
| Stacked CMOS | 5–15 ms (1/200–1/66 sec) | Significantly faster due to integrated memory and processing. Example: Sony A1 (~4.8 ms at 50MP). Z9’s readout is 4ms. |
| Global Shutter CMOS | <1–5 ms (1/1000–1/200 sec) | Captures all pixels simultaneously, eliminating rolling shutter. Example: RED raptor, komodo, Sony A9 III (~1 ms or less, estimated), industrial sensors like Sony Pregius (~2–3 ms). |
Lumix S1R II Sensor Readout speed
The Lumix S1R II’s wide range of shooting modes enables variable writing speed in the camera, the best part is now we have detailed information of the readout speed of each mode summarized in the table below
Panasonic S1R II Sensor Readout Speed Table
| Mode/Resolution | Estimated Readout Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open Gate (6.4K, DRE On) | ~23 ms (1/43 sec) | “sloppy” at 23 ms, typical for high-res BSI CMOS mode. |
| 4K 48p |
~15 ms (1/66 sec) | significant jump to 15 ms with an 11% crop, faster readout mode. Since the readout pattern changed due to crop |
| 4K 24p | ~23–25 ms (1/43–1/40 sec) | Estimated based on slower baseline BSI CMOS performance (similar to Open Gate without crop trick). |
| 4K 120p | ~10–12 ms (1/100–1/83 sec) | Estimated as the fastest rolling shutter mode, but subsampled with trade-offs in quality. |
| 8K 30p | ~25–30 ms (1/40–1/33 sec) | Estimated for full-sensor 8K; slower due to higher data load, aligned with BSI CMOS limits. |
| Open Gate (8.1K, Future) | ~25–30 ms (1/40–1/33 sec) | Projected based on 8K performance; firmware update expected to maintain similar readout. |
| Stills (44.3MP, Electronic) | ~20–25 ms (1/50–1/40 sec) | (~1/50 sec) and typical BSI CMOS behavior for high-res stills. |
The S1R II’s rolling shutter varies wildly depending on how you configure it, with this table we wanted to give shooters a practical sense of what’s usable—and what’s not.
The 48p Hack: Speed Without Sacrifice
That’s the best part of the test, during the test while Shooting in 4K or 5.9K at 48p (with the intention of dropping it onto a 24p timeline) unlocks a hidden gem. Yes, The camera does an 11% Crop in 16:9 recoding mode due to the crop, when the sensor readout area becomes less and maybe the camera is using slightly different readout pattern, a read speed that goes from 23ms to mind whopping 15ms. And there is no compromise with the AF system of the S1R Mark II camera in 4k 48p mode.
The camera is still able to deliver 11.9 stops of dynamic range in 4k 48p mode, don’t forget to keep on the Dynamic Range Expansion (DRE) while recording.
Use a 360-degree shutter, cut half the frames in editing, and you get a fast mode that avoids rolling shutter problems without ruining the picture. For filmmakers who care more about smooth motion than a full frame, this trick could be a big win.
Panasonic S1R II – 8k & 4k 120fps mode
The Verdict: A Camera of Choices
The Panasonic S1R Mark II detailed test showed us how we can use this camera to its maximum potential, and during the entire test, the Camera never shut down due to overheating issues. but if you are confused between the Nikon Z8 OR Panasonic S1R II, we have done a short comparison that will help u decide which camera u should get between the two. So, overall the camera is made for professionals, kudos to Panasonic for putting their best innovation in the S line of Full-frame cameras.
The article “Lumix S1R II Rolling Shutter Exposed: The 48p Trick You Need to Know” first appeared on TheNewCamera.com,
How Much Rolling Shutter Is Too Much?
