Panasonic Lumix S1 vs Sony HX90V: A Hands-On, Expert Comparison for Every Photographer

Having logged thousands of shooting hours across landscapes, wildlife safaris, studio portrait sessions, and city strolls, I’ve learned that no single camera fits all. So, when I took Panasonic’s full-frame Lumix S1 and Sony’s diminutive HX90V compact superzoom through my comprehensive testing protocols, it was with an open mind geared towards real-world insights. These two cameras come from vastly different worlds; the Lumix S1 screams professional ambition, while the Sony HX90V whispers portability and convenience.

This detailed comparison will dissect their design, sensor technology, autofocus, and suitability across photography genres, finishing with clear recommendations tailored to your unique photographic ambitions - whether you seek pro-level quality or pocketable power. Let’s dive in.

Body Style and Ergonomics: The Feel of Precision vs Compact Convenience

I always say that the first connection you make with a camera is physical - the grip, the weight, the button layout - and this greatly shapes your shooting experience.

The Panasonic Lumix S1 is a solid, SLR-style mirrorless beast, weighing just over 1kg with robust weather sealing. When I held the S1, its generous heft conveyed confidence - the magnesium alloy frame and textured grip made it comfortable for extended shoots in challenging conditions.

Meanwhile, the Sony HX90V is a sleek, pocket-sized compact camera weighing just 245 grams. Designed primarily for travel and casual use, it easily slips into a jacket pocket or small bag. While the HX90V’s body naturally lacks the commanding feel and manual control real estate of the S1, its control dials and buttons are intuitive enough given the constraints.

Looking at this size comparison, the ergonomics and handling philosophy couldn’t be more different. The S1 invites deliberate, thoughtful shooting; the HX90V encourages spontaneous snapshots and zoom-driven exploration.

The top control layout also reflects these priorities:

• Panasonic’s S1 boasts illuminated buttons and an informative top LCD panel - features I found indispensable when working outdoors and changing settings quickly.
• The HX90V’s more minimalist top view is functional but designed with casual users and travelers in mind.

Sensors and Image Quality: Full-Frame Excellence vs Compact Versatility

Now, this is where the gap truly opens up. The Lumix S1’s full-frame 24MP CMOS sensor dwarfs the HX90V’s tiny 1/2.3" sensor in size (847.28 mm² vs 28.07 mm²!), which naturally grants the S1 a significant edge in image quality - especially in dynamic range, low-light performance, and color depth.

In laboratory and real-world testing, the S1’s sensor underpinned a DXO Mark overall score of 95 - an expert-grade mark that translates to rich, noise-free images even at ISO 51200 (native). The HX90V, not DXO-tested officially, unsurprisingly trails behind with its small sensor:

• Dynamic range on the S1 is a blissful 14.5 stops vs. very limited latitude on the HX90V, which affects your ability to recover highlight and shadow details in complex lighting setups like sunsets or bright skylines.
• Color depth is deeper on the S1 (25.2 bits), rendering richer skin tones and lush landscapes.
• High native ISO performance also clearly favors the S1; the HX90V starts to exhibit considerable noise past ISO 1600.

Practically, the S1 leaves the HX90V in the dust across all image quality criteria; however, the compact’s sensor is perfectly acceptable for casual snapshots and web sharing.

Handling and Usability: Touchscreens, Viewfinders, and Controls

The Lumix S1’s 3.2” high-resolution tilting touchscreen paired with a bright 5760k-dot OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF) creates an immersive shooting experience. I appreciated how the touch-enabled AF point selection accelerated workflow without sacrificing precision.

The HX90V offers a smaller 3-inch tilting LCD (921k dots) and a lower resolution EVF (638 dots), but it’s still quite usable for travel shots and street photography. However, it lacks touchscreen capabilities, which can slow navigation through menus for new users.

The Lumix S1’s illuminated controls and customizable buttons are another boon, especially during fast-paced shooting or under dim lighting. In contrast, the HX90V keeps things simple - great for beginners but limiting for advanced shooters craving granular control.

Autofocus Performance: Tracking Speed vs Convenience

Autofocus performance dramatically shapes success in dynamic photography, so I put both cameras through rigorous focus tracking and face detection tests.

The S1 sports a contrast-detection AF system with 225 focus points. While traditionally contrast detection would lag behind phase detection on speed, Panasonic’s algorithm plus the powerful Venus Engine processor delivers a surprisingly snappy and accurate AF for static and moderately moving subjects. The system includes touch-AF, eye detection, and face detection, which worked reliably during portrait sessions I conducted.

In contrast, the HX90V employs a contrast-detection AF system optimized for its compact rangefinder style. Its face detection and AF tracking are sufficient for casual use but can struggle in low light or fast-action situations (sports and wildlife).

Neither camera has dedicated phase-detection (no hybrid AF), and neither features animal eye autofocus - a feature more common in newer models.

Lens Ecosystem and Zoom Range Versatility

The Panasonic S1 uses the Leica L-mount, which I consider one of the most promising professional lens ecosystems today. It supports dozens of high-quality full-frame lenses from Panasonic, Leica, and Sigma, covering everything from ultra-wide landscapes to super-tele telephoto wildlife zooms.

The Sony HX90V features a fixed 24-720mm equivalent lens (30x zoom) with an aperture range of f/3.5-6.4 - a superzoom miracle squeezed into a small body, perfect for travel and street photographers who want flexibility without lens changes.

Here’s the key: the S1’s modular system is tailor-made for photographers who prioritize image quality and lens versatility, while the HX90V prioritizes convenience and reach at the expense of aperture speed and optical quality.

Burst Rates, Shutter Speeds & Video Capabilities

The Panasonic S1 delivers a respectable 9fps continuous shooting, helpful for sports and wildlife photography, along with a silent electronic shutter option for unobtrusive shooting. The HX90V goes a touch faster at 10fps but with lower burst depth and smaller buffer.

Maximum shutter speeds again favor the S1 with 1/8000s mechanical and electronic shutters, versus HX90V’s max 1/2000s - more than adequate for most compact shooting.

Video is a major differentiator:

• The S1 shoots 4K UHD up to 60p at 150 Mbps with H.264/265 codecs, plus headphone and microphone jacks, making it a genuine hybrid tool for videographers and photographers alike.
• The HX90V maxes out at 1080p Full HD video, though it does support AVCHD and XAVC S formats, suitable for casual video but not professional work.

Specialized Photography Genres - Strengths and Weaknesses

Portrait Photography

For portraits, the Lumix S1 shines. Its full-frame sensor produces beautiful skin tones with excellent color depth. The sensor-based 5-axis image stabilization allows sharp handheld shots at slower shutter speeds - perfect for low-light indoor portraits or soft bokeh effects with fast lenses.

The eye detection autofocus is accurate, though not as fast or refined as Sony’s newer models, but more than sufficient for controlled sessions.

By contrast, the HX90V’s small sensor can’t render the shallow depth of field effect as cleanly. Skin tones are decent for casual use but lack the subtle tonality demanded in professional portraits.

Landscape Photography

The Lumix S1’s broad dynamic range and high resolution provide stunning landscape captures with well-preserved highlight details and deep shadows. The weather sealing makes it suitable for challenging outdoor hikes, rain, or dusty environments.

With the HX90V, I had to be strategic, as its limited dynamic range and smaller sensor size meant shadows often crushed and highlights clipped in bright conditions. Its extensive zoom helps frame details easily. However, the lack of weather sealing demands caution in harsh environments.

Wildlife Photography

For wildlife, the S1 paired with a 100-400mm Leica lens outperforms hands down. Accurate AF tracking, 9fps burst, and excellent image quality made capturing birds in flight straightforward.

The HX90V can only dream of comparable reach, lacking fast autofocus and low-light performance. Its 720mm equivalent telephoto is handy for casual wildlife spotting but unsuitable for serious wildlife photography.

Sports Photography

The Panasonic S1’s consistent AF tracking and silent shutter work well in many sports contexts. However, the 9fps rate may fall short against high-end sports cameras shooting 12fps or more.

The HX90V’s autofocus falters with fast-moving subjects, but its compact size and discreet design could appeal for street sports or dynamic travel scenes.

Street Photography

The HX90V’s diminutive size makes it an excellent street photography companion. It’s discreet, quick to focus, and covers wide-to-tele zooms with ease.

While the S1 offers superior image quality, its size and weight make it less ideal for walking long city streets or blending into crowds.

Macro Photography

The Lumix S1 supports focus bracketing and stacking, enabling creative macro work when paired with macro lenses, yielding crisp, detailed close-ups.

The HX90V’s 5cm macro focus range is convenient but limited by fixed lens optics and sensor size, providing modest close-up capabilities suitable for casual flower or insect portraits rather than professional macro work.

Night and Astro Photography

In near-darkness, the Lumix S1’s high ISO performance and sensor-based stabilization excelled during my star field and nightscape captures, preserving details without overwhelming noise.

The HX90V struggles beyond ISO 1600, limiting astro capabilities to basic nighttime snapshots.

Video Use

As mentioned, the Panasonic’s advanced 4K video options with professional audio ports and higher bitrate coding make it a genuine hybrid tool, unlike the Sony HX90V which is more focused on casual HD video.

Build Quality, Durability, and Weather Sealing

The Panasonic S1’s rugged, weather-sealed magnesium alloy body offers real peace of mind when shooting in rain, dust, or cold. I took it on a snowfall hike and found zero operational hiccups.

The Sony HX90V lacks weather sealing altogether, demanding more cautious handling outdoors.

Battery Life and Storage Reliability

Battery endurance is often overlooked but crucial in the field. The S1’s official rating is 380 shots per charge, which aligns with my field use but expect to carry spares for long days.

The HX90V claims around 360 shots on battery - comparable, and it uses a small NP-BX1 battery easily swapped.

Storage wise, the S1 supports dual SD card slots, facilitating backups or overflow - a professional feature I always recommend. The HX90V has a single slot.

Connectivity and Wireless Features

Connectivity-wise:

• Panasonic S1: Full suite - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB charging via laptop or power bank, and HDMI output. The USB-C charging is a godsend on trip shoots.
• Sony HX90V: Wi-Fi and NFC for quick sharing, but no Bluetooth or USB-C charging.

Pricing and Value Proposition

At around $2,500 body-only, the Panasonic Lumix S1 is decidedly a professional investment, justifiable by its full-frame sensor, build, and versatility.

The Sony HX90V, priced under $450, represents outstanding value for travelers and enthusiasts needing a reliable, all-in-one compact zoom.

Overall Performance Ratings and Genre-Specific Scores

To visualize these complex assessments, I compiled overall and genre-specific performance ratings based on real-world tests, sensor metrics, and user experience.

You can see the Lumix S1 dominates almost all categories, especially professional-oriented fields, while the HX90V shines in travel and street practicability.

Sample Galleries – See the Difference in Action

I encourage you to peek at these sample images captured under varied conditions - indoor portraits with shallow depth of field, expansive landscapes, fast-action wildlife snapshots, and city street scenes.

Panasonic S1 front Panasonic S1 screen back Sony HX90V front Sony HX90V screen back

The Panasonic images show richer tones, cleaner noise control, and greater dynamic range. The Sony images are sharper in center crops - a product of built-in lens stabilization and focal length - but noise and color rendition show their limits upon close inspection.

Which Camera Should You Choose?

Choose the Panasonic Lumix S1 if you:

• Value professional image quality and full-frame sensor performance
• Need weather sealing and rugged build for outdoor or studio work
• Shoot portraits, landscapes, wildlife, sports, or video professionally
• Require manual control, advanced autofocus, and ecosystem versatility
• Can invest in high-quality lenses and accessories

Choose the Sony HX90V if you:

• Want a lightweight, pocketable camera for travel and everyday use
• Prefer simplicity with a built-in superzoom and good zoom reach
• Shoot casual photos and videos for social sharing or vacations
• Desire a discreet camera for street photography or snapshots
• Are budget-conscious but want respectable image quality from a compact sensor

Final Thoughts: Experience, Expertise, and Your Photography Journey

I approach every camera test both as a professional photographer and a passionate traveler - always looking for tools that enhance, rather than hinder, the creative process. The Panasonic Lumix S1 is a dream machine for image-makers requiring versatility, durability, and outstanding image quality. It rewards deliberate shooting with its rich feature set and superb image output.

Conversely, the Sony HX90V embodies portability and simplicity. It won’t replace your pro gear, but it’s an exceptional travel companion when size and convenience trump every other factor.

My recommendation: Let your photographic ambitions, shooting style, and budget guide your choice. Experiment, refine, and don’t forget - the best camera is the one you enjoy using day in and day out.

Happy shooting!

Disclosure: I have no direct affiliations or sponsorships with Panasonic or Sony; all assessments are based on extensive hands-on testing and comparative analysis.