One of the best things that LUMIX does is image stabilization. The Phoblographer’s review staff are required to be able to handhold a camera and get an exposure that’s longer than one second — without camera shake! And with these cameras, it’s pretty easy to do. That means that you can shoot at slower shutter speeds, lower ISOs, and more narrow apertures while shooting handheld. And most importantly, you’ll be able to combine that with so many other incredible features on their cameras. Here’s the best camera kit for slow motion photography. Trust us, we’d know. We shot all these images ourselves.
This blog post is presented in partnership with LUMIX.
We’re going to say this right off the bat: this article is presented in partnership with LUMIX. But at the same time, we also are transparently stating that we don’t write anything we don’t truly believe in. Trust us, it has caused lots of friction in advertising campaigns. And if we don’t have the facts to back up what we’re saying, we won’t say it. These truly are the best full-frame cameras with a film look for good reasons.
LUMIX luckily has a selection of very affordable lenses that have a film-look and that also have autofocus. In fact, they’ve got more than any other brand that also makes full-frame cameras. You’ll really enjoy the character these lenses can deliver if you’re also using the Real Time LUT feature on their cameras.
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Why You Should Trust Us
The Phoblographer has been doing real-world photography gear tests longer than any other photography publication currently run. We also have the largest database of real-world lens reviews, amongst other things like straps, camera bags, lights, accessories, and more. Here’s why that matters:
- AI Can’t Do This Job: These days, other publications do roundups, sometimes using generative AI. That’s the same as a person researching products and then making a decision without actually trying it. All of our reviews and guides are written not just by humans but by working photographers — not AI. Computers don’t use cameras, so why would you trust AI to recommend cameras for you?
- Research and Practical Experience: Here at the Phoblographer, humans consult on what roundups to do with guidance from an editor. Then, a human goes through our database of reviews and selects the best products based on our own internal research. The human creating the roundup has practical experience with photography gear and will apply their knowledge of what’s best to the already human-based experience provided in our reviews.
- We Block AI Bots: The Phoblographer blocks indexing bots from reading our site, so what’s here can only be read here.
How We Chose the Best Camera Kit for the Slow Motion
- The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve fully reviewed in these roundups.
- If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
- When we test products, we’ve got various things in mind. First off, we consider who might want to buy the product, such as a lens and what they might do with it. With that in mind, we try to tackle at least three genres of photography with that lens in a variety of situations. If the lens has weather resistance, then we’ll test it accordingly with a weather-resistant camera. We also test the autofocus of the lens in continuous mode, single mode, with exposure preview effects, without those effects, and then with all the major image quality parameters. These days, no one really makes a bad lens — but some are far better than others. The same applies to working with cameras.
- In this specific roundup, we’re basing our findings on the reviews that we’ve done. We’re choosing a favorite, but we’re also giving photographers a bunch of others that they might like, depending on how they shoot.
LUMIX S9
“And for the first time, I’ve experienced an electronic shutter that whispers Persian poetry in my ear,” we stated in our review of the LUMIX S9. “Shooting with it is kind of like working like Daido Moriyama — and shooting blind. You might need an EVF but if you’ve done enough work on yourself as a photographer to be so in tune with the focal length that you’re using, then you realize that you won’t need it.” Because this camera doesn’t have a physical shutter but still has the full 8-stops of image stabilization that the S5II does, it’s one of the best cameras you can get for slow-motion photography.
LUMIX S 28-200mm F4-7.1
“Luckily, this lens isn’t complicated to use,” we said in our review. “If you’re a fan of just shooting in aperture priority all day and letting the camera do what it wants, then you’re in luck. Even though the lens has a variable aperture, the optical stabilization and then the camera body’s together made it nearly impossible for me to get photos with camera shake.” To date, this is one of LUMIX’s most versatile lenses that gives you incredible image stabilization and lets you shoot pretty much anything you’d want to do.
LUMIX S Pro 16-35mm f4
There’s so much to love about this lens and how it performs. The LUMIX S Pro 16-35mm f4 has sharp optics, weather resistance, and fast autofocus. What’s more, it’s very lightweight — so much so that you’d want to bring it with you everywhere. In our review, we said: “The really lovely kicker, though, is using the Panasonic 16-35mm f4 PRO…with the L Monochrom D setting. If you like wide angle black and white images, then get ready to stare at some beautiful photos.”
LUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6
Often bundled as a kit lens of sorts, the LUMIX S 20-60mm f3.5-5.6 shouldn’t be slept on. It’s a lens that we often reach for because of just how convenient it is. “Something else worth noting is that this lens is light,” we state in our review. “So when combined with the image stabilization in the LUMIX S5II, it’s hard to get super blurry shots from camera shake.” On top of all this, there’s weather resistance, fast autofocus performance, and more.
LUMIX S 24-105mm f4 Macro OIS
What’s not to love about this lens? It can shoot macro images, has image stabilization, and delivers photographs unlike others that I’ve seen with similar lenses. The sharpness that this lens can deliver is pretty unreal to be honest. In our review, we state, “With a variety of focal lengths locked at a constant f4, photographers will find the Panasonic LUMIX S 24-105mm f4 Macro OIS very versatile, especially considering the image stabilization.” Also consider that this lens has incredible bokeh, weather resistance, and is versatile enough for all the work you’d need to do with it.
Picking the Right One For You
If you’re still a bit confused as to the right lens for you, here are some questions to ask yourself
- What’s your budget?
- How will you use the product?
- What lighting situations are you in, and how will that affect what you’re doing? Our reviews hyperlinked in this article can help with that.
- Are you traveling a lot with it?
- Will you be using it in a situation that’s a bit rougher?
- Who else uses this product? How are they using it?
- What’s so appealing about this product that I can’t get from what I have already or something else?
- When will I really have time to use this product?
- Where will I bring this product?
- How will this product help bring me joy and joy in my photography?
