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u/MichaelsHardline

r/Lumix r/samsunggalaxy r/S25Ultra
▲ 7 r/S25Ultra

Top Performance & UI Tweaks S25 Ultra

Just realized that the Galaxy S25 Ultra has the default Window, Transition, and Animator scales settings very nice and smooth...but perhaps just a tad too slow. So I went into the developer options and changed all three from 1x to 0.5x to make opening apps and switching menus feel a little faster and snappier.

That's the only thing I did and I'm not sure but the battery life seem to have increased by 3 - 6 hous more or less. The phone is also snappier now!

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u/MichaelsHardline — 1 day ago
▲ 5 r/Lumix

Panasonic Lumix DMW-FL580L Speedlight Review & Lumix S1 II and 24-105mm F4

Panasonic Lumix DMW-FL580L Speedlight Review

The Panasonic Lumix DMW-FL580L is the definitive flagship speedlight for the Lumix S1 II delivering superb performance, OEM integration and premium build quality.

From the Verdict:

-"it still amazes me that in this day and age nobody has still been able to replicate this piece of quality performer from 2014 which is over a decade ago!"

The Good:

- Flawless TTL: Zero communication lag ensures perfectly calculated exposures instantly.

- Rapid Burst Speed: Handles rapid-fire shooting in TTL at up to ~10 FPS with zero shutter lag.

- Premium Materials: High-end flash head, catchlight plate, and top-tier included filters.

- Hybrid Design: The built-in LED video light transitions seamlessly from stills to motion.

The Bad:

- Considerably more expensive than third-party alternatives.

- Built strictly for the Lumix ecosystem, offering zero cross-brand flexibility.

The Verdict:

While third-party alternatives try to bridge the gap, they cannot replicate the proprietary, microsecond-accurate communication and rugged luxury of this flash. For Lumix professionals who demand absolute reliability, up to approx. 10 FPS burst performance, and flawless High-Speed Sync, the DMW-FL580L is an irreplaceable tool that justifies every penny.

Third-party manufacturers like Godox or Nissin do not directly copy a premium speedlight like the Panasonic Lumix DMW-FL580L because of a combination of technical, legal, and economic barriers. While these brands make highly capable flashes, they are built on fundamentally different business models & strategies that prevent them from matching OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) performance perfectly particularly when it comes to Panasonic Lumix.

Brands like Panasonic guard their flash communication protocols fiercely it seems.

However it still amazes me that in this day and age nobody has still been able to replicate this piece of quality performer from 2014 which is over a decade ago!

Recently completed a high-end assignment utilizing the Panasonic FL580L speedlight system, S1 II & 24-105mm F 4:

https://michaelshardlinephoto.myportfolio.com/chinese-minister-of-foreign-affairs-wang-yi-and-finlands-minister-for-foreign-affairs-elina

u/MichaelsHardline — 1 month ago
▲ 6 r/Lumix

Continuing my series of autofocus and low light high ISO capabilities of the S1 II & Lumix S PRO 24-70mm F2.8. Still Jpeg example posted in the comment section.

6K 30fps 420 10L 5952x2512 2.4:1 video file, still frame exported in DaVinci and posted in the comment section.

The low light high ISO is indeed superior to anything I've shot before, except perhaps the D6. BTW, the read out speed is very good at 9 milliseconds for this application.

Again this time the S1 II reacted immediately and started tracking the dark subject in low light at ISO-16K. AF was spot on even while the subject was sideways to the camera, the S1 II picked up the face and eyes and the human body long before I could see the subject's face with my own eyes in the viewfinder.

As a longtime Nikon Z9 user I can confidently say the Lumix S1 II is entirely on par for this style of low light demanding documentary work. Uncompromising subject recognition, driven by deep-learning AI, the Lumix S1 II locks onto eyes, faces, bodies, and vehicles with the same tenacity as the Z9 in this low light example. The S1 II actually fared better here than what the Z9 would have based on years of experience shooting with the Z9.

u/MichaelsHardline — 2 months ago
▲ 0 r/Lumix

Set to go with the two workhorses for the best workflow!

Running two identical Panasonic Lumix S1 II bodies and 24-70 & 70-200 gives me the ultimate workflow advantage. Having the exact same muscle memory, button layouts, and matching sensor color profiles and features & capabilities.

(smartphone snapshot with applied filter just for fun)

u/MichaelsHardline — 2 months ago
▲ 1 r/samsunggalaxy

A Pro Photographer’s 2026 Verdict: Why the S25 Ultra Holds Its Ground Against the S26 Ultra!

As a professional photographer for over two decades and relying on hefty, full-frame professional DSLRs and mirrorless systems. My life has been defined by swapping out prime lenses, riding the histogram, and shooting RAWs for massive gallery prints etc. The S25 Ultra won’t replace my camera, that's for sure. But as a secondary or a powerful scouting tool, it’s the first phone I’ve actually considered 'pro-capable.'

I'd choose the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra over the S26 Ultra because it makes more sense for me who prefer a rigid, premium Titanium frame (rather than aluminium), a more blocky "Note-like" design, and a standard display without the polarizing side-view privacy layers that seem cause some issues for some. Several people have noted that the anti-reflective properties on the S25 Ultra are slightly superior compared to the S26 Ultra's coating. Including myself I experienced similar issues on my S26 Ultra test sample as opposed to the S25 Ultra which seemed flawless.

Furthermore the S26 Ultra features a camera bump that protrudes noticeably more than the S25 Ultra's lens setup.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra has faced far more widespread criticism and user complaints than the exceptionally stable Galaxy S25 Ultra, primarily because Samsung tried to innovate with experimental tech that backfired.

Samsung introduced a complex pixel layout to make the built-in privacy filter work. Even with the Privacy Display feature turned completely off, this unique structure causes major visual downgrades that people have been having issues with. Side-by-side testing shows that even with vividness sliders maxed out, the S26 Ultra's colours look duller and more washed out than the highly saturated, vibrant S25 Ultra panel.

The S25 Ultra remains incredibly vibrant when viewed from an angle, whereas the S26 Ultra dims severely the second you tilt it even slightly away from your direct line of sight.

After using these phones side by side I really feel that The S25 Ultra is a highly refined, and exceptionally safe "perfection" of a proven reliable design that we may not experience again...not even in the S27 model or even further down the line.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra received a technical lens upgrades such as wider apertures (f/1.4 on the main camera and f/2.9 on the 5x zoom) but the overall camera experience feels worse because the display degrades how you interact with your photos. When you point the S26 Ultra at a subject, what you see on the screen before pressing the shutter looks subpar. Because the display suffers from a sub-pixel grid effect and muted colours, your live photo preview looks grainy, flat, and poorly focused. You don't actually know if you took a good photo until you view it later on a computer or a different screen. The S25 Ultra gives you more confidence and a beautiful, accurate, vibrant preview every time for professional applications.

On such a small sensor these technical upgrades a merely about marketing and doesn't really change the image quality of the camera. Modest changes to the lens aperture on such a small sensor are heavily leaned on by marketing teams, but they yield almost no noticeable difference in real-world image quality.

Why the S25 Ultra Excels for Photography

  • True-to-Life Live Previews: The S25 Ultra provides a bright, accurate preview before you press the shutter, unlike the S26 Ultra's display, which can appear grainy and flat due to the privacy filter.
  • Reliable Hardware Execution: The S25 Ultra offers a proven, highly saturated, and dynamic panel perfect for professional scouting.
  • Marginal Sensor Benefits: The S26 Ultra features technical upgrades, but on such small sensors, these yield negligible real-world image quality differences.

Disclaimer: This review reflects my genuine, objective findings and personal opinions regarding the product. I am not sponsored, employed by, or affiliated with Samsung or any other company in any way. No compensation has been provided to me for this review, and all testing was conducted independently.

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u/MichaelsHardline — 2 months ago
▲ 15 r/Lumix

Autofocus and low light high ISO capabilities of the S1 II & Lumix S PRO 24-70mm F2.8

As a longtime Nikon Z9 user I can confidently say the Lumix S1 II is entirely on par for this demanding style of low light documentary work. Uncompromising subject recognition, driven by deep-learning AI, the Lumix S1 II locks onto eyes, faces, bodies, and vehicles with the same tenacity as the Z9 in this low light example. The S1 II reacted instantly tracking the car and the passenger in low light before my eyes even saw the passenger. AF was spot on. The S1 II actually fared better here than what the Z9 would have.

Short video clip and JPEG grab examples from the celebration party as Finland won the 2026 Men's Ice Hockey World Championship! The city center was overflowing with energy. Crowds were flocking to central squares and market areas, with the local trams rolling in packed to the brim with singing, cheering fans. All along the avenues, cars are driving by, horns blaring in rhythm, as passengers hang out the windows waving flags and celebrating the gold medal.

u/MichaelsHardline — 3 months ago