rThere’s so much to talk about with the Panasonic LUMIX S5. On the outside, it may look like the little brother to the full-frame Panasonic S1 or S1R, but the truth is it’s actually more closely related to the cinema-centric Panasonic S1H.
Weighing in at just under 1.4 pounds, it looks as if Panasonic has aimed to make a more compact and lighter addition to its full-frame camera line for entry-level videographers and photographers. Though to be honest, as a professional videographer I can absolutely see the S5 becoming a permanent part of my kit and you’ll read why in a moment. Upon getting my eager hands on a pre-production model, I had three days to film with the S5 and an all-new kit lens being offered in the package; the Panasonic Lumix 20-60mm f/3.5-f/5.6 variable zoom lens.
Before the introduction of the S1 line, I was all in on the Lumix GH series and the very first thing you’ll notice about the S5 is that Panasonic has built this camera to actually be slightly smaller than the much applauded GH5 (see the photo above). To now have a full-frame camera with similar specs to the S1 and S1H in a body the size of a micro four-thirds is a tremendous feat. Let’s dive in and take a look at what I was able to do with the S5 in two real-world scenarios.
Panasonic LUMIX S5 Full Frame Mirrorless Camera ()
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When the S5 arrived, I had a commercial product video shoot and a wedding styled-shoot scheduled. I used it exclusively for both jobs. The S5 delivers internal 4K 10-bit recording at 60 frames per second Long-GOP. The only downside is that just like the S1, there is a APS-C sensor crop at 40k 60 and you do get 10-bit Long-GOP recording but with 4:2:0 color instead of 4:2:2. If you switch over to 4K 30 or 4K 24, you get 10-bit internal Long GOP recording with 4:2:2 color processing. There’s also no recording time limit at 4K 30 or 24 but there is 29-minute limit at 4K 60. If you really need uninterrupted recording at 4K 60 at 10-bit with 4:2:2 color, you can always output from the micro HDMI port to an external recorder. The S5 will give also you the highest quality output that way.
Panasonic has also told us that there will be a firmware update by the end of 2020 that will add C4K recording and the ability to output RAW video in 5.9K (5888×3312) 29.97p/25p and 4K(4128×2176) 59.94p/50p and Anamorphic 3.5K (3536×2656)/50p. Amazing news. The firmware update will also be adding a variety of video recording assist functions such as the Vector Scope Display, Master Pedestal Adjustment and SS/Gain Operation(SEC/ISO, ANGLE/ISO, SEC/dB) plus two new photo styles: L.MonochromeS and L.ClassicNeo.
I opted to shoot in 4K 30 10-bit for my commercial shoot and 4K 60 8-bit for my wedding styled shoot. Both were filmed in V-Log (and more on that in a moment). Using the kit lens (20-60mm) for my wider shots along with a Lumix Pro S 16-35 F/4 and a Lumix Pro S 70-200 2.8, I was able to capture impressive video internally. I shot in V-Log, which is giving me up to 14 stops of dynamic range and you can really see it shine as the product shoot required us to film next to a window 90% of the time.
Using the V-Log view assist on the S5 OLED screen, I was thinking we were probably going to lose a lot of that detail outdoors but when I checked in on the computer, all of the highlights were preserved and the level of detail was impressive. The S5 utilizes a dual-native ISO system so shooting in V-Log native ISO is 640 and 4000. In any of the normal shooting modes it’s 100 and 640. During the wedding styled shoot, we were battling harsh sun and high contrast conditions. The S5 delivered superb performance and that Panasonic V-Log gamut really does give you that coveted Panasonic Varicam look. To have that capability in such a small body is unprecedented and this little guy can hold its own with its bigger siblings.
I’ve always been a huge proponent of the S1 line ISO capability. I shoot in dark wedding conditions all the time with my S1 and routinely crank the ISO to 8000 with very little noise. The S5 can go all the up to 51,200 like its bigger brothers, but it’s expandable to 204,800 if you want to get crazy. I didn’t really need to push the ISO on the S5 but since its inner tech is based on similar specs to the S1 and S1H, I would expect a similar result.
There’s tons of other recording modes on the S5. You’ve got 1080p recording up to 180 frames per second using the slow and quick shooting mode — which on the S5 is now easily accessible on the mode dial. Slow and quick will also give you in-camera 4K over and undercrank recording from 60p all the way down to 1 frame per second if you want to take a hyperlapse shot. High Log Gamma recording is available 4K 60p in .MOV mode. It’s also available in a variety of recording frame rates in .MP4.
Lastly, you can shoot 4K Anamorphic 4:3 aspect ratio in APS-C mode at 60p. So the video specs on the S5 really keep pace with the S1H minus (of course) the ability to shoot in 6K or 4K in 10-bit 4:2:2. Still, these are robust video options for such a small camera.
Panasonic is touting the S5 as a hybrid full-frame mirrorless because of the camera’s superb video functionality, and photographers should know that the S5 delivers amazing still image quality and has tons of features. The S5 has a 25-megapixel CMOS sensor offering RAW Hybrid Log Gamma. Needless to say, this camera is no slouch when it comes to taking still photos. There’s also a new photo mode called high-resolution mode that offers a whopping 96-megapixel JPEG and RAW capture and a live-view composite mode for double exposure assist and processing.
With 2.36 million dots of resolution, the S5 electronic viewfinder is a blessing and on my two shoots this was everything. I wasn’t able to see squat on the rear screen because it was so darn bright outside. One thing I do love about the S5 over my S1 is the flip-out articulating rear screen. It’s a GH5 feature I miss when using my S1 and another feature that makes the S5 more akin to the S1H.
The S5 has the same exact in-body 5-axis image stabilization as the S1 and S1H and plus IS when you pair a lens that has IS like the Lumix Pro 70-200 2.8. On my wedding styled shoot I’m shooting primarily handheld, zoomed in to 200mm with an APS-C crop and the image barely floats.
I ran the autofocus system through some tests on a variety of responsiveness settings and overall, the AF is just what I’ve come to expect from any Panasonic mirrorless camera. Like the S1 line. you have head, eye, face and body detection. I did find the S5 to be responsive and accurate enough using the Lumix S-Pro lenses. I tested the model/bride walking towards me while using face-tracking and the 70-200 S-Pro lens at f/3.5 and it kept focus well. The autofocus on the kit lens did work fairly well with 1-area AF mode on slightly wider shots.
Panasonic LUMIX S5 Full Frame Mirrorless Camera ()
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Wonderfully enough the S5 gives us dual SD card slots but it uses a slightly different battery system than the S1, S1R and S1H. The battery is higher capacity at 2200MwH and it is backwards compatible with the GH5, GH5s and the G9. I was able to get about 4 hours of non-continuous use out of one battery. Finally, the S5 offers a healthy serving of splash and dust resistance for you outdoor enthusiasts or for people like me that get caught in the rain from time to time.
You have to give it to Panasonic. They’ve got a great line of full-frame mirrorless cameras and they just keep adding to it. So whether you are an amateur, semi-professional, or professional videographer or photographer, the S5 is a great camera. I still can’t get over how small this is. So get your hands on it and be impressed.
Feature photo via Rob Adams
