The Panasonic Lumix S5 combines capable video and photo capabilities with a portable body design. It is well-rounded, light, and stylish. The S5, which has a full-frame 24.2MP CMOS sensor, stands out for its UHD 4K60 10-bit internal recording, Dual Native ISO, and broad dynamic range of 14+ stops. With 7 fps continuous shooting, a native ISO range of 100-51200, and even a 96MP High-Res Shot mode, it supports a wide range of stills applications in addition to video. The S5 maintains a quick and precise 225-area DFD autofocus system with precise subject tracking when working with photos or videos. It also has 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilisation to reduce the appearance of camera shake.
The S5 has a similar physical design to the larger S1-series of cameras, but it is more portable thanks to its smaller size and lighter weight. The S5 features a free-angle 3.0" 1.84m-dot touchscreen LCD, 2.36m-dot OLED electronic viewfinder, and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for wireless connectivity. Additionally, there are two SD memory card slots for flexible file storage, and the body is splash- and dust-proof for use in challenging environments.
24.2MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor and Venus Engine
The updated Venus Engine and full-frame 24.2MP CMOS sensor in the S5 balance high sensitivity, a broad dynamic range, and speed. A useful ISO range of 100–51200, which can be increased to ISO 50–204800 to accommodate working in various lighting conditions, is made possible by the sensor–processor combination. The S5 also offers full-resolution shooting at up to 7 fps with AF-S or 6 fps with AF-C for working with moving subjects, as well as up to an impressive 60 fps continuous shooting when using 6K or 4K PHOTO modes.
UHD 4K HDR Video Recording
The S5 has excellent video recording capabilities in addition to its still photography capabilities. These capabilities include full-frame UHD 4K30p internal recording with 4:2:2 10-bit colour and UHD 4K60p recording with an APS-C sensor area and 4:2:0 10-bit colour. With 8-bit colour and no time restrictions, full HD recording at 60 frames per second and 4K recording at 30 frames per second are also supported. Additionally, anamorphic recording is available, as well as high-speed recording up to Full HD at 180 fps.
Dual Native ISO, which takes inspiration from Panasonic's broadcast line of video cameras, aids in achieving a balanced ratio of low noise and high sensitivity to better suit working in a variety of lighting conditions. A Low ISO circuit offers base sensitivities of ISO 100 for everyday use, ISO 640 when V-Log is used, ISO 400 when HLG is used, and ISO 200 when Cinelike D2/V2 is used. A Low Noise circuit offers base sensitivities of ISO 640 for everyday use, ISO 4000 when V-Log is used, ISO 2500 when HLG is used, and ISO 1250 when Cinelike D2/V2 is used.
The S5 includes two gamma settings designed to capture a wide dynamic range, further optimising your recording for colour grading in post-production. This camera comes with V-Log pre-installed, which uses a flat, neutral gamma curve and an equivalent 14+ stops of dynamic range to capture images that are suitable for grading. Hybrid Log Gamma and High Dynamic Range modes can also be used to record more detail in a scene's shadow and highlight areas. In order to provide a more gradable image, additional picture styles are available. These include Cinelike V2 and Cinelike D2, as well as an in-camera LUT to facilitate monitoring. Additionally, an external microphone and headphones are supported via dedicated 3.5mm jacks, and recording to an optional external recorder is possible via the HDMI Type D port.
Body Design
- Used in conjunction with other members of the L-Mount Alliance, the L lens mount is a versatile interface with a mount diameter of 51.6mm and a flange distance of 20mm for working with a broad range of optics.
- High-resolution 2.36m-dot OLED EVF offers a clear 0.74x magnification along with a smooth 60 fps or 120 fps changeable refresh rate.
- Rear 3.0" 1.84m-dot LCD is a bright, clear means for live view shooting as well as playback and menu navigation. The screen features a free-angle design to suit working from high, low, and front-facing angles, and its touchscreen design affords intuitive settings control.
- Durable, weather-sealed construction is splash and dust-resistant to accommodate working in harsh weather conditions and trying environments.
- Dual SD memory card slots—one UHS-II-compatible slot, one UHS-I-compatible slot—offer improved flexibility for image storage, allowing you to segregate raw and JPEG files to different cards, save duplicate files to both cards, or simply double your storage space with overflow recording.
- A USB Type-C port allows for fast file transferring as well as high-speed in-camera battery charging. Additionally, an HDMI Type D port benefits video applications, a 2.5mm port can be used with the optional DMW-RS2 Remote Shutter, and 3.5mm microphone and headphone jacks suit advanced audio recording needs.
- DMW-BLK22 rechargeable lithium-ion battery is rated for approximately 440 shots per charge when working with the rear monitor, 470 shots per charge with the EVF, and 1500 shots per charge when Power Save LVF mode is on.
- High-precision shutter mechanism offers a top mechanical speed of 1/8000 sec and a flash sync speed of 1/250 sec.
Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization
Dual I.S. 2 combines the S5's 5 stop-rated 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilisation technology with lens-based 2-axis image stabilisation to compensate for a wider range of movement types and produce sharper, clearer imagery. This helps to achieve the maximum sharpness when taking handheld pictures. O.I.S.-compatible Lumix lenses must be used with Dual I.S. 2. A camera shake of about 6.5 stops can be compensated for by this stabilisation system.
DFD Autofocus System
With sensor and lens communication rates up to 480 fps, DFD (Depth-From-Defocus) technology enables accelerated autofocus performance by quickly calculating the distance to subjects and adjusting the focusing position in as little as 0.08 seconds. Subject type, colour, size, and motion vectors are used to intelligently lock-on to the moving subjects and ensure precise focus in this contrast-detection type focus method, which benefits both still and video recording modes as well as subject tracking applications. Working with portrait subjects makes it simpler to prioritise focusing on particular areas of the subject thanks to face, eye, head, body, and animal detection capabilities. It is possible to modify the focusing sensitivity and speed to further enhance performance with particular subjects. Additionally, it has 225 AF zones, which offer superb control over the camera's focusing. A Low Light AF feature also supports working in low-light situations and allows accurate AF performance down to -6 EV.
Focus peaking, which highlights sharp contrast edges with a coloured outline to help you quickly identify your focus point, and Touch MF Assist, which enables touch-to-focus operation, are features that benefit manual focus operation. A custom selectable AF zone for Multi AF / Custom Multi AF and an AF Point Scope setting that temporarily magnifies the subject by 3x to 10x for focus position confirmation are additional AF features.
6K and 4K PHOTO
Three different still-shooting modes allow users to record continuous 3:2 or 4:3 8MP stills at a 60 or 30 fps shooting rate or 18MP stills at a 30 fps shooting rate using the S5's video recording capabilities:
- Burst: This mode will allow you to continuously record, making it ideal for instances where you need a fast frame rate in order to capture the best moment.
- Pre-Burst: This mode is ideal for times when you're unsure of the critical moment to press the shutter button and will record images one second prior to and one second after pressing the shutter button in order to give you 60 frames to choose from.
- Burst (S/S): This mode most closely follows the video recording process, and allows you to playback your video, pause at the chosen moment, and use the shutter button to mark a chosen frame from the video and save it as a single 8 or 18MP frame.
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
With very little power consumption, Bluetooth Low Energy (4.2) maintains a connection between your smartphone or tablet and the camera. IEEE 802.11ac and b/g/n support is also available for more robust wireless activities for faster transmission, fluid remote control, and monitoring.
Lumix Sync, an iOS and Android app that pairs with the camera to enable remote shooting control and wireless image transfer using a smartphone or tablet, completes the camera's wireless connectivity.
Other Camera Features
- By using sensor-shift stabilization technology, the S5 features a High Resolution mode to capture and compile eight separate exposure to create a single 96MP raw or JPEG file. Suitable for static subjects and when working on a tripod, this mode creates a more highly detailed and color accurate image than a single shot alone can produce and produces an image with a 12000 x 8000-pixel resolution.
- HLG Photo mode offers increased dynamic range for improved detail in shadow and highlight regions of the image. When working in HLG Photo mode, images can be saved as an HSP file in either 4K or full resolution, in addition to JPEG and raw formats, for vivid playback on 4K televisions.
- In addition to conventional 3:2, 4:3, 1:1, and 16:9 ratios, photos can also be recorded in 65:24 and 2:1 panoramic formats.
- Helping to contain bright highlights, Highlight Weighted Metering mode prioritizes highlight values when making an exposure metering in order to prevent scenes from blowing out.
- Offering more versatility than standard Auto White Balance (AWB), an AWBw setting will retain a reddish warm tint while AWBc offers a cooler, bluish tint.
- Photo Style modes: Standard, Vivid, Natural, Flat, Landscape, Portrait, Monochrome, L. Monochrome, L. Monochrome D, Cinelike D, Cinelike V, Like709, Standard (HLG), Monochrome (HLG), Like2100, and My Photo Style.
Firmware Version 2.3
Firmware version 2.3 adds raw video data output over HDMI to Blackmagic Video Assist 12G HDR [5.9K] / [4K] / [Anamorphic (4:3) 3.5K] 12-bit. Raw video data can be output over HDMI to Blackmagic Video Assist 12G HDR to be recorded as Blackmagic RAW.
