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.
Panasonic Lumix S5 Mirrorless Camera
The Panasonic Lumix S5 blends strong video and photo capabilities with a portable body design, making it all-around, light, and stylish. The S5 is distinguished by its full-frame 24.2MP CMOS sensor, UHD 4K60 10-bit internal recording, Dual Native ISO, and broad 14+-stop dynamic range. In addition to video, it supports a variety of stills applications with its 7 fps continuous shooting, native ISO 100-51200 range, and even 96MP High-Res Shot mode. Whether shooting still images or moving pictures, the S5 maintains a swift and precise 225-area DFD autofocus system with expert subject tracking and five-axis sensor-shift image stabilisation to reduce the appearance of camera shake.
The S5's physical design is inspired by the larger S1-series of cameras, but it has a smaller size and lighter weight for better portability. The S5 has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for wireless connectivity, a 3.0" 1.84m-dot touchscreen LCD, and a 2.36m-dot OLED electronic viewfinder. The body also has a splash- and dust-sealed design for use in challenging environments, and dual SD memory card slots are included for flexible file storage.
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
In addition to stills, the S5 also sports highly capable video recording assets, including full-frame UHD 4K30p internal recording with 4:2:2 10-bit color and UHD 4K60p recording using an APS-C sensor area and 4:2:0 10-bit color. Full HD recording at 60 fps, as well as 4K at 30 fps, is also supported with 8-bit color and no recording time limits. Also, high-speed recording is possible, up to Full HD at 180 fps, and anamorphic recording is also available.
Borrowing from Panasonic's broadcast line of video cameras, Dual Native ISO helps to achieve a balanced combination of low noise and high sensitivity to better suit working in a variety of lighting conditions. Two dedicated circuits are provided for each pixel: a Low ISO circuit provides base sensitivities of ISO 100 for normal use, ISO 640 when V-Log is applied, ISO 400 when HLG is applied, and ISO 200 when Cinelike D2/V2 is applied; a Low Noise circuit provides base sensitivities of ISO 640 for normal use, ISO 4000 when V-Log is applied; ISO 2500 when HLG is applied, and ISO 1250 when Cinelike D2/V2 is applied.
Optimizing your recording for post-production color adjustment, the S5 also features a pair of gamma settings suited to capturing a wide dynamic range. V-Log has been pre-installed on this camera and is used to capture a flat, neutral gamma curve and an equivalent 14+ stops of dynamic range, making it well-suited for grading. Additionally, a High Dynamic Range mode, and Hybrid Log Gamma, can be used to record greater detail in both the shadow and highlight regions of a scene. Additional picture styles are available to provide a more gradable image, such as Cinelike V2 and Cinelike D2, as well as an in-camera LUT to make monitoring easier. Additionally, recording to an optional external recorder is possible, via the HDMI Type D port, and support for an external microphone and headphones are also available via dedicated 3.5mm jacks.
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
Utilizing the S5's video recording capabilities, a trio of still shooting modes are available for recording 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:
- 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.
Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens
The Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 is a stylish and functional zoom covering ultra-wide to brief portrait-length fields of view. It was created for full-frame L-mount mirrorless cameras. Flexible focusing abilities, which enable working with objects as close as 5.9" with a 0.43x magnification for near-macro performance, complement the distinct range of focal lengths.
To control a variety of aberrations and achieve a high level of clarity and sharpness, the lens uses a series of aspherical, high refractive index, and low dispersion optical elements. The front element of the lens has a fluorine coating to lessen fingerprinting and make cleaning easier, and the lens also has a weather-sealed construction for use in challenging weather conditions. Additionally, a stepping motor is included that offers quick, accurate, and almost silent autofocus performance, making it suitable for both photo and video applications.
- Wide-to-short telephoto zoom is designed for full-frame L-mount mirrorless cameras, however can also be used with APS-C models where it provides a 30-90mm equivalent focal length range.
- Two aspherical elements and one ultra high refractive index (UHR) element, help to minimize distortions and spherical aberrations throughout the zoom range in order to maintain edge-to-edge sharpness and illumination.
- Three extra-low dispersion elements greatly reduce chromatic aberrations and color fringing in order to produce a high degree of clarity and color accuracy.
- Stepping AF motor delivers quick and quiet focusing performance that benefits both photo and video applications.
- Maximum magnification of 0.43x and a minimum focusing distance of 5.9" benefits working with close-up subjects.
- AF/MF switch permits quick changing between focusing modes.
- Splash, dust, and freezeproof design benefits working in inclement weather conditions down to 14°F.
- Fluorine coating has been applied to the front element to prevent dirt and oils from sticking to lens.
- Rounded nine-blade diaphragm contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality.
