Panasonic DMW-BLK22E

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Like most other cameras, the S5 II’s continuous autofocus now employs a combination of contrast and phase technologies, to provide more reliable tracking for moving subjects while avoiding the pulsing effect which plagued earlier models. Despite its compact size, the Lumix S5 shares the impressive 24MP CMOS sensor housed in the Lumix S1, but with improved AF. At a glance, it could easily be confused for the original S5, but a quick game of spot the difference will draw your eye to the new S5 II left shoulder badge.

Lumix S5 II review | Digital Camera World Panasonic Lumix S5 II review | Digital Camera World

prime lenses from Panasonic, along with Sigma’s entire range of DG DN lenses designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras. The new processor and sensor combo are also designed to deliver greater color depth and detail, as well as a maximum of 14 stops of dynamic range.

Next for some birds in flight, again with the S5 II fitted with the Lumix S 70-200mm f4 Pro and again mostly at 200mm f4.

Lumix DC-S5 II / DC-S5 IIX initial review Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II / DC-S5 IIX initial review

In real-world use, the S5 should last for a full day of moderate use, especially when engaging in power-saving tactics of your own, such as switching it off between shots. I’ll show you some bursts with the mechanical shutter at 7fps first before switching to some with the electronic shutter at 30fps. To be fair in some of my tests it was fine, but in others the pulsing became more visible and distracting. Below these is a large, tiltable rear thumb wheel, so with three control dials, a drive dial, AF collar and three hard buttons, you should be able to adjust pretty much every aspect of exposure, drive and autofocus without entering a menu. The 5,760K-dot EVF of the S1 is one of my favourite features on that camera, so it feels like a significant step back to drop the S5’s resolution so low to 2,360K-dots.In my formal tests, the S5 II captured a maximum of 200 shots whether JPEG or RAW when using the electronic shutter, and in either format, did so in exactly the same time of 6. Oddly, the new battery is however compatible with the GH5/G9, so you can use it in those cameras if you own them – but you can’t use their batteries in the S5.

Lumix S5 II review | Cameralabs Panasonic Lumix S5 II review | Cameralabs

But most importantly, the S5 comprehensively addresses the criticisms of the Lumix S-bodies being “too bulky”. Now here’s the S5 II shooting with its electronic shutter at 30fps, again with approaching bikes using Face and Eye detection. Meanwhile the A7 IV is out-resolving both rivals as you’d expect, although perhaps not by as much as you’d assume. Alternatively get yourself a copy of my In Camera book, an official Cameralabs T-shirt or mug, or treat me to a coffee! If you’ve already invested in Panasonic’s S series, then the S5 is a good complementary body to have in your kit bag.To find out if the S5 II finally resolves the issues with previous models, I tested a final production camera running final firmware over several weeks with a selection of native L-mount and adapted EF lenses. If you’re somebody who is planning to record a lot of video outside, it’s certainly worth investing in an external microphone. But now the S5 Mark II includes a spread of phase-detect autofocus points which hope to lay those demons to rest, and in a bold move, Panasonic invited a load of YouTubers including myself to Japan to try it out, before sending us home with the camera for long-term testing. On the whole, the S5’s all-purpose metering setting does a good job of keeping images well-balanced, but it can struggle a little with very high-contrast situations.

Panasonic Lumix S5 review | Digital Camera World Panasonic Lumix S5 review | Digital Camera World

Panasonic states that the S5 II has been tested to operate in temperatures as extreme as 40°C, and offers unlimited recording times at up to C4K/60p. I’ll be making comparisons throughout my review, as well as seeing how the S5 II has changed from the original version. As someone who’s used the LUMIX S1 since its launch in 2018 and the original LUMIX S5 since 2020, I’ve watched LUMIX full-frame steadily grow into a system that has every right to be revered among photographers and videographers.It’s certainly managing to keep the subject in focus across most of the frames here, and gives the S5 II a speed advantage over the Sony A7 IV which only offers 10fps whether using its mechanical or electronic shutter. Panasonic was actually one of the first camera companies to deploy deep-learning for advanced subject recognition, but today its options seem a little less intuitive than some of its rivals.