In-depth review of the Panasonic Lumix S5 for photography! Check prices or order at B&H: bhpho.to/3lKcYBd // WEX: tidd.ly/3jGTuv8 Buy Gordon a coffee: www.paypal.me/cameralabs Gordon's In Camera book: amzn.to/2n61PfI / Amazon uk: amzn.to/2mBqRVZ Cameralabs merchandise: redbubble.com/people/cameralabs/shop

It's driving me crazy that almost every review of any new camera I click on only focuses on the video mode, despite not giving any indication in the title of the video. Thanks so much for bucking the trend!

Thanks for taking a closer look at the photo features. I got the feeling that everyone ist just talking about the video mode

Really appreciate that you try to make separate photography and video reviews. I feel like mixing up those two makes sense in some cases, but honestly, doing both always feels like taking away from the other. So it's really nice that we can choose to watch the more important one or both if we want to.

Thank you for doing the Photography reviews! It's so helpful seeing a whole video about the photographic capabilities instead of 50 seconds in the end of a videography review....

After watching too many of the reviews I have to say that you do the best job...thanks.

Gordon, as always you have provided the most comprehensive and informative camera review on the internet. I greatly appreciate the work you do, and especially appreciate how you have started to break out photography vs video reviews. I have no interest in shooting video so it is just so good to get photography focused reviews. Personally I really like the look of the S5. Seems like a great stills camera.

As always, Gordon, stellar review. As an S1R user, I’m keen to see the trickle up effect on the next S1/S1R firmware release based on some of the enhancements evident in this camera. My hope is that Panasonic will now put more of an investment into support tutorials and videos for their L Mount products. They are woefully behind the other three major mirrorless full frame manufacturers in product education which gives the impression that they just don’t care enough about the sustainability of this system. Hopefully, they’ve turned this corner with the release of the S5.

Godon, Just bought your book, "Straight out of the Camera", and how great it is! It is deeply useful in thinking about creating good photo setups. I don't get much out of a lot of photography books, but yours is marvelous. And I do appreciate the detailed reviews you do in CameraLabs work. JP, Kansas City

This is the camera I've wanted for so long, to use my old FD lenses and invest in new ones. I'm saving all my money from the second job, it just goes in a lockbox while I try to acquire enough. 10% there. Thanks for the review.

Panasonic should make a full frame range finder style camera like their GX Micro 4/3 series or like the Sony A7c

Thank you for your excellent - as usual - review. This is a winner in my view, and a compelling reason to enter the Panasonic L system!

This was an incredibly helpful review, thank you!!!

Awesome review thank you this will be the next camera on my list.

One of the best camera reviews available, well done.

Thanks Gordon for that fantastic review! ( And the shots of Brighton! :-) )

Absolutely great review - Thank You, Gordon !

Awesome review. Probably the best S5 review online. Great samples and tests. I love the quick comparison to the competition. I just sold my G9 and pre-ordered the S5.

Thanks Gordon! With the S5ii being released I just picked up a new S5 with 12-60 and 50mm and 85mm primes for 1600 quid. Crazy value!

Your work is so appreciated!

Great information. Keep up the good work!

Thanks for another great video. This camera, with its smaller size and lower weight, make me worry a bit for Panasonic’s MFT line. I wish they’d add some form of really sticky and fast focus tracking, though. I’m more fascinated with the Canon R6 than the S5. I’m not getting rid of my G9 or other MFT cameras in the foreseeable future, though.

Others do decent enough reviews but if you want the best most thorough review Gordon is your man. 💪🏻

Great review - thanks for sharing. Just replaced my gx85 (finally) a couple days ago cuz this s5 felt just right from when I first was able to hold it in my hand. It´s just two days and a few shots tho I can already say, I love the handling, no upper screen - fantastic built feel (weather sealing), AF joystick + USB-C charge (yaasssss) only one cable to carry around from now on.

Great review. Can see the camera upclose, super analysis on the cam. Thanks a ton.

i have been waiting this for soo long, want it soo badly

Thanks Gordo, as an amateur landscape photographer I would go for this camera over my current 7III in-light of the touch menu and that in camera composite feature. The 20-60mm lens is also a potent lure.

Thanks for another excellent review. I have been reading reviews and watching videos for the past months trying to decide which camera kit to upgrade to (moving from a lowly but beloved and well used Fz300) One finds lots of comparative sites with specs and features but little direct comparisons in terms of image quality. How would the XT4 and S5 and the R6 compare for photography? As an example, when zooming in your images for the S5 appeared to show poor resolution, but Omar Gonzales and others showed excellent image resolution from the XT4. Potato Jet praised the S5 sharpness for video but mentions nothing re stills. From what I understand in theory the S5 being full frame should generate better images and improved ISO performance in darker conditions. Since reviews suggest XT4 JPGs come out better (maybe the XTRANS sensor?) does it mean lenses available to the S5 cannot compete, or is it just the kit lens? Does it mean the S5 images require a lot more post processing? I would wish to avoid that, since my present workflow with FZ300 involves using AEB in order to obtain the colour rendition I seek. I am not comparing the sharpness of the FZ300 very flexible lens with the interchangeable options for obvious reasons. Thanks for any insights.

Looks like a pretty good camera. Thanks for the great review!

Another cracking review Gordon. Very interesting camera, I would till have like phase detect autofocus to make it a world beater, the hunting and low light focus are something to ponder.

Great pedagogical & detailed review Gordon ! ( both of them )( PS :Iv'e already bought your excellent book! :-) )

Excellent review, great info!

very helpful for me. Thank you so much!

Thank you for your excellent review!

Wonderful review, thanks for your video!

I think this would make a good back-up to my SL2. Thank you very much for the well-presented review.

If there was an award for the best camera reviewer, I would vote for you! I’ve heard and read your reviews for years, always detailed and fair and very interesting and informative. How do you keep it up?

As always, an informative and thoroughly enjoyable clip. Did I get enough information to make an informed decision on this camera? Absolutely. I got curious about the high-megapixel image options on the S5 - and how did the 48megapixel images compare to the standard and 96? You said several times that you didn't feel you were getting "96 megapixels worth", so maybe the 48 is an acceptable.. stretch? I'm sure that if I bought an S5, I'd find it to be an enjoyable and quite capable camera. That said, in Australia, with the lens you had on it, the new Fujifilm X-S10 plus 16-90 mm lens is less than 2/3 the price of the S5. I know there's a difference in sensor size between the two, but that's a big gap.

Thanks for this review. Owner of both S1 and S1R I find them too big to carry around on vacation. This S5 seems to answer this point but I see less buttons and I’m wondering until what level it is customisable as the S1(s) are so powerful in this aspect. And the EVF, do you think it is good enough to use Leica M lenses and focus precisely? Thanks again

Plus Signa includes an additional L Mount Lens if pre ordered during September.

I finally got one. Coming from My Gh5 the photography quality is amaizing. 😊

Nice one Gordon. Mine is already on order. Must meet for a coffee some time.

I'm so happy I found your review! I was thinking about dropping a pre order on this but, having seen other reviews, was scared that the AF was still bad. I now realize they probably didn't have it set to face and eye detection, which is a shame. Does the camera come with exposure and focus bracketing? Can't really find info on that.

Thank you Gordon, I just bought it In 2023. I'm so happy about the quality. 👌😁

Nice review, just want to ask if there's also an option like in Sony full frame the super 35 mode or apsc mode in photography.

Good. Nice sample footage too.

This is my dream camera.

Great review, thanks!

i love this camera

Fantastic video for still photographers - me! Totally sold on this camera, though I don’t know why I have to pay for the video function! thank you!

Thank you for the review. I upgraded to this after 8 years of the Sony NEX5n. The ergonomics and menu and tools are so much better, something Sony still doesn't do right.

Amazing review!! Brighton rules!!

As often is the case, I go straight to Cameralabs to get an overview of a new camera. Thanks for doing a photography centric review (although you did stray off into video specs briefly). As you note, the low FPS with mech' shutter is a bit disappointing, as the 4k/6k photo isn't always an alternative due to using electronic shutter and the rolling effect as shown. I'd like to have seen a locking button on the mode dial, surely a design that could have been lifted from the G9. In fact, this seems to be a full frame G9 in many ways... I see from one of Lumix' own launch vids, with Adam Pretty, that a battery grip is also available, which will be handy (no pun intended).

Hey Gordon at the 7:20 minute mark. You mentioned you recorded 2 hours of 4k. Was it 8 bit or 10 bit?

How would the L-mount 20-60 on the s5 compare to the MFT 10-25 f1.7 on a GH5? Do you reckon they'd be pretty close? On the one hand we have a kit on FF but on the other we have a very premium lens on a smaller sensor. I ask because the 10-25 itself is already very close in price to the s5. I'm wondering if it might make sense to forgo the 10-25 altogether and make the jump to the s5 with kit instead

Great review Gordon! This camera is truly fantastic!! If I ever can financially upgrade to Full Frame, I think this camera will be my first option. It's just got almost everything I look for in a camera! I was wandering, does this camera adopt the option for linear manual focusing? As someone who usually manually focuses, this will be super helpful, especially with this kit lens that also looks impressive.

This is what the S1 should have been when it was released.

Hey Gordon, thanks for a detailed review as always. I was wondering, is there any way for eye af to be assigned on a function button? I understand you can do this with the entire af module. It's just more convenient not having to go through all options.

Excellent job!

Another top notch review!

Nice to have the still review separate, the Nikon Z6 with the 24-70 f4 is a similar kit price with the 20-60, But Seems? that Panasonic are throwing in a 45mm F2.8 Sigma free at the moment, which makes it a bit of a bargain.

I'm a GH5s user. Can you jam sync timecode to the S5 like I can with the GH5s? I prefer to sync multiple camera and audio sources using timecode.

The hard part is that the Panasonic S1 was just on sale for the same price of this camera for the body. I guess the argument would be is do you prefer a smaller size and the some of the differences between the 2. Great reviews as always.

Thinking of trading in my GX8 and a few lenses to get this body. Would this be a good option to use with a Zeiss 35mm ZM (M-Mount) lens with adapter? I'm not interested in the kit lens. I can then use the S5 alongside my G9 with telephoto micro four thirds lenses.

Hello, does it have a crop mode in photography like the Sony does to have further zoom with the lens?

Is the on/off switch awkward for the thumb/finger reach? I like the Nikon style much better.

Best review of the S5 - a seriously underappreciated camera. I own this and the Nikon z5 and while they check the same boxes as a simple photo taking tool, the S5 produces noticeably cleaner photos at comparable ISO values and I personally find Panasonic's metering to be second to none. Also, the dfd autofocus is blazing fast and accurate in good lighting and slower but still accurate in lower light. I bought the S5 almost entirely to use the 24-105 f4 OIS Macro - a lens that has basically no rival on any system. I intend to snag a few of their compact f1.8 primes.

Rly nice camera and review

Hi Gordon. Your reviews are so good. I hope to see a breakdown between photo and video on all cameras.. or at the start of the video “skip to xyz if you want to know the photo review or video review.” You know what I mean. Something super important to me is weather sealing and weight.. handling so thanks for being super clear

Hi Gordon. Can you save different custom video modes. I would like to have different settings for different modes much like the EOS R allows 3 custom plus M/TV/AV/P so really R has 7 video modes.

what was your shutter speed on the 12:44 mark? I found i had to increase to over 1000 with the 20mm-60mm 3.5 lens that came with the camera. I'm still yet to shoot some sports and slightly different to my Canon. Also the guy on the bike what shutter speed was it roughly? thanks

Best review hands down

Good review about lumix S5 👍

not sure if you can answer, but would it be better in picture quality than the XT4?

96 MP mode is actually usable handheld in sufficient light and with Sigma 24-70, the difference in resolution (and Noise performance) is day and night.

this video has alot of details others left out, thanks

Hi Gordon, fantastic review as always! I am currently deciding on my next hybrid camera for travel/family/landscape/and the rare professional job like portraits. This camera seemed like a great deal in 2022 now that it's dropped in price considerably. However, would you still recommend it here as we're entering 2023 over something like say - the X-H2 (the xh2s and a7iv and r6ii being a bit out of my budget)? Thanks and keep up the good work!

How do you know how much time is left on the sd card when recording video? there is no counter ? on image mode it tells me how many shot i have left. On video i cannot see time remaining? Only a 30 min countdown every time i press record.

Hey Gordon, I am a big fan of Panasonic overall, build quality, image quality, Menu system. but the Nikon Z5 looks really good for the price and what you get. Any chance you will be doing a review soon of the Nikon Z5? You always have the best, or most liked by me, reviews. Keep up the great work

Very helpful review, thanks. I’m feeling this one will be the one that gets me to leave Canon. I’m a still shooter, and the high res mode along with the lack of an anti-aliasing filter, and a variety of unique special effect features is very appealing. Craig

I currently focus on documentary films (on a very lean starting budget; all out of pocket) and my initial canera is the old Panasonic UX-180.... . I am looking at the S5 because the color science is similar, but it can push me closer towards the future..... from 8 bit and beyond. Plus it is a package that I can take on the motorcycle as well as hike with and has the weather resistance that the UX-180 does not have..... for out of the box, I can match the UX-180 with Cin-D mode, or switch to V-Log between primary and B camera..... that is my thinking anyway.

Does anyone know if the auto-exposure bracketing selections offer 2-stops between each step? For example, can I set it to capture 5 images with each image 2 stops of exposure apart? My M43 Panasonics (the GH4 and the G9) only offer up to 1-stop between each step. I cannot find this info anywhere, not even in the user guide. I shoot real estate on a contract basis and some of my clients require 5 images stepped 2 stops apart for their HDR processing.

that close up shot to the EVF was brilliant! wow!

Thanks Gordon for great review. Can you confirm if continuous shooting is 7 shots per second on single AF? And is it 5 shots on continuous AF? Looking at the sports mode here. Also on video mode how do you display time remaining on SD card?

Thanks Gordon, like the split between stills and video reviews. Nothing against Panasonic, have actually owned a couple of their Micro 4/3 rds a couple of years back but as mainly a stills user both this camera and the recently upgraded Sony A7s III plus Canon and Nikons recent launches are all a bit "samie", is there space for all this very sophisticated and very expensive kit in the market ? Yes I'm an old chap but to me I suspect that all these "feature packed" cameras are technical overkill to the people who could afford to buy them. Young people with their ever twitching digits, used to doing everything on their mobile phones and absolute whizz kids with video game controllers would be perfectly at home with this level of complexity but few of them would probably be bothered to use one and even fewer could afford to buy the body let alone a lens.

Excellent !

Thanks for the review. Z5, S5 seems to be a lot of "camera (features)" for just entry-level FF cameras. This addition to the L-mount family is more than welcome. Pretty sure Canon will level-up the game with the next EOS RP. But no more gear wars, let's just enjoy photography. --- Was wondering what the alliance will bring us in the future: 1) @Panasonic / #Panasonic #Lumix: 1.1. Lenses : more L lens to come 1.2. Cameras: 1.2.a : APSC => won't go there because of their G-Line. 1.2.b : FF : 1.2.b.1 : S5 (Entry-level - Hybrid Stills + Videos) 1.2.b.2 : S1 / S1R (Pro Photgraphers) 1.2.b.3 : S1H (for videomakers / filmmakers) 2) @Leica / #Leica: 2.1. Lenses : L & TL lenses 2.2. Cameras: 2.2.a : APSC : CL2, TL 2.2.b : FF : 2.2.b.1 : Will Leica RE-badge the S5 to offer a mini SL2? (Of course with the "price to pay" for the red dot) 2.2.b.2 : SL2 2.2.b.3 : --- 3) @Sigma / #Sigma: 3.1. Lenses 3.2. Cameras: 3.2.a : APSC / APSH : A replacement to the SD Quattro / SD QuattroH with L-mount, Foveon or Bayer Sensor? 3.2.b : FF : 3.2.b.1 : An affordable entry level like S5? 3.2.b.2 : A pro camera (mirrorless) to replace the SD1 / SD1 Merill with L-mount, Foveon or Bayer Sensor? 3.2.b.3 : Sigma FP : L-mount and Bayer sensor. Let's wait and see. :)

Greetings, how does the image compare to the S1H?

I don’t know if this would be better than the gh5s. It’s got full vlog and it’s full frame. That’s great. But gh5s is micro four thirds so I wouldn’t have to buy new lenses and adapters. So I’d probably be saving more money which is nice. I’d say having both would be best but I can’t do that.

This is a great addition to the range, but I prefer the ergonomics and size of the S1. I don't think this camera is a good match for the existing lenses - the pro lenses are big and heavy, and would be unbalanced on a smaller body. I don't think Panasonic claimed the S1 had dual native iso, but it clearly does. The point at which the changeover occurs depends on the picture mode. In most instances it is at ISO 640. I suspect this camera will be the same. The S1 always felt to me like the video functions had been deliberately crippled compared to the GH5, even though the camera was promoted for video use. Many software features were removed (such as shutter angle, data rates etc). It was not initially clear why these features were missing, until the S1H was announced. This camera seems to be missing the same features, but is described as full frame GH5. I am still hoping Panasonic can add those missing features via firmware update (I am 100% certain that many of the missing features could be implemented on the S1 and probably the S5 too). I suspect the lack of significant changes to the autofocus system will ultimately be the cameras Achilles heel (even though it's actually very good in most circumstances - except video).

Thanks as always. What are your thoughts about this from me who shoots the G9 and is looking at Xt4, S5, Z6/7

I use a Panasonic GX8, which I really enjoy. It doesn't look like Panasonic is going to update this camera, however. If we equip the S5 with a Sigma 45mm 2.4 lens, the smallest affordable normal lens I have found so far, the S5 - lens combination is still a third heavier than the GX8 with the PL25mm 1.4. I am not sure I want to take this leap. The issue of expense is also relevant for a Canadian. Canadian Panasonic prices are about a third higher than American dollar ones. The sacrifices of abandoning the GX8 for the S5 are therefore considerable, not withstanding the advantage of full frame bodies over M4/3rds ones. That is a whole topic in itself. No one has turned their noses up at my 20mp M4/3rds images yet.

AF and limited recording are the reason why I haven't bought this camera otherwise its a good camera. What are you doing in Brighton by the way 😃

im an s1r user but i have to admit i havent enjoyed playing with the s5 in the store. i dont do video but for stills it didnt feel like a refined experience. the shutter seemed clunky and it shoots slow. i really wanted to run a single system but as second body this isnt as nice to use as a second body from a smaller system like fuji or olympus. think im stuck with dual systems for now.

I have a question: Does the Tokina 11-20mm F2.8 Lens work with the Lumix S5 ? I use it with the GH5 with the Viltrox EF-M2 Speed Booster.

Some people seem to think the S1 is redundant. As a working cameraman and filmmaker the seemingly small advantages the S1 has are a big deal in the field, locking the controls for stock photography so I don't take 100 under/ over exposed shots by accident is fantastic and the full sized HDMI is a must for me. But Panasonic need to upgrade its already stellar video options and I'd argue include the vlog for free in order for it to maintain its status as a flagship.

I have to wonder just how many of the S series camera lenses and camera's Panasonic expect to sell given that so much of the attention has switched back to Canon, Sony and to a lesser degree Nikon. Given the rapid decline in ' traditional' camera's I fear the system won't have enough time to be really established before the ROI fails. Great review Gordon.

Now, if only Panasonic decided to implement a *reliable* AF system...

Hi Gordon, thank you so much for this review. Based on your photos, it seems that the 20-60mm lens is low-mid range quality, would you agree or it's KZfaq's compression? Anyway, I'd love to see it with a higher end lens in order to see the full potential of this camera in terms of photography. Will you consider to do such test in the neat future?

will s5 be good for weddings and ivends ?