GX8, GH5s, GH6, S1H Panasonic cameras comparison video. Low-light and dynamic range.

I've made heaps of short films with the GX8 and was slow to upgrade. Even when I upgraded in 2019, I resisted full-frame and chose the GH5s. Now in 2022 at work we have a GH6 and a full-frame S1H and it begs the question; how much of a step up are these cameras and will it make me want to own one myself to replace my older cameras.
The first test is at night filming a skyline under clouds to test low-light ISO performance and the second test is during the day with some clouds visible to test the dynamic range. One thing I knew for sure was that all 4 cameras, even the cheap GX8, are extremely sharp and produce real 4K images so I'm not testing resolution here.
To test ISO performance all cameras shared the same Panny 10-25mm f1.7 lens for m43 and the 50mm f1.8 for the S1H. All were at a shutter of 1/50, with lens wide open at 1.8. Because the m43 cameras were sharing the same lens all 4 cameras were not running at the same time therefore I had to deal with a changing sky from shot to shot. It's still conclusive enough for me but understand it could have advantaged one camera over the others.
During the day test I was able to record with all cameras at the same time but the lenses used were so different that did affect composition and sharpness. Cameras have different base ISOs so I stopped down the daylight using shutter speed, so gone was the 180 degree shutter rule for the sake of capturing fast. I was going for the best "digital negative" on each camera whatever the settings were.

[@FrankValchiria]

ANY GOOD FAST LENS WITH OIS FOR THE GH5S?

[@thomasandersonclimbing]

Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2

[@nosecondlost]

Thank you for this great upload. I'm surprised how good the GX8 already was 8 years ago! It was not fair to give it the weakest lens for the comparison against these new video monsters. The dynamic boost in the GH6 is a nice option but you really have to know when you want to use it. The S1H is and has to be the best but to be honest - for KZbin and without a direct comparison no one would complain about any video of any camera from these 4 especially when it is used by someone who knows how to handle it.

[@SynapticTV]

It's true that on KZbin even the noisiest clips can seem alright and my comments sound like rambling about stuff that can't be seen anyway. The compression attacks other aspects of the image, especially the shadows with nasty blocks of compression that aren't on the original files. I had to zoom in over 200% so that the noise is preserved and visible for comparison here. With the GX8 at least the same amazing 10-25mm f1.7 lens was shared between cameras for the night test. For the day test I used the GX8's kit lens but to be fair that was my setup for heaps for heaps of things I shot so it shows that I was at a disadvantage but managed anyway. I'm not getting Gerald Undone levels of accuracy and fairness here, more like what you're getting if you run-and-gun landscapes, which is the easiest compared to moving subjects and all that.

[@superzero4250]

Interesting comparison, especially the inclusion of the GX8. The GH5S was actually the most intriguing of the bunch for me, as it sparks more of my curiously, from a user of the GX8/GH4/GH5/GH5II… My only real point of contention about this comparison was lens choices, which literally was the only real element that would have not skewed perception of quality beyond each cameras technical ability. All the µ4/3 cameras should have at least used the same lenses as much as possible. Even better, all the cameras using the same adapted Nikkor, EF, or PL lens, would have been a more truer comparison… …

[@draysax]

I totally agree with you about the lenses

[@SynapticTV]

Fair enough but I was more looking for user cases, knowing I used different "kit" lenses with each camera. But also there a test in there where I used the same super expensive 10-25mm lens on each cam. Better in my mind than using legacy lenses with an adapter on new cameras.

[@VicTerProd]

Reaallyy nice comparisson!

[@soholingo]

What a well done video! You make me want to break out my GX-8 again!

[@JodyBruchon]

10:25 the GH5S is clearly shooting the best image here. All too often "cinematic" means "things out of focus or lacking detail that shouldn't be."

[@hopeless4ever]

Thank you for this comparison! It's the best I've seen.

[@ulfjonsson2122]

Very interesting and informative video1

[@slows728]

10:11 Do you mean the 10-25mm is a soft lens ?

[@MrJchristopher7]

gh5s wins. that camera is low light magic machine.

[@im_ismaeel]

great video.. now i am more happy that i bought gh5s ..

[@botbot3698]

Do you think the OLPF in the S1H makes a big difference compared to the other cheaper S cameras?

[@VistarCreative]

This is the best comparison I have ever seen on any camera. Excellent. Very disappointed in my GH6. Could be user error but it doesn’t seem so. Other than all of the amazing codecs, I see no upgrade from my GH5s. It may be up for sale soon. I’ll go S1H or switch brands.

[@johnbartram9056]

I feel you.

[@jonasbaier]

I got 2 GH5s and 2 Sigma 18-35 lenses and shoot mostly handheld. The quality of the footage is exceptional and can easily hold up with the newest cameras from 2022. What really hurts is the lack of 4K@50fps internal recording. Normally i record 1080p@50fps, so I can use my beloved small HD Focus 7'' monitor, for high end work I record externally in 4K@50fps with the 5" Ninja V - which sucks in comparison. The best option for me might actually be the BS1H box camera.

[@VistarCreative]

@McSnapples I'll look into that camera!

[@ruff1draft]

Did both the Panasonic GH5s and Panasonic S1H get a firmware update in 2020 to get the same autofocus as the Panasonic S5

[@Nick-4K]

I'd love to have the GH6 specs in a Gx85 body.

[@ggdfggdfgdffgfddg34]

I didn’t understand a little on the S1H was there also a crop lens?

[@swiftdetecting]

do u have preset how to save them on gx8 ? and would you say GH6 is better in lowlight to gx8 ? also S1H would a older canon 5dmk3 or 7dmk2 still be better low light as better sensor on them ?

[@SynapticTV]

I'd sort low light video GX8 < 7D/5D < GH6 < S1H. I don't know about the 7D MKII but I had a 550D it pretty much matched the 7D (in a cheaper package). I wouldn't go back to it for low light video over any modern camera, whether m43 or fullframe.

[@FoiMal123]

9:32 gx8 has this something in its shots. I can't put it to words. Looks more natural to me.

[@red2000films]

Which Lumix camera do you use the most out of those four now? I own a G7, G85, GH5s, GH6 and Canon XC10. I must say I use the GH5s and GH6 the most and sometimes the G85 as a photographic/KZbin camera. My other cameras are sort of in retirement. I must say this is an excellent comparison video. The picture quality of the GH5s is more flexible and robust in terms of noise and sharpness compared to the GH6. Have you thought of using Neat Video and an ND8 filter to mitigate or offset the noise problem with the GH6?

[@SynapticTV]

I get most out of the GH5s even for photography. I do prefer the size and simplicity of the GX8 for travels but the 11MP of the GH5s is enough for social media posts and I prefer having the option of shooting 10bit video if I need to rather than having 20MP pictures that look bad in low light. The GH6 and S1H are work cams so I don't use them for travels or personal stuff but I'd use the GH6 for travels with a small lens for sure. There's just no point in me upgrading from the GH5s to the GH6 for my personal work.

[@chrisklugh]

So if you could only have 1 camera out of the bunch, which one would you opt for?

[@fellowcitizen]

Excellent, thank you! Subscribed!

[@digida9351]

Great comparison ! Enjoyed that one. Surprised at the GH6 was it something in the Menu that was forgotten ?

[@SynapticTV]

Maybe I recorded in Pixel/Pixel mode that has more apparent noise than Full. I don't remember but if it was Pixel/Pixel there should have been a crop to the image but there wasn't. Still a mystery and the GH6 wasn't mine so I can't double check until later.

[@lanceevans1689]

@@SynapticTV There would be a crop, you are correct. But maybe you compensated for it with the zoon lens? This is only the second test I've seen where the GH6 doesn't fair well. All others show some stunning image quality.

[@colinthecameraguy]

So I’m thinking the GH5s gives the best Bang for your Buck 🤷

[@SynapticTV]

Surprisingly yes, but that would be exclusively for video with standard frame rates, on a tripod, slider or gimbal. The GH6 and S1H obliterate it when it comes to pictures. There's always something...

[@superzero4250]

In my opinion, the GH5II is the best and most underrated/misunderstood camera on the market… …

[@SynapticTV]

@@superzero4250 The camera should have came out right before lockdown and it would have sold like crazy as a livestreaming package. March and April 2020 heaps of people had to move their operations to remote so I wonder what the spike in sales was. I know I ran to the shops and got capture cards and all that stuff the day before the first lockdown.

[@JodyBruchon]

@@SynapticTV The GH5S was specifically made for video, so it doesn't have photo resolution. That's why it's so good.

[@EgmontLabadie]

@@JodyBruchon plus it doesn't have stabilization to be used with rigs or cranes, and...it has dual ISO. Which is the most important I think...

[@lazaroaleks3392]

Thank you for testing. I'm just coming to the low light test. I don't think V-log is the best picture profile for in low light. In addition, the GH5s and the S1H in V-log have a base ISO of I think 4000 or even 5000. The GH6 doesn't have that, but apart from the noise I think the picture is very good. Interesting would be a test in the HLG Picture Profile, which I think is best for low light situations. I find the dynamic boost mode rather counterproductive due to the high image noise. If you want a camera with a high dynamic range, an MFT camera is not the best choice. I still think the GH6 is a good compromise between the GH5s and the S1H in terms of size and performance. It always depends on what you want to do with it. Thanks & Greetings

[@SynapticTV]

If I start a project I like the whole thing to be shot in the same profile but I should shoot more in HLG. I've made one short in HLG in 2019 and I find it to be my best DOP / grading work so maybe it's just not by chance and I should go back to it more often.

[@GHuser85-rp6xz]

10:12 the 10-25mm is not soft it's a very sharp lens. The issue is the GH6. This camera was rushed as hell. With low frame rates in 4K,C4K,5,7K (24/25/30fps), most of the lenses are inuseable in AFC video because the focus is not accurate at all. I tested my 10-25mm, 25-50mm, 100-400mm, 25mm Pro, 45mm Pro, and all these lenses have the issue. Only my 25mm F1.4 II has no issue.

[@CorvusWolf]

Dynamic Boost have to be off… Dynamic don’t means good for low light

[@MCorpJC]

Nice work!!! but is the firmawre version of the GH6 is 1.2 or 2 :) ?

[@liangzhao432]

it should be

[@MLee-vcrr]

Excellent test man! I have the GX8, GH5S, GH5ii and S1 (Vlog upgrade) cameras. I think I'll pass on the new GH6. I really wish the GH6 had come out sooner but now there is simply not enough there in terms of image quality. BTW, have you noticed how much Sony copied the GX8 with the A7C? I still can't believe Panasonic only used this design once.

[@ktvisionshots_]

Gh5s has only 10mp which pixels are bigger which better low light. Gh6 and s1h has higher megapixels which pixels are smaller than which causes noises in the video.

[@SynapticTV]

I think the GH5s' photosites are still smaller than the S1H's.

[@robinert8858]

great video. thanks for making it

[@peternavanac9310]

What codecs were you using in each camera? Prores is a fairly noisy codec...but works well with noise reduction in Davinci. I have both the GH5s and the GH6 and find the prores and 800mb h.264 on the GH6 to be far superior to the internal codecs or external prores from the GH5s! Skintones, color rendition and the look of the GH6 is superb. The 4k, oversampled 120p is simply phenomenal too. Also I have had zero problems with the GH6 being noisy except in dark situations. Much of the noise in the GH6 is also corrected by over exposing 2/3 of a stop then bringing down the highlights. The internal prores and full Vlog is FAR superior to the GH5s. Just showing the noise in the clouds and noise in the shadows of the water scene was not at all a fair representation of the image quality of the GH6.

[@SynapticTV]

I went with regular 4K 25fps H.264 LongGOP with all cameras because this is what I have to use 90% of the time for corporate work or short films. GX8 is 100Mbps, GH5s is 150Mbps and I'm pretty sure the GH6 and S1H were both 200Mbps. I'd love to be able to say to you that I'm always using Prores or RAW because the production level requires it but it's not the case.

[@peternavanac9310]

@@SynapticTV This test does not take into account the amazing 800mb h.264, not to mention DCI 4k prores HQ to 60p. The quality is simply at another level and is very easy to grade and much more forgiving of over or under exposure. Looking at the footage on a color corrected, true 10bit display reveals this. Thanks for what you did show, as it reveals what to be careful of and what codecs are best in some situations. All the best.

[@JodyBruchon]

The GH5S is definitely the superior machine out of all four.

[@peternavanac9310]

@@JodyBruchon on what basis? Gh6 has infinity better pics, a superior sensor, a tilting flip sceen, vastly better prores codecs…and way better video. What is the basis for your observation?

[@JodyBruchon]

@@peternavanac9310 The GH5S sensor is massively superior for video and for pictures if your needs are 10MP or less. It has an articulating screen. ProRes is not "vastly better" either, and if you need that, you're better off getting an Atomos Ninja V and using the RAW HDMI output feature of the GH5S. The GH6 does not have "better video." Also, the lack of IBIS on the GH5S is a major plus for all stabilized shooting (gimbals, tripods, sliders, car mounts).

[@stephanes.]

the OLPF seems to make things harder for the autofocus on the S1H

[@WalkingHeadPro]

s1h is great for stills but for video the slower readout speed makes movement between frames unappealing compared to quicker sensor on gh6 and gh5s

[@AoyagiAichou]

At 10:36 it looks more like the GH6 is so soft because of the 2000 ISO. Even when the tortured AF flips to the leaves, they're nowhere near any other camera in terms of sharpness. Looks like DRB has only a very niche use.

[@Eyepatchfilms]

I get the same feeling with gh6 thinking I'm doing somehting wrong in DR boost mode. the noise is relentless

[@SynapticTV]

The more I look at other comparisons online the more I'm thinking I was mistakenly recording 4K in Pixel/Pixel mode on the GH6. The noise I got is consistent with the bad results of Pixel/Pixel mode compared to Full that is clean and what's expected of the camera.

[@spacelord1913]

Do you always shoot v-log light for GH5s? I am still learning with it, and find cine-v gives a nice image with low noise. Do you ever use other profiles and adjust the noise reduction setting in the camera? Good video btw.

[@robingossman3385]

cine -d works well

[@robingossman3385]

I shot this in cinelike-d and find it to be way less noisier than v-logL kzbin.info/www/bejne/paupoqNqlLaLa6c

[@JodyBruchon]

Use neutral. Log and "cine" ruins the footage.

[@skepsys]

you can't test the af tracking with an f5.6 (or what you used in the second part of the af test), cuz everything is in focus anyway........ otherwise, interesting video

[@SynapticTV]

GX8 f3.5 GH5s f2.8 GH6 f1.7 S1H f4 Yes f3.5 zoomed out on a kit lens on m43 is not enough to clearly see background separation, hence the "Maybe" all the time and the pointlessness of the exercise.

[@EgmontLabadie]

I've seen tracking tests made at f13 !!! LOL

[@stephanes.]

we can see the smaller GH6's photosites here... noisier image

[@CorvusWolf]

And Vlog is not for night shoot… any camera 🙄

[@djmouglie]

oh wow .. the GH6 looks so bad! .. i have a GH5, and was thinking of upgrading because i thought i would get a better image quality .. but ufff

[@SynapticTV]

I'm still confused by my own video. I use the GH6 on a semi-regular basis at work and constantly get great results. Meanwhile I got overconfident with the S1H in taking action shots in low-light and was reminded it's not magic. Still have to expose decently.