Panasonic S5 Review - The Best Hybrid Camera for $2000?

They say the camera market is shrinking but we seem to have more options than ever. Should you buy the new Panasonic Lumix S5 instead of the Nikon Z6 II, Sony A7 III, or the Canon R6? Find out in this video.
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[@dl88889]

Your reviews are so detailed and you talk about stuff that other reviewers omitted or just didn't notice, like the slightly raised buttons for ISO and WB. Well done! Got mine for 1700 USD and change at a local sale in Malaysia. Can't wait to start shooting with it.

[@glennsak]

Happy to see some love for Panasonic. Thanks, Hyun!

[@iamhassan9943]

In my opinion the S5 is the best value camera on the market. Outstanding value. And if you got in on the pre order you got a Sigma 45mm 2.8.

[@LucaBono.Studio]

True...If I didn't pick the S1 2 years ago, I would have get the S5 for sure!

[@Filmmaker809]

I agree with you somewhat, but the EVF is lower res than the GH5 and, S5 does not have a full HDMI.

[@SB-mr2nk]

No autofocus

[@iamhassan9943]

@@SB-mr2nk So, the stills autofocus is actually really really good. The video autofocus while not as good as the competition is not nonexistent.

[@thabo5799]

@@SB-mr2nk Go manual focus. It's not as hard, just needs some time and effort. Your work will be better, trust

[@ItzSi]

I believe its the most underrated camera.... great vid

[@akumar7366]

Fantastic review , very enjoyable to watch.

[@denisrandomtech5822]

The G9 and the S5 are the most underrated cameras today.

[@MrWoofer]

Very true!

[@MarkBennettCameraCrisis]

I’ll throw the GH5 into that too!!

[@rafaelcortinhas3137]

Gh5 ii vs gh9? What’s your opinion guys?

[@MarkBennettCameraCrisis]

@@rafaelcortinhas3137 That’s a tough one - it depends on your needs. The GH5ii has unlimited recording and all those cool anamorphic options and better video options in general. But the G9 is still an amazing video camera if you don’t need all the extra video features of the GH5ii. It’s also a better photo camera and it’s ergonomics are far better (which really makes a difference for handheld shooting). And it’s a lot cheaper. I own the GH5, so right now I would choose the G9 instead of the GH5ii. If I didn’t own anything, I would choose the GH5ii because I do a ton of video work and I need things like unlimited recording.

[@rafaelcortinhas3137]

@@MarkBennettCameraCrisis many thanks mate 👍🏻

[@crucified4me]

Great review! Planning on buying this one soon as I upgrade from the Lumix G85. Thank you so much 👍

[@LucaBono.Studio]

The upgrade will be massive! But keep the g85 as b-cam ;)

[@crucified4me]

@@LucaBono.Studio Thank you!

[@zenonbillings9008]

really find your evaluation on the panasonic S5 excellent. I'm exclusively a stills shooter in the LmonochromeD setting for the past year and get excellent results using mostly the 20 to 60 kit lens. I concur with your opinion on this lens, the more I use this lens the more I like it. find your site very good, much better than most others. thx once again....zen billings in canada

[@giannimoisson4000]

The best review ever seen for the Panasonic s5, congrats man.

[@joselopes8564]

congratulations on the video, I took my s5 lumix, really an excellent camera for the price

[@isabellamartinez2889]

Hi can you make a video explaining what presets are and how they differ from a filter on Instagram or snapchat. What the advantages are and disadvantages. Thanks! You're videos have been very helpful.

[@PhillipGibsonPhotography]

I recently purchased the GH5 and I’ve been thinking about getting the S5 as a full frame companion. This video has really helped me decide that I’m going to buy the S5. Thanks for the content. Good video. I did an in depth review of the GH5 on my channel.

[@KamilKeenanVisuals]

I am thinking about buying S5 as well, but S1 seems to be a better options with recent updates, ain't it?

[@PhillipGibsonPhotography]

@@KamilKeenanVisuals the S1 is a very good camera, but at this time I feel like the S5 is one of the best bang for your buck options for cameras on the market. I’ve never regretted getting mine, and it’s definitely served me well. I don’t think you can go wrong either way though.

[@KamilKeenanVisuals]

@@PhillipGibsonPhotography OK, thx!

[@pmfilmsUK]

Great review

[@kentmemories]

PANNY is best on UI/UX, IBIS, video IQ, and, subjectively, color. Drawbacks are video AF & perhaps marketing :)

[@shumasoha102]

I can't open the front lense any pointers pleaseeeeeeeeeee lm going to Cornwall and want to get myself clued up on how to use it before l travel

[@VynZography]

DAMNNN!!! I never even noticed the different heights of the WB ISO EXP buttons!!!!!!

[@hermanborgstrm6276]

Can’t you make a full comparison video between the s5 and the a7iii? I’m in the decision process between these two now.

[@VespertiliKildem]

Great review, thank you. I'm looking at ALL the possible reviews, because I would like to buy this camera so much, but I heard the autofocus is not top notch, compared to other major names. My alternative is the Canon r6, which has a GODLY autofocus ahah

[@KeithsTVHD1]

Luvin my S1H!

[@juniorjones5137]

Great job as usual reviewing, i purchased mine a few months ago mainly for photo shoots and love it, only issue is the screen could be a little better and they need more lenses mainly primes but its a great little camera feature rich great review

[@lalilland]

What's wrong with the screen? I find it excellent. The resolution is better than anything Sony has provided even in their highest end camera. Try bumping up the brightness, as AUTO tends to be too dim.

[@juniorjones5137]

The screen could be a little bigger like s1 and more resolution but I understand they had to cut somewhere, and he is perfectly right about the construction i own G9 the G9 is built better, but this for the money is the best full camera I own 85 1.8 great lens waiting for 50 1.8

[@Morenachinita]

Ralph! What do h have a review for canon eos 1d mark ll ???

[@briandipierro8865]

I absolutely love my S5. Love to see more love for it. I just really wish Panasonic could come out with more lenses soon.

[@LucaBono.Studio]

Everyone is waiting for that damn 35mm f1.8 ahahahah

[@briandipierro8865]

@@LucaBono.Studio I'm waiting for the basic nifty 50 since that's around my favorite focal range, I haven't really tried a 35 yet. Kind of want to now.

[@LucaBono.Studio]

@@briandipierro8865 you can't go wrong with a 35mm or 50mm ;) they are both great lenses! I'm using Zeiss and Leica R 35mm F2 lenses with my S1 and I love them...so maybe I'll skip the Lumix S primes

[@fellowcitizen]

Eh? There are so many lenses now for the L mount. It will be good when the midrange 24/35/50mm f/1.8 primes come out from Panasonic, though. Leaving aside expensive Leicas, AF adaptors, and third-party manual lenses from Laowa etc, you can get these native first-party lenses: i-45mm f/2.8 cupcake i-24mm f/3.5 demi-macro cupcake i-35mm f/2 i-65mm f/2 high performance 28-70mm f/2.8 compact zoom 470g 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 compact zoom 350g 16-35mm f/4 S Pro compact zoom 500g (Leica cert.) 14-24mm f/2.8 Art 24-70mm f/2.8 S Pro (Leica cert.) 24-70mm f/2.8 Art 24-105mm f/4 70-200mm f/4 S Pro (Leica-cert.) +TC2x + TC1.4x 70-200mm f/2.8 S Pro (Leica cert.) +TC2x + TC1.4x 105mm f/2.8 Art Macro super high performance +TC2x + TC1.4x 100-400mm f/5-6.3 +TC2x + TC1.4x 35mm f/1.2 Art DN high performance 50mm f/1.4 S Pro super high performance 85mm f/1.8 85mm f/1.4 Art DN 630g super high performance 56mm f/1.4 aps-c 30mm f/1.4 aps-c 16mm f/1.4 aps-c 135mm f/1.8 Art slr super high performance 105mm f/1.4 Art slr super high performance 85mm f/1.4 Art slr super high performance 70mm f/2.8 Art Macro slr 50mm f/1.4 Art slr 40mm f/1.4 Art slr super high performance 35mm f/1.4 Art slr 28mm f/1.4 Art slr 24mm f/1.4 Art slr 20mm f/1.4 Art slr 14mm f/1.8 Art slr And they're almost all both cheaper and higher performing than their Sony/Canon counterparts ;)

[@Alexrocks1253]

What are your thoughts on the Sony A7IV which is releasing soon?

[@camexplora9742]

What lens were you using?

[@instinctbackpack]

Nice review! Panasonic cameras are nice

[@BiblijneChrześcijaństwo]

Only downside of S5 is a 30 min limit in 4K 25 10bit. When Panasonic will remove that limit we will get as b and c cam for our S1

[@MyFlyingEyes]

I have a question: Does it work with the Tokina 11-20mm F2.8 lens? I use it with the GH5 with the Viltrox Ef-M2 speed Booster.

[@ankurkalita1715]

Yes

[@joshualaird5303]

I shoot real estate and currenty use a 5d MkIII... I need to add video and this camera seems perfect for me. I'm pulling the trigger next week

[@Ryan_Powers25]

How does it compare to Nikon Z6 or Z5 for photos? I've used the S5 in the past and got great, vibrant, rich images out of it.

[@marc2670]

This is probably the best hybrid camera, especially at this price point. I got mine on sale for just about $1600 incl. kit lens. What I also like is that there is no lowpass filter.

[@MrJamir-sk2hw]

I got it for a thousand only.

[@thabo5799]

It's 1.3k on amazon UK right now. 10% off with student discount. Crazy deal, I'm getting one for stills

[@marc2670]

@@thabo5799 for this price this is a no-brainer, also this kit lens is phenomenal, not perfect, but very usable range and very light as well.

[@germancreatives88]

it teach me to do manual focus, at least im not afraid now to use blackmagic, image quality is superb 10 bit 422 and 6k raw atomos

[@SB-mr2nk]

Lmfao

[@ilfenomeno4139]

Woud you recomend this lumix s5 over the a7iii ?i can get them at the same price atm A7iii I see many complains about the shutter failiure thats smtg made me think about other brands

[@HyunRalphJeong]

It all depends on what you need. Sony has more lenses, this has better video specs. I’ve owned 4 a7iiis and haven’t experienced shutter failure but obviously everyone’s experience will vary.

[@markshirley01]

Hyun - would you trust the S5 auto focus on a gimbal. My next camera will probably be used at some point on a gimbal. I know someone people set their focus distance but it would be nice to use AF

[@HyunRalphJeong]

I think it always depends on the shots and lighting. I don't think I can fully trust any camera's autofocus yet but I think it's good enough to get the job done most of the time.

[@markshirley01]

@@HyunRalphJeong thanks Hyun that very helpful. One thing I have heard about the S5 is that its 1080 isnt very good. I shoot a lot of online content (graphic designer) still in HD so a bit disappointing.

[@HyunRalphJeong]

@@markshirley01 unfortunately that seems to be a trend with a lot of new cameras. If I remember correctly, the 1080 from the Canon R6 was worse than the one from The R. One solution would be to shoot in 4K and downsize them before editing. But unless you’ll be cropping your footage a lot, the 1080 quality may not be too bad for online use.

[@SakellarisNikolaos]

I believe that is good for video😄👍 some limitations for 4k 50/60p (aps-C crop)

[@randykamindo4795]

the plus is that there is very minimal rolling shutter in aps c mode

[@LucaBono.Studio]

Yeah the camera perform very well in aps-c...but the full frame look is too gorgeous ahahah

[@messyfilms6325]

I’ve never used that red record button because with a cage it’s a pain to get to.

[@sjmedia_official]

Should I swap my XT4 for this will it give me better quality image?

[@Princeton_James]

Yes it will and yes you should.

[@sjmedia_official]

@@Princeton_James I did about a year ago, but no the image quality is not better. Fuji can record up to 400mbps and S5 up 150 internally.

[@jeveetsoibam]

Love my R6

[@TheKimNeeper]

Front dial is aluminum, not plastic.

[@DanielM1224]

I'd switch if there was a good, affordable wide angle lens

[@KismetCreative]

I have this camera, and it produces beautiful images. One thing that is a problem though is that Panasonic doesn't properly communicate that V90 cards are recommended for shooting 4k video. On top of that, slot 2 does not support V90 cards, which renders it somewhat useless. You can use sub-v90 cards, but you put yourself at a greater risk of those dreaded ".mtd" files (which occur randomly, and not related to battery issues) and are costly to recover. I think this is a flaw that most users are not aware of. I'm not sure I trust this camera for pro use. Certainly not in the way that I trusted the GH5.

[@vlcheish]

the AF using 60fps is much better

[@marc2670]

AF is already a huge step up from Fuji where face tracking often hunts like crazy. Last sentence, it is far from perfect 😂 I would say it is almost perfect 👌

[@NickBarang]

I can't see Panasonic sales taking off any time soon, they need a camera which slays the opposition at this stage of the market. Canon, Sony and Fuji are the mirrorless market leaders. Nikon is floundering. Olympus is dead. And Pentax is, well, Pentax. Can Panasonic jump into the top 3 based on this camera or any of their cameras? Not likely. It's good to see Sigma making inroads into the mirrorless game too this week but it all feels like it's too little too late. The smart thing to do now is to challenge Fuji in the medium format market rather than fight over an ever-shrinking market with too many players serving it.

[@shzammpatapon9865]

agree, for fuck sake please give good autofocus. the people who didn't care is the dumbest thing ever. what about sports photography. nothing can compete with rf mount and e mount. fuji is an exception because they can make their own lens

[@LucaBono.Studio]

They offer the best image quality in video with a full frame sensor under 2000$...it's something important for many, but not for everyone.

[@NickBarang]

@@LucaBono.Studio So what? It's not enough of a selling point. Most users have systems already. Those buying new cameras to replace smartphones are a tiny minority. It has to be a killer selling point to get people to change systems and that's not a killer selling point.

[@LucaBono.Studio]

@@NickBarang maybe not for you, but for other people yes... I was a Sony user and I can't use it anymore after I moved to Panasonic...colour science and image quality in video are important for me.

[@NickBarang]

@@LucaBono.Studio You're still not getting it. Not for the market. There are always individual oddballs. Nobody cares - you don't matter to shareholders. It has to be something to excite the market, not someone pixel peeping or blabbing on about color science. And this, it's not it.

[@exitar1]

take 300 off now

[@eduardocardona6608]

$1500 its the right price., $2000 too much.

[@nandoalva]

It's now 1699

[@eduardocardona6608]

@@nandoalva Where? In Amazon its still 2000.

[@AceNirvana]

Agreed

[@shzammpatapon9865]

no good lens no buy. that's why sony and canon flourishes

[@LucaBono.Studio]

The planet is full of stunning lenses...maybe you are searching in the wrong direction ;)

[@shzammpatapon9865]

@@LucaBono.Studio yeah, said like a true sad l mount losers mount. goodluck having all the lens equivalent to sony or canon

[@LucaBono.Studio]

@@shzammpatapon9865 I don't use Sony/Canon/Nikon/L-mount losers lenses...apparently we are all losers, me included ;)

[@benjiosborne]

Sigma L mount.. Goofy

[@chandanprakash2002]

@@shzammpatapon9865 i checked just now. On wexphotosvideos , i saw 77 L mount lenses. From panasonic, Sigma and Leica.

[@motebike]

In March 2021? Yes it wast probably the best. Not anymore in 2022. Sony A7 IV is the new kind on the block.

[@cOcOmOo92]

Those two cameras aren't in the same price range though..