Sony ZV-E1 vs Panasonic S5 IIX: Which is the Ultimate Creator Cam?

The Sony ZV-E1 and Panasonic S5 IIX were released weeks apart, at the same price. Both of these video focused full frame cameras are aimed at the often discussed "creator", but which cameras will actually help your creative process? The answer is more complicated than you might expect, but thankfully PetaPixel's Jordan Drake is here to help.
Rental equipment provided by The Camera Store. You should buy things from them.
www.thecamerastore.com
0:00 - Intro
1:16 - Handling
3:04 - Displays
4:06 - Battery life
4:47 - Recording modes
6:23 - Autofocus
7:48 - Image quality
9:22 - Photography
10:35 - Speed Round!!!
10:47 - Which is right for you?

[@funkmon]

Glad the Noct has made the transition as standard weight unit

[@sotyfan1]

The S5 has an operation lock in the menus. You can set it to a function button for a quick lock on the wheels

[@JoATTech]

Thanks :D

[@davidmultimedia2024]

We don't want to lock every operation.. we still need to change many settings while shooting. We want to have the option to lock the Shutter Angle ONLY so we can keep it at 180 degree all the time without changing the value by mistake.. shoot the whole time and realize that all the footage may be unusable because the motion blur is wrong.

[@BNC593]

@@davidmultimedia2024 ​​⁠ The S5Ii Allows exactly what you asked for regarding what you want locked.

[@davidmultimedia2024]

@@BNC593 Since when?! To my knowledge, it’s like the original S5 and others.. it’s an "Operation Lock" that locks every operation.. no way to lock the Shutter Speed only. If the option is truly there, then nobody seem to know it since i’m not the only one whinning about that.

[@Kindzadza051]

@@davidmultimedia2024угол затвора можно отдельно блокировать. Не придумывайте ерунду

[@andrescarrasco1248]

I'm a Sony user, I have lots of lenses, buy that new s5m2x dammmm it looks good, for the money it's just a much better option than anything Sony for that price

[@karlsma7245]

I’m sort of surprised that you didn’t cover overheating

[@petercofrancesco9812]

That's a hot topic. Joking aside they should have mentioned the Sony heat issues but I think with the start of the new channel they're concentrating on the positive.

[@ChocoLater1]

That was covered elsewhere.

[@frostgodx]

@@petercofrancesco9812 kind of bogus

[@petercofrancesco9812]

​@@frostgodx The way the game is played if they're too negative they won't get prerelease cameras to review. Instead bashing a camera they'll leave out unfavorable aspects. Chis and Jordan are pretty fair so I can't be too hard on them. The omission is probably mostly to do this was a fairly short review of two cameras. Before making a larger purchase the buyer needs to watch/read as many different sources as possible to catch stuff like over heating.

[@guyjordan8201]

Excellent coverage as usual, good to see Chris in a supporting role… Keep the contact coming you need to flood your channel with stuff.

[@Onpex]

I'm so glad to see you guys back in action !

[@embrown23]

Nice to see you hosting! Great job!

[@jayclas4023]

Thank God you guys are back! I knew something was missing from my camera searches and now I know what it was🤟🏽

[@ChristophHoward]

Yay! Jordan and Chris on Petapixel!

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

Another fun and informative video! Never change, guys!

[@topg2820]

Great to see you guys back, lesgo!

[@robtheaccountant]

Glad to see yall back 👍

[@MichaelBabich]

There definitely should also be a price comparison to the Noct-not only weight. Like what fraction of the Noct a camera's price is. This will make it a holistic comparison 🤗

[@reemalhadrami5274]

hahaha that's a nice one , we should consider the (barrel) which is equal to 80mil of Walter White's money that he put in barrels to hide in the desert since both Chris and Gordan are a big movie buffs

[@LeesChannel]

Excellent suggestion

[@arthmelkouame5657]

The S5 IIX has a better build quality and won't overheat also. You can use it anywhere. For the price, it's a much better deal than the Sony, even if the autofocus is slightly better and it has all the AI features. Panasonic did a better job at this price. If you are an amateur, you get a professional weapon that will last, you will grow with it.

[@supercjh]

Thank u for sharing ur opinion on the comparison. Just what I was looking

[@atticusakelly]

I would like to use this to make tutorials and youtube videos, with the highest image quality possible. I'd also like to start getting into photography. Would this be the right choice? I like the idea of growing into the tool.

[@thatsreallyamoon]

@@atticusakelly If you need photography, the 24 MP sensor on the S5ii is just better, zero competition. However, if you like 4k60 (no crop) and 4k120 (some crop, S5ii doesnt even do 4k120 at all), then go for the ZVE1. If you just need 4k24 or 4k30, and you're sure about that, then go with the S5ii. S5ii has great 4k60, but it IS cropped into 1.5x, so it makes framing annoying.

[@atticusakelly]

@@thatsreallyamoon thank you, is the 4k25 or 4k30 cropped? I appreciate your response!

[@thatsreallyamoon]

@@atticusakelly I have the original S5 but I know most specs of the S5ii series. The 4K30 and 25 are full frame no crop, full width. You can choose to do a APSC crop on 4K30 and 25 if you want, but you don’t have to. For 4K60 fps you are forced into APSC.

[@donstravelsandrants.]

Great to see you both back on a new channel.👍😊🇮🇪🇨🇦

[@harryconnolly2363]

if your worried about pulling the s5iix out and messing up your settings you have on it if you re map the front button to operation lock it allows you to lock all of the settings to what they are and simply just press it again to unlock. it has saved me so many times on the s5ii

[@Atomicjedi]

And..... SUBBED! Great to see you here Jordan & Chris!!!

[@NeonShores]

The 4k/60 crop on the S5II is still a bummer. Otherwise its exactly the camera I want.

[@caseybachmeyer]

and the stupid af

[@BNC593]

Yes, great to see you both again! I’m not sure where we would be without your camera review perspectives over the many years! Please never stop! Both cameras look great, but I wouldn’t get 10 minutes out in Phoenix Arizona weather today with the Sony ZV-E1. The S5II image quality,especially to 6k Prores makes this a no brainer for video!

[@bigrobotnewstoday1436]

Gordon said these cameras are junk and he said just buy a Arri Alexa.

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

Whose Gordon?

[@_o__o_]

@@scottslotterbeck3796 who you?

[@bigrobotnewstoday1436]

@@scottslotterbeck3796 Jordon's evil twin brother. Its a joke in some of the Dpreview videos he shows up. They do a camera stick and split the video and Jordon plays Gordon. He's a Hollywood filmmaker and only uses the best of the best gear and looks down on other nerds and Jordon who is more down to Earth filmmaker.

[@gabrielmachadobsb]

Gordon also said his Master Primes weigh more than a noct and Jordan should stop implying it's a lot. Real lenses have chonky bodies

[@michevanessen]

💀

[@Andynath100]

No mention of overheating/record times? Some users are reporting that the ZV-E1 is quite poor in that regard.

[@dstilstil88]

How can he know that? He lives in Canada!

[@vlcthefish]

Some users who own it have no issues. Real simple. Are you doing really long clips?

[@ryanreyes5440]

Mine overheated using it in webcam mode (720p) 30min standby then 15 streaming then off 70 deg room temp :(

[@vlcthefish]

​@@ryanreyes5440 Yes terrible camera for streaming. Get a much cheaper FX30

[@Dexxter_slav]

​​@@vlcthefishony camera is marketed for vloggers. So the answer to your question is yes.

[@DanniPortillo]

The comparison I've been waiting for 😎

[@fofopho]

I just can’t get there with the ZV-E1 … it’s a camera made for basically no one. At $2200 it’s not aimed at a beginners price point, but lacks a bunch of the features nearly all professionals would need (custom buttons and heat dissipation as an example). I’m a Sony shooter, but this camera was a massive swing and a miss. It’s pretty obvious that the S5IIX is the far better offering at the price point. Open gate recording is huge for someone like myself who works primarily with social media influencers who need 16x9 and 9x16 videos extracted from the footage we shoot. Not to mention Blackmagic RAW, as a Davinci user that’s huge. For the first time since I started shooting sony I’m tempted to buy a camera outside of the Sony ecosystem.

[@Ildskalli]

Yeah, I'd take an FX30 any day over it. The sensor size penalty is negated by pretty much everything else being massively better on the FX.

[@jcav764]

@@richrollin4867 Yep. From my point of view - If you want a great image right out of the gate no matter how much of a noob you are, you get the ZV-E1. If you want to spend time with RAW and rigging up your camera, you get the S5IIX. He mentions liking the sharper image from the S5II better but some of these S5II videos are just hard to watch compared to A7SIII, FX3, ZV-E1 stuff. Even the FX6 uses the same sensor.

[@spaceghostcqc2137]

Wait it's 2200?!

[@MrTmiket0007]

Thanks so much for sharing another wonderful video like always, keep up with the awesome content 👍❤️🤗

[@kristoffergo6294]

Really beautiful colors on this video:)

[@AnotherCupofTea2]

Your videos are better than ever! 👍

[@rutlegs]

Luv y'all!! Thanks for the non nonsense review.

[@g85stories30]

Thank god you guys found a new home! As a fellow Calgarian, I loved seeing our local environments. Oh and you guys too, I love you guys......but mostly just Calgary!

[@theSUBVERSIVE]

I want a G-series camera with the S5II/X PDAF tech with the Micro4/3 benefits, so faster readout, no cropping, better slowmo, save the extra video stuff and a new sensor for the GH7.

[@aldolega]

It's a real shame you rushed through stabe and audio, and didn't mention overheating. All super important factors. I'm not super familiar with the Sony's audio specs but wouldn't the Pannyboy win out just for having a four-channel option, better preamps, and going all the way down to -18db? I get the desire to keep the videos a reasonable length, but we're here for your analysis first, a minute spent on these factors would have been well worth it.

[@reemalhadrami5274]

hahaha i too call it the pannyboy am not sure if its kasey from CC or was it already the slang before him 😂

[@Clickumentary]

💯

[@Clickumentary]

​@@reemalhadrami5274 pannyboy + "stabe" are Kasey calling cards

[@georgekn3mp]

​@@Clickumentary I'm glad he branched out to nature videography 😊 I bet if he had the 150-600 to use with S5IIx it may have beat out his A7SIII for nature video....

[@KevinWuOfficial]

Lumix S5ii X and Fuji XH2s, which one is a better deal?

[@lrosengreen]

So nice to see Jordan in front of the camera instead of that other guy 😂 Great review!

[@reddevil211287]

I'm glad these two boys found a new home :)

[@EscapeSquad]

So nice to see you like nothing happened !!!

[@cityproofdad]

Great review

[@mikeyb6737]

Great video. I think in the next month I will order the Lumix

[@maschwerer]

They’re back!!!

[@danieldougan269]

The S5 IIX sounds like an ideal camera. Now, Panasonic needs to bring phase-detect to Micro Four Thirds for me while still bringing great video features.

[@Ross-12]

Not sure how many other people noticed this too but I really liked on the old channel where the thumbnails have the video title too which made it easier to find the videos in my subscription feed

[@Mionwang]

It's an absolute no brainer. I haven't used the S5ii X but I've used S5ii and a7s3 and I'd pick the S5ii X anyday over even the a7s3.

[@tomdchi12]

The E mount lens ecosystem is a huge advantage for Sony in my mind. I've used Panasonic GHs for quite a while but was about to switch to Sony. But the good enough AF and other features of the S5ii X versus what are big negatives for me with the ZV-E1/FX30 (no EVF, microHDMI, impaired features like shutter angle and no waveform, etc) is getting me to move to the L mount system. Sony's color has improved to my eyes, but I still prefer what I can get with V Log.

[@walrusgumboot]

True E Mount has more options but L Mount has come a long way with Sigma’s offerings too. If you’re a prime shooter the Panasonic f1.8 series is great

[@wordlv]

FX30 has full-size HDMI

[@techtrx]

definitely the canon r8, but in this case the Lumix is for me. tried the zv-e1 for about a month and that was horrible for photography. and the mic for vlogging is not that good either. low light video is grainy as well. too expensive

[@theraven871]

Best intro ever!

[@AnotherOtherMan-alive]

If the GH7 comes out with phase detect AF then they've got the backpacker/hiker market (assuming they've also got weather sealed lenses with it.) But as that isn't really a thing, the S5iix wins in my book due to the sealing, EVF and open gate modes. Just need to pickup an appropriate lens for it. The sony is nice but I don't want the camera to die while I'm in the middle of nowhere for several days/weeks.

[@gordon3988]

Gh7 would,need to be back to MFT roots….around 500 grams and small (max around OM5 or slightly bigger) to get hiker market. G9 for example to large. It would be nice!

[@POVwithRC]

​@@gordon3988 GH is never going back to that.

[@gordon3988]

@@POVwithRC agreed. That market will likely remain with OM.

[@POVwithRC]

@@gordon3988 I'm not really sure that Olympus has the majority of the hiking/backpacking market.

[@broadwayphotovideo]

As long as you carry 40 Panasonic batteries, you can record 40 minutes of footage. How crap of a camera company must you be to still not know how to make a battery?

[@basserfelt]

I use the EVF alot. Really gives the best handling when it is fast paced.

[@wakeywarrior]

The Panasonic S5ii would be the best buy, but I don’t lug around large cameras, so practically the best for me is the Sony, despite its limitations.

[@DynamixWarePro]

Good to see that your still using the Noct weight comparison! Besides that I couldn't wait for its release, the battery life is one reason I have an S5II and didn't order the X. Since you need to use an SSD to get the best recording options, you can't use the USB-C port for powering the camera with a PD battery and use an SSD at the same time. When I am recording, I often do 5-6 hour shoots and hearing the battery life is just over an hour is disappointing. How did you test the battery life though? Did you start recording and leave it until the battery died? Or some other way? That would be useful to know. If that battery life is true for normal shooting you would need quite a few batteries to do an all day shoot whereas with one USB-C battery on the S5II, I can record and take photos for as long as I need without having to swap batteries by powering the camera and charging the internal battery from it and still have lots of battery life left at the end of the day on a large capacity PD battery. the X should have had 2 USB-C ports and one for USB-C batteries if you are meant to use an SSD with it.

[@kwas76art]

hey buddy, what quality does the s52 record internally - which the s52x doesn't record. what quality ONLY on SSD in S52x?

[@UzbekWatermelon]

The autofocus dance is amazing

[@reddevil211287]

I still can't believe a company like Sony can't hire a freshly graduated UX designer or the like to make a better menu....shocking.

[@sajjadsadeghi4879]

fr

[@jongaruman3753]

It looks like Ceefax

[@questioneverything680]

Amazing! Yes! Give Me Danger! You’re A Star!

[@DesertCookie]

Great to see the ZV-E1 holding its own. I had some bad experiences with the ZV-E10 recently. We used it and a Fuji X-T3 as BtS caneras and, oh man, did the five years old Fuji blow the Sony out of the water. There wasnt even a comparison to be made.

[@oblitafier]

I think you missed out recording times before overheating. These cameras have very different abilities in that category.

[@kostasssss]

Excellent review! Did you notice moire patterns on the s5ii due to the lack of AA filter to the sensor?And if so is it going to be a problem on professional work?

[@wakeywarrior]

I can put the ZVE1 with the Sony G 24mm in my pocket, and it has better in built mic for a stripped down system. It also has the best autofocus. The S5ii is a brilliant camera, but different customer. I think with the dynamic active they effectively use the clear Image zoom so I’m not convinced it loses that much quality, noticeable that is.

[@gamebuster800]

I wish there was a compact G 20mm F2.8-ish though! 24mm just isn't wide enough sometimes and the 20mm 1.8 is too big

[@codythep]

Dang bro, the new content is SUCCINCT

[@danieldougan269]

Chris has really perfected his video autofocus dance.

[@GetSkillStudio]

Outstanding

[@Jviotr]

S5IIX certainly wins for aesthetics. That camera looks awesome.

[@AdamKinMI]

I totally agree. Panasonic's designs have always been solid, since the FZ-10 & FZ-20.

[@studioprairie]

Wow that shot of Chris with the leaves was fantastic!

[@kylelowe]

Still happy with my R6mkII. I wanted 4K60p without a crop and it still doesn't overheat too quickly.

[@thb5505]

Hi, loving your new chanel! Is a review of the Lenses Samyang AF 35-150mm F2-2.8 FE Planned? Im surprised very little info is out ther for this lens that could be a gamechanger... Thanks and good luck!

[@ContraGrain]

I'm kind of hoping that Panasonic doesn't abandon MFT and gives us a MFT GH7, or a successor to the G99/95 series. I think Panasonic could definitely benefit especially from making an entry level G99/95 successor with retro aesthetics. Would love to see it.

[@martpalamine7040]

I’m hoping they also make more smaller bodies like a gx10 , it’d be pretty rad.

[@ContraGrain]

@@martpalamine7040 LX100 III?

[@Chhuoey]

MFT definitely still has a place and with the improved autofocus can really be a great thing. MFT has a good lens mount catalog

[@gusatvoschiavon]

Can't wait for a follow up to the G9, and hope they continue the GX line too

[@free_re_fells]

I’d happily take a follow up to the G9 there is a reason they haven’t updated it yet….still keeps up with today’s cameras

[@TheOneMonk]

The Pana is so superior that a comparison does not really make sense. The only thing I like about the Sony: it got the advanced AF that my Sony flagship a1 does not get. Because relevant firmware updates for Sonys involve buying a new body. On this note: my old G9 gets more firmware updates than my a1. 👆

[@cinematools9621]

I think S5 II is more of a competition to A7 IV and not ZV-E1. I still enjoyed watching the video.

[@scb2scb2]

I want a zv-e1x black on black ! but really as a A1 (among others) owner i added the zv-e1 for backup and because its small its a compromise but i am willing to make it. What i do hope is that people see the interesting things sony is doing in the area of mic control, auto-framing and some of the other tricks they are adding its a start of something that can become very interesting it needs some tuning but it does work kind in many cases.

[@Giovanni-Giorgio]

Maybe you should buy another cam as back-up for the zv-e1. Summer is coming 🏜

[@scb2scb2]

@@Giovanni-Giorgio you better watch out your comment is smoking hot, don't worry about my cameras they will be fine...

[@AllThingsFilm1]

One question. In comparing battery life, did you base the life span on leaving the camera ON the whole time? Or did you ever turn off the camera when you weren't filming? For me, I don't leave the camera on if I know I'm going to stop or take a break from filming. Great content, guys. Glad you're still around doing reviews.

[@Minsetti]

Also the Panasonic is slow to boot up.

[@AllThingsFilm1]

@@Minsetti Maybe they can improve that with firmware.

[@user-th7gd7ge4p]

and the award for the fastest chattering youtuber in the world goes to: petapixel!

[@walrusgumboot]

Great video comparison! I’ve seen other channels talk about significant recording limitations on the Sony due to overheating. Did you experience that at all in your usage? The S5iiX has the built in fan so presumably no issue?

[@Ritalie]

haha. OMG, your videos are so funny and so positive. I just finished watching a Jared Polin review for the Z8, for the first time after years away from his channel, and it was difficult to get through. While obviously incredibly smart, Jared appears to have an obligation and agreement with Canon to avoid saying anything overly positive about any other brand. It's tough listening to a review when you can hear the constant bias that taints the entire review. A person's sour attitude can rub off on the audience, even when it's totally irrational. So I really appreciate you guys being non-biased, and not having an obligation to push Canon products.

[@nordfilmcompany]

That 8-bit intro reminds me of Nintendo and Mega Man👊😎

[@danieldougan269]

That was the idea.

[@anthonyjackson31]

Yessssss Jordan

[@seankerry1647]

Overheating problem is huge topic for pro user !!

[@CO8848_2]

2 different types of creators, 2 different cameras

[@hankroest6836]

Horses for courses.

[@nabayan3897]

If you are just starting out and looking for a hybrid camera the Panasonic s5ii would be miles better than the ZV-E1, specially if you want to take photographs & shoot long videos. Even though the s5ii can't match ZV-E1's 4k 120 fps, I really wish the 4k 60 was uncropped. On the other hand, the ZV-E1 is a fantastic video camera for travelling, content creation, vlogging & short video clips here & there. Definitely aimed towards different users.

[@kwas76art]

right - both great, but for different uses

[@davidmultimedia2024]

PANASONIC : PLEASE add a "shutter angle only" LOCKING OPTION in the Controls Lock Option menu. We ALL NEED it, and it just make all the sense in the world. Thank you!

[@robertluxamafreethinker]

What about the overheating comparasion, or is the the Sony zv e1 overheats quickly? How low can it be usable for filming in 4k 24p in a hot environment, or summer?

[@kmwong1786]

I guess PetaPixel didn't hire Gordon ... 😉

[@chounizadi2683]

the af test is always full of fun

[@georgekn3mp]

Looks like time to upgrade from S5 OG to the S5IIx, the Phase Detect autofocus is the best upgrade from an already good hybrid! S5 was already really good at photo and video if you manually focused ...

[@ak4good]

I would go back to Panasonic for a phase detect AF GX10! Enjoyed the GX85 for pictures but video AF was a problem so I switched to the Olympus EM-5 III. I also use the smartphone app a lot for when I'm in the shot both for stills and video and the Panasonic app was much better than Olympus.

[@adriancrespo4274]

I really wish Panasonic would figure out a way to let S1H & BS1H users get some of the new features, especially the recording to SSDs

[@andreasbulowhansen9413]

Great video as always but are these cameras really comparable? I would say they are aimed at pretty different audiences, "content creaters" is a very broad term

[@photogenic2010]

Great review. Which Sony model has the stamina of 'Lumix' in terms of non heating continious reliablity (in warmer countries). as in the past we had some issues with Sony getting really hot in long concert recording. I am thinking Sony will struggle against the propsed GH7 (with full HDMI, waveform, 2 SD cards and better recovery from over/ under exposure). for instance the A7r5 did not have good DR.

[@stevetimko1461]

I thought Panasonic had the best preamps. What makes Sony audio better?

[@xray111xxx]

These 2 cameras couldn't be more opposite guys. The S5 IIX is going against real Sony creators cameras, not a vloggers special. Though the ZV-E1 is kind of cool given it's intent. You cannot kit it out easily with XLR audio for instance like the S5 IIX. The S5 IIX is the holy grail for anyone looking at video, and not totally killing their budget. Anyone who starts with the ZV-E1 will be a B camera before they know it. They will at least get an FX if not an a7 video centric camera anyway if they are in the E mount system. If they are starting new, and creation really IS their Jam, the Panny S5 IIX has so much right, and really very much bandwidth for growth. Sony has been handed their lunch with the S5 IIX. And I am both a Sony and Panny fanboy. Canon too by the way.

[@questioneverything680]

The point is that they’re the same price point, so which camera should you get for the money. Thus, Jordan’s conclusion at the end

[@jlwilliams]

“They're both good! Everything is good! Buy all the things!” So this is life in the PetaPixel era…

[@ArbuzaNaRenok]

You know, if you a creator and shoot mainly for KZbin , think about this. This guys shoot video like 10 years or so, the footage quality in the past 5 did not change much for me as a viewer. No matter what body they use. Buy by battery and ergos first.

[@szubal]

S5IIX has streaming modes too

[@maxnguyen2875]

I got a zve1. So far so good. I’m a total noob though so I really don’t know. I just wanted the cheapest Sony full frame video camera because I didn’t want to pony up for the a7siii or the fx3.

[@ObservingBeauty]

While not as "x"... I'd be curious how you consider the value of the new Fuji xh20 in comparison. Thanks

[@jamskof]

chris's comment at the end was gold. more of the same!

[@SomeUnremarkableGuy]

7:20 great example of smooth transition

[@deivytrajan]

Sony ZV-E1 can overheat while recording 4k, has single sd card slot, worse raw detail, slightly worse video but better auto focus. So it's a trade on what you care. I believe for such a high price ZV-E1 should have 2 sd slots and have better heat management system, not to mention have more than 12 MP.

[@dimaskresna2079]

I am confused which one should I choose between the two cameras. after I saw this video, now I know what I should buy, a new smartphone.

[@StYfReX]

If only the Sony had the viewfinder :c

[@Dexxter_slav]

It has. It's called the A7S3

[@StYfReX]

@@Dexxter_slav A7SIII AF lacks, also the new features are top notch.

[@teohyc]

Too bad IBIS section was so brief. Should have mentioned that Sony is likely to need a gimbal which will add to the weight significantly.

Feedback: Graphics in the video could be more in peta pixel style as the channel header is. Maybe hire a designer to make you a templates to use i videos? Anyway good video full of informations.👍

[@unlockthepicture]

For someone (photographer) who wants to start in videography to make his job in and wants to choose a video-focussed camera to also stay in that ecosystem. Panasonic or sony in this case?

[@MagnumoftheMountains]

AWW YEAH

[@ryanehoward]

At 7:12 the best autofocusing test is Chris's Jazz Hands.