GEAR PANASONIC LUMIX S5 II
FIRST TEST
Panasonic’s S5 II is the first camera from the renewed alliance with legendary Leica
WORDS AND PHOTOS ADAM DUCKWORTH P anasonic and Leica have worked together on cameras for more than a decade, but last year the pair revealed they were going to collaborate even more closely – as part of the new ‘L2 alliance’. This was to go further than just sharing the full- frame L-Mount and rebranding a few Panasonic compacts as Leica models. The plan was to jointly develop cutting-edge technology. The new Panasonic Lumix S5 II is officially the first product of the partnership, even though there’s no official word on how this fact technically manifests itself in the full-frame mirrorless. What can be seen, though, is that the Lumix boasts groundbreaking spec that neither Leica nor Panasonic has had before, including the biggie – hybrid phase detection autofocus. Current Leica mirrorless models and the range of Lumix cameras have relied on contrast detection systems, something which has been criticised since rivals have adapted to a hybrid of phase detection and contrast detection for more speed and accuracy. Now though, the Lumix S5 II has a 779-point phase detection AF system on its new, 24.2-megapixel full-frame sensor. This is not a superfast stacked sensor as seen in flagship cameras from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm and Olympus. But it has a dual
native ISO chip with bases at ISO 100 and 640 in standard gamma settings, 640 and 4000 in V-Log, plus 400 and 2500 in HLG, with a new processor to drive it all. Other design highlights include the brand-new IBIS – claimed to be improved 200% over the current S5 model – and an unlimited recording time in ambient temperatures up to 40°C. Where the flagship S1H achieves this with a fan that sits behind the LCD, this makes the camera much fatter than its rivals. The S5 II’s fan sits inside the EVF, which means it’s silent and the camera much thinner – virtually identical in size to the old S5. That’s good news, as the S5 led the swing away from Panasonic’s original S series, which were very chunky cameras indeed. The S5 was closer to a full-frame version of the Micro Four Thirds GH5 in a body roughly the same size, at approximately the same price and without losing much of the filmmaking spec of the S1H. The S5 II really takes that on, and is the same price as the S5 was at launch. That camera is now cheaper, and will remain in the range. Compared to the S5, the new mark II has a full-size HDMI socket, a more detailed OLED with 3.68m dots (compared to 2.3m) and real- time LUTs that can be baked into the photos and videos, if you wish. Both SD card slots are now UHS-II,
“The Lumix S5 II has a 779-point phase detection AF system on its new sensor”
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