Panasonic
IMAGES The Lumix S5 might be the smallest member of the Panasonic S series, but that doesn't mean camera handling is compromised. On the contrary, the control layout is logical and well considered, so key controls like the drive dial, exposure compensation and movie record button are large and well placed for instant access, which makes the Lumix S5 great to use
lenses) system is an invaluable feature. It works in video shooting, too, including in 4Kmode, giving muchmore stable handheld shooting withminimal judder, even when walking with the camera. We’ve touched on the Lumix S5’s video capabilities and what the autofocus, impressive dynamic range and Dual Native ISO can help deliver, but let’s take a more in-depth look at what’s available. The Lumix S5 is a capable of 4K 60p/50p 4:2:0 10-bit and 4K 30p/25p 4:2:2 10-bit recording internally to the camera’s dual SD card slots. Thanks to an exceptional heat dissipation, the system shoots in 4K 30p/25p 4:2:0 8-bit and there is no time limit on how long you can shoot for internally. Fit an external memory device via the camera’s HDMI output and you can shoot at 4K 60p/50p 4:2:2 10-bit. To enjoy the use of classic and modern anamorphic lenses, the Lumix S5 has anamorphic 4K (4:3) at 50p/29.97p/25p/23.98p. There’s a range of professional video assist functions, including
96-megapixel image measuring 12,000x8000 pixels. There’s the option of a mode setting to reduce subject blur in the final result, too. High-resolution shooting is made possible by the Lumix S5’s five-axis in-body image stabiliser (IBIS), which provides huge benefits for stills and video shooting. By analysing data from the image sensor, an accelerometer sensor and the IBIS’s gyro sensor, the camera can very precisely and very quickly determine howmuch shake compensation is needed. The IBIS system on its own gives a benefit of up to 5EV, so five stops of shutter speed slower than normal. And that’s even with L-Mount lenses, which don’t have any form of integral image stabiliser. With the body’s system and the two- axis Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) in Lumix S series lenses, you get Dual IS2 and the benefit increases to 6.5EV. For rock-steady handheld stills shooting when light levels drop and longer shutter speeds are needed, or when a telephoto lens is in use, the Body IS (or Dual IS with compatible
range that tops out at ISO 51,200. For exceptional video image quality in poor light conditions, the Lumix S5 has Dual Native ISO sensitivity – a technology first introduced in Panasonic’s professional cinema cameras, and now available in consumer cameras, including the Lumix S5. The benefit is much lower levels of image-degrading digital noise in poor light levels when high ISO speeds are normally required. The Lumix S5’s dual Native ISO settings are 640 and 4000. For the ultimate in stills image quality, the Lumix S5 features a high-resolutionmode that will help you squeeze every drop of detail out of stationary scenes, but it can also work even where there is some subject movement. In high-resolution mode, the Lumix S5 makes eight consecutive images within a shutter speed range of 8secs to 1/8000sec, with the camera moving the sensor between each shot, before merging the shots in-camera using the powerful Venus image processing image to give the equivalent of a
slow- and quick-motion video, zebra pattern, time code, recording frame indicator and luminance spot meter. A firmware update is scheduled by the end of 2020 that will enhance the Lumix S5’s video skills even further. This will allow Cinema 4K recording and Raw video data over HDMI at a resolution of 5.9K, 4K and anamorphic 3.5K when shooting with the Atomos Ninja V external memory device. The Panasonic Lumix S5 has a body price of £1799, or £1999 for the Lumix S5 with the Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. That’s a remarkable price not only for a full-frame mirrorless camera, but one of this sophistication and specification for stills and video photographers.
lumix.co.uk/s5
Issue 82 | Photography News 27
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