Pro Moviemaker July-August 2021 - Web

PANASONIC GH5 II

SHOULD YOU BUY A GH5 II OR GH5S?

T he Mark II version of the built specifically for filmmaking. But it’s not such an obvious buying decision, in terms of whether you can afford the £250/$250 or so extra for the S model. Shop around and you can often get the GH5S for the same price as the GH5 II. The biggest difference is with the MFT sensor. While the GH5 II has a 20.3-megapixel sensor, the GH5S has a 10.2-megapixel sensor Panasonic GH5 goes directly up against the GH5S, which was that has dual native ISO at 400 and 2500. This means it is better at lower light performance, and as such has an extended high ISO rating of 204,800.

While the highest resolution, 10-bit internal recording in both cameras is C4K 30p at 4:2:2, the GH5 II can also do 60p at 4:2:0. And the newer camera has anamorphic support up to 6K/30p and 3K/50p. The GH5S tops out at 4K/30p. The GH5 II also has double zebra patterning for better control of exposure, as well as a streaming option via a smartphone app. But the GH5S has 240fps in cropped HD, plus a new firmware upgrade, allowing it to output Apple ProRes Raw over HDMI to an Atomos Ninja V in 12-bit 17:9 up to 4K in 60p or slower and 3.7K anamorphic. The firmware update also brings the new AF capabilities

of the GH5 II to the GH5S, as well as the red Rec frame on the rear screen and vertical shooting options. In use, the GH5 II has the amazing 6.5-stop image stabilisation system, while the GH5S doesn’t have any built-in stabilisation. It’s built for use on tripods or gimbals. So, while the performance, price and specs are similar, the GH5 II’s brilliant image stabilisation and superb streaming capabilities could make the biggest difference to a potential buyer. The GH5 II is more well-rounded for a higher number of users, while the GH5S remains the flagship for serious cinematographers.

SIBLING RIVALRY The GH5S and GH5 II share a lot of similarities, but the GH5 II edges it in terms of resolution and streaming capabilities

If you are wedded to the MFT system and want something with higher resolution than the GH5 II, then Panasonic has announced the development of the 5.7K GH6, which should be on sale by the end of the year at around $2500. No UK price has yet been revealed. It will be the flagship of the Lumix GH series and come with a high-speed sensor and newly developed Venus Engine image processor. The GH6 will offer 4:2:2 10-bit 4K/60p capability, with unlimited recording time. It will also feature 10-bit 4K 120p High Frame Rate (HFR) and Variable Frame Rate (VFR) recording for slow/quick motion video. And it will record 5.7K/60p video, suggesting the new sensor will be around 24 megapixels. In addition, a newG series Leica DG 25-50mm F1.7 is under development. This is designed to pair up with the Leica 10-25mm F1.7 ASPH, which launched in 2019. NEWGH6 COMING THIS YEAR

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