Big test
Panasonic Lumix GH5Mark II
Big test
PRICE: £1499
PANASONIC.COM/UK
Panasonic kicked off the mirrorless revolution with the Lumix G1 in 2008 – since then it’s racked up a long and impressive list of world firsts. The Lumix GH5 Mark II is an upgrade on the popular original, with even better video skills
SPECS
› Prices £1499 body only, £1999 with Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4 ASPH Power OIS, £1699 with Lumix G Vario 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH Power OIS › In the box Body, cap, Leica 12-60mm f/2.8-4 lens with front and back caps, charger, lead, strap › Sensor 20.3-megapixel Live MOS with AR (antireflective) coating, Venus image processor › Sensor format 17.3x13mm, 5184x3888 pixels › Lensmount Micro Four Thirds › ISO range 200-25,600, 100 (extended) › Shutter range Mechanical shutter 60secs to 1/8000sec, B (max 30mins), flash sync. Electronic shutter 60secs to 1/16,000sec, B (max 60secs) › Drivemodes 12fps with mechanical and electronic shutter, manual focus. 9fps mechanical shutter/ electronic front curtain with continuous focus. 6K photo 30fps, 4K photo 60fps, 30fps › Exposure system PASM, 1728-zone multi-pattern. Multi-zone, centre weighted, spot and highlight weighted › Exposure compensation +/-5EV in 0.3EV (video +/-3EV) › Monitor 3in touch, 1.84 million dots › Viewfinder OLED Live View, 3.68 million dots, 120fps/60fps display speed › Focusing system Contrast AF, DFD technology. Face, eye, body, animal auto detection, zone (square and oval), single area › Focus points 225-Area › Image stabiliser Dual IS2, five-axis, 6.5EV benefit › Video C4K 4096x2160 and 4K 3840x2160, 59.94p, 29.97p, 23.98p. In MOV 150Mbps, 200Mbps, 400Mbps. Anamorphic 6K 4992x3744, Anamorphic 4K 3328x2496, FHD. Wireless live streaming in FHD and HD. C4K/4K 50p/60p 10-bit internal/external simultaneous recording. C4K/4K 24p/25p/30p 4:2:2 10-bit, V-Log L and unlimited recording time › Movie format MOV, MP4 › Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone socket, 3.5mm microphone, 2.5mm remote release, HDMI A, USB-C 3.1 › Other key features Dust and splash resistance › Battery Li-ion, 400 images approx › Storagemedia 2x SD slots › Dimensions (wxhxd) 138.5x98.1x87.4mm › Weight 727g (SD card and battery) › Contact panasonic.com/uk
The Lumix GH5 Mark II has been upgraded, with notable changes in the video department, and there are a few tweaks that will benefit still shooters, too. The 20.3-megapixel Live MOS sensor has gained an AR (antireflective) coating to help suppress ghosting and flare when bright highlights are included in the frame. Like the GH5, there’s no optical low-pass filter to help maximise resolution. Working with the latest high-speed Venus Engine, the sensor gives a 25% wide dynamic range, improved colour and more faithful reproduction of brightness. Moiré patterning and rolling shutter distortion are also suppressed. Enhanced autofocus skills give it a real edge. The system has 225 zones, with the usual options of zone and single point AF, but with human and animal recognition thanks to the latest algorithms. The zone option has the choice of oval, vertical and horizontal – in these you can vary the number and position of the active zones. The horizontal array, for example, can be varied from a single
WORDS AND IMAGES BY WILL CHEUNG
PANASONIC LAUNCHED THE Lumix GH5 Mark II and announced the development of the GH6 at the same time. For launch later in 2021, the video-pro-focused GH6 will have a new sensor and processing engine, while this version is an upgrade on the GH5 – a very capable and popular Micro Four Thirds camera, with an advanced contrast detect DFD autofocus and in-body, five-axis image stabilisation. It was the previous model’s video capabilities that made it a great hybrid, appealing to a wide range of content creators – the GH5 Mark II takes this to the next level.
A GOOD HANDFUL The Lumix GH5 Mark II is a Micro Four Thirds camera that’s comparatively large for its format. That's no problem – there is plenty of room for good-sized controls and it helps to provide a solid shooting base
REAR VIEW The monitor gives a good image and responsive touch control. Look through the EVF and see an impressive, richly-detailed picture
row of 15 AF points across the frame to seven rows, and the active zone can be moved up or down the image frame. The single and pinpoint AF settings are flexible, too – size can be varied and the active point moved using the focus joystick or with the touchscreen. In pinpoint, the enlarged inset frame when you touch the shutter button is a neat trick – therefore checking critical focus is both quick and easy.
The design and layout of the GH5 Mark II is first-rate; the weather- and dust-resistant body feels reassuringly robust. It’s also quite large for a Micro Four Thirds camera, akin to an APS-C format mirrorless, so will suit users with larger hands. The extra acreage gives plenty of room for good-sized buttons and controls – the area around the shutter release is especially busy with five buttons, but, thoughtfully, each button has a
MIXING IT UP The camera’s white-balance system coped well with this mixed lighting scene. Shot with the DG 12-60mm f/2.8-4 at the 12mm end, with an exposure of 1/100sec at f/5 and ISO 1250
28 Photography News | Issue 90
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