Our quick take

Panasonic Lumix S5 - 5.0 / 5

Compact design

  • Body dimensions: 132.6mm x 97.1mm x 81.9mm / Weight: 714g 1,840k-dot vari-angle LCD; 2,360k-dot 0.74x OLED viewfinder 24.2-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor (same as in S1H) Splash and dust resistant magnesium alloy construction Dual SD card slot, micro HDMI out Lens mount: L mount lenses USB charging

Speed and accuracy

  • Contrast-detection autofocus with DFD (Depth from Defocus) Face, Eye, Head, Body detection - to half the size of previous S series AF algorithm built from the ground up (will roll out to other S series later in 2020)

Video capture

  • Maximum capture: 4K at 60p 10-bit 4:2:0 (write to SD card; 4:2:2 via HDMI) Anamorphic 4K available: 50/30/25/24p, 1.3/1.33/1.5/1.8/2.0 desqueeze PAL/NTSC switch, Time Code, Zebra Pattern, Luminance Spot Meter Maximum recording time: 30min in 10-bit, unlimited in 8-bit Uses LongGOP (not ALL-INTRA codec), HEVC H.265 3.5mm mic/headphone jack, Wave Form Monitor V-Log included (no additional cost incurred) Dual Native ISO (Auto only, not manual)

Photos

  • 5 stops built-in image stabilisation (6.5 stops in combination with lens IS) 24.2-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor ISO: 100-51,200 (Dual Native ISO Auto) 4K Photo / 6K Photo burst shooting 96MP High-Res Mode

To recap

This well-made and compact full-frame camera doesn’t cost a whole lot more than the Micro Four Thirds video champ: the GH5. And it’s cheaper than its larger-scale full-frame sibling: the Lumix S1. So, whichever way you look at it, the Lumix S5 is fantastic value for money for video-makers.