Panasonic Lumix S5 Review: Mirrorless Marvel
Panasonic Lumix S5 is a versatile mirrorless camera with a 24.2MP sensor, 4K video, and advanced autofocus for stunning photos and videos.
Panasonic Lumix S5 is a smaller, lighter, and cheaper version of the company’s full-frame mirrorless cameras like Lumix S1. Despite its compact size, it’s built around same 24.2MP full-frame sensor as the S1, ensuring excellent image quality. Its smaller body, similar to Lumix GH5 with a Micro Four Thirds sensor, offers full-frame performance in a portable package and it largely delivers on this promise.
Panasonic designed Lumix S5 to fix the issues with previous S range cameras like their size, weight, cost and autofocus. S5 is smaller, lighter and more affordable, making it a great choice for travel or everyday use especially with 20-60mm kit lens. However, other L Mount lenses are much larger, so overall system size can still be bulky.
S5 offers good pricing and better autofocus than its predecessors. However, it has a few compromises. Electronic viewfinder has a lower resolution compared to more expensive models and it can shoot a maximum of 7fps, making it less ideal for action shots.
For vloggers and video creators, S5 is a strong choice. It has features like uncropped 4K/30p shooting, V-Log support and articulating screen. Its dual memory card slots & wide-angle 20-60mm kit lens are also great for video.
S5 is a well-rounded camera with a full-frame sensor, great video specs and ergonomic design. It shows that Panasonic has made significant progress with its S series and hints at even better models in the future.
Table of Contents
Panasonic Lumix S5 Specification
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| 📸 Sensor | 24.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor |
| 🔗 Lens Mount | L mount |
| 🖥 Image Processor | Venus Engine |
| 🎯 AF Points | 225-point DFD contrast autofocus system |
| 🌌 ISO Range | 100 to 51,200 |
| 🖼 Max Image Resolution | 6000 x 4000 |
| 🔍 Metering Modes | 1728-zone multi-pattern, center-weighted, spot |
| 🎥 Video Capabilities | 4K at 60p 10-bit 4:2:0, FHD at 180 fps in S&Q mode |
| 👁 Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots |
| 💾 Memory Cards | 1 x SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS I), 1 x SD (UHS-II) |
| 📺 LCD | 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 1.84M dots |
| ⚡ Max Burst Rate | 7 fps (mechanical shutter), 6K Photo Mode (18MP at 30fps) |
| 🌐 Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| 📐 Dimensions | 132.6 x 97.1 x 81.9 mm |
| ⚖ Weight | 714g (with card and battery) |
Panasonic Lumix S5 price and Availability
Panasonic Lumix S5 was announced on September 2, 2020 and became available later that month.
You can buy the body-only for $1,999 / £1,799 / AU$3,199, which is ideal if you’re looking for a backup camera for an existing S series setup. Most people will likely buy it with the 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens, which costs $2,299 / £1,999 / AU$3,669. This makes the S5 the most affordable camera in the S series, competing in price with other full-frame mirrorless cameras like the Nikon Z6, Canon EOS RP and Sony A7 III.
Panasonic Lumix S5 Design and handling
Panasonic Lumix S5 is smaller and lighter than S1 and S1R models, making it easier to handle. It has a full-frame sensor in a body smaller than the Panasonic GH5. Camera includes a fully-articulating, 1.84m-dot touchscreen which is great for vlogging and flexible shooting angles.
Camera has many direct access buttons and dials, making it easy to use. It includes a comfortable grip, customizable controls, and dedicated buttons for quick access to settings like white balance, ISO and exposure compensation.
S5 also features dual SD card slots, with one supporting faster UHS-II cards. It offers various input and output ports, including microphone, headphone, USB-C and HDMI ports, though HDMI is not full-sized.
20-60mm lens that comes with the kit is compact, but other L Mount lenses are larger. However, being part of the L Mount alliance means you can use lenses from Sigma and Leica. Fully-articulating screen is a big improvement, allowing vloggers to flip it forward for self-recording.
Panasonic Lumix S5 Specs and features
Panasonic Lumix S5 features a 24.2MP full-frame sensor, the same one found in the larger S1, offering excellent image quality. It shoots 4K 10-bit video internally, making it a great choice for video creators.
Electronic viewfinder is a 2.36m-dot OLED, which is lower resolution than S1’s 5.76m-dot viewfinder but still provides a good, usable view. Autofocus has been improved, with a new algorithm, though it still uses contrast-based detection rather than phase detection.
S5 excels in video with 4K shooting at 30p or 60p (with a crop) and 10-bit internal recording. However, it has a 30-minute recording limit for 10-bit video which can be reset once it stops. It also offers features like V-Log recording, dual native ISO, time-lapse and anamorphic 4K. The vari-angle screen and in-body stabilization are great for video work while Micro HDMI port is a small downside due to its fragility.
Panasonic Lumix S5 Performance
Panasonic Lumix S5 offers a 7fps burst shooting speed which is fine for casual action shots but not ideal for serious sports photography. However, the 4K/6K Photo mode lets you capture at 30fps and extract stills with 6K providing 18MP images—though this requires some post-shot effort.
Autofocus has improved significantly compared to earlier S models, with better subject tracking and recognition for eyes and heads, making it great for portraits and predictable motion. These autofocus upgrades are also coming to older S1 series models via firmware updates.
Battery life is rated at 440 shots using the screen, 470 with the viewfinder or up to 1,500 in power-saving mode. For moderate use, it can last a full day, but frequent 4K video shooters may want a second battery or a USB power bank for charging on the go.
Panasonic Lumix S5 Image and video quality
Panasonic Lumix S5 has a 24.2MP full-frame sensor that delivers excellent image quality with vibrant colors and plenty of detail, even in low light. It has an ISO range of 100-51200, expandable to ISO 50 and 204800. At ISO 6400, images remain sharp with minimal noise, making it great for low-light shooting.
While S5 performs well at high ISOs, avoid pushing it too far into the expanded range (ISO 51200 and above) to prevent noise and image smoothing. 20-60mm kit lens is compact and ideal for travel, providing good performance for various types of photography, including landscapes and vlogging.
In video, S5 offers smooth stabilization and decent autofocus for moving subjects. The built-in microphones can pick up wind noise so an external mic is recommended for outdoor recording. Overall, S5 delivers great results for both stills and video, with flexible post-production options.
Pros and Cons of Panasonic Lumix S5
| ✔️Pros | ❌Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Compact and lightweight design | ❌ No standard HDMI port |
| ✔️ Intuitive and versatile controls | ❌ Bulky lenses reduce portability |
| ✔️ Exceptional video capabilities | ❌ Autofocus performance lags behind competitors |
| ✔️ Great in low-light conditions | ❌ Limited 4K recording duration |
| ✔️ Dual SD card slots for convenience | ❌ Lower resolution electronic viewfinder |
Conclusion
Panasonic has improved its full-frame mirrorless cameras with S5. It combines a compact, ergonomic design with a powerful full-frame sensor, making it a great choice for creators. With impressive video features, it’s an excellent hybrid camera that’s highly recommended.
