Panasonic has launched the LUMIX S5II (aka S5M2) and S5IIX (aka S5M2X), the company’s latest full-frame mirrorless cameras with a focus on video recording. From then on, the LUMIX S series will have seven full-frame bodies: S5, S5M2, S5M2X, S1, S1R, S1H, and BS1H.
Panasonic LUMIX S5 II stand-alone price is 13,998 RMB, and the first event price is 11,498 RMB; LUMIX S5 II X stand-alone price is 15,498 RMB; LUMIX S 14-28mm F4-5.6 MACRO lens price is 5,598 RMB.
According to Jingdong Mall, the price of S5M2K (S5M2+20-60mm) kit is 13,498 RMB, and the price of S5M2W (S5M2+20-60mm+50mm) kit is 15,198 RMB.
These were the first cameras from Panasonic to feature PDAF, or phase-detection autofocus, moving away from the long-standing contrast-detection-based DFD, or depth-of-defocus, technology. While useful for photos, this method is often slow and unreliable for video, and produces a constant pulse in out-of-focus areas.
The Panasonic S5II and S5IIX solve that problem by offering a completely revamped focus system with a new 24.2MP 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor. The new Phase Detection AF system combines PDAF and Contrast Detection with 779 AF points for continuous people and animal tracking. The Panasonic S5II and S5IIX support the use of the L-mount shared with Leica and Sigma.
The video recording performance of the Panasonic S5II and S5IIX is comparable to that of the S1H. Users can choose between 6K 10-bit 4:2:0 or 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 recording options. New cooling with a built-in fan and heatsink enables uninterrupted 4K recording without overheating.
These photo cameras claim over 14 stops of dynamic range, come with V-Log/V-Gamut, and support real-time LUTs for in-camera grading by uploading the LUT directly to the photo camera.
The Panasonic S5II and S5IIX also bring a new image stabilization system consisting of 5-axis Body IS and 2-axis lens-based OIS for photo and video shooting. Video capture also gets Active IS mode, which optimizes horizontal, vertical and rotational correction rates by determining the state of camera shake.
Other features include dual native ISO, 9fps AFS/7fps AFC burst mode with mechanical shutter and 30fps AFS/AFC with electronic shutter, 48kHz/24-bit internal microphone recording and 96kHz/24-bit with external microphone, full-size HDMI ports, 3680K-dot OLED viewfinder, 3.0-inch full-resolution 1840K-dot touchscreen, USB-C charging, splash- and dust-resistant magnesium alloy die-cast body, dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The difference between the Panasonic S5II and S5IIX is the latter’s ability to output RAW video via HDMI, full-frame and ProRes recording on SSD, and wired and wireless streaming for live streaming and USB tethering media.
The Panasonic LUMIX S5II camera is priced at $2,000 (about 13,820 RMB) and will be available in January 2023. The S5IIX camera is priced at $2,200 (approximately RMB 15,202) and will be available in May 2023.
Panasonic LUMIX S5II parameters are as follows:
24.2 million effective pixel full-frame CMOS sensor;
Video: 6k 30p 4:2:0 10-bit, C4K 60p 4:2:2 10-bit, FHD 120fps 4:2:0 10-bit, FHD 60fps 4:2:2 10-bit;
3.68 million dots EVF;
3-inch 1.84 million-dot flip touch screen;
Phase focus/contrast focus;
Dual native ISO, normal: ISO100 and 640;
V-log: ISO 640 and 4000;
HLG: ISO 400 and 2500;
5-axis image stabilization, dual IS. 6.5 gear image stabilization;
1/8000-60 second shutter;
Flash sync speed 1/250 sec;
Continuous shooting (mechanical shutter) AFS / MF 9 pictures / sec, AFC 7 pictures / sec;
Continuous shooting (electronic shutter) AFS / AFC / MF up to 30 pictures / sec;
Cache: more than 200 RAW+JPEG,
RAW 200 or more, JPEG 300 or more;
USB Type-C;
Dual SD card slots;
Fan active cooling design;
Standard battery life 370 shots;
Dust-proof and drop-proof design;
Body size 13410290mm;
Weight: 657g (single body);
