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Panasonic is an old hand when it comes to system cameras; the first model was launched in 2008 with the Panasonic Lumix G1.

For a long time, however, the Japanese only built cameras with smaller micro four thirds sensors.

It wasn't until 2018 that the first full-frame models came with the Panasonic Lumix S1 and the Panasonic Lumix S1R.

Great cameras, but also real chunks - the Panasonic Lumix S5 is much smaller.

The “Computer Bild” test says what the full-frame system camera can do.

Panasonic Lumix S5: 24 or 96 megapixels

The Panasonic Lumix S5 comes with a 24-megapixel sensor (resolution 6000x4000 pixels), which is also found in a similar form in the larger sister model Lumix S1.

However, Panasonic has revised the image electronics and above all improved the autofocus, an update that can be retrofitted for the larger Lumix S1 models via a firmware update.

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The image quality of the Lumix S5 is really good, even in low light it delivers great photos (see photo gallery) at the level of the sister model Lumix S1, the Nikon Z6, the Nikon Z6 II or the Canon EOS R6.

A system camera with a higher resolution such as the Canon EOS R5, the Nikon Z7, the Lumix S1R or the Sony Alpha 7R IV is only the better choice when particularly detailed images are required - but these pixel monsters need good light and a low ISO setting, to deliver better pictures than the Lumix S5.

With the kit lens, the Panasonic Lumix S5 is comparatively light and compact - thanks to the pronounced handle, it sits comfortably in the hand

Source: Computer Bild

In the case of immobile subjects, there is an alternative for more resolution with the Lumix S5: With the high-resolution recording, photos can be taken with 96 megapixels (12,000x8,000 pixels).

To do this, the Lumix S5 takes several pictures one after the other, with the sensor shifted slightly, and then combines them into one photo.

If the subject or the photographer moves in the process, this leads to shadows or color fringes - unfortunately in principle with this technology.

Therefore, it is best to place the camera on a tripod in this mode.

The Panasonic Lumix S5 is significantly smaller

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Only if you take a cursory look at the housing of the Lumix S5 does it look like the cameras of the S1 series.

From above, however, it quickly becomes clear: The Lumix S5 is significantly smaller and roughly the same size as the Micro Four Thirds models Panasonic Lumix GH5 and Panasonic Lumix G9.

Together with the Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens, the Lumix S5 weighs 1069 grams, which is roughly the same as an S1 without a lens.

Panasonic has cut very little for this: The Lumix S5 has no additional display on the top of the camera, but only a program selection dial (see picture above), the battery stores less power (16 watt hours, as is usual in this camera class, instead of 23 watt hours in the S1 models ) and the viewfinder is slightly smaller (viewfinder magnification 0.74 times instead of 0.78 times).

Most photographers should be able to get over that.

Pleasing: Both the Lumix S5 and the kit lens are weatherproof - so they don't mind dust or a few raindrops.

Panasonic Lumix S5 with few pixels for the viewfinder

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It's a shame: the Panasonic Lumix S5 didn't get the super viewfinder of the S1 series with 5.76 million pixels (resolution 1600x1200 pixels).

Instead, like the Canon EOS RP or the Sony Alpha 7 III, there is only one viewfinder with 1024x768 pixels (manufacturer information: 2.36 million pixels, since the pixels for red, green and blue are counted here).

This ensures a somewhat coarser image in the viewfinder than the Canon EOS R6 and Nikon Z6 (and Z6 II).

The Panasonic Lumix S5 has two slots for SD cards

Source: Computer Bild

Apart from that, the viewfinder is up to date with good color rendering and a smooth display without annoying jerks when panning the camera quickly, especially if the photographer sets 120 Hertz frame rate in the camera menu.

The display can also compete with more expensive cameras: The resolution of 960x640 pixels (manufacturer's specification 1.84 million pixels) is sharper than that of many competitors, only the Nikon Z6 and Z6 II show an even more detailed image with 1,024x768 pixels.

For this they have to get by with a folding display, the display of the Lumix S5, on the other hand, can be folded out - practical for selfies and portrait format shots.

4K video with professional features

Video recording in 4K resolution has long been standard at Panasonic.

The Lumix S5 therefore has many video and photo functions in 4K, such as HDR recording with an extended contrast range (HLG) or the option of recording videos with 10-bit color depth or in log format (V-Log) to record the videos to be able to rework better later.

Top for action: The Lumix S5 films in 4K with up to 60 frames per second - but then with pixel accuracy.

This ensures a narrower angle of view - the initial focal length of the kit lens of 20 millimeters becomes 30 millimeters.

Those who are satisfied with 30 frames per second and 8 bit color depth can even film unlimitedly in 4K (until the memory card is full, the camera is too hot or there is no more power).

The annoying compulsory pause after 30 minutes, which is standard with most system cameras, is no longer necessary with these settings with the Lumix S5.

In cooler surroundings and with a large SD memory card, very long recordings are possible, because the Lumix S5 can also be supplied with power via the built-in USB-C socket or a power adapter in the battery compartment.

In the test, almost six and a half hours in Full HD and almost six hours in 4K were possible - but this requires large memory cards, preferably one with 256 gigabytes.

The videos from the Lumix S5 look really good right on the camera - so no time-consuming post-processing is absolutely necessary.

Panasonic Lumix S5 has revised autofocus

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The autofocus of the Panasonic Lumix S5 still uses an in-house special variant of the contrast measurement, called Depth from Defocus (DFD).

In doing so, the camera intentionally poses the wrong way before the actual recording and evaluates the differences in the contrast of the individual recordings.

This ensures high accuracy, but has the disadvantage that the measurement results are falsified if the subject moves quickly.

Panasonic tries to compensate for this disadvantage with a special measuring frequency: The Lumix S5 measures up to 480 times per second.

The DFD autofocus works very quickly and precisely with single images, and the subject recognition also works reliably: the camera automatically focuses on the eyes even from a distance when it has recognized a face.

The Lumix S5's autofocus is not one hundred percent accurate when taking series pictures, since competing models with phase change autofocus such as the Canon EOS R6, the Nikon Z6 (and Z6 II) or the Sony Alpha 7 III (and Sony Alpha 7C) have an advantage .

Panasonic Lumix S5 takes few frames per second

Sports photographers will not be happy with the Panasonic Lumix S5.

On the one hand, this is due to the not always accurate focus tracking and, on the other hand, the rather moderate speed of continuous shooting: With the autofocus switched on, the Lumix S5 managed 6.8 frames per second, but if the autofocus is to track the sharpness (AF-C), there are only five frames per second Second in.

The competition is much faster: Even the slightly older Sony Alpha 7 III manages 8 frames per second, current models such as the Canon EOS R6 or the Nikon Z6 II even manage 12 to 14 frames per second.

An alternative (if the subject does not move or only hardly moves) is the 6K or 4K mode: Then the Lumix S5 films at 30 frames per second (6K with 18 megapixels) or 60 frames per second (4K with 8 megapixels), can save the images individually.

However, the super-fast series only work with the electronic shutter.

This has two disadvantages: no flash is possible and subjects moving quickly across the board can be distorted.

Little and a lot of choice when it comes to lenses

Panasonic's range of lenses for the Lumix S series is still fairly clear.

Currently (December 2020) there are just eight lenses.

These include many massive and heavy profile lenses such as the Panasonic Lumix S Pro 70-200mm f4 OIS.

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More and more compact lenses are already in the making: After the wide-angle zoom Panasonic Lumix S Pro 16-35mm f4 and the kit lens of the Lumix S5, the Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f3.5-5.6, there are five compact ones Fixed focal lengths with a speed of f1.8 (see picture above) - the Lumix S 85mm f1.8 is the beginning.

Compact lenses for the Panasonic Lumix S5 are still in short supply

Source: Computer Bild

And if you cannot find what you are looking for at Panasonic, you can use the L-Mount Alliance from the other two manufacturers and get ridiculously expensive but optically excellent lenses from Leica such as the Leica Apo-Summicron-SL 90mm f2 and from Sigma particularly compact lenses such as the Sigma Contemporary 45mm f2.8 DG DN for the lens connection (L-Mount) of the Lumix S5.

Conclusion:

The Panasonic Lumix S5 convinces with high image quality, with many video functions including 4K with 60 frames per second and with a fast-reacting autofocus.

The Panasonic is also small and handy, but the selection of compact lenses is still comparatively small.

Its only weakness are series shots: The Lumix S5 doesn't always manage to track the sharpness with 100% accuracy.

Strengths:

very high photo quality, very high video quality, films more than 30 minutes, films in 4K with 60 frames per second

Weaknesses:

low viewfinder resolution, autofocus not accurate in series

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Test grade:

good (1.8)

Price:

from 1899 euros

Test results Panasonic Lumix S5

Source: Computer Bild

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