Panasonic Lumix S5

Manufacturer: Panasonic Type: camera Sensor: Full-frame 24.2MP CMOS (35.6 x 23.8mm) Resolution: 24.2MP Year introduced: 2020 Key feature: Dual Native ISO; 4K 60p 10-bit; V-Log/V-Gamut; L-mount; 14+ stops dynamic range

Overview

The Panasonic Lumix S5 was a hybrid full-frame mirrorless camera announced in September 2020, designed to deliver high-quality photo and video performance in a compact body. It featured a 24.2-megapixel sensor with Dual Native ISO technology (base ISOs of 640 and 4000 in V-Log), originally developed for Panasonic’s professional VariCam cinema cameras. This enabled a maximum ISO of 51,200 with minimal noise, making it particularly capable in low-light situations (^[1]).

The S5 was positioned as the essence of Panasonic’s full-frame S Series lineup compressed into a smaller, lighter body. It used the L-mount system, shared with Leica Camera and Sigma, providing access to a diverse lens ecosystem. The camera offered 5-axis in-body image stabilization, with 6.5-stop correction when combined with stabilized L-mount lenses (^[2]).

For video, the S5 was exceptionally capable: 4K 60p/50p 4:2:0 10-bit internal recording, 4K 30p 4:2:2 10-bit internal, and 4K 60p 4:2:2 10-bit via HDMI output. It delivered 14+ stops of dynamic range with V-Log/V-Gamut compatibility matching VariCam colorimetry, plus RAW video output to Atomos Ninja V at up to 5.9K resolution via a firmware update. The camera had no time limit on 4K 30p 4:2:0 8-bit recording (^[3]).

A 96-megapixel High Resolution mode, -6 EV low-light AF, dual SD card slots, and the 2,200mAh battery rounding out the feature set. It shipped at $1,999.99 body-only (^[4]).

Panasonic S5 II

In January 2023, Panasonic announced the S5 II and S5 IIX, the first Panasonic cameras with on-sensor phase-detect autofocus. The S5 II featured a 24MP BSI CMOS sensor, up to 30 fps with continuous AF, 6K 3:2 open-gate capture, unlimited 4K 60p recording, dual conversion gain, and an active cooling fan. The S5 IIX added internal ProRes capture, RAW video output, and wired/wireless IP streaming. The S5 II shipped at $1,999 in late January 2023 (^[5]).

Housing Availability

• Ikelite: 200DL housing shipping September 2021 at $1,695. Featured DL port system, vacuum valve, M16 accessory port (optional M24 for HDMI monitors). Supported manual hotshoe with optional DL3 TTL Converter for Panasonic/Olympus. ABS-PC construction, depth rated to 60m (^[6]).

Timeline

• 2020-09: Panasonic announces the Lumix S5 full-frame mirrorless camera ($1,999.99) (^[7]).
• 2021-09: Ikelite ships 200DL housing for Lumix S5 ($1,695) (^[8]).
• 2023-01: Panasonic announces S5 II with phase-detect AF and S5 IIX ($1,999) (^[9]).

References

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