Panasonic’s LUMIX camera is a silent but profound success in the field of photography. Now, the company has announced a sequel to its beloved mirrorless, and it has an innovation that has caused quite a stir.
I’ve been following NDA for a few months, but now I can finally talk about what Panasonic has been doing. In December, I visited Tokyo for the Lumix Global Summit, where a number of announcements were made, including the top reveals: the Lumix S5II and S5IIX. The Lumix S5 is a full-frame mirrorless body that has been well received. Panasonic has enjoyed real success in recent years creating cameras that comfortably compete with the more popular mirrorless camera options from Sony, Canon, and Nikon.
However, there is one small drawback with the S5 that many hope its successor will overcome. At the event, the announcement of the S5II was immediately followed with the news that the complaint was over: Phase-detection AF was present. I’ve attended many camera launches, press conferences and events, and this is the only time I hear the audience cheering.
Specifications sheet highlights
- S5II – $1,999/€2,199, S5IIX – $2,199/€2,499
- Full-frame 24.2-megapixel sensor (with 96MP high-resolution mode)
- In-body 5-axis image stabilization
- 779-point phase-detection AF
- 9 fps mechanical, 30 fps electronic continuous shooting
- Video 4K (and C4K) 60p, 6k 30p
- ProRes
- S5IIX’s built-in live streaming capabilities
- Dual UHS-II SD card slots
- L-Mount Alliance
I’ve spent a fair amount of time shooting with the S5II at this point, and without encroaching too much on my review, I can safely say it’s excellent. For me, the most notable features weren’t found on the spec sheet, so stay tuned for the review (unfortunately this feature was delayed due to shipping issues with the camera). from Japan to the UK!)
What do you think of the new S5II camera? Do you agree that Panasonic is underrated?
