You can handhold the 96MP mode! It is in fact the only FF camera that can do that. You need to set it up for handheld capture and once you do, it is surprisingly effective even at longer focal lengths.
@@ProjectLabz after using it for a while I can tell that its good enough or even better. Sony a7iv overheated on me couple of times while recording on a job so that was what made me switch.
With the release of the z6 iii I don't think the xh2s is a relevant camera for anyone to to buy into the system for. That nikon has everything and much more for almost the same price. The xh2s's selling point was the stacked sensor which was a first for a $2500 camera. And for value as the video states the s5 ii is a champ if you want to switch or upgrade to. It often can be found on sale as well. That being said I used the a7iii for a long time, and never tought I need more then 24mp but since I upgraded to the a7iv I really don't want to go back even from 33mp. Maybe the sensor in the s5 ii and the z6 iii is more advanced and produce more detail somehow and I'm certain they also have better color reproduction. I don't know but the only comparison I can make with is what I have used.
You are most welcome! The XH2s is one of the most disappointing cameras I have used from a value/reliability perspective and it really bums me out because of how amazing the older Fuji cameras are!
@@zsolesz0017 Comparing the raws, the 33mpx in the A7iv looks crisper and better for photos but not by much, I personally much prefer the colours that the S5ii can deliver plus the extra video features that it has too :)
This is a good insightas i am slowly getting into photo @rudermanphoto I'm thinking between a7iv or s5ii for video, which is the better buy? Thank you for this video
Absolutely spot on review of this system, I just made the same switch after being extremely frustrated with my XH2s. People are sleeping on the LUMIX S5II and S5IIX, I couldn’t be happier with mine, autofocus and lens selection has been fantastic and the color science is on par with Leica at 1/4 the price. Keep up the great work!
Great video Matthew! I completely agree with your thoughts on the S5 II. I had a S5 IIx for about a month and I was blown away by the value that camera brings. The system as a whole was great! And the L mount lenses have fleshed out nicely. Having tested Sigma, Leica and Lumix lenses I still feel like the Lumix and Leica (rebranded Lumix) lenses performed the best in AF and felt to me the most optically interesting, where as the Sigmas were solid and rich in options but often times felt a little clinical for my taste. However I do love the Sigma 28-70 zoom as I find that zoom so nice and compact it feels like a prime! In the end I returned the Lumix. It because of the camera but because I’m so used to Sony bodies now for my hybrid work that it was hard for me to switch my brain to a new menu system that to me was quite comprehensive and deep. I missed my customizations on the Sony Alpha. But besides that the Lumix was brilliant and had I never had experience with the Sony cameras I would have probably preferred the Lumix in the end, especially for the beautiful in camera colors!
I bought the S5IIX with the 20-60 mm kit lens at Best Buy for $1,839, and it's awesome. I've since added the Lumix 70-105 mm F4 for travel and the Lumix 70-200 mm F4 Pro with the 2X teleconverter for wildlife photography. Great deals on everything but the teleconverter, for which I paid full price.
As a huge Lumix / Panasonic advocate, I’ve put videos on television with the GH4, GH5, GH6, and the S5ii will be happening soon. I have either owned or currently own all of those cams and swear by them. I also shoot and have an X-T5 and X-Pro 1, and keeping them but…I use Lumix for video and doc work, for sure. I can agree w/ everything you said for the most part but, I feel like I get better battery performance than you, it seems. Gotta dial in your settings to set the camera up to conserve power when possible, and shut off the cam / sleep mode when possible. I can go thru a whole shoot on 1-2 batteries this way. I think the greatest thing on the way w/ the S5ii/X is, it’s ability to use the Lumix Lab app. The “sims” and LUTS for Lumix are going to change the game. Oh yeah, I run dual ProGrade 128GB V90 cards. Way cheaper and I never run out of space. Thanks for the vid, and there's Lumix usage on my page.
I might need to try dial the settings in to get better battery life then! It’s certainly not terrible but I do think the XT5 is better - I do tend to leave the camera on though and I imagine turning it off when you aren’t actively shooting with it is probably the key to getting better battery life, it’s something I had to do with the XH2s otherwise I couldn’t even get through one nights worth of photos in a nightclub on one battery lol
I have the first generation of this camera! Was absolutely planning on upgrading to the XH2s but after figuring it out better. I am saving my money! Great video!
Definitely get the S5ii, you’ll still be able to use all your L mount lenses and its a better all round camera then the XH2s especially given how cheap it is!
Just in the process of swapping out my wedding kit from the XT-5 to the S5II, i just want something reliable with face/eye AF and good low light tracking, My rental is coming soon, cant wait to try it out
I shoot both of these.. I cant really explain it but, for photos…I like the X-T5 autofocus better. Especially when not looking thru the EVF and extending your arm or something at an angle, and shooting off the back of the screen. Don’t get me wrong, I shoot photos on the S5ii also but, I like the X-T5 autofocus for photos more.
Watching this as someone that’s looking for first camera since last owning Pentax 35 SLR Film camera. Been using iPhones and currently on iPhone 15 pro max. On my list was the Sony A7iv or this camera you reviewing, only for personal use at the moment shooting landscapes, animals occasionally birds oh and windsurfing photos. This camera does seam great value for was you get, any comments reading this greatly appreciate , enjoyed your video and an am a subscriber 🥳🥳
It depends really on your budget, the A7iv will be the better overall photography camera and you do have a much bigger range of lenses to choose from including actually rather small compact offerings in the E mount, the L mount is sorely missing some really small compact lenses at the moment, besides the S primes which aren’t THAT small all things considered. You’ll have better autofocus on the A7iv especially for stuff like wildlife and there’s a bigger range of ultra long telephoto zooms available too, on L mount you really only have like 4-5 ultra long tele options, all made by Sigma. Where the S5ii is much better then the Sony is in its video capabilities, and I think the skin tones come out a bit better too - but the Sony is slightly higher resolution and feels a bit nicer in the hand quality wise, even if I dislike the ergonomics of it. The other place the S5ii trumps it is in price, it’s simply unbeatable value for what you get - Sony’s ecosystem is expensive and their weird obsession with CFexpress type A cards means shelling out substantially more money for a card that probably should have been CFe type B instead like industry standard. If you have the budget and want to do lots of action stuff - get the Sony, if you ever want to shoot video and don’t want to spend that much on a camera you will not be disappointed with the S5ii!
@@rudermanphoto Thank you for replying back to me, from what I’ve seen the ibis is way better in the S5ii and as you say, Auto focus better on the Sony, yes the S5ii is certainly better on ones pocket overall, less rolling shutter on the S5ii I think 🤔 from what I’ve seen too. The Sony is going to be super reliable and not sure about the LUMIX over time, I like stills and Video, 24 vs 33mp, It’s not easy trying to decide, thought about the Sony A75 but 61mp would fill up laptop memory at a guess even though have a 1 TB on M2. But can crop in a lot more, wish I was rich lol 😝 🤣🤣🤣
@@Windsurfingaddict I wouldn’t worry about reliability, I’ve still got video handycams made by Panasonic that are 15+ years old and work perfectly fine, no reliability problems with my Lumix cameras either, they know how to make consumer electronics and famously also make some of the toughest laptops on the planet in their Toughbook line ;)
I got my s5iix and 20-60 for $1765 shipped, brand new. I could have gotten the s5ii with canon ef adapter, 20-60, 4 batteries and black mamba cage for 1550 shipped used The ssd recording, wireless streaming and pro res internal did it for me even though I didn’t know if I would use them. I’m happy with my choice!
Ha. This is crazy. I was watching your videos and Lens reviews for the Fujifilm system trying to decide on my next lens for my XT3 and XT4 set up. Then eventually made the decision to sell my XT3 and invest in the Lumix system as I needed to remove that record limit and wanted full frame and better low light. Only to find out you have also switched system 🤣 I went for the S5ii X. Some mad deals over here in the UK at the moment. £100 off the body and £200 off the lenses. Snapped up a bunch of the f1.8 primes with it. Loving it so far.
For the high res mode, I believe after firmware 2.0 or something, Lumix add handhold high res mode in the S5II, they have been doing it in GH6 for a long time, and now it works quite well in S5II. And as for now, all I want is a 28/2.8 from Lumix, and I will be really happy ---- I am using the Sigma 28-70/2.8 and Helios 58/2. Just want something that is lightweight and fun to pair with the future planned 100/2.8 macro while work around/hiking.
I don't think the S5 II feels cheap at all. The problem with the SD slot cover is, that it doesn't have the rubbery grip texture on it, which makes it a little slippery. Also, the kit 20-60mm lens feels pretty good in the hand and both its rings are smooth and satisfying to turn. It's probably the best feeling kit lens. Keep in mind, that even the most expensive lenses are made of plastic.
I’m merely comparing it to Fujifilm and the XH2s - it doesn’t feel bad, just not as premium as the Fuji, I get most expensive high end lenses are plastic now, but the metal ones certainly feel better in the hand!
Thanks for the comparison with the HXS2, I’ve been looking at the S5 II and that one. There’s some great deals on Adorama, so maybe I’ll pick one up there and get like 2 Kingston V90 256gb sd cards with some of the money I save. Great video, subbed!
@@rudermanphoto 4489 is way too much for the Z6iii it’s the same price as XH2S in USA so I think the street price will be $3500; still a lot more than S5II
@@rudermanphoto In my country the prices will be much closer - unless you buy 2nd hand, and even then it won't be by much. Z6III seems very compelling for just $500 more. Of course, you can make the argument that that $500 could go to another lens or something - but damn nikon really dropped a bomb with that Z6III reveal.
@@NorthBorneoLights damn these are some expensive S5ii’s! Yeah if the Z6iii was just $500 more here it’d be the one to get - but here you can buy a S5ii body only for $2050 on sale atm and the Z6iii is $4499 rrp, which I’m sure will go down over time but right now it’s more then 2x the money!
Really good, raw and practical review. It is really interesting your photographer friends haven’t heard about the S5II! In the DSLR days I viewed the camera world as having two options: Nikon or Canon. I have a Canon 5DIII. I only recently discovered LUMIX through Micro Four Thirds. I bought the G9 as I was underwhelmed by Canon’s RF mount cameras (pre-R6II) and wanted better video quality. My next camera will now be a lumix. I now have a bunch of MFT lenses so it will probably by the G9II. But the S5II is fantastic and very tempting!
Haha yeah, most that have heard of Lumix just automatically assume it’s a MFT camera and are shocked when I say no it’s full frame and they’ve been making them for a few years now!
100% agree. I couldn’t believe how good this camera was when I got it. So much better than Sony cameras which are all crippled and held back to protect other models in the Sony ecosystem.
I have been a long time Fuji shooter, primarily I shoot birds. I don't do much video work. I love the Fuji X-H2s, but I also have an LX100II which I use primarily in a dive housing for scuba -- and I have a soft spot for the Panasonic menu system / interface - I think it's really good (though this is totally subjective). So there was a great sale going - I got the S5II + the 50 F1.8 lens for $1700, and I took the plunge. I have 30 days to decide whether to return it, or to start trading in my Fuji lens collection. I also picked up the Sigma 100-400 to have a telephoto zoom for wildlife, though that is short compared to my Fuji 150-600. So far I am having a lot of fun with the S5II - but I am still undecided. I like the S5II's handling, I like the fun extra features like Pixel Shift and Light Composite. I find the bird eye AF to be almost (not quite, but close enough) as good as on the Fuji X-H2s --> the Fuji is generally a bit quicker to lock focus on birds, but both cameras can sometimes drop focus on a few frames in the middle of a burst shoot. That all said, I find the Fuji colors really pleasing. I edit in Capture One, I edit raws for my bird images - and just apply the Velvia film simulation and adjust exposures as needed for bird photos. For all other photos with Fuji, I just shoot for the jpeg and rely on the film simulation. The Fuji colors are punchier, more contrasty (great for birds). The Panasonic images are a bit cooler, more natural I think. The S5II images are much cleaner, which is unsurprising given the sensor size advantage. I'll keep shooting for another week or so, and then come to a final decision. They are both really nice cameras!
I loved using my XH2s when it worked, but having gotten used to full frame I’m unsure I could go back to APSC for pro work, especially given how crucial good low light performance is for me. Sigma makes a 150-600 for L mount that could be a viable option although it won’t be quite the same reach as 150-600 on the Fuji.
@@rudermanphotoI chose the Sigma 100-400 because it is lighter (it’s a joy to use) and because my understanding from several reviews is that the Sigma 150-600 has a slow autofocus motor. Apparently the Sigma 60-600 is faster to focus but it’s a really big and heavy lens If I decide to go all in, I’ll sell / trade in my Fuji lenses for the Sigma 500mm F5.6 - small, but fast aperture and apparently very sharp. I did a pixel shift photo on Sunday of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC - I will get a print delivered tomorrow (20 inches by 30 inches - I think 50.8 cm by 76.2cm). I hope the print looks good!!
I looked at the S5ii when I shopped for a camera a year ago and since then it dropped from €2.2k which was out of my budget back then to €1.7k now, but I still wouldn't get it as a hobby shooter, even though the specs look great, it's so fucking big compared to the X-S20 that I eventually opted for. I looked at a side-by-side on cameradecision, the freaking EVF alone is 1.5x the size of the entire X-S20 including the "big" grip, that's just insane. I guess it's not a big difference to the XH2S or Canons, but for casual shooting this is way over the top. My issue is also the lenses as you mentioned, their 1.8s are bigger, same price and lower build quality than Fuji's 1.4s, so in the end I'd have a way clunkier system just to go from 1.4 to 1.2 (in APSC terms)? I think fullframe is the best option for professionals, but hobby shooters often forget they can only really make use of the fullframe advantage if they buy the 800g 120mm lenses, otherwise they have the bigger body for nothing.
Same for me. I'm often travelling by motorcycle or by foot so size matters, and I find the APSC bodies with some fast lightweight lenses are more enjoyable to work with and the results in most conditions are very similar to FF until you really get to the limits, assuming you have fast enough lenses for FF. Only time I use FF is wedding/event work to get that extra bit out of the f/2.8 zooms.
Thanks, this is the best review I have seen of the S5ii, and I have watched a f... load of them now. A few mention that the S5ii has not the best battery time etc. but none give practical answers like you do. I just pulled the plug a couple of days ago and am switching over from Fuji as well. I have just been noticing that I am pushing the Fuji files too much to its limits for the works that I am doing as far as ISO and dynamic range are concerned and just need that little bit of extra latitude that full frame offers. Still waiting for my Sigma 24-70mm DG DN Art ii to arrive...
Thank you so much for the kind words! I had also seen almost every S5ii review and a lot were sorely lacking in answers that I wanted answered so I tried my best to try answer it all in my review! You’ll love the latitude you get with the full frame files and the colours are just so, so good. Great buy on that 24-70 2.8 ii, that’s a lens I’ll likely pick up in the future since it’s not that much bigger then the 28-70 and optically is meant to be insane!
I use the S5ii mostly for filming. Have the 35mm 1.8 lens this is the lens use the most as its my fav f length. Many contented creators talk about the s5iix and rightly so but the S5ii for me is level with it. Using the ANV i am able to record Prores so need to have it in the camera witch then will have to get an extra SSD drive. The S5ii has everything I want and need.
I’m looking at an s5ii for $1300 used. I just want open gate and the s5ii has that so I don’t think I need to go with the s5iix. Do you ever miss the s5iix features?
I bought an s5iiX and never use its extra features lol I could do all my filming on the S5ii and have no problems, the X is just my backup camera at this point
@@ZacBarnesMusic Never had the S5iix. I use the A Ninja V that has ProRes so didn't need the S5iix. I got the S5ii and with the extra cash got the 35mm 1.8 lens camera cage and memory card and few extra batteries. Open gate again is something that is only talked about by TH-camrs its a cheap content video. Shooting in 6k makes no sense. Most devices don't play 6k so the video will still be 4k.
Hi Matt, love the real world usage nature of your reviews, rather than all the spec blather. Quick question. There are reports from users about issues with half pressing the shutter in low light to obtain focus. It seems the viewfinder goes dark to obtain focus. Doesn’t affect the actual real exposure. Have you experienced this? Thanks!
I have actually experienced this but with manually focusing lenses when punching in to zoom, the exposure went super dark and when I took the photo it was fine - it has happened a handful of times and I’m unsure what I did that caused it, but it hasn’t happened for a few weeks now. I might need to ask Lumix for clarification
Every camera has its quirks, I guess. I love the compactness of my Fuji X-T3 and the little F2 lenses, but full frame seems like where the innovation is as camera makers move towards professionals and experienced avocationists (if that’s even a word) with higher profit margin gear. The S5ii is on my list because it’s a real value with no meaningful compromises, as you point out. BTW I really like your refreshingly unpretentious videos.
Thank you for the kind words!! Yeah, while I used to always recommend Fuji cameras back when they weren’t so expensive, when you price a camera higher then full frame alternatives it becomes a much harder sell, especially when the S5ii presents such unbelievable value for money! You can buy one on Amazon body only for $2050 aud atm which is even cheaper then an XT5! - the biggest downside being that it’s sadly not as compact as an XT5 and there’s not much you can do just due to the nature of it being full frame. It’s all dependent on what you need from your camera, if you just want to go and have fun taking photos the Fuji is an amazing option and is certainly more fun to use, but for paid work it just has too many compromises for me to say it’s worth it, especially when the S5ii can be had for as cheap as it is!
With sales the S5ii can be had for less then half what the Z6iii will cost RRP, just can’t beat that value haha Outside of the photo of the cat and the bird in this video I haven’t really done any proper tests with it, there is an animal dedicated mode but I don’t really do wildlife photography so can’t comment on it, if it’s as good as human eye tracking it’ll be pretty bang on though!
I’ve owned a GH4 then added a GH5 then upgraded the GH4 to a G9 and all was well for a few years but then I upgraded the GH5 to a GH5s, then I got into Street Photography and discovered the GX9 which was ideal. . . . . But I secretly coveted the X-Pro 3 and then I saw a Dura Silver version for a very good price such that I could easily sell it for a profit, if I didn’t like it, but obviously I still have it! So then I decided to compartmentalise video cameras from photography cameras and upgraded the G9 to a GH5ii giving me two (externally) matching cameras for Video and they can both shoot C4K (which the G9 couldn’t) and they both have an Atomos Ninja V buddy! Meanwhile I bought a used XT3 for photo shoots (the X-Pro 3 being my backup camera for Weddings). I think I’m good for now 🤣🤦♂️
Bought a near new s5II two months after launch for 1500. I was using the Sony A74 at the time but sold it as it's value was going down rapidly. V-log is really nice format. I found the white balance and color reproduction better than the Sony in run-and-gun situations on events. I miss the Sony in Photo mode. For me it was nice to have a bit more pixels and sharpness. For video the A74 was also sharper, but i had to soften it in post to make it more film like. For video the cameras were trading blows, but Lumix has some video features i needed.
How would a sort of newbie get on with this camera? Last camera I had was a Sony NEX-5N and I’m thinking of getting back into photography. Don’t mind admitting I’m a bit lost with all the options and brands. Currently has 15% off and a free Panasonic 85mm lens thrown in.
I think as long as you take some time to learn how it works it’ll be totally fine, but the autofocus system for example is really good but works a bit differently to what I was used to with my Fuji’s so make sure you read up a bit about it and you’ll be taking amazing photos in no time!
I'll warn you the that panasonic S 24-70 lens has a hardware flaw in video mode. if you zoom at all in video mode the aperture glitches out and you see the exposure jump because of it. they need to drop a V2 and fix this. optically it is perfect though.
Very similar performance to the R6, AF and high ISO are similar (better on the S5ii tho) but the S5ii is drastically better for video, higher resolution and I think better colours for photos.
It's green output when I connect to my computer. I'm using a camlink and this is my camera. Thoughts on why? : Panasonic Lumix S5 II Mirrorless Camera with 20-60mm Lens PADCS5M2KK
Your dream Lumix camera is coming out in the next few months- the S1R got to come out before the SL2. It was the SL3’s turn to come out first this time around, but the Panny version should be right around the corner.
I am sort of anticipating this, given the history - I can’t wait and I hope they execute it well, given how good they nailed the GH7, I have high hopes!
The S1R II is just around the corner, should have a similar/same sensor as the Leica SL3. My S5IIX will then become my B Cam, it’s a great time to invest in L mount for the value and IQ.
great video mate, but one mistake is that you can actually handheld the highress mode, you just have to activate it or assign it to one of the shooting modes :)
Just got the s5ii with the kit lense. I was almost sold on Sony ecosystem but for 2k euros u have no chance to get the features that are important to me. Since this is my first investment in a system I’m happy I went with lumix.
Definitely been temped with the S5ii lately. Theres a sale right now you can get it body only for $1798 or $1896 with the 85mm. Also can get it with other lens options for crazy price right now.
The Contrast Detection AF only on 50fps 1080p really turned me down, otherwise definitely will get this camera for my workhorse. Or is there any firmware update?
Ive experienced pixel shift on other brands who have hand held setting which Lumix promotes.So, is that another setting in the menu or is it just hyped up???
Hello ☺ could you please make a video where you will add link on samples of footage VLOG 1080 120 fps and VLOG 1080 24 fps and VLOG 4k 24 fps. There are still no samples anywhere on TH-cam unfortunately:( to understand how big size this files are and how computer can handle it. Thank you so much 🌸
Anyone looking to buy one make sure you take advantage of the B&H EDU bundle special going on until 8/2. I got an S5ii, 35 1.8, 50 1.8, 14-28, and 28-200 for $2,305 USD after tax and shipping. You can’t come close to this value.
The 50 1.8 came out to -$20 in my cart with this EDU deal 😂 B & H wouldn’t let me check out with it at that price and I had to order it separately. Still ended up saving over $1200 on an S5iix plus a bunch of primes. Sweet! I was on the fence but this made it worth it.
S5IIX can record straight to a ssd. I didn't realize until watching this video that the S5II doesn't have this feature. I would have paid the extra 600 bucks just for this feature alone. I bought two 2 TB drives from amazon for $99 bucks each and not only is that v90 card stuff not been a problem. I can also edit straight off the SSD. I also bought a M.2 enclosure and threw one of my old Windows drives in it and they work great too. I have seen those drives on sale or on Woot for as little as $30 a TB. The S5II may be cheaper but when you buy 2 of those V90 cards it's not. Straight to SSD is the way to go. It's criminal that other cameras don't do this. My itty bitty tiny complaint is that it occupies the USB C port and I wish in the future they would make it have 2 USB C ports. 1 for charging and 1 for recording. A work around is a dummy battery of course which you can grab an off brand for 10 bucks on amazon. Other than this I agree with all you said. Over all I love my S5IIX! I had a Fuji XT-4 before this and I had a A6400 that I was using for TH-cam because the XT-4's AF was just awful. I started thinking that having two separate cameras to do something 1 camera should be able to do was stupid especially since the lenses weren't interchangeable. So I sold everything and went with Lumix and I have been incredibly happy ever since. 1 other small complaint though with Lumix is that the full frame cameras and the micro 4/3's are so far apart. I bought a used GH5 for b roll and as far as the images go, they match up great. In good light I am hard pressed to see any difference in the 2 camera's images. But each one has to have its own specific lenses and stuff. I am prob going to pick up a OG S5 or maybe another S5IIX and ditch the GH5 even though it is also a very amazing camera. It's quite old and still keeps up!
I have an S5iiX now as well; I found one on sale for cheap and it’s my second body - I don’t use the SSD recording as it’s just bulky and extra shit hanging off your camera, plus v60 cards are fast enough for all the codecs the S5iiX can record anyway and I still have all the redundancy to record to two cards too, but it’s nice it can do it and I’m happy to have the X but it isn’t a deal breaker for me. I also still don’t like the blacked out design I much prefer the look of the regular S5ii, but I’m happy to have both cameras anyway, I was considering getting a GH7 but I’m glad I went with the S5iiX instead as keeping the same lenses was a huge deal for me. I also recently picked up an S1R for super cheap and that has been amazing as well, really invested in L mount now!
@@rudermanphoto ssd mount is 10 bucks. My cameras are in pro rigs so it doesn’t make any difference to have one small add on when it keeps me from spending hundreds of dollars.
The kit lens is basically the perfect video kit lens for a video centric camera. It's cheap - virtually free if you buy the body new. Also the S5 can shoot 4k in APSC mode which basically makes this lens a 20-90mm for video. The variable apeture is a non issue for video use. Personally i prefer video f5.6+. For photography you will need another lens.
I think it’s also great for photography, the variable aperture not being as big of a deal just because you can pump the ISO so high and still get good results, just sucks for getting blown out backgrounds but for general travel stuff it’s awesome. Weather sealed too which is nuts given how cheap/virtually free it is haha
I switched completly to lumix S5iiX. It’s a perfect camera on top you can get so much good lenses .. I have lot of sigma lenses. I liked Nikon a lot in the past. But you can get no good lenses Options. In my opinion sigma had the best lens lineup. I was so disappointed with Nikon. I like to have a good variety of f1.4 lenses. I can do almost everything with my lumix. For the rest I have my leica M. 😍
It’s not great, the stacked XH2s definetly was waaaay better but honestly not a huge issue provided you aren’t whipping the camera left to right, check 12:36 for an example of the rolling shutter.
Depends on how many L mount lenses you have and how much you want to spend, yes the Z6iii will be the better camera but the S5ii can be had for less then half the rrp of the Z6iii!
Memory cards are a real problem, you could try Sandisk SDSDUNC-128G-ZN6IN Samsung MB-SY128S They're both cheap .Shooting video v60 is a good option too!
I got some ProGrade V60 cards and I am satisfied with the performance of them, I just tolerate the slightly slower playback performance, with a UHS-II card reader at least it transfers at around 500mb/s+ which I’m happy about!
Whoever loaned you the A7IV had E front Curtain turned off and so you're hearing both curtains fire. Most mirrorless all use E front Curtain shutters. The A7IV sounds very different when you change this setting
Yeah I was told he had both curtains turned on, I’m unsure why you’d enable that, is there any actual benefit to it other than making the camera sound broken?
@@rudermanphoto only when dealing with strobes, and reducing flickering effects caused by shooting screens/tube lights - other than that? No point having it turned off. I just leave E front curtain turned on
@@rudermanphoto E Front Curtain Shutter (EFCS) can affect your bokeh when using fast shutter speeds. It will appear to almost cut the bokeh balls in half which makes bokeh look much less creamy. It’s definitely something to consider if you are for example shooting wide open on a bright day.
This camera would be perfect if it had a tilt screen instead (or along side) the damn ubiquitous side hinged flippy screen. This is the only reason I sent mine back and will never get another.
There’s nothing wrong with the build quality of it but it doesn’t feel quite as premium as the Fuji did - the fact that it’s fully weather sealed yet also has active cooling plus all the S primes being weather sealed is amazing though!
The preview is really sluggish. But the worse seems to be when u try to zoom into the picture taken. That took 2-3sec after u scroll the wheel before it starts to zoom in. That is really disappointing and annoying. And the auto focus is better but still not as good for stills…sadly. Don’t really know what is the cause for all these. Hopefully an update can fix that…..
Are you using V60+ cards? I have found the zoom in to be pretty snappy with fast cards - with V30’s it is very slow, as is the preview. Autofocus is not Sony tier but it is better then my XH2s was and I’m happy about that - much more reliable
@@leeRocks568 don’t bother with the V90 they are far too expensive - get the Sabrent V60 or Prograde V60 cards I use them and they’re both cheap and reliable with great speeds - would prefer the Prograde but the sabrent can be found for cheap on Amazon
Also the camera is slow to boot up. I thought it wouldn't be an issue but , it gets kind of annoying. Yeah I'm scared to sell my X-H2s because of the money I spent on cf Express type b cards. 😢
I notice it’s only slow if it’s been turned off for a while, if you’ve been using the camera it seems to turn back on relatively quickly; but yeah the XH2s was quicker for sure.
Don't sell your xh2s if you can afford to own both. I shoot with both and the 14 stops of dynamic range on xh2s is real. My only issue with fuji is the fact that the camera is too sharp. Also, I avoid using the eye tracking most of the time. I just place a box on what I want to track and it woks but not as goog as s5iix.
@@TwoTimesRmedia The Fuji auto-focus performs well. I often use it for weddings alongside the Canon R6II and S5iix, and it has never disappointed me. However, I do turn off eye tracking when there are multiple people in the frame, as it tends to jump around in that situation. The Blackmagic RAW (BRAW) format on Fuji is easy to work with and grades nicely, but when I don't want to do color grading, I switch to classic Chrome, and it looks great, better than Flog2, most of the time. Fuji also has a great dynamic range, better than Panasonic and Canon. I can easily underexpose by three stops on Fuji and still pull the shadows without introducing much noise. You can't beat that. My issue with Panasonic is that I often have to shoot in crop mode because it doesn't support 60p in full-frame. Despite having a full-frame camera, I frequently shoot in crop mode, which is quite limiting.
I love my X-H2s if they fix the autofocus it will be back to being my work horse camera. I recently got the S5IIX to use while they are hopefully fixing AF issues on the X-H2s. Im pleased with the S5IIX but can you share more settings you use for photography. I know most people use this camera for video but I be shooting photos with it in a few days. I want to make sure my settings are good. I can tell you that iso on the Panasonic has to be set higher than on the A7IV and on the X-H2s to match exposure so alright 51k ISO is high it's actually lower on the other 2 cameras . I have all 3.
I used both A7iv and S5II and editing few weddings from both of them. Lumix raw is more flexible and lowlight capabilities are also better on Panasonic. Maybe it because of lens but on 35 mm lens on both cameras, the 6400 iso was brighter on S5II than on Sony.
Matthew, great channel! Are you in Sydney? I’m selling a mint 50mm f/1.4 for an excellent price! I shoot Lumix professionally, mostly video, some photos.
Thank you! I’m in Melbourne! And Lumix AU have lent me a 50 1.4 for a few weeks, review for which will be coming when I’ve had some time to shoot with it, it’s bloody heavy but wow the image quality is nuts!
I’ve posted some on my instagram! My most recent post is with the S5ii, Sigma 24 1.4 Art and the 50 1.8 S. it works beautifully in a club and the low light performance is just brilliant!
Battery Life - This is really a non issue. ALL the cameras basically use the same battery which is 2x18650 LithumIon Batteries in a plastic case. Until a manufacturer takes the step to make a battery with 3 cells, battery life is not changing from generation to generation.
I have the s5 ii too and really dont desire it for photography. most of all due to this damn and weird "feature" of - i call it exposure pulsing. In full manuel mode when you use AF (does not matter which one) it does always jump to your set exposure dial to focus properly. this just is so damn annoying and i hate it so much using it because it all the time confuse me while shooting.this "feature" is just moronic and none other cam has this
I don’t believe Leica made lenses for m43 Panasonic. I think Panasonic made lenses under leica licensing which allowed Panasonic to put leica label on lenses that Panasonic, not Leica made
when buying a camera my first priority is lenses ...and the difference that s5ii has with a7iv is like 150-200$ (sony is always on sale) but even on the 500$ the lens options from tamron make for me the a7iv the king of value.... cant understand why people dont see it... ok unless you need the proress so much ....but for hybrid use the a7iv 33mp is such a charm and the lenses from zeiss that are a steal if you ask me cant see why people talk about value for money in s5ii when the 70-200 for example has like 1000$ and its f4, and the sigma is the same price for both mounts... but the sigma af is laggy on the s5ii.... i really dont see it even though i own the s5ii i cant understand how people see it as vfm... anyway thats my opinion
@@jams0001 from personal experience...the 24-70 in low light cant even focus....but even with sigma lenses the e-mount has more and better lenses to build your business on it... you probably didn't get my point
Sigma is part of the L mount and all of their exceptional glass is available. There are very few holes in the lens selection in L mount, except for the super telephoto primes like the 400 f2.8 and 600 f4.
@@Wildridefilms yeah we all know .... we all seen sigma advertising their lenses on sony bodies.... haha ...i really cant believe that you have tested those lenses and find great results.... its like using a gh5 with this lenses.... the af in low light is really annoying .... and for me more choices that work great is better than too little choices.... no 50mm 1.2, no 85 1.2 no 16-35 2.8 ... the lens selection makes a body vfm for me, and at the time being e-mount is the value for money mount whether we like it or not ... i m with panny for many years and i m still waiting the to remove the lag in the monitor ffs.... its been almost 5 years ....
@@sardanapalos There is the Sigma 50 1.2, Sony E doesn't have an 85 1.2 either. And the S5II's AF is in a different league vs the GH5 era. And they're pretty much lens agnostic in terms of AF.
I was so happy supporting Panasonig by purchasing the S5ii and GX85 micro 4/3 and the zs1000 1 inch sensor cameras, now I see how Woke the company is and I now regret supporting them. I will now sell it and the lenses to purchase the all new Nikon Z6iii and lenses. But if Corporations caving to the politics of the day doesnt bother people like it does me then the S5ii is nice.
Ah yeah silly me I should have just made another video focused review to join every other one on this platform instead of focusing on an under-appreciated strong point of this camera, noted for next time cheers mate
@@rudermanphoto Just so you realize, video quality is a lot harder to obtain than picture quality. Any phone nowadays can deliver great quality photos but this can't be said for video quality.
![เจ็บที่ยังฮัก - ม่อน วรวิทย์ [ Official Mv ] จอนนี่มิวสิค](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KALIGSRSjFs/mqdefault.jpg)
![PASULOL รามเกียรติ์ ตอนที่ 4 นนทกพบรัก [Ramakien Ep.4: Nonthok in love]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tMUQgmZzf_A/mqdefault.jpg)
You can handhold the 96MP mode! It is in fact the only FF camera that can do that. You need to set it up for handheld capture and once you do, it is surprisingly effective even at longer focal lengths.
Oh amazing, I can’t believe I didn’t spot that setting, thank you for letting me know!
sold my a7iv and a7iii with with some glass, bought s5iix with 20-60 and 50 1.8, never looking back
S5ii have good enough auto focus?
@@ProjectLabz after using it for a while I can tell that its good enough or even better. Sony a7iv overheated on me couple of times while recording on a job so that was what made me switch.
Sometimes you just need to downgrade.
@@brugj03 more like a sidestep. I couldn't afford fx3 but needed something with a fan.
@@ProjectLabz Realy it was not, but right now it is very good auto focus after update 3.1
Love mine. First full frame mirrorless camera I’ve owned and it’s been absolutely fantastic 🤘
Damn, I was on the fence about changing my S5ii for an XH2S but this settled it. Thanks Matthew
Don’t get the Xh2s I have it and I want to switch
With the release of the z6 iii I don't think the xh2s is a relevant camera for anyone to to buy into the system for. That nikon has everything and much more for almost the same price. The xh2s's selling point was the stacked sensor which was a first for a $2500 camera. And for value as the video states the s5 ii is a champ if you want to switch or upgrade to. It often can be found on sale as well.
That being said I used the a7iii for a long time, and never tought I need more then 24mp but since I upgraded to the a7iv I really don't want to go back even from 33mp. Maybe the sensor in the s5 ii and the z6 iii is more advanced and produce more detail somehow and I'm certain they also have better color reproduction. I don't know but the only comparison I can make with is what I have used.
You are most welcome!
The XH2s is one of the most disappointing cameras I have used from a value/reliability perspective and it really bums me out because of how amazing the older Fuji cameras are!
@@zsolesz0017 Comparing the raws, the 33mpx in the A7iv looks crisper and better for photos but not by much, I personally much prefer the colours that the S5ii can deliver plus the extra video features that it has too :)
This is a good insightas i am slowly getting into photo @rudermanphoto I'm thinking between a7iv or s5ii for video, which is the better buy?
Thank you for this video
Absolutely spot on review of this system, I just made the same switch after being extremely frustrated with my XH2s. People are sleeping on the LUMIX S5II and S5IIX, I couldn’t be happier with mine, autofocus and lens selection has been fantastic and the color science is on par with Leica at 1/4 the price. Keep up the great work!
Thank you for the kind words!!
Great video Matthew! I completely agree with your thoughts on the S5 II. I had a S5 IIx for about a month and I was blown away by the value that camera brings. The system as a whole was great! And the L mount lenses have fleshed out nicely. Having tested Sigma, Leica and Lumix lenses I still feel like the Lumix and Leica (rebranded Lumix) lenses performed the best in AF and felt to me the most optically interesting, where as the Sigmas were solid and rich in options but often times felt a little clinical for my taste. However I do love the Sigma 28-70 zoom as I find that zoom so nice and compact it feels like a prime!
In the end I returned the Lumix. It because of the camera but because I’m so used to Sony bodies now for my hybrid work that it was hard for me to switch my brain to a new menu system that to me was quite comprehensive and deep. I missed my customizations on the Sony Alpha. But besides that the Lumix was brilliant and had I never had experience with the Sony cameras I would have probably preferred the Lumix in the end, especially for the beautiful in camera colors!
I bought the S5IIX with the 20-60 mm kit lens at Best Buy for $1,839, and it's awesome. I've since added the Lumix 70-105 mm F4 for travel and the Lumix 70-200 mm F4 Pro with the 2X teleconverter for wildlife photography. Great deals on everything but the teleconverter, for which I paid full price.
Great, if not one of the best S5II reviews i've seen to date!
Thank you so much!!
I bought the s5 ii and s5 ii x, both are really the best value camera on the market right now. and Im really happy to use both of them for 6 months
I recently picked up the X on a good sale and I’m loving it too! Great to have two of the sameish body
Been waiting to hear your perspective on this, glad you are exploring different options and giving your real opinions!!
Thank you! That’s all I want to do on this channel 😄
As a huge Lumix / Panasonic advocate, I’ve put videos on television with the GH4, GH5, GH6, and the S5ii will be happening soon. I have either owned or currently own all of those cams and swear by them. I also shoot and have an X-T5 and X-Pro 1, and keeping them but…I use Lumix for video and doc work, for sure. I can agree w/ everything you said for the most part but, I feel like I get better battery performance than you, it seems. Gotta dial in your settings to set the camera up to conserve power when possible, and shut off the cam / sleep mode when possible. I can go thru a whole shoot on 1-2 batteries this way. I think the greatest thing on the way w/ the S5ii/X is, it’s ability to use the Lumix Lab app. The “sims” and LUTS for Lumix are going to change the game. Oh yeah, I run dual ProGrade 128GB V90 cards. Way cheaper and I never run out of space. Thanks for the vid, and there's Lumix usage on my page.
I might need to try dial the settings in to get better battery life then! It’s certainly not terrible but I do think the XT5 is better - I do tend to leave the camera on though and I imagine turning it off when you aren’t actively shooting with it is probably the key to getting better battery life, it’s something I had to do with the XH2s otherwise I couldn’t even get through one nights worth of photos in a nightclub on one battery lol
I have the first generation of this camera! Was absolutely planning on upgrading to the XH2s but after figuring it out better. I am saving my money! Great video!
Definitely get the S5ii, you’ll still be able to use all your L mount lenses and its a better all round camera then the XH2s especially given how cheap it is!
Just in the process of swapping out my wedding kit from the XT-5 to the S5II, i just want something reliable with face/eye AF and good low light tracking, My rental is coming soon, cant wait to try it out
I shoot both of these.. I cant really explain it but, for photos…I like the X-T5 autofocus better. Especially when not looking thru the EVF and extending your arm or something at an angle, and shooting off the back of the screen. Don’t get me wrong, I shoot photos on the S5ii also but, I like the X-T5 autofocus for photos more.
The Lumix S5II images are fantastic in low-light. They are the cleanest I have ever seen on a FF camera.
Watching this as someone that’s looking for first camera since last owning Pentax 35 SLR Film camera. Been using iPhones and currently on iPhone 15 pro max. On my list was the Sony A7iv or this camera you reviewing, only for personal use at the moment shooting landscapes, animals occasionally birds oh and windsurfing photos. This camera does seam great value for was you get, any comments reading this greatly appreciate , enjoyed your video and an am a subscriber 🥳🥳
It depends really on your budget, the A7iv will be the better overall photography camera and you do have a much bigger range of lenses to choose from including actually rather small compact offerings in the E mount, the L mount is sorely missing some really small compact lenses at the moment, besides the S primes which aren’t THAT small all things considered.
You’ll have better autofocus on the A7iv especially for stuff like wildlife and there’s a bigger range of ultra long telephoto zooms available too, on L mount you really only have like 4-5 ultra long tele options, all made by Sigma.
Where the S5ii is much better then the Sony is in its video capabilities, and I think the skin tones come out a bit better too - but the Sony is slightly higher resolution and feels a bit nicer in the hand quality wise, even if I dislike the ergonomics of it.
The other place the S5ii trumps it is in price, it’s simply unbeatable value for what you get - Sony’s ecosystem is expensive and their weird obsession with CFexpress type A cards means shelling out substantially more money for a card that probably should have been CFe type B instead like industry standard.
If you have the budget and want to do lots of action stuff - get the Sony, if you ever want to shoot video and don’t want to spend that much on a camera you will not be disappointed with the S5ii!
@@rudermanphoto
Thank you for replying back to me, from what I’ve seen the ibis is way better in the S5ii and as you say, Auto focus better on the Sony, yes the S5ii is certainly better on ones pocket overall, less rolling shutter on the S5ii I think 🤔 from what I’ve seen too. The Sony is going to be super reliable and not sure about the LUMIX over time, I like stills and Video, 24 vs 33mp, It’s not easy trying to decide, thought about the Sony A75 but 61mp would fill up laptop memory at a guess even though have a 1 TB on M2. But can crop in a lot more, wish I was rich lol 😝 🤣🤣🤣
@@Windsurfingaddict I wouldn’t worry about reliability, I’ve still got video handycams made by Panasonic that are 15+ years old and work perfectly fine, no reliability problems with my Lumix cameras either, they know how to make consumer electronics and famously also make some of the toughest laptops on the planet in their Toughbook line ;)
I got my s5iix and 20-60 for $1765 shipped, brand new.
I could have gotten the s5ii with canon ef adapter, 20-60, 4 batteries and black mamba cage for 1550 shipped used
The ssd recording, wireless streaming and pro res internal did it for me even though I didn’t know if I would use them. I’m happy with my choice!
Ha. This is crazy. I was watching your videos and Lens reviews for the Fujifilm system trying to decide on my next lens for my XT3 and XT4 set up. Then eventually made the decision to sell my XT3 and invest in the Lumix system as I needed to remove that record limit and wanted full frame and better low light. Only to find out you have also switched system 🤣 I went for the S5ii X. Some mad deals over here in the UK at the moment. £100 off the body and £200 off the lenses. Snapped up a bunch of the f1.8 primes with it. Loving it so far.
Awesome usage review. Any idea if the S5 II can use the Sigma 30mm or 56mm? Thanks and Cheers
Yes it can use them in crop mode!
For the high res mode, I believe after firmware 2.0 or something, Lumix add handhold high res mode in the S5II, they have been doing it in GH6 for a long time, and now it works quite well in S5II.
And as for now, all I want is a 28/2.8 from Lumix, and I will be really happy ---- I am using the Sigma 28-70/2.8 and Helios 58/2. Just want something that is lightweight and fun to pair with the future planned 100/2.8 macro while work around/hiking.
Yeah I found out after posting this video that there is actually a special handhold high res mode, super cool!!
Nice video. Can share more about your colour grading. Is this the built in LUT
The footage is all graded in Resolve!
I don't think the S5 II feels cheap at all. The problem with the SD slot cover is, that it doesn't have the rubbery grip texture on it, which makes it a little slippery. Also, the kit 20-60mm lens feels pretty good in the hand and both its rings are smooth and satisfying to turn. It's probably the best feeling kit lens. Keep in mind, that even the most expensive lenses are made of plastic.
I’m merely comparing it to Fujifilm and the XH2s - it doesn’t feel bad, just not as premium as the Fuji, I get most expensive high end lenses are plastic now, but the metal ones certainly feel better in the hand!
Thanks for the comparison with the HXS2, I’ve been looking at the S5 II and that one. There’s some great deals on Adorama, so maybe I’ll pick one up there and get like 2 Kingston V90 256gb sd cards with some of the money I save. Great video, subbed!
Z6iii just left the S5II in the dust holy smokes how rapid things are changing
You can pick up the S5ii for literally less then half what the Z6iii costs though, but yeah the Z6iii is a beast!
@@rudermanphoto 4489 is way too much for the Z6iii it’s the same price as XH2S in USA so I think the street price will be $3500; still a lot more than S5II
That's absolutely not in the same price range...
@@rudermanphoto In my country the prices will be much closer - unless you buy 2nd hand, and even then it won't be by much. Z6III seems very compelling for just $500 more. Of course, you can make the argument that that $500 could go to another lens or something - but damn nikon really dropped a bomb with that Z6III reveal.
@@NorthBorneoLights damn these are some expensive S5ii’s! Yeah if the Z6iii was just $500 more here it’d be the one to get - but here you can buy a S5ii body only for $2050 on sale atm and the Z6iii is $4499 rrp, which I’m sure will go down over time but right now it’s more then 2x the money!
Great video! Are you happy with that urth Nikon F to Leica L lens adaptor?
Yes I love it!!
I have another one for M42 to L and it works great too, the Urth adapters are amazing quality and well worth the money.
Thank you
Really good, raw and practical review.
It is really interesting your photographer friends haven’t heard about the S5II! In the DSLR days I viewed the camera world as having two options: Nikon or Canon. I have a Canon 5DIII. I only recently discovered LUMIX through Micro Four Thirds. I bought the G9 as I was underwhelmed by Canon’s RF mount cameras (pre-R6II) and wanted better video quality. My next camera will now be a lumix. I now have a bunch of MFT lenses so it will probably by the G9II. But the S5II is fantastic and very tempting!
Haha yeah, most that have heard of Lumix just automatically assume it’s a MFT camera and are shocked when I say no it’s full frame and they’ve been making them for a few years now!
100% agree. I couldn’t believe how good this camera was when I got it. So much better than Sony cameras which are all crippled and held back to protect other models in the Sony ecosystem.
I LOVE my S5. Currently saving up to upgrade to the S5 II :)
I have been a long time Fuji shooter, primarily I shoot birds. I don't do much video work. I love the Fuji X-H2s, but I also have an LX100II which I use primarily in a dive housing for scuba -- and I have a soft spot for the Panasonic menu system / interface - I think it's really good (though this is totally subjective). So there was a great sale going - I got the S5II + the 50 F1.8 lens for $1700, and I took the plunge. I have 30 days to decide whether to return it, or to start trading in my Fuji lens collection. I also picked up the Sigma 100-400 to have a telephoto zoom for wildlife, though that is short compared to my Fuji 150-600. So far I am having a lot of fun with the S5II - but I am still undecided. I like the S5II's handling, I like the fun extra features like Pixel Shift and Light Composite. I find the bird eye AF to be almost (not quite, but close enough) as good as on the Fuji X-H2s --> the Fuji is generally a bit quicker to lock focus on birds, but both cameras can sometimes drop focus on a few frames in the middle of a burst shoot. That all said, I find the Fuji colors really pleasing. I edit in Capture One, I edit raws for my bird images - and just apply the Velvia film simulation and adjust exposures as needed for bird photos. For all other photos with Fuji, I just shoot for the jpeg and rely on the film simulation. The Fuji colors are punchier, more contrasty (great for birds). The Panasonic images are a bit cooler, more natural I think. The S5II images are much cleaner, which is unsurprising given the sensor size advantage. I'll keep shooting for another week or so, and then come to a final decision. They are both really nice cameras!
I loved using my XH2s when it worked, but having gotten used to full frame I’m unsure I could go back to APSC for pro work, especially given how crucial good low light performance is for me.
Sigma makes a 150-600 for L mount that could be a viable option although it won’t be quite the same reach as 150-600 on the Fuji.
@@rudermanphotoI chose the Sigma 100-400 because it is lighter (it’s a joy to use) and because my understanding from several reviews is that the Sigma 150-600 has a slow autofocus motor. Apparently the Sigma 60-600 is faster to focus but it’s a really big and heavy lens
If I decide to go all in, I’ll sell / trade in my Fuji lenses for the Sigma 500mm F5.6 - small, but fast aperture and apparently very sharp.
I did a pixel shift photo on Sunday of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC - I will get a print delivered tomorrow (20 inches by 30 inches - I think 50.8 cm by 76.2cm). I hope the print looks good!!
I looked at the S5ii when I shopped for a camera a year ago and since then it dropped from €2.2k which was out of my budget back then to €1.7k now, but I still wouldn't get it as a hobby shooter, even though the specs look great, it's so fucking big compared to the X-S20 that I eventually opted for. I looked at a side-by-side on cameradecision, the freaking EVF alone is 1.5x the size of the entire X-S20 including the "big" grip, that's just insane. I guess it's not a big difference to the XH2S or Canons, but for casual shooting this is way over the top.
My issue is also the lenses as you mentioned, their 1.8s are bigger, same price and lower build quality than Fuji's 1.4s, so in the end I'd have a way clunkier system just to go from 1.4 to 1.2 (in APSC terms)? I think fullframe is the best option for professionals, but hobby shooters often forget they can only really make use of the fullframe advantage if they buy the 800g 120mm lenses, otherwise they have the bigger body for nothing.
if size is your biggest concern then the Fuji makes more sense :)
Same for me. I'm often travelling by motorcycle or by foot so size matters, and I find the APSC bodies with some fast lightweight lenses are more enjoyable to work with and the results in most conditions are very similar to FF until you really get to the limits, assuming you have fast enough lenses for FF. Only time I use FF is wedding/event work to get that extra bit out of the f/2.8 zooms.
Thanks, this is the best review I have seen of the S5ii, and I have watched a f... load of them now. A few mention that the S5ii has not the best battery time etc. but none give practical answers like you do. I just pulled the plug a couple of days ago and am switching over from Fuji as well. I have just been noticing that I am pushing the Fuji files too much to its limits for the works that I am doing as far as ISO and dynamic range are concerned and just need that little bit of extra latitude that full frame offers. Still waiting for my Sigma 24-70mm DG DN Art ii to arrive...
Thank you so much for the kind words! I had also seen almost every S5ii review and a lot were sorely lacking in answers that I wanted answered so I tried my best to try answer it all in my review!
You’ll love the latitude you get with the full frame files and the colours are just so, so good. Great buy on that 24-70 2.8 ii, that’s a lens I’ll likely pick up in the future since it’s not that much bigger then the 28-70 and optically is meant to be insane!
I use the S5ii mostly for filming. Have the 35mm 1.8 lens this is the lens use the most as its my fav f length. Many contented creators talk about the s5iix and rightly so but the S5ii for me is level with it. Using the ANV i am able to record Prores so need to have it in the camera witch then will have to get an extra SSD drive. The S5ii has everything I want and need.
I’m looking at an s5ii for $1300 used. I just want open gate and the s5ii has that so I don’t think I need to go with the s5iix. Do you ever miss the s5iix features?
I bought an s5iiX and never use its extra features lol I could do all my filming on the S5ii and have no problems, the X is just my backup camera at this point
@@ZacBarnesMusic Never had the S5iix. I use the A Ninja V that has ProRes so didn't need the S5iix. I got the S5ii and with the extra cash got the 35mm 1.8 lens camera cage and memory card and few extra batteries. Open gate again is something that is only talked about by TH-camrs its a cheap content video. Shooting in 6k makes no sense. Most devices don't play 6k so the video will still be 4k.
@@rudermanphoto Lol. Its a good b camera to have lol.
Hi Matt, love the real world usage nature of your reviews, rather than all the spec blather. Quick question. There are reports from users about issues with half pressing the shutter in low light to obtain focus. It seems the viewfinder goes dark to obtain focus. Doesn’t affect the actual real exposure. Have you experienced this? Thanks!
I have actually experienced this but with manually focusing lenses when punching in to zoom, the exposure went super dark and when I took the photo it was fine - it has happened a handful of times and I’m unsure what I did that caused it, but it hasn’t happened for a few weeks now.
I might need to ask Lumix for clarification
Every camera has its quirks, I guess. I love the compactness of my Fuji X-T3 and the little F2 lenses, but full frame seems like where the innovation is as camera makers move towards professionals and experienced avocationists (if that’s even a word) with higher profit margin gear. The S5ii is on my list because it’s a real value with no meaningful compromises, as you point out. BTW I really like your refreshingly unpretentious videos.
Thank you for the kind words!!
Yeah, while I used to always recommend Fuji cameras back when they weren’t so expensive, when you price a camera higher then full frame alternatives it becomes a much harder sell, especially when the S5ii presents such unbelievable value for money!
You can buy one on Amazon body only for $2050 aud atm which is even cheaper then an XT5! - the biggest downside being that it’s sadly not as compact as an XT5 and there’s not much you can do just due to the nature of it being full frame.
It’s all dependent on what you need from your camera, if you just want to go and have fun taking photos the Fuji is an amazing option and is certainly more fun to use, but for paid work it just has too many compromises for me to say it’s worth it, especially when the S5ii can be had for as cheap as it is!
Was waiting for the z6iii announcement but the jump in price has me looking at the s5ii again… how’s the af tracking for dog & wildlife photography?
With sales the S5ii can be had for less then half what the Z6iii will cost RRP, just can’t beat that value haha
Outside of the photo of the cat and the bird in this video I haven’t really done any proper tests with it, there is an animal dedicated mode but I don’t really do wildlife photography so can’t comment on it, if it’s as good as human eye tracking it’ll be pretty bang on though!
I’ve owned a GH4 then added a GH5 then upgraded the GH4 to a G9 and all was well for a few years but then I upgraded the GH5 to a GH5s, then I got into Street Photography and discovered the GX9 which was ideal. . . . .
But I secretly coveted the X-Pro 3 and then I saw a Dura Silver version for a very good price such that I could easily sell it for a profit, if I didn’t like it, but obviously I still have it!
So then I decided to compartmentalise video cameras from photography cameras and upgraded the G9 to a GH5ii giving me two (externally) matching cameras for Video and they can both shoot C4K (which the G9 couldn’t) and they both have an Atomos Ninja V buddy!
Meanwhile I bought a used XT3 for photo shoots (the X-Pro 3 being my backup camera for Weddings).
I think I’m good for now 🤣🤦♂️
Bought a near new s5II two months after launch for 1500. I was using the Sony A74 at the time but sold it as it's value was going down rapidly. V-log is really nice format. I found the white balance and color reproduction better than the Sony in run-and-gun situations on events. I miss the Sony in Photo mode. For me it was nice to have a bit more pixels and sharpness. For video the A74 was also sharper, but i had to soften it in post to make it more film like. For video the cameras were trading blows, but Lumix has some video features i needed.
How would a sort of newbie get on with this camera? Last camera I had was a Sony NEX-5N and I’m thinking of getting back into photography. Don’t mind admitting I’m a bit lost with all the options and brands. Currently has 15% off and a free Panasonic 85mm lens thrown in.
I think as long as you take some time to learn how it works it’ll be totally fine, but the autofocus system for example is really good but works a bit differently to what I was used to with my Fuji’s so make sure you read up a bit about it and you’ll be taking amazing photos in no time!
I'll warn you the that panasonic S 24-70 lens has a hardware flaw in video mode. if you zoom at all in video mode the aperture glitches out and you see the exposure jump because of it. they need to drop a V2 and fix this. optically it is perfect though.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Great review ;) Can you tell me how you compare S5IIX with R6?
Very similar performance to the R6, AF and high ISO are similar (better on the S5ii tho) but the S5ii is drastically better for video, higher resolution and I think better colours for photos.
It's green output when I connect to my computer. I'm using a camlink and this is my camera. Thoughts on why? : Panasonic Lumix S5 II Mirrorless Camera with 20-60mm Lens PADCS5M2KK
Your dream Lumix camera is coming out in the next few months- the S1R got to come out before the SL2. It was the SL3’s turn to come out first this time around, but the Panny version should be right around the corner.
I am sort of anticipating this, given the history - I can’t wait and I hope they execute it well, given how good they nailed the GH7, I have high hopes!
@@rudermanphoto agreed!! If they just make a FF GH7, they will have nailed the S2H for sure
The S1R II is just around the corner, should have a similar/same sensor as the Leica SL3. My S5IIX will then become my B Cam, it’s a great time to invest in L mount for the value and IQ.
great video mate, but one mistake is that you can actually handheld the highress mode, you just have to activate it or assign it to one of the shooting modes :)
I just found this out! This makes me super excited haha
I like the look of the S5II as well. I ended up getting the S5IIX with kit lens about $3050 aud.
where did you buy I got 50mm and 20-60mm for 2100
I use s5m2x to take videos. The video AF and GOP raw codecs are very good. I wasn't taking many pictures with this camera, So this video was helpful.
Just got the S9! Can't freaking wait!!
Just got the s5ii with the kit lense. I was almost sold on Sony ecosystem but for 2k euros u have no chance to get the features that are important to me. Since this is my first investment in a system I’m happy I went with lumix.
You made a great choice!! Enjoy shooting with it, it’s an amazing camera and system!
Do sigma lenses work as well as native lenses on lumix?
Yes they’re very similar for photo performance but I think the Lumix lenses autofocus better in video, atleast the ones I’ve tried
Definitely been temped with the S5ii lately. Theres a sale right now you can get it body only for $1798 or $1896 with the 85mm. Also can get it with other lens options for crazy price right now.
$100 for that 85 is insane!!!
The Contrast Detection AF only on 50fps 1080p really turned me down, otherwise definitely will get this camera for my workhorse. Or is there any firmware update?
Ive experienced pixel shift on other brands who have hand held setting which Lumix promotes.So, is that another setting in the menu or is it just hyped up???
Phenomenal video, thank you!
Can S5ii be used as a webcam using USB cable?
L mount needs a pancake 35/40mm ~f2 lens. I want to get this one but the lenses are just too big for EDC.
There is that sigma 45 f2.8 but yeah a smaller, 35-40mm f2 would be awesome!
@@rudermanphotoIsn't there a Sigma 35mm f2? Same size as the Sigma 45mm f2.8.
Hello ☺ could you please make a video where you will add link on samples of footage VLOG 1080 120 fps and VLOG 1080 24 fps and VLOG 4k 24 fps. There are still no samples anywhere on TH-cam unfortunately:( to understand how big size this files are and how computer can handle it. Thank you so much 🌸
What lens do u use for photo with This ?
Anyone looking to buy one make sure you take advantage of the B&H EDU bundle special going on until 8/2. I got an S5ii, 35 1.8, 50 1.8, 14-28, and 28-200 for $2,305 USD after tax and shipping. You can’t come close to this value.
Insane deal!!!
@@rudermanphoto it was $60 cheaper 2 days ago too.
The 50 1.8 came out to -$20 in my cart with this EDU deal 😂 B & H wouldn’t let me check out with it at that price and I had to order it separately. Still ended up saving over $1200 on an S5iix plus a bunch of primes. Sweet! I was on the fence but this made it worth it.
@@KateNesD same thing happened to me. You just had to switch it to the $47 option not the -$21. Didn’t have to buy it seperate.
@@jjchockey ah too bad, when I looked first it seemed like the sale didn’t apply to the filter-included option.
S5IIX can record straight to a ssd. I didn't realize until watching this video that the S5II doesn't have this feature. I would have paid the extra 600 bucks just for this feature alone. I bought two 2 TB drives from amazon for $99 bucks each and not only is that v90 card stuff not been a problem. I can also edit straight off the SSD. I also bought a M.2 enclosure and threw one of my old Windows drives in it and they work great too. I have seen those drives on sale or on Woot for as little as $30 a TB. The S5II may be cheaper but when you buy 2 of those V90 cards it's not. Straight to SSD is the way to go. It's criminal that other cameras don't do this. My itty bitty tiny complaint is that it occupies the USB C port and I wish in the future they would make it have 2 USB C ports. 1 for charging and 1 for recording. A work around is a dummy battery of course which you can grab an off brand for 10 bucks on amazon. Other than this I agree with all you said. Over all I love my S5IIX! I had a Fuji XT-4 before this and I had a A6400 that I was using for TH-cam because the XT-4's AF was just awful. I started thinking that having two separate cameras to do something 1 camera should be able to do was stupid especially since the lenses weren't interchangeable. So I sold everything and went with Lumix and I have been incredibly happy ever since. 1 other small complaint though with Lumix is that the full frame cameras and the micro 4/3's are so far apart. I bought a used GH5 for b roll and as far as the images go, they match up great. In good light I am hard pressed to see any difference in the 2 camera's images. But each one has to have its own specific lenses and stuff. I am prob going to pick up a OG S5 or maybe another S5IIX and ditch the GH5 even though it is also a very amazing camera. It's quite old and still keeps up!
I have an S5iiX now as well; I found one on sale for cheap and it’s my second body - I don’t use the SSD recording as it’s just bulky and extra shit hanging off your camera, plus v60 cards are fast enough for all the codecs the S5iiX can record anyway and I still have all the redundancy to record to two cards too, but it’s nice it can do it and I’m happy to have the X but it isn’t a deal breaker for me.
I also still don’t like the blacked out design I much prefer the look of the regular S5ii, but I’m happy to have both cameras anyway, I was considering getting a GH7 but I’m glad I went with the S5iiX instead as keeping the same lenses was a huge deal for me.
I also recently picked up an S1R for super cheap and that has been amazing as well, really invested in L mount now!
@@rudermanphoto ssd mount is 10 bucks. My cameras are in pro rigs so it doesn’t make any difference to have one small add on when it keeps me from spending hundreds of dollars.
The kit lens is basically the perfect video kit lens for a video centric camera. It's cheap - virtually free if you buy the body new. Also the S5 can shoot 4k in APSC mode which basically makes this lens a 20-90mm for video. The variable apeture is a non issue for video use. Personally i prefer video f5.6+. For photography you will need another lens.
I think it’s also great for photography, the variable aperture not being as big of a deal just because you can pump the ISO so high and still get good results, just sucks for getting blown out backgrounds but for general travel stuff it’s awesome.
Weather sealed too which is nuts given how cheap/virtually free it is haha
I switched completly to lumix S5iiX. It’s a perfect camera on top you can get so much good lenses .. I have lot of sigma lenses. I liked Nikon a lot in the past. But you can get no good lenses Options. In my opinion sigma had the best lens lineup. I was so disappointed with Nikon. I like to have a good variety of f1.4 lenses. I can do almost everything with my lumix. For the rest I have my leica M. 😍
How is the rolling shutter?
It’s not great, the stacked XH2s definetly was waaaay better but honestly not a huge issue provided you aren’t whipping the camera left to right, check 12:36 for an example of the rolling shutter.
I own my first s5 mark1, wanted to upgrade to the second version because of the autofocus, but now, the nikon z6 mark3 seems like a better option.
Depends on how many L mount lenses you have and how much you want to spend, yes the Z6iii will be the better camera but the S5ii can be had for less then half the rrp of the Z6iii!
lumix lenses are rubbery grippy but sold. I think lumix lenses may lean for video. sigma for photos. cheers
I have the x and I can't see the buttons! I should've gotten the 2😊
Haha yeah the buttons being black on the X make it a pain to use in the dark sometimes!
Memory cards are a real problem, you could try Sandisk SDSDUNC-128G-ZN6IN Samsung MB-SY128S They're both cheap .Shooting video v60 is a good option too!
I got some ProGrade V60 cards and I am satisfied with the performance of them, I just tolerate the slightly slower playback performance, with a UHS-II card reader at least it transfers at around 500mb/s+ which I’m happy about!
does S5 has PDAF for 100 fps in HD ?
Nice watch choice
Better autofocus than Nikons whole mirrorless lineup 😂.
Great video!!
Thank you!!
The Lumix Facebook pages are decent if you want more community. Nice pics BTW!
I’ve joined a few now! Thank you!
Whoever loaned you the A7IV had E front Curtain turned off and so you're hearing both curtains fire. Most mirrorless all use E front Curtain shutters. The A7IV sounds very different when you change this setting
Yeah I was told he had both curtains turned on, I’m unsure why you’d enable that, is there any actual benefit to it other than making the camera sound broken?
@@rudermanphoto only when dealing with strobes, and reducing flickering effects caused by shooting screens/tube lights - other than that? No point having it turned off. I just leave E front curtain turned on
@@rudermanphoto E Front Curtain Shutter (EFCS) can affect your bokeh when using fast shutter speeds. It will appear to almost cut the bokeh balls in half which makes bokeh look much less creamy. It’s definitely something to consider if you are for example shooting wide open on a bright day.
This camera would be perfect if it had a tilt screen instead (or along side) the damn ubiquitous side hinged flippy screen. This is the only reason I sent mine back and will never get another.
Here’s hoping the S5iii has the GH7’s flip and tilt screen! That would be amazing
The flaps on the S5IIX annoys me. Trying to close them. I rather even the doors/flaps on my X-S20 over these .
Id say its the best built camera, small but not to small and weather sealed
There’s nothing wrong with the build quality of it but it doesn’t feel quite as premium as the Fuji did - the fact that it’s fully weather sealed yet also has active cooling plus all the S primes being weather sealed is amazing though!
i love my S5IIX.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA Bro me and you said "quick as fuck" same time bro i KNEW that's what it was going to mean LOL!!!!!
The preview is really sluggish. But the worse seems to be when u try to zoom into the picture taken. That took 2-3sec after u scroll the wheel before it starts to zoom in. That is really disappointing and annoying.
And the auto focus is better but still not as good for stills…sadly.
Don’t really know what is the cause for all these. Hopefully an update can fix that…..
Are you using V60+ cards? I have found the zoom in to be pretty snappy with fast cards - with V30’s it is very slow, as is the preview.
Autofocus is not Sony tier but it is better then my XH2s was and I’m happy about that - much more reliable
@@rudermanphoto I’m using V30
@@rudermanphoto thanks for your advise. I will get the V60 or V90 card and try it.
@@leeRocks568 don’t bother with the V90 they are far too expensive - get the Sabrent V60 or Prograde V60 cards I use them and they’re both cheap and reliable with great speeds - would prefer the Prograde but the sabrent can be found for cheap on Amazon
@@rudermanphoto thank you for your advise. Yes the V90 cards are just crazy priced. 😖
Also the camera is slow to boot up. I thought it wouldn't be an issue but , it gets kind of annoying. Yeah I'm scared to sell my X-H2s because of the money I spent on cf Express type b cards. 😢
I notice it’s only slow if it’s been turned off for a while, if you’ve been using the camera it seems to turn back on relatively quickly; but yeah the XH2s was quicker for sure.
@@rudermanphoto I'm liking this camera a lot though.
Don't sell your xh2s if you can afford to own both. I shoot with both and the 14 stops of dynamic range on xh2s is real. My only issue with fuji is the fact that the camera is too sharp. Also, I avoid using the eye tracking most of the time. I just place a box on what I want to track and it woks but not as goog as s5iix.
@@nigerian-nightmare I really hope they fix the AF .
@@TwoTimesRmedia
The Fuji auto-focus performs well. I often use it for weddings alongside the Canon R6II and S5iix, and it has never disappointed me. However, I do turn off eye tracking when there are multiple people in the frame, as it tends to jump around in that situation.
The Blackmagic RAW (BRAW) format on Fuji is easy to work with and grades nicely, but when I don't want to do color grading, I switch to classic Chrome, and it looks great, better than Flog2, most of the time. Fuji also has a great dynamic range, better than Panasonic and Canon. I can easily underexpose by three stops on Fuji and still pull the shadows without introducing much noise. You can't beat that.
My issue with Panasonic is that I often have to shoot in crop mode because it doesn't support 60p in full-frame. Despite having a full-frame camera, I frequently shoot in crop mode, which is quite limiting.
I love my X-H2s if they fix the autofocus it will be back to being my work horse camera. I recently got the S5IIX to use while they are hopefully fixing AF issues on the X-H2s. Im pleased with the S5IIX but can you share more settings you use for photography. I know most people use this camera for video but I be shooting photos with it in a few days. I want to make sure my settings are good. I can tell you that iso on the Panasonic has to be set higher than on the A7IV and on the X-H2s to match exposure so alright 51k ISO is high it's actually lower on the other 2 cameras . I have all 3.
I used both A7iv and S5II and editing few weddings from both of them. Lumix raw is more flexible and lowlight capabilities are also better on Panasonic. Maybe it because of lens but on 35 mm lens on both cameras, the 6400 iso was brighter on S5II than on Sony.
@@ryszardzokowski812 I'm not finding that with the ISO on these two . Maybe I'm doing something wrong
@@TwoTimesRmedia maybe lenses are the factor here. 1.8 on one manufactrer is not equal on another.
@@ryszardzokowski812 could for sure be that. I was using sigma on one and Lumix on the other both at f4.5
Love my s5ii
Matthew, great channel! Are you in Sydney? I’m selling a mint 50mm f/1.4 for an excellent price! I shoot Lumix professionally, mostly video, some photos.
Thank you! I’m in Melbourne!
And Lumix AU have lent me a 50 1.4 for a few weeks, review for which will be coming when I’ve had some time to shoot with it, it’s bloody heavy but wow the image quality is nuts!
@@rudermanphoto yeah, it’s a so-called “reference” lens apparently… the 50 by which all others are judged. Enjoy it!
the photos are so "crisp" because there's no AA filter. when there's no AA filter and you pixel peep the difference is always OBVIOUS
Quick AF sent me 😂
It would be nice to see the results of the s5ii in a nightclub as well as for photos and video :)
I’ve posted some on my instagram!
My most recent post is with the S5ii, Sigma 24 1.4 Art and the 50 1.8 S.
it works beautifully in a club and the low light performance is just brilliant!
The plastic on the lens could be a pro cause it keeps the weight down
Very true! It does feel great in the hand and not as heavy as you’d expect, probably given the plastic
Battery Life - This is really a non issue. ALL the cameras basically use the same battery which is 2x18650 LithumIon Batteries in a plastic case. Until a manufacturer takes the step to make a battery with 3 cells, battery life is not changing from generation to generation.
I have the s5 ii too and really dont desire it for photography. most of all due to this damn and weird "feature" of - i call it exposure pulsing. In full manuel mode when you use AF (does not matter which one) it does always jump to your set exposure dial to focus properly. this just is so damn annoying and i hate it so much using it because it all the time confuse me while shooting.this "feature" is just moronic and none other cam has this
Strange, mine doesn’t do this - have you got constant preview turned on?
@@rudermanphoto yes I tried everything, it is something the old s5 already did but they did not change this even though of the new PDAF.
I subscribed
yea.... canon shows you focal length on zooms lol
I don’t recall the R6 doing that, maybe it’s a setting you need to enable lol
Did he just swear?
😳
I don’t believe Leica made lenses for m43 Panasonic. I think Panasonic made lenses under leica licensing which allowed Panasonic to put leica label on lenses that Panasonic, not Leica made
Yeah I should have clarified I meant Leica branded, but I do believe they had a hand in developing them.
@@rudermanphoto very well could have.
So do you like it though? lol
I love it! I thought that was pretty evident from my review lol
@@rudermanphoto sarcasm bro….
when buying a camera my first priority is lenses ...and the difference that s5ii has with a7iv is like 150-200$ (sony is always on sale) but even on the 500$ the lens options from tamron make for me the a7iv the king of value.... cant understand why people dont see it... ok unless you need the proress so much ....but for hybrid use the a7iv 33mp is such a charm and the lenses from zeiss that are a steal if you ask me cant see why people talk about value for money in s5ii when the 70-200 for example has like 1000$ and its f4, and the sigma is the same price for both mounts... but the sigma af is laggy on the s5ii.... i really dont see it even though i own the s5ii i cant understand how people see it as vfm... anyway thats my opinion
sigma af is as fast as the native Lumix lenses on my S5iiX? not sure where you're getting this info
@@jams0001 from personal experience...the 24-70 in low light cant even focus....but even with sigma lenses the e-mount has more and better lenses to build your business on it... you probably didn't get my point
Sigma is part of the L mount and all of their exceptional glass is available. There are very few holes in the lens selection in L mount, except for the super telephoto primes like the 400 f2.8 and 600 f4.
@@Wildridefilms yeah we all know .... we all seen sigma advertising their lenses on sony bodies.... haha ...i really cant believe that you have tested those lenses and find great results.... its like using a gh5 with this lenses.... the af in low light is really annoying .... and for me more choices that work great is better than too little choices.... no 50mm 1.2, no 85 1.2 no 16-35 2.8 ... the lens selection makes a body vfm for me, and at the time being e-mount is the value for money mount whether we like it or not ... i m with panny for many years and i m still waiting the to remove the lag in the monitor ffs.... its been almost 5 years ....
@@sardanapalos There is the Sigma 50 1.2, Sony E doesn't have an 85 1.2 either. And the S5II's AF is in a different league vs the GH5 era. And they're pretty much lens agnostic in terms of AF.
I was so happy supporting Panasonig by purchasing the S5ii and GX85 micro 4/3 and the zs1000 1 inch sensor cameras, now I see how Woke the company is and I now regret supporting them. I will now sell it and the lenses to purchase the all new Nikon Z6iii and lenses. But if Corporations caving to the politics of the day doesnt bother people like it does me then the S5ii is nice.
Most people use this camera for video
This guy: makes a 30 min video on the camera's picture taking ability 🤦♂
Ah yeah silly me I should have just made another video focused review to join every other one on this platform instead of focusing on an under-appreciated strong point of this camera, noted for next time cheers mate
@@rudermanphoto OR you could have split it between video quality and picture quality.
@@rudermanphoto Just so you realize, video quality is a lot harder to obtain than picture quality. Any phone nowadays can deliver great quality photos but this can't be said for video quality.