Announced: | 14 Aug 2020 |
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Sensor Resolution: | 24Mp |
Sensor Type: | Full frame CMOS |
ISO: | 100-51200 |
Weight: | 714g |
Physical Dimensions: | 133 x 97 x 82 mm |
Viewfinder: | Electronic |
Screen Type: | 3" Fully articulated |
Video Resolutions: | 3840 x 2160 |
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Known especially with the acronym Lumix S5, the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 was launched in the summer of 2020. This mirrorless widens the range of consumers initially expected for the Full Frame series Lumix S. This excellent camera possesses the same full-frame sensor as the Lumix S1 model, one of the most popular Full Frame of the Japanese house. Of the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 what immediately stands is its small size, very close to the Micro Four Thirds models, which however have the limit of a much smaller sensor.
A compact mirrorless, high-quality hybrid, or even advanced entry-level… the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 not only offers an interesting size to performance ratio - a fundamental feature when it comes to mirrorless - but also one of the best compromises between photo quality and video performance. To these factors, we must also add good energy resistance, with over 440 images of autonomy (1500 in economy mode), resistance to bad weather, a very rich interface with double memory card slot, 5GHz / 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection, and Bluetooth 4.2.
Lastly, the attack for the optics of the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 is the system L-Mount, compatible with Panasonic products, as well as with Leica optical Cameras and Sigma. But what makes this Lumix S5 one of the most interesting mirrorless cameras on the market are above all its technical characteristics, which place it just below the professional models of Panasonic which, in the Lumix S series, boasts three other innovative models: S1R is the professional offer for high resolution; S1 is a professional hybrid camera for photos and videos; the S1H model is the camera intended for film production.
For the Lumix DC-S5, Panasonic has done a good job in slimming down, to silence several criticisms received in recent years: 714 grams (battery and cards included) are a decent result for a machine that does not have one of the most attractive design as its strengths. The camera body of the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 on the other hand is solid, tropicalized, gives excellent sensations when touched, thanks to a magnesium alloy construction, and measures 132.6 x 97.1 x 81.9 mm. Compared to the past, the grip is slightly less prominent, given the new retro compatible battery for GH models.
The top plate of the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 lacks the secondary display but has a layout that is typical of more expensive cameras: behind the shutter button, you find the exposure controls,
ISO and WB. To the left of the EVF viewfinder - a 2.36 million dot OLED – you find the dial for customizable modes which, unfortunately, is only half used.
On the rear facade of the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5, there is very convenient access to AutoFocus to select a manual, continuous, or single focus. On the back is also found the dial to navigate the menus, but much of the facade is prerogative of the three-inch monitor, a touch display that can be rotated in all its 270°.
The memory card slots are on the right panel of the camera body, on the opposite side of the interfaces: micro-HDMI, microphone input, headphone plug, and USB type C port, to charge the camera even during its use. On the bottom plate, there is the battery compartment and a connection to possibly mount vertical handle.
Sensor:24Mp (35.6mm x 23.8mm) full-frame 35mm CMOS, 3:2 aspect ratio
Processor: Venus Engine
Display: Swivel Touch LCD (3 inches), 3:2 aspect ratio, 1.84 million dots
Electronic Viewfinder: OLED (0.74x magnification, 100% coverage, 1024x768 px resolution )
Focus: Contrast AF system (225 focus points)
ISO: Auto, 100-51200 (expandable to 50-204800)
Burst: with AutoFocus 5fps x 24 RAW, 24 JPEG; without AutoFocus 7fps
Video Recordings: 4K (3840x2160p) 30fps
Memories: SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS-I and II)
Battery: Li-Ion (Panasonic DMW-BLK22, capacity 15.84 Wh)
Weight: 630 grams (714 with battery and cards)
Measurements in mm: 132.6 x 97.1 x 81.9
While it is clear that the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 has its target in passionate and ambitious photographers, we haven’t yet spoken about what type of photography this camera offers its best. It’s difficult to find major flaws, but we can safely say that this S5 was not born for action photography, since it offers just 7 frames per second. On the other hand, it has the 4K/6K Photo mode, which reaches up to 30 fps, but consists of the extrapolation of frames from 18Mp micro-videos. In short, a consolation prize.
But if the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 does not shine in sports photography, for everything else we are on excellent levels: landscapes and street photography are its highlights. Compared to the S1 models, it has a renewed, more responsive AutoFocus. The subjects - except for sudden and lightning-fast movements - are drawn with firmness, as are faces and eyes. So even in portraiture, this camera doesn't mess around, getting along very well even in not perfectly illuminated situations.
Up to ISO 6400, the digital noise is practically absent: reaching ISO 12,800 the digital noise is present without being bothering. Going further is not advisable, although the details persist even with ISO pushed to the maximum. Obviously in this case the photos remain of the highest quality but for web or social media use.
The Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 also offers an interesting “High Resolution” option, alongside the internal BIS stabilizer, in which eight consecutive shots are taken and merged in an image that reaches 96Mp. This is the Dual IS, a system that makes the digital trick possible, by combining the five axes of the internal stabilizer with the two axes of the mounted optics.
With internal recordings in 4K at 60p/50p (4:2:0 10 bit) and in 4K at 30p/25p (4:2:2 10 bit) you can shoot up to half an hour, as well as with the HDMI-micro-output in 4K at 60p/50p, but if you are "satisfied" with UltraHD clips at 8 bit 4:2:0, there are no time limits for recordings. In this case, the excellent construction of the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5, designed for heat dissipation, comes into play.
Among the video modes of the S5, we should remember the Slow & Quick Motion (2 or 4K),selectable from the mode dial, and the 4K HDR movies, with an excellent light/dark balance, very close to that perceived by the eye. Although it has been improved, the AutoFocus system in recording still struggles a little with moving subjects in AF- C mode. For sport clips, it's best to consider the Sony A7SIII, Nikon Z5 / 6/7, or the Canon EOS R 5 or R6.
Remaining among the Panasonics, if we consider videos the DC-S5 ranks just below the more expensive cinematic VariCam that exploits the two-color curves V-Log and V-Gamut. The quality is very high, even if the S5 does not offer the same number of features as the S1H, which is intended for professional video makers.
Both mirrorless from 2020, the Lumix S5 and the Fuji X-T4 are both on the market with a big price difference, to the disadvantage of the S5, despite both being intended for the same consumers.
For the camera dimensions, there is (almost) a draw, even if the Fuji is considerably lighter (607 vs. the 714 from Panasonic). The X-T4 can also boast of an electronic viewfinder with better resolution (3690k vs. 2360k dots), longer battery life (around 500 vs. 440), and better burst (15fps vs. 7).
Given these premises, why spend much more to buy the Lumix DC-S5? The Panasonic has a monitor with a better resolution (1840k vs. 1620k points of the Fuji), more advanced sensors for scenes with little brightness, and a port for the external microphone. What makes a difference to the X-T4 is not these details though, but a full-frame sensor with a 43mm diagonal vs. the 28 of the Fuji APS-C sensor. Size matters and in this case, it means greater dynamic range, richer colors, and in other words… better image quality. And isn't this the first feature required of a camera?
The Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 is a mirrorless camera launched on 14/08/2020.
Technically speaking, the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 ranks in the best 25% of its category (and in the best 94 of all cameras in our database) scoring 65 overall. The Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 weights 714 gr and spans 133 x 97 x 82 mm. This means that it is one of the largest and heaviest cameras within its category.
Going into details, the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 behaves better than average in its category for:
On the contrary, the performance of Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 is below the category average in:
However, the technical performance of your camera should be put in context. Indeed, depending on the type of photography you are interested in, each individual camera feature can impact your pictures to a different extent. This is the reason why we developed the iCamRank. iCamRank has been designed to weight all the individual technical specifications of each camera in the camerarace database, depending on different shooting conditions. Thus, here is what we suggest, depending on the photography type you like most:
Sensor Type
CMOS
Sensor Size
Full frame
Sensor Dimensions
35.6 x 23.8 mm
Sensor Area
847.28 mm2
Sensor Resolution
24 Mp
Max Image Resolution
6000 x 4000
Max Native ISO
51200
Min Native ISO
100
RAW Support
Manual Focus
Lens Mount
Leica L
Number of Lenses
31
Focal Length Multiplier
1
Screen Type
Fully articulated
Screen Size
3.0"
Screen Resolution
1840Kdot
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution
2360000.0
Viewfinder Coverage
100
Viewfinder Magnification
0.74x
Min Shutter Speed
60s
Max Shutter Speed
-
Continuous Shooting
7fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range
None
Max Flash Sync
1/250s
Flash Modes
Auto Auto/Red-eye Reduction Forced On Forced On/Red-eye Reduction Slow Sync Slow Sync w/Red-eye Reduction Forced Off
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
DxO Overall Score
DxO Color Depth
DxO Dynamic Range
DxO Low Light ISO
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF MultiArea
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points
225
Number of Cross Focus Points
0
Video Resolutions
3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 200 Mbps MP4 H.264 Linear PCM
Max Video Resolution
3840x2160
Video Formats
MPEG-4 H.264 H.265
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Wireless Connectivity
Built-in
HDMI
USB
Yes (can be charged with high-power laptop/tablet chargers or portable power banks)
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight
714g
Physical Dimensions
133 x 97 x 82 mm
Battery Life
440
Battery Type
Battery Pack
Battery Model
Self Timer
Yes
Timelapse Recording
GPS
Storage Type
SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, SDXC Memory Card
Storage Slots
2
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