New features bring phase detection AF and Active IS to Lumix S5II

Panasonic has added two new S series cameras to its line-up of full frame models – the Lumix S5II and Lumix S5IIX. These new comers join the Lumix S5 to take the number of bodies on offer in the S series to a total of seven - as the existing S5 will continue alongside the new models.
Panasonic has launched a pair of new S5 variants to cater for slightly different users – the Lumix S5IIX will be the fully specified model that offers internal ProRes recording and wireless streaming, while those who don’t need these features won’t have to pay for them in the lower-priced Lumix S5II. The Lumix S5IIX won’t be available until June, so here we’ll concentrate on the new features of the imminent Lumix S5II.

The Lumix S5II at the front with the original Lumix S5 behind. Both cameras will continue alongside each other in the Lumix S line

By summer the Lumix S series will look like this: 

• Lumix S5
• Lumix S5II
• Lumix S5IIX
• Lumix S1
• Lumix S1R
• Lumix S1H
• Lumix BS1H

While the new Lumix S5II (left) looks very similar to the existing S5 (right) there are a number of minor changes to the body shape and size

Hybrid AF

Probably the aspect of the new camera that will get the most attention will be the hybrid AF system. While previous Lumix models have relied solely on a contract-detection-based system called Depth From Defocus (DFD) to find and focus on the subject, the Lumix S5II will combine that technology with a new phase detection system that uses 779 detection points across the sensor. The hybrid arrangement will use both systems in turn according to the situation. DFD is a highly accurate system that allows really precise focusing to take place, while the new phase detection system will allow the focus to be held in place for longer periods and to react to changes happening in the frame – such as a new subject being introduced.

The new hybrid AF system makes it easier for the camera to detect new subjects introduced to the scene, and to then pull focus to the closer object

The new system is also much better at working in conditions in which the subject is backlight and when overall light levels are low – where contrast is much lower in the subject and DFD has less to work with. Panasonic says the hybrid arrangement allows the camera’s AF system to track fast moving objects more effectively too, as the combined contrast and phase detection methods make finding and following a subject more efficient.

The camera’s sensor is completely new and accommodates the 779 new phase detection AF points. The resolution remains the same though, at 24.2MP

Clearly the introduction of phase detection in the S5II and S5IIX means the cameras have a completely new sensor, as the phase detection system operates from pixels on the sensor. A new faster processor has also been introduced to run the system, which will also lend more power to other features in the camera.

Active IS

Lumix cameras have a long history of first class image stabilisation systems, and for some time it has been possible to by-pass the use of a gimbal as the combined efforts of in-lens and in-body stabilisation has made handholding cameras during filming a reality. In these new S5II bodies though Panasonic takes stabilisation a step further with the introduction of Active IS. This new technology aims specifically to dampen the more dramatic movements we encounter when using long lenses or when walking while filming. Panasonic says the new algorithm makes the S5II cameras twice as effective at removing jolts and sudden movements from footage as the current S5.
The cameras continue to employ the exceptional Dual IS system we’ve seen before for both stills and video, but the new Active IS will work automatically in video mode as well – it isn’t a mode we select in the menu, it engages as a matter of course.

Cool Unlimited Recording

The cameras have fan vents either side of the EVF housing to pull in cool air and expel hot air

Both versions of the new camera have a fan system built into the body that draws air into the ‘prism housing’ to keep the sensor and processor cool. Vents either side of the housing, and in the part that hangs over the lens mount, pull in cool air and expel hot air so the camera can keep on recording without getting too hot. This allows unlimited recording times in C4K, 4K and FHD video resolutions, while 6K and 5.9K settings allow clips as long as 30 minutes when ‘Standard’ is the selected option for Recording Max Temperature in the Thermal Management menu. If you set the Recording Max Temperature to High you can record for much longer periods but the camera may become too hot to touch. In such situations Panasonic recommends mounting the camera on a tripod or a rig so you don’t have to hold it.

Users can control the speed of the fan and whether it is on or off, but it is pretty silent and very hard to hear

6K Open Gate Recording

The original Lumix S5 allows us to record in 4096x2160 C4K resolution from the full width of the sensor, but the Lumix S5II and Lumix S5IIX take video resolution a couple of steps forward with 5952x3968 6K in 3:2 aspect ratio open-gate, as well as 6K 17:9 and 5888x3312 5.9K 16:9. The 6K recording modes are both listed with 200Mbps data rates so, even with their high-resolution, file sizes will be quite manageable.

Anamorphic recording also gets a boost with the 4:3 aspect ratio options now including a 3328x2496 mode that gives us both 50p and 422 colour in 10bit - in the Lumix S5 we get 420 colour. The Lumix S5II and S5IIX also list their 4:3 anamorphic modes in the main resolution menus instead of in their own Anamorphic (4:3) menu, and what was described as 4K anamorphic is now shown as 3.3K, though the pixel resolution remains unchanged.

Another step up in this department is that we can now choose 422 colour when we select C4K 50p – in the Lumix S5 colour is set to 420 in this mode. And all the MOV codecs are in 10-bit!
For high speed video fans we now have a 100p FHD mode that gives us 422 in 10bit. This is in addition to the usual Fast/Slow motion options that include 180fps shooting in FHD. The S&Q modes have no sound while the 100fps FHD mode does. Also new in this area is a C4K 25p 420 mode that allows 2.4x slow motion via a 60fps frame rate – of course C4K in 50p at 422 is also available in the main menu with full audio. All C4K and 4K footage recorded above 25/30p will be from a S35 section of the sensor.

Real Time LUT

The new Real Time LUT option is presented in the Photo Styles menu

Previous Lumix cameras have allowed users to upload LUTs so that conversions of the VLOG profile can be previewed in-camera while we’re shooting or playing back footage on the camera’s screen or an external monitor. We’ve been able to use built-in LUTs as well as those we’ve downloaded from the Panasonic Varicam LUT library and we’ve been able to create our own LUTs to load to the camera via an SD card.
The Lumix S5II and Lumix S5IIX take this a step forward with the ability to not only preview the look of the LUT but to also actually record the footage using that LUT. This means that when the footage is played back on an external device it will effectively already be graded. This saves time in the editing process, but also means that when a creative LUT is applied the footage will be ready to use and load to social media without any further work.

The LUT library allows us to add up to 10 custom LUTs to the camera for VLOG previews and for the Real Time LUT Photo Style

The cameras will come with the standard VLOG to Rec709 LUT built-in, but the in-camera LUT Library offers ten additional spaces for users to load their own LUTs for the camera to use.

4-Channel Audio

Like the Lumix GH6, the new Lumix S5II and S5IIX are able to record four channels of audio simultaneously straight into the video file. With the DMW-XLR1 in the hotshoe the cameras allow us to pull in two channels from XLR microphones while we also take in two channels via the 3.5mm mic socket – or via the camera’s own built-in stereo mics. The DMW-XLR1 gives us access to 96kHz recording, and even the internal mics provide 24-bit audio. Via the camera menu system we can monitor each channel individually, or select a combination of two or four channels to monitor in pairs.

Physical Changes

The new cameras offer full size Type A HDMI ports, as well as USB-C 3.2 gen 2 ports

The new bodies are slightly different to the existing Lumix S5 and changes have been made to improve the user experience. The key change for anyone using external monitors will be that the Type D port of the Lumix S5 is now changed to a full size Type A port – which most users will feel is more secure. The USB port is also now a generation 2 USB 3.2 Type C which supports high-speed 10Gbps transfer and Power Delivery. Panasonic has already announced that the Lumix S5IIX will offer recording directly to an external SSD, but with this new port also in the Lumix S5II SSD recording is also a possibility should new firmware be released to enable it.

Now the SD card slots will match, as both are designed for UHS-II high speed cards

Both SD card slots now support UHS-II, so each slot can now be loaded with cards that can transfer data at up to 324MBs. This means it doesn’t matter which card slot you are using for your video as both can now cope with the maximum 200MBs the camera can produce.
Another noticeable change is the size of the ‘prism housing’ of the camera. The new models have a much longer housing as it protrudes further over the lens mount as well as sticking out further at the back.

The Lumix S5II (left) has a slightly larger EVF housing than the original Lumix S5 (right) as it has to also house the new fan cooling system

The extra overhang at the front is to accommodate the new fan system, while the extra at the back allows the stereo microphones to be moved to the rear and further away from the fan. We have a slightly different dioptre adjustment tool too, that is much harder to knock by accident.
Panasonic has repositioned and redesigned the strap lugs to make the camera easier to fit in cages.

The new bodies have a different type of strap lug that will make it easier to fit them in and out of camera cages

The protruding chrome rings that hold the lose lugs for the camera strap on the Lumix S5 are replaced with rigid fixed bars for a strap to loop through. This will make switching between having the camera in a cage and just on a strap a lot quicker and easier, as the lose lugs won’t have to come on and off as well. The new design of the camera and the extra height does mean that cages designed for the Lumix S5 won’t be compatible with the new bodies.

A slightly redesigned 8-way thumb rocker on the rear of the cameras give us a larger surface area to grip

On the rear of the camera we have a new thumb rocker that has a slightly larger surface and which will be easier to find and operate.
While the rear screen remains the same 1,840k dot unit that we have on the Lumix S5, the new cameras will have an upgraded electronic viewfinder. In the Lumix S5 the EVF has 2,360k dot resolution and a magnification of 0.74x, while the Lumix S5II and Lumix S5IIX will gain extra resolution with their 3,680k dots and a slightly greater magnification of 0.78x – making the picture feel larger and sharper.

30fps Stills

While the Lumix S5II is undoubtedly a fantastic camera for video it’s also an excellent choice for the stills photographer. The new hybrid AF system will be of great benefit for those shooting fast-moving subjects, as will the new high-drive shooting modes. In electronic shutter mode the camera can rattle off up to 200 images in RAW+JPEG at a rate of 30fps. If that’s too fast for you, switching to mechanical shutter will take the top speed down to a still-very-respectable 9fps – or 5fps/2fps. Astonishingly the 30fps rate can be achieved with the AF still running in continuous mode, while in mechanical shutter the best rate with AF-C will be 8fps.

The camera’s High Resolution Mode has been relocated to the main drive dial to make it simpler to find

It is also notable that Panasonic has moved the High Resolution Mode out of the menu and onto the drive dial on the top plate of the camera. The mode hasn’t changed – we still get a 96MP image – but it is a lot more accessible than it was in the Lumix S5.

The X Factor

The X version of the Lumix S5II provides users with a whole extra collection of video options that offer additional quality and features that not everyone will require. Panasonic has created a separate camera to take on these features so that those who don’t need them don’t have to pay for them.

The Lumix S5IIX will come in a very cool low-profile smoky silver/black finish

The headline feature of the Lumix S5IIX for a lot of users will be its ability to record 5.8K ProRes 422 HQ with a data rate of 1.9Gbps. It will do this recording to an SSD via the USB port in the same way that the Lumix GH6 can. Full frame video will be available in ProRes for resolutions of 5.8K, C4K and FHD, with FHD allowing frame rates of up to 60fps. We’ll also be able to record 4:3 in ProRes too, for anamorphic lenses. 
Not all ProRes settings will require external recording as any codec with a data rate below 600Mbps can be recorded internally to an SD card.
The X model also gives us ALL-Intra compression, ProRes RAW output via HDMI up to 5.9K in 30p – the Lumix S5II will also offer ProRes RAW via a paid-for firmware upgrade.

Even the markings on the dials will be toned down with a silver paint instead of white

Streaming is a further feature of the Lumix S5IIX. Users will be able to stream live video using wired or wireless connections, in the same way as is possible with the Lumix GH5M2. Wi-Fi, USB and wired LAN connections will allow the camera to fire video directly to viewers wherever the user is so long as there is a network, and resolutions of up to 4K are possible with USB and wired LAN options. 

Price and Availability

The Lumix S5II will be available later this month and will cost £1999, while the Lumix S5IIX will be available in June and will cost £2299. 

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