After keeping their new camera shrouded in mystery for months, Panasonic officially launched its Lumix S5 full-frame mirrorless camera at a special online event along with the camera’s full specifications. The camera follows up on the popularity of the compactness of the GH5 camera but being a full-frame equivalent.
The S5 will retail for less than the $2,499 of the Lumix S1 at $1,999, but that will be just for the body. A kit version will be available that includes a 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 lens for $2,299. The camera will be available on September 30, but Panasonic is offering a pre-order deal of a complimentary DMW-XLR1 audio interface or a Sigma 45mm f/2.8 lens if you order before the release date.
The S5 is smaller and lighter than the S1, the body measuring 132.6 x 97.1 x 81.9mm and weighing in at 630g. It also uses an entirely new 2,200mAh battery, as well as a 24.2MP full-frame sensor. The dual native ISO functionality may be the same or a variation of the sensor in the S1H. The viewfinder (2.36 million-dot OLED viewfinder with 0.74x magnification) and monitor (3-inch 1.84-dot variable-angle LCD) on the S5 are different than the S1, too, with the S5’s EVF being almost half that of the S1. As far as video, the camera can handle 4K/60fps footage at 4:2:0 10-bit or 4K/30fps at 4:2:2 10-bit internal recording with options for HDR and V-Log/V-Gamut capture.
The S5 features a fully articulating LCD Display in order for ease of positioning for awkward shots, although it’s also slower in burst mode than the S1, offering 5fps AFC in raw vs. the S1’s 7fps. There’s also a 4k and 6K burst mode available for ultra high speed photography, which records to an H.265 wrapper. The smaller size requires a micro HDMI connectors, probably to keep the size manageable There are two SD card slots, one UHS-I and another UHS-II.
You can watch Panasonic’s launch event below and learn more about the S5 at the Panasonic site. (Some information for this piece was provided by Red Shark News.)