The first reviewer that takes the autofocus debate to where it belongs: effective storytelling. Thanks for doing this instead of 20 minutes of people walking towards a camera.
Hi Dave, hope you're well? I'm a big fan of the Panasonic 'look'... they do manage to achieve a very cinematic feel. I know with all the 'Log' footage and grading on other cameras, it should't matter that much, but this S5 (and the S1H) just seem to handle the highlights in a very pleasing way.
I have the same experience, Dave. If you haven't already done it, check out the camera reviews on Park Cameras youtube site. Most recent, back to back, are the Sony a7sIII and the S5, with the same model, in the same environment, at the same time of day. The Sony looks great in several clips, but IMO, the S5 makes the model's skin tones look much more attractive, and the shadow fall offs are so much more graceful and beautiful. Sony has improved skin tones (they'd have to) but they're still not there from what I see. Lots of bells and whistles, amazing features on the Sony, but skin tones especially remain, as far as I can tell, problematic in most of the videos I've seen. I mean, everyone can't be that bad at color grading.
I came here for S5 review but I was gifted with more... 1. A Great review 2. Art of Content Creation 3. Subtle use of music 4. Tone of voice and 5. A story line on top of a fantastic review. Not to mention..."The Intelligent Squirrel"
extrashot - It WAS a very enjoyable video, for all the reasons mentioned. Thanks for cobbling together such a professional presentation. I’m a photographer looking to upgrade to full frame from my G9, but still want great video capability. This looks like a good bet.
I like your style. I don’t feel rushed and nervous watching your videos. Others are talking so fast and are so noisy my brain can’t keep up sometimes🤦🏾♂️👌🏾
Your sonorous voice, your demeanour, your sample seafront footage, the scene with your cafe mates, your mini-doco with the props and models maker, the laser-focus jibe against Camera Conspiracies also side-swiped with an appreciation favouring English squirrels over Canadian, your measured assessment from the start to the final sentence, all together produced a beautiful and intelligent review.
Great video! I had heard so much about Panasonic's other offerings having issues with hunting, but the S5 is working really well. I would say now that no one should pass up on Panasonic on account of the AF. So many great scenes in this video, and the slo-mo was fantastic!
I always prioritise the opinions of a true working cameraman before anyone else on camera reviews. Truly grateful for your experienced insight regarding this camera Paul. Cheers! 🙏🏾
That was a phenomenal review and has convinced me to go with a S5. The Irwin doc at the end was great, the whole professionalism of the video is light years above others. Your skills with a camera really shine through.
One of the most sensible level headed and practical reviewers on the YT, always asks the right questions and works through the issue rather than trying to come across as smarter than they are. What a surprisingly strong contender of a camera the S5 is becoming.
This Review stands out of all the Panasonic S5 Reviews i Watched. This is absolute pure. Liked the way you explained AF on S5, where others quickly concluded it as not useful. Thnx
Hallelujah for a proper, real world, real use, review of the S5 AF & video capabilities!! I've seen numerous other S5 reviews where the only aim is doing stupid moves to catch out the AF, as if anyone ever films anyone running in zig zags and jumping in and out of frame... You know your stuff, so this review has genuine provenance. Quality!
Thank you. As I said in the video, it's definitely not as good as the Canon or Sony, but I found it to be much closer than many other reviewers... like 90% there! I can only report the results as I found them. I have a feeling that there's something else going on here. The frame rate definitely makes a difference but also which mode you choose for what test also has a huge effect. I see some reviewers have also tested with an external recorder recording the screen through HDMI. There is a suspicion that simultaneously outputting an HDMI signal effects the performance of the AF... which is why I had a wobbly shot of the rear screen from another camera! Sadly, we're going to have to do more testing and maybe a shootout !!!
wow now I can keep my 4/3 stuff and just wait for GH6 which I guess will get the same autofocus system and then I think i have found my dream camera. And congratulation all S owners and panny you are back in the af game.
Really appreciate these no nonsense, level headed, real world reviews. So many dismiss cameras based on 1 or 2 key spec points without actually using them. Would be very interested in hearing your take on the Sigma fp if you haven't already.
Thanks Alex, and yes... I'd love to take a look at the Sigma fp, very interesting concept. From what I've seen so far, it looks like a great RAW camera with onboard proxies?
@@extrashot Yes, 4k raw internal at 8 bit, HD internal at 10 and 12 bit depending on frame rate. External raw in a variety of options straight to ssd, in 4k cinema dng. Seems amazing, love the colors, but it requires a lot of accessories to make it a fully functional camera vs the S5
Great work! Finally a review where the autofocus wasn’t deliberately shown as terrible, which it isn’t. With a pro lens it’s even better than with a kit lens. Would you use vlog in low light settings? Did you experience noise?
Thank you. I'm generally not a fan of using log in very low light settings... usually, the custom picture profiles will do a better job with less noise. shooting with log is great if you need to squeeze every last bit of dynamic range out of the sensor, but DR is not usually an issue when it's dark. Also log footage often has very little noise reduction built in, so you normally have to add quite a bit in the grade, even if you're ETTR to reduce noise. Obviously, all of this changes if you have a dark picture with strong highlights... then you might need the range again! Because the S5 has a very nice dual base ISO, the higher one looked surprisingly clean to me. Nothing beats doing your own tests though... shoot a really dark scene once with V-log and again with say Cine-D and see which grades better in the edit. Let us know which works best for you? Take care.
Great review, watched it despite all the negatives about the AF I’ve seen in the last few hours, but your review kept me watching and now I’m subscribing, even though I’m not going to consider this camera for now. One person vs the rest saying honestly they found it unreliable still leaves too many questions
Thanks for the comments, and the sub! It is a strange one... as I said in the video, it's definitely not as good as the Canon or Sony, but I found it to be much closer than many other reviewers... like 90% there! I can only report the results as I found them. I have a feeling that there's something else going on here. The frame rate definitely makes a difference but also which mode you choose for what test also has a huge effect. I see some reviewers have also tested with an external recorder recording the screen through HDMI. There is a suspicion that simultaneously outputting an HDMI signal effects the performance of the AF... which is why I had a wobbly shot of the rear screen from another camera! Sadly, we're going to have to do more testing and maybe a shootout !!!
extrashot looking forward to seeing more test with it, as if it was solved, by settings or firmware update, I’d be seriously looking to switch to it from one of my Z6 bodies, to vlog with specifically
Thanks for this excellent review! I'm really glad to see someone give this camera a fair shake. With everyone falling all over themselves about the A7SIII, it seems that no other camera can be accurately assessed for its own set of attributes. As a GH5 user, I have come to bond with the Panasonic system and really hope to see them make more cameras and lenses that will keep me inspired to stay with their brand - MFT or FF. You did a great job of illustrating the S5's particular, and considerable, qualities without automatically bashing it for not having phase detect AF. Great stuff!
Thanks Carl. It was great to see your comment on a day when I'm getting hammered for seeing different AF performance to many others! I'm still trying to get to the bottom of why, but thankfully, there are new reviews out there now, that also report seeing significant improvements. There is definitely an element of taking the time to learn and set things up... but then Panasonic could be criticised for not making it simpler to use?
@@extrashot You make a good point: the Panasonic AF system (in general) does require a little more setting up in order to get the best results under any particular conditions. And while it might still come up a bit short when compared to Sony and Canon AF, the Panasonic AF has more potential than most people think. And, more importantly, their cameras have many other fantastic and practical attributes. I keep thinking I would really like to have the Sony or Canon AF, but I haven't been able to convince myself to give up all the things I like about my Panasonic cameras (and, like most people, I can't afford to invest in multiple systems). Keep up the great work!
thanks for this video. I'm a GH5 owner with an S5 on its way to me tomorrow. I feel a lot happier now I have watched this video. If only Panasonic could update the AF on the gh5 to match this.
Man, I love your quirky and understated sense of humour, sometimes I feel like I'm watching a classic TV show like Take Hart or Michael Bentine's Potty Time (remember Morph?). Great to see Panasonic are recognizing your internet stature (haha) by supplying you with a review unit. With the Canon R6 and R5, and Sony A7S III around, the S5 is the camera I'm looking forward to. For my purposes, it's a full frame GH5 with S1 stills and S1H colour, and that's what I want. Lovely work with the puppet maker short doc, too.
This was a fantastic review, the best I've seen on the S5! I really wanted the A7SIII but can't justify spending £3800 on the body alone. For that money I'm thinking to build a lens range with the S5. Ticks all the boxes and the only question mark was autofocus....you've surprised me! I'm leaning towards Sony but any A7III/A7C comparison will be against the S5 now.
I know what you mean... out of the box Panasonic just nails whatever 'cinematic' looks like! When you compare the cost to an A7SIII, it's no contest !!!
Great review, Way better than some of the more dare I say, Cam Cons and that Undone folk. This seems to be the only review where the focus settings are correctly set up. Looks a great camera and if I were so so heavily investing in MFT lenses would be a very tempting buy based on this review alone.
Ahh... the investment in MFT lenses makes it a much harder choice. In that case, what's the harm in waiting to see what a GH6 could bring? If only we knew how far away that was! Thank you Marc for the kind comment... it's appreciated.
So glad I saw this, I love how you went to the effort of creating a video with it. So much is lost in pure testing. I've watched a lot of the online videos and been shocked at the contrast in opinions.
It's true... there are some wildly different findings in many reviews. I'm still trying to work out why! Thank you for the kind comment though... It really helps when you're starting to question your own sanity !!!
@@extrashot a few factors i think but one thing we know for sure is that you don't need to know anything about how cameras work to be a successful reviewer, which is both good and bad for "real user" results. Can't wait to get my hands on on it again to test.
@@robmulally I been pleased to see there are some reviews that are starting to get results more like mine. Carl from ProAV did some good testing here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sMyL5sE-m8A.html
Thank you. The best S5 review I have seen (and I have watched many). I have just pre-ordered mine. That will give me 2 lenses to start with. Now I just need to work out how I am ever going to afford any of the other L mount lenses. I hope Panasonic bring out similar affordable lenses like the 20-60mm that are suited to the smaller form factor of the S5. The £2500 plus 70-200mm pro, etc lenses are just way out of my reach.
I picked up a mint 70-200 F4 Panasonic S lens on LensAuthority for $1300 with a 2 year warranty. Still pricey but it's a great lens. I now buy all my used gear on that site. Also got a Canon 70-200 F4 IS m1 for $550.
Thanks Brian, very kind! It looks like Sigma are starting to offer some better value L mount lens options as well. It's picking up... when I think back to the S1H launch, just a year ago, there was very little choice. I agree, we need more affordable (and lighter) lenses for the S5... maybe the sales of the S5 will encourage more development? This is what I see right now: www.panasonic.com/global/consumer/lumix/s/L-Mount.html
I'm very happy for having found this channel, you really transmitted me a sense of overall serenity, besides being very calm, passionate and prepared about the topic. I just sold my Sony A7III with Tamron 28-75 yesterday, as a concert pianist I needed a camera without recording limit, as my old GH5 had, and I hoped in an update fix from Sony which never arrived. Time to preorder this S5, it seems. Thank you for your honest and brilliant review, just subscribed!
I'm glad you found the channel too, welcome on-board. Interesting about the A7iii... I'm just about to sell mine... that time limit is a real issue for me now. You know that the S5 also has a 30 minute limit at 4K 10bit? Although there's no limit at 8bit or anything HD obviously. Just checking!
Best review on the S5, yet. I'm actually taking a second look at the S5 thanks to this video. I think I will rent it when it comes out, and test it for myself. If it proves itself, I will definitely look into buying it. I've been a Panasonic user for a long time. I shot a feature film with the GH5, which was well received at several film festivals. Thanks for your review.
Hi Todd, thanks for that, very kind. It's definitely worth renting to see what you think. If you like the GH5 then the S5 will feel very familiar, full frame GH5 is the best way of describing it. The biggest issue for me is lens choice... luckily Sigma are also starting to offer some good value L Mount options.
Great video, and not trashing the AF. I got a S5 last month as my first enthusiast / pro / mirrorless camera and love the still photos working great with AF. It does focus hunt (or pulse) when I shoot at 4k30p but I didn't have the same AF speed settings you used. It did better at 4k60 but you lose that lovely 4.2.2 chroma. I will try your +2 / -3 settings and see what happens! Using the 20-60 kit lens and soon getting a Sigma 100mm-400m L-Mount lens.
Be good to know George... you'll definitely get more consistent results with the kit lens. My point wasn't that the AF was perfect, (it's great for stills)... just that it was now usable for video... which is an amazing achievement for a contrast based system. It's funny that some reviewers are now saying the same with the GH5II, despite it using the S5 AF system?
@@extrashot I definitely didn't mean to sound like you were trashing the AF, exactly the opposite really, you didn't rip on it like so many reviewers. I agree photos have a great hit rate for focus. I'm renting the Sigma 100-400 lens this week for vacation and have already gotten some great shots even with the 2x teleconverter on top for 800mm shots of the Moon. Nice for long zooms on ducks and baby Swans from a long distance. Video at 800mm is a bit shaky but that's more the long zoom issue straining the IBIS or not a really smooth tripod mount for AF 😉
Hey thank you this is a great preview and much needed context; really tastefully made too! It seems many reviewers have dismissed this outright for the autofocus, but here it seems ok to me. Most reviews seem to indicate that it still "hunts" between subjects all the time and I don't see that here as much. In truth I shoot more video than anything and it's for jobs so I NEVER use autofocus, but it's nice to have there occasionally. I bought an S1 shortly after it launched and it arrived to me with the screen not working... got another one and it was fine but as soon as I saw this I sold it to pre-order. I use a relatively small Gimbal (Zhiyun crane 2) that was amazing for GH4 shooting but the S1 was too large for it. Also I hated that screen that couldn't fold to the left or outward in any useful way, and seemed ready to break at any moment. I'm not a "vlogger' but I often operate to the left side of camera while monitoring other cameras and things. I still use a Gh4 sometimes and various lenses but I may need to sell it finally and get a second S5, since this finally fits all my GH AND full frame dreams at once.
Thank you for the great comment. It's funny, but some of the reviewers have been taking a second look at the autofocus and finding it better than initial thoughts. I think if you're going out to prove it's not as good as Canon or Sony then it's an easy video... but in the real world, the auto focus works surprisingly well for a contrast based system, and definitely better than GH5, S1H etc. My initial shot was on the Zhyiun Crane 2 and it was a good match. Enjoy.
It's so great to see Panasonic arrive at the 'Autofocus Yeah!' Podium at last. While I'm sticking with my Sony A7Siii pre-order, it's wonderful that we're collectively a step closer to an era where brands are no longer a choice between the lesser of two (or more evils) or great cameras sporting significant Achilles' heels. Everybody wins, in that regard. Thanks for the excellent review (and artpiece with Ben)!
Thank you... very kind. That's exciting, I don't think anyone could be disappointed with the A7Siii. I'm starting to wonder, does anyone make a bad camera any more?
I was on the fence. Now I'm... on the fence. What's the one thing you can never fix in post? You babied the AF a little, and I can do that a lot of the time. I still worry about the times I can't. There is so much to like about this camera, though.
extrashot I don’t get why you think it’s so good Paul? It’s only passable with a really slow zoom lens with slow quiet motors made especially for this camera. I use Canon and Sony AF and I would literally say they are 100 times better because they are reliable and I can trust them.
@@philipbloom As you know... I'm a big fan of the Sony AF system and use it daily on the FX9. As I said in the the review, the S5 system is not as good... obviously... but I can only report my own experiences, and I found it surprisingly good. Like 90% there...
The Conspiracy Guy does love the S5 .... he is just frustated over the "slow" autofocus. He is actually in love with Lumix and purhaps Fuji. He is so crazy but I love him. We need him, Panasonic need him in some way. We will se what they come up with... Anyhow I agree with you about the S5. I have had one for a month now. Although if its a "slowfox" focus it changes the sharpness in a beatuful way so it doesnt bother me to mutch, yet. The colors are the best together with Fuji.
It's looking much better. But it did randomly loose you several times in the talking head walking shots in the opening. And it looked like the autofocs didn't end up exactly where you wanted on the narrative, like when he was pulling out that metal thingy from the drawer and a few other things. But def an improvement. I 3 GH5's and an S1H, I have ordered the S5 but also the a7SIII. I tried Sony once but didn't like it for video, so we'll see this time around. Now if they can only update the GH series with as much new AF algorithm as possible... And it's also not looking great for a GH6 (or GH5 mk II)
You're right, there was a point in the walking shot where it seemed to loose me for a second. I was shooting V-Log at that point, and as several other reviewers have noticed, the contrast based AF has a much harder job at focusing if there isn't a lot of contrast in the shot. The story piece with Ben was a really tough test. That was also V-Log, but only under available light. I had the kit lens wide open, with a fixed aperture and shutter, but let the ISO and focus run completely auto. Under the circumstances, I thought it coped really well. Not sure I would have nailed every shot manually either! Panasonic have assured us that the GH range is still being supported and developed... I think there's too much investment in MFT lenses for them to drop it. I'm still hopeful for a GH6. You buy a lot of cameras? 🤔
That was a very, but very important question at the end. Could it be possible that Panasonic bring an autofocus firmware upgrade to the existing systems (as the S1, S1R and the video beast S1H) if so, that will be an excellent step to getting those systems (mainly the S1H) close to perfection, though it will be almost impossible to have the perfect camera in our hands, Panasonic is bringing to the table lots of high end features (mostly for videographers)
I personally haven't tried any yet... and I've heard differing reports from those that have. Some people I respect are saying the Sigma L mount lenses are performing well... while other are saying everything L mount is rubbish !!! I think there's more testing to be done, but there is definitely a noticeable improvement.
I don't know what it's like in Italy right now, but here in the UK we've got a few New Year sales with the S5 + 20-60 Kit lens now selling for £1699 inc tax. That's amazing value for a full frame camera of this quality!
Thank you... the Panasonic colours are lovely... but then have you tried my Cinetone look on your A7C... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gRYG5QKXRS4.html - there's a few who like it for that 'filmic' look? Bottom line is... it isn't the camera you've got... it's the content you shoot !!!
@@extrashot Indeed! I have seen both settings for A7siii and A7iii(2). Currently have the A7iii(2) on my A7c. I haven't had enough chance to shoot much though.
It's the first time I've been able to watch other reviews of this camera... and I notice some have had different results. I think the 50P or 60P, along with being in the right mode, is the key. As before, face detect isn't always the best... especially as half the population are wearing masks!
@@extrashot I watched ProAv Carol's review of S5.... the focus with fairy lights in the background was a great test but it is a worst-case stress test... though vlog performance was not great?? You managed to shoot a real-world mini-doc using S5 auto-focus completely without any problems.... which was not possible with GH5? The S5 seems to have very good video auto-focus (and may improve) .... even if not a match for Sony and Canon. Would you buy a S5 rather than a Canon R5 given a choice?
@@OhShiraz I would buy the S5 over the R5 given the choice... definitely, but there's a lot more to that decision than just the autofocus. However, if I can manage to get the expense authorised by the "Fun prevention Officer"... then I'd probably go for the A7Siii. And that particular choice is as much to do with matching my FX9 and E mount lenses... so not really a free choice!
@@OhShiraz I was pleased to see the Carl's review of the S5 autofocus... With everyone having a go at me, it was nice to see I wasn't alone in seeing a significant improvement!
Thank you for this beautiful video. Im a subscriber although Im not a video maker. I've had my eye on this camera for over a year now, I really like it. But I this point I worry something better is already out there, for example the nikon z6 ii. Do you still like it as much? Cheers
I'm a Wedding V.O.G of a certain age who has been looking for an honest relatable you tube tech content for ages, my search is over, thank you.. Regards Pete
Hey Extrashot, Great review! I recently received my S5 and noticed a few flaws with the camera. I have a gh5 and Gh5s and one of my favorite features is the touch screen focus on MF mode. The S5 touch screen does not pull focus in this mode anymore. Also, when using 4k 60 FPS APS-C crop the screen display becomes slightly blurry and very hard to focus. I also bought an aps-c lens and it’s blurry in all framerates. Have you noticed this issues? Would love to get some help on this.
No, I certainly didn't notice the blurry crop mode? That sounds very strange because you normally have to be on quite a large screen to even see any difference with a crop. I also didn't notice the touch to focus in MF mode missing... in fact I thought I'd used it. Could that be a setup issue? sounds like something's wrong in the menu. The problem is... I don't have the camera any more, they wanted it back !!!
Those L mount f/1.8 primes they announced on the same day as the S5 look interesting? Shame the 70-300mm isn't a fixed aperture, but it's surprisingly small.
@@extrashot Currently using a G9 and 100-400 so something that can offer similar (but better) would be nice. Depth of field isn't a concern for me really.
@@JoeMaranophotography 400mm on MFT is like 800mm on full frame... are you shooting wildlife by any chance? Even using the APC crop on the S5, you're going to need 600mm just to match. The problem you have is, at those sort of focal lengths, the MTF cameras really shine... full frame glass is going to be really heavy. Having said all of that, I have heard some people into wildlife shooting that have also been requesting longer L Mount lenses... so it may happen at some point.
I did see it miss focus on the squirrel quite a lot and there was some really weird macroblocking going on in the slo mo waves shots that I assume was just youtube compression. I think the problem has been the pulsing on autofocus on stationary talking head shots. I'd be interested if you tested for that @ 25P? Plus I don't want to shoot at 50frames a second unless I'm chroma keying or slo mo shooting. So I think the 4:2:0 limitation could hurt for technical shoots. It's a decent effort but why are Panny sticking with a contrast based system when the two best systems are hybrid? It's either very expensive to do or they are just being bloody minded.
I know what you mean... maybe it's a licensing issue with the sensors? ie. the amount you pay determines the availability? However, I still stand by my thoughts that it's noticeably better than anything they've done before with a contrast based system... and amazing value for such a great full frame mirrorless that looks like a cinema camera!
One of the best reviews.. Excellent narratives and real world use.. You have a "documentary" voice.. Beside ergo, The best part about S5 is "the color", simply the best.. Hope Panny continue to better its AF to the same level as competitiors..
@@kentmemories I've not tried the R6 yet... so difficult to know. Clearly, both cameras can produce stunning pictures. However, there's now a small dilemma with lens choices. While Canon have a great EF choice, I think the future for any system is mirrorless lenses without an adaptor... so R-Mount for the Canon. Luckily, Sigma are now offering some great value L-Mount lenses, so it's much closer than it was. If you think of the S5 as a full frame GH5, then it would seem to be ideal for hybrid travel, but then, if autofocus is important to you, the R6 is definitely ahead with the dual pixel stuff. Personally, I should admit I'm a little biased... not towards Panasonic, but against Canon for the way they've handled the R5/6 overheating issue!
Thanks for another great video :) As to whether we still need a GH6 after this....my take is 100% yes. The more compact lenses are everything, and you'd have to rip the Olympus Pro 25mm F1.2 and GH5 combo out of my cold dead hands until a GH6 arrives. I don't want to be carrying around 2 full frame cameras + lenses for both of them on a solo shoot. So, the GH5 / GH5S combo is still my go to combo. My Canon C200 and recently acquired R6 will still stay at home most of the time, although the R6 is turning out to be a much better camera than I think most people would care to admit. Please Panasonic, give us a GH5 replacement with full V-Log, 10bit 4K50p internal, and high ISO performance akin to the GH5S in one body. I'm really not bothered about the autofocus as manual focus is so easy with those Olympus Pro prime lenses, and its much more natural and deliberate than any autofocus system can ever be. For those that do want autofocus though, this new release bodes quite well... though I'm still not certain I'd trust it on a gimbal.
The more I think about it... the more I think you're right... I want a GH6 as well. There's still something I love about my GH5... it just has a great balance between sensor size and data rates... ie great pictures at manageable rates.
Great video, thanks for that ! The autofocus seems to work good...I don't get it youtubers are saying its crap, it seems good enough for many scenarios. I am getting this camera alongside the sigma FP !
I've seen RU-vidrs zig-zagging around fields trying to trick it into not following, but is that how most auto-focus system are used in the real world? I get that it's not Canon or Sony level of AF performance, but it's amazingly close for a contrast based system. Panasonic have done wonders and I stand by my my findings with the camera. This is a great camera, that in many ways, offers S1H performance for am amazing price!
Great rundown as always. I got my S1H, and what pains me most is the Auto Focus when using EF lenses to the point.. THERE IS NO AUTO FOCUS (well not continuous focus or focus transitions).. I use the Sigma EF adapter to mount my Sigma ART series of lenses. Pity as I didn't know this issue before buying into all that glass and not the more expensive L-Mount glass which works in AF. Hopefully your mentioned firmware update will address this issue? Now thinking about the S5.. I fully agree with you, it makes a perfect B-Cam to the S1H as an A-Cam
The problem is... AF is always best with native lenses. They just talk better to the camera! The fact that they are going to update the S1 series though is good news. It can only help.
It looks similar in a couple of shots, but I don't think so... isn't he Brighton based? I'm in Bournemouth, just a bit further west along the same coast. Well spotted though!
@@extrashot Yeah, it’s not quite the same it had me trippin for a little bit though. Nice review, I’m still waiting on my S5 it’s been 2 months since I preordered it I’m dying to review it lol.
S1H is Netflix approved camera, it's so amazing and people only complain about AF. I hope Auto Focus gets better like Sony so people consider buying it.
Really nice review! I had almost bought this camera as an upgrade to my Sony a6000 but the AF fears alot of reviewers were spreading had me second guess myself and ultimately I bought the Fujifilm x-t4 with a nicer lens upon realizing I didn't need the full frame. Maybe one Panasonic!!! I'd argue that this is currently the best affordable full frame one can buy
@@extrashot going in line with what others have said, it's really fun to use. I love all the dials. I don't have to menu dive as often to make changes. Really great all-around camera for practically everything
Thank you so much for posting such an informative and yet entertaining review! I'm currently a GH5 user but am considering moving to FF, specifically the S5. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind commenting on the S5 electronic viewfinder. I use the EV a lot for stills and am concerned about the lower resolution of the S5 as compared to the GH5. Thanks again!
It's true, the S5 EVF is lower resolution than the GH5, but I didn't really notice! To be fair, most of my work is using video and I tend to use the monitor screen more than the EVF. When I did use the EVF, I was disappointed that it wasn't the amazing image you get from the S1 (which has an exceptional EVF) but it didn't feel worse than the GH5. If stills and the EVF are important to you, have you seen some of the deals on the S1 right now? Panasonic are also upgrading the firmware across the S1 range so they've just got more attractive to video shooters as well. Sorry I can't be more help.
@@extrashot Your feedback is very helpful. Following up on your suggestion, I did review some of the S1 bundles and they do seem attractive. I'm not sure I can adjust to the larger size of the S1 as most of my photo/video needs are vacation/travel related, although not doing much of that these days!!! Its great to have options, albeit with inherent compromises. BTW...I'm very impressed with the number of replies that you make for your viewers' questions and comments. That must take a lot of your time. Well done. I subscribed.
@@DaMaxchi If you do a lot of travelling, worth remembering the S5 is actually smaller than the GH5 !!! Thanks for the sub... it's genuinely appreciated.
Thank great review - subbed - I got a recommendation to take a look at your channel from camera conspiracies channel were 1080p quality was being discussed. Question - is it easy to flip from video and stills - my work is hybrid event and my Nikon D750 has a video/photo switch that saves my last settings automatically.
Thank for the sub Mark, it's appreciated. With regard to switching between stills and video, the S5 doesn't have a dedicated switch, but it is just a case of spinning the mode dial to movie mode or back again. However, it does have a separate shutter and movie record button, so you can be recording a movie, press the shutter, and take a still in the middle! As far as I remember, all the camera profile settings are remembered when you switch between the two modes. I don't think the iris and shutter go back to where they were... but I may be wrong on that. Trouble is, I had to give the camera back, so I can't sit and play with it to give you the definitive answer! Sorry about that.
@@extrashot no problem thanks for the reply. On balance I think nikons switch is the fastest way to move back and forth. Im just sat waiting for them to produce a camera that will back up video. That was what I liked about the S5.
@@markshirley01 It's shame... Nikon's been close with video features a few times, and then slipped back. Weren't they the first to offer RAW over HDMI for the Atomos Ninja's?
Cheers Philip, hope you're keeping well? It's a strange one because I've noticed different results across todays reviews. I think there's two things coming into play here. Firstly, it's definitely much better at 50P than 25P. Everyone playing at 24P is probably getting the worst performance. Secondly, the AF mode is critical to the performance. Face/eye detect is not always the best mode, even for people. In many ways, I wish Panasonic would give us fewer options but make them easier to understand and swap quickly on the run. Obviously, it's always going to work best with L mount. I still think it's a big improvement and stand by the "90% there" line!
@@philipbloom I'm up for it... unfortunately, unlike some reviewers, I had to send mine back to Panasonic... so I'd have to borrow another !!! Aren't they offering a free Sigma 45mm f/2,8 on pre orders? Seems odd to offer a lens that doesn't play well with the AF?
Another question is are Panasonic going to upgrade the GH5 and G9 firmware with the improved AF algorithm rendering a GH6 unnecessary for another couple years.
