Expert review of the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5
Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 no longer available
Unfortunately, the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 is no longer available. You'll find other Panasonic Lumix mirrorless cameras in our assortment, such as the DC-GH6. With this camera, you can capture professional photos and videos.
First impression of the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5
The first thing that stands out is the robust design of the camera. The camera feels sturdy and is comfortable to hold. I test the camera with the 20-60mm lens. When I twist it on the camera, the camera feels very stable and balanced. The buttons on the camera are neatly organized, so I can easily adjust the settings of the camera. Thanks to the swivel and tilt touchscreen, I have a nice overview of my frame when I take photos. In addition, the screen is useful when you record vlogs.
Video quality
I find the Lumix S5 a nice camera to record with. I can clearly see what I'm recording on the touchscreen. I first test the 4K 60 fps resolution. These images run smoothly and show many details. I'm a fan of making slow-motion videos, so I also test the camera in Full HD resolution at 120 fps. I can slow this footage down a lot. That way, I can see things happening in the video that I wouldn't see with the naked eye.
Photo quality
Photography is my passion, so I'm very curious about how this camera takes photos. I take photos in RAW format, so the images store as much data as possible. The 24.2-megapixel resolution is nice and more than enough to get nice prints. The colors and bright and the image is sharp. While I edit afterwards, I can easily adjust the lighting and color balance. The dynamic range is large, which allows me to easily edit under and overexposed parts of the photo.
Autofocus
The autofocus of the camera makes it more easy to take photos or record videos. That also applies to the Lumix S5. I find it important that the faces are sharp in the photo, so I turn on people and animal recognition. In this mode, the camera puts a focus point on faces it recognizes. I think this function works nicely. With a tap on the screen, I can fix the focus on my model. This way, I don't have to worry about the sharpness when I take photos or record.
Useful functions
As a photographer, I'm very happy with the high resolution function that adds 8 photos into 1 photo of 96 megapixels. You can print these photos in a really big size and hang it in your living room. Another function that I find important is the 5-stop built-in image stabilization. This way, I don't have to worry about blurry images when I take photos by hand. I can also use a slower shutter speed, so I can use the camera in the evening.
Conclusion
The Lumix S5 is a powerful mirrorless camera for photographers and videographers. For photographers, the image quality and high resolution function are very useful. Videographers can record detailed and smooth videos, thanks to the 4K resolution at 60 fps. In addition, the autofocus and the foldable touchscreen are a nice advantage for both uses.
