Panasonic Lumix GH5s Review

If the extensive video specification of the Lumix GH5 isn’t quite enough to fulfill your demands, the GH5S may very well be what you’re searching for. Panasonic’s latest video-focused mirrorless camera is the Lumix GH5S.

Panasonic thinks that the GH5S will give the highest-ever video image quality seen in a Lumix camera, as it was explicitly created with professional filmmakers in mind when it was developed.

Panasonic Lumix GH5s Features

Panasonic has decided to replace the Micro Four Thirds Live MOS sensor with an all-new larger 10.2MP multi-aspect sensor used in the Lumix GH5S. The GH5 has a sensor that has 20.3 megapixels and is a Micro Four-Thirds format.

The sensor is physically more significant than a typical Micro Four Thirds sensor because of its enlarged construction, a feature of the first GH1 and GH2 models. Instead of just cutting down from the 4:3 aspect ratio of the sensor, the Lumix GH5S can shoot in a variety of aspect ratios, and it is still able to utilize the entire breadth of the image circle that is projected by the lens.

This indicates that the GH5S sensor has enough leeway to achieve the same angle of view in 4:3, 17:9, 16:9, and 3:2 aspect ratios.

Panasonic Lumix GH5s Build Quality

The design of the Lumix GH5S is almost identical to that of the GH5. The only things that distinguish the GH5S from the GH5 are a flash of red around the collar of the mode dial on the top of the camera and a more prominent red record button (in addition to the ‘S’ designation on the front of the camera).

The design of this mirrorless camera is very hefty, but the GH5S feels solid and robust in hand owing to the broad, purposeful grip. This is even though the camera itself is mirrorless. This is made possible by the magnesium alloy complete die-cast front and back frame. Additionally, the camera features a respectable amount of weatherproofing since it is resistant to dust, splashes of water, and freezing temperatures down to -10 degrees Celsius.

Dual SD memory card slots that are compatible with UHS-II and Video Speed Class 60 SDXC cards are included, and in addition, there is a terminal for HDMI Type A. This camera, like the GH5, also has an HDMI port.

Panasonic Lumix GH5s Autofocus

Since many of the other features of the GH5 have been carried over to the GH5S, it should not be surprising to see that the 225-area AF system has also transitioned.

Contrary to many of its competitors, including those that utilize an autofocus system that combines phase-detection and contrast-detection technology, the GH5S relies only on the more laborious contrast-detection method.

Focusing is still lightning fast (with a stated AF speed of just 0.05 seconds), and the GH5S can focus in light settings as low as -5EV, darker than moonlight.

In addition to the Multi AF mode, there is a Custom Multi mode. This mode gives you the ability to freely pick the AF-area group, also known as Zone AF, and gives you the ability to modify the focus area group size and location.

Again, this was introduced on the GH5 and is now available on the GH5S. Panasonic refers to this setting for video as the “Focus Transition” mode. Before you start recording, you may select up to three focus depths with this feature and then move between them while you take pictures.

You also can select the speed at which the focus changes (with five different variants), giving you the flexibility to pick between smooth transitions and sudden shifts in focus.

Panasonic Lumix GH5s Performance

The metering system in the Lumix GH5S is the same 1,728-zone metering system that we’ve seen in the Lumix GH5 (and quite a few other Lumix cameras, for that matter), and as we’ve seen before, it’s a consistent performer; we didn’t find that we needed to reach for the exposure compensation button in the majority of the situations we tested it in.

Its white-balancing algorithm also delivers the goods, providing results that appear natural. However, if you are seeking a touch more warmth in cloudy settings, then one of the specific presets can give that little bit of additional bite that you’re looking for.

Because of its size and brightness, the electronic viewfinder (EVF) display allows for a superb shooting experience: the contrast is good, and the feed is highly smooth because of the rapid refresh rate.

Whether you’re taking pictures or reviewing them, the touchscreen interface on the back LCD of the Panasonic camera is one of the best available. It gives you a wide range of control over the camera’s functions.

Panasonic Lumix GH5s Image & Video Quality

While compared to the available low resolution, the 10.2-megapixel photos that the GH5S produces hold up very well when looking at stills before going on to video recording.

The camera is superior to its sister, the GH5, when handling greater sensitivities. Not only does it have far less luminance (grain-like) noise, but its dynamic range is also somewhat improved.

Individuals who are interested in shooting a significant quantity of still photographs in addition to recording video will be better served by the GH5, which has a greater quality.

The 4K footage captured by the Panasonic GH5S has a shallow noise level. The inbuilt 4:2:2 10-bit recording contributes a significant amount of information over the tonal range, which results in highly detailed video captured at a rate of 400 megabytes per second (mb/s).

But capturing light is more important than having a high resolution, and it has to be seen how effectively the GH5S achieves this. This puts the camera into a log image style, which enables you to capture more information in the shadows and highlights. V-log L is pre-installed, whereas, on earlier versions, it was an expensive add-on option.

When used with any of its native ISO settings, the Panasonic GH5S can capture over 14 stops of dynamic range. This is virtually the same number of stops as movie cameras made by Arri or Red.

Panasonic Lumix GH5s Specs

Body type	SLR-style mirrorless
Body material	Magnesium alloy
Sensor
Max resolution	3680 x 2760
Other resolutions	3:2 (3840 x 2560), 16:9 (4016 x 2256), 1:1 (2752 x 2752)
Image ratio w:h	1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9
Effective pixels	10 megapixels
Sensor photo detectors	12 megapixels
Sensor size	Four Thirds (19.2 x 13 mm)
Sensor type	CMOS
Processor	Venus Engine 10
Color space	sRGB, Adobe RGB
Color filter array	Primary color filter
Image
ISO	Auto, 160-51200 (expands to 80-204800)
Boosted ISO (minimum)	80
Boosted ISO (maximum)	204800
White balance presets	5
Custom white balance	Yes (4 slots)
Image stabilization	No
Uncompressed format	RAW
JPEG quality levels	Fine, standard
File format	JPEG (Exif v2.31)Raw (Panasonic ARW, 12/14-bit)
Optics & Focus
Autofocus	Contrast Detect (sensor)Multi-areaCenterSelective single-pointTrackingSingleContinuousTouchFace DetectionLive View
Autofocus assist lamp	Yes
Digital zoom	Yes (2x-4x)
Manual focus	Yes
Number of focus points	225
Lens mount	Micro Four Thirds
Focal length multiplier	2×
Screen / viewfinder
Articulated LCD	Fully articulated
Screen size	3.2″
Screen dots	1,620,000
Touch screen	Yes
Screen type	TFT LCD
Live view	Yes
Viewfinder type	Electronic
Viewfinder coverage	100%
Viewfinder magnification	1.52× (0.76× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder resolution	3,680,000
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed	60 sec
Maximum shutter speed	1/8000 sec
Maximum shutter speed (electronic)	1/16000 sec
Exposure modes	ProgramAperture priorityShutter priorityManual
Built-in flash	No
External flash	Yes (via hot shoe or flash sync port)
Flash modes	Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Forced On/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync., Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off
Flash X sync speed	1/250 sec
Drive modes	SingleContinuous4K PhotoFocus StackingSelf-timer
Continuous drive	12.0 fps
Self-timer	Yes (2 or 10 secs, 10 secs w/3 images)
Metering modes	MultiCenter-weightedSpot
Exposure compensation	±5 (at 1/3 EV steps)
AE Bracketing	±3 (3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV steps)
WB Bracketing	Yes
Videography features
Format	MPEG-4, H.264, H.265
Modes	4096 x 2160 @ 60p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 50p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 30p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 25p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 400 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 400 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 400 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 400 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 150 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 200 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 100 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 60p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 50p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 30p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 25p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 25p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 400 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 400 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM4096 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 60p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 50p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 400 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 72 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 400 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 72 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 400 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 400 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 150 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 72 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 200 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 28 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 200 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 28 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 200 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 20 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 200 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 25p / 20 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 200 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 24 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 200 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 100 Mbps, MP4, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 24 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 28 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital1920 x 1080 @ 60i / 24 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital1920 x 1080 @ 60i / 17 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital1920 x 1080 @ 50p / 28 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital1920 x 1080 @ 50i / 24 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital1920 x 1080 @ 50i / 17 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 24 Mbps, AVCHD, MTS, H.264, Dolby Digital
Microphone	Stereo
Speaker	Mono
Storage
Storage types	Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC cards (UHS-II V60 cards supported)
Connectivity
USB	USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)
USB charging	No
HDMI	Yes (Up to 4:2:2 10-bit output)
Microphone port	Yes
Headphone port	Yes
Wireless	Built-In
Wireless notes	802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth 4.2 LE
Remote control	Yes (wired or smartphone)
Physical
Environmentally sealed	Yes
Battery	Battery Pack
Battery description	DMW-BLF19 lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA)	440
Weight (inc. batteries)	660 g (1.46 lb / 23.28 oz)
Dimensions	139 x 98 x 87 mm (5.47 x 3.86 x 3.43″)
Other features
Orientation sensor	Yes
Timelapse recording	No
GPS	None

Panasonic Lumix GH5s Verdict

The Panasonic Lumix GH5S is unquestionably one of the most specialist cameras now available, and thus, not everyone will be interested in purchasing one. This should be viewed first and primarily as a video camera, even if it can shoot stills rather happily (albeit at a relatively low resolution). Still, if you want a camera that can do both, you can get the Lumix GH5 to fulfill that brief instead.

While the lack of built-in image stabilization could be a letdown for some people, Panasonic’s explanation is sound. Even putting that concern to the side, the depth and breadth of the camera’s feature set are astounding.

You won’t find a better video-focused camera right now, so if you want to capture footage of professional quality without having to mortgage your house to buy a professional video camera, this is the camera for you.

Panasonic Lumix GH5s Pros & Cons