The LUMIX S5II has a well-earned reputation as the go-to system for video and hybrid shooting. But make no mistake, this camera is also a phenomenal photographic tool – in fact, it’s one of the most powerful and fully featured stills cameras on the market.
The S5II leverages every aspect of imaging technology, from supreme sensor fidelity and blistering burst speeds to incredible ISO performance and amazing autofocus.
If you’re a stills shooter, don’t make the mistake of thinking that the LUMIX S5II is just a video specialist; you might just find that it’s the best stills camera you’ve ever used.
Image quality
At the heart of the S5II is a powerful 24.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor. We all know the advantages of a full-frame sensor, such as the fantastic low light performance and the ability to achieve sublime shallow depth of field.
But what’s truly special about this sensor is its Dual Native ISO technology. Standard image sensors have a single base ISO (the camera’s lowest sensitivity, at which it produces the best images). As you increase the ISO, more current is run through the sensor’s circuitry, introducing noise and imperfections.
The S5II’s sensor, however, has dual-base ISO – meaning that it has an additional base sensitivity, so you can have the exposure benefit of increasing your ISO without incurring extreme artefacts.
This tech works in tandem with a new LUMIX image engine, resulting in a native maximum sensitivity of ISO51,200 – which can be extended to an extraordinary ISO204,800 for phenomenal ability to shoot in challenging conditions, not to mention pushing your creativity into uncharted territory.
Autofocus
In case you hadn’t heard, the latest LUMIX cameras feature LUMIX’s fantastic Phase Hybrid Autofocus system – and it really is outrageously good.
Combining the speed of contrast detect AF with the accuracy of phase detect AF, this system delivers ultimate autofocus performance. It’s quick, it’s sticky and it makes capturing those decisive moments easier than ever before – whether you’re shooting serene, static portraiture in a studio or the erratic wildlife in the great outdoors.
It also boasts LUMIX’s Real-Time Detection algorithms, which have been improved by the most recent firmware update, enabling the S5II to recognize and track specific shooting subjects with even greater accuracy: humans, animals, cars and motorcycles.
This includes the all-important eye-detection feature for both humans and animals. So whether you’re photographing a wedding or a once-in-a-lifetime safari, the most important part of your subjects will be sharp as a razorblade.
Shooting Modes
Let’s go back to the 24.2MP resolution of the image sensor. This is a real sweet spot for full-frame photography, offering pixels that are plentiful enough for printing and large enough for optimum low-light performance – without producing files that are so big, they’ll fill up your memory card.
But for those moments when you really need more detail, you can engage the 96MP High Resolution Shot Mode to achieve supersized photographs. This is made possible by clever use of the S5II’s in-body image stabilization system – which stands proud as a headline feature in its own right, offering up to 6.5 stops of shake compensation that’s great for shooting with slow shutter speeds or long lenses.
For High Resolution Shot Mode, this enables the camera to take multiple images while incrementally shifting the image sensor between shots to digitally increase the sensor area. LUMIX is the only full-frame camera to combine all these images in-camera to produce a single supersize image. With Hand Held High Resolution mode, you can even use this feature freehand with no tripod.
If you’re looking to really broaden your creative horizons, the Live View Composite mode is a real hidden gem of the S5II, ideal for things like lightning strikes, star trails, fireworks, light painting, and streaky headlights on busy streets or deserted highways.
It combines the DNA of long-exposure and multiple exposure photography, by only recording new areas of light in the image rather than adding increased brightness to the whole frame – so your exposure never “burns out”, and only captures new incidents of light (such as a fork of lightning).
And if you prefer your shooting fast-paced, not only is the S5II capable of up to 30fps RAW burst shooting using the electronic shutter (with minimum rolling shutter distortion), it also benefits from pre-burst recording – which can capture up to 1.5 seconds of action before you fully depress the shutter, meaning you never miss a moment of the action!
Only the beginning…
This is only scratching the surface of what the camera offers stills shooters. While LUT (look up table) might be a videography term, you can now employ Real Time LUTs for your photography – enabling you to quickly and easily add color grading in-camera, in real time.
You can also leverage the collaborative power of Frame.io. Ideal for client work, or liaising with your own team, this tool enables you to share and get instant feedback on your work regardless of geography – which is particularly useful for shooting on location or when working on a tight schedule, making sure you get what you need before packing down.
There are also brilliant hardware benefits to the S5II. With LUMIX being a founding member of the L-Mount Alliance, you can benefit from an incredibly mature and well supported lens ecosystem. There are over 100 optics available from major manufacturers including Sigma, Leica and Samyang, with countless cutting-edge lenses currently in development, to provide every possible tool for every possible job.
If you’re a photographer, take a closer look at the LUMIX S5II to see how it can improve your workflow, empower your creativity and lift your imagery to new heights.
Visit LUMIX for a full rundown of the features in the S5II.
