Back when I was deciding what full-frame camera to upgrade to from the Fujifilm X-T3 it came down to the Sony A7 III and the Panasonic S5. In the end the Sony won because I preferred how it felt in my hand, it had phase detect autofocus and I had more experience using Sony cameras. But now I shoot more video I kind of wish I'd bought the Panasonic S5 instead as the stabilization is so damn good.
What I'm trying to say is if you want a really good camera setup without spending loads don't sleep on this Prime Day Deal. It might have been superseded by he Panasonic S5 II and Panasonic S5 IIX but it's still an excellent camera and at the minute, during Amazon's Prime Day sale, the price is unbeatable. With contrast-detect autofocus, built-in V-Log (previously you had to shell out $150 to get it added to the S1 and S1H), and 5 stops of incredibly smooth image stabilization you also get one decent and one very good lens.
• We've rounded up the best Prime Day camera deals plus lenses, laptops, memory cards and more!
If you're a photographer looking to get into videography, this is an especially appealing camera as it has the ability to sheet 4K 20-bit 4:2:0 video internally at 200 Mbps. However, if you have an external recorder such as the Atomos Ninja V you can shoot 5.9K Pro Res RAW video which allows for better skin tones and added flexibility in post-processing.
Although generally depth from defocus autofocus isn't as good as phase detection (as found on the Sony A7 III) the S5 challenges that and thanks to updated algorithms and more processing power, it's fast and precise making it ideal for all sorts of photography.
I recently shot a video for a band handheld at a festival. I was using a Sony A7 III and my second shooter was on the Panasonic S5 and I have to say, I was envious of the footage he shot. It needed barely any digital stabilization in post process and they were crisp, clean and very professional looking. Had I realized how much video I might end up shooting when I bought the A7 III I probably would've ended up down a different path. The Panasonic path.
What I'm trying to say is if you want a really good camera setup without spending loads don't sleep on this Prime Day Deal. It might have been superseded by the Panasonic S5 II and Panasonic S5 II X but it's still an excellent camera and at the minute the price is unbeatable.
