In August, Panasonic teased that it had a new entry-level mirrorless camera in the works and last week, the company launched the new Lumix S5, baby brother to the Lumix S1 and S1H cameras and right of the back, the new S5 shares a lot of similarities to both aforementioned cameras but in a more compact body.
The new Lumix S5 features a 24 megapixel, back-lit sensor (BSI) with 5 axis in-body image stabilization, 4K/60p RAW video, an improved autofocus system (compared to previous Lumix cameras), and Dual Native ISO that lets you shoot cleaner videos at higher ISO settings. The camera has two SD card slots that support UHS II and UHS I SD cards, a flip-out touch screen and superior low noise/low light performance thanks to that BSI sensor.
Panasonic has promised increased performance for the camera by way of future firmware updates that the company plans to release.
The major competition for the Lumix S5 includes Nikon’s recently released Z5 mirrorless full-frame that currently prices at $1,699 (Body Only) and Canon’s RP from 2 years ago at $1,299 (Body Only). While the S5 has the added advantage of an IBIS system and Dual Native ISO video mode, its current price of $2,000 ($2,300 with 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6) makes it the most expensive in the lot.
Here’s a review video of the new Lumix S5 by YouTube Educator Gerald Undone and DSLR Video Shooter;
Shipping is expected to start sometime next week and you can pre-order yours here.
