Panasonic S5 II review by Engadget: “The full-frame vlogging camera you’ve been waiting for”

Lumix S5II at Bhphoto, Adorama, Amazon US.

The full review can be read at Engadget. They conclude:

With the autofocus finally keeping up with rival cameras, Panasonic’s S5 II is an awesome full-frame vlogging and video camera option. Priced at $2,000, it’s also a very strong value proposition, particularly for video shooters.

Its primary competition is the Sony A7 IV and Canon EOS R6 II. Both of those cameras are better for photography, but the S5 II is much better for video and particularly vlogging, thanks to the built-in monitoring tools and superior stabilization. If you want a better match of photography and video tools, Fujifilm’s 40-megapixel $2,000 X-H2 is the best option – if you don’t mind stepping down to an APS-C sensor.

In fact, the S5 II’s greatest rival might be the upcoming S5 IIx. I’d argue that many people paying $2,000 wouldn’t hesitate to spend an extra $200 to get some pretty valuable features like ProRes SSD recording. Either way, it’s Panasonic’s best vlogging camera since the original GH5 and should rise to the top of many content creators’ shopping lists.

First images of the new Laowa 28mm f/1.2 L lens!

At the Cp+ show Laowa displayed the new Laowa 28mm f/1.2 lens! Dc.watch posted those images and some specs. I also got additional info from my soruce which I included here:

Specs summary:

  • Laowa 28mm f/1.2
  • Full Frame E-mount
  • manual focus
  • lens construction is 13 elements in 7 groups.
  • number of aperture blades is 13
  • shortest shooting distance is 500mm
  • maximum shooting magnification is 0.073x
  • Supports click ON/OFF switching of the aperture ring
  • 562g
  • $599
  • 600g
  • good sharpness even at f/1.2
  • High CA wide open
  • Canon RF, Sony E, Nikon Z, L mount
  • Release on March 28

Panasonic Japan announces a new S5II firmware update is coming in March

Lumix S5II at Bhphoto, Adorama, Amazon US.

Panasonic Japan said it will release a new fw update for the S5II in March. This is the Google translated text:

  • Regarding the S series full-frame single-lens camera “DC-S5M2”, new firmware that can switch the live view display speed while pressing the shutter halfway in AFC will be released in late March
  • New firmware that improves AF performance during zoom tracking will be released in April 2023 for the S-series interchangeable lenses “S-R24105”, “S-E2470” and “S-E70200”

via Asobinet