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If I get the chance I'll pick up an S9 as a B cam to my S5mk2 and sell my S5. I really like having smaller gear! What I'd really like is the S1H to be in an S5mk2 body with the same or improved LCD and EVF of the S1H. I have no desire to go back to an S1 size camera.

Oddly enough, I think this might well re-awaken interest in the XS-20 too.

It seems Panasonic stopped listening to their customers. A 10bit GX or a S9 with Evf, hotshoe and mechanical shutter would be a relevant decision to give customers what they want instead of wanting them to want something else.

Imagine this hardware with iOS

The price is fantastic, and the autofocus looks very capable too. There's very little action under $1k with new releases so good on Fuji for keeping some excitement going. Latest image processor is a plus too. I would like to see what Small rig have in store, grip wise. A nice wooden grip please.

I think this a pretty significant release. The lack of IBIS wouldn’t bother me for a few reasons. Namely, that I can do without the destructive warping, a lot of Fuji lenses have OIS and the options for post stabilisation are now both more plentiful and more sophisticated. $799 reminds us of how things used to be in the golden days of MFT before we all slept walked into accepting the received wisdom that three times that price was the price of a low-mid price camera body.

Panasonic need to find their unique appeal again, they are trying to be too much like the others. Panasonic will not beat Sony at the same game. How about a captivating XPan digital camera though, with a panoramic screen and sensor, and in the same sort of body design as a beautiful Hasselblad original XPan to boot. How about a different form factor for the S1H II that leans into the video features rather than just copying the plain old DSLR style body shape that the camera industry has been defaulting too since about 1961? How about starting a whole new niche, which then becomes really popular with mass appeal. There's a lot they can do other than simply trying to out-spec and out-price Sony.

Fuji is going to sell so many of these (if they can make them). It isn't even funny. 6k open gate S35 sensor, Mic and headphone jack, PDAF, fuji sims, 4k 60fps... If Panasonic ever had a plan to release a G9ii in a S9 body, now is the time.

Below are links to some very rough, ungraded VR180 shots with the R5C using the Canon 5.2mm 2.8L Fisheye VR lens. Note, I’ve only tested these in Virtual Desktop (on a Samsung Odyssey), so I can’t vouch for them in other formats. Please download before playing for best quality. First things first, I wanted to show the ramifications of the fact that Canon’s EOS VR Utility cripples a crucial feature of the R5C for VR: being able to shoot 8K in 60fps. You cannot use the VR Utility on raw files (only with MP4), and since the R5C only records 8K60fps in RAW, you are shit out of luck (at least until someone finds a workaround—which will probably involve rendering your files in an NLE, creating an MP4 version, and then spoofing some metadata so the EOS Utility thinks you are using a native Canon file). Anyway, here’s the first 8K shot at 30fps, and then the same clip sped up X2 to simulate the 60fps look (you can see the judder is significantly reduced—although this will vary depending on what HMD you are using—I’m using the Samsung Odyssey because the extra contrast from OLED is worth the loss of resolution IMO). I chose a seen with a lot of movement intentionally. If a scene has less movement, you probably won’t suffer as much from the 30fps. 8K 30fps: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uGmzJJzMnw6ZVo5S0kFaHSp6SQ6kdFZW/view?usp=sharing 8K 60fps: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GGP6O0hRt8MFjcKfcXmiiy4nyANUZyqA/view?usp=sharing Now for some shots in 4K at 60fps. I also included versions sped up (in post) to 90fps, so if you have a 90hz HMD you can see what a big difference it makes to have your fps match the native refresh of your HMD. The 4K is clearly softer than 8K, but not bad. It’s most noticeable on objects in the distance. Things up close generally look quite sharp, even in 4K. In fact, I’d say the best image is taken of a subject that is between 4-10 feet away (which is much closer than the trains in this video). First sequence in 4K: 60fps: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19iV1KAwc9AKK1cLtqttZsaW0guMwgC92/view?usp=sharing 90fps: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1igs1_ErnqWhMDSwocaDw8xlJ2jJU2B8t/view?usp=sharing Second sequence in 4K: 60fps: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QM5tDfHzXO5-GX-TlwdG7ifJeOfzjfvQ/view?usp=sharing 90fps: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u8lVM0Z_GYxkxatW81msPzJ8pmcZM7pR/view?usp=sharing Last, some random still images, which don’t do the camera justice. The stills feature is great, the resulting images are very smooth from edge to edge, which is not something I’m used to. Typically a stereo image gets very distorted as you look 90 degrees in any direction. However, this only makes me more frustrated that I can’t shoot 8K 60fps in video. Still Images: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PBR8sLXu4-GqiSPlBxz6ErmXxp7EfYSH/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BRvRbbTusFd4EfLTacC-VFDwFGq_YVO4/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tVipjBXyyJiAQWz3Ktw8SjEH9XxoQZ20/view?usp=sharing FWIW, I tried to shoot 4K in the 120 fps mode, but It looked like noisy garbage, when I tried to speed it back up to normal speed. There might be something wrong with my workflow here, but Canon forces anything about 60fps into a Slow Framerate mode, and you can’t just take regular speed video at framerates above 60—so it’s possible there is a big quality loss from this process internally. Note: All video clips edited in Adobe Premiere with the Canon EOS VR Utility plugin. The premiere plugin is a must on PC, otherwise you are stuck rendering your videos in the native Canon EOS Utility App, which will turn your videos into a blocky-compressed and ungradable mess. If you have a MAC you can render in PRORES using the native app (or so I’m told), but I haven’t tried it. I can’t Canon charges $5 a month for the app, it looks like it took $5 to create. Really all its doing is transforming the image(s) so that the two circular images (two dots) recorded by the sensor will fill up the entire frame. PS: let me know if you have trouble playing any files. Most are file are h264, but the 90fps are H265.

There's this odd thing with the X-M5. It's either you just take it for what it is (great camera with no IBIS) or you go for the X-S20. But if you go for the X-S20, you might as well go for a lighter full-frame camera like the R8 (which also doesn't have IBIS). Now you're thinking I "need" full frame with IBIS and we're back at the S9 or S5ii. Round and round you go. It does seem IBIS is THE feature (but I contend the S9 is still lacking in other things).

The price difference is indeed a bit nuts. The S9 IMO, should be €£$999 body only. With the little Fuji, I'd go straight for the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 Not much bigger but 2 stops faster at the long end which is also slightly longer. The lack of IBIS is the only niggle for me which is why I'd go for the XS-20 if I was in this market. But at just over 300g body costing under 900 that can shoot 6k open gate and Braw externally? That's a bits nuts innit?! Pro tool, I'd still go S9 though. But then I'd go S5ii (as I did) over S9...but that is just my use/needs case.

Panasonic’s history of aggressive discounts around Black Friday is worth keeping in mind. Last year, for example, we saw major price cuts on their S5 models, some up to $800 off. If the S9 follows suit, it could make the choice between it and the X-M5 even tougher, especially for anyone prioritizing video features and stabilization. That said, Fuji’s value proposition with the X-M5 remains strong, lighter, more portable, and a mechanical shutter are huge advantages. It’ll be interesting to see which camera wins out for those looking to invest during the sales season. Anyone else planning their purchase around these upcoming deals?

Zhiyun Crane-M 3S and FeiyuTech Scorp Mini 2 would be contenders. Both are reasonably compact and not outrageously expensive and offer camera control as well as having enough weight handling to cope with much bigger cameras too with expansion options for focus motors. The Scorp Mini 2 has additional useful functionality with its built in AI tracking.

Here’s the rub: imagine if the S9 and X-M5 were the same price. We’re essentially talking about ecosystem, mechanical shutter vs. none, and IBIS. For 'small and portable,' Fuji has the lenses, whereas Lumix is apparently struggling. I’d be okay without a mechanical shutter, but the problem is the X-M5 is significantly lighter and has one. Factor in the massive value proposition, and the X-M5 takes the cake. Panasonic has a serious problem, but its saving grace is the IBIS. You could argue that Panasonic is smaller because of the IBIS, whereas with Fuji, you either need to carry a tripod or a gimbal. Their EIS isn't cutting it for me. Still, I’d keep an eye out for Black Friday deals because Panasonic has traditionally been very competitive. The real question is: will there be any X-M5 cameras available by then, or will they all be sold out? My guess is they’ll all be gone. Looking at the two cameras, though, I prefer the Panasonic’s aesthetics. Since I already have the S5 II, I’d probably stick with Panasonic (if there’s a massive deal). Otherwise, the S5/S5D is still an option for a second camera.

I agree, but one thing I think should be noted is just how good those Lumix lenses are for the price. They're built very well and are optically excellent. I can't say enough good things about them. But they do need budget options. Most entry level users are looking at the price first and foremost. Is that $350 Lumix prime nicer than the cheaper Canon or Sony equivalent? Yes, but those just getting started don't quite understand that, the first thing they notice is price. And when you can get an RP with a 24-105 kit lens for under $1200, that's a lot more enticing than an S5 with the 20-60 kit lens for $1700 even if the camera and lens are superior in every way. Mom and Dad don't know that when they're buying their son or daughter a camera for Christmas after finding out they're interested in photography.

I agree that Lumix seems to be wasting an opportunity in the small "pocket" camera market. I think a GX80 successor with the G9's innards with PDAF, mic input and headphone jack would be a real winner, especially with the Realtime Luts. With the tiny lenses M4/3 has it could open a whole new market for Lumix. The GX80 is the only camera i have ever regretted selling. I'm mainly a video guy (professional) but I've just ordered a secondhand GX80 and a couple of tiny primes to try to improve my photography as for me it hits that sweet spot of small size and usability. I had looked at the GX850 but it lacked physical controls. The tiny primes and zooms really should be a strong selling point.

Well I was a bit of a Fuji fanboy for almost a decade starting with the OG X100 right up to and ending with the XT3. Was going to then be XT4 and had a pair on preorder but Covid got in the way and the LUMIX S5 came along and I had little kit at the time so a switch to a 'full frame XT3' made sense to me. I could easily build a system around the XH2 and XH2S today but it would be a sideways move so not going to happen, even though the new 16-55mm f2.8 looks very promising. If I was looking for a personal camera, this new baby boy could have been a contender, though I think I'd go Ricoh GRiiiX for a bit of fixed lens purity over a slowish zoom. Tougher call vs the S9 because depending on your needs, the S9 is a more capable camera as long as you can live without the mech shutter and are happy to pay a lot more. I think where it gets most interesting is Fuji's film sims vs LUMIX's custom baked in luts and both have a pano mode I believe? For me, it would come down to the system I was in so as primarily a LUMIX user for video and Sony for stills, as a personal camera, I'd go S9 or ZV-E1, but if I was with Fuji, I'd actually spend a little more and go for the XS-20. Or even XE4.

Unless proven otherwise, it's safe to say that Panasonic had the S9 pegged to replace small M43 cameras. Everything GX is looking long old and massively out-speced. Sadly, Panasonic would have needed just 1 real pancake lens to make the transition to the S9 a reality, but apparently that was too much to ask. Now, Fuji, with the X-M5, is going to have small M43 cameras for lunch, spit them out and collect dust on the shelves of mpb. What a tremendous opportunity blown for Panasonic as they drive themselves and M43 into irrelevance.

Nice. Does 12bit raw though over HDMI! I had been thinking if I buy a new camera next year (highly unlikely, but always possible) it would probably be a cheap Sony FX30. But perhaps this Fujifilm X-M5 is worth a look? Especially as it would be priced substantially cheaper than a FX30. Heck, for only a hundred bucks more you even get a handy 15mm to 45mm zoom lens: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1855426-REG/fujifilm_16900771_x_m5_mirrorless_camera_with.html I guess the lack of IBIS and TC would be the biggest two negatives for me. And perhaps the overheating. But.... https://petapixel.com/2024/10/14/fujifilm-x-m5-first-impressions-a-surprisingly-powerful-little-hybrid/ "If you need to record for long periods of time, you can shoot a long-play mode which still has the 1.18x crop but should dramatically extend record limits and avoid overheating. There are two screw mount brackets to allow the attaching of the Fujifilm cooling-fan unit if overheating needs to be more acutely avoided with the intensive record modes." Handy! I feel Panasonic has abandoned a little the MFT market underneath their flagship GH7/G9mk2 Where is the cheaper "Panasonic G90"? (a G7mk2?)

100% It can't be understated what a powerful factor having a massive user base is when it comes to choosing a camera. I'll happily take a 15% worse camera if it has 5x more users. Is why a Sony FX30 will probably be my next camera (if I even get another camera next year). As everyone and their dog has a Sony camera. You have to seriously beat Sony on price and/or features to make a person consider anything else. (although Canon gets an honorable mention when it comes to popularity, and Blackmagic does ok in their little indie niche) It's also why back when I first started with photography I went for a Nikon D50. Just didn't make sense to consider Pentax / Sony / Olympus / etc, as you can't just be better/cheap than Nikon/Canon. You need to be a lot better/cheaper. At the very least, Panasonic needs to be price competitive against the likes of the a7mk2 (which is still being sold brand new!) / Sony a7C / Canon EOS RP It's too much to think Panasonic will ever undercut them in price, but at least be within a couple of hundred dollars of them! Yup, it's not just camera bodies that need to be price competitive to grow the number of new photographers/videographers into the ecosystem, but the lenses too. Look at their prices for L Mount: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/products/Mirrorless-Camera-Lenses/ci/17912/N/4196380428?sort=PRICE_LOW_TO_HIGH&filters=fct_a_focus-type_5738%3Aautofocus%2Cfct_lens-format-coverage_3332%3Afull-frame-lenses%2Cfct_lens-mount_3442%3Aleica-l-mount%2Cfct_lenses-kits_7315%3Alenses-only Cheapest is a $350 prime. Next cheapest from Panasonic is their new compact kit zoom at $500! Compare that with Canon, who have four lenses which are cheaper than Panasonic's cheapest. Nikon has also four (well arguably "two") lenses cheaper than Panasonic's cheapest. And a zoom cheaper than Panasonic's cheapest zoom. (none of this is counting the various third party lenses either, of which there are for more for them than there are for L Mount) Ideally I'd like Panasonic to do something such as a 50mm f2 lens for $160-ish, and a 28mm f2.8 pancake lens for sub $300 And a medium range zoom (24-90mm ish that is f4 ish) that's cheaper than any of their current zooms. That will fill in some big gaps in the entry level starting out lens kit, to make Panasonic competitive again.

I agree with you that they can't beat Sony (or Canon) at their own game, but they do need to entice more users into the system and a big part of that is being aggressive with pricing and offering more entry level cameras and lenses. These aren't going to be cameras or lenses that appeal to us, but ones that appeal to those who would just be getting their foot into the door. Lumix can't just rely on us, they need a bigger market share in general. Hoping that a niche product gains mass appeal is a risky business proposition, too. Yeah, I don't see a scenario where they give up on higher end full frame cameras because I'm not sure they could survive as a company that just releases mid-range cameras. I think they are in a tough situation where they are damned if they do, damned if they don't. Would it be better to release an underwhelming S1H successor the way they did with the GH6? I learn towards "no." I think sensor tech has slowed down in general. It felt like every single day specs for new sensors would get posted, with people speculating on whether it would be used in a forthcoming camera from this brand or that brand. I know people who think Sony's sensor tech was impacted significantly from the earthquakes that have hit the country over the last 8 or so years and the supply chain issues that happened during COVID. That would kinda make sense about why almost everyone is still using a 6 year old sensor.

I really got the impression at NAB that they are working on the successor to the S1H, and it’s even more video-specific than any of their current hybrids. I don’t know if that means a different shape, but Komodo, FX-line, and Pyxis probably have them thinking in that direction. They were grilling me on what an S1H successor should have. They’re working on it. I’d rather they go slow and really make a great camera. Keep in mind, LUMIX is gaining the Varicam people as that division closes up/merges with LUMIX. At NAB, they said any products from that “merger” will be about two years out. I know it seems like they’re recycling the IMX410, but honestly? EVERYONE is kinda doing that. I don’t think it’s any kind of “sign” that LUMIX is ending.

Fujifilm have had Panasonic’s pants off with the X-5M release today. It’s offering the upgrade from the compact MFT cameras that Panasonic refuse to do and cuts the price in half from the still sat on the launchpad S9 and has appropriately sized lenses to boot. It also leverages the kudos that the X100 has created in the market that they are trying to break into. Panasonic should’ve made this camera two or even three years ago - particularly when Leica vacated the APS-C area discontinuing the CL and TL - but instead they put an MFT sensor in a FF body and priced it even higher. They definitely need to do something along those sort of lines as the “me too” stuff is not moving anyone’s needle. The head start they had by being in mirrorless early has now disappeared.

Really interesting! Is it possible to put a moment anamorphic on that 28mm pancake?

Honestly I'd consider dropping the S5 to near fire sale pricing as the entry level option into the L-mount/Lumix full frame family. I'd argue that it's still a great value at its current price, but there is just so much competition in that price range. The RP, R8, Z5, and A7C are all cheaper, and some of those even come with a kit lens for less. I'd definitely argue that the S5 is a superior camera to all of those, but Lumix is at an inherent disadvantage because Canon, Nikon and Sony have a much larger user base. So create a real incentive to try and entice people to dip their toe in. For all of their flaws, and there are a lot of them, Canon has always been smart when it comes to getting casual users to buy their cameras. The RP with a 24-105mm f/4-7.1 lens is $1,118. Is it a crappy lens? Absolutely, but for most people the first lens they use is the kit lens. I'd argue that Lumix's kit lenses are genuinely good lenses and are nicer than Canon and Sony, but they don't have anything comparable to the super cheap options from them.

So, no IBIS, but 350g-ish. That's still impressive. Where's your response Panasonic because this is way better than the G100? And it's actual camera with a hot shoe and mechanical shutter (to be confirmed), unlike the S9. The video specs are amazing for a $800 camera. ...just no IBIS (only electronic).

I’ve received my filter adapter for the iPhone today. I wanted it to be as flexible as possible and didn’t want one that’s integrated with a proprietary case nor one using proprietary magnetic filters. Setup is the iPhone 16 Pro with the JJC MFS-II MagSafe 67mm filter holder and the ACASIS 2239 MagSafe SSD case with a 1TB Corsair MP600 Mini in it. I’m using it with my normal Torras case, because when you take off the rubber it fits perfectly in (twss).

So this could either be rumours of a new firmware version or him testing the version without the recording limits then. Removing the recording limit for the S9 does add to its utility because with a dummy battery it was likely not going to cause the same sort of heat issues that necessitated the limit in the first place so it would’ve been an artificial restriction for that use case. Fumbling the initial launch with the wrong lens and now fumbling the re-launch with the right lens and dodgy firmware is not a good look though. Though it will certainly benefit us S5ii users looking for a cheap companion version as the used S9 prices tumble due to these fuck ups !

Nikon needs a camera that sits in the middle between stills hybrid cameras and cinema cameras. Whatever is the equivalent of Nikon's FX30/FX3/C70/R5C could be easily released under either the Nikon or the RED brand name. (or be released under both at once?)

When I saw yesterday that you will now be able do do 4k120p ProRes on a phone, I imagined the shame being felt by any number of camera companies who claim they can't do it on their dedicated cameras. Not sure yet how long the iPhone can roll 4k120 without overheating, but Canon should be making a face like the meme awkward puppet monkey right about now... It's increasingly obvious that camera vendors should stop trying to build their own special magic chips (Bionz! Digic! X-Processor Pro!) and figure out how to adopt current-generation smartphone processors. Why build a dedicated chip on a 14nm process when you could build your system on a much more powerful chip that was built with 2nm that uses less power and runs so much cooler? A lot of vendors should feel relief that the companies who have (so far) tried to blend phone and camera have done such a tremendously terrible job of integration. Eventually somebody's gonna get it right.