Panasonic S5 User Experience

[Lux Shots]

On 10/15/2020 at 11:40 AM, herein2020 said:

Yes I'm reaching the same conclusion...so much for an "alliance" it seems like Sigmas on the Panasonics are worse than Sigmas on the Canons.

The behavior that you describe switching from stills to video is interesting; I don't have that at all, it is instant for me. The only way to know it changed is some things on the display change. It does seem to freeze a bit when I hit the playback button but that's it.

Also, I haven't observed any writing delay, what memory cards are you using? Mine were formatted in the camera and they are the Sandisk Extreme PRO 170MB/s class 10 256GB cards.

I'm hesitant to buy any L lenses, that would conflict with my C200 lens mount and I would be back to two systems. I'm hoping the free 45mm lens offer was not a complete bait and switch and that it actually shows up in the mail one day. If so then I'll probably use that and the kit lens for all photography work if I need continuous AF and EF lenses for all other video and photography scenarios.

I also discovered yet another really cool feature in the camera and something I've been wanting for awhile: aspect guides. Instagram requires a 4:5 aspect ratio to post without the having to crop or have black bars, and the S5 actually lets you add a 4:5 guide to the screen. No more guessing how much crop space to leave. This little camera continues to amaze me.

I think the OP meant that when shooting stills or video, and then switching over to do the opposite, there is a delay because you have different format content in the buffer. I have experienced that as well, as I was shooting some video at a wedding yesterday, but they wanted a stills picture, and I had to wait about 8 seconds before I could take a photo, even though the camera switched instantly into the photo mode. Pressing the shutter button, just wouldn't do anything.

[herein2020]

15 hours ago, Lux Shots said:

I think the OP meant that when shooting stills or video, and then switching over to do the opposite, there is a delay because you have different format content in the buffer. I have experienced that as well, as I was shooting some video at a wedding yesterday, but they wanted a stills picture, and I had to wait about 8 seconds before I could take a photo, even though the camera switched instantly into the photo mode. Pressing the shutter button, just wouldn't do anything.

Ok, after reading your post I just tested that as well. I shot video then hit the stop button and immediately started taking pictures and it was still instant. I still think this may be the type of memory cards that are being used. I've had my cameras go haywire if the memory card is too slow or there's something about the format that they don't like.

I have attached a picture of the exact memory cards that I use, I also always format them in camera right before a shoot. These are the same cards in my C200, GH5, and 5DIV....I've never had a single issue with them.

 

 

[Lux Shots]

4 minutes ago, herein2020 said:

Ok, after reading your post I just tested that as well. I shot video then hit the stop button and immediately started taking pictures and it was still instant. I still think this may be the type of memory cards that are being used. I've had my cameras go haywire if the memory card is too slow or there's something about the format that they don't like.

I have attached a picture of the exact memory cards that I use, I also always format them in camera right before a shoot. These are the same cards in my C200, GH5, and 5DIV....I've never had a single issue with them.

 

 

I got those cards too, and they are much slower clearing the buffer than my UHS-II cards. 

We must be doing something different. Maybe I'll record a video of what I am referring too later today.

[herein2020]

1 minute ago, Lux Shots said:

I got those cards too, and they are much slower clearing the buffer than my UHS-II cards. 

We must be doing something different. Maybe I'll record a video of what I am referring too later today.

Yes that's strange. I shot 4K60FPS 10bit 4:2:0 for 60 seconds straight, then switched the dial to the M position and immediately shot 10 images....no delay at all.

[zerocool22]

Does anybody own a s1h and a s5? I ordered a s5, but I can buy  an used s1h for a bit more. But I stil feel the s5 is the better camera for me. Smaller, less weight, better battterylife. The IQ looks the same to me. (1stop of ibis and antu alisasing is not worth the extra weight for me). Am I wrong?

[currensheldon]

1 hour ago, zerocool22 said:

Does anybody own a s1h and a s5? I ordered a s5, but I can buy  an used s1h for a bit more. But I stil feel the s5 is the better camera for me. Smaller, less weight, better battterylife. The IQ looks the same to me. (1stop of ibis and antu alisasing is not worth the extra weight for me). Am I wrong?

I haven't used the S5 yet, but I do own and have used the S1H for the last year. I love the camera. For me, the biggest advantages are timecode (a must for my doc work when I have external audio), the All-I 400Mbps (sometimes required), and the unlimited record times. The ProRes Raw is great, but the S5 will be getting that soon.

Otherwise, I think the S5's more compact size, better AF (though the S1H is confirmed to get it), and the already amazing 10-bit 422 150Mbps codec that I most often use on the S1H anyway, make it a pretty compelling option. 

[zerocool22]

28 minutes ago, currensheldon said:

I haven't used the S5 yet, but I do own and have used the S1H for the last year. I love the camera. For me, the biggest advantages are timecode (a must for my doc work when I have external audio), the All-I 400Mbps (sometimes required), and the unlimited record times. The ProRes Raw is great, but the S5 will be getting that soon.

Otherwise, I think the S5's more compact size, better AF (though the S1H is confirmed to get it), and the already amazing 10-bit 422 150Mbps codec that I most often use on the S1H anyway, make it a pretty compelling option. 

Thanks, unlimited recordtimes is nothing I care about, never used timecode so I guess I will not miss it. I dont know the difference between the 150 and the 400 mbps codec. Is the quality that much better or is really trivial (not into recording externally, but I guess that evens that out a bit, i might only care if prores raw gets supported in davinci resolve)

[currensheldon]

18 minutes ago, zerocool22 said:

Thanks, unlimited recordtimes is nothing I care about, never used timecode so I guess I will not miss it. I dont know the difference between the 150 and the 400 mbps codec. Is the quality that much better or is really trivial (not into recording externally, but I guess that evens that out a bit, i might only care if prores raw gets supported in davinci resolve)

If you don't care about: timecode, unlimited record times, a more substantial build, slightly more usable screen configuration, top LCD, better EVF (I never use it for video anyway), then I would get the S5. 

I don't notice a huge difference between 400 and 150 10-bit recording, so you should be fine there. Can always get 6k or ProRes Raw (soon) or All-I ProRes recording with an external recorder.

[herein2020]

6 hours ago, zerocool22 said:

Thanks, unlimited recordtimes is nothing I care about, never used timecode so I guess I will not miss it. I dont know the difference between the 150 and the 400 mbps codec. Is the quality that much better or is really trivial (not into recording externally, but I guess that evens that out a bit, i might only care if prores raw gets supported in davinci resolve)

Don't forget the S5 has a mini HDMI port vs the S1H with the full HDMI port so if you use an external monitor a lot that could be pretty important. For me personally, the S line never interested me until the S5 due to the cost of the bodies and the lenses. With the S5's reduced cost and the EF lens adapter, my two main reasons for not considering the S line were removed. For the S1H specifically, I was never sold on the fan either. Of course it prevents overheating when shooting video, but for hybrid photo/video shoots I felt like too much dust and moisture could get pulled into the body via the fan.

As far as All-I goes, most if not all of the tests that I have seen say there is no difference in 99% of the scenarios, supposedly All-I is easier to edit since there's a keyframe for every frame, but the data rates are so high that you need special cards to support it, storage is up to 4x more required, and it is still LongGOP compression; I would rather create temp proxies than deal with the headache of All-I. For All-I data rates I'd rather skip straight to raw if I'm going to deal with that kind of headache.

[MrSMW]

Finally, Lightroom 10!

VERY impressed with the Panny raw files SOOC.

I have done 3 full hybrid shoots (results on Instagram ‘Atelier Firehorse’ if anyone is interested) but this is the first time I have been able to process the raw files.

Slightly limited on my most recent job as the kitchen environment meant 6400 iso at f5.6 on the long end of the 20-60.

I could have upped the ISO to 12800 but it worked out OK. Just. Shutter speeds were getting a bit low...

The raw files needed very little work. I pretty much did some minor cropping, leveled some horizons, adjusted a few exposures, sometimes a bit of contrast or clarity. No sharpening, no presets or anything else.

It bodes well for when I can get some f1.8 lenses working on the system.

Looking forward to the 70-300 for my landscape work as it should be smaller and lighter than the f4 70-200 and the f2.8 is just overkill for me.

Hopefully that 85mm f1.8 shows up next month as promised!

Anyone got their Sigma 45mm f2.8 yet?

I have been added to a list in France so still hoping...

[Lux Shots]

On 10/20/2020 at 10:29 AM, zerocool22 said:

Does anybody own a s1h and a s5? I ordered a s5, but I can buy  an used s1h for a bit more. But I stil feel the s5 is the better camera for me. Smaller, less weight, better battterylife. The IQ looks the same to me. (1stop of ibis and antu alisasing is not worth the extra weight for me). Am I wrong?

I own the S1H and the S5. and there are a a whole lot more issues than you think!

• The 8-bit stuff is only 4:2:0, and it's still H.264, not H.265. The same issue exist for the S1H, but we don't care because we don't have time limits.
• The 1080p VFR stuff is completely wrecked. The 100Mbps 1080p MOV files have been replaced with 28 Mbps MP4 trash.
• The timecode feature is a complete waste. If you can jam sync it, or get a jam from it, what the hell is the point?
• The only thing between the S5 and the S1H that is the same is 4K 4:2:2 150Mbps IPB in 24p and 30p everything else is 8-bit 4:2:0.

If you buy this cam, do it knowing you are going to add a Ninja V for ProRes RAW. Other than that get the S1H. Battery life is good though. But with the limitations, don't think that this is gonna be a killer B cam, because what it can do is too limiting. Maybe if you think of it as a FF GH5 with full V-Log for gimbal work, that will meet your expectations.

[Lux Shots]

16 hours ago, herein2020 said:

Don't forget the S5 has a mini HDMI port vs the S1H with the full HDMI port so if you use an external monitor a lot that could be pretty important. For me personally, the S line never interested me until the S5 due to the cost of the bodies and the lenses. With the S5's reduced cost and the EF lens adapter, my two main reasons for not considering the S line were removed. For the S1H specifically, I was never sold on the fan either. Of course it prevents overheating when shooting video, but for hybrid photo/video shoots I felt like too much dust and moisture could get pulled into the body via the fan.

As far as All-I goes, most if not all of the tests that I have seen say there is no difference in 99% of the scenarios, supposedly All-I is easier to edit since there's a keyframe for every frame, but the data rates are so high that you need special cards to support it, storage is up to 4x more required, and it is still LongGOP compression; I would rather create temp proxies than deal with the headache of All-I. For All-I data rates I'd rather skip straight to raw if I'm going to deal with that kind of headache.

Don't fret about the fan, as it's really ingenius how they did it. The fan intake does not go into the body, but just draws air over the radiator fins that are completely sealed from the body internals. You will struggle to hear the S1H fan in most any case. I first though my fan was broken until I literally rested my ear on the camera!

[zerocool22]

56 minutes ago, Lux Shots said:

I own the S1H and the S5. and there are a a whole lot more issues than you think!

• The 8-bit stuff is only 4:2:0, and it's still H.264, not H.265. The same issue exist for the S1H, but we don't care because we don't have time limits.
• The 1080p VFR stuff is completely wrecked. The 100Mbps 1080p MOV files have been replaced with 28 Mbps MP4 trash.
• The timecode feature is a complete waste. If you can jam sync it, or get a jam from it, what the hell is the point?
• The only thing between the S5 and the S1H that is the same is 4K 4:2:2 150Mbps IPB in 24p and 30p everything else is 8-bit 4:2:0.

If you buy this cam, do it knowing you are going to add a Ninja V for ProRes RAW. Other than that get the S1H. Battery life is good though. But with the limitations, don't think that this is gonna be a killer B cam, because what it can do is too limiting. Maybe if you think of it as a FF GH5 with full V-Log for gimbal work, that will meet your expectations.

What about if you just use 60 fps or 180fps hd instead of the vfr mode?

[zerocool22]

ok 180 fps will be shitty. But 60 fps will be quite allright I think. Then again have not shot anything on a S1H or S5 yet. Could you do a 60fps shot side by side on both camera's and upload to youtube?

[herein2020]

4 hours ago, zerocool22 said:

ok 180 fps will be shitty. But 60 fps will be quite allright I think. Then again have not shot anything on a S1H or S5 yet. Could you do a 60fps shot side by side on both camera's and upload to youtube?

I think at this point you are focusing too much on things at the pixel peeping level that won't matter to most people. 60FPS is pretty much the new standard and will probably look identical between the S1H, S5, and GH5 as well as most others that shoot 4K 60FPS when all else is equal (DR. Color Science, etc). I have always considered the high frame rate stuff where it does it in camera to be a bit of an exotic workaround that will never yield the same results as doing it the traditional way by increasing the framerate in the file. 

Also, are you planning on using the new body 100% for video and don't care about the size and weight of the S1H, if so I'd get the S1H. If you have any photography plans at all, or you are trying to setup a light travel/docu kit then the S5 would probably be the best bet. I really think either camera has the specs needed to exceed the capabilities of most filmmakers and it will really come down to how well each one meets your individual needs or fits into your current or planned workflow.

I did a ton of my own research on the S1H, the S5, and the R6 prior to choosing the S5 and at the end of the day the S5 simply met my needs better in more areas than the other options. A final selling point for me was using the S5 on a gimbal. The S5 with the EF adapter combined with the Canon 24mm 2.8 is actually lighter and smaller than my previous GH5 setup. 

[zerocool22]

6 hours ago, herein2020 said:

I think at this point you are focusing too much on things at the pixel peeping level that won't matter to most people. 60FPS is pretty much the new standard and will probably look identical between the S1H, S5, and GH5 as well as most others that shoot 4K 60FPS when all else is equal (DR. Color Science, etc). I have always considered the high frame rate stuff where it does it in camera to be a bit of an exotic workaround that will never yield the same results as doing it the traditional way by increasing the framerate in the file. 

Also, are you planning on using the new body 100% for video and don't care about the size and weight of the S1H, if so I'd get the S1H. If you have any photography plans at all, or you are trying to setup a light travel/docu kit then the S5 would probably be the best bet. I really think either camera has the specs needed to exceed the capabilities of most filmmakers and it will really come down to how well each one meets your individual needs or fits into your current or planned workflow.

I did a ton of my own research on the S1H, the S5, and the R6 prior to choosing the S5 and at the end of the day the S5 simply met my needs better in more areas than the other options. A final selling point for me was using the S5 on a gimbal. The S5 with the EF adapter combined with the Canon 24mm 2.8 is actually lighter and smaller than my previous GH5 setup. 

Yes that is what I thought too, before Lux shots pointed it out. I guess I can better save the 500 euro difference to a used s1h and invest in more lighting gear.

[herein2020]

On 10/22/2020 at 1:55 AM, zerocool22 said:

Yes that is what I thought too, before Lux shots pointed it out. I guess I can better save the 500 euro difference to a used s1h and invest in more lighting gear.

That sounds like a good decision. I'm so impressed with the S5 I'm thinking about picking up a used S1R for photography. 

[MrSMW]

Anyone else received confirmation of their free Sigma lens?

After a bit (too much in my opinion) of wrangling, I just received notification from Panasonic Europe/France/Somewhere, that I would be receiving mine within the next 4 weeks.

Looking forward to something a bit faster than the f3.5-5.6 kit lens which is great as a stills or video lens at the wide end, but it’s just a little slow at the long end for my tastes.

Also looking forward to some news on the 85mm f1.8 (for photo and video) and then the 70-300, the latter especially because 60mm doesn’t quite cut it for my kind of landscape photography work. Not interested in it for video as the 85 will be more than long enough.

[herein2020]

10 hours ago, MrSMW said:

Anyone else received confirmation of their free Sigma lens?

After a bit (too much in my opinion) of wrangling, I just received notification from Panasonic Europe/France/Somewhere, that I would be receiving mine within the next 4 weeks.

Looking forward to something a bit faster than the f3.5-5.6 kit lens which is great as a stills or video lens at the wide end, but it’s just a little slow at the long end for my tastes.

Also looking forward to some news on the 85mm f1.8 (for photo and video) and then the 70-300, the latter especially because 60mm doesn’t quite cut it for my kind of landscape photography work. Not interested in it for video as the 85 will be more than long enough.

I haven't heard anything from Panasonic, I have written that lens off as something that I never expect to get. For US users they made it pretty clear that the chance of ever getting one were slim to none. I have never seen verbiage that vague when it comes to something like that.

As far as lenses go, I'm loving the L mount to EF adapter, my gimbal lens is a Canon  EF 24mm F2.8 and at 60fps that works out to 36mm which is perfect for my uses. 

For detailed handheld work I am using the Sigma EF 50mm F1.4, and for general walk around handheld work during daylight I am using the EF 24-105mm F4.0L.

I already had these lenses for my 5D4 so I haven't missed the L mounts at all. 

I do find it a bit strange that it seems harder for me to manually focus with the S5 vs the GH5. Something about that screen that just isn't as clear as my GH5 and the focus peaking rarely seems to be visible. Hybrid AF works for most situations but trying to rack focus at F2.0 was nearly impossible today because I couldn't see the focus peaking on the screen and I couldn't zoom in while recording.

[Thpriest]

Anyone using the Sigma 18-35mm 1.8 with the MC21 on the S5?

Or the Canon 18-135mm f3.5-5.6?

And a question about flashes! Do the Godox O (Olympus/Panasonic) flashes work on the Lumix S line?