Panasonic Lumix GH5S
Panasonic’s Lumix GH5S promises blockbuster 4K HDR performance from a dinky box – is this the ultimate compact system camera for video?
Compact build, blockbuster results
£2208 (body only) / stuff.tv/gh5s It’s only been possible to record video on interchangeable-lens cameras for a few years, but already DSLRS and CSCS are becoming the chosen tools of amateur and professional filmmakers all over the world. And after spending some time with Panasonic’s latest effort, it’s easy to see why.
The Lumix GH5S is a compact system camera designed with movies in mind. In fact, unlike the basic GH5, it has stills shooting as a very distant second in its list of priorities. The headline features here are 4096x2160 (‘cinema 4K’) footage at 50 or 60fps, internal 10-bit 4:2:2 recording for superior tonal gradations, the ability to record HDR footage in the Hybrid Log Gamma format, and up to 240fps shooting for smooth slow-mo playback.
The asking price for all that? A hefty £2208, plus whatever you shell out on lenses – which sounds like a lot for a camera with only a 10MP sensor. So has Panasonic created a worthy cinematic tool, or a pricey bauble?
1 Little Big Man Despite having room for a decent-sized OLED viewfinder, a 3in flip-and-swivel touchscreen, a pleasingly chunky right-hand grip and a bounty of buttons and dials, the GH5S is small and light enough to carry around all day without giving your a sore neck.
2 Cool Hand Luke The physical controls give your hands fast and easy access to almost any mode and setting you could want, with dedicated dials for drive and shooting modes, three adjustment wheels, a thumb-stick and five customisable function buttons.
3 Darkest Hour Panasonic has created the GH5S very much with pro videographers in mind. It takes the basis laid out by the excellent GH5 but halves the megapixels in the Micro Four-thirds sensor, while increasing its sensitivity for improved low-light video capture.
4 The Day The Earth Stood Still The GH5S may be ‘video first’ but some thought has been spared for photography. There’s the usual crop of 4K stills modes (including a 60fps burst mode), as well as full-size continuous shooting at up to 11fps.
5 Hot Fuzz At just over 10MP, the sensor is tiny by today’s standards – and that shows in still photos, which have good colour reproduction but little in the way of impressive detail or dynamic range. Zoom in just a little bit and you’ll see the noise and compression.