Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S

This new offering from Panasonic appears as one of the most capable video-centric mirrorless cameras we’ve seen yet.

Panasonic may already have its GH5 offering for any professionals after an arsenal of video tools inside a relatively compact body, but the new GH5S variant is intended for the even more discerning filmmaker.

Outwardly, there’s little to split the two models, but things are very different on the inside. With a sensor that holds just 10.28MP, the camera can boast much larger pixels than those on the 20.3MP GH5’s sensor, and its oversized design allows for a return of Panasonic’s Multi-Aspect Ratio concept, which retains the same focal length for all aspect ratios.

Sensor-based image stabilisation has been dropped from the GH5S, which is justified by the presumed use of gimbals by the target audience, while a slew of further video-centric tweaks to the GH5’s feature set split the camera even further from its sibling (explained overleaf). Certain changes also benefit those capturing stills, such as 14-bit RAW recording (presumably to account for the wider dynamic range) and an AF working range down to -5EV, in contrast to the GH5’s 12-bit RAW and -4EV AF range.

In terms of overall design, there have only been a few cosmetic changes from the GH5. It’s a shame, as the stronger focus on video surely justifies more tweaking with the external controls. That said, you are at least in familiar territory if you need to capture stills.