PANASONIC LUMIX S5 II

Will phase hybrid detection AF make this a creator's dream?

- Jon Devo

As someone who's used the Lumix S1 since its launch in 2018, and the original Lumix S5 since 2020, I've watched Lumix full-frame steadily grow into a system that has rightly become revered among photographers and videographers alike. The one thing that's held it back from capturing the attention of the masses, however, was the contrast-based Depth-from-Defocus autofocusing system that Panasonic developed and has championed for years, despite much of the competition adopting phase detection-based AF setups.

Uncharacteristically late to the innovation party, Panasonic is aiming the phase hybrid AF-powered Lumix S5 Il squarely at creators” that annoying tribe of people who make content for a living or a pastime, in the hope of someday turning it into a career. People like me.

To win over its intended audience the S5 Il needs to be able to deliver beautiful stills that are easy to edit and transfer from the camera on the go. It also needs to be able to capture a variety of video content, from self-shot presentations to robust video files that can be graded heavily, slow-motion clips, time-lapses, and more.

So with a lot of hype to live up to, does the Lumix S5 II deliver?

Key features

A newly designed 24.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor is housed inside the Lumix S65 Il. It's the same resolution as the one in the original S5, but it’s different in a key way: it now incorporates a 779-point phase hybrid autofocusing system. It’s a hybrid system because it also utilises Panasonic's DFD AF technology. Contrast detection tends to be more consistently accurate when taking pictures of still subjects. However, it's not as quick or as clever when it comes to detecting and following moving subjects or recording video: combining the two approaches effectively represents a remarkable upgrade for the Lumix S5 Il.