Panasonic announces LUMIX S5II and S5IIX cameras with phase detection autofocus

Panasonic has announced the LUMIX S5II and the S5IIX, the company's newest full-frame mirrorless hybrid cameras with focus on video recording functionality.

These are the company's first cameras to feature PDAF or phase detection autofocus, moving away from the longstanding contrast detection based DFD or depth from defocusing technology. While usable for photos, this method was often slow and unreliable for video, and produced constant pulsing within the out of focus areas.

The S5II and S5II solve this by having a completely revamped focusing system courtesy of a new 24.2MP 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor. The new Phase Hybrid Auto-Focus system uses a combination of PDAF and contrast detection systems with 779 AF points for continuous human and animal tracking.

The S5II and S5II are capable of video recording performance comparable to the S1H. You get a choice of 6K 10-bit 4:2:0 or 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 recording options. A new heat dispersion method with a built-in fan and heat sink can enable non-stop 4K recording without overheating.

The cameras have a claimed dynamic range of 14+ stops with V-Log/V-Gamut and support real time LUTs for in camera color grading by uploading your LUTs to the camera directly.

The S5II and S5II have a new image stabilization system, consisting of 5-axis Body IS and 2-axis lens-based OIS, which works for photos and videos. Video also gets an Active IS mode, which optimizes the horizontal, vertical, and rotational correction ratios by determining the status of camera shake.

Other features include dual native ISO, 9fps AFS/7fps AFC burst mode with mechanical shutter and 30fps AFS/AFC with electronic shutter, 48kHz/24-bit internal microphone recording and 96kHz/24-bit with external microphone, full-sized HDMI port, 3680K dot OLED viewfinder, 3.0-inch fully articulating 1840K dot touchscreen, USB-C charging, splash and dust-resistant magnesium alloy diecast body, dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

The difference between the S5II and S5IIX is that the latter is capable of RAW video output over HDMI and all-intra and ProRes recording on SSD, along with wired and wireless streaming for live streaming and USB tethering.

The Panasonic LUMIX S5II is priced at $2000 and will be available this month. The S5IIX is priced at $2200 and will be available in May 2023.

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