Panasonic S5 incoming!

[Archiver]

After a boatload of reading, watching videos and talking to owners, I've pulled the trigger on a Panasonic S5. It has the image quality and autofocus capabilities for my work with events, athletics and promotional work, and the video features are crazy for the price.

I'll still use my G9 for video and some stills work, and the S5 will be primarily for stills, with video a secondary concern, and the future GH6 will be my eventual upgrade from the G9 for video.

This will be my first full frame mirrorless camera, and the first fully new camera I've bought in ages. Before I get some native lenses, I'll be using Minolta, Pentax and Leica/Zeiss?Voigtlanders on it with adapters. Panasonic are slowly releasing a set of f1.8 primes in 24, 35, 50 and 85. The 85 has been available for a few months, and the 50 is coming to stores soon. Reviews for these lenses are really good, and I'm excited to see for myself.

I'm writing this post to share my excitement, and set a placeholder for future posts about my experiences with this camera. Now just waiting for the S5 to ship.

 

[kram]

If the S series performed well with M mount lens I would be tempted.

 

[Archiver]

If the S series performed well with M mount lens I would be tempted.

I'm not hoping for perfect matching between Leica M lenses and the S5, because I know there's softness/smearing and colour shift issues with lenses wider than 35. With luck, the S5 will be acceptable with the Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f1.5 and Summarit 75, and hopefully my Distagon 35. SLR lenses are going to be my main thing with the S5 until I get some native lenses, though. I've got a number of Minolta and Pentax lenses which ought to come up a treat with the S5.

 

[jsrockit]

Every time someone posts a camera, we get the M lenses comment. If you have the $ for M lenses, you have the $ for Leica bodies.

Enjoy the new camera Archiver, I’m sure it’ll great for your needs and wants.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

At 700+ grams weight it is last thing I would call as compact.
RFF has sub forums for some things which become historical and rare in real use, but no sub forum for cameras like S5 and RP.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Every time someone posts a camera, we get the M lenses comment. If you have the $ for M lenses, you have the $ for Leica bodies. Enjoy the new camera, I’m sure it’ll great for your needs and wants.

Leica for video even as second camera is oxymoron.

People are using RF lenses on all kind of cameras for sometime already.
Google returns more in search for some RF lenses reviews on Sony cameras now instead of Leica.
It just more compact and light than old SLR lenses and with better build.
My 35 1.4 M mount lens is way more effective of FF mirrorless body with EVF and no Leica label on it.

 

[jsrockit]

Leica for video even as second camera is oxymoron.

People are using RF lenses on all kind of cameras for sometime already.
Google returns more in search for some RF lenses reviews on Sony cameras now instead of Leica.
It just more compact and light than old SLR lenses and with better build.
My 35 1.4 M mount lens is way more effective of FF mirrorless body with EVF and no Leica label on it.

Do you really think I don’t know this already? Also, I was replying to the comment above. The person above said nothing about video. The OP did.

 

[kram]

So if some saves up and spends £6k on a Leica 28mm f1.4, which will hold its valve fairly well; they can splash out on a £7k Leica camera which depreciate like all digi camera? I can fill my boots with second hand Leica (90mm f2), Zeiss and VC lenses. Not on a new Leica camera.

 

[jsrockit]

So if some saves up and spends £6k on a Leica 28mm f1.4, which will hold its valve fairly well; they can splash out on a £7k Leica camera which depreciate like all digi camera? I can fill my boots with second hand Leica (90mm f2), Zeiss and VC lenses. Not on a new Leica camera.

If you need a camera to perform well with your choice of lenses, in digital, you might have to no? Isn’t that the complaint that Leica wides don’t work well with other cameras?

I would say that there’s no reason to buy a $6000 lens under those circumstances.

 

[oldwino]

Enjoy the S5. I have come to really like mine.
I, too, initially used it with some of my old Nikkor and Leica lenses, and it does a great job with those. I especially enjoy using my 55/1.2 Nikkor with it. Very appealing look.

But I will also say, after purchasing the Sigma 35 and 65 lenses for it, that they are equally appealing, without any "digital harshness". The size, while bigger than the M lenses, is still fine on the S5 - the grip and IBIS help. And they have aperture rings, which makes this "old school" photographer happy.
And, I can use the 35 on my CL as a fine "50".

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Do you really think I don’t know this already? Also, I was replying to the comment above. The person above said nothing about video. The OP did.

I have no idea what you do know.
For example, do you know what comment above your initial comment is from OP? 😀

 

[jsrockit]

I have no idea what you do know.
For example, do you know what comment above your initial comment is from OP? 😀

With the amount of time both of us spend on this site, you’d have to be blind for the last 10 years to not know people use M lenses on various mirrorless cameras.

 

[hap]

Leica for video even as second camera is oxymoron.

People are using RF lenses on all kind of cameras for sometime already.
Google returns more in search for some RF lenses reviews on Sony cameras now instead of Leica.
It just more compact and light than old SLR lenses and with better build.
My 35 1.4 M mount lens is way more effective of FF mirrorless body with EVF and no Leica label on it.

If you believe Diglloyd new Sony af master lenses are world beaters. Claims even Zeiss is phasing out it's manual Otus and Milvus line. yes, people will always want to play around with legacy lenses and Leica ones. However, AF is the way to go and Sony killing it.

New Sony lenses are expensive and generally large.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

If you believe Diglloyd new Sony af master lenses are world beaters. Claims even Zeiss is phasing out it's manual Otus and Milvus line. yes, people will always want to play around with legacy lenses and Leica ones. However, AF is the way to go and Sony killing it.

New Sony lenses are expensive and generally large.

Doesn't have to be Sony on Sony. Check Samyang 24/35 2.8 Sony FF mount lenses. Those are well priced and super light and tiny Sony FF mount AF lenses.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

With the amount of time both of us spend on this site, you’d have to be blind for the last 10 years to not know people use M lenses on various mirrorless cameras.

So, here is nothing wrong with M lenses on non-Leica cameras.

 

[agentlossing]

I think L-mount cameras are going to get us the closest to what we want in a FF digital camera, i.e. good lenses that don't seem to overly "digital" and have some pleasing characteristics, from a variety of manufacturers who will each put their stamp on them. Now if bodies would catch up to the level of small size and simplicity that I would like, that would be ideal. But the camera market is too barebones for a body that might be seen as a major misstep, so I think they will evolve slowly. I'd really like to see Panasonic make a body inspired by their GX-cameras in M4/3.

 

[hap]

Doesn't have to be Sony on Sony. Check Samyang 24/35 2.8 Sony FF mount lenses. Those are well priced and super light and tiny Sony FF mount AF lenses.

Diglloyd is a OCD pixel peeping fanatic. sometimes he comes up with some very trenchant insights . Doesn't mean much to me because the focus is not on people like me. I don't any sony except for that strange bird rx100 tweaked by Hasselblad. It still is a good camera. Allow me to digress. Hasselblad wrecked the rx100 by tweaking the firmware so that Sony firmware updates not available.

However, the point was Sony cameras and new Sony lenses are the worlds best all around and even in some niches. Everything else is commentary.

I apologize for posting in this thread and not in the thread "Delusional?"

 

[Archiver]

At 700+ grams weight it is last thing I would call as compact.
RFF has sub forums for some things which become historical and rare in real use, but no sub forum for cameras like S5 and RP.

There used to be a Panasonic S1/R forum but it seems to have disappeared. This is the closest forum that fits this topic.

It's not really a compact camera, but compared with other full frame mirrorless cameras, it's not big. A Leica M9 weighs just under 600g, and the S5 weighs over 700. A lot of us happily carry a 550g Leica body and a couple of lenses. The S5's dimensions appealed to me as it is around the same size and weight of the Panasonic m43 cameras I use, whereas I leave my 5D Mark II at home because of its weight, among other things.

My M mount lenses were acquired over 13 years, many of them secondhand purchases, so I feel I've been as economical as possible in their attainment. My M9 is one of the most expensive things I've ever bought, and fortunately remains solid after 11 years. The S5 will hopefully work as another body for the longer focal lengths. But as I said, SLR lenses will be what I use the most until I get some natives.

I can't wait for the S5 to ship! Adapters are beginning to arrive and I've been putting lenses on them, but with no camera! 😀

 

[Archiver]

Enjoy the S5. I have come to really like mine.
I, too, initially used it with some of my old Nikkor and Leica lenses, and it does a great job with those. I especially enjoy using my 55/1.2 Nikkor with it. Very appealing look.

But I will also say, after purchasing the Sigma 35 and 65 lenses for it, that they are equally appealing, without any "digital harshness". The size, while bigger than the M lenses, is still fine on the S5 - the grip and IBIS help. And they have aperture rings, which makes this "old school" photographer happy.
And, I can use the 35 on my CL as a fine "50".

The small Sigma primes are very intriguing, I'm interested to see how they compare with the Panasonic f1.8 primes as they emerge. Apart from my M9, this will be my first full frame mirrorless camera, and the first full frame camera I've bought in 11 years. So exciting! 🙂

 

[nickthetasmaniac]

After a boatload of reading, watching videos and talking to owners, I've pulled the trigger on a Panasonic S5. It has the image quality and autofocus capabilities for my work with events, athletics and promotional work, and the video features are crazy for the price.

The Panasonic S bodies have always intrigued me, and I’ve found Panasonic’s ergonomics and UI impressive since back when I had a GH2 as my first mirrorless. Not to mention that between Panasonic and Sigma L mount glass is starting to look really good. If the S1 was 150g lighter I probably would have got that instead of the Z6...