ac6000cw

Marla - is the problem that it doesn't re-focus at all, or that it doesn't focus on what you want it to? How close to the lens is the subject, when you bring it closer?

S-series firmware update details (mostly about new stuff for the S1 series, but a few things for the S5) - https://www.panasonic.com/uk/corporate/news/articles/panasonic-announces-host-of-firmware-updates-for-its-lumix-s-and-g-series-cameras.html

The Pana 85mm F1.8 is now pre-order on Wex in the UK at £599 - https://www.wexphotovideo.com/panasonic-lumix-s-85mm-f1-8-lens-1756987/ Pana have also announced the details of the next S-series firmware updates.

I suspect it's also to do with the relationship between the manufacturer and the retailer as well - how much stock the retailer is willing to commit to, how quickly they pay their bills etc. I just had a quick look at S5 availability from a few major UK retailers - most of them are saying 'in stock' (e.g. Wex is offering next-day delivery), so if I'd had an order with Jessops since September I think I'd be asking them some hard questions by now...

From the Nikon US website for the Z-6ii: ...and for the Z-7ii:

My thoughts too... It looks like the 'Expeed 6' processors can't handle 10-bit video compression, otherwise surely they would have 10-bit internal recording by now? What have they been doing, processor development wise, for the last two years?

Yes, the review here - https://www.storagereview.com/review/samsung-portable-ssd-t5-review - highlights that the 512GB version has much slower sustained write speeds than the 2TB version (about 240 MByte/s versus 400 Mbyte/s). The random write speeds difference is even worse (about 100 MByte/s versus 400 Mbyte/s). They didn't test the 1TB version.

Just be careful that the colour handling of the m43 cameras has changed (got better) over time - the G80 and G9 that I sometimes use together look a bit different to each other (and the G7 is even older than the G80). As Lux Shots suggests, don't assume that the S5 and even the G9 will 'look' the same just because they are both Panasonic...

That's part of the reason I use m43 cameras - the long telephoto lenses are much smaller (and the Pana 45-200 is really cheap used for the original version, but you need the current 'mark 2' version to get 'dual-IS' support). If you're shooting 1080p on the G9, enabling 'Extra Tele Conversion' gives you x2.7 zoom, which turns 200 mm into 540 mm (== 1080 mm at full-frame). You'll need it on a tripod for that though... 🙂

I know you're very annoyed about it (I would be too), but the T's & C's for that promotion - https://login.360incentives.com/Shared/Uploads/SpiffPrograms/359_61284_LUMIXS5GiftPromotionTermsandConditions.pdf - clearly state: ...so you don't qualify as you live in France. Over the years I've claimed various Panasonic UK camera promotions (cashbacks and free lenses mostly) and as far as I remember they are always 'geographically restricted'. I guess your only hope is a goodwill gesture, but as the promotion handling seems to be contracted-out (to https://360insights.com/ ) I suspect that's unlikely unless you can get Panasonic UK to help directly.

What does that mean/how does it work? I guess it means you can assign the video sensor crop ('Image Area of Video' in user guide speak) setting to a function button.

I've thought about trying one of the Fuji XT series cameras several times, but it's the retro control dial setup, plus the stills/video switching (no video record button...) that puts me off. I also own an LX100 and while it's a great stills camera, I find it's similar control dial setup annoying. As someone who swaps moment-to-moment between stills and video a lot, it's hard to beat the simplicity on a Panasonic m43 camera of enabling 'flicker reduction' to fix the video shutter speed, putting the mode dial on 'P' and then pressing the shutter button to take stills or the record button to shoot video - no dials to move or switches to flick, so less chance of 'missing the moment' because the camera is in the wrong mode...

I don't own an NTG, but from the Rode NTG FAQ (I've highlighted the relevant part): ...which suggests to me that you need 'plugin power' enabled to make the auto-power feature work correctly, but that it doesn't actually use power from the camera to actually power the mic (it's just for sensing if the camera is turned on). In any case, the amount of power that 'plugin power' can actually supply is very low, so don't worry about it decreasing the camera battery life.

Towd - I think that's a perfect summary of how a lot of us feel about m43 versus the alternatives. A much more interesting post than people constantly ranting about AF performance.....

The important (management) question for Panasonic - who don't have a market-dominant position in cameras like Canon do - is 'can we make a sensible return on investment' with a GH5 successor? Making development prototypes isn't necessarily a big investment (I'm sure they've got all sorts of prototypes in the labs) but putting it into production and marketing it is. Obviously there is less investment required if they just 'warm over' the GH5 and make it even more video-centric e.g. update the electronics, IBIS and DFD to G9 standard, switch to the GH5s sensor for better low-light, maybe replace the mechanical shutter with some sort of internal ND filter. Much beyond that it's probably a rather bigger development effort and is going to be a harder sell to the higher management in the current economic climate. This wouldn't be a direct GH5 replacement, but personally I'd like them to put as much as possible of the GH5/G9 tech into the smallest possible camera body - a GX9 size body with 4k60p (even if it had to be cropped a bit) and a mic input would almost be my perfect camera. Combine lens IS with just EIS if IBIS is too space hungry. They could probably get away with dropping the mechanical shutter as well to save space - phones don't have them after all. Small size with good performance is the original ethos of m43, isn't it?

I don't own any 'S' series cameras, but If you use dpeview's 'video stills comparison' tool, you can clearly see the 1080p from the S1 and S1H is softer and has more aliasing & moire than the GH5. They haven't added the S5 to the list yet. To me, the 'S' series 1080p looks like it's using at least some pixel-binning and/or line skipping, versus the GH5 using proper down-sampling from the full sensor output.

Exactly, and it's also priced be potentially attractive as an alternative to the A7S III and SH1. It's pretty obvious with the releases of the R5 and R6 and now this that Canon are going all out to defend their low/mid pro-level market against further inroads from Sony. It's going to be an interesting battle to watch...

£4,799 body-only at Wex in the UK, £529 for the EF-EOS R 0.71x adaptor - https://www.wexphotovideo.com/offers/canon-c70/

DFD generally works better at higher frame rates (so 50p is better than 25p), also sometimes choosing a slightly faster shutter speed can help since there is less motion blur e.g. try 50p with a 1/120 shutter instead of 1/100.

The 'S' series version of the 'Lumix AF Guidebook' might be worth a read - https://www.panasonic.com/global/consumer/lumix/technologies/af.html

You might find the GH5/GH5s/G9 'Lumix AF Guidebook' useful, download it from - https://www.panasonic.com/global/consumer/lumix/technologies/af.html

Yes, I know - I have my G9 setup like that, I use it a lot for wildlife video 🙂

I've never used a GH5 so I can't compare them as a user of both (I own a G9). The G9 is supposed to have better C-AF, has better IBIS/EIS, and it's cheaper. It does not support the XLR audio adaptor, does not have any 'All-I' codec modes (there is nothing above 150 Mbps), maximum record time is 30 minutes (10 minutes for 4k50p/4k60p) and doesn't have waveform monitors/vectorscopes/shutter angle control (and some other 'professional' video-specific features that are on the GH5). It gained a range of long-GOP 10 bit, HEVC and high-bitrate 1080p codec modes in the recent firmware updates. If you need to check for a specific feature etc., it's probably best to download the User Guide and have a read. Effectively, it has a more stills/less video orientated feature set, but with the same basic video capture quality as the GH5 i.e. excellent 1080p and no-crop 4k up to 60p.

If you have 'Extended Tele Conversion' enabled all the time, then changing the 'Picture Size' should do that (and 'Picture Size' can be mapped to a function button, as far as I can tell from the user guide). I don't own an S5, I'm just a long-term Panasonic m43 user.

It looks like it's the same as on the m43 cameras - for stills, set the 'Picture Size' to be less than full resolution i.e. M or S, then enable 'Extended Tele Conversion' (which crops into the sensor to give you a 1:1 pixel mapped image of that resolution). So picture size 'M' gives a 1.4x zoom/crop, 'S' is a 2.0x zoom/crop (with FF lenses) when 'Extended Tele Conversion' is enabled.