MrSMW

Should be and I am due delivery of the DJI RS3 any day now. I’ve never really got on with using a gimbal and the first one I bought, I sent back before ever using it in anger. Ditto the second. Nearly also with the third but I got it working last year and for my limited use, it did have a place in my kit…except it’s payload was borderline so I just traded it for the RS3 and it’s one click lock/unlock function which massively transforms how/where/when I will use it in 2023. Also looking forward to shooting some shallower DOF material with it with the S5ii because with the S5, dared not shoot anything faster than f4 or it risked losing it and in fast paced run & gun, haven’t got the time for that shit 🤪 Dream on on the compact though. They announced last year no more compacts 😧

Good stuff and thanks for sharing

Nah, the range is huge ranging from cheap 3rd party primes and cine lenses through all manner of primes and zooms from Panny, Sigma and Leica and pricier cine stuff. It’s really only longer photography lenses such as for sports and wildlife where the system might be a bit ‘light’. Sure some (all!) of the Leica stuff is expensive as is the older (and bigger) Panasonic so I’d be looking at Sigma for AF stuff or as suggested, the adapter and EF. An argument can be made for any of the main systems right now and it depends on your needs but probably the best video-centric and all-rounder (talking small mirrorless hybrid) right now is L Mount with an S5ii body. Just my opinion and off course I am invested so somewhat biased but was ready and was chucking it all in to go Sony if they had not sorted the AF. Enough for me to stay at least. If I was already invested elsewhere it would be harder to call…

A black Sharpie was exactly what I did with the big white LUMIX logo on the front. Had to return it to standard for the items I’m selling however….

Well that's it, deal done; S5 and S1H being 'traded' for a pair of S5ii's. MPB collecting tomorrow, new boys on pre-order... I would have preferred a pair of S5iix's, purely for their look (don't need their spec, - anything over 200mbs not required) but as they are not available until end of May/early June and my next season starts end of March... I'm going to miss my S1H for sure, but this is going to be a better pairing for my video needs being: A. Identical bodies. B. Both having a built in fan rather than just the S1H (though the S5 never overheated a single time). C. The AF of course for which I have a need, especially with regard to shooting log because shooting that only made the AF worse with previous Lumix cameras. D. No 30 minute time limit as with the S5 which was a pain. Body A will be paired with the Sigma 16-28mm f2.8 and Body B with the Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 and that's happy days for the forseeable future. My only wish would have been the tilt screen of the S1H (or even the S1/S1R) but that is the ONLY compromise with this camera for me. For my video needs anyway... For stills, sticking with my trusty S1R's for the time being. I had already sold off my f2 Sigma primes. Loved them, but going forward, really wanted something a bit faster for the low light stuff so bought 3x f1.4's, the; 20, 35 and 85. I'm in no rush to replace them and had considered a complete S5ii lineup, but I reckon either Panasonic or Leica will come out with something maybe for next year that will update the S1R significantly enough for me to replace them. The ideal now would be an S5iiR model, but an S2R or something Leica flavoured would do it. On the other hand, I might just trade the pair of them for a third S5ii body as a 3 body set up rather than a 4 works better...except during wedding ceremonies and speeches unless I switch to a 3x zoom set up for those times. We'll see but glad I stuck with Lumix after considering; OM-1, XH2/S and even a wholesale switch to Sony. Faith restored in Lumix/L Mount. Hadn't really lost it as such but I had a concern that they might just blow it and not go phase detect but realistically, that would have been suicide for them.

Maybe because prices are lower in the first places?

Something I need but with the 30 minute limit, that was an issue for me so bought/used/using an S1H. Issue now resolved with the S5ii.

This is what I already decided and that is indeed to keep my pair of S1R’s for primarily stills duty (plus a small amount of video at certain specific times) but trading my S5 and S1H for a pair of S5ii’s. The only thing I prefer over the standard model with the X is the stealth black, but I have a Sharpie and know how to use it so… 😎 And that’s it, I’m done for at least this coming season/year. Beyond that, I’ll take a look/interest in whatever they do next, whether that be an S5iiR or an S2R, but I don’t want or need anything more now. I’m done. Actually, I do ‘want’ something and that is ideally 3 identical bodies and identical in every way so the system is truly interchangeable, but I am happy to wait until such a situation occurs whenever that may be.

I currently have a pair of S1R’s for 90% stills/10% video use and an S5/S1H for 100% video use. I’m going to trade the S5 and S1H for a pair of S5ii’s. Not the X models as I don’t need that spec. Anything to beat an S1R has a tough act to follow… I picked both of mine up as mint used examples and together they cost me about 3400 euros (less than a single new one). I don’t need any more capability in either. Nope, not a thing. In fact, I’d rather see an S5iiR because I’d prefer an S5 size body with battery grip over an S1R with (a bit too big) or without (a bit too small). I’m also interested to see what Leica do as I might go there for my next stills bodied cameras. Partly for that tiny bit of extra mojo they do seem to bring and partly yes, as a pro photographer of over 20 years, to scratch that itch!

Re. menus, barely consider them with these things… I set things up how I want and then rarely, if ever go back into them other than for stuff like formatting cards, checking time sync on multiple bodies etc. Never had any issues with any of them really…

In ALL of the direct heads to heads it looked better as did the SOOC colour science and as for the IBIS…

AF for stills was already great so for me it was really just reliable AF for video and 30 minute 4k 50p 10 bit record limit that was ‘missing’ from the S5. Rolling shutter a non-issue for me as my use case is either static on tripod, handheld static or gimbal, ie panning is not a thing in my world. I’m not watching all the reviews out there but seen 3 from folks I know and trust and if it’s what they say it is, it’s what they say it is. Ticks my boxes other than having a flippy screen and I would rather have had at least one CF Express card slot but neither are deal-breakers. Time to get some trade-in prices I think. Just had all 4 of my current units refurbed and serviced so good to go…

Me also. With compact Sigma 28-70mm f2.8

Trying to find a flaw in trading my: S1H, S5 and pair of S1R’s for 3x S5ii’s… A. Would have preferred a tilt screen but it’s not a dealbreaker. B. Will I miss not having 47mp stills? Probably not… C. Other than the stealthy black aesthetic, does the X model (not available until May and too late for me for this year anyway) have anything over the standard model that I would want or need? Doesn’t appear so as I thought it might have a CF Express slot but the internal ProRes is limited to 1080. ‘Only’ 200 mbps (or is that mbs…but who cares) which is fine for me. I’m away at the moment but I think 3x bodies plus 2x battery grips is going to suit me… Already have: Sigma 16-28 and 28-70 f2.8 compact zooms for video plus; 20, 35 and 85 f1.4’s for stills. I also have the f4 24-105 if I do need longer. I think it’s looking healthy for L Mount 👍

Looks like pro res with the X and it’s a blacked out stealth finish plus probably at least one CF Express B slot. Anything else/everything we’ll find out in a couple of days I guess…

Sigma 16-28mm f2.8 = 450g Sigma 28-70mm f2.8 = 470g These are my two video workhorses on FF now. Hoping the rumored but expected 70-200mm f2.8 makes an appearance soon and my triumvirate will be complete.

AF/MF...either way, if it ain't in focus video-wise, it won't be in focus as a still. From experience, ie, I have deliberately shot video (4k 50p APSC crop S5 flat profile) with a view to also pulling the stills of the same footage and the results were mostly 'good' on average. Some instances, they were great. Tried the 6k 25p mode and the quality was mostly higher still and I think if someone was more 'results focused' than 'craft focused', with something like a Z9, the results would be superb. And by 'craft focused', I mean that I am not sure whether I would be happy no longer being a photographer... Can it be done? Yes and I'm surprised more are not doing it. Should it be done? Personal choice more than anything.

If it’s stabilised or even faster shutter speeds needed!

Only one question remaining for me really and that is recording limit? I would hope the X model at least does not have the current S5 30 minute 10 bit as that doesn’t work for me…which is the main reason I also have an S1H. Unlimited and we possibly have a deal…

I am biased as an L Mount user, but S5 for me also. As a former XT3 user, I was going to go XT4 for 2020...until Covid changed my plans and trashed my year so my pre-orders were cancelled. At the end of that year, I went S5 over the XT4 or Z6. Why? Combination of factors but the components that were a priority to me added up to S5 over anything else. Not exactly 'dirt' cheap right now, but can be had below 1000 'Your Currency' used and only going to get cheaper still now that the S5ii is arriving in Feb 2023. I looked at the XH2s recently and considered the Z6ii and the Canon R6ii and out of these it would be a tough call but having seen the spec of the new S5ii, for me that would be my choice. For a new/latest piece of kit, otherwise used, an S5. As things stand, pretty sure I'm going to be trading my S5 and S1H for a pair of S5ii-x's in the new year because it makes sense for my needs. Maybe even my S1R's also for another, but ideally going to wait and see whether a replacement for the S1R is going to appear because for my stills needs, they tick all the boxes and it's just the video side of the hybrid equation where they don't. Fabulous 5k footage, but not 50p without going to 8 bit 4k.

1. 8k 2. 6k 3. 4k No ND but crank the shutter speed into the hundreds if not thousands as needed. I have considered it myself and it works but the question is, could I be bothered for my needs and the answer was and still is, I think I’d lose some of my photography soul personally by doing this… Right now, my first choice if I was going to do this would be the Z9.

There are so many variables with lenses it’s hard to say and I have found at times some lenses have been better or worse than others for no seemingly explicable reason. My own Panny f4 24-105 for instance has been reliable on some jobs and then every now and again, is not. All day long, ie not just in some particular lighting scenario. The Sigma 85mm f1.4 is more reliable for stills but less so video compared with the Panasonic 85mm f1.8 which is the opposite. I don’t worry about it. The quality and reliability is more than good enough for me.

Nothing. Except if you are a hybrid shooter like me with a prime and flipping between stills and video all day long! That 28mm…well the framing was great for those stills, but then I flipped to video and it’s more like 42mm and I can’t back up to match as I was already backed up to the wall! ”So just shoot FF or APSC!” Well I could but I like what I get from my Lumix cameras so I work around it by having cameras and lenses dedicated to certain things at certain times. It is a workaround but one I can live with if I have to and for most of the video side, I actually use a 28-70mm f2.8 to which I have just added a 16-28 giving me options more like 24-42mm and 42-105mm and I tend to use the wider angle as my indoor lens and switch to the longer zoom as my outdoor. I then only use the extreme ends (as if they were twin primes) so indoor I shoot 24 and 42 and outdoor 42 and 105 which as with any focal lengths you become used to, gives you a ‘look’ that you just know how to work with. I have the above set up with the S5 dedicated to indoor (and gimbal outdoor) and the S1H outdoor. This is possibly where I might just trade both cams for one single S5ii and keep my S1R’s…

Looks matter I think, to a degree, in regard to overall ownership and enjoyment, but to me are one of the lowest considerations. If a camera was say round pink plastic and had the word BARBIE on it, yes, I might deduct points, but the difference between one black box and another is marginal. There are some very sleek designs out though such as Hassie X2D and I love the film Contax G2. By comparison, the Panasonics are arguably 'a bit dull' as are many of the Sony's but I actually love the look and form factor of their FX3/30.

Not the reason I sent it back, but I didn't like the video coming out of it so was happy I had returned it just for that aspect alone. I'm not sure though whether it was just not great or simply because I have been spoiled with Panny full frame, but suspect it's more a case of the latter. 4/3rds is officially dead to me now 😜