long term lumix s5 review (from a micro four thirds user)
I’ve had the Lumix S5 for a good while now, and I’ve used it professionally and personally in a ton of different situations! Here is my full, long term review, of the lumix S5!
Lumix S5 — Why the heck did I buy it?
Mostly for wedding work, just so I could feel confident in darker venues. My micro four thirds cameras work great for video in lower light, but for photography... it's not that they CAN'T do it, because they can. You just need to pick the right lenses and be on the ball with your settings to get your ISO as low as possible.
I've also shot a lot of course content with this lens, and corporate content for other businesses.
I wanted a camera that I didn't have to think about too much. On the S5 I let my ISO do whatever it wants and then I can concentrate on more important stuff like framing and composition.
My Lumix S5 collection so far
Lumix S5 - ISO invariance
This is the real benefit of full frame. some people call it dynamic range, but it's ISO invariance. Basically, -- and I'm sure someone will explain this better than me in the comments -- it doesn't matter what ISO you shoot at, your shots will look the same.
There’s a great example of this in the video at the end of this blog!
When I up the exposure, there's not one bit of information lost and it looks just like i'd shot it at the right settings all along. On micro four thirds, or on cameras without iso invariance, the ISO setting is "baked in" to the raw file, and when you up the exposure, you pull up the noise with it.
This is the main benefit of full frame for me, that not many people seem to talk about. so there you go. every day's a school day. The solution? Shoot in the right settings to begin with. But in real life, mistakes happen, and this camera makes me look like I never make mistakes.
Lumix S5 — Small but not really
Coming from the S1, which I also owned, the S5 is tiny. But then you stick the 24-105mm stock lens on it and suddenly it's not so tiny. in fact my two favourite lenses are the stock and the Sigma 85mm f1.4 and they're both HUGE.
You can however get some smaller setups. Little full frame primes, and also... APS-C lenses. whaaat?
APS-C lenses on the Lumix S5
Yes, I have three lovely APS-C lenses for my Lumix S5. Is that weird? Well. Here are my thoughts... for non-work stuff, I like a smaller camera setup, and a lot of the lenses are huge. These APS-C lenses are light and fast and fun.
Also, for video, I tend to shoot a lot in 4k 60p, which is cropped in to APS-C anyway, so in fact these lenses are the only way I can get "standard" prime focal lengths for video.
incidentally, when I shoot hybrid during a wedding for instance, the 4k 60p crop catches me off guard EVERY single time.
Lumix S5 with the Samyang 14mm f2.8
Lumix S5 for Astrophotography
I love astrophotography, and micro four thirds can get great results, but a larger sensor does have benefits. I love this camera for astrophotography, you get so much detail and the noise is very manageable.
Lumix S5 — Great for weddings
The 85mm f1.4 rarely comes off my S5 for weddings. You just can't take a bad photo with this setup as far as I'm concerned. The shallow depth of field is really pleasing, and in low light conditions, it works without issue.
Check out my video review below for more information and insights into this wonderful camera!