Panasonic LUMIX GH5S Body 4K Digital Camera, 10.2 Megapixel Mirrorless Camera with High-Sensitivity MOS Sensor, C4K/4K UHD 4:2:2 10-Bit, 3.2-Inch LCD, DC-GH5S (Black)

For my style of work, this is an excellent camera. I tend to shoot dimly lit, high contrast subject matter, it excels under these circumstances. Recent cameras I have owned: gh4, 2 a7s2's, a7r2, a6500, a6300 The gh5s is far superior to the a7s2, hands down, maybe 20X better color retention in the shadows. Far greater detail in the shadows and almost no pixelation. Panasonic 4k 60fps 8bit footage is far superior to sony a7s2 4k 30fps 10bit recorded externally with an atomos ninja flame. In fact most projects shot on the panasonic never even require 10bit recording because the color science is spot on, and the footage is very pliable in 8bit. Autofocus is significantly better than past panasonic cameras. Not as good as sony. I shoot a large variety of subjects, one of them are MMA fighters, UFC embedded style, which doesn't allow for retakes. This is NOT the best camera for those types of shoots. However if you have enough talent and skills it could be done. The camera does not focus hunt the way past panasonics did, it may go out of focus once in a while, but it will eventually find focus smoothly. The GH4 would constantly switch focus plains over and over which makes footage unusable. I find that the GH5s actually focuses better in dark situations, and struggles in evenly lit situations. If you are looking to take photos I would look elsewhere. Most phones probably work better. When compared to other cameras in this range, this is hands down one of the best out there. It is 100% a film making tool, NOT A YOUTUBER camera. With proper preparation and execution you could almost film a feature film with a set of these. It is on par with lower end RED cameras like the raven, with the exception of frame rates.

The stabilization is terrible...the autofocus is terrible...but the image quality is impeccable. I mostly used tripods and do lock off interviews and it’s great for that. But if you don’t have a stabilizer this camera is almost unusable for video (unless your going for that cloverfield look). The low light capability with the dual ISO is where this camera shines(no pun intended). The battery life is solid, I can run-n-gun a whole day on a single battery. It’s not that great for photography. It’s very much a video camera, and aside from auto focus and stabilization it’s pretty good if you can’t afford a full blown cinema camera.

Wanted to post a review, since there aren't many reviews of the GH5s. Before I bought this camera, I owned the Panasonic G7, but I have used some cinema cameras as well, so I'll try to compare it to those too. PROS: -Excellent dynamic range (12 or 12.5 very usable stops in V-log), particularly in the shadows. Just remember not to underexpose. -Incredible resolution and sharpness in video, especially in 4k. -Despite small and compressed file sizes, its amazing how much you can push the color in post. File sizes are about 9 times smaller than Blackmagic Prores files I've edited. -Great 4K slow motion in "Natural" profile. If you want to shoot in V-log, I'd actually use the 10-bit 1080p 60 fps. Some color issues in 8-bit 4k when grading skin-tones in V-log and 1080p is still sharp. -Lots of things make this similar to a low-end cinema camera. You can get zebras, waveforms, shoot in V-log etc. Lots of room to ensure consistency and I think the image quality is among the best I've seen. -Usability. DSLR ergonomics, great battery life (especially with battery grip), weather sealing etc. I can take this camera everywhere and it's been very sturdy and reliable. Image quality looks great through 6400 iso and very usable through 12,800 iso. CONS: -Variable frame rate over 60 fps is really not good for most situations. Lots of horizontal noise/banding unless you shoot in "Natural" profile at 200 iso or less. Above 96fps, some really bad moire and aliasing too. Fun to have the slow motion, but not the most professional footage. -A little bit large for my Zhiyun Crane v2 gimbal. No shake, just hard to go into inverted mode without closing and reopening the touchscreen. -Ergonomics. Great to take everywhere you go, but you'll miss variable ND filters and built-in XLR ports for audio compared to a number of cinema cameras. -Photos aren't that sharp due to ~10MP sensor. No surprise there.

I should start by saying I am nearly a novice. The GH5S is my first non-iPhone camera, but the difference was night and day. Especially when you view the video file ON something with a good display (iPhone, external monitor, PC, etc). The iPhone 11 Pro's 4K/60FPS videos are nothing compared to what this can do. Nothing. The iPhone looks like a grainy 2005 web cam compared to this thing. Especially in low light scenarios. To think, I thought smartphones posed a real threat to "traditional" cameras like this only months ago. I found the software to be very intuitive to use, and the camera is very solid and well built. It should be for $2k. Auto-focus settings, synchro scan, white balance, ISO, etc are all very easy to use. The menu is filled with tons of excellent options so I can fine-tune everything. I'm especially a fan of the Synchro Scan feature, which lets me precisely tune the shutter speed to (a multiple of) the oscillation rate of a CRT monitor, TV, light, etc and completely erase flickers and lines. I recommend beginners start by setting everything to full manual and learning how to change aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focus, and white balance. It's actually even harder to learn things when these things are out of your control. Though, I doubt many beginners will make this their first camera.

Great Camera for video professionals looking for all the bells and whistles for video. For the price picture quality is Ok at best. Variable frame rates and auto focus only available in select video modes. 10 bit video codecs not on Imac you will need to use editing software or converter. DISP button placement is odd and I keep hitting the button by mistake. Overall not a bad camera but I was looking for something that will deliver great Video and Picture quality.

I bought this camera on amazon along with 3k plus dollars in accessories. Its was $5500.00 total! Insane. And i was not impressed and all. I cant express the amount of relief i had when the returns went through. My iphone had better color than this and it also has 4k 60fps.

Ok, I wanted to give this camera a few weeks before I gave it a review. I love it. I'm coming from using Canon cinema cameras (still own a couple) and wanted something in a smaller form factor. Lugging C100 gear everywhere can be cumbersome (beautiful images but cumbersome) so I gave the GH5S a shot. I'm not a huge fan of the original GH5's color science. The skin tones come off very orange (to my eye) but the GH5S has a more natural look. After adding a MB .71 adapter and a Canon 24-105 (which becomes a 30-135 2.8 with I.S.), I'm completely happy. The color science of this camera is beautiful and having 4K 60p or 1080p 4:2:2 in camera is just brilliant. It already comes with V-Log installed which is another bonus. Honestly? I still feel like I have a lot to learn with this camera but so far, I'm really happy with it and it's giving me beautiful images. If I want a stabilizer, I'll use a Ronin or Zhiyun Crane, Monopod or stabilized lens. The color science and low light capabilities are more important to me and it's like using other cinema cameras. Panasonic delivered. 2 thumbs up.

The charger came broken, witch makes me think that the camera, although working fine for now, might have been banged up as well. Not my favorite experience buying a product.