GH5 GH5S color compared to GH5

Erik Naso

Erik Naso

Veteran
I've been hearing chatter that the two cameras color is different but I don't see much of a difference. I set the cameras to "Standard" with the same settings. White balanced and shot the chart. Pretty straightforward.

On the vectorscope, the gH5 does appear slightly more saturated. I can see that but it's really slight. Some of the colors lineup a tad differently but again so very slight. Yellow does look to be more accurate now.

Make sense the color isn't exactly the same since it's a new sensor but Panasonic did a good job in matching them as opposed to tweaking and improving.

GH5 GH5S Color Test.jpg
 
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Erik,

Assume it will take awhile, but any idea when your review be posted? Still trying to decide whether to add a GH5s or just pickup another GH5.
 
What's harder to notice in a chart test is that the GH5s color rendition seems to be "richer" across the board in subtle ways. (Sorry, I hate use a non-technical term like that, but I haven't gotten my hands on one just yet.)

Another thing to consider is that the GH5s will hold onto that color at much higher ISOs. After 1600, GH5 color starts shifting pretty fast.
 
I've found there is no colour difference between the two. As Joe says, it's more about the S holding onto the dynamic range for much longer thanks to dual ISO.
 
We've found the GH5s to be both cleaner and provides a much better color/look at least when using V Log (haven't tried the other profiles). IMHO the GH5s is just a different beast than the GH5 when it comes to how it looks. Sold my GH5 last week and good bye to it and the never ending search for decent looking skin tones. The GH5s has been a great compliment to both our C300's and our Scarlet Dragon. Cleaner image and a much better starting point in terms of color. I can grade it without using a lut - just using curves gets me 90% there. It almost seems more like a Sony than a Panasonic look.
 
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carlone said:
We've found the GH5s to be both cleaner and provides a much better color/look at least when using V Log (haven't tried the other profiles). IMHO the GH5s is just a different beast than the GH5 when it comes to how it looks. Sold my GH5 last week and good bye to it and the never ending search for decent looking skin tones. The GH5s has been a great compliment to both our C300's and our Scarlet Dragon. Cleaner image and a much better starting point in terms of color. I can grade it without using a lut - just using curves gets me 90% there. It almost seems more like a Sony than a Panasonic look.
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Can you clarify the differences you are seeing in the color reproduction? I'm taking from your comment you perceive a much bigger delta than what I hear form most users.

I ask because color quality is really my most valued attribute in a camera. I found the GH5 to be a major improvement over the GH4, but wasn't expecting there to be much difference between the GH5 and GH5s at "normal" ISO's. I'm also sitting a few blocks away from B&H right now trying to decide if I'm going to pull the trigger.
 
joe12south said:
What's harder to notice in a chart test is that the GH5s color rendition seems to be "richer" across the board in subtle ways. (Sorry, I hate use a non-technical term like that, but I haven't gotten my hands on one just yet.)

Another thing to consider is that the GH5s will hold onto that color at much higher ISOs. After 1600, GH5 color starts shifting pretty fast.
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I found the GH5S color shifts with a green push at the higher ISO levels.
 
carlone said:
We've found the GH5s to be both cleaner and provides a much better color/look
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Can we camp here a bit?

I shot for dozens of hours last year on the GH5, and this is all from unscientific first impressions, but the GH5s *does* seem to have a better look. Please understand I am saying this without even running a side by side, but the footage I am getting back - not just talking low light - seems more pleasing and natural to the eye. The camera has barely been out so I've seen very little info or comparisons online regarding this, but I'd love to hear more from you or others regarding the overall aesthetic of the GH5s.

It is subtle, but I do notice it. Maybe it's placebo. Maybe it's just the environments in which I've filmed. Or maybe it's legitimate effect of a totally different sensor that just happens to be the same (approx) m43 size. I'll need to do testing on my end but your comment caught my eye.

Paul, have you noticed any change in DR in your tests?
 
After using the GH5 for about 3 months then getting the GH5s all I can say it that ANYTHING we've shoot regardless of the ISO, Lens, time of day, what we ate for breakfast, no matter what was shot it "looks better" than the GH5. I know it's all subjective but that's what my team and I see. I'm sure others may be quite happy with the GH5 but we never were - we spent way too much time fiddling with color and never really feeling good about the final result. The GH5s is just different in that it was pretty easy to get it to look good using V Log. That's all we're concerned with.

BTW in regards to ISO it's not even a fair fight ... the GH5 for us was barely usable about 1200 ISO - I tried to avoid going past 800. We shot at 2500 in the GH5s the other day and it was very good. It was easier to work with than the GH5 at 800.

The camera is not perfect by any means but for our needs it's a better solution than the GH5 (which I took the loss and sold for $1675).
 
The GH5 was the best thing since sliced bread,no criticism tolerated,along comes s and its a different story.Well i will stick with mine i never thought it is as good as the masses but lack of ibis and ETC on the GH5s is important for me.
 
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Erik Naso said:
I found the GH5S color shifts with a green push at the higher ISO levels.
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After further testing, the noise does have a reddish color to it however the black in the image seemed to look more green so it's probably the way the noise is blending into the blacks that look like a greenish push is happening.
 
Erik Naso said:
Hey Bern!

My hands-on review is live. Learned a lot a lot the camera.
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(Repeating myself from FB) I'm surprised by the color differences, but also the button feel - quite surprised there was that number of under the hood updates...

Downloading your lovely side by side shots Eric, in FCPX there was very minimum adjustment needed to match the GH5 to the GH5s. Got real close. So yes the GH5s seems nicer out of the box, but to me, matching them in post is very straight forward. Now whether or not those adjustments would fit across for all shots, with all WB values would be interesting.

I'm really trying not to justify a GH5s, but those ISO's (even cleaner ISO3200) is so so tempting.
 
The annoying display button can be locked out by the "Operation Lock" setting in the menu. You basically assign it to one of the programmable buttons to enable or disable it, there when you want it, gone when you don't. I have both cams, GH5 and GH5s. The colors feel more natural to me in the GH5s, but nothing hard to go on, just a feel. The DR of both seem about the same. The 14 stop DR hype needs to go away.
 
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