Panasonic S5

DLD said:
So, let's see if depth from auto focus actually works.
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We have already seen that it doesn't. The problem is not knowing what to focus on, it's calculating the direction and amount to change focus without having to test
 
DLD said:
And, as a side note, there are rumors that Sony will have a similar camera for a similar price.
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Good sleuthing, DLD. You know where good rumors are published.

It's supposedly be named A7c and will start a new line of "compact" full frame cameras.

ahalpert said:
We have already seen that it doesn't. The problem is not knowing what to focus on, it's calculating the direction and amount to change focus without having to test
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None of us knows anything at this point. S5 is supposed to be announced on the 2nd and all the usual suspects - aside of Gerald Undone - will be extolling its virtues and singing its praises. One would have to think, in 3Q of 2020, any decent camera has to have a top notch AF or it's dead in the water.
 
What makes you think its AF will perform fundamentally differently from previous incarnations of DFD, DLD?
 
Yeah, that's a surprising assumption from DLD because that would mean the cartel would allow AF and then Panasonic would have the best cameras in the world.

That IBIS and Sony/Canon AF...it's a wrap.

Could you imagine?
 
ahalpert said:
What makes you think its AF will perform fundamentally differently from previous incarnations of DFD, DLD?
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I've said before that the "crippled" features become uncrippled with time. Just like Sony's 8-bit codecs and Canon's center crops, a crippled auto focus of the Panasonic videocentric line has to end at some point. Everyone has a decent AF now. Panasonic has to join in the crowd.

PS. S5's crippled feature in 2020 is its 24 MPX sensor, which has far too low of a photo res for a full frame camera. Sony made the 36 MPX sensor for Nikon D800 (and then D810, Pentax K1 and own A7R) eight years ago!!! A 6K downsampled into 4K would make it a hot model, even with a crop. But it can't happen for another year or two. Sony did its cartel pleasing part by crippling A7SIII and its 48 MPX Quad Bayer array sensor. That was the deal.

PPS. Canon crippled its 8K. But now that it's far less crippled than before the latest firmware update, is cartel partners must be having other thoughts.
 
Far less crippled? Not in the sense that a professional still can't use those modes without sweating under the timer. Which means they can't use those modes. So, the modes may be more usable, but still only for low-pressure situations.

As for DFD - it's my belief that it's a fundamentally inferior way to approach video AF
 
Specs won't tell us if the AF is good or not: with exactly the same specs it had at the beginning, the XT3 lost its ability to focus and then regained it, spec list and hardware completely unchanged. And I agree that Panasonic must have good AF at some point, so, let's wait and see if that is about to happen now.

If it has good AF and it also matches the DR of the S1H, it will be extremely compelling: a match for the a7S III but with a much more useful resolution for stills, and, if you're not going to use any of the overheating modes, also a match for the R5. And DLD said on page one that he expected a price of around $1300: I'm not sure I can hold back on the S5 if all of this pans out... :)
(edit: goes to the bh website to see what lenses can be paired with this mount, finds sigma lenses in L mount, gets very happy)
 
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OK, so not SO cheap, but still a lot cheaper than the a7S III or the R5, it will put a lot of pressure on them
 
I doubt it...barely anyone wants to get involved with L lenses, and certainly not EF ones adapted to the mount rendering continuous video AF useless.

Because of this humongous trade-off the calculations were made to offer it around this price with some pretty great specs. (Even with the S1 still around which makes no sense, so I'm hoping this one is better.)

Everything is a game, a puzzle.
 
P.S. It wouldn't be so bad if Sigma's FF lenses were the same price, size and weight as the APS-C L lenses.

But I guess you can use the camera with them in its S35 mode if you'd like. ($289 for that 30mm f/1.4 as a starting point is really great.)
 
Just looked it up...630g is nice compared to the older 1130g.

But the 56mm APS-C (~85mm) is still 280 grams and more than an inch shorter.

It is what it is though...most FF options will most likely continue to remain bigger and more expensive.
 
Samuel H said:
.... If it has good AF and it also matches the DR of the S1H, it will be extremely compelling: a match for the a7S III but with a much more useful resolution for stills, and, if you're not going to use any of the overheating modes, also a match for the R5. And DLD said on page one that he expected a price of around $1300: I'm not sure I can hold back on the S5 if all of this pans out... :) ...
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ya, I thought it made little sense for them to squeeze S1, S5 and (potential) GH-6 into the same slot and, with rumors of a $1,000 full frame Sony coming out, that's where S5 was going to end up. But that was before the full specs came out. The camera looks quite presentable at $2,000, if the AF holds up. Which we won't know for a couple of days.

As to GH-6, given the Covid crisis, it may never come out. Panasonic management said that the fixed prime compact market is dead but, with many new smartphones having a 5x optical zoom, MFT may be nearing extinction as well.

PS. A friend of mine got into photography recently. He started with a smartphone, then got a Fuji with a fixed prime (X100 series). He's got some money and frequents photo forums, so he got interested in Leica products. He writes me, "Nocitulux 50mm .95 got great reviews. Maybe I'll snap one". Then he checks out its price. "I guess not".

I recommended XT3 and 16-55. He thought about it and ordered XT4 and 18-80. Then canceled the whole order. "I really like Leica. Just need to save up some".
 
NorBro said:
I doubt it...barely anyone wants to get involved with L lenses, and certainly not EF ones adapted to the mount rendering continuous video AF useless.

Because of this humongous trade-off the calculations were made to offer it around this price with some pretty great specs. (Even with the S1 still around which makes no sense, so I'm hoping this one is better.)

Everything is a game, a puzzle.
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That's the thing - I don't see how this is different from an S1, except by being smaller. It still seems to have the same AF and no full-frame 4k60p. We may be making much ado about nothing. The S1 can be had for $2k nowadays
 
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The fact that the S5 uses the Leica L mount is A BIG RISK for me, owner of a full set of Leica-R vintage primes that I absolutely love and I'd use for everythin if they had AF. So far Sigma allows me to look elsewhere but if I got the S5 I would live in FEAR of falling in love with any of the new Leica lenses XD

For me, L mount is much easier to approach than fuji or RF, that don't have sigma lenses. It would be even better if the camera was APS-C, because yes, that Sigma 56mm f/1.4 is awesome, and the 16mm f/1.4 as well. Both are tiny and cheap and super sharp, and the 56mm has great bokeh too. That 56mm is the lens that made me stop lusting for FF.

But I wouldn't complain much if I had to go for the new Sigma lenses designed specifically for mirrorless cameras: the 35mm f/1.2 is one of the sharpest lenses around (link), and the new 85mm f/1.4 is very promising. With that plus something around 18mm or 20mm, I might be set for life.

(edit: resale value of L lenses may bite me in the future, that's something to keep in mind too)

But before I get ahead of myself, let's wait and see if the AF is actually any good...
 
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ahalpert said:
That's the thing - I don't see how this is different from an S1, except by being smaller. It still seems to have the same AF and no full-frame 4k60p. We may be making much ado about nothing. The S1 can be had for $2I nowadays
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I'm not positive (quickly skimmed through), but I think this new one will do 4K/60p 10-bit internally.
 
Samuel H said:
The fact that the S5 uses the Leica L mount is A BIG RISK for me, owner of a full set of Leica-R vintage primes that I absolutely love and I'd use for everythin if they had AF. So far Sigma allows me to look elsewhere but if I got the S5 I would live in FEAR of falling in love with any of the new Leica lenses XD

For me, L mount is much easier to approach than fuji or RF, that don't have sigma lenses. It would be even better if the camera was APS-C, because yes, that Sigma 56mm f/1.4 is awesome, and the 16mm f/1.4 as well. Both are tiny and cheap and super sharp, and the 56mm has great bokeh too. That 56mm is the lens that made me stop lusting for FF.

But I wouldn't complain much if I had to go for the new Sigma lenses designed specifically for mirrorless cameras: the 35mm f/1.2 is one of the sharpest lenses around (link), and the new 85mm f/1.4 is very promising. With that plus something around 18mm or 20mm, I might be set for life.

(edit: resale value of L lenses may bite me in the future, that's something to keep in mind too)

But before I get ahead of myself, let's wait and see if the AF is actually any good...
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....all the sigma L lenses are available in E, y'know. Yes, we all dislike the Sony vibe, but it's a contender
 
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