Panasonic Lumix GH5S Vs Panasonic Lumix GH5 Comparison

The Panasonic Lumix GH5S is a new mirrorless interchangeable lens camera from Panasonic that will sit alongside the popular GH5, first announced last year, but apart from a letter S in its name, what else does the GH5S bring to the table that the GH5 doesn't? We've compared the two flagship Lumix G cameras to find out. 

We've also got hands-on with the new Panasonic Lumix GH5S so you can find out what our initial thoughts are on the new mirrorless camera from Panasonic. 

Let's talk similarities first and as mentioned, the GH5S and GH5 are both flagship cameras that sit at the top of Panasonic's camera hierarchy alongside the G9. They are also very similar in design, sharing the same weatherproofing, dimensions, measurements, 3.2inch vari-angle touch-screen with 1620K dots and a 3.68m dot electronic viewfinder (EVF) with 0.76x magnification. The GH5S does have a red ring around the drive mode dial, a new red “REC” button for video recording, and the front GH5S logo, with red ‘S’, and this is probably primarily down to the new Lumix G camera been billed as the 'ultimate video camera'. The previous GH5 had much more emphasis on it being an 'ultimate hybrid camera' whereas the GH5S is definitely targetting photographers with a keen interest in video, videographers and even those with YouTube channels. 

As for differences, looking at the sensor sizes is as good as place as any to start and you've probably noticed that the sensor in the GH5S has 10MP less than the GH5 but the sensor does, however, feature 1.96x bigger pixels than the 20-megapixel GH5 so those using the new GH5S can capture better video/images in low light. Panasonic says that the sensor and additional technologies built into the GH5S will mean the image quality will match that of a full-frame sensor camera. However, the drop in megapixels might be a little too much for those who primarily shoot stills (and want to crop images) but we'll have to wait for a full test to determine this. The GH5S doesn't feature in-camera sensor-based image stabilisation either as it's something professional video creators don't always need, for example, when recording with the camera mounted inside a moving vehicle. 

The ISO range has been extended to 51200, which is the highest any Micro Four Thirds camera has offered, and it also features Dual Native ISO, a new feature for consumer stills cameras but not for high-end video cameras. 

Battery life on the GH5S is slightly improved with it capturing an extra 30 shots than the GH5 can before the battery dies (440 in total) and it's also slightly lighter weighing in at 660g when the GH5 weighs 725g. 

When you look through the GH5S's interface you'll find that the DFD AF system can be customised based on your intended use, with 4 custom AF modes available and 225 focus points, plus the GH5S is able to focus in low-light conditions down to -5EV, although AF is slightly slower at 0.07 seconds (on the GH5, it's 0.05 seconds). The menu system also has a customisable My Menu section.

Video is obviously where the main differences sit between the two flagship cameras and the GH5S will record in CINE 4K at 60/50fps, whereas the GH5 can only record CINE 4K at 24fps (and normal 4K at 60/50fps). High-speed video has also improved, with the GH5S offering FullHD at 240fps, compared to 180fps on the GH5. You can also use timecode sync on the GH5S which makes it easier to sync up audio when using multiple cameras and plenty of additional video modes are available. 

You can compare the two cameras in more detail in the below table as well as in our hands-on with the new Panasonic Lumix GH5S. We actually have a working sample of the GH5S in the office so keep an eye on our reviews section for the full review which will be published soon. 

The Panasonic Lumix GH5S will be available at the end of January 2018 for £2199 (body only) which doesn't make it much more expensive than the GH5 which is currently retailing for around £1599-£1799 body only. 

Read our Panasonic Lumix GH5 Review.