With the announcement of the brand new Panasonic Lumix S5II with all its autofocus goodness, that means there are going to be a lot of second hand Lumix S5s for sale. This is actually a really interesting situation because this camera could potentially be your perfect first cinema rig. Let us explain how.
The Specs Are Almost Cinema Camera Worthy
Panasonic cameras have always won in the "bang for buck" category, especially the S5 because of these reasons:
- Full Frame Sensor with C4K resolution
- Class leading IBIS
- Anamorphic Modes
- Waveform (not histogram) for video
- Really good pre-amps
- Shutter angle
There are some cinema cameras made by other manufacturers that don't even have half of those specs and features that cost almost double the price.
Right now because of the S5II, the Mark I S5s are going at almost half the price of Mark 2 with the kit lens - an absolutely incredible deal!
But why are we recommending a camera that is now out of date and has a sub-standard auto focus system? Ahh, that is an easy one to answer
Use the Lumix S5I as Your Beginner Cinema Camera
Many actual cinema cameras do not include auto-focus (or if they do it is not up to Sony/Canon and now Panasonic standard), but rather have someone pull focus manually. This is because cinema lenses don't have auto focus capabilities (yes we know that is changing slowly too) either.
And since cinema cameras are generally out of the price range of beginners, what a second hand Panasonic Lumix S5 Mark I is offering you is the chance to get the camera body at an amazing price, and the money you save, you could invest in a proper cinema lens.
What is even more exciting though is that brands such as TTArtisans have released cinema lenses at a price that has never been seen before - it is almost a no brainer.
With the S5 though you can even take it one step further and with some additional funds either attach a Atomos Ninja V and have the ability to shoot Prores RAW, or a Black Magic Video Assist and have BRAW.
Showing up with the above setup and rig will allow you to shoot almost anything (social video, TV commercials, YouTube Vlogs) and will definitely put you on the right path.
So rather than going for the new shiny thing (which we all want), why not save some cash and get something that will allow you to grow and develop your skills and put money aside for that truely next big step up.