Key Take-Aways:

The S5II is a full-frame L-Mount mirrorless camera that Panasonic introduced as one of its first LUMIX mirrorless cameras to use phase-detection autofocus, which it calls Phase Hybrid Auto-Focus. Two reviews (Cameralabs, TechRadar) praise the phase-detect autofocus and the value for money; one review (TechRadar) praises the image stabilization and faults the missing tally light, and one review (Cameralabs) says the battery life falls behind the competition.

From Panasonic:

Panasonic is proud to announce two new hybrid full-frame mirrorless cameras, the LUMIX S5II and S5IIX, as the latest additions to its LUMIX S Series camera line-up. The LUMIX S5II and S5IIX are the first LUMIX mirrorless cameras to utilize Phase Detection Auto-Focus (PDAF) thanks to a newly developed 24.2-megapixel 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor and a new imaging engine. Developed under the L² Technology alliance formed by LEICA and LUMIX last year, the new imaging engine provides high resolution, natural description, and approximately 2x higher-speed signal procession for high bit-rate video recording. To further the cameras’ PDAF capabilities and make them more dependable, Panasonic evolved the auto-focus system into Phase Hybrid Auto-Focus by increasing the AF points to 779 to significantly improve subject tracking. Once the S5II and S5IIX are locked on a subject, the auto-focus will continue to track the subject, even in adverse lighting conditions and when multiple objects are moving within the frame. Additionally, continuous AF during zooming, AF micro adjustments, and options to decrease the size of the AF area are available.

Official Website

Panasonic’s consumer product pages block automated reads, so the maker page above is Panasonic USA’s launch press release of 4 Jan 2023 (CES), which covers the S5II and S5IIX together; the quote is its first paragraph, minus one footnote marker (the one after “continuous AF during zooming”). No Panasonic USA help page exists for the S5II, so the specs come from the press release and from Panasonic Japan’s DC-S5M2 spec table.

Weight of 740 g is Panasonic Japan’s figure with battery and one SD card (質量 約740g); the dimensions are its 134.3 x 102.3 x 90.1 mm, rounded. The price of USD 1,999.99 (rounded to 2000) is the body-only US price stated in Panasonic USA’s press release, which also gives January 2023 for availability; the S5IIX was announced at USD 2,199.99 for May 2023. Announced on 4 Jan 2023, hence 2023 as the year.

The sensor is 24.2 MP effective. Panasonic’s release describes a Body I.S. (5-axis) that combines with lens O.I.S. into Dual I.S. 2 for 6.5 stops, so ibis is true; the release also says the body is splash-resistant and dust-resistant (footnote 12 adds that this does not guarantee against damage from direct contact with dust and water). The viewfinder is a 3,680k-dot OLED (about 0.78x per the Japanese table). Shutters run to 1/8,000 s, mechanical and electronic. The lowest standard ISO is 100 (Dual Native ISO, base sensitivities 100 and 640; ISO 50 is an extended setting). Panasonic Japan gives 9 fps with the mechanical shutter (AFS/MF; 7 fps with AFC) and 30 fps with the electronic shutter (SH30, AFS/AFC/MF); the table uses the 9 and 30 figures. The table lists 6K video of 5952x3968 in 3:2 across the full sensor width, so open gate is 6K. S&Q records Full HD at a sensor rate of up to 180 fps (C4K and 4K slow-and-quick tops out at 60 fps), hence FHD 180p. The hot shoe is inferred from the hot shoe cover that the table lists among the included accessories. Panasonic lists only memory cards as recording media, so internal storage is 0; the table gives both slots UHS-I/UHS-II support and the release says UHS-II x 2. Panasonic names the DC-S5M2 among the cameras supported by its LUMIX Webcam Software. The battery is the DMW-BLK22 named in the release and listed on Panasonic Japan’s product page; the table gives its 7.2 V, 2200 mAh ratings. Battery life is the CIPA-based figure of about 370 shots with the rear monitor (also 370 with the viewfinder) from the Japanese table; DPReview’s specification page was a cross-check. Pre-burst is true because Panasonic’s firmware 3.0 notes say the “SH PRE” function was added for SH burst shooting (the Japanese table itself does not list it); the SKU is left out because no US body-only SKU is published on a page reachable for automated reads. Panasonic Japan’s table row for dust resistance renders blank in an automated read, so the sealing claim rests on the press release.

Current: Panasonic Japan’s product page still lists the S5II with no production-ended marking and no discontinuation report was found as of 2026-11-05, so there is no discontinuation year.

Reviews and videos were a full pass because the body is current. DPReview’s review is listed first; it was originally published in Jan 2023 and updated on 10 Apr 2024 (the date below), and it also covers the S5IIX; it could not be read, so it is not used for the Key Take-Aways, which draw on the two other written reviews that were read. Cameralabs’ review was published on the announcement day, 4 Jan 2023, and its page was last updated in Nov 2023; the author states he tested a final production camera running final firmware. TechRadar’s review was published in May 2023 (last updated 15 May 2023). Imaging Resource’s page is a launch preview, CineD’s 4 Jan 2023 review does not state the unit’s pre-release status, and Digital Camera World’s review (Jon Devo, Mar 2023) was written on pre-production firmware, so none of the three is listed. Videos published on the announcement day, 4 Jan 2023, are pre-production and are not listed, nor are paid-promotion videos or the retailer CVP’s. Product image: Panasonic press render from DPReview’s product page.

Reviews:

• DPReview: Panasonic Lumix DC-S5II review, Dale Baskin and Richard Butler, Apr 2024
• Cameralabs: Panasonic Lumix S5 II review, Gordon Laing, Jan 2023
• TechRadar: Panasonic Lumix S5 II review: time to switch?, Timothy Coleman, May 2023

YouTube:

• Kensei Akatsu: Panasonic LUMIX S5II Review | Video is good, photo is good but…, May 2023
• Iamtongue: Fuji Fanboy Reviews The Panasonic Lumix S5ii, Sep 2023
• JOHNNY.: Panasonic Lumix S5II - A Filmmakers Review - A Mini BMCC6k with Autofocus?!, Sep 2023
• Benj Haisch: LUMIX S5II | No BS Photography Review, Apr 2024
• Geeky Nerdy Techy: LUMIX S5II: The Best Value Full Frame Camera!? (Long Term Review), Mar 2025