Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsSuperb in low light and shadow definition. Great color science
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2018
For my style of work, this is an excellent camera. I tend to shoot dimly lit, high contrast subject matter, it excels under these circumstances.
Recent cameras I have owned: gh4, 2 a7s2's, a7r2, a6500, a6300
The gh5s is far superior to the a7s2, hands down, maybe 20X better color retention in the shadows. Far greater detail in the shadows and almost no pixelation. Panasonic 4k 60fps 8bit footage is far superior to sony a7s2 4k 30fps 10bit recorded externally with an atomos ninja flame. In fact most projects shot on the panasonic never even require 10bit recording because the color science is spot on, and the footage is very pliable in 8bit.
Autofocus is significantly better than past panasonic cameras. Not as good as sony. I shoot a large variety of subjects, one of them are MMA fighters, UFC embedded style, which doesn't allow for retakes. This is NOT the best camera for those types of shoots. However if you have enough talent and skills it could be done. The camera does not focus hunt the way past panasonics did, it may go out of focus once in a while, but it will eventually find focus smoothly. The GH4 would constantly switch focus plains over and over which makes footage unusable. I find that the GH5s actually focuses better in dark situations, and struggles in evenly lit situations.
If you are looking to take photos I would look elsewhere. Most phones probably work better.
When compared to other cameras in this range, this is hands down one of the best out there. It is 100% a film making tool, NOT A YOUTUBER camera. With proper preparation and execution you could almost film a feature film with a set of these. It is on par with lower end RED cameras like the raven, with the exception of frame rates.
