The Lumix S5II is undoubtedly one of the best hybrid full-frame cameras currently available. Even though it may be the closest camera to being that perfect film-making and photography tool we all seek, it has five weaknesses you should know about. The good news is that I found fixes for each of its shortcomings, and I’ll be sharing those with you in this article.
1. The Roll
The first flaw may or may not be an issue for you. It wont affect you as much if your not shooting fast-moving subjects or utilizing quick camera movements in your videos.
However, if you are, then you probably already know that this camera isn’t immune from rolling shutter.
Honestly, for me, I’ve barely noticed it, but in case it’s a big deal for you, one thing you can do is switch the camera to APS-C crop mode. This will greatly improve the sensor readout speed, which means it’ll minimize any rolling shutter artifacts. In full-frame 4K, the readout speed is 19.2 ms, and when you switch to APS-C 4K, the readout speed is only 13.7 ms.
2. The 6K Sensor
The next flaw may surprise you, as it’s one of the selling points of this camera, and that’s the fact that the 6K sensor is extremely sharp. Although this is exactly what many photographers and corporate videographers want, there are a lot of filmmakers & photographers who prefer a softer, less digital look. If you are like me and you prefer a more filmic look, there are a few things you can do. Firstly, just go into the settings and reduce the sharpness all the way down.
For me, I find that even after doing this, I still prefer the image a little softer, so what I do is add a 1/8 strength black mist filter, and this pretty much does the trick. It reduces the sharpness and blooms the highlights a little. I like the magnetic filters from K&F Concepts because they are easy to use and aren’t overpriced. Some people prefer the Tiffen black satin filters because they soften the image without blooming the highlights as much, so it’s just a matter of personal taste.
3. Expensive Lenses
The next issue is that although Lumix lenses are very impressive, they can be a little expensive. There are a few that I believe are absolutely worth the money, but before I tell you about those, I want to mention the Sigma MC-21 adapter. This handy little piece of equipment allowed me to use my EF and EF-S lenses without losing any autofocus capability.
So, if you happen to come from a Canon background like myself, you could just keep your existing lenses. Initially, that’s what I did, and everything worked great, but after some time, I wanted to try some Lumix lenses.
I picked up the 18mm f/1.8, which is a beast, by the way, and the 50mm f/1.8.
I’m glad I did because they’re extremely lightweight, they produce a beautiful image, and they hardly have any focus breathing. I definitely recommend them.
Here are a few of the amazing lenses Lumix has in their S Series line-up:
If you haven’t picked up the S5 Mark II yet, here’s something you should keep in mind: Lumix will give you up to a fifty percent discount on some of their lenses if you purchase them alongside the camera body. So, I’d skip the kit lens and instead choose one of their premium lenses. If I had to choose one lens personally, I’d go for the 18mm f/1.8. It’s pricey, but it’s the best ultra-wide I’ve ever used. My next choice would be the 35mm f/1.8, and after that, the 50mm f/1.8.
4. Only One Battery

The next thing you need to know about the Lumix S5II is that it doesn’t come with a battery charger. It comes with one battery and a USB-C cable, which you can use to charge the battery while it’s in the camera.
Overall, the battery life is good, but I find that I need anywhere from two to four batteries for a full day of shooting. So, I found a crazy deal on Amazon for a set of two third-party batteries and a dedicated charger for about $50. It’s been almost a year, and the batteries are working great, so I definitely recommend them.
5. The Smartphone Connection
Another thing you may want to know about is the Lumix Camera App, which lets you control your camera with your smartphone.
It’s free and extremely useful because you can change all your camera settings, start and stop recording, take photos, and monitor your videos using your smartphone.

Also Consider the Following
Whether you use your Lumix S5II mainly for photography or for video, a lot of the final result will depend on what you do in the edit. So, make sure to check out my Filmic LUT pack and Lightroom profiles because they’ll give your images that extra pop.
While the Lumix S5II is the best camera I’ve ever owned, honestly, it’s becoming less and less important which camera you use due to the rapid advancements in AI software. That’s why I highly recommend you read my article where I tell you about some of the most useful AI tools for creative professionals.
Check out some of my other “Before You Buy” articles:
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