jimmy462
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: On
|
wsalopek wrote:
Building out my Lumix camera gear -
Ever since I bought a G7 a hundred years ago (and then "upgraded" to Nikon, Sony, Fuji, Canon - yeah, I have GAS but also needed FF for indoor high school sports), I've always thought Panasonic had the best features, buttons, grips, tilt/flip/touch screen, menus, etc, esp for the price, but always held back because of the darn DFD autofocus.
So right now I can afford only ONE of the phase detect cameras...so looking at the subject line, which combo would you pick first? Or maybe not even do a combo? Just pick ONE camera?
My thinking is to use the MFT body for birding and such (the idea being that telephoto lenses on MFT will be much smaller/lighter than FF, with size/weight being something I'd like to minimize in the field), and the FF body for portraits and landscapes, and of course low-light scenarios.
I want at least one of the bodies to have very good continuous AF for video - hence the move toward the "II" bodies.
Sound to me like S5 + G9II, but I'm just wondering if I'm missing something.
Thanks......Show more →
Hi wsalopek,
That you're shooting "indoor high school sports" and that you're looking for "very good continuous AF for video" I'll suggest that the S5 II makes the best sense as a place to start in the Lumix lineup for your needs.
Shooting my 2x S1's (and having played around with my daughter's S5) for the past 5-years I'm very familiar with the ISO performance of their 24.2MP Dual-Gain sensors, I feel quite comfortable shooting to ISO 8000 (even to ≥12,800 for those "break glass in case of emergency" moments). For perspective, using my "sweetie's" G9, and now, G9 II neither of us care for the noise performance once we pass ISO 3200 (2000-and-under is quite usable, in our opinion).
Regarding Panasonic's adoption of PDAF for their (what they call) "Phase Hybrid AF" (PHAF, henceforth) looks to be a winner amongst reviewers and my sweetie is currently grappling with learning its proper usage with her G9 II...to help her out I, quite literally, just bought a used S5 II (it's getting delivered today!) just to learn how this newfangled PHAF works for myself! 
FWIW, there's a lot to take in when trying out a new system...it's not just "how does one get on with the camera's performance" or "is the image quality to one's liking", it's "about the ergonomics", as well. The Panny's have (thankfully) clicked for all three of us on all counts!
FWIW, I've been spoiled my whole life with the luxury of being able to hop on the Hudson Line for a short trip into "the city" and being able to be a "counter rat" at all the camera shops in Manhattan for some "hands-on" for the past 50-years, that you cannot feasibly check out new gear in person, perhaps a rental might be in order (with rental-fee put towards purchase price should you decide to buy)?
Then, if it turns out that the S5 II turns into a "solution" for your shooting needs, and only then, would I suggest grabbing a second body. Methinks, once you've gotten a taste for PHAF that your choice will be "none of the above" but, rather, "S5 II + S5 II or S5 II + G9 II?". In the meantime, you're well within budget and can consider building on those resources as your hands-on experiences grow.
Oop, almost forgot to include this link...Matthew Allard, ACS , has put together (what I consider) a bang-up write-up for the S5 II/IIX over at NewsShooter, well worth the peruse, methinks (I have no affiliation)...
Panasonic S5 II & S5 II x announced with Phase Hybrid AF - Newsshooter
https://www.newsshooter.com/2023/01/04/panasonic-s5-ii-s5-ii-x-announced-with-phase-hybrid-af/
Hope this is helpful.
Jimmy G
|
