The Panasonic Lumix S5II(X) And Why You Want To Shoot It

Panasonic has a knack for developing cameras that often fill a unique niche that have earned the brand a passionate following around the globe. So where does the S5II slot for the underwater enthusiast? First and foremost, this camera provides a remarkable value for a full frame, feature rich platform in a compact (for full frame) body. Despite its entry level pricing, it punches well above its weight class with some impressive specifications. Here is what stands out.

Dual Native ISO

The S5II is already a great low light performer with a 24mp Full Frame sensor, but with Dual Native ISO, a shooter can jump to the higher native ISO with less grain than what would be typical.

State of the Art Image Stabilization

Yes, many cameras sport IBIS these days, but Panasonic is in a different league. Hand held video is mind-bendingly smooth.

Built-In Cooling Fan

Many recent top-of-the-line cameras from other manufacturers have had the video performance hobbled by overheating. But Panasonic has always prioritized video performance and has included built-in cooling. The result? Unlimited 4K internal recording times in 10-bit and 30-minute record for 6K 30p on either camera.

Much Improved Phase Detection AF

Not always a Panasonic strong point, the S5II makes huge strides in AF performance.

Perks for the S5IIX

The “X” offers even more video goodness. HDMI ProRes RAW or ProRes 422 output for external recording. For topside recording, the camera offers direct to SSD recording via USBC at bit-rates up to 800Mbs.

Panasonic Lumix S5II Specifications

• FF 24.2MP Sensor w/o LPF
• 96MP (JPEG, RAW)
• Dual Native ISO (AUTO, LOW, HIGH)
• ISO100-51200 (Ex50-204800)
• 5-axis,5-stop (*1)+Active I.S. 6.5-stop (*2)
• Phase Hybrid AF, 779-point EV -6 – 18
• Photo: 1/8,000-60, Bulb Video: 1/16,000-1/2 X=1/250

Panasonic Lumix S5IIX Specifications

• FF 24.2MP Sensor w/o LPF
• 96MP (JPEG, RAW)
• Dual Native ISO (AUTO, LOW, HIGH)
• ISO100-51200 (Ex50-204800)
• 5-axis,5-stop (*1)+Active I.S. 6.5-stop (*2)
• Phase Hybrid AF, 779-point EV -6 – 18
• Photo: 1/8,000-60, Bulb Video: 1/16,000-1/2 X=1/250
• C4K, 4K, 3.3K – 800Mbps (USB-SSD), 600, 400Mbps FHD 200Mbps
• 5.8K/C4K/3.3K (USB-SSD), FHD

The Nauticam NA-S5II Underwater Housing

Nauticam’s tagline is “Innovation Underwater”, and the company is dedicated to following through with that promise in the industry, while helping to protect customer investments in existing Nauticam gear whenever possible. The NA-S5II/X is a prime example as this underwater housing is designed to work flawlessly with the Panasonic Lumix S5II and the S5X. This NA-S5II allows completely unrestricted access to all of the camera’s controls, positioning critical controls like AF-ON directly at the photographer’s finger tips.  

The NA-S5II underwater housing features the rotary housing lock which is now standard on their more compact line of mirrorless camera housings. With this feature, you can easily open and close the housing with one hand. 

Mission Control

Nauticam engineers are obsessed with usability and the Mission Control philosophy means placing essential controls where they are needed, unrestricted by where they are located on the camera body. Placing the controls as close to the handles as possible and within easy and natural reach, the user can focus on composition and timing their shot while adjusting exposure or focus without taking their eye off the EVF or LCD.

The NA-S5II has a thumb lever on the right rear side of the housing that comfortably accesses AF-On without ever letting go of the handle. An additional lever on the rear of the NA-S5II allows for focus mode switching between C/S/MF, while a multi-directional pad gives the ability to navigate the menu or move the focus points.

EF and L Lens Support

Sigma’s MC-21 EF to L adapter allows for the use of Canon and Sigma EF-mount lenses to be used with the S5II/X camera. The NA-S5II Housing is designed to not only accommodate the adapter but to allow for the use of the existing focus and zoom gears for Canon EF-mount lenses for the N120 Canon System along with the existing Canon N120 extension ring and port combinations for those lenses.  As more native L-mount lenses become available, those best suited to underwater use will be added to the system.  For full compatibility, you can refer to the port chart found here.

Flash Triggering

For rapid-fire manual flash triggering, the NA-S5II is compatible with the Mini Flash Trigger (26305) which uses small LEDs to trigger external flashes via Nauticam Universal Fiber Optic Cables (26216).

The Panasonic DMW-FL70 flash is not supported within the housing.

Vacuum Check and Leak Detection System

The Nauticam vacuum check and leak detection electronics are shipped with the NA-S5II as standard equipment. Combined with an optional accessory M14 vacuum valve (25624) this monitoring system provides constant updates on the water tight and safe-to-dive status of the housing. A simple color coded LED lighting system lets the user know that the vacuum is solid, or that the housing is losing vacuum. Leak detection is built into the same circuit, so if there is water intrusion, an audible and visual indication will occur.

The Nauticam system is temperature compensated, eliminating false alarms caused by a change in outside temperature, or from a camera heating up on an action packed dive.