Panasonic teases release of new Lumix S5, a full frame camera set to launch on September 2nd

posted Wednesday, August 19, 2020 at 10:00 AM EDT

It's been some time since our friends at Panasonic treated us to a new full-frame camera body... almost a full year. The video-centric S1H model was the latest, debuting in September of 2019, but we've just now found out that a new full-frame body is set to launch on September 2nd in the form of the Panasonic Lumix S5.

A Factor of Five

There will now be three full-frame mirrorless cameras from 2020 with numeral "5" branding, as this model joins the Canon R5 and the Nikon Z5 in the ranks of Full Frame Fives. At opposite ends of the pricing spectrum, the $3900 Canon R5 is a flagship model and is full-featured, while the $1400 Nikon Z5 is more along the lines of an "entry-level full frame."

Which side of that equation will the Panasonic S5 fall?

What we now know:

• The S5 will be a full-frame mirrorless camera
• The S5 will release on September 2nd

The S series of Full Frame bodies from Panasonic was actually teased back in 2018, but didn't make their full market debut until April of 2019 with the S1 (a 24mp hybrid model) and the S1R (a 47mp beast of a camera aimed squarely at high-end still photographers). And then the S1H debuted some five months later and wowed the video world with incredible chops in that arena.

Panasonic S1R image
[Photo by IR contributor Jeremy Gray]

We've found all three models to be incredibly capable and robust in the field, and yet all three are somewhat heavy relative to some models in the full-frame mirrorless world. This mass helps with the robustness in terms of weather sealing and general heartiness, as well as assisting in heat dissipation while rolling high-resolution video. But of course, not everyone wants weight.

Will this new S5 model follow suit as being heavy and hearty, or will the new model number denote a move towards a line that trims down a bit on weight?

Stay tuned, as we'll surely have all the details for you in exactly two weeks' time! We'll update our Panasonic S5 landing page with any new information shared with us before then.