The Buyers guide to...Best Panasonic cameras in 2024

The Panasonic S1H features a 35.6 x 23.8mm, 24.2-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor and is the first camera capable of 6K video capture. It can record 6K at 24p at a 3:2 aspect ration, 5.9K at 30p in 16:9, as well as 10-bit 4K/Cinema 4K footage at 60p using the Super 35mm image area. As if that isn’t enough, it can record 4:2:2 10-bit 4K footage at 30p over the full image area.

The Panasonic S1H also promises 14 stops of dynamic range – the same as Panasonic’s cinema cameras – along with a slew of other video specifications aimed at professionals such as Panasonic’s V-Log/V-Gamut log modes, HDR in HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma), 4:2:2 10-bit HDMI output and Anamorphic 4:3 modes.

The Panasonic S1H’s Dual Native ISO thresholds are 640 and 4000, which means the sensitivity effectively resets at 4000 and can produce ‘clean’ images up to ISO 51,200.

Other features include a 225-area DFD contrast AF system, Panasonic’s Venus image processor, a 5.76-million-dot OLED EVF and a 3.2-inch, 2.33-million-dot tilting LCD.

The GH6 goes way beyond the requirements of the occasional video shooter, offering high-end features that will keep small-budget professionals happy. Its results are very impressive and while the autofocus system isn’t the best, most of the time it does what it needs to do. It’s an incredibly capable camera that has a lot to offer at a great price.

Read our Panasonic Lumix GH6 Review

The GH5 was Panasonic’s flagship mirrorless camera and it has a mini-DSLR design, featuring a high-quality electronic viewfinder and – crucially for vloggers – a vari-angle touch-screen. While it has since been replaced by the GH5 II and the GH6, it still remains a powerhouse for video and is cheaper than it has ever been.

Inside the GH5 is a 20Mp Four Thirds type CMOS sensor with no optical low-pass filter to allow it to record more detail. This is paired with a new Lumix processing engine which enables a native sensitivity range of ISO 200-25,600. This can be expanded to a low setting of ISO 100.

Videographers will be pleased to learn that there’s unlimited 4K video recording – most cameras can only record in bursts of up to 29minutes and 59 seconds. There’s also a choice between MOV, MP4, AVCHD Progressive and AVCHD formats at a variety of frame rates, the system frequency can be set to 59.94Hz, 50.00Hz or 24.00Hz.

In addition, there’s a Waveform Monitor and Vector Scope to meet the needs of professional videographers. This embeds SMPTE-compliant Time Code with Rec Run or Free Run counting to aid with multiple device synchronisation.

It’s possible to shoot 4096 x 2160 4K at 24p (or 3840 x 2160 4K at 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p with no cropping), 4:2:2 10-bit Full HD (1080p) recording and 4K 4:2:2 10-bit ALL-Intra MP4/MOV (apart from at 60/50p) and Full HD 4:2:2 10-bit ALL-Intra recording. The step-up from 8-bit to 10-bit recording vastly increases the range of colours that can be recorded.

A firmware update has also added high-resolution Anamorphic Video Mode and Hybrid Log Gamma for 4K HDR Video (for playback on HDR compatible televisions).

It’s also possible to add V-LogL recording via an optional software key (DMW-SFU1), with LUT (Look Up Table) and V-LogL View Assist to help experienced videographers get the colour and contrast they want.

In short, the GH5 offers videographers the kind of specification and video quality that is normally only made possible by a much larger, more expensive cinematic camera. It’s even possible to connect XLR mic via an optional adaptor.

In addition to the extensive range of video quality, format and frame rate options, the GH5 has a high-quality viewfinder, excellent vari-angle touch-screen and both 4K Photo and 6K Photo mode to simplify capturing fleeting moments. It’s also dust and weatherproof so you can use it without concern outdoors.

• Read our Panasonic GH5 review

Read our Panasonic GH5 review

The Panasonic Lumix G9 is Panasonic’s flagship stills-camera and it sits alongside the GH5 at the top of the company’s interchangeable lens camera line-up.

The G9 has the same 20.3-megapixel sensor and Venus 10 processing engine as the GH5. However, Panasonic says the sensor and processor have been tuned differently to suit the G9’s stills-shooting focus.

The G9 also has a High Resolution mode that enables 80-megapixel images to be created in jpeg and raw formats in-camera. In this mode the camera takes a sequence of 8 images in quick succession, shifting the sensor a little between each shot. These images are then merged to create a single larger image with more detail.

The G9 also has Dual IS, a system that can combine 5-axis sensor shifting-stabilisation and lens-based stabilisation. The G9’s Dual IS can deliver a correction of 6.5EV at all focal lengths.

The G9’s 2x focal length conversion factor is attractive for sport and wildlife photography as it enables you to frame the subject more tightly than you might expect.

Meanwhile, optics such as the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 7-14mm f/4 ASPH. and Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4 ASPH., which are equivalent to 14-28mm and 16-36mm lenses respectively on a 35mm camera, mean that you don’t have to miss the wide-angle shooting opportunities.

Panasonic is aiming the Lumix S1R at professional photographers who want a high-resolution camera. For many, the 47Mp resolution is likely to be enough, but like the S1 and Panasonic G9, the Lumix S1R has a High Resolution mode.

When this is mode is activated, the camera shoots a series of 8 images in quick succession. Using the in-body stabilisation mechanism, it moves the sensor a fraction between each shot. The camera then merges the images to create one much larger raw file.

When the aspect ratio is 3:2, using High Resolution Mode results in 16,736 x 11,186-pixel images. That means the images have 187million pixels! At 300ppi this enables you to create 141.7 x 94.56cm (55.787 x 37.227-inch) prints.

Naturally, the main reason for investing in a 47Mp camera is to produce images with lots of detail. The Panasonic Lumix S1R certainly delivers on this score. If you want to take things up a notch, there’s the High Resolution mode.

Read our Panasonic Lumix S1 Review

The Panasonic Lumix S5 is a full-frame mirrorless camera and the most affordable model in the Panasonic Lumix S range.

However, Panasonic hasn’t just used the same bodyshell and reduced the number of features of the Lumix S5. It’s taken a look at what people love about the Micro Four Thirds Lumix GH5 and considered the pros and cons of the S-series to deliver something more affordable and very attractive to enthusiast photographers looking to shoot video more seriously and frequently.

One of the most exciting features of the Panasonic S5 is that it has the same 24.2Mp full-frame sensor as the S1H. That’s a camera that has garnered many plaudits for its video quality.

Consequently, Panasonic is pitching the S5 at people who have started out as photographers and content creators who want to create more video. Its headline video specification is that it can shoot 4K (3840×2160) footage in 4:2:2 and 10-bit LongGOP H.264 at 29.97/23.98p/25p. That’s when recording internally to an SD-type card.

It can shoot at that quality and resolution for up to 30minutes. Alternatively, if you’re happy to 4:2:0 8-bit 4K footage, you can shoot indefinitely until your memory cards are full.

If the Panasonic S5’s HMDI port is used to connect external storage, it’s possible to record 4K 4:2:2 10-bit footage at 60p. That means you can have high resolution 2x slow-motion video in 4K resolution.

There are also ports to connect an external microphone and headphones.

Impressively, the Lumix engineers have managed to make the Panasonic S5 smaller than the Lumix GH5. That’s quite a feat given the difference in the sensor and mount sizes of the two cameras.

The Panasonic S5’s specification, size and price are all very enticing. It offers what many were hoping for from the Lumix S1 and S1H, a full-frame version of the GH5. Panasonic’s back-to-the-drawing-board work on the autofocus system also delivers. It’s an excellent all-rounder suited in equal measure to shooting stills and video.

Read our Panasonic Lumix S5 Review

Overall, the Panasonic Lumix G100 is designed as an entry-level vlogging camera and it fits that bill very well. It has a bigger sensor than competing compact cameras like the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III and Sony ZV-1 and benefits from accepting interchangeable lenses, which makes it a bit more versatile. In still conditions the OZO Audio tracking works very well, but I think even novice vloggers will soon migrate on to an external mic like the Rode Wireless Go for the windshield capability. While it lacks some of the novel vlogging-centric features such as Face Priority,Product Showcase of the Sony ZV-1 and the live streaming capability of the Canon G7 X III, it provides a good level of control with the ability to restrict depth of field without being too bulky.

Read our Panasonic Lumix G100 Review

Panasonic introduced the GX9 to sit in the middle of its range as a “premium street photography camera”. With its small body size and flat rangefinder type design, it’s also ideally suited as a travel camera – especially if you already own another Micro Four Thirds camera.

It houses a 20.3 megapixel Four Thirds sensor, without an anti-aliasing filter for increased detail resolution.

It has a host of other appealing specifications, including a high-resolution tilting viewfinder, a tilting touch-sensitive LCD screen, 4K Photo and Video modes, and compatibility with the huge range of Micro Four Thirds lenses.

The look of the camera is also very stylish, without attracting too much attention when using it out and about, which is ideal. There’s a good mixture of buttons and dials on the camera, while the tilting screen is very handy for composing from awkward angles – I’m personally not too bothered about articulation for a camera like this (others may feel differently).

Overall image quality is very good, particularly in good or bright light. In lower light, watch out for a little loss of detail in places, and try to stick to as wide an aperture as possible. Colours are nicely reproduced, being natural while also vibrant, while focusing is generally quick and accurate.

Read our Panasonic Lumix GX9 Review