| Photo: Brendan Nystad |
Panasonic has announced a suite of updates to its latest cameras, designed to ensure that the S5 II, S5 IIX, GH7 and G9 II are all on the same level with each other and the in terms of features that they support.
All four cameras will now be enabled Display multiple frame guide markers simultaneously, which can help when you’re trying to frame a shot that will eventually be edited in multiple aspect ratios. Markers are highly customizable – you can choose different colors for each aspect ratio Change the position and size of lines on your screen.
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| The multiple frame guide capability debuted on the S9’s v1.1 firmware but is now available across Panasonic’s modern lineup. |
The update also adds support for Panasonic’s “MP4 Lite” codec, which records 3.8K open-gate footage at a lower bitrate, making it easier and faster to transfer to a phone via Wi-Fi. For the S5 II and S5 IIX, video will be in the same 3:2 aspect ratio as the S9, but for the Four Thirds cameras it will be in a 4:3 aspect ratio.
Speaking of transferring footage to your phone, Panasonic is also bringing full support for its new Lumix Lab app to all cameras. This means you’ll be able to use it, instead of Lumix Sync, to remotely control shooting, transfer images to your phone, and more.
The S5 II, S5 IIX, and G9 II are also getting the advanced subject detection launched with the GH7, which means they’re also able to recognize planes and trains and zero-in on a specific part of a recognized subject. Such as the helmet of a car driver or a motorcyclist. They’re also getting the crop zoom feature from the GH7 and S9, which will automatically punch in by a selectable amount. In Still mode, this means that JPEGs will be taken from the middle portion of your untouched RAW. In the video you will only get the cropped version as there is no RAW in it. How much it is cropped will depend on your shooting resolution.
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| ‘Part Priority’ is now available on all Panasonic phase-detect-equipped ILCs. |
The full-frame S5 II and S5 IIX are also getting the hybrid zoom system from the S9, which combines the optical zoom of your lens with a crop zoom, giving you more reach the further you rotate the zoom ring.
There are also some minor changes; Each camera will get improved operational stability, as well as the ability to save pictures at an “extra small” size.
Features are being removed
While the updates are obviously packed with new features, they also remove a few things. The European S5 II and S5 IIX will no longer support wireless image transfer or RTMP streaming to a PC – you will have to use RTMPS when livestreaming from your camera. While those features will still work in other markets like the US, the S5 IIX and GH7 are losing the ability to act as RTP/RTSP network cameras over wired Internet connections globally. Although Panasonic did not provide a specific explanation as to why these features were being removed, the company said that they came as part of enhancing the security of the cameras.
Another change that will affect all S5 II, S5 IIX, GH7 and G9 II users: if you’re using the Lumix Sync app, you’ll need to enter the password every time you connect the camera and your smartphone directly; The Lumix Lab is not affected, as it handles authentication over Bluetooth. These changes also will not affect the camera’s Frame.io integration.
The new firmware files – v3.2 for the S5 II, v2.2 for the S5 IIX, v1.3 for the GH7, and v2.3 for the G9 II – are available for download on Panasonic’s website.
