Panasonic Introduces Blackmagic RAW Support for S5 II, S5 IIX

Last January, Panasonic showcased the next generation S5 II and S5 IIX full-frame mirrorless cameras, with 12-bit 6K resolution.

Now the company has announced that through an upcoming firmware update, the S5 IIX will support both Apple ProRes RAW and Blackmagic RAW.

Image Credit – Panasonic

When it was announced at CES, the Panasonic S5 II set the confab on fire with a new phase detection autofocus system, improved rolling shutter suppression, and a brand new Venus image engine for capturing 5.9K video from its new 24.4 MP CMOS image sensor.

Both the sensor and Venus image engine were developed with Leica under the L2 alliance and offer over 14+ stops of dynamic range when shooting in Panasonic V-log/V-Gamut.

Image Credit – Panasonic

The upgrade will enable the S5 II platforms over HDMI to capture through external video recorders including the Atomos Ninja V, Ninja V+, and Atomos Shogun Connect.

Live streaming or recording to an SSD, however, is native to the S5 IIX. The Blackmagic RAW functionality also requires editing using DaVinci Resolve or DaVinci Resolve Studio for resolutions above 4K.

Image Credit – Panasonic

All is not lost for recording to SSD directly, however, as the upgrade also opens up All-I recording through Apple ProRes RAW directly to an SSD drive over USB-C, providing additional recording options.

Moreover, both cameras will receive a performance boost, by being able to capture in full frame at 12-bit 5.9K resolution, rather than the native 10-bit while using widescreen 16:9 aspect ratios at up to 30 frames paper second.

APS-C options are also available at 4.1K resolution and an aspect ratio of 17:9, or users can opt for 12-bit color at up to 60 frames per second. 3.5K is also available at 4:3 AR at up to 30 fps.

Availability

The Panasonic LUMIX S5 II has a retail price of $1,999.99 and the LUMIX S5 IIX has a price of $2,199.99.

S5 II users will have to add another $200 for the Software Upgrade Fee to unlock 12-bit Blackmagic Raw support. S5 IIX users will be able to capture Blackmagic RAW natively without an additional fee.  

Both cameras are currently available for purchase, however, the vs. 2.0 firmware update for the S5 II will not open up the additional BRAW functions until its official release from Panasonicon June 13, 2023.

Moreover, a firmware update may also be required when using Atomos external recorders, and should be downloaded from the Atomos Website.

[source: Panasonic]

Order Links:

  • Panasonic Lumix S5 II Mirrorless Camera (B&H)
  • Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX Mirrorless Camera (B&H)
  • Atomos Ninja V 5” Monitor/Recorder (B&H, Amazon)
  • Atomos Ninja V+ 5” Monitor/Recorder (B&H, Amazon)
  • Atomos SHOGUN CONNECT 7″ HDR Video Monitor & Recorder 8Kp30/4Kp120 (B&H)

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