On vacation in Japan with the Panasonic S5IIx - 2 weeks test report

Nothing is more beautiful than traveling and vacation moments should be captured for eternity. Today I would like to give you an insight into my lifelong dream, or rather my dream trip, and what I had planned for it. I'm a passionate cosplay photographer and usually travel with the Nikon Z system. But I have to think outside the box when I look at the conditions in Japan and put my requirements into perspective.

The requirements for the travel equipment

In line with the song title "Big in Japan" by Alphaville, my planned equipment was also very extensive and carefully planned right up to the end. We went to Kyoto, Osaka, Uji, Nara, Tokyo and Hiroshima. Each of these destinations had its own requirements. It was a question of weighing things up: So from telephoto zoom to wide angle, everything is needed. Did I use everything? Yes!

I also had it in my head to edit a short video after the trip. So the camera also had to support some formats. But the factor that was probably neglected was time, because it gets dark quickly in Japan. So we had night from 5 pm onwards. So one of the requirements for the camera was to offer strong ISO performance and very good low light autofocus.

Everything that only works semi well with my Nikon Z7II due to the high megapixels. A Z9, Z8 or a Nikon Z f were not an option. I even had the Nikon Z7II in my partner's hand luggage for fear that I wouldn't get to grips with the system. But I didn't even touch it.

The final equipment list

• Lumix S5IIx
• 2x 128Gb Lexar UHS-II SD cards
• H&Y ND / CPL filter 67-82mm
• K&F Concept Mistfilter 82mm 1/4 & 1/8
• Panasonic 18mm f1.8
• Panasonic 35mm f1.8
• Panasonic 24-105mm f4
• Panasonic 70-200mm f2.8
• Sirui Venus 50mm Anamorphic t2.9 1.6x full frame
• Sigma Art 35mm f1.2 DG DN

The marginal details of the Panasonic system

The Panasonic menu is second to none. Nikon certainly offers one of the most comprehensible and intuitive menus here, as these have only changed minimally over the various camera generations. But now Panasonic is unbeatable with its range of functions and the depth behind some points. Awesome! I configured my own menu to access all the settings as quickly as possible. It was a bit annoying that many items for video and photo are duplicated and sometimes cannot be accessed from one to the other. This meant that some items were initially duplicated in my menu, but were later removed or swapped.

At night, I used to adjust the ISO before taking the next picture without looking at it, adjusting the camera while holding it in my hand and counting the clicks as I knew where I was with the ISO. This allows you to quickly adjust the ISO and continue to find the subjects.

Another thing I really liked was the focus ring on the 70-200mm. With its click system, it can be quickly switched between manual and autofocus. I also liked the form factor of the fixed focal lengths and the fact that they have the increasingly common 67mm filter standard and also the same height and a similar weight. Perfect for videographers working with a gimbal. But I shot crisp images at f1.2 and 1/50.

Autofocus reliability of the S5IIx

Whether S5II or the X variant, both work like a beast, I am definitely convinced of that. I put them to the test again and again with a 1/4 crap filter. The only thing I had difficulties with was the choice of subject. Because here I find that the camera tends not to focus on the target I'm aiming for. As a result, I often flipped through the various modes using the focus button on the back and also used the joystick a lot. Especially with macro, I almost always manually aimed at my target, because the problem here is that the lens always focused on the target at the back, because it was often a situation in which a spider or another insect was perched above us and the focus jumped to the things in the background, as these usually had a higher contrast.

Video with the S5IIx and DJI Action 3

Yes, I had already tried to record with the SSD in advance, which I managed without any problems. The settings around 4K 30fps or the 4K Crop 60fps are also super easy, and yes, you have to be careful which formats you set and which codecs you use. Because depending on this, the memory card may not be able to write the required speed. I was able to test the camera's video features a little before my trip. Working with anamorphic lenses works very well so far, even if I miss the function to set my own stretch factor or to optimize the image stabilizer for it. But the fact that this alone is possible is a significant added value for me. All the formats and the Opengate simply offer a very well-rounded working environment.

The DJI was intended more for small and quick moments or to document the long Shinkansen journey from Kyoto to Tokyo or in Nara when a deer tries to eat us because we have cookies or none (then they like to be cheeky and nip us). I have the Adventure version of the Action 3 with the battery charging station and the extra trays for memory cards, which is great for traveling. My Osmo Action 3 is in the Small Rig Cage and the S5IIx in the Blackmamba Cage are well protected and access to the battery is still possible, especially with the DJI. The Blackmamba Cage provides good access to all buttons on the S5II.

Battery life with the S5IIx on vacation

I think the question of battery life is one of the most exciting questions. It turned out that you can go a long way with three batteries and on average I used two a day. So I charged one battery in the camera and the other externally. I also used the Bluetooth function with the app in the meantime to send pictures to my cell phone to send them to friends.

Lumix smartphone app

Overall, the app is easy to use and fast when transferring data, of course with raw files. Unfortunately, I was not able to transfer them as compressed JPEGs, which is what I had set up. This may also be due to the pre-production model of the camera I had with me. But what works really well is the firmware update and I also find the connection for going live via the app very well solved.

Memory management while traveling

The topic of memory cards and storage space in general: I had a 1TB M2 SSD in a docking station with me and a second 2TB SSD with which I wanted to record video material. I decided to pull the videos from the memory card every evening, as these take up the most data, to save space for the raw files. On average, between 190 and 250 photos were taken every day, which after 14 days is a decent amount of data. I photographed in backup and had I not done so, the whole thing would have worked without worrying about the final amount of data.

What did I love? Roughly summarized

• Autofocus performance, especially in low light
• Handling, rarely worked so intuitively
• Weather protection, we had a day in Tokyo where we only had rain
• ISO performance, really strong! Very pleasant noise behavior
• Incredible image stabilization with slow exposure times
• 120 heart viewfinder, resulting in a very smooth image. The Z7II only has a 60hz display
• Button layout and the wheel for scrolling through the images

A few travel tips for Japan

• Many people know English better than they say they do
• Always try to explain it as simply as possible
• Don't use cabs because they have exorbitant fees
• Google translator is a good tool to work with
• Don't accept street offers, as these are increasingly tourist traps
• If you want to do karaoke: they sometimes have German songs, depending on where you are. But also a wide range of English titles
• Dismantle the tripod clamps on the optics if not needed
• Try to eat in the rush hours and avoid them. 4-7 p.m. and 8-10 a.m. in the morning
• The best place to withdraw money is the Kombini around the corner, where the fees are manageable
• Put your backpack on the floor on buses and trains or carry it in front of your stomach
• Take a look at the different seasonal forecasts in Japan, so you can better target special events that take place in Japan's nature. For example, we just missed the red leaves of the Japanese maple.

Specialties from different cities

Of course, I have to share a few tips about the food and drink on our trip:

• Osaka: Korean food, okonomiyaki, takoyaki and cheesecake
• Hiroshima: Oysters and Momiji Manju on the island
• Uji: Matcha, because it comes from there
• Kyoto: Matcha and Yatsuhashi
• Nara: Kakinoha Zushi

A very personal conclusion

For me, the trip was also a search for new approaches and perspectives. During my time in Japan, I was able to meet a German friend who emigrated to Japan, make a new friend with whom we explored the region around Kyoto and who wears a kimono / yukata every day, and deepen my friendship with our guide couple. I was also able to learn more about Shintoism and Buddhism, which was exciting and a world of its own. During my first Sento visit in Kyoto, my colleagues and I met a group of Yakuza (yes, they are actually not allowed to enter). I would therefore also like to thank Panasonic for the opportunity to take the camera and lenses with us on this trip.

In Tokyo we met a German photographer colleague who is currently traveling in South East Asia for several months. Experiencing all this in such a distant country was worth the 17-25,000 steps every day. From the tears of joy when we landed to the tears I shed in Osaka airport when we said goodbye to our companion from Kyoto. It was a trip that I will remember for a very long time.

I think that the trip helped me to see many things differently and allowed me to see many perspectives with an open eye for the environment, where in everyday life you would perhaps look at your cell phone more often. I consciously let my gaze wander through the rooftops and streets.

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