Lumix S5 IIXvs D850
Lumix
Lumix S5 IIX (2023)
Starting from £2399 new
Best for Professional video, filmmaking & hybrid shooters on L-mount
View Lumix S5 IIX
Nikon
D850 (2017)
Starting from £2199 new
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
View D850
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Professional Video, Filmmaking & Hybrid Shooters On L-Mount — Lumix S5 IIX (2023): The S5 II with ProRes RAW and 6K Open Gate — the most serious L-mount video tool in a portable, weather-sealed body.
Landscape, Wildlife & Professional Studio Photography — D850 (2017): The finest DSLR ever made — 45MP, 9fps, and nearly 2000 shots per charge in a body that still outperforms most mirrorless cameras for battery life.
Who should buy what
Lumix S5 IIX (2023)
- Video professionals who need ProRes RAW output and 6K Open Gate in a portable L-mount body
- L-mount filmmakers who want USB power for extended recording without battery changes
- Hybrid shooters who need both 24MP stills quality and professional video specs in one camera
- S5 II users who specifically need ProRes RAW support for their post-production workflow
D850 (2017)
- Nikon F-mount lens owners who want the highest resolution DSLR before switching to mirrorless
- Landscape and wildlife photographers who value the optical viewfinder and outstanding battery life
- Professional photographers who need 45MP resolution without the price of a medium format system
- Photojournalists and event photographers with a large F-mount lens investment
Quick take: The d850 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the d850 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Lumix S5 IIX (2023) | D850 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,399 | £2,199 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP full-frame CMOS | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 45.7MP |
| Video | 6K/30p Open Gate, 4K/60p 10-bit, ProRes RAW via HDMI — V-Log, LUT support | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Phase-hybrid AF — improved over S5 with subject recognition | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS — 6.5 stops | None (relies on VR lenses) |
| Burst Rate | 9fps mechanical, 30fps electronic (6MP crop) | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) |
| Battery Life | ~370 shots (CIPA) | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding |
| Weight | 740g body only | 915g body only |
| Dimensions | 134.3 × 102.3 × 90.1mm | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | OLED EVF, 3.68M-dot, 0.78× | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots |
| Mount | L-mount (Leica/Panasonic/Sigma) | Nikon F-mount (FX) |
| Memory Cards | Dual SD UHS-II slots | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C with power delivery, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks, HDMI full-size | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Lumix S5 IIX | D850 |
|---|---|---|
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Portrait | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Travel | ||
| Sports | ||
| Street | — | |
| Wildlife | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with Lumix S5 IIX
Camera family history