Decoding the Panasonic Autofocus! Lumix S5, GH5M2, GH5S, & GH5

This video is a guide to using the autofocus system on Panasonic Lumix cameras. This tutorial video will show you the best settings for the Panasonic GH5M2, GH5, GH5s, and Lumix S5.

While the Panasonic Lumix autofocus is not perfect, I have managed to get it to work for me over the last few years. In this video, I share my best settings for the Panasonic autofocus settings and also teach you which settings work the best in certain situations.

Video Chapters:
0:00 - About
0:49 - Best & Worst Autofocus Modes
1:46 - 1-Area Mode Guide
2:26 - 1-Area+ Human Detection Mode
3:40 - Face Detection Mode
5:01 - Speed & Sensitivity Settings
6:21 - MFT Prime Lenses AF Problems
7:07 - Panasonic GH5M2, GH5S, GH5, S5 Faster AF Tip
7:50 - Where the AF Really Sucks
8:24 - Panasonic S5 Autofocus Tips
9:13 - Touch to Focus (Manual Mode)

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#camera #Lumix #PanasonicGH6 @PanasonicLumixVideo

[DanBlakerd]

This is the best video that I've found discussing the Lumix AF system. Nice work man.

[denhood]

thanks for share.. i'll try it on my GH5

[aybee]

Great. Never saw such a clear content, dedicated to Panasonic`s autofocus. Very handy tips. Still own the GH-5 and try out your recommendations.

[pianopotato]

Thank you Shane for your wonderful Panasonic content! I own three Panasonic S5 cameras currently and use to have a G85, the GH5 and GH5S so I totally understand and appreciate the joy, the journey, and the frustrations of Panasonic autofocus, haha! Keep up the great work!

[ParsclickTV]

this was very useful to be honest I never thought of 1+ area focus now it just works when I hold something in front of lens... thank you!

[iamhassan]

Great video. While I don’t do video, the S5 auto focus in S-AF is great for photography. One mode that I have found works great is custom mode. Being able to select your own “zone shape” has been great for photography. I created a small square and small vertical zone. This helps immensely for small objects that I want to focus on.

[jason_kovach]

Just bought an S5 and this video helped tremendously with the AF settings. Thank you!

[MichaelSchagen]

There are a lot of subtleties in the AF system that can make it hard or un-intuitive to use. What I found on my S5:
- Tracking AF needs a distinctive color to latch on to. Without that it easily drifts off from the subject. The Panasonic AF guide book for video hints at this, but doesn't make it very explicit.
- 255 area works well if you want to shoot general scenery or a landscape and don't want the AF to get distracted by cars or people moving in front of the scene. Once the AF has found a part of the scene it wants to focus on, it appears to track that part and stay focused on it for as long it can still see (part of) the scene which is in focus. Partly obscuring an in-focus part of the scene will not make the AF switch subject. So e.g. you walking towards the camera will be ignored, as long it can still see part of the background being in focus.
- 1 Area works better if you want to focus on something very specific in the scene. The AF system becomes blind to anything outside the box, but will otherwise behave just like 255 area mode. It will track anything inside the box and stay locked on it for as long it can still see part of the subject in focus through the box. Some people make the box too large and then complain that when they hold a new object in front of them the AF doesn't respond, but that then is because a small part of the background which was in focus is still visible through the box and the AF keeps sticking to that. Reducing the size of the box to make sure that the background gets completely covered will help. But, if you make the box quite small such that during a panning motion it briefly covers e.g. a clear patch of sky with no detail, the AF immediately goes hunting for focus. This doesn't typically happen in 255-area mode as there will always be something for the AF to keep tracking.
So yeah, it's not exactly a set-and-forget type of thing.

[MEGATestberichte]

This video is awesome. Perfect explanation.

[acepilot]

Another great video. I'll try your suggestions.

[whitnells]

Many thanks. Great information, well presented. I especially like the monitor from the camera in the corner of the video. So many tutorials fail to show what's happening on the camera. Great work.

[GeekyNerdyTechy]

I hope this autofocus guide is helpful. The AF will never be perfect but it's very usable especially in the modes I mention in this video. I have time stamped the video chapters so you can find the info you need.
0:00 - About
0:49 - Best & Worst Autofocus Modes
1:46 - 1-Area Mode Guide
2:26 - 1-Area+ Human Detection Mode
3:40 - Face Detection Mode
5:01 - Speed & Sensitivity Settings
6:21 - MFT Prime Lenses AF Problems
7:07 - Panasonic GH5M2, GH5S, GH5, S5 Faster AF Tip
7:50 - Where the AF Really Sucks
8:24 - Panasonic S5 Autofocus Tips
9:13 - Touch to Focus (Manual Mode)

[yuritorres]

Hi Shane, nice video, well explained. Let us know when touch focus is fixed, I am also frustrated with the two steps instead of one, thanks for all the great information !

[ChrisCollinsGuitar]

Thanks Shane! I’m using gh5s for guitar tutorials. The AF can be perplexing!

[KPGuitarStudios]

Shane, you missed the G9, it's in the same boat as the GH5s and GH5 II as far as processing, menus and options, it has all the exact same AF settings that you showed. Thanks for the details though! Very helpful, I feel like I can much more confidently use the camera now. I just ruined my latest video shot on the ZV-E10, product showcase locked on to the product which I thought I removed from the frame, apparently not, it was locked on and never went back to me once in 30 minutes :P Sony is different, not necessarily better. User knowledge and experience is better than any camera system

[sutv]

Thanks this is a good one for sure. Much needed. When I push up on the dial I only get Human Detect. If I push is a 2nd time as you did it goes back to 1 area or 1 area plus. I for some reason don't get the 2 options. Can you tell me why. I have the GH6

[acidvideothomas]

thanks for this very interesting video! Which AF mode would work best at an indoor rave with lots of changing lights and often low light situations? i want to quickly focus on moving people in the audience and if possible stay focussed when needed. I had a feeling AF doesn't work that good anymore with low light

[filipmichalsaffray]

Nice...one question if used on a Gimbal in Concert Gig or rehearsaal what type of AF would u use Face or single point plus?
Love Your Channel...curious what if you will try the gh6 out...

[whiplash]

Thank you for another great Panasonic video! I'm going to try them on my G9, I had made the mistake of cranking the sensitivity up to +2 or more, so I think your video will help. I also made the mistake of buying the OLD 25mm 1.4. It doesn't AF for SH%#. and it's no where to be found on the firmware sight. Oh well live and learn, it does MF very well and with Lumix cameras the MF does work well in general especially on the newer high end lenses and the firmware update from late 2021.(2.5 for the G9).

[ruffdraft]

The Panasonic S5 and Panasonic gh5s and Panasonic Gh52 are on my shopping list