Lumix S5 - ProRes RAW vs Internal Codec (Can YOU Tell The Difference?)

THE GEAR I USE:
*Some of the following links are affiliate links, so if you decide to purchase something, I get a very small commission at NO extra cost to you - Thanks in advance for supporting the channel!

CAMERAS:
My Main Cam (Lumix S5ii)

My B-Cam (Lumix S5)

My C-Cam (Lumix S1)

PRIME LENSES:
Panasonic LUMIX 24mm F1.8

Panasonic LUMIX 35mm F1.8

Panasonic LUMIX 85mm F1.8

ZOOM LENSES:
Sigma 28-70 F2.8

Panasonic LUMIX 16-35 F4

Panasonic LUMIX 70-200 F4

AUDIO SETUP:
Rode NTG4+

Tascam DR60 MKii

Hollyland Lark 150

LIGHTING SETUP
Godox LA200d

Colbor CL60

Godox SL60w

Smallrig Softbox

DESK & COMPUTING
My Main Computer (Mac Mini)

Laptop (M1 Pro MacBook Pro 1TB)

Computer Monitor (Viewsonic ColorPro VP2786-4K)

Logitech Craft Keyboard

Logitech M590 Mouse

Samsung T5 SSD 1TB

SanDisk G-Drive 6TB

Everyone knows how great the Panasonic S5 is for the money since it can output many different flavours of RAW via HDMI.

I rarely use the RAW capabilities of my Panasonic cameras, but when I do, I absolutely love the results that I get.

In this video I wanted to see whether you guys could tell the difference between ProRes RAW from the Lumix S5 and the internal codecs found on the Panasonic S5, just to see if the flexibility of RAW is really worth it.

All of the shots in this video were taken at the same time with controlled lighting conditions, and the only difference was the codec. I even tried to match the colours as best as I could between the ProRes RAW footage and the internal codecs from the Lumix S5.

One of the biggest downsides to ProRes RAW and all flavours of RAW video is of course the huge file sizes, so you really need to utilise all of that extra data to make it worthwhile.

All Panasonic Lumix full frame cameras can output ProRes RAW, so this video should apply for the Lumix S1, S5, S1H and BS1H :)

I really hope you guys find this video interesting, and if you did then please comment below and let me know your thoughts.

Thanks for watching!

[JoshCameron]

**NOTE ** YouTube has REAALLYY compressed the example footage after watching it back on here. Especially in the darker areas, you can see banding and mushiness that isn't there on the master file. Worth bearing in mind!

[prestonurvina]

You are literally one of the only people putting out content on the S5. Really appreciated. I'm in the process of switching over from the R6. Thanks for all of the information. Invaluable.

[CodaSessions]

This is a great video and a fantastic sequence comparison too! I guessed correctly on the RAW sequence, and i find that the reds & skin tones take on a slight vibrance, but on the whole its barely noticeable; i am very impressed with the internal codecs on this camera, especially as a reasonable majority of my work is for platforms that apply high-level compression. Having worked with the ProRes RAW codec on a handful of projects, it's super versatile for wide dynamic range shots and i find you can identify the pros/cons in comparison when you have detailed shadows & cloudy skies in frame; the internal codecs can definitely handle the range, but struggle to express that range if you've gotta squish it into a 5 or 7-stop SDR colour space, while the RAW somehow takes the abuse when you compress your dynamic range and doesn't look too bad!

10/10 as always buddy, great content, love the way you've explained the differences, benefits, and issues with working across the different codecs available with this camera!

[raksh]

Great video as always, you're doing a great service for Panasonic users. Thank you for all your efforts.

[cineaudiophile]

The internal appears slightly soft on my monitor vs. raw, but other than that they looked identical. Great video!

[berglandvideo]

I actually thought that B was ProRes because the highlights looked better.

[Zmywak]

I used to own S5 with NINJA ATOMOS V and could not stop recording in 5.9K :) If only this camera had phase detection autofocus - it would be unbeatable! Footage A was easy to recognise :)

[LucaBono.Studio]

Day and night differences...the motion cadence of the RAW video was pretty easy to spot. Thanks for making this video mate!

[michaelnishiguchi]

Thank you so much for this video. I’ve been considering picking up a Ninja and wanted to see how much of a difference it makes. I love your channel <3

[houstonmuseum]

At minimum, this proves that the S5 internal codecs are outstanding even by itself, especially for 8-Bit deliverables (aka 99% of uploads for streaming). Ninja V for pre-prepped/planned masterpieces, internal for run-and-gun.

[who]

Going with A being Pro res and B internal. Both look very similar/good but I feel like B has a little more compression in the background gradients, however that could just be youtube being youtube. While working raw can be fun, I've yet to really find a practical application for it since typically I'm always having to squeeze video down to 8 bit formats for broadcast/internet anyway. If anything raw has gotten me into a little trouble when art directors fall in love with a raw version of my work in the timeline and the broadcast version can't carry that same level of color fidelity.

[hoozentroger]

What a nice channel! This is just the info I needed.

[matadormartin]

Thanks for doing this, as I'm so reluctant to myself it seems! Even before I saw B I felt like A was ProRes raw. Sometimes with raw video it isn't even about gradients, or extra colour information, it's something closer to a gut feeling that it just appears more realistic and less compressed, even with extra noise in frame. It's rare I bother to shoot raw though, it just usually doesn't make much sense for low budget commercial/corporate work unless you are doing green screen or trying to match cameras. For more of a short film project, music video or commercial with a bit more budget it's good to know it's possible even with cameras like the S5.

[davidmultimedia]

After taking screenshots of every shot in sequence A and B, then compared them side by side, I noticed a few things.
First, I know the colors initially differs a little bit (some sort of color shift), but even after you tried to match them, there are still some very noticeable differences :
Artificial lights look very different. Your TV LED strips (unless you changed the color in between shots) looks white with ProRes RAW and a strong blue with the Internal codec. Same with the fridge light; ProRes RAW look more orange and less saturated, while the internal codec looks more yellow and saturated. It's the other way around with your skin when you sit on the couch; it looks more saturated with ProRes RAW, and more natural with the internal codec. On the TV shot, if you look at the right wall (corner), the shaded area has a strong green shift on the internal codec (typical with low bitrate/highly compressed codecs). Also, when we look at your gold Playstation controller on the bottom of your living room table, it's greener/yellower with the internal codec, and more brownish/sand with ProRes RAW.

So is it worth it for things like YouTube videos? Definitely NOT. Like you mentionned, the denoising process along with the files sizes (which can easily be over 10x larger) is already a deal breaker for this sort of things. Although, for short films and serious commercial projects, it is definitely something to consider. I personnally never tried ProRes RAW on my S5, but I've been a BRAW user for 3 years now (BMPCC 6K) and it is truly amazing! Regular ProRes HQ is also a very good thing to consider, especially for handheld shots since you have access to the amazing e-stabilization and Boost IS from the S5 while still getting a 4K image (not possible with BRAW/ProRes RAW, it's IBIS only so you have to use post stabilization when needed).

[shalomshalom]

you only can see the difference, when you watching this video on a good monitor... thx for the video.. love raw on the s5❤️

[shanefoleymedia]

I was actually quite surprised at how much of a difference Prores raw made (on a 27 inch 1440p monitor) - specifically on the hero shot in the beginning, in the blacks particularly around the eyes, and especially how the eyes and colors were rendered with the mixed lighting of the fridge. Well done and thank you for sharing the results!

[filipmichalsaffray]

Nice Vidéo,
About the use of 12 bit raw footage.
I use Black Magic Vidéo Assist to record Braw with S5 in 2 cases...
Need of extra latitude and colors dept shooting on gimbal or tripod, or when shooting multicam with my BMPCC4K 6K and older GH5, 5s.
It is just much easier to match in resolve.
Downside of the raw shooting over HDMI is that the E stabilisation (you Don't have the mode to shoot like on tripod) is not working...and shooting handheld is much more challenging.
It is because the whole 5.9K of the sensor are used .
Personally I love the colors and footage out of the S5.
Bravo Josh for the video

[SakkiDuran]

0:13 and that's why we need IBIS hehe nice video!

[KobusGevelspar]

Most important reason to use prores (not specifically raw) is the way a pc handles files. Visually the all- i internal is great, but because of the 400mb per second and the compression it’s really heavy on an editing machine. Besidrs that: It’s just great to take an ssd from the ninja v and start editing.

[Indo_chef]

I think it may only be worth it if working for a higher end client with deep pockets. The storage, render time, and added workflow need more dollars. When compressed by social media the quality difference is only noticed by other video editors.