For years the Lumix pitch came with an asterisk. Great video, great color, great stabilization… and autofocus that pulsed and hunted. The Panasonic Lumix S5II, launched in early 2023, removed the asterisk. It was the first Lumix with phase-detection autofocus, and it turned Panasonic’s full-frame line into a real option for people who don’t want to babysit their focus.

That one change made the S5II one of the best-value full-frame cameras of the last five years. It launched at about $2,000, below the Canon R6 II and Sony A7 IV, and street prices have only come down since.