Panasonic has announced a series of new firmware updates for its LUMIX S and G Series cameras: S5II, S5IIX, GH7, and G9II.
The new key features include:
- LUMIX Lab smartphone app compatibility – all models now support remote shooting, shutter control, and image transfer via the app.
- Enhanced subject detection – models that support phase hybrid autofocus can now detect airplanes and trains, and specific car and motorcycle parts.
- Display up to three frame markers – the size and position of frame markers can be adjusted to accommodate for different aspect ratios, or planning shots with multiple compositions.
- S Series Hybrid and Crop Zoom – achieve higher magnification without switching lenses. Crop Zoom is also available for the G9II.
- MP4(Lite) compatibility – enables video recording in Open Gate mode, consuming less data without compromising resolution.
The firmware updates will be available free of charge on the 23rd of January 2025.
LUMIX S5II Firmware Version 3.2 and LUMIX S5IIX Firmware Version 2.2
- Compatibility with the LUMIX Lab smartphone app has been expanded to include remote shooting, shutter control, image transfer directly from the camera, and a wireless live streaming feature for enhanced functionality.
- The phase hybrid auto focus system has been further improved with enhanced subject detection. A new option is now available to select detection of airplanes and trains, as well as specific parts of cars and motorcycles.
- A display feature for multiple frame markers has been added, allowing for the simultaneous display of up to three frame markers. The size and position of each frame marker can be adjusted, adding versatility for content creators framing for different aspect ratios or planning shots with multiple compositions. This further enhances the unrivaled convenience of shooting in Open Gate.
- Hybrid Zoom and Crop Zoom features have been introduced, offering higher magnification without the need to exchange lenses. Hybrid Zoom achieves this magnification using only the zoom ring by combining optical zoom with Crop Zoom. Crop Zoom extracts the central part of an image and enhances the zoom effect without degrading image quality. These features provide greater flexibility for precise framing and capturing shots, catering to a variety of shooting scenarios.
- MP4(Lite) compatibility has been added, enabling video recording in Open Gate mode with reduced data consumption without compromising resolution. This new smartphone-optimized format makes it easier to quickly share content on social media.
- Operational stability has been improved.
LUMIX GH7 Firmware Version 1.3
- Compatibility with the LUMIX Lab smartphone app has been expanded to include remote shooting, shutter control, image transfer directly from the camera, and a wireless live streaming feature for enhanced functionality.
- A display feature for multiple frame markers has been added, allowing for the simultaneous display of up to three frame markers. The size and position of each frame marker can be adjusted, adding versatility for content creators framing for different aspect ratios or planning shots with multiple compositions. This further enhances the unrivaled convenience of shooting in Open Gate.
- MP4(Lite) compatibility has been added, enabling video recording in Open Gate mode with reduced data consumption without compromising resolution. This new smartphone-optimized format makes it easier to quickly share content on social media.
- Operational stability has been improved.
LUMIX G9II Firmware Version 2.3
- Compatibility with the LUMIX Lab smartphone app has been expanded to include remote shooting, shutter control, and the transfer of images selected on the camera, enhancing its functionality.
- The phase hybrid auto focus system has been further improved with enhanced subject detection. A new option is now available to select detection of airplanes and trains, as well as specific parts of cars and motorcycles.
- A display feature for multiple frame markers has been added, allowing for the simultaneous display of up to three frame markers. The size and position of each frame marker can be adjusted, adding versatility for content creators framing for different aspect ratios or planning shots with multiple compositions. This further enhances the unrivaled convenience of shooting in Open Gate.
- The Crop Zoom feature has been introduced, enabling the extraction of the central part of an image and enhancing the zoom effect without degrading image quality. This feature also allows prime lenses to be used as if they have a longer focal length, enhancing the versatility of existing lenses in different shooting scenarios.
- MP4(Lite) compatibility has been added, enabling video recording in Open Gate mode with reduced data consumption without compromising resolution. This new smartphone-optimized format makes it easier to quickly share content on social media.
- Operational stability has been improved.
