The best video camera of the year is already seeing incredible Black Friday discounts

Timothy Coleman
·7-min read
Panasonic Lumix S5 II on lilac background with price cut graphic.
Panasonic Lumix S5 II on lilac background with price cut graphic.

We've only just awarded the Panasonic Lumix S5 II best video camera of the year in the TechRadar Choice Awards 2023, and now the full-frame hybrid mirrorless camera, which shoots incredible 6K video has received a massive price drop, and is definitely one of our picks as the best Black Friday camera deals.

The tastiest discount is available in the UK thanks largely to a Panasonic cashback scheme available through most of the leading photo retailers, but there's still healthy price cuts in the US at B&H Photo and others. In this Black Friday deal, the S5 II body only is available for just £1,299 at WEX – that's quite the drop since its launch price of £1,999 less than a year ago. And in the US, $300 has been slashed off the price (no cash back involved), to a new low price of $1,697.99 at B&H Photo.

There's also deals on lens kits for the same camera, while the pricier S5 IIX has reasonable discounts, too. If you don't need the latest video prowess of these second-gen models, the S5 is also at record low prices. Check out the deals in full below.

Grab the best Black Friday Panasonic S5 series deal from B&H Photo in the US

Panasonic Lumix S5 II (body only): was $1,997.99 now $1,697.99 at B&H Photo
Save $300: Receiving the TechRadar Choice Award 2023 for best video camera, the Panasonic Lumix SII is the best hybrid  photo and video camera for the money, if video is your primary focus. At full price, the S5 II was already great value thanks to its fantastic image stabilization, sharp 'open gate' 6K video, and excellent phase-detect autofocus, but today's Black Friday deal brings it right down to a new record-low price. If you only need to pick up lenses too, the twin lens kit with the speedy Panasonic 50mm F1.8 L-Mount prime and multi-purpose 20-60mm costs $2,345.98 via the same link – that's $400 off. View Deal

Panasonic Lumix S5 II X (with 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 and 50mm F1.8 lenses): was $2,945.98 now $2,545.98 at B&H Photo
Save $400: This pricier version of the S5 II adds extra video recording features that we've summarized in this S5 II vs S5 IIX article, but is an otherwise identical camera. Contrary to the S5 II, the smaller portion of this deal is cash back that you can claim from Panasonic (£100) while the larger portion is a straight up saving of £250 off the cost. You'll struggle to find a better video camera for the priceView Deal

Panasonic Lumix S5 body only: was £$1,819.79 now $997.99 at B&H Photo
Save $821 - This the lowest price we've seen for the Lumix S5, which makes it a serious full-frame bargain. We rate the S5 as one of the best hybrid cameras around, particularly if you lean towards shooting video. It shoots 4K/60p 10-bit video and has 5-axis image stabilization to keep things steady. For the same price as body-only, B&H Photo offers an Accessories Kit that includes a memory card and bag. Add the excellent 20-60mm lens and the kit costs $1,297.99.View Deal

Grab the best Black Friday Panasonic S5 series deal from WEX in the UK

Panasonic Lumix S5 II: was £1,799 now £1,299 at WEX
Save £500: Receiving the TechRadar Choice Award 2023 for best video camera, the Panasonic Lumix SII is the best hybrid photo and video camera for the money, if video is your primary focus. At full price, the S5 II was already great value thanks to its fantastic image stabilization, sharp 'open gate' 6K video, and excellent phase-detect autofocus, but today's Black Friday deal brings it right down to a new record-low price. The mega saving is mostly made up of a £400 cashback that you can claim from Panasonic. If you're interested in a lens kit, then the twin lens bundle that includes the speedy Panasonic 50mm F1.8 L-Mount prime and multi-purpose 20-60mm is only £1,799 at WEX, again that's £500 off. View Deal

Panasonic Lumix S5 II X body only: was £2,149 now £1,799 at WEX
Save £350: This pricier version of the S5 II adds extra video recording features that we've summarized in this S5 II vs S5 IIX article, but is an otherwise identical camera. Contrary to the S5 II, the smaller portion of this deal is cash back that you can claim from Panasonic (£100) while the larger portion is a straight up saving of £250 off the cost. You'll struggle to find a better video camera for the price.View Deal

Panasonic Lumix S5 with 20-60mm lens: was £1,299 now £1,199 at Amazon 
A chunky price drop for the S5 was on the cards ever since it was succeeded by the incredible Panasonic S5 II this year, but our S5 review describes this low-price, full-frame mirrorless as one of the best hybrid all-round cameras you can buy and it's still a solid shooter today. What's more, it comes with the excellent 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 which is an excellent optic for photography and video, for £100 less than the S5 II body only, and makes this an unbeatable deal. View Deal

Panasonic has always offered great bang for buck, especially if video is your primary focus. However, there was one area holding its Lumix cameras back; autofocus. Cameras like the S5 and micro four thirds models like the excellent GH6 use contrast detection based autofocus which is snappy for photos, but less suitable for video. That all changed with the S5 II.

The S5 II was the first Panasonic camera to use phase detection autofocus, and it really works for video. We were seriously impressed with the S5 II during review, with its 6K open gate video, incredible image stablization, excellent handling and now fast and smooth autofocus. Add a growing range of L-mount lenses, and the S5 II is one of our top picks for video.

If you're in the market for a new camera and would like to shop around for Panasonic Lumix S5 II alternatives, you can also check out our Black Friday camera deals page.

Panasonic Lumix S5 II camera on a table with view of the front
Panasonic Lumix S5 II camera on a table with view of the front

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