What are the must-have accessories for a new Panasonic S5II?

Question

So I finally pulled the trigger on the Panasonic S5II and Im honestly so stoked to start shooting with it. Ive been saving up for months and it just arrived yesterday! Im planning to use it for a music festival gig here in Chicago next month so I need to get it kitted out pretty fast. My budget for accessories is about $500 total for now.

I did some digging online and everyone keeps pointing towards the SmallRig cages. I saw the standard one and then that Black Mamba version which looks cool but honestly I cant tell if it actually makes a difference in the hand or if its just for looks. Some guys say the full cage is overkill if Im mostly doing handheld but I want to mount a mic and maybe a handle. Also the whole SD card situation is confusing me... I read that V60 cards are fine for most 4K stuff but then some forum posts say you absolutely need V90 for the high bitrate modes and those cards are freaking expensive. Is it worth the jump if Im not doing much ProRes?

Here is what I definitely need:

extra batteries (should I go third party or stick to Lumix?)

a decent cage or top handle setup

sd cards that wont fail on me mid-set

maybe a monitor if I have enough cash left over

I really dont want to end up with a huge heavy rig that I hate carrying around all day at the festival. What are the absolute essentials you guys actually use daily?

VoxelVoyager · Accepted Answer

Congrats on the S5II. Its a beast for video work once you get it dialed in. For a festival environment, you definitely want to keep things lean so you arent exhausted by the third act. Carrying a heavy rig all day in the Chicago heat is gonna suck if you overdo it...

Power: I usually suggest staying with official batteries like the Panasonic DMW-BLK22 Lithium-Ion Battery for your main power source. Third-party ones can sometimes give weird percentage readings or die early. Tho, the SmallRig DMW-BLK22 USB-C Rechargeable Camera Battery is a solid backup since you can charge it directly with a phone charger or power bank during breaks.

Storage: You really dont need V90 cards for most modes. V60 is the sweet spot for 4K 10-bit. I use the ProGrade Digital SDXC UHS-II V60 Gold 128GB and it never drops frames at the standard bitrates. Get two of them so you can use the dual slots for overflow or real-time backup if you're worried about failures.

Rigging: The SmallRig Black Mamba Cage for S5II 4023 is actually worth it because it follows the cameras contours. It doesnt feel like a bulky box in your hand. Pair it with a SmallRig NATO Top Handle 2439 so you can quickly strip the camera down for transport when youre done shooting.

Monitor: Honestly? Id skip it for a festival gig. A festival is chaotic and a monitor adds weight and extra cables to snag on things. Use that cash for a good mic instead.

ThistleThrenody · Answer

Just found this thread! For a high-stakes festival gig, you absolutely gotta prioritize hardware safety and data integrity! I love using the Lexar Professional 1800x SDXC UHS-II 128GB V60 because they're incredibly stable for sustained 4K writes. Also, definitely grab the SmallRig 4022 Full Cage for Panasonic S5II to protect that camera! Its fantastic for peace of mind. The cage provides vital impact protection and keeps your ports safe from snags!

Archer · Answer

In my experience, V60 cards handle almost everything.ProGrade Digital SDXC UHS-II V60 Gold 128GBPanasonic DMW-BLK22 Battery Stick to OEM power to avoid annoying mid-set shutdowns.