Mathew Sutherland selects Outex for GH5 II Lumix Launch
May 28, 2021
When the Camera Is a Prototype Worth Tens of Thousands of Dollars, You Don’t Guess on the Housing
Lumix ambassador and commercial cinematographer Mathew Sutherland was asked by Panasonic to direct a short film showcasing the new GH5 Mark II — before it was publicly available. He wanted to take it into the ocean. No hard-case housing existed for the body yet. So he called Outex.
The result was The California Double — a cinematic short following a love story between two people surfing and snowboarding across Southern California in a single day. Shot on a pre-production prototype GH5 II protected by an Outex waterproof housing system, the film put one of the most technically demanding cameras on the market through some of the most demanding environments imaginable: Pacific surf, bright white snow slopes, dark night scenes, and everything in between.
The Problem: A Prototype Camera, No Housing, High Stakes
Mathew had already been an Outex customer before this assignment. He knew the system. But this project raised the stakes considerably.
The Lumix GH5 Mark II was still in pre-production. The cameras Panasonic supplied for the shoot were prototypes — each worth tens of thousands of dollars. Mathew’s vision required taking one into the surf. Hard-case housing manufacturers build around production camera bodies, and none existed yet for the GH5 II. A custom rigid housing wasn’t an option.
Mathew contacted Outex. The team worked with him directly, providing product guidance and recommending the specific accessories that would suit his setup and the shoot conditions. Because the Outex system is universal — built around lens filter thread sizes rather than specific camera bodies — it fit the GH5 II without modification.
Southern California as a Cinematographic Test
The California Double was designed as a showcase of the GH5 II’s imaging capabilities across extreme conditions. The film moves from green Pacific surf to the white slopes of a Southern California mountain — high dynamic range, saturated colors, dark night sequences, and intensely bright environments shot back to back.
Shooting in and around the surf added a layer of technical complexity. Mathew needed full control over the GH5 II’s video settings and autofocus system while in the water. The Outex system’s tactile flexible membrane gave him direct access to every button, dial, and control — exactly where they are on the camera — rather than the mechanical proxies of a rigid housing.
What Mathew Said About Outex
After the shoot, Mathew was direct about the role Outex played:
“I could not have executed my vision without Outex.”
He specifically called out the system’s universal fit — the ability to use one housing across multiple cameras and lenses without replacing it when the body changes. For a working cinematographer who shoots on different platforms across different assignments, that matters. He also highlighted image quality, portability, reliability, and affordability as key reasons he recommends Outex to other content creators.
Watch the Full Interview
Mathew sat down with Sammy’s Camera to walk through the production of The California Double — including his gear choices, the Outex system, and what it took to execute the vision across surf and snow in a single day.
Why Outex Works When No Hard Case Exists
Hard-case housings are built around specific camera models. When a new body ships — especially a pre-production prototype — there’s no housing available for months, if ever. Outex is different: because the system is built around lens filter thread sizes and a universal flexible membrane, it works with virtually any camera from day one.
For Mathew, that meant he could protect a high-value prototype in the surf with confidence, maintain full creative control over the camera’s settings, and deliver the footage Panasonic needed to launch one of their most important cameras of the year.
That’s what Outex is built for: taking the camera you already use — or the one you just received — into environments where an unprotected camera can’t go.
Universal fit. Optical glass ports. Full camera control. Travel-ready.