The best Panasonic cameras
Panasonic has a rich history as a producer of video cameras and recorders and moved into the enthusiast market for still photography with the release of the Lumix DMC-L1 in February 2006. Since then, the company has developed a comprehensive range of models, both interchangeable lens cameras and compact digicams that come with a built-in lens. It also uses a variety of imaging sensors in its models, ranging from full-frame, over Four Thirds, to small 1/2.3-inch sensors.
The choice of a particular type of camera depends very much on the intended use. A professional wedding photographer has different requirements than a casual family holiday shooter, and a sports reporter has different needs than a landscape artist. The importance of individual preferences and selection criteria means that the question which camera is best is not easy to answer. That said, general camera rankings can give a useful overview of the overall capabilities of various camera models and thereby provide the basis for more use-specific model comparisons and assessments.
The highest rated Panasonic cameras
The Camera Elo represents a comprehensive rating that takes the body, sensor and feature characteristics of digital cameras into account. It is based on the outcomes of thousands of pair-wise comparisons undertaken via the CAM-parator app.
The Panasonic S5 II is currently the top-ranked Panasonic camera with a Camera Elo of 3099, followed in second place by the Panasonic S1H with a rating of 3008. The table below lists the 20 highest ranked Panasonic cameras in descending order of their Elo. It also reports the cameras' DXO Mark sensor quality score, which can be taken as indicators of pure image quality. For both the Camera Elo and the DXO score, higher values represent better performance.
| Camera Model |
Lens Type |
Camera Elo |
DXO Score |
Camera Type |
Resolution (MP) |
Video Format |
Camera Launch | Launch Price | Street Price |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Panasonic S5 II | L Mount | 3099 | 96 | Mirrorless | 24.0 | 6K/30p | Jan 2023 | US$ 1 999 | amazon.com | |
| 2. | Panasonic S1H | L Mount | 3008 | 94 | Mirrorless | 24.0 | 6K/30p | May 2019 | US$ 3 999 | amazon.com | |
| 3. | Panasonic G9 II | Micro FT | 2983 | 78 | Mirrorless | 25.0 | 5.7K/60p | Sep 2023 | US$ 1 899 | amazon.com | |
| 4. | Panasonic S1R | L Mount | 2966 | 100 | Mirrorless | 46.7 | 4K/60p | Feb 2019 | US$ 3 699 | amazon.com | |
| 5. | Panasonic S1 | L Mount | 2948 | 95 | Mirrorless | 24.0 | 4K/60p | Feb 2019 | US$ 2 499 | amazon.com | |
| 6. | Panasonic S5 | L Mount | 2933 | 94 | Mirrorless | 24.0 | 4K/60p | Sep 2020 | US$ 1 999 | amazon.com | |
| 7. | Panasonic GH6 | Micro FT | 2879 | 77 | Mirrorless | 25.0 | 5.7K/60p | Feb 2022 | US$ 2 199 | amazon.com | |
| 8. | Panasonic GH5 II | Micro FT | 2820 | 79 | Mirrorless | 20.2 | 4K/60p | May 2021 | US$ 1 699 | amazon.com | |
| 9. | Panasonic G9 | Micro FT | 2775 | 74 | Mirrorless | 20.2 | 4K/60p | Nov 2017 | US$ 1 699 | ebay.com | |
| 10. | Panasonic G100 | Micro FT | 2650 | 76 | Mirrorless | 20.2 | 4K/30p | Jun 2020 | US$ 649 | amazon.com | |
| 11. | Panasonic G95 | Micro FT | 2622 | 75 | Mirrorless | 20.2 | 4K/30p | Apr 2019 | US$ 999 | ebay.com | |
| 12. | Panasonic GH5s | Micro FT | 2606 | 74 | Mirrorless | 9.9 | 4K/60p | Jan 2018 | US$ 2 499 | amazon.com | |
| 13. | Panasonic GH5 | Micro FT | 2589 | 77 | Mirrorless | 20.2 | 4K/60p | Jan 2017 | US$ 1 999 | ebay.com | |
| 14. | Panasonic FZ1000 II | 25-400 mm f/2.8-4.0 | 2544 | 65 | Compact | 20.0 | 4K/30p | Feb 2019 | US$ 899 | amazon.com | |
| 15. | Panasonic LX100 II | 24-75 mm f/1.7-2.8 | 2482 | 72 | Compact | 16.8 | 4K/30p | Aug 2018 | US$ 999 | ebay.com | |
| 16. | Panasonic GX9 | Micro FT | 2447 | 74 | Mirrorless | 20.2 | 4K/30p | Feb 2018 | US$ 849 | ebay.com | |
| 17. | Panasonic G85 | Micro FT | 2364 | 71 | Mirrorless | 15.8 | 4K/30p | Sep 2016 | US$ 899 | ebay.com | |
| 18. | Panasonic ZS80 | 24-720 mm f/3.3-6.4 | 2337 | 52 | Compact | 20.2 | 4K/30p | Feb 2019 | US$ 449 | ebay.com | |
| 19. | Panasonic ZS200 | 24-360 mm f/3.3-6.4 | 2336 | 64 | Compact | 20.0 | 4K/30p | Feb 2018 | US$ 799 | amazon.com | |
| 20. | Panasonic FZ2500 | 24-480 mm f/2.8-4.5 | 2296 | 70 | Compact | 20.0 | 4K/30p | Sep 2016 | US$ 1 199 | amazon.com | |
| Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age. | |||||||||||
You can access more detail on the listed cameras by clicking on the camera's name. Alternatively, you can compare two Panasonic cameras using the search boxes below. Just enter two model names into the input fields and you will promptly be taken to a respective comparison.
Further Reading
Additional information on the calculation of the Camera Elo can be found on a respective Elo methodology page. Moreover, there are other rankings of cameras by category that might be of interest:
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