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Panasonic GH5 Comparison Review

The Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was revealed to the public in January 2017 and is equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. It offers a resolution of 20.2 megapixel.

camera

Is the Panasonic GH5 a good camera? The GH5 has a Camera Elo of 2533. This rating puts the GH5 among the top 50 percent of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (Four Thirds cameras), the GH5 ranks among the top 20 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 4-star performance rating.

Headline Specifications
Panasonic GH5
Mirrorless system camera
Micro Four Thirds lenses
20.2 MP, Four Thirds Sensor
4K/60p Video
ISO 200 - 25 600
Electronic viewfinder (3680k dots)
3.2 LCD, 1620k dots
Swivel touchscreen
12 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body
410 shots per battery charge
139 x 98 x 87 mm, 725 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

An illustration of the physical dimensions of the Panasonic GH5 vis-à-vis a credit card is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Panasonic GH5 vs credit card front
GH5 versus credit card top view
GH5 and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Panasonic GH5 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
#   Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Panasonic GH5 139 mm 98 mm 87 mm 725 g 410 Y Jan 2017 1,999ebay.com
2.
 
Olympus E-M1 II 134 mm 91 mm 67 mm 574 g 440 Y Sep 2016 1,999ebay.com
3.
 
OM System OM-1 135 mm 92 mm 73 mm 599 g 520 Y Feb 2022 2,199ebay.com
4.
 
Panasonic G9 II 134 mm 102 mm 90 mm 658 g 390 Y Sep 2023 1,899 amazon.com
5.
 
Panasonic GH6 138 mm 100 mm 100 mm 823 g 360 Y Feb 2022 2,199 amazon.com
6.
 
Panasonic GH5 II 139 mm 98 mm 87 mm 727 g 400 Y May 2021 1,699 amazon.com
7.
 
Panasonic S5 133 mm 98 mm 82 mm 714 g 440 Y Sep 2020 1,999 amazon.com
8.
 
Panasonic G9 137 mm 97 mm 92 mm 658 g 400 Y Nov 2017 1,699 amazon.com
9.
 
Panasonic G85 128 mm 89 mm 74 mm 505 g 330 Y Sep 2016 899ebay.com
10.
 
Panasonic GX8 133 mm 78 mm 63 mm 487 g 330 Y Jul 2015 1,199ebay.com
11.
 
Panasonic GH4 133 mm 93 mm 84 mm 560 g 500 Y Feb 2014 1,499ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Panasonic GH5 was launched in the US market at a price of $1,999. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Panasonic GH5 features a Four Thirds sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Panasonic GH5 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Panasonic GH5 sensor measures

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of alternative cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
#   Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Panasonic GH5 Four Thirds 20.2 5184 38884K/60p23.913.080777
2.
 
Olympus E-M1 II Four Thirds 20.2 5184 38884K/30p23.712.8131280
3.
 
OM System OM-1 Four Thirds 20.2 5184 38884K/60p23.413.4155377
4.
 
Panasonic G9 II Four Thirds 25.0 5776 43365.7K/60p23.413.5171078
5.
 
Panasonic GH6 Four Thirds 25.0 5776 43365.7K/60p23.413.4155577
6.
 
Panasonic GH5 II Four Thirds 20.2 5184 38884K/60p23.713.1113679
7.
 
Panasonic S5 Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/60p25.114.5269794
8.
 
Panasonic G9 Four Thirds 20.2 5184 38884K/60p23.112.8113874
9.
 
Panasonic G85 Four Thirds 15.8 4592 34484K/30p22.812.565671
10.
 
Panasonic GX8 Four Thirds 20.2 5184 38884K/30p23.512.680675
11.
 
Panasonic GH4 Four Thirds 15.9 4608 34564K/30p23.212.879174
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.
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Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The GH5 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the GH5 can use is 4K/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the GH5 has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 3680k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.76x. The tables below summarize some of the other core capabilities of the Panasonic GH5 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

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Core Features
#   Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Panasonic GH53680 n3.2 / 1620 swivel Y 1/8000s 12.0/s n Y
2.
 
Olympus E-M1 II2360 n3.0 / 1037 swivel Y 1/8000s 18.0/s n Y
3.
 
OM System OM-15760 n3.0 / 1640 swivel Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
4.
 
Panasonic G9 II3680 n3.0 / 1840 swivel Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
5.
 
Panasonic GH63680 n3.0 / 1840 full-flex Y 1/8000s 14.0/s n Y
6.
 
Panasonic GH5 II3680 n3.0 / 1840 swivel Y 1/8000s 12.0/s n Y
7.
 
Panasonic S52360 n3.0 / 1840 swivel Y 1/8000s 7.0/s n Y
8.
 
Panasonic G93680 Y3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/8000s 20.0/s n Y
9.
 
Panasonic G852360 n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 9.0/s Y Y
10.
 
Panasonic GX82360 n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/8000s 10.0/s n Y
11.
 
Panasonic GH42359 n3.0 / 1036 swivel Y 1/8000s 12.0/s Y n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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The LCD screen on the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD is hinged on the side and can be flipped out for odd-angle shots in both portrait and landscape orientation. Also, this fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment is often appreciated by videographers for its flexibility. Moreover, v-loggers like the design because the screen can be turned to be front-facing.

articulated screen
Flexible screen on the GH5

One feature that differentiates the GH5 from many older cameras is in-body image stabilization (IBIS). The GH5 reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while cameras without IBIS have to rely on optical image stabilization in OIS-equipped lenses to achieve the same effect.

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Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
#   Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Panasonic GH5Ystereo / monoYYfull3.1Y-Y
2.
 
Olympus E-M1 IIYstereo / monoYYmicro3.0Y--
3.
 
OM System OM-1Ystereo / monoYYmicro3.0Y-Y
4.
 
Panasonic G9 IIYstereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y
5.
 
Panasonic GH6Ystereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y
6.
 
Panasonic GH5 IIYstereo / monoYYfull3.2Y-Y
7.
 
Panasonic S5Ystereo / monoYYmicro3.2Y-Y
8.
 
Panasonic G9Ystereo / monoYYfull3.0Y-Y
9.
 
Panasonic G85Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0Y--
10.
 
Panasonic GX8Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0YY-
11.
 
Panasonic GH4Ystereo / monoYYmicro2.0YY-
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It is notable that the GH5 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the GH5 can be found in the free online Panasonic GH5 Manual or on the Panasonic support site.

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Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the GH5. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
#    Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Panasonic GH54.5/5+ +..85/1004.5/55/5 Jan 2017 1,999ebay.com
2.
 
Olympus E-M1 II5/5+ +5/585/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2016 1,999ebay.com
3.
 
OM System OM-15/5....87/1005/54.5/5 Feb 2022 2,199ebay.com
4.
 
Panasonic G9 II............ Sep 2023 1,899 amazon.com
5.
 
Panasonic GH65/5+ +5/587/1005/55/5 Feb 2022 2,199 amazon.com
6.
 
Panasonic GH5 II4.5/5..4.5/585/1004.5/55/5 May 2021 1,699 amazon.com
7.
 
Panasonic S54.5/5+ +4.5/588/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2020 1,999 amazon.com
8.
 
Panasonic G9..+ +5/585/1005/55/5 Nov 2017 1,699 amazon.com
9.
 
Panasonic G85..+ +..84/1005/54.5/5 Sep 2016 899ebay.com
10.
 
Panasonic GX85/5+..82/1004.5/54.5/5 Jul 2015 1,199ebay.com
11.
 
Panasonic GH45/5+ +..85/1005/55/5 Feb 2014 1,499ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Panasonic GH5 FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the GH5.

What is the technology behind the imaging sensor in the Panasonic GH5?

The camera is build around a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.

Which image processing chip is used in the Panasonic GH5 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Panasonic equipped the GH5 with the Venus 10 image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Panasonic GH5?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-25600.

Does the Panasonic GH5 have a selfie-friendly screen?

Yes, the LCD-screen of the GH5 is flexible and can be turned to be front-facing for capturing selfies.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5?

Panasonic mentions a shutter rating of 200 000 actuations for the GH5. This number represents a Mean Time before Failure, that is an average value. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust the expected shutter life of the GH5 over, say, three years, one would have to take about 200 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Panasonic GH5?

Panasonic embeds the number of shutter actuations in hidden menus. You can check the number of shots that your GH5 has taken up to now by carefully following the steps described on the Panasonic GH5 shutter count page.

Is completely silent shooting possible with the Panasonic GH5?

The camera has an electronic shutter option, so that it is indeed feasible to capture images without any shutter noise.

Do I need to purchase an external camera trigger to shoot time-lapse sequences with the Panasonic GH5?

No, the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 has an intervalometer built-in, so that low frequency shooting (for example, flower blooming, sunset, moon rise) can be undertaken without the need to purchase a separate external intervalometer and related software.

Is it difficult to use manual focus lenses with the Panasonic GH5?

The GH5 offers focus peaking as a manual focus aid. This feature works by placing a colored highlight on in-focus zones within the image.

Does the Panasonic GH5 feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Panasonic GH5 for flash photography?

The GH5's flash sync speed is 1/250 sec.

Does the Panasonic GH5 support the Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus interface for SD cards?

Yes, the camera can indeed use UHS-II cards, which provide for data transfer speed of up to 312 MB/s, in both of its card slots.

Which battery does the Panasonic GH5 use?

The camera gets its power from the DMW-BLF19 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Is there a vertical grip available for the Panasonic GH5?

Yes, Panasonic offers the DMW-BGGH5 as an optional accessory to facilitate shooting in portrait orientation and to provide additional battery power.

Where can I find the best deals for the Panasonic GH5?

Grey imports from Asia, as found on ebay, are often very attractively priced. However, these cameras come without a warranty from Panasonic.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Panasonic GH5
    Camera Type Mirrorless system camera
    Camera Lens Micro Four Thirds lenses
    Launch Date January 2017
    Launch Price USD 1 999
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format Four Thirds Sensor
    Sensor Size 17.3 x 13.0 mm
    Sensor Area 225 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 21.6 mm
    Crop Factor 2.0x
    Sensor Resolution 20.2 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 5 184 x 3 888 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 3.34 μm
    Pixel Density 8.96 MP/cm2
    Moiré control no AA filter
    Movie Capability 4K/60p Video
    ISO Setting 200 - 25 600 ISO
    ISO Boost 100 - 25 600 ISO
    Image Processor Venus 10
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 77
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 23.9
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 13.0
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 807
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.76x
    Viewfinder Resolution 3680k dots
    Top-Level Screen no Top Display
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 3.2 inch
    LCD Resolution 1620k dots
    LCD Attachment Swivel screen
    V-logging Friendliness Front-flip possible
    Touch Input Touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System Contrast-detect AF
    Manual Focusing AidFocus Peaking
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000s
    Continuous Shooting 12 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy200 000 actuations
    Silent ShootingElectronic Shutter
    Time Lapse PhotographyIntervalometer Built-in
    Image StabilizationIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash no On-Board Flash
    Storage Medium SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Dual card slots
    UHS card support Dual UHS-II
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    Studio Flash PC Sync socket
    USB Connector USB 3.1
    HDMI Port full HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port
    Headphone Socket Headphone port
    Wifi Support Wifi built-in
    Bluetooth Support Bluetooth built-in
    Body Specs
    Environmental SealingWeathersealed body
    Battery Type DMW-BLF19 power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)410 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 139 x 98 x 87 mm
    (5.5 x 3.9 x 3.4 in)
    Camera Weight 725 g (25.6 oz)

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