Panasonic GM5 vs LX100 II

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 and the Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100 II are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in September 2014 and August 2018. The GM5 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the LX100 II is a fixed lens compact. Both cameras are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The GM5 has a resolution of 15.8 megapixels, whereas the LX100 II provides 16.8 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Panasonic GM5		Panasonic LX100 II
Mirrorless system camera		Fixed lens compact camera
Micro Four Thirds lenses		24-75mm f/1.7-2.8
15.8 MP – Four Thirds sensor		16.8 MP – Four Thirds sensor
1080/60p Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 200-25,600		ISO 200-25,600
Electronic viewfinder (1166k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (2764k dots)
3.0" LCD – 921k dots		3.0" LCD – 1240k dots
Fixed touchscreen		Fixed touchscreen
5.8 shutter flaps per second		11 shutter flaps per second
220 shots per battery charge		300 shots per battery charge
99 x 60 x 36 mm, 211 g		115 x 66 x 65 mm, 392 g

Check GM5 offers at
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Check LX100 II offers at
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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 and the Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100 II? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Panasonic GM5 and the Panasonic LX100 II are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The GM5 can be obtained in two different colors (black, silver), while the LX100 II is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Panasonic LX100 II is notably larger (28 percent) than the Panasonic GM5. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the GM5 nor the LX100 II are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the LX100 II has a lens built in, whereas the GM5 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can compare the optics available for the GM5 and their specifications in the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the GM5 gets 220 shots out of its Panasonic DMW-BLH7 battery, while the LX100 II can take 300 images on a single charge of its Panasonic DMW-BLG10 power pack. The power pack in the LX100 II can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Panasonic GM5	99 mm	60 mm	36 mm	211 g	220	n	Sep 2014	EUR 799	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic LX100 II	115 mm	66 mm	65 mm	392 g	300	n	Aug 2018	EUR 949	ebay.com
3.		Leica C-LUX	113 mm	67 mm	46 mm	340 g	370	n	Jun 2018	EUR 970	ebay.com
4.		Leica D-LUX 7	115 mm	66 mm	65 mm	392 g	300	n	Nov 2018	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-M10	119 mm	82 mm	46 mm	396 g	320	n	Jan 2014	EUR 599	ebay.com
6.		Olympus E-M10 II	120 mm	83 mm	47 mm	390 g	320	n	Aug 2015	EUR 599	ebay.com
7.		Panasonic FZ1000	137 mm	99 mm	131 mm	831 g	360	n	Jun 2014	EUR 899	ebay.com
8.		Panasonic FZ1000 II	136 mm	97 mm	131 mm	810 g	350	n	Feb 2019	EUR 849	amazon.com
9.		Panasonic G6	122 mm	85 mm	71 mm	390 g	340	n	Apr 2013	EUR 549	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic G7	125 mm	86 mm	77 mm	410 g	350	n	May 2015	EUR 699	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic GH2	124 mm	90 mm	76 mm	442 g	330	n	Sep 2010	EUR 899	ebay.com
12.		Panasonic GM1	99 mm	55 mm	30 mm	204 g	230	n	Oct 2013	EUR 699	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic GX1	116 mm	68 mm	39 mm	318 g	320	n	Nov 2011	EUR 599	ebay.com
14.		Panasonic LX100	115 mm	66 mm	55 mm	393 g	300	n	Sep 2014	EUR 799	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic TZ90	112 mm	67 mm	41 mm	322 g	380	n	Apr 2017	EUR 429	ebay.com
16.		Ricoh GR	117 mm	61 mm	35 mm	245 g	290	n	Apr 2013	EUR 749	ebay.com
17.		Ricoh GR II	117 mm	63 mm	35 mm	251 g	320	n	Jun 2015	EUR 799	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. 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.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units 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 more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the LX100 II is 18 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have format factors, respectively, of 2.0 (GM5) and 2.2. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3. The LX100 II has the particularity of featuring a switch that allows to toggle between multiple aspect ratios, while maintaining the same field of view and full image resolution.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the LX100 II offers a slightly higher resolution of 16.8 megapixels, compared with 15.8 MP of the GM5. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.32μm versus 3.77μm for the GM5). However, it should be noted that the LX100 II is much more recent (by 3 years and 11 months) than the GM5, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the LX100 II has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 200 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-25600. The Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100 II offers exactly the same ISO settings.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Panasonic GM5	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	1080/60p	22.1	11.7	721	66
2.		Panasonic LX100 II	Four Thirds	16.8	4736	3552	4K/30p	22.8	12.7	979	72
3.		Leica C-LUX	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.3	481	64
4.		Leica D-LUX 7	Four Thirds	16.8	4736	3552	4K/30p	22.9	12.8	1002	72
5.		Olympus E-M10	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.3	884	72
6.		Olympus E-M10 II	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	23.1	12.5	842	73
7.		Panasonic FZ1000	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	11.7	517	64
8.		Panasonic FZ1000 II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.4	546	65
9.		Panasonic G6	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	21.3	11.5	639	61
10.		Panasonic G7	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	4K/30p	22.8	12.4	904	71
11.		Panasonic GH2	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60i	21.2	11.3	655	60
12.		Panasonic GM1	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	1080/60i	22.3	11.7	660	66
13.		Panasonic GX1	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	1080/60p	20.8	10.6	703	55
14.		Panasonic LX100	Four Thirds	12.7	4112	3088	4K/30p	22.3	12.5	553	67
15.		Panasonic TZ90	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	19.1	10.6	106	36
16.		Ricoh GR	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.6	13.5	972	78
17.		Ricoh GR II	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.6	13.7	1078	80
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the LX100 II provides a better video resolution than the GM5. It can shoot movie footage at 4K/30p, while the GM5 is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the LX100 II offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the GM5 (2764k vs 1166k dots). The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Panasonic GM5 and Panasonic LX100 II along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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 GM5	1166	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	Y	1/500s	5.8/s	n	n
2.		Panasonic LX100 II	2764	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
3.		Leica C-LUX	2330	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
4.		Leica D-LUX 7	2764	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
5.		Olympus E-M10	1440	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
6.		Olympus E-M10 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Panasonic FZ1000	2359	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
8.		Panasonic FZ1000 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1240	swivel	Y	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Panasonic G6	1440	n	3.0 / 1036	swivel	Y	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	n
10.		Panasonic G7	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	n
11.		Panasonic GH2	1534	n	3.0 / 460	swivel	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
12.		Panasonic GM1	none	n	3.0 / 1036	fixed	Y	1/500s	5.0/s	Y	n
13.		Panasonic GX1	optional	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.2/s	Y	n
14.		Panasonic LX100	2764	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
15.		Panasonic TZ90	1166	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
16.		Ricoh GR	optional	n	3.0 / 1230	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
17.		Ricoh GR II	optional	n	3.0 / 1230	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, both cameras under consideration feature an electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Panasonic GM5 and the Panasonic LX100 II both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the GM5 and the LX100 II write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity 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 DMC-GM5 and Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100 II and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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 GM5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
2.		Panasonic LX100 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
3.		Leica C-LUX	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
4.		Leica D-LUX 7	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
5.		Olympus E-M10	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
6.		Olympus E-M10 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Panasonic FZ1000	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
8.		Panasonic FZ1000 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Panasonic G6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Panasonic G7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
11.		Panasonic GH2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Panasonic GM1	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
13.		Panasonic GX1	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Panasonic LX100	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
15.		Panasonic TZ90	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
16.		Ricoh GR	Y	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Ricoh GR II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

Both the GM5 and the LX100 II have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. Neither of the two has a direct successor, so they represent the end of the respective camera lines from Panasonic. Further information on the features and operation of the GM5 and LX100 II can be found, respectively, in the Panasonic GM5 Manual (free pdf) or the online Panasonic LX100 II Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is there a clear favorite between the Panasonic GM5 and the Panasonic LX100 II? Which camera is better? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Arguments in favor of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better image quality: Features bigger pixels on a larger sensor for higher quality imaging.
• Richer colors: The pixel size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
• More dynamic range: Larger pixels capture a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
• Better low-light sensitivity: Larger pixels means good image quality even under poor lighting.
• More flexible: Accepts interchangeable lenses, so that lens characteristics can be altered.
• More compact: Is smaller (99x60mm vs 115x66mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in September 2014).

Advantages of the Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100 II:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Flexible image proportions: Has a multi-aspect sensor that allows for alternative image shapes.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (2764k vs 1166k dots).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.70x vs 0.46x).
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1240k vs 921k dots).
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/4000s vs 1/500s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (11 vs 5.8 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Ready to shoot: Has an integrated lens, whereas the GM5 necessitates an extra lens.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (300 versus 220) out of a single battery charge.
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More modern: Reflects 3 years and 11 months of technical progress since the GM5 launch.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the LX100 II is the clear winner of the contest (14 : 8 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Panasonic GM5 and the Panasonic LX100 II place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera and Best Travel-Zoom Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the GM5 and the LX100 II in practical situations. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The following table reports the overall ratings 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]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Panasonic GM5	3.5/5	+	..	77/100	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	EUR 799	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic LX100 II	4.5/5	+	4.2/5	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2018	EUR 949	ebay.com
3.		Leica C-LUX	..	..	3.5/5	..	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2018	EUR 970	ebay.com
4.		Leica D-LUX 7	..	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	Nov 2018	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-M10	4/5	..	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Jan 2014	EUR 599	ebay.com
6.		Olympus E-M10 II	4.5/5	+ +	..	80/100	5/5	5/5	Aug 2015	EUR 599	ebay.com
7.		Panasonic FZ1000	4/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2014	EUR 899	ebay.com
8.		Panasonic FZ1000 II	..	..	..	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2019	EUR 849	amazon.com
9.		Panasonic G6	4/5	+ +	..	..	5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2013	EUR 549	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic G7	4/5	+ +	3.5/5	80/100	5/5	4.5/5	May 2015	EUR 699	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic GH2	5/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	5/5	Sep 2010	EUR 899	ebay.com
12.		Panasonic GM1	3/5	+	..	78/100	5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	EUR 699	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic GX1	3/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Nov 2011	EUR 599	ebay.com
14.		Panasonic LX100	5/5	+ +	..	85/100	5/5	5/5	Sep 2014	EUR 799	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic TZ90	..	+ +	4/5	..	4/5	4/5	Apr 2017	EUR 429	ebay.com
16.		Ricoh GR	5/5	..	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2013	EUR 749	ebay.com
17.		Ricoh GR II	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	EUR 799	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time 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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Check LX100 II offers at
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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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