Nikon J5 vs Panasonic GX8

Panasonic GX8 advantages over Nikon J5

• Tilt-swivel screen
  Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
  Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
• Lens selection
  Excellent vs Limited
  Better lens selection gives you more options
• Focus peaking
  Peaker vs Non-peaker
  Your camera will highlight what's in focus
• Larger sensor
  4/3 vs 1 inch
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Eye-level viewfinder
  Eye-level vs Rear display only
  You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
• In-Camera Image Stabilization
  Yes vs No
  Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 3.34 vs 2.37 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• Fast startup
  ~1.20 vs 2.0 sec
  Faster startup lets you catch the moment
• Better color depth

  Better color depth

  Color depth refers to the number of unique colors that a sensor can faithfully capture. Cameras with better color depth will demonstrate smoother transitions from one color to the next, and avoid "banding" in areas with subtle shading. (Blue skies are an example of where you might see color banding.)

  More color depth is generally better, but you'll struggle to notice a difference between two cameras with less than 1 bit of difference. Color depth above 22 bits is considered excellent.

  Want to learn more? Head over to our full glossary entry on color depth

  Color depth test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  GX8 test data on DxO Mark J5 test data on DxO Mark
  23.5 vs 21.1 bits
  Capture richer, more accurate colors
• Higher effective ISO

  Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  GX8 test data on DxO Mark J5 test data on DxO Mark
  806 vs 479 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• Longer stills battery life
  More info

  Longer stills battery life

  Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

  Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

  340 vs 250 shots
  Capture more photos
• External Mic Jack
  Jack vs No jack
  Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
• Higher max flash sync
  1/250 vs 1/60 sec
  Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
• Shoots 24p video
  Yes vs No
  Gives your movies a big-screen feel
• Hot shoe
  Hot shoe vs None
  Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
• Has anti-aliasing filter
  Filter vs No Filter
  Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
• Longer exposure
  60 vs 30 sec
  Long exposures for night shots
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  Unlimited vs 20 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
• Bigger RAW buffer
  36 vs 20 shots
  Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
• Higher extended ISO
  25600 vs 12800 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility