• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 12.1 megapixels
  •  
  • APS-C 332.3mm2
  • 24.2 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600

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Differences

Panasonic GF3 advantages over Canon EOS M5

  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Limited
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • Bigger pixels
    ~ 4.33 vs 3.72 microns
    Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
  • Thinner
    32 mm vs 60 mm
    Thinner
  • Lighter weight
    320g vs 557g
    Lighter weight
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots

Canon EOS M5 advantages over Panasonic GF3

  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    APS-C vs 4/3
    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
  • Tiltable Screen
    Tiltable vs Fixed
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • Fast startup
    ~1.20 vs 1.9 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Wi-Fi vs None
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • NFC
    Yes vs No
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Yes vs No
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Better color depth
    23.4 vs 20.6 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    1,262 vs 458 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    12.4 vs 10.0 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Yes vs No
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • More telephoto lens reach
    72 mm vs 28 mm
    Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
  • External Mic Jack
    Jack vs No jack
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • Newer
    8 years vs 13 years old
    Newer cameras often support more advanced features
  • Shoots 24p video
    Yes vs No
    Gives your movies a big-screen feel
  • More dots on screen
    1620k vs 460k dots
    Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
  • Hot shoe
    Hot shoe vs None
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • Shoots 1080p video
    Yes vs No
    You'll want this if you shoot video
  • Less shutter lag
    0.14 vs 0.31 sec
    Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
  • More pixels
    24.2 vs 12.1 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Wider angle kit lens
    24 mm vs 28 mm
    Capture more of the scene with the included lens
  • Bulb shutter
    Bulb vs No bulb
    Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    9.2 fps vs 3.5 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Higher extended ISO
    25600 vs 6400 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Touchscreen
    Both provide
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • Internal flash
    Both provide
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • HDMI out
    Both provide
    Use HDMI output to monitor or review video

Common Weaknesses

  • Tilt-swivel screen
    Neither provide
    Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Neither provide
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • In-camera panoramas
    Neither provide
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • Top deck display
    Neither provide
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • Dual card slots
    Neither provide
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Headphone jack
    Neither provide
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Slow-motion videos
    Neither provide
    Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

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Your purchases support this site

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Canon EOS M5

Review Excerpt

  • Small, solid, light body; Good image quality; 14mm kit lens is of good quality and very small; Very fast autofocus; Excellent selection of lenses; Very fun to shoot with.

  • Small controls; Touchscreen interface might not be for everyone; Weak flash; Does not work with most accessories from previous models; JPEG image quality falls short of third-generation competition.

  • Enthusiast-oriented compact camera body; Good image quality in most situations; Built-in electronic viewfinder; Impressive Dual Pixel CMOS AF; Very good overall performance.

  • High ISO image quality and dynamic range aren't quite up to par with some of its competition; No 4K video recording; Native EF-M lens selection is still limited; Below average battery life.

The Competition

Compared to Panasonic GF2

Panasonic GF3
Panasonic GF2
  • $675
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Faster JPEG shooting
  • $617
  • 4/3
  • Tiltable Screen
  • Fast startup
Canon EOS M5
Panasonic GF2
  • $787
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $617
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Bigger pixels

Compared to Panasonic GF3X

Panasonic GF3
Panasonic GF3X
  • $675
  • 4/3
  • $750
  • 4/3
  • More telephoto lens reach
Canon EOS M5
Panasonic GF3X
  • $787
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $750
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Bigger pixels

Compared to Panasonic GF5

Panasonic GF3
Panasonic GF5
  • $675
  • 4/3
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
  • $450
  • 4/3
  • Fast startup
  • Higher effective ISO
Canon EOS M5
Panasonic GF5
  • $787
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $450
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Panasonic GF3
Fujifilm X-Pro2
  • $675
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Touchscreen
  • $1300
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Canon EOS M5
Fujifilm X-Pro2
  • $787
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Touchscreen
  • $1300
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Larger sensor

Compared to Canon EOS M50

Panasonic GF3
Canon EOS M50
  • $675
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • Bigger pixels
  • $579
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Canon EOS M5
Canon EOS M50
  • $787
  • APS-C
  • Fast startup
  • Longer stills battery life
  • $579
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Tilt-swivel screen
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