• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 12.1 megapixels
  • ISO 160 - 6400
  • 35mm 847.3mm2
  • 24.2 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 51,200

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Differences

Panasonic GF5 advantages over Sony A7 III

  • Less expensive
    $450 vs $1498
    Save money for lenses or accessories
  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Good
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • More telephoto lens reach
    84 mm vs 70 mm
    Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
  • Internal flash
    Internal flash vs None
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • Thinner
    36 mm vs 73 mm
    Thinner
  • Lighter weight
    364g vs 945g
    Lighter weight
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots

Sony A7 III advantages over Panasonic GF5

  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    35mm 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
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Yes vs No
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Bigger pixels
    ~ 5.93 vs 4.33 microns
    Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
  • Shoot 4K video
    4K (UHD) vs 1080p
    Make sure you have a fast computer
  • Tiltable Screen
    Tiltable vs Fixed
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • 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
    25.0 vs 21.4 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    3,730 vs 618 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    14.7 vs 11.6 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Yes vs No
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 710 vs 330 shots
    Capture more photos
  • External Mic Jack
    Jack vs No jack
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • Higher max flash sync
    1/250 vs 1/160 sec
    Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
  • Newer
    7 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
  • Hot shoe
    Hot shoe vs None
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • More pixels
    24.2 vs 12.1 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Dual card slots
    Yes vs No
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Headphone jack
    Yes vs No
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Bulb shutter
    Bulb vs No bulb
    Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    9.9 fps vs 4.0 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    163 vs 5 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Slow-motion videos
    Yes vs No
    Shoot slow-motion videos
  • Faster shutter
    1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
    Shoot wide open in bright light
  • Higher extended ISO
    204800 vs 12800 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Touchscreen
    Both provide
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • 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 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

User reviews

Buy From

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Panasonic GF5

Review Excerpt

  • Small body pairs nicely with compact, retractable Power Zoom lens. Extremely fast autofocus. Worthwhile improvements in image quality. Touchscreen overlays can now be hidden.

  • LCD panel is prone to fingerprint smudges. Weak flash, and no hot shoe. Modest burst performance, and very limited buffer for raw shooting. Noise levels and dynamic range still lag competition.

  • New 24MP sensor offers excellent image quality; Outstanding high ISO performance and dynamic range; Improved JPEG colors; Improved build quality; Fast autofocus; Excellent 4K video; Very good battery life.

  • Buffer clearing can be slow even with fast UHS-II cards; UHS-II support only on one card slot; No losslessly compressed RAW option; Dedicated battery charger not included; Menus are still confusing; No built-in flash.

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-PL3

Panasonic GF5
Olympus E-PL3
  • $450
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Fast startup
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Tiltable Screen
Sony A7 III
Olympus E-PL3
  • $1531
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • More telephoto lens reach

Compared to Olympus E-PM1

Panasonic GF5
Olympus E-PM1
  • $450
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Higher effective ISO
  • $500
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Hot shoe
Sony A7 III
Olympus E-PM1
  • $1531
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $500
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • More telephoto lens reach

Compared to Panasonic GF3X

Panasonic GF5
Panasonic GF3X
  • $450
  • 4/3
  • Higher effective ISO
  • More dynamic range
  • $750
  • 4/3
Sony A7 III
Panasonic GF3X
  • $1531
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $750
  • 4/3
  • Lens selection
  • More telephoto lens reach

Compared to Nikon Z6

Panasonic GF5
Nikon Z6
  • $450
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • More telephoto lens reach
  • $1396
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony A7 III
Nikon Z6
  • $1531
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • NFC
  • $1396
  • 35mm
  • Top deck display
  • More dots on screen

Compared to Nikon Z6 II

Panasonic GF5
Nikon Z6 II
  • $450
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • More telephoto lens reach
  • $1747
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Sony A7 III
Nikon Z6 II
  • $1531
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • NFC
  • $1747
  • 35mm
  • Top deck display
  • Newer
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