Panasonic GH3 vs Nikon D5

Nikon D5 advantages over Panasonic GH3

• Larger sensor
  35mm vs 4/3
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 6.45 vs 3.75 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• Shoot 4K video
  4K (UHD) vs 1080p
  Make sure you have a fast computer
• Fast startup
  ~0.40 vs 0.8 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.

  D5 test data on DxO Mark GH3 test data on DxO Mark
  25.1 vs 22.7 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.

  D5 test data on DxO Mark GH3 test data on DxO Mark
  2,343 vs 812 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

  3780 vs 540 shots
  Capture more photos
• Top deck display
  Yes vs No
  Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
• Higher max flash sync
  1/250 vs 1/160 sec
  Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
• Higher-res screen
  590k vs 205k pixels
  More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
• Less shutter lag
  0.13 vs 0.21 sec
  Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
• More pixels
  20.8 vs 16.1 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Dual card slots
  Yes vs No
  Gives you more storage flexibility
• Faster JPEG shooting
  12.1 fps vs 6.1 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
• Faster RAW shooting
  12.1 fps vs 5.1 fps
  Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
• Bigger RAW buffer
  183 vs 24 shots
  Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
• Faster shutter
  1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light
• Higher extended ISO
  3276800 vs 25600 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility