• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 16.0 megapixels
  • ISO 200 - 25,600
  • APS-C 366.6mm2
  • 20.1 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 51,200

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Differences

Panasonic GM5 advantages over Pentax K-S2

  • Touchscreen
    Touch vs No touch
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Thinner
    36 mm vs 64 mm
    Thinner
  • Lighter weight
    294g vs 859g
    Lighter weight
  • Higher-res screen
    307k vs 230k pixels
    More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
  • Wider angle kit lens
    24 mm vs 27 mm
    Capture more of the scene with the included lens
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    56 vs 28 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Faster shutter
    1/16000 vs 1/6000 sec
    Shoot wide open in bright light

Pentax K-S2 advantages over Panasonic GM5

  • Tilt-swivel screen
    Tilt-swivel vs none
    Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
  • Larger sensor
    APS-C vs 4/3
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Yes vs No
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • NFC
    Yes vs No
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 410 vs 220 shots
    Capture more photos
  • More telephoto lens reach
    75 mm vs 64 mm
    Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
  • Internal flash
    Internal flash vs None
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • External Mic Jack
    Jack vs No jack
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • Higher max flash sync
    1/180 vs 1/50 sec
    Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
  • Less shutter lag
    0.12 vs 0.22 sec
    Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
  • More viewfinder magnification
    0.63x vs 0.46x
    Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
  • More pixels
    20.1 vs 16.0 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Optional anti-aliasing filter
    Optional vs Fixed
    Lets you choose sharper photos or reduced moiré
  • Higher extended ISO
    51200 vs 25600 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Focus peaking
    Both provide
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Both provide
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Both provide
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • HDMI out
    Both provide
    Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
  • Hot shoe
    Both provide
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • Bulb shutter
    Both provide
    Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Neither provide
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Neither provide
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • 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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Review Excerpt

  • Great image quality for a tiny camera; Excellent high ISO for its class; Built-in EVF; Built-in hot-shoe; Improved ergonomics; Improved image quality for long exposures; Improved burst rate with hybrid shutter; 1080/60p video.

  • Slightly bigger than GM1 (but not by much); No built-in flash; Shallow buffers with RAW files; Dynamic range not quite as good as some competing models; Below average battery life.

  • Read our Panasonic GM5 Review

  • Very compact for a weather-sealed DSLR; Good ergonomics and great viewfinder; Excellent image quality; Decent performance for its class; Articulated screen is great for difficult compositions; Offers features not found in other Pentax DSLRs

  • 18-50mm kit lens is fiddly and prone to jamming when retracted; Wi-Fi is slow and unintuitive; Slow startup; Limited movie mode; Poor battery life for a DSLR; Priced too close to its enthusiast-grade sibling

  • Read our Pentax K-S2 Review

The Competition

Compared to Pentax K-500

Panasonic GM5
Pentax K-500
  • $898
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • In-camera panoramas
  • $597
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Larger sensor

Compare Panasonic GM5 vs Pentax K-500

Pentax K-S2
Pentax K-500
  • $499
  • APS-C
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
  • $597
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Longer stills battery life

Compare Pentax K-S2 vs Pentax K-500

Compared to Panasonic GM1

Panasonic GM5
Panasonic GM1
  • $898
  • 4/3
  • Eye-level viewfinder
  • In-camera panoramas
  • $479
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Internal flash

Compare Panasonic GM5 vs Panasonic GM1

Pentax K-S2
Panasonic GM1
  • $499
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • $479
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • Thinner

Compare Pentax K-S2 vs Panasonic GM1

Compared to Pentax K-S1

Panasonic GM5
Pentax K-S1
  • $898
  • 4/3
  • Touchscreen
  • In-camera panoramas
  • $502
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Panasonic GM5 vs Pentax K-S1

Pentax K-S2
Pentax K-S1
  • $499
  • APS-C
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
  • $502
  • APS-C
  • Higher-res screen

Compare Pentax K-S2 vs Pentax K-S1

Compared to Panasonic GF7

Panasonic GM5
Panasonic GF7
  • $898
  • 4/3
  • Eye-level viewfinder
  • Hot shoe
  • $590
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Tiltable Screen

Compare Panasonic GM5 vs Panasonic GF7

Pentax K-S2
Panasonic GF7
  • $499
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • $590
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Touchscreen

Compare Pentax K-S2 vs Panasonic GF7

Compared to Panasonic GX850

Panasonic GM5
Panasonic GX850
  • $898
  • 4/3
  • Eye-level viewfinder
  • Fast startup
  • $548
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Shoot 4K video

Compare Panasonic GM5 vs Panasonic GX850

Pentax K-S2
Panasonic GX850
  • $499
  • APS-C
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Larger sensor
  • $548
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Shoot 4K video

Compare Pentax K-S2 vs Panasonic GX850

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