Panasonic GM5 review

IMAGE QUALITY

16-megapixel photos place greater demands on the lens, but it had no trouble resolving sharp details throughout its zoom range – a fine achievement considering its slim design. Dense, subtle textures were handled well by the JPEG engine, but there was a hint of chroma noise in these parts of images, even in brightly lit scenes. As usual, processing RAW files gave the best results. Skin tones were smooth and natural, and automatic settings handled tricky lighting conditions well. We particularly appreciate how the camera raised the shutter speed automatically when it sensed motion in a scene.

Noise levels matched other recent Lumix G cameras, including the GM1 launched a year earlier. That’s not a bad result by any means, but noise levels were a little higher than from recent CSCs from Sony, Samsung and Fujifilm, all of which use slightly larger sensors. None of these cameras can compete with the GM5 for compactness, though.

^ There’s about as much detail as we could hope to see in a 16-megapixel JPEG here, and no sign of clipping or blooming on the white highlights of the swan and geese. (1/400s, f/9, ISO 200, 64mm equivalent)

^ Pin-sharp focus from corner to corner in this wide-angle shot is a superb achievement for such a tiny lens. (1/125s, f/3.5, ISO 200, 24mm equivalent)

^ Skin textures in bright light look every bit as good as we’d expect from an SLR. (1/400s, f/8, ISO 200, 34mm equivalent)

^ The automatic exposure on this shot is nicely judged, and focus is pin sharp. (1/200s, f/6.3, ISO 200, 64mm equivalent)

^ There’s a hint of noise at ISO 500, but still plenty of detail. (1/60s, f/4.9, ISO 500, 46mm equivalent)

^ Delicate textures are getting lost at ISO 2500 and there’s some graininess in places, but this is an excellent result for such a small camera. (1/60s, f/4.2, ISO 2500, 36mm equivalent)

^ The camera has used a faster shutter this time to freeze motion, and image quality is holding out well at ISO 5000. (1/125s, f/4.2, ISO 5000, 36mm equivalent)

^ Swapping the kit lens for the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 gives a significant boost to image quality in low light, capturing moving subjects in twilight with an acceptable amount of noise. (1/125s, f/1.7, ISO 2000, 40mm equivalent)

CONCLUSION AND COMPETITORS

The biggest competition for the GM5 comes not from other CSCs but from premium compacts with fixed lenses. For the same price as the GM5, you could pick up the Panasonic LX100, which uses a slightly smaller sensor (it’s actually a 12-megapixel cropped area on the same sensor) but pairs it with a much brighter lens to give a big boost to low light image quality. The GM5 with its kit lens has the equivalent of an f/7-11.2 aperture on a full frame camera, whereas the LX100 is equivalent to f/3.7-6.2 – that’s getting on for four times as much light being captured, with an equivalent boost to image quality. The LX100 also wins hands down for physical controls, EVF quality and 4K video capture. It’s a little bulkier and heavier though, and it lacks a touchscreen.

If a small size is paramount, it’s worth considering the Sony RX100 III. It weighs about the same but is significantly slimmer at 41mm, includes an excellent EVF and a tilting touchscreen. It captures twice as much light as the GM5 with its f/4.9-7.6 (35mm-equivalent) aperture.

The GM5’s trump card is its ability to switch lenses, transforming it from a slim general-purpose camera to a low-light camera for evenings or a macro or telephoto for special projects. However, the GM5 strikes us as a camera that will probably spend its life with a single lens attached. There are other CSCs that are better suited to photography enthusiasts who want to build up a collection of lenses. It’s also worth noting that the GM1 looks more attractive than ever at £439. The improvements to the GM5 are fairly modest, so we’d be tempted to stick with the previous model, and perhaps put the difference towards the 20mm f/1.7 lens.

Some strong competition doesn’t take away from the GM5’s charms, though. If a petite design, viewfinder and interchangeable lenses are on your shopping list, it’s an excellent choice.

And if none of these fit your needs then check out our regularly-updated Best Cameras list and buying guide.