The Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 is a mirrorless all-rounder camera, aimed to satisfy those who are both into taking stills and making videos.
This camera was released in 2017 and it replaced the Panasonic DMC-GH4 which was the world's first mirrorless camera with 4K video recording capabilities. Overall, the GH5 improves many features of its predecessor, both in terms of video and photography.
Though it’s two years old, I’m just now getting my hands on one, and spoiler alert...I’m sorry I waited so long!
Just the other day, I compared the Sony a7R III to the Panasonic GH5, but today I wanted to give more attention to the GH5 in a standalone article.
Could this be the perfect camera for you? Find out in the following Panasonic GH5 review.
UPDATE: I've now had this camera for about six months.
Though I primarily use it for video, I've taken a fair number of stills with it as well.
In the video above, I outline what I like, what I don't like, and whether or not you should pick one of these cameras up in 2019.
Panasonic GH5 Review: Essential Specs
The Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 was built around a 20.3MP micro four thirds sensor with no low pass filter and a Venus Engine 10 processor.
The removal of the low pass filter, in combination with the GH5’s improved sensor, produces a significant visual improvement in each image's fine details.
So, needless to say, image quality is superb with accurate color rendition, gorgeous detail, and good dynamic range for a micro four thirds camera.
The GH5’s dual image stabilization combines the camera’s in-body stabilization with the in-lens stabilization offered by most of Panasonic’s compatible lenses. Together, this allows the user to shoot with a longer focal length lens at slower shutter speeds, minimizing or eliminating the human jitter factor. As I noted in my comparison of the GH5 to the Sony a7R III, the GH5’s image stabilization is without equal, in my opinion. See it in action in the video above by JK Flash.
It performs so well thanks to the hybrid design of the system. It combines sensor-shift stabilization in-body with stabilized lenses, the result of which is the ability to shoot with a shutter speed that’s five stops slower than what would normally be possible when hand holding the camera.
Not only does the image stabilization work like a charm for still photos, but it’s a champ for handheld video shooting as well.
The GH5 comes with a 225-point autofocus system along with DFD (Depth from Defocus) technology. The company claims the camera achieves ultra-high-speed Auto Focus in up to 0.05 seconds. There shouldn’t be a problem for the camera to acquire focus even in low-light situations since DFD technology works in light levels as low as -4EV.
I used this camera this past weekend to take photos of my son’s 4th birthday party, and I can attest to the lightning-fast performance of this camera’s autofocus system.
Granted, I didn’t have a chance to test it out in low light, but I can assure you that this rig has a more than capable autofocus system when taking photos of kids on a sugar high running around in typical lighting situations.
When it comes to burst shooting, the GH5 also has a lot to offer.
The camera allows burst shooting at 12 fps, but only if you lock the focus on the first shot. If you want to use continuous focus, the camera offers burst shooting at up to 9 fps, which is still nothing to frown about.
If you need even more speed, you can try the 6K photo mode, which essentially takes 6K videos at 30 fps, from which you can extract individual frames. The result is a method by which you can get a 30 fps burst rate.
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Panasonic GH5 Video Capabilities
The Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 is one of the best cameras on the market today for video. The reason for this is that it allows you to record 4K videos at up to 60p and Full HD videos at up to 180 fps.
Moreover, there is no crop and no time limit for video clips (at least until your card fills up or the battery dies), so you can record footage at your leisure knowing you’ll get the full frame beauty of 4K. That full sensor readout means footage is oversampled from 5.1K, so you get gorgeously sharp video.
Internal video recording offer 8-bit 4:2:0 IPB encoding (up to 150Mbps), but you can ramp up the quality if you use an external recorder. Likewise, if you shoot using a lower frame rate, the GH5 can up the quality to 10-bit, 4:2:2 internal recording.
I’ll have MUCH more on the GH5’s video capabilities in upcoming videos of my own, but for now, learn why this is a great camera for video in the video above by DSLR Video Shooter.
Panasonic GH5 Review: Design and Connectivity
The Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 is built of magnesium-alloy and it is splash-resistant.
I have to admit that when I ordered this camera, what caused me the most concern was the ergonomics of it.
But I was happily surprised that when I unboxed it, the grip felt great. The camera has a nice, solid feel to it and it simply feels well-balanced in the hand.
Overall, the GH5 is not one of the most compact models on the market, but it is definitely portable and comfortable for handling because of its deep grip. In fact, the grip on this camera feels more like one on a DSLR than a mirrorless camera, and for a guy like me with big hands, that’s a bonus.
The controls are intuitively placed on the camera so you can easily reach many of them and manipulate them without taking your hand off the grip.
On top are separate video record and still shutter buttons so you have easy access to both. There’s a control wheel near the shutter and an additional wheel on the back near your thumb so you can make quick adjustments without having to take the camera away from your eye.
You’ll find shortcut buttons on the top of the camera for ISO, white balance, and exposure compensation. Likewise, there’s a dial for burst mode, the timer, post focus, and 6K photo modes as well.
What impressed me the most, though, is that Panasonic incorporated six customizable buttons on this camera that you can program to do just about anything you want. Since photography is such a personal undertaking with each of us having a different workflow, that’s a nice feature to have.
You’ll find shortcut buttons on the top of the camera for ISO, white balance, and exposure compensation. Likewise, there’s a dial for burst mode, the timer, post focus, and 6K photo modes as well.
What impressed me the most, though, is that Panasonic incorporated six customizable buttons on this camera that you can program to do just about anything you want. Since photography is such a personal undertaking with each of us having a different workflow, that’s a nice feature to have.
Panasonic incorporated various focus controls to the right of the viewfinder. This includes a switch for selecting single autofocus, continuous autofocus, and manual focus. In the middle of that switch is an autofocus and auto-exposure lock button.
The GH5 has a joystick on the back that allows you to easily change the focal point. You can also adjust the focal point by tapping the LCD screen, though with 225 AF points, tapping the screen isn’t as accurate as using the joystick.
Jointly using Wi-fi and Bluetooth, the GH5 can be remotely controlled using an app that is available for both Android and iOs mobile devices. To increase battery life, low power Bluetooth technology now turns the Wi-fi on and off. The camera also has a 3.5 mm audio port, an external flash shoe, a microphone jack, and an HDMI output.
Additionally, the camera has a dual-card slot and a battery life of approximately 400 shots, though I sailed well past that this weekend taking photos of my son’s birthday.
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Panasonic GH5 Price
At the moment, the Panasonic GH5 price is $1,497.99 for a new body or you can find a Panasonic GH5 used for as little as $1,289.00 at the time of this writing.
Either way, this camera is well worth the price. As I noted earlier, I wish I hadn’t waited two years to pick one up because it has quickly demonstrated that it’s one of the best cameras on the market, period. And that’s coming from a lifelong Nikon guy!
I get that the Panasonic GH5 isn’t for everyone. But if you want a truly epic camera that has all the tools you need to create detailed, rich, sharp photos and videos, I don’t think there’s a better option.
Is this camera still worth buying in 2019? If this Panasonic GH5 review hasn’t convinced you, get an answer to this question in the video above by Armando Ferreira.
As a sidenote, Panasonic has also created the GH5S, which offers more advanced video features and is optimized for videographers. For the still photographer, the G9 adds additional features and optimization aimed at the still photographers. Both models are capable of shooting both still photos and video.