G5 review roundup: A cheaper E-M5?
Image courtesy: ePhotozine.
UPDATE: Now preorders at Amazon too:
Black G5 at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here)
Silver G5 at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here)
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Let’s focus on the new Panasonic G5 which already got previewed on many websites. The G5 looks like a well thought step forward from the G3 although it doesn’t come with any kind of “revolutionary” features to make you “WOW” when you read the press release. But the many small improvements are very nice and welcome!
The G5 has a new (or tweaked?) sensor according to Panasonic website presentation. Techradar was among the first websites to post a resolution and noise test. The image below (courtesy of Techradar) shows the Signal to Noise ration of the RAW images. I would say there is very little difference with the “older” G3.
But it’s the RAW dynamic range that shows that at leats at Low ISO the new G5 is doing a better job:
Visit Techradar to see all graphs! Their conclusion is: “Overall we have been extremely impressed with the output from the G5 and we can see it being very appealing to lots of people, especially with innovative new features such as the TouchPad AF operation. It also has a good number of automatic controls, digital filters and scene guides to appeal to novices or those looking simply to point and shoot.”
Also ePhotozine published a full G5 review and is particularly excited about the test: “The G5 is more expensive than the model it replaces, however we feel that the improvements make it worth the investment. The Panasonic Lumix G5 has an abundance of features, excellent image quality, and is good value for money, making it well worth investing in. Highly Recommended.”
They also compared the new G5 image quality with that of the more expensive Olympus E-M5 (Click here to read that comparison): “The Olympus OM-D E-M5 has an extended ISO range compared to the G5, however the G5 has a slightly lower first ISO setting of ISO160. Noise is very low on both cameras, with the E-M5 showing higher levels of detail and sharpness.”
In short: From an Image Quality point of view the difference between the two cameras is negligible. So you have to focus on your real needs and real budget. But overall it looks like the G5 is a great and cheaper E-M5 alternative!
Preorders:
Black G5 at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here)
Silver G5 at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here)
45-150mm lens in Black at BHphoto (Click here) and in Silver at BHphoto (Click here).
LX7 in Black at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here) in White at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here)
Other compacts, the FZ200 at BHphoto (Click here), the FZ60 at BHphoto (Click here).