Leica M8 vs Panasonic GH5 II

Its time to look much closer at the Leica M8 vs Panasonic GH5 II, both Pro Mirrorless digital cameras by companies Leica and Panasonic. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the M8 (10MP) and GH5 II (20MP) and the M8 (APS-H) and GH5 II (Four Thirds) boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The M8 was brought out 15 years before the GH5 II and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Leica M8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Panasonic GH5 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight to a detailed comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the M8 matches up versus the GH5 II in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Leica M8 & Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 II. The entire galleries are available at Leica M8 Gallery & Panasonic GH5 II Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera, you will need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Leica M8 features external measurements of 139mm x 80mm x 37mm (5.5" x 3.1" x 1.5") having a weight of 591 grams (1.30 lbs) while the Panasonic GH5 II has measurements of 139mm x 98mm x 87mm (5.5" x 3.9" x 3.4") and a weight of 727 grams (1.60 lbs).

Contrast the Leica M8 vs Panasonic GH5 II in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use at that time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the M8 vs the GH5 II.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the M8 and GH5 II is 79 and 59 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to envision the contrast between sensor measurements just by reading a spec sheet. The graphic here may provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the M8 and GH5 II.

Clearly, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The M8 featuring a larger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Panasonic GH5 II will deliver greater detail having its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images more aggressively. The older M8 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.