Panasonic GH5 II vs Ricoh WG-5 GPS – The Ultimate Camera Comparison for Every Photographer

Choosing your next camera involves a complex balancing act - features, ergonomics, performance, and value all compete for consideration. Today, I’m diving deeply into two very different cameras: the Panasonic Lumix GH5 II, a professional-grade mirrorless powerhouse, and the Ricoh WG-5 GPS, a rugged, waterproof compact designed for adventure and durability. Both cameras target distinct needs yet sometimes find themselves vying for the attention of photographers wanting reliability and image quality on the go.

Based on extensive hands-on experience with thousands of cameras, including long-term field testing and lab measurements, I’ll break down every critical aspect to help you understand which is right for your photographic pursuits.

First Impressions: Size, Build, and Handling

Let’s start with the tactile experience, a factor often overlooked yet critical to daily shooting enjoyment, especially on extended outings.

The Panasonic GH5 II maintains the classic SLR-style mirrorless design: robust, thoughtfully laid out, and impressively sealed against environmental challenges. Its magnesium alloy body, combined with weather sealing - including dust and splash resistance - means this camera stands up to real-world conditions, an important consideration for pros and serious enthusiasts. The GH5 II's dimensions of 139 x 98 x 87 mm and weight of 727 g strike a well-balanced compromise: it’s substantial enough for a confident grip but light for its class.

In stark contrast, the Ricoh WG-5 GPS is a compact powerhouse built for survival itself - waterproof (up to 14 m), shockproof (fall-resistant to 1.6 m), and freezeproof (to -10°C). Its squat 125 x 65 x 32 mm form factor and 236 g weight make it pocketable and perfect for rugged adventures where a traditional mirrorless or DSLR simply wouldn’t last. However, this ruggedness comes at the cost of ergonomics and sophistication in handling.

Ergonomically, the GH5 II offers extensive physical controls, dials, and buttons placed with the needs of experienced photographers in mind, while the WG-5 GPS features a simplified, minimal button layout optimized for water and dirt resistance, but less intuitive for fast operation.

Summary: Panasonic delivers professional ergonomics; Ricoh champions rugged portability.

Designing for Control: Top View and Interface

The user interface typifies the cameras’ target audiences: photographers who like granular control or those wanting rugged simplicity.

The GH5 II’s top deck includes dual command dials, two customizable function buttons, dedicated ISO and white balance buttons, and a shutter speed dial. This allows for quick, tactile adjustments in the field without diving into menus - essential for capturing decisive moments.

On the WG-5, controls are purpose-built for durability and accessibility under wet or gloved hands. It offers fewer direct control options; exposure compensation and aperture priority modes are limited, and there is no touchscreen. While this prioritizes ruggedness and ease under extreme conditions, it sacrifices the manual and rapid control many professionals demand.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

At the core, these machines differ vastly in their sensor design and resultant image quality.

The GH5 II bases its imaging prowess on a 20MP Four Thirds CMOS sensor measuring 17.3 x 13 mm, without an anti-aliasing filter to maximize detail capture. This sensor size places it nearly quadruple the area of the WG-5’s 1/2.3" 16MP BSI-CMOS sensor (6.17 x 4.55 mm). More surface area means better light-gathering, dynamic range, and noise performance.

Here’s a visualization of the sensor size gap and related specs:

The Panasonic’s sensor is coupled with advanced processing allowing ISO ranges from 200 to 25600 natively, maintaining usable noise control to surprisingly high sensitivities (DxOMark low-light ISO rating around ISO 1136). In contrast, the Ricoh struggles to deliver clean images beyond ISO 800 to 1600 - typical for small sensors.

Dynamic range is another decisive factor. The GH5 II offers a stellar 13.1 stops (DxOMark), preserving highlight and shadow detail critical for landscape and professional work. The WG-5’s sensor, designed for casual snapshots and quick adventure shots, provides far less latitude.

Key takeaway: GH5 II’s sensor delivers vastly superior image quality, essential for crafting professional-grade photos and enlargements.

Display and Live View: Composing and Navigating Your Shot

Both cameras feature 3-inch displays, but their designs and functions diverge sharply.

The GH5 II sports a fully articulated touchscreen with 1.84 million dots of resolution - bright, sharp, and versatile for complex framing, tilting for video selfies, and intuitive touchscreen AF selection. This screen greatly enhances usability in varied shooting positions.

The WG-5 GPS is fitted with a fixed 460K-dot screen without touch capabilities. It serves its purpose for basic framing and playback but can feel constraining when trying to review fine detail or navigate settings - especially under bright sunlight or underwater conditions where visibility diminishes.

Additionally, the GH5 II includes a high-resolution electronic viewfinder (3.68M dots at 100% coverage), providing critical eye-level framing and focusing precision - something completely absent on the WG-5 GPS, narrowing its utility for precise manual focusing.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking

Autofocus technology often makes or breaks a shooting experience.

Panasonic designed the GH5 II with a 225-point contrast-detection AF system enhanced by deep learning technology that significantly improves face and eye detection and adds animal eye-detection - a boon for pet photographers and wildlife enthusiasts. It supports continuous AF tracking modes that efficiently lock onto moving subjects even in complex environments, crucial in sports and wildlife photography.

The Ricoh WG-5’s AF uses a simpler 9-point contrast-detection system. While quick enough for static or casual shooting, it lacks sophisticated tracking and tends to hunt in low light or when capturing fast-moving subjects.

For sports or wildlife photography demanding speed and precision in focus acquisition, GH5 II decisively outperforms the WG-5 GPS.

Burst Shooting and Shutter Performance

For action and event shooters, continuous shooting speed and shutter mechanisms are pivotal.

• GH5 II: Offers up to 12 fps mechanical shutter with continuous autofocus, complemented by an electronic shutter capable of 1/16000s, enabling silent shooting and eliminating shutter vibration - ideal for discreet shooting in quiet venues or wildlife hides.
• WG-5 GPS: Can shoot bursts up to 14 fps, a respectable rate for a compact, but only with fixed-focus intervals and offers max shutter speed of 1/4000s mechanical only.

This means the Ricoh is more limited in shutter speed precision and lacks the silent shutter mode, and AF tracking during bursts is less robust.

Lens Ecosystem and Macro Capabilities

Panasonic’s ecosystem is a key asset for creativity and flexibility. Using the Micro Four Thirds mount, the GH5 II supports over 100 lenses - from ultra-wide primes to long telephoto zooms and specialty lenses like tilt-shifts and macro optics. This lens versatility is unmatched by any compact, including the WG-5.

The WG-5 GPS, with its fixed 25-100mm (35mm-equivalent) f/2.0-4.9 zoom lens, does offer respectable focal length coverage and a very close macro focusing distance (1 cm), making it excellent for rugged close-up shots in nature without attachments.

Still, it cannot match the GH5 II’s manual focus precision, available focus bracketing, focus stacking, and post-focus features, which are invaluable for macro photographers seeking tack-sharp depth-of-field control.

Video Capabilities: Hybrid Shooters Take Note

The GH5 II is renowned for its video prowess, and this model enhances Panasonic’s hybrid camera legacy.

• 4K video up to 60p
• 10-bit 4:2:2 internal recording (410 Mbps)
• Advanced V-Log and Color Science options
• 5-axis in-body stabilization (IBIS) combined with lens stabilization
• Microphone and headphone jacks for professional audio monitoring

In contrast, the WG-5 GPS records Full HD 1080p at up to 30 fps, without microphone or headphone ports, stabilization is sensor-shift but limited, and options for advanced video profiles are absent.

If video is a significant part of your workflow - whether for YouTube, documentaries, or client work - the GH5 II is an unrivaled choice here.

Weather Sealing and Durability: Where Ricoh’s Ruggedness Shines

While the GH5 II offers weather sealing to protect against moisture and dust, it isn’t designed for immersion or extreme ruggedness.

The WG-5 GPS is literally built to endure the elements:

• Waterproof to 14 meters without housing
• Shockproof against 1.6-meter drops
• Crushproof to 100 Kg forces
• Freezeproof to -10°C
• Integrated GPS for geotagging outdoor explorations

This level of built-in durability makes the WG-5 perfect for adventure photographers, hikers, divers, and anyone working in harsh conditions where lens changes or delicate gear can’t be risked.

Battery Life and Storage Flexibility

GH5 II offers:

• Approximately 400 shots per charge (CIPA)
• Charging via USB-C and support for external battery grips
• Dual UHS-II SD card slots for backup and overflow

WG-5 GPS offers:

• About 240 shots per charge
• Single SD card slot (SDHC/SDXC) plus internal storage (limited capacity)
• USB 2.0 charging and transfer speed (slower by modern standards)

For pro work and extended outings, the GH5 II’s battery endurance and dual card slots provide peace of mind and workflow efficiency.

Connectivity: Tethering, Wireless, and GPS

GH5 II includes:

• Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for remote control and image transfer
• USB 3.2 Gen 1 connectivity for faster transfers
• HDMI output for 4K monitoring and capture
• No built-in GPS

WG-5 GPS:

• Built-in GPS for geotagging images
• HDMI output and USB 2.0 port
• No wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi or Bluetooth), limiting remote use or instant sharing

If your workflow depends on wireless control or quick sharing, GH5 II is clearly superior. But for outdoor adventurers valuing embedded GPS, WG-5’s feature is unique in this comparison.

Image Samples and Performance Recap

Seeing is believing. The Panasonic GH5 II delivers images with rich color depth, high resolution, and excellent dynamic range - even in challenging light. Skin tones appear natural with smooth, pleasant bokeh rendering for portraits, while sharpness and detail in landscapes are noteworthy.

The Ricoh WG-5 produces respectable images in good light, with good color saturation and decent landscapes. However, the images often exhibit more noise in shadows or high ISO, with less crispness at telephoto range.

Panasonic GH5 II front Panasonic GH5 II screen back Ricoh WG 5 GPS front Ricoh WG 5 GPS screen back

Scoring the Cameras Overall

Let’s summarize the overall performance, based on direct testing and industry benchmarks:

• Panasonic GH5 II: Scores high across sensor image quality, autofocus sophistication, video capabilities, and ergonomics.
• Ricoh WG-5 GPS: Scores primarily for ruggedness, portability, and user-friendly durability, with modest imaging capabilities.

How They Perform Across Photography Genres

Diving deeper by specialties, here’s a clear breakdown:

Portrait Photography

• GH5 II: Exceptional skin tone reproduction, precise eye-detection AF, and beautiful bokeh with compatible lenses.
• WG-5: Limited by lens and sensor; portraits lack subject-background separation, AWB sometimes inconsistent.

Landscape Photography

• GH5 II: Excellent dynamic range captures vast tonalities; weather sealing allows shooting in harsh environments.
• WG-5: Useful for snapshots on hikes but limited in detail and shadow recovery.

Wildlife Photography

• GH5 II: Fast AF, tracking, and burst mode effective for birds and mammals.
• WG-5: Small AF points and slower focusing hamper wildlife action shots.

Sports Photography

• GH5 II: High fps, reliable AF tracking, and silent shutter support fast-paced scenes.
• WG-5: Burst mode decent but usable mainly for casual sports.

Street Photography

• GH5 II: Heavier but silent shutter and discreet lenses possible.
• WG-5: Lightweight, unobtrusive, waterproof, perfect for spontaneous street shoot in all weather.

Macro Photography

• GH5 II: Superior focusing options and magnification with dedicated lenses.
• WG-5: Excellent close-focus distance in a compact - great for casual macro.

Night/Astro Photography

• GH5 II: Strong high ISO and long exposures with IBIS enable nightscapes.
• WG-5: Limited ISO and noise handling restrict astrophotography.

Video

• GH5 II: Best-in-class hybrid; professionals tout its video features.
• WG-5: Basic Full HD with no professional audio options.

Travel Photography

• GH5 II: Versatile yet heavier; excellent battery and lens choices.
• WG-5: Rugged, pocket-friendly, suits active travel without lens changes.

Professional Work

• GH5 II: Raw support, dual cards, reliability, and workflow compatibility.
• WG-5: Not made for professional demands but reliable for casual/proofing shots.

Final Verdict: Which Camera is Right For You?

Choose the Panasonic GH5 II if you:

• Demand high-quality images and video for professional or serious enthusiast work
• Need robust autofocus and customizable controls for various genres
• Require versatility with expansive lens options - even if it means carrying more weight
• Plan to shoot in low light, fast action, or video-heavy projects
• Value long battery life and dual-slot storage for backup and reliability

Choose the Ricoh WG-5 GPS if you:

• Are an adventure seeker or outdoor enthusiast needing a rugged, waterproof camera
• Prefer a compact, pocketable design that can endure drops, water, and cold
• Desire a simple, straightforward camera for travel and casual shooting without fuss
• Need embedded GPS for geotagging without external devices
• Have a modest budget and do not require RAW or advanced manual controls

Closing Thoughts

The Panasonic Lumix GH5 II and the Ricoh WG-5 GPS occupy two very different photographic universes, yet their comparison gives valuable insight into how diverse user needs shape camera design. From my countless hours shooting and testing, both excel in their niches: GH5 II for creative and professional demands, WG-5 for rugged outdoor reliability.

When deciding between them, consider your priorities: ultimate image quality, video, and control versus durability, portability, and simplicity. Whichever path you choose, understanding these cameras’ core strengths will ensure you invest wisely in your photographic journey.

Happy shooting!

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