Panasonic GM5 vs Pentax K-5 IIs

Following is a in-depth overview of the Panasonic GM5 and Pentax K-5 IIs, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. The image resolution of the GM5 (16MP) and the K-5 IIs (16MP) is pretty close but the GM5 (Four Thirds) and K-5 IIs (APS-C) use totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The GM5 was brought out 16 months after the K-5 IIs which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GM5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-5 IIs being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a short introduction of how the GM5 scores versus the K-5 IIs for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 & Pentax K-5 IIs. The entire galleries are available at Panasonic GM5 Gallery & Pentax K-5 IIs Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera often, you're going to have to think about its weight and size. The Panasonic GM5 features exterior dimensions of 99mm x 60mm x 36mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 211 grams (0.47 lbs) and the Pentax K-5 IIs has specifications of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") along with a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic GM5 and Pentax K-5 IIs in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you select at the time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the GM5 and the K-5 IIs.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the GM5 and K-5 IIs is 91 and 60 respectively.

Often, it's hard to envision the contrast in sensor sizes simply by viewing a spec sheet. The picture underneath will help give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the GM5 and K-5 IIs.

As you can see, both of the cameras have got the exact same MP albeit not the same sensor sizes. The GM5 includes the smaller sensor which will make getting shallow DOF harder. The more recent GM5 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.