Panasonic GM5 vs Sony a1

Let's look closer at the Panasonic GM5 and Sony a1, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Panasonic and Sony. There is a big difference among the image resolutions of the GM5 (16MP) and a1 (50MP) and the GM5 (Four Thirds) and a1 (Full frame) enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

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The GM5 was unveiled 7 years prior to the a1 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Panasonic GM5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony a1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going in to a in depth comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the GM5 scores vs the a1 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 and Sony Alpha a1. The full galleries are available at Panasonic GM5 Gallery and Sony a1 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic GM5 features external 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 Sony a1 has measurements of 129mm x 97mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 737 grams (1.62 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic GM5 and Sony a1 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are employing during that time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the GM5 compared to the a1.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the GM5 and a1 is 91 and 61 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements only by viewing specs. The photograph here may give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the GM5 and a1.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The GM5 using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Sony a1 will render greater detail having an extra 34MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images much more aggressively. The older GM5 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.