Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
      62
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      57
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      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 was introduced in July 2012 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 was introduced in January 2009. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 Highlights

      • 16.05 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • 160 - 12,800 Native ISO
      • 23 Focus Points (23 Cross-type)
      • 3.0" 920k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • 1,440k dot Electronic Viewfinder
      • 6.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 Highlights

      • 12 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 1,600 Native ISO
      • 3.0" 460k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • Electronic Viewfinder
      • 3.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5
      4. Advantage of Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1.

      PROS

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      •   Video Capture
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Light - 396 g (0.87 lb / 13.97 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Light - 360 g (0.79 lb / 12.70 oz)

      CONS

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      •   Small Sensor
      •   160 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 320 shots
      •   No Video Capture
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12 Megapixel
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 53
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.05 Megapixel
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   23 Focus Points
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 61
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

      Advantage of Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic G5
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1.

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
      Video Capture vs
      Higher Sensor Resolution 16.05 Megapixel vs 12 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 12,800 vs 1,600
      Max Image Resolution 4608 x 3456 vs 4000 x 3000
      Touch-to-Focus vs
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Face Detection vs
      Touch Screen vs
      Higher Resolution Screen 920k dot vs 460k dot
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 6.0 fps vs 3.0 fps
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 618 vs 463
      Higher DxO Color Depth 21.4 vs 21.1
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 11.6 vs 10.3
      Higher DxO Overall Score 61 vs 53
      Built-in Microphone Stereo vs
      Orientation Sensor vs

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5.

      Panasonic G9
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      Micro Four Thirds

      20.33 MP

      Panasonic G85
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      Micro Four Thirds

      16 MP

      Panasonic G100
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      Micro Four Thirds

      20.3 MP

      Panasonic G7
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      Micro Four Thirds

      16 MP

      Panasonic G2
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Panasonic G6
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      Micro Four Thirds

      16.05 MP

      Panasonic G95
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      Micro Four Thirds

      20.3 MP

      Panasonic G9 II
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      Micro Four Thirds

      25.21 MP

      Panasonic G10
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Panasonic G3
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      Micro Four Thirds

      16 MP

      Nikon Z8
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      Full Frame

      45.7 MP

      Sony a6100
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Advantage of Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      Panasonic G1
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5.

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
      Lower Native ISO 160 vs 100
      Lighter 396 g (0.87 lb / 13.97 oz) vs 360 g (0.79 lb / 12.70 oz)
      Longer Battery Life 320 shots vs 330 shots

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1.

      Panasonic G95
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      Micro Four Thirds

      20.3 MP

      Panasonic G9 II
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      Micro Four Thirds

      25.21 MP

      Panasonic G9
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      Micro Four Thirds

      20.33 MP

      Panasonic G100
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      Micro Four Thirds

      20.3 MP

      Panasonic G85
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      Micro Four Thirds

      16 MP

      Panasonic G2
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Panasonic G7
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      Micro Four Thirds

      16 MP

      Panasonic G10
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Panasonic G6
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      Micro Four Thirds

      16.05 MP

      Panasonic G3
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      Micro Four Thirds

      16 MP

      Hasselblad X1D II 50C
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      Medium format

      50 MP

      Sony ZV-E1
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      Full Frame

      12.1 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
        Live View Autofocus
        Screen TypeFully ArticulatedFully Articulated
        Built-in Flash
        HDMI Output Mini Type C
        Light396 g (0.87 lb / 13.97 oz)360 g (0.79 lb / 12.70 oz)
      WEAKNESSES Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
        Small SensorMicro Four ThirdsMicro Four Thirds
        Timelapse Recording
        No Image Stabilization
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        No Environmental Sealing
        Short Battery Life320 shots330 shots

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 have 3.0" Fully Articulated screens with 920k dot and 460k dot resolutions respectively. Fully articulated screen makes cameras selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting. Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

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      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 with Fully Articulated screen


      Viewfinder

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 1,440k dot resolution and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder. They both have 100% coverage.

      Sensor

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 features a 16.05 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 224.9 mm2. Its native ISO range is 160 - 12,800. Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 features a 12 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 169 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 1,600 and expands to 100 - 3,200 in boosted mode.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 is equipped with Venus Engine VII FHD processor and can take pictures up to 4608 x 3456 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4608x3456, 3264x2448, 2336x1752, 4608x3072, 3264x2176, 2336x1560, 4608x2592, 3264x1840, 1920x1080, 3456x3456, 2448x2448, 1744x1744, 1712x1712 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 can take pictures up to 4000 x 3000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 2816 x 2112, 2048 x 1536, 4000 x 2672, 2816 x 1880, 2048 x 1360, 4000 x 2248, 2816 x 1584, 1920 x 1080 with 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Cameras have Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Due to their Micro Four Thirds sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 2x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.


      No Image Stabilization

      The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 nothing can be done. On Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 nothing can be done.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 has a Mini Type C HDMI and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 has an HDMI connector for video signal output.


      External Storage Slots

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot. Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 has a single SD/SDHC/MMC card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5, and up to 1/4000 sec on Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1. Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 can shoot continuously up to 6.0 fps. Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 can shoot continuously up to 3.0 fps.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 10.50 m.. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe to Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/160 sec on both cameras.

      Physical Parameters

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 body has dimensions of 120 x 83 x 71 mm (4.72 x 3.27 x 2.8") and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 body has dimensions of 124 x 84 x 45 mm (4.88 x 3.31 x 1.77"). Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 weighs 396 g (0.87 lb / 13.97 oz) and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 weighs 360 g (0.79 lb / 12.70 oz).

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      120 mm

      83 mm

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      124 mm

      84 mm

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      83 mm

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      84 mm

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      71 mm

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      45 mm

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      Size comparisons of Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      GOOD
      70
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      AVERAGE
      64
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      GOOD
      72
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   23 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 320 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      55
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots

      Wildlife Photography

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      AVERAGE
      65
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   23 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 320 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      POOR
      54
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots

      Portrait Photography

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      GOOD
      81
      •   Small Sensor
      •   23 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      70
      •   Small Sensor
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

      Street Photography

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   Small Sensor
      •   23 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 396 g (0.87 lb / 13.97 oz)
      GOOD
      84
      •   Small Sensor
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 360 g (0.79 lb / 12.70 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      GOOD
      83
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 396 g (0.87 lb / 13.97 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 320 shots
      GOOD
      84
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 360 g (0.79 lb / 12.70 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 and give them scores of 62 and 57 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      OVERALL
      62
      OVERALL
      57

      Sensor

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      AVERAGE
      65
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.05 Megapixel
      •   160 Lowest Native ISO
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 61
      AVERAGE
      63
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 53

      Photo

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      AVERAGE
      55
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      POOR
      53
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

      Video

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      BAD
      16
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization

      Focusing

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      GOOD
      75
      •   23 Focus Points
      •   0 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      GOOD
      81
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot

      Connectivity

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      AVERAGE
      65
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      AVERAGE
      57
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

      Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1

      POOR
      41
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 396 g (0.87 lb / 13.97 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 320 shots
      POOR
      42
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 360 g (0.79 lb / 12.70 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 330 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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