Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 vs Sigma SD15

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 and the Sigma SD15, 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-GM5 was introduced in September 2014 and Sigma SD15 was introduced in February 2010. Let us first list highlights of the models.

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.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 over Sigma SD15.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sigma SD15 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5.

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.

Screen

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 and Sigma SD15 have 3.0" Fixed screens with 921k dot and 460k dot resolutions respectively. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 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.

Viewfinder

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 1,166k dot resolution and Sigma SD15 has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 has 100% coverage with 0.92x (0.46x 35mm equivalent) magnification and Sigma SD15 has 96% coverage with 0.90x (0.60x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 features a 16 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 200 - 25,600 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode. Sigma SD15 features a 5 megapixel APS-C CMOS (Foveon X3) sensor with dimensions of 20.7 x 13.8 mm and a total area of 190.4 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 1,600 and expands to 50 - 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
	Medium Format	44 x 33 mm	1452 mm2	4:3	0.79x
	Full Frame	36 x 24 mm	864 mm2	3:2	1x
	APS-H	27 x 18 mm	486 mm2	3:2	1.3x
	APS-C	23.6 x 15.6 mm	368.2 mm2	3:2	1.5x
	APS-C (Canon)	22.3 x 14.9 mm	332.3 mm2	3:2	1.6x
	Micro Four Thirds	17.4 x 13 mm	226.2 mm2	4:3	2x
	1-inch	13.2 x 8.8 mm	116.2 mm2	3:2	2.7x
	1/1.7-inch	7.44 x 5.58 mm	41.5 mm2	4:3	4.7x
	1/2.3-inch	6.17 x 4.55 mm	28.1 mm2	4:3	5.6x

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 is equipped with Venus Engine processor and can take pictures up to 4592 x 3448 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4592 x 3064, 4592 x 2584, 3424 x 3424, 3232 x 2424, 3232 x 2160, 3840 x 2160, 2416 x 2416, 2272 x 1704, 2272 x 1520, 1920 x 1080, 1712 x 1712, 1824 x 1368, 1824 x 1216, 1824 x 1024 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Sigma SD15 is equipped with TRUE II processor and can take pictures up to 2640 x 1760 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 1776 x 1184, 1296 x 864 with 3:2 aspect ratios.

Lens Mount

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 has Micro Four Thirds lens mount and Sigma SD15 has Sigma SA lens mount. Due to Micro Four Thirds sensor in Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 its crop factor 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. Due to APS-C sensor in Sigma SD15 its crop factor is equal to 1.7x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.7.

No Low-Pass Filter on Sigma SD15

There is no optical low-pass filter (OLPF), also known as an anti-aliasing filter, in front of the sensor on Sigma SD15. This results in a slightly sharper image but may also introduce moiré patterns and aliasing artifacts when photographing subjects with fine, repetitive patterns or details.

No Image Stabilization

The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Sigma SD15 nothing can be done. On Sigma SD15 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 nothing can be done.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 has a built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

NFC on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 has Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 has a Micro HDMI and Sigma SD15 has an HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 comes with DMW-BLH7 battery pack with battery life of 220 shots.

External Storage Slots

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot. Sigma SD15 has a single SD/SDHC card slot.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/16000 sec with electronic shutter and up to 1/500 sec with mechanical shutter on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5, and up to 1/4000 sec on Sigma SD15. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 can shoot continuously up to 5.8 fps. Sigma SD15 can shoot continuously up to 3.0 fps.

Flash

Sigma SD15 has a built-in flash and also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/180 sec on Sigma SD15.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 body has dimensions of 99 x 60 x 36 mm (3.9 x 2.36 x 1.42") and Sigma SD15 body has dimensions of 144 x 107 x 81 mm (5.67 x 4.21 x 3.19"). Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 weighs 211 g (0.47 lb / 7.44 oz) and Sigma SD15 weighs 750 g (1.65 lb / 26.46 oz).

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5

Sigma SD15

99 mm

60 mm

144 mm

107 mm

60 mm

107 mm

36 mm

81 mm