Pentax K-01 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Pentax K-01 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5, 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.

Pentax K-01 was introduced in May 2012 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 was introduced in September 2014. 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 Pentax K-01 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 over Pentax K-01.

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

Pentax K-01 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 have 3.0" Fixed screens with 921k dot resolution. 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 (available only on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5) 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.

Electronic Viewfinder on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 1,166k dot resolution. It has a 100% coverage and 0.92x (0.46x 35mm equivalent) magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Pentax K-01.

Pentax K-01 features a 16 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.7 x 15.7 mm and a total area of 372.1 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 12,800 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode. 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 169 mm². Its native ISO range is 200 - 25,600 and expands to 100 - 25,600 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

Pentax K-01 can take pictures up to 4928 x 3264 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4352 x 3264, 4224 x 2816, 4928 x 2776, 4224 x 2376, 3840 x 2880, 3456 x 2304, 3456x1944, 3264 x 3264, 3072 x 2304, 2880 x 2880, 2688 x 1792, 2688 x 1512, 2304 x 2304, 2304 x 1728, 1728 x 1728 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. 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.

Lens Mount

Pentax K-01 has Pentax K_AF2 lens mount and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 has Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Due to APS-C sensor in Pentax K-01 its crop factor is equal to 1.5x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5. 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.

In-Body Image Stabilization on Pentax K-01

Pentax K-01 has a built-in Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

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. Pentax K-01 has a Mini Type C HDMI and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 has a Micro HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Pentax K-01 comes with D-LI90 battery pack with battery life of 540 shots and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 comes with DMW-BLH7 battery pack with battery life of 220 shots.

External Storage Slots

Cameras have a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Pentax K-01, and up to 1/16000 sec with electronic shutter and up to 1/500 sec with mechanical shutter on Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5. Pentax K-01 can shoot continuously up to 6.0 fps. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 can shoot continuously up to 5.8 fps.

Flash

Pentax K-01 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m at ISO 100 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 Pentax K-01.

Pentax K-01 body has dimensions of 122 x 79 x 58 mm (4.8 x 3.11 x 2.28") and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 body has dimensions of 99 x 60 x 36 mm (3.9 x 2.36 x 1.42"). Pentax K-01 weighs 561 g (1.24 lb / 19.79 oz) and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 weighs 211 g (0.47 lb / 7.44 oz).

Pentax K-01

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5

122 mm

79 mm

99 mm

60 mm

79 mm

60 mm

58 mm

36 mm