Looking for a small, light camera with an EVF? How about one with interchangeable lenses? When I’m looking, the first place I go is “Camera Feature Search” on dpreview.
Camera feature search: Digital Photography Review : Digital Photography Review
Click on Interchangeable lens cameras, then go to screen and viewfinder and click on Electronic. For size and weight, Click down on Physical and start to move the weight slider to the left. When you get down to 250 grams there is only one camera left - the GM5.
When I was shopping for my GM5 I was also considering an all in one camera. Changing the check box from All Interchangeable lens cameras to All fixed lens cameras brings up 8 cameras at 250 grams or less, but I was looking for a 1” sensor or larger camera. Clicking on Sensor and selecting all 1” or larger sensors will knock all of the cameras out of that weight range.
However, with an all in one camera, you don’t have to add extra weight for the lens. The GM5 plus 12-32 kit lens is 281 grams.. So, slide the weight slider over to the next stop, 400 grams. Still selecting for 1” sensor and above, you see 1” cameras with EVF from Sony, Panasonic, and Canon.
All of the under 400 gram 1” sensor cameras with EVF seem like nice cameras. I have looked at RAW files from a few of them, and I would be OK with the image quality. Still, none of them are lighter than the GM5 plus kit lens. And none of them have an effective sensor size as big as the GM5. I think the 12-32 kit lens on the GM5 is a step above the IQ you get with a 1” sensor camera. The LX100 has a great lens and comes close to using as much sensor as the GM5, but it is 112 grams heavier, which is over 1/3 of the weight of the GM5 + kit lens.
There is a lot I like about the GM5, but I am not fond of the color and tonality of the Adobe Standard camera profile. Making and using my own camera profiles has made this camera a lot more enjoyable. There are also Huelight profiles available, which I have not used but have read good things about.
Huelight Camera Profiles
Another potential negative I should mention is the viewfinder. I use it all the time and don’t have any problems with it, but I can imagine some people might want something better. It’s not very big, and the IQ is not that great. I wear glasses and I appreciate that I can see the entire EVF screen with with my glasses on, unlike other EVFs I have tried.
At the time I bought my GM5, the price was much lower than the Sony RX100 series or Panasonic LX100, which made my buying decision easy.
Even at current prices, if you are looking at the small, light 1” sensor cameras with EVF, I encourage you to keep the Panasonic GM5 in mind. You get small, you get light, you get a relatively big sensor, and you get the option to add lenses. For example, I have had a lot of fun with fisheye lenses on the GM5. Below you will see two fisheye photos, followed by three with the 12-32 kit lens.
Camera feature search: Digital Photography Review : Digital Photography Review
Click on Interchangeable lens cameras, then go to screen and viewfinder and click on Electronic. For size and weight, Click down on Physical and start to move the weight slider to the left. When you get down to 250 grams there is only one camera left - the GM5.
When I was shopping for my GM5 I was also considering an all in one camera. Changing the check box from All Interchangeable lens cameras to All fixed lens cameras brings up 8 cameras at 250 grams or less, but I was looking for a 1” sensor or larger camera. Clicking on Sensor and selecting all 1” or larger sensors will knock all of the cameras out of that weight range.
However, with an all in one camera, you don’t have to add extra weight for the lens. The GM5 plus 12-32 kit lens is 281 grams.. So, slide the weight slider over to the next stop, 400 grams. Still selecting for 1” sensor and above, you see 1” cameras with EVF from Sony, Panasonic, and Canon.
All of the under 400 gram 1” sensor cameras with EVF seem like nice cameras. I have looked at RAW files from a few of them, and I would be OK with the image quality. Still, none of them are lighter than the GM5 plus kit lens. And none of them have an effective sensor size as big as the GM5. I think the 12-32 kit lens on the GM5 is a step above the IQ you get with a 1” sensor camera. The LX100 has a great lens and comes close to using as much sensor as the GM5, but it is 112 grams heavier, which is over 1/3 of the weight of the GM5 + kit lens.
There is a lot I like about the GM5, but I am not fond of the color and tonality of the Adobe Standard camera profile. Making and using my own camera profiles has made this camera a lot more enjoyable. There are also Huelight profiles available, which I have not used but have read good things about.
Huelight Camera Profiles
Another potential negative I should mention is the viewfinder. I use it all the time and don’t have any problems with it, but I can imagine some people might want something better. It’s not very big, and the IQ is not that great. I wear glasses and I appreciate that I can see the entire EVF screen with with my glasses on, unlike other EVFs I have tried.
At the time I bought my GM5, the price was much lower than the Sony RX100 series or Panasonic LX100, which made my buying decision easy.
Even at current prices, if you are looking at the small, light 1” sensor cameras with EVF, I encourage you to keep the Panasonic GM5 in mind. You get small, you get light, you get a relatively big sensor, and you get the option to add lenses. For example, I have had a lot of fun with fisheye lenses on the GM5. Below you will see two fisheye photos, followed by three with the 12-32 kit lens.
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