Canon M5 vs Panasonic GH4: The Canon EOS M5 has a 24.0MP APS-C sensor while the Panasonic Lumix DMC GH4 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor. These are two mirrorless digital cameras from popular brands. Here’s an overview of the main specifications and features before we dive into more details.
Canon M5 vs Panasonic GH4 Specs
24.2 | 16.1 | |
Sensor Type | CMOS | Live MOS |
Sensor Format | APS-C | Micro Four Thirds |
Crop Factor | 1.6x | 2.0x |
AA Filter | Yes | Yes |
Image Resolution | 6000 x 4000 | 4608 x 3456 |
Body Image Stabilization | Yes (Movie only) | No |
Lens Mount | Canon EF-M | Micro Four Thirds |
ISO | 100 – 25,600 | 200 – 25,600 |
Expanded ISO | None | 100 |
AF Points | 49 Hybrid | 49 Contrast |
Cross-type AF Points | Dual Pixel AF | 0 phase |
Continuous Mode | 7fps | 12fps |
LCD | 3.2″ – Articulating | 3.0″ – Fully Articulated |
LCD Resolution | 1,620,000 dots | 1,036,800 dots |
Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
Focus Peaking | Yes | Yes |
Top LCD Display | No | No |
Viewfinder Type | EVF (2.36M) | EVF (2.36M) |
Viewfinder Coverage | 100% | 100% |
Viewfinder Magnification | 1.34x | |
Video Resolution | 1920×1080 (60/50/30/25/24p | 4096×2160 (24p) |
1280×720 (60/50p) | 3840×2160 (30/25/24p) | |
Microphone Jack | Yes | Yes |
Headphone Jack | No | Yes |
Memory Card Type | SD | SD |
Dual Card Slots | No | No |
SD UHS Support | UHS-I | UHS-I |
Fastest Shutter Speed | 1/4000 | 1/8000 |
Slowest Shutter Speed | 30″ | 60″ |
Bulb Mode | Yes | Yes |
JPEG Buffer Size | 27 | Unlimited |
RAW Buffer Size | 18 | 21 |
Time Lapse | Yes | Yes |
Built-in Flash | Yes | Yes |
Max Flash Sync Speed | 1/200 | 1/250 |
Startup Time | 1.2s | 0.8s |
Built-in Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
Built-in GPS | No | No |
Built-in NFC | Yes | No |
Bluetooth | Yes | No |
USB Type | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
Environmentally Sealed | No | Yes |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 295 shots | 530 shots |
Battery Included | Yes (LP-E17) | Yes |
Weight | 15.0 oz (427g) | 20.1 oz (569g) |
Size | 4.6 x 3.5 x 2.4″ | 5.2 x 3.7 x 3.3″ |
Price | Amazon | Amazon |
Release Date | 2016 | 2014 |
Canon M5 vs Panasonic GH4 Common Features
Wireless Connection | Yes vs Yes | Better connectivity |
Articulating Screen | Yes vs Yes | Flexible shooting positions |
Built-in Flash | Yes vs Yes | Useful in low-light |
External Flash Shoe | Yes vs Yes | Better for flash photography |
Touch Screen | Yes vs Yes | Easy control of camera functions |
Viewfinder | Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) | Better framing and control |
RAW Support | Yes vs Yes | Better image quality |
Face Detection Focus | Yes vs Yes | Useful for portraits |
Microphone Port | Yes vs Yes | High-quality audio recording option |
Timelapse Recording | Yes vs Yes | Creative shooting |
AE Bracketing | Yes vs Yes | Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR |
Selfie Friendly LCD | Yes vs Yes | Rotate LCD for taking Selfies |
Smartphone Remote Control | Yes vs Yes | Remote control your camera with a smartphone |
Canon M5 vs Panasonic GH4 Common Weaknesses
Image Stabilization | No vs No | No Built-in stabilization |
Panasonic GH4 vs Canon M5 Size Comparison
Mirrorless cameras then to be small. In this case, the Canon M5 is the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 17mm narrower, 4mm shorter and 23mm thinner than the Panasonic GH4. It is also 133g lighter than the GH4.
However, since the Canon EOS M5 has an APS-C sized sensor and Panasonic Lumix DMC GH4 has a smaller Four-Thirds sensor, the Panasonic GH4’s lenses for a similar focal length and aperture are generally lighter and smaller than the Canon M5 lenses.
Panasonic GH4 vs Canon M5 Sensor Comparison
The Canon M5 has a 24.0MP APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features a Digic 7 processor. Meanwhile, the Panasonic GH4 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features the Venus Engine IX processor. The Canon M5’s sensor has 8MP more than the Panasonic GH4’s sensor. This means that you have more freedom with cropping and printing larger images.
Moreover, the Canon M5 has a 1.5x larger sensor area than the Panasonic GH4. Larger sensors allow you to have more control over the depth of field and blurry background compared to the smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.
Why You Should Choose The Canon M5
Max Sensor Resolution | 24 MP vs 16 MP | 50% more pixels |
LCD Screen Size | 3.2″ vs 3″ | 0.2 inches larger display |
LCD Screen Resolution | 1.620k dots vs 1.036k dots | 56% higher resolution screen |
Weight | 427 g vs 560 g | 133 g lighter |
Viewfinder Resolution | 2360k dot vs 2359k dot | 0% higher resolution |
Price | $880 vs $1,198 | $318 cheaper |
NFC Connection | Yes vs No | Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices |
Bluetooth | Yes vs No | Connect your camera to other devices via Bluetooth |
Digital video stabilization | Yes vs No | Stabilizes your videos in-camera |
Advantages of the Canon M5 Over Panasonic GH4
- Megapixels – 8.1 more megapixels. For printing big and cropping, the Canon M5 is a much better choice.
- Sensor Format – APS-C is bigger than MFT, which results in slightly less noise at higher ISO levels.
- Body Image Stabilization – It has body image stabilization but it only works in video.
- LCD – 3.2″ vs 3.0″.
- LCD Resolution – Higher resolution.
- Built-in NFC
- Bluetooth Support
- Weight – The Canon M5 weighs 142g less.
- Size – The Canon M5 is noticeably smaller.
Video: Canon M5 Hands-on Review
Why You Should Choose The Panasonic GH4
Max Shutter Speed | 1/8000s vs 1/4000s | Faster shutter speed |
Continuous Shooting | 12.0fps vs 9.0fps | 3 fps faster |
Battery Life | 500 shots vs 295 shots | 205 more frames with a single charge |
Headphone Port | Yes vs No | Better video control |
Environmental Sealing | Yes vs No | Shoot at tough conditions |
Flash Coverage | 17.0m vs 5.0m | 12m longer range |
Sensor Pixel Area | 14.12µm2 vs 13.84µm2 | 2% larger pixel area |
Max Video Resolution | 4096 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 | Higher Resolution Video |
Flash Sync Port | Yes vs No | Connect off-camera flash |
4K Photo Mode | Yes vs No | Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video |
Post Focus Mode | Yes vs No | Change focus point after taking a shot |
Advantages of the Panasonic GH4 Over the Canon M5
- Continuous mode – 12fps vs 7fps. More is better for sports and wildlife since you have more chances of getting a tack sharp shot.
- LCD – It’s fully articulated.
- Video Resolution – 4K video available.
- Headphone Jack – Useful for previewing your audio quality straight out the camera.
- Faster Max Shutter Speed – 1/8000 vs 1/4000.
- Slower Max Shutter Speed – 60” vs 30”.
- JPEG Buffer Size – Unlimited vs 27. Useful for long bursts.
- RAW Buffer Size – 21 vs 18.
- Max Flash Sync Speed – 1/250 vs /200.
- Environmentally Sealed – The Panasonic GH4 is much more protected for shooting outdoors in difficult terrain and bad weather conditions.
- Battery Life – 530 shots vs 295 shots.