Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GM5 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera with 12-32mm Lens (Black)

Panasonic's Lumix GM5 is a tiny mirrorless system camera based on the Micro Four Thirds standard - so while it's roughly the same size as a Sony RX100, it actually supports interchangeable lenses.

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  1166k dot EVF with eye sensor., Hot shoe and plug in flash., Rear clickable thumb dial., Very compact and lightweight., Touch screen., Built in Wifi with smartphone control., 1080 50p /60p HD video., Snap movie, Panorama, interval timer.

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  16:9 screen not ideal for 4:3 stills., Screen doesn’t tilt., Poor battery life, no USB charging., No external microphone socket.

Like its predecessor, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 packs an image sensor that's much larger than you'd expect, resulting in a pocket-friendly camera that can go toe to toe with larger interchangeable lens models in terms of image quality.

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  Extremely compact. Crisp touch-screen LCD. Integrated EVF. Snappy performer. 5.8fps continuous shooting. Clean images through ISO 6400. 1/16,000-second electronic shutter. Sharp, compact kit lens. Raw capture support. Wi-Fi. Excellent app control.

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  Omits built-in flash. No mic input. Pricey. No manual focus ring with kit lens. Underwhelming burst shooting in Raw. Limited (1/50-second) sync speed and 1/500-second mechanical shutter.

If small size is a priority, the pint-sized Lumix GM5 can't be beat. It affords creativity and flexibility that you won't necessarily get with a fixed lens camera, and provides a Four Thirds sensor many times the size of those found in not-much-smaller compact cameras.

The diminutive Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 offers many of the features found in a full-size camera, including an electronic viewfinder and Wi-Fi. But there are better deals when it comes to subcompact, interchangeable lens cameras.

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  Very compact size, Solid image quality, Electronic viewfinder, Built-in Wi-Fi

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  Tiny controls, Display doesn't rotate, No NFC, Short battery life

The Panasonic GM5 takes what was great about the GM1 and improves upon it immensely. While still keeping a lightweight and compact design -- that's practically pocketable even with the 12-32mm kit lens -- the GM5 manages to includes a fully-functional, albeit small, electronic viewfinder.

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  Great image quality for a tiny camera; Excellent high ISO for its class; Built-in EVF; Built-in hot-shoe; Improved ergonomics; Improved image quality for long exposures; Improved burst rate with hybrid shutter; 1080/60p video.

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  Slightly bigger than GM1 (but not by much); No built-in flash; Shallow buffers with RAW files; Dynamic range not quite as good as some competing models; Below average battery life.

Need a pocket-size system camera? Panasonic has an ace up its sleeve.

The GM5 is a fun camera that not only looks great, but is also small and lightweight enough to fit in your pocket or pack into the daysack when you head off on holiday. With a robust build quality, your investment of £649 is likely to stand the test of time.

Let’s be clear. I’m not a small camera kind of guy. I’m the guy who sprints 200m up a steep hill laden with three DSLR bodies and long lenses to get a King of the Mountain finish line shot. That’s a working day for me.

Like other Panasonic compact system cameras, the DMC-GM5 offers class-leading autofocus skills. Despite using a pure contrast detect system, the results are excellent. In low light the camera uses a standard AF-assist beam to lock on, but results continued to impress. It’s fast, it’s accurate.

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  Good image quality thanks to MFT sensor, Tiny body

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  Poor battery life, Fiddly controls, No 4K video

Panasonic rules the roost when it comes to dinky compact system cameras, with 2013's Lumix GM1 establishing a strong position in the market. How to update such a seemingly perfect pocketable interchangeable lens camera?

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  Small and lightweight design, fast autofocus (including pinpoint mode), good overall image quality, better materials choice than GM1

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  Viewfinder scale, poor battery life, JPEG processing can be overzealous, GX7 similarities and improving high-end compacts pose questions

I just bought a week ago the GM5 with 12-32 kit lens and a Photodiox K-mount adapter. I post my first impressions as this camera will probably soon be discontinued and is now sold discounted, at entry level prices.

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  Compact

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  Poor quality