GM5 or LX100?

For travel.

Want it to be compact, small, and light. Silent shutter important. Wi-FI connectivity.

I would like camera to easily (?) link to an Fuji Instax Portable Printer for handing out instant prints when traveling.

I have a GX1, 7-14, 14-45, 20, 25PL, 45-200 (rarely used), and Sony RX100 (original). Carry both when travelling. Mostly shoot memory snaps on cruises, shore excursions, and general walk around photography. Some short video clips.

My GX1 has no resale or trade in value as it has a delaminated LCD screen and not worth repairing.

Pros and cons of:

• GM5
• LX100
• GX7 (a bit larger) with, or without kit zoom.

Prefer to stay with Panasonic for easy menu, and familiarity of handling. And have all Panny lenses.

Recommendations?

Thank you.

Lena

I currently have both. If you're not chasing shallow DOF, the LX100 works.

I had the LX100 when it first came out, and it didn't work out for me as I wanted a fast 50mm look. I returned it, got the GM5 with the PL25 and was in love. A couple weeks ago I was looking for something wider, so I picked up the PL15, along with an LX100. The LX100 doesn't have that last bit of bite and pop that the PL15 has, but it's close enough that I don't complain about it.

If you love the PL25 (or O45) look, you won't be happy... I wasn't initially. However, if you like shooting wide to normal FOV, and shallow DOF isn't high on your priority list, I think you'll enjoy the LX100. Just watch out for the noise - At equivalent ISO, I see noticeably more noise compared to the GM5/EM5 mk2. I will also say, I don't mind the noise when converted to B&W. As I'm starting to shoot a little wider, I find myself taking out the lx100 more, as it gives me more flexibility without having to carry a bag. Come to think of it, I really treat the LX100 like a true point and shoot.

There were quite a few discussions on this already; a quick search can bring up lots of replies

I'll be prompt here, since I had the LX100 and have the GM1

For me the smallish EVF and the electronic zoom are the factors I like less about the LX100 (reason for me to sell it)

the fact that it only uses 12MP is also a bummer

It's not quite pocketable either

The EVF on the GM5 won't be any better but the EM5 can make use of any lens , large or small, and most have manual zoom control

I find the combo GM1 + 12-32mm better than the LX100

If needed, you can always attach a prime of choice; can't do that with the LX100

Neither has a tilt LCD which to me is a big miss

Between the 2 I'd go for the GM5 , it's just more flexible

Cheers,

For the travel, LX100 has shorter ZOOM than I like.

For the travel FZ1000 is bigger than I like.

For the travel, today I'd stay with what I have and wait for something in between LX100 and FZ1000:

Sensor size from FZ1000 (!")

shape, body size, and controls from LX100

lens 2.8/12- 120.

Your options with the GM5 are much greater than with the LX100. Better quality images, light, small and adaptable depending on which tiny lens you decide to mount. The EVF on the GM5 is excellent when the sun is too bright for the lcd to be of use. I have mine on a long strap (thin, not a Black Rapid) and cross chest when wandering around. It is easy to forget it is there. 12-32 or 20 on the body and 35-100 in the pocket ready for swap. Nice set up.

Len_Gee said:

For travel.

Want it to be compact, small, and light. Silent shutter important. Wi-FI connectivity.

I would like camera to easily (?) link to an Fuji Instax Portable Printer for handing out instant prints when traveling.

I have a GX1, 7-14, 14-45, 20, 25PL, 45-200 (rarely used), and Sony RX100 (original). Carry both when travelling. Mostly shoot memory snaps on cruises, shore excursions, and general walk around photography. Some short video clips.

My GX1 has no resale or trade in value as it has a delaminated LCD screen and not worth repairing.

Pros and cons of:

• GM5
• LX100
• GX7 (a bit larger) with, or without kit zoom.

Prefer to stay with Panasonic for easy menu, and familiarity of handling. And have all Panny lenses.

Recommendations?

Thank you.

Lena

Click to expand...

Even though the LX100 does not use the full 16mp sensor, based on all the reviews and comments, it still appears to produce excellent results.

The GM5 has the same 16mp sensor and processing engine as the GX7 and should yield the same results as the GX7 when using the same lens.

If you select the LX100, with your Sony RX100, you will have two pocketable, large sensor, fixed lens, advanced compacts and your five Panasonic lenses will sit on the shelf or you can sell them.

If you select the GM5, your 20mm and the PL25 will be fine but the zooms may be too large to comfortably use with the GM5.

The GX7 is of course, larger and heavier than the GM5 but, it has a better EVF, better LCD, and will work well with any of your lenses.

I had a GX7 with the kit lens but I didn't like the GX7 layout, gave it to my son, and went with an E-M10. Now I also have an EPL-5, but miss the lack of an EVF. If I were picking, I would go for the GM5 with your 20mm or even possibly better, get a PL 15mm to go with it.

Len_Gee said:

For travel.

Want it to be compact, small, and light. Silent shutter important. Wi-FI connectivity.

I would like camera to easily (?) link to an Fuji Instax Portable Printer for handing out instant prints when traveling.

I have a GX1, 7-14, 14-45, 20, 25PL, 45-200 (rarely used), and Sony RX100 (original). Carry both when travelling. Mostly shoot memory snaps on cruises, shore excursions, and general walk around photography. Some short video clips.

My GX1 has no resale or trade in value as it has a delaminated LCD screen and not worth repairing.

Pros and cons of:

• GM5
• LX100
• GX7 (a bit larger) with, or without kit zoom.

Click to expand...

Neither of the LX100 or GM5 have a built-in flash, which both your GX1 and the GX7 have.
If this is of no concern then the LX100 looks good.
(I have an LX5 which I still like and I 'tolerate' the interchangeable lens system for the better IQ)

If the LX100 had a built-in flash I probably would have gone there.

GX7 gets recommended as being the next logical step after the GX1.

rd

danslides said:

I currently have both. If you're not chasing shallow DOF, the LX100 works.

I had the LX100 when it first came out, and it didn't work out for me as I wanted a fast 50mm look. I returned it, got the GM5 with the PL25 and was in love. A couple weeks ago I was looking for something wider, so I picked up the PL15, along with an LX100. The LX100 doesn't have that last bit of bite and pop that the PL15 has, but it's close enough that I don't complain about it.

If you love the PL25 (or O45) look, you won't be happy... I wasn't initially. However, if you like shooting wide to normal FOV, and shallow DOF isn't high on your priority list, I think you'll enjoy the LX100. Just watch out for the noise - At equivalent ISO, I see noticeably more noise compared to the GM5/EM5 mk2. I will also say, I don't mind the noise when converted to B&W. As I'm starting to shoot a little wider, I find myself taking out the lx100 more, as it gives me more flexibility without having to carry a bag. Come to think of it, I really treat the LX100 like a true point and shoot.

Click to expand...

It is a point'n'shoot, if of a larger and more muscular variety. I reckon that the RX100 is dead and gone if the LX100 is bought. Buying the LX100 also leaves the existing lenses wih nowhere to go.

Lena, if you are looking for a no-fuss camera that does everything you need in one box then the LX100 seems you better choice. That you can lump it in with the GM5 and GX7 despite already having lenses seems to confirm this.

The GX7 will get you an enthusiasts camera with all the bells and whistles and the continued use of your lenses The GM5 will get you a tiny package with images appoaching GX7 standard and marginally better than the LX100 but the lenses stay the same size.

Of course you can have the best of both worlds by buying the GX7 and the LX100 and scrapping both your existing cameras ....

Len_Gee said:

For travel.

Want it to be compact, small, and light. Silent shutter important. Wi-FI connectivity.

I would like camera to easily (?) link to an Fuji Instax Portable Printer for handing out instant prints when traveling.

I have a GX1, 7-14, 14-45, 20, 25PL, 45-200 (rarely used), and Sony RX100 (original). Carry both when travelling. Mostly shoot memory snaps on cruises, shore excursions, and general walk around photography. Some short video clips.

My GX1 has no resale or trade in value as it has a delaminated LCD screen and not worth repairing.

Pros and cons of:

• GM5
• LX100
• GX7 (a bit larger) with, or without kit zoom.

Click to expand...

I've handled them all and the GX7 is better than both by a long way. It's a logical upgrade from a GX1. Handling and feature set are excellent. It's really quite compact.

The GM5 is fine for casual shooting with small lenses. I found the EVF too small and the fixed LCD far too limiting for me. Same with the LX1000… which also lacks a touch screen.

Kung Pao Panda said:

Prefer to stay with Panasonic for easy menu, and familiarity of handling. And have all Panny lenses.

Click to expand...

That's more than logical.

let me chuck in another option.. a point and shoot if you want but with the option to use other lenses..

a GX7 with the Panasonic 14-140 on it.. or the G6 with the same lens..

treat such a combination as a point and shoot and that is what it becomes..

there are so many choices.. tis hard to decide which way to jump..

i jumped several ways and have somewhat of an over-lap.. he he

trog

Len_Gee said:

For travel.

Want it to be compact, small, and light. Silent shutter important. Wi-FI connectivity.

I would like camera to easily (?) link to an Fuji Instax Portable Printer for handing out instant prints when traveling.

I have a GX1, 7-14, 14-45, 20, 25PL, 45-200 (rarely used), and Sony RX100 (original). Carry both when travelling. Mostly shoot memory snaps on cruises, shore excursions, and general walk around photography. Some short video clips.

My GX1 has no resale or trade in value as it has a delaminated LCD screen and not worth repairing.

Pros and cons of:

• GM5
• LX100
• GX7 (a bit larger) with, or without kit zoom.

Prefer to stay with Panasonic for easy menu, and familiarity of handling. And have all Panny lenses.

Recommendations?

Thank you.

Lena

Click to expand...

Over a year ago I upgraded from GX1 to GM1. Despite its well-known limitations, I find the GM1 to be a much better camera than the GX1, which now gets used as an occasional back-up.

I'll talk about the GM1, but I believe the GM5 is the same except that it has a viewfinder and hotshoe, which the GM1 lacks.

Some points (good and bad) that I can make from my own experience:

1. The GM1 is virtually silent even using the mechanical shutter and completely silent with the electronic shutter. The mechanical shutter really is a lot quieter than the GX1 shutter.
2. The image quality of the GM1 is noticeably better than that of the GX1.
3. It produces excellent quality HD videos with image-stabilised lenses (like you, I do it only occasionally, but it is good to have video available).
4. The controls on the GM1 are a bit fiddly and it's too easy to accidentally press a button (or the screen) without meaning to. I have had to learn to use a different grip on the camera to alleviate this problem, but now it works fine.
5. The mechanical shutter goes to 1/500s only. At faster speeds, the electronic shutter is used. This matters because there are some disadvantages to using the electronic shutter. It gives a lower dynamic range (probably matters only when shooting in raw and doing heavy shadow recovery). It also gives more noticeable rolling shutter effect on fast moving subjects.

Despite the disadvantages, I really like the GM1. It feels like a quality camera to use and the results are very pleasing.

Right now I have on my desk the GM5, the LX100, the GX7 and an Olympus OMD EM5 II. I just got back from a trip to Hawaii with the GM5 and the LX100. The LX100 pretty much stayed in the bag and I used the GM5 with the 12-35 2,8 at night and the 14-140 II during the day as well as the 100-300 when we went for whales. If you need a fast lens (the LX100 is at 2.8 by the time you get to 20mm) and need more reach than the 20mm 1.7 pancake AND it need to fit in a small bag then maybe I'd go with the LX100 BUT I'd be giving up a good bit of image quality. On the other hand the 12-35 2.8 costs in excess of 900.00 so there's that. What I love about the GM5 is there is no shutter shock on the mechanical shutter and it's tiny. Using it with the 100-300 was really easy because you just handle the lens (the way you SHOULD handle a camera). It rests in your palm and then you can lightly touch the camera. This allows you to get stable images at very low shutter speeds. Unless you use the GX7 with the silent shutter (not usable with flash) it has a pretty strong kick. Although the GX7 can do almost anything it's DSLR like kick makes it undesirable to me and I'm considering selling it and going with the Olympus. The GM5 is a keeper in any event.

A lot of folks give opinions on cameras they don't actually use. Here's my work table today:


Regards,

Kurt

With your arsenal of m43 lenses, my vote is GM5.

With both priced almost the same, GM5 (in fact GM% body-only is cheaper).

With both almost the same size/weight, GM5.

With more versatility, GM5.

I think you get my point

[If I didn't have and continue to enjoy my Nikon V1, I'd have a GM1/5 as a second/backup m43 body. And I always have a 2 MILC system in my bag when traveling]

I went through this a few months ago and ultimately ended up with the GM5. I don't regret it one bit. The GM5 is a very capable little camera. As long as you are not looking for an all in one solution, I think the GM5 makes more sense if you already have a stable of m4/3 lenses.