LUMIX GM5

The pinnacle of Micro Four Thirds cameras

A review and Photo example of the DMC-GM5 digital camera.

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1．Overview

Released in 2014, the LUMIX GM5 is a camera that takes the Micro Four Thirds compact concept to the extreme.

Equipped with an EVF in an extremely small body, it is a product that appeals to a generation for whom a viewfinder is essential for photography.
With the LCD display extending right to the very edge of the back, from the outside it feels like a return of the MINOLTA CLE.

Detailed specifications are listed in the table below, but the camera packs a 16-megapixel LiveMOS, a 0.2-inch, 1.16 million dot EVF, and a 3-inch rear LCD into a compact body that is 100mm wide, 60mm high, and 36mm deep.

2．Usage

As of 2024, when I write this, the GM5 is a 10-year-old camera, but it has a 16-megapixel sensor and is not dissatisfying for everyday use, but it is not very compatible with old lenses, and there are often questionable colors.

If a lens without electronic contacts is attached, the mechanical shutter cannot be used. It is quiet and there is no problem in most shooting, but if you are not careful and shake the camera, rolling distortion will occur.

I am a little dissatisfied with the small number of lenses that suit the GM5, and since manual focus is fine, if you have a very small lens with a focal length of about 8mm to 12mm, you can enjoy the GM series more.

Of the lenses I have, the widest angle is the 17mm from Ms-optics (Miyazaki Optical), which is equivalent to a focal length of 34mm in 35mm format. I still want a lens with a focal length of about 24mm in 35mm format.

Kowa’s Prominar lenses have good points at 8.5mm and 12mm, but the lens is large, which is a drawback. The large lens of the Voigtlander NOKTON series does not match well with the small camera body.

The original 12-32mm zoom is not a bad lens, but the roughness of the compact zoom lens is visible everywhere in images taken in Raw without correction. Other Micro Four Thirds system lenses are mostly large and heavy, and there are few lenses that match the GM series. In terms of appearance, the Summilux 15mm F1.7 seems to be the best match.

The camera is cramped but easy to operate, with buttons and dials placed as much as possible on the small body. The EVF is a little rough, but it is possible to check the focus by enlarging it.

Unfortunately, sales of this camera were poor. In 2014, when it was released, the style of taking pictures while looking at a large monitor like a smartphone was mainstream, and it became clear that the popularity of compact interchangeable lens digital cameras with EVFs was very niche.
In the end, this concept camera ended with the GM5, and cameras from the GM1 series that had no viewfinder were released as the GF9, GF10/GF90, but these also disappeared from the product line after three generations.

The PEN-F from Olympus (now OM Digital Solutions Inc.) barely feels like it belongs to this lineage, but its body size (width x height x depth 124.8 x 72.1 x 37.3 mm) is a size larger than the GM5.
Although it is a niche product and there may not be much demand, I hope that a successor model will be released that maintains the body size but has 20 megapixels, equivalent to the PEN-F, and an improved EVF of 2 million dots. It is only through continuity that a product can mature, so the current situation is very disappointing.

3．Add info. Panasonic’s camera business

As of 2024, Panasonic’s camera business consists of two products: L-mount and Micro Four Thirds. Although the small S-series and inexpensive lenses of the L-mount have sold well, the high-priced cameras and lenses that are the manufacturer’s main source of income have completely failed. As for Micro Four Thirds, the camera lineup has been narrowed down and it seems that the company is considering whether to stop selling Micro Four Thirds, as there are almost no new lenses released.

Objectively speaking, the LUMIX business seems to be a burden for Panasonic, and it is speculated that the end of the LUMIX camera business and separation of the business are being considered within the company. There are precedents for the method of business separation, and OM Digital Solutions (hereinafter referred to as OMD), which was spun out from Olympus, has been in the red for a long time and exudes the sadness of small capital. As of 2024, the bodies are rehashes of the past, and the lenses are procured on an OEM basis, so it is hardly an independent camera manufacturer. It is probably difficult to continue the camera business without the backbone of large capital. It is expected that if LUMIX is spun out, it will end up in a similar situation.

Will there be a merger between LUMIX and OMD? It’s difficult to say, but if Panasonic were to pay a certain amount of money as severance pay, it would not be a bad idea for the investment company that holds OM shares. However, in the camera business, where competitors are strong, for an alliance of the weak to survive, it will likely be difficult unless they develop a product that sells before the merger and do the groundwork to launch it with a bang at the time of the merger.
There’s no doubt that it’s difficult to create a product that sells in the first place.

The first time LUMIX has been talked about in a long time is when the 2024 L-mount alliance camera, LUMIX DC-S9, was announced. Panasonic Entertainment & Communications Executive Vice President and Imaging Solutions Division General Manager Toshiyuki Tsumura (that’s a long title) said, “It is people who are knowledgeable about cameras who will understand the advantages of Micro Four Thirds,” and continued, “For people with low camera literacy, Micro Four Thirds is difficult to understand.” (Source: BCN+R “The LUMIX S9 with its ‘cold shoes’ tells the story of the struggles and decisions of camera manufacturers”) This caused some criticism, but as an expression, it may not be desirable as it could be interpreted as an attempt to cause a stir (in fact, it became a bit of a topic and was a success for the media that published it), but it is an accurate expression of the current situation.

Now, if the LUMIX DC-S9 were to be a successor to the GM series, equipped with a Micro Four Thirds sensor, a high-performance EVF, and in-body image stabilization, and the selling price were to be around 200,000 yen, the same as the LUMIX DC-S9, would sales be expected? If it is an attractive product, it may be possible to sell it at the price of 200,000 yen, but since the GM5 ended in failure 10 years ago at 100,000 yen, it cannot be said that it will not make the same mistake.

In any case, since Panasonic has a history of failure with the GM series in the past, it will be difficult to pass a revival plan for the GM series as a product plan.

We will probably know whether the LUMIX DC-S9 plan will be successful by the fall of 2024 or around the end of the year, so I will keep an eye on the news.

Specification

Items	GM5	GM / GM1 / GM1S	PEN-F
Camera effective pixel count	16 million pixels	←	20 million pixels
Lens mount	micro four thirds mount	←	←
Image sensor	4/3 type Live MOS sensor Total number of pixels: 16.84 million pixels	←	4/3 type Live MOS sensor Total number of pixels: approx. 21.77 million pixels
Image Stabilization	none	←	5 steps
EVF	Color LCD live view finder 0.2 type, equivalent to 1.16 million dots	none	Eye-level OLED viewfinder 2.36 million dots
Back LCD	3.0 inch electrostatic touch panel liquid crystal (approximately 920,000 dots)	3.0 inch electrostatic touch panel liquid crystal (approximately 1,040,000 dots)	3.0 inch 2-axis movable liquid crystal display
Internal flash	なし	あり	なし
Battery	DMW-BLH7	←	BLN-1
Size W x H x D (mm)	98.5 × 59.5 × 36.1	←	124.8 x 72.1 x 37.3
Weight(g)	211 (including main unit, battery, and memory card)	204g(only body)	427 (CIPA compliant, including attached rechargeable battery and memory card)
Body color	green, red, black	orange, white, black, silver	black, silver
Release date	2014.11	2013.10	2016.1
Price(Yen/No-tax/only body)	¥90,000-	¥70,000-	¥150,000-