Build and Handling
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5 Review – Build and Handling
Measuring 98.5 x 59.5 x 36.1mm and weighing just 211g body only, the GM5 is very compact. It is only 5.4mm wider and 5.7mm taller than the GM1. At the rear of the camera is a raised thumb grip, which makes the camera fairly easy to hold. The front side of the camera has no raised grip, making it unsteady when shooting with one hand. However, as with the GM1, an optional DMW-HGR1 grip – costing around £99 – can be screwed into the tripod mount, giving the camera a raised front grip. That said, the GM5 does feel very secure when cradled in two hands, thanks to its compact size.
The sleek, retro black design of the GM5 is very similar to the GM1. Mark Baber from Panasonic UK says that the top plate from the GM5 is inspired by the Panasonic DMC-LC1 – you can be forgiven for forgetting which camera this is, since it was released way back in 2003.
In terms of control layout, the GM5 is quite different from the GM1. Rather than having a D-pad that doubles as a scroll wheel, the D-pad is simply four buttons surrounding a menu/set button. The scroll wheel now sits on its own above the LCD. Along the topside of the LCD screen are three buttons. The Fn2 LVF button on the far left switches between live view and the electronic viewfinder, although the camera does have a proximity sensor so it’s not often needed. In the middle is a Wi-Fi Fn1 button and right of this is the playback button. The Fn1/Fn2 buttons can be customised to suit the user, as can the function menus on the LCD screen.
Due to the diminutive size of the GM5, the buttons are all small and can be fiddly. In general, though, it’s nothing too troublesome. I found, as a left-eyed shooter, that the scroll wheel was placed rather awkwardly over the bridge of my nose, making it somewhat annoying to change values with while using the EVF.
