Just as a rose by any other name will smell as sweet, a mirrorless camera by any other moniker will shoot as sharp. Call ‘em CSCs (compact system cameras), MILCs (mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras), ILCs, or just hybrids, mirrorless cameras have been trying hard to click as the new black in the world of photography. Coming of age in the last few years, the chief claim to fame of this class of shooters is that they have fewer moving parts. This makes them far smaller and lighter than conventional DSLRs.

As their nomenclature suggests, cameras of the mirrorless ilk edit out the requirement of a mirror and optical viewfinder. Nonetheless, like DSLRs they allow for interchangeable lenses. And this gives them the aptitude to produce imagery that rivals their heftier and brawnier siblings. CSCs, therefore, often make for ideal luggables for intrepid traveller-tourist shutterbugs.

But let there be no misconception here. The Panasonic Lumix GH5 is no namby-pamby camera meant for casual clicking. It is a serious piece of hardware that will be best appreciated, nay revered, by camera professionals — especially sharpshooting videographers — and purposeful amateur lens eyes. That said, it may also be pertinent to point out that even in the hands of a casual photographer, it is difficult to get a bad picture out of the GH5 — unless you really suck at photography.

Getting into the basics As mirrorless cameras go this 725g durable magnesium alloy-shelled bundle is a fairly large-bodied device for its genre. Ergonomically speaking, this gives it a certain advantage over its more diminutive rivals. Of course this is a subjective and arguable point. The 20.3 megapixel shooter has a 17.3 mm x 13.0 mm sensor that is backed by a nimble processor. You’ll also find a conveniently located mini AF joystick for jumping autofocus points here. The dual UHS-II SD card slots offer you the dexterity to automatically handle shoot overflows, mirror images for backup, as well as the flexibility to save photos and videos each separate cards. There’s a 3.5 mm mic and headphone terminals with a optional DMW-XLR1 microphone adaptor. On the connectivity front, wireless data transfers are sorted by the presence of its 802.11 ac Wi-Fi, NFC as well as Bluetooth options. A full-size (Type A) HDMI terminal with cable lock is included.

On the still photography front, a 6K 30 fps (frames per second) photo mode feature allows you to record “video” at a super widescreen 6,000 × 3,000 effective pixel count to grab 18 mp images. The camera has a nice, big and bright 3.2-inch, variable-angle TFT LCD monitor with 1.6 million-dot resolution with static touch controls at the rear. The high resolution electronic viewfinder is fairly lucid even in bright sunlight. You won’t find an integrated flash. There is an in-built integrated mic though to cater to immediate sound recording needs. Image output is sharp and crisp. Details in low light are maintained with minimal noise in the picture. In terms of colour accuracy, the images can appear slightly oversaturated to a degree at times. Skin tones look perfectly natural.

Standout video What makes the GH5 really stand out a cut above the rest is its video capabilities. Pros would appreciate the fact that it is capable of shooting 4K (3,840 x 2,160) video at frame rates up to 60 fps. In slow-motion playback it can do 24 fps, 25 fps, or 30 fps. And 1080p capture is at impressive frame rates up to 180 fps, with 7.5x slow motion at 24 fps. But what will get video-walas salivating is the fact that the GH5 can do 4:2:2 colour and 10-bit internal video recording. That’s twice as much color data, in 64 times as much colour depth, as other shooters capable of 4:2:0 8-bit video. What’s more, a nifty Focus Transition feature here allows you to fluidly shift focus between three predetermined points via its touchscreen very easily. In addition, automatic subject tracking is slick. Autofocus performance is smooth and reliable, although maybe not as fast as some of us would like it to be. The camera comes with five axis photo/video Dual IS 2.0 image stabilisation for up to five stops with compatible Lumix lenses. Plus, commendably, there is in-body stabilisation support to steady your shots, if you are planning on using classic lenses that come without their own stabilisation.

All in all, the GH5 scores for solid build, fast performance, bumped-up video specifications and capabilities, big and beautiful EVF, and well-organised touchscreen interface. Its fat price tag and extensive competencies, however, puts it firmly in the focus of serious amateur and professional lens folk along with video pros.

Ashish Bhatia is the tech editor of The Luxe Log

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