My Panasonic GH5 Review after 12 Months of Use

I’ve now owned the Panasonic GH5 for a little over a year. In this time I have learned a lot about how the camera works. The Panasonic GH5 has a lot of really great features but it also has a few limitations. My overall opinion on the camera is I think it’s fantastic. I might not use all of the functionality built into the GH5 but I use it on a daily basis on my YouTube channels and it has been a great investment for me.

Unlimited Recording

If you’re a YouTuber or a wedding filmmaker there’s one thing you have to love about this camera is the unlimited recording time. One of the best selling points for me at least is you can film until the card fills up and you get one big file. A lot of cameras break the files up every 4GB but not the GH5. I would also recommend these SDXC cards as it’s what I use personally and they have never let me down

Video Quality

There’s no denying that the video quality on the Panasonic GH5 is fantastic. While this is a micro four thirds sensor camera the image is sharp and rich. One downside to the sensor size you’ll hear is “you struggle to get the depth of field effect!“. I don’t believe this to be the case. In the video posted below you can see some excellent bokeh effect both indoors and outdoors with little to no effort behind the camera.

One of the small downsides of the Panasonic GH5 is the “green tint” to the color science. This isn’t prominent on all of the inbuilt color profiles but once you see it, you can’t un-see it. Fixing this in post-production is very easy or you can simply change the green tint in camera. I usually do it in camera so I don’t have to do any post-production.

My favorite color profile hands down are “Cine-V”. This particular mode “pops” off the screen in a big way. I don’t find the need to adjust it or grade it like I would with the flatter “Cine-D” profile. Another favorite of mine hands down is the “Natural” profile. I suggest going through the stock built-in color profiles and finding the one that best suits your needs.

10 bit vs 8 bit:

Another thing that rocks about the camera is 10bit internal recording. This allows you to better tweak the colors in post-production which is really appealing if you like to grade your footage or apply LUTs. One thing no one tells you about 10bit footage is it will slow down your editing experience! I thought my 2015 iMac would eat up 10bit footage because of how well it works with 8bit 4k. I was wrong. There’s a noticeable difference in rendering time and background rendering time with 10bit footage. You’ve been warned. If you have an older computer then shooting in 10bit will destroy your productivity.

4k and 1080 that rock

Both the 4k and 1080p footage on this camera is awesome. I love being able to shoot at 4k 60/50 then slow the footage down in post-production. 1080p can be shot up to 180 frames per second. I never use 1080 higher than 120 for my own needs

Low Light

I said this in my video review of the GH5. If you are mostly shooting in low light then get the Panasonic GH5s and not the GH5. This is one of the only limitations of the camera.

Stabilizer

The in-body stabilization (or IBIS) is amazing. It’s by far the best stabilizer I have ever used in a camera. Handheld shots look like you’re using a tripod it’s that good.

Autofocus

The autofocus has gotten a lot better over the last 12 months. Firmware 2.4 has improved a lot of the focus issues we were seeing. Is it a perfect focus system? No, but it’s usable without question. Below is a video of how I personally use the autofocus and why I think it’s finally reliable.

Build Quality and Design

I love the button placement on the GH5. Everything is where it should be. The menu systems are laid out in a logical manner and shouldn’t take too long to master. The build quality of the camera is rugged and it feels like it could perform well in various situations.

Audio Preamps

The built-in audio preamps are really quite good too. I use them on a daily basis with my Rode Filmmaker pack and have had nothing but positive results so far. The best thing about the Panasonic GH5 is the fact you can also get an audio adapter called the DMW-XLR1. This is a MUST for people who want the best audio quality available. It also allows you to connect condenser microphones as well which is great if you’re using a shotgun microphone like the Rode NTG-1.

Overall

Is this the best YouTuber camera out there? The GH5 is probably overkill for a lot of YouTubers. The exception is if 10bit, 4k 60, and unlimited recording time interests you then yes. Most people making YouTube videos should probably grab the Panasonic G85 because it’s very close quality wise to the GH5 without all the fancy modes. If you’re doing commercial work go for the GH5 or Gh5S no questions about it.

About the Author

Links in this post are Amazon affiliate links which help support my YouTube channel and website expenses. Thank you for the support and don’t forget to subscribe on my YouTube channel. I am in no way affiliated with Panasonic or any camera company.