GH3 vs E-P5 – SHOOTOUT – PEN EP5 or Lumix DMC-GH3? You decide…
Olympus 15mm f8 Review at Photographic Central.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1 DxOmark test.
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-150mm ASPH & 45-200mm f/4-5.6 Mega OIS lens DxOmarked.
Olympus XZ-2 review at Imaging Resource.
BBC about photography future http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23235771
Nanoha X5 review by Brian Byrd.
Manuel: “As part of your call for readers submissions, I would like to share with you my short documentary “Crowded Healing” on health and overpopulation issues in Manila, which was shot exclusively with micro 4/3 equipment. Cameras used where the Panasonic GH2 and Olympus OM-D, mostly with the Voigtlander 17.5 f/0.95 lens. Watch it here: https://vimeo.com/65404491”
Nico: “I have a blog at http://bee-colours.blogspot.com where I show UV-photos of flowers and other subjects taken with a broadband-modified Panasonic Lumix G1 and the required filters. I also do composite images to create “simulated bee-colours” meaning how bees, that see a different spectrum of the light (including UV but missing deep red), do likely see a flower. Recently, I’ve also started to capture UV-induced fluorescence, with a Lumix GH2 (not modified) and special UV-blocking filters. Gear and methodology are described in more detail in my blog that I will keep updating with new posts. It’s certainly a very special topic, but some might find it interesting, maybe even as fascinating as I do.”
Andrew: “Hi Ale, Your readers might be interested in my 10 part review of the Lumix GH3 on my Camera Ergonomics blog. The first part starts here: http://cameraergonomics.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/lumix-gh3-review-part-1-introduction.html Hope you like it.”
Tomek: “Today we have published a test of Sigma 60 mm f/2,8 (compared a little bit with Oly 60 mm): http://www.m43.eu/obiektywy/test-sigma-60-mm-f28-dn/“
41 Responses
In that video the Oly seems about half a stop over exposed compared with the GH3.
Agree with that. Also the GH-3 is not nearly as in focus as the E-P5. It really distracts from the over comparison and makes it feel a bit cheap.
Yep, I agree on both comments here.
I was thinking the GH3 was about a half stop underexposed.
If you step back or make the side by side bird photo smaller on your monitor, and you parallel free-view it (if you are into 3D you know what this is), you can see it in 3D.
Unfortunatly I can’t see in 3D because of some issue in my right eye. My view is almost 2D, I think it helps me in taking photos, but still I wish I could see this 3D trick.
How can you tell if the GH3 is out of focus or just not as sharp as the E-P5?
It also looks out of focus to me. It wasn’t just unsharp by comparison. It was unsharp enough that if I was going through footage I would throw that out. I have the GH3 and it has fantastic video quality and the optics should have been the same for both camera’s.
It also looks out of focus to me. It wasn’t just unsharp by comparison. It was unsharp enough that if I was going through footage I would throw that out. I have the GH3 and it has fantastic video quality and the optics should have been the same for both camera’s.
Playing on the small default size, I would say like the E-P5 side or the left hand side of the video better most of the time. More details most of the time.
Once again I keep hearing how superior the GH3 camera is for video and then I watch a comparison where the Olympus kicks it all over the place. I thought the colors, DR, and sharpness were better on the Olympus by a long shot.
At least the GH3 looks like an improvement on the awful earlier colors of the GH1 and GH2. Much improvement there for sure.
What I get most out of this is how good the little EP5 actually could be. Very interesting camera and bodes well for the next OMD.
I have to agree – I think the Oly completely blows the GH3 away, for the same reason its JPEGs blow away the Panny’s – far superior colour, sharpness and exposure. The advantages of good in-camera processing are even greater for video than stills I think, as you can run the latter through RAW processing to make it the way you want. This is impractical for video, at least at the consumer level.
This video comparison is amateurish and nonsense. The use of Oly lenses meant the GH3 footage did not have any stabilization and the camera is moving all the while. The default settings of both cameras are obviously different not only on WB and exposure but the ep5 footage had default sharpening to the point where you see halo outline effects on the chains silhouette portion of the video…and the dropped framerates jerkiness makes side by side comparison complete nonsense…
This video is an attempt to make the professional broadcast quality of the GH3 look worse off than the EP5 as the GH3’s versatility is reduced to one extremely limited setting of the ep5 that is so far from its capability. What an insult.
Good grief that was a bad video comparison between the two. Let’s wait and see one from a person who knows what he is doing with the GH3. (why couldn’t he even simply match their frame rate?? GH3 does 30p too http://www.eoshd.com/content/9011/the-panasonic-gh3-is-here) I’d be more interested to see how the hold up in post, as the final product is what really matters, bet the GH3 kicks ass.
I’ve seen all that I need to see. Oly wins.
That video consistently shows the E-P5 very much sharper, so much so the GH3 looks unfocused. It’s consistent enough to make me question the GH3. Note: I do not own either and don’t really care, but the difference was surprising.
although the E-P5 is not meant for video oriented but i can see the image quality of the E-P5 is slightly more sharper ,better contrast ,but maybe for general purpose videography of course GH3 has more advantage and capability than E-P5,.i wander why,.GH3 color has more purplish color specially on a blue sky
Shoot any action scene (people running, dog chasing etc) and Olympus video falls apart quite bad
Please show me an example.
If you have a Olympus camera, shoot a video with hard moving, or shooting trees.
You can get what Nelson saying.
My E-PL5 does bad job with hard moving.
Watched it full screen and E-P5 shows much more details most of the time. Really nice!
Thanks for linking my video!
Hi, thanks for the video!
David Peterson above is asking why 30p is not used for GH-3. I am curious too. May I ask the reason for that?
I think we’re talking about a different video 😉 Mine is the second link…
Ah! I am sorry! My bad!
Yours is a good documentary! Made me know more about the Philippines! Thanks!
Oh, yes, a very good video … but not as a comparison of video qualities of E-P5 and GH3. Oh no. It’s a very good example of how to rig a test setup such that you get the “result” you want to get. This test really uses every trick to make the GH3 look bad. Wrong frame rate, unstabilized lenses, strange setting, out of focus imaging, and so. If *this* was really the maximum quality you can get with GH-series cameras, how could any sane person use them for professional video work?
Manuel’s documentary was quite an eye opener to me, I want to visit my gf in Manila who has worked in hospital at the prescription dept. where mostly the poorest people came for medicines and she sometimes secretly gave discount,which she compensated by letting the wealthy people pay double now and then. I like the no nonsense and to the point shooting style, and 17 mm does the job well. Manuel, is there anything you can add about using the OMD for videography?
I’m very happy with the OMD, particularly for handheld videography in combination with the 17.5mm lens because of the IBIS, which is very effective. Of course the leeway for post-processing is greater with the GH2 with which most of the scenes were shot. The lack of a microphone input on the OMD is a serious limitation for shooting video but with an external recorder it’s manageable. Definitely a great allround camera and a good b-cam for video but for more serious productions with tripod, external mic etc the GH2 is superior.
Thanks for the video Manuel, really well done from the documentarist and journalist point of view. I won’t comment the technical quality since I’m not into video and I’m ignorant about it, though I know that OMD-Em5 and Voigtländer 17.5mm are a beautiful combination.
@Ulli respect to your gf and her job!
Aliasing seems terrible on GH3 compare to EM5.
GH3 looks washed out a bit in comparison…
He recorder at the Lowest AVCHD settings on the GH3 to match bit rates with the Olympus so the GH3 at hitbit rate would be a lot better. he also downed the Olympus footage from 30p to 24p hence some of the stuttering. I own the GH3 and I have to admit his footage doesn’t look like anything I get out of my GH3 except for two things lol the Moire and aliasing on the GH3 it doesn’t always pop up but when it does on man its bad. I wish mosaic would make a filter for the GH3 like they did the the D800 and 5dm2.
That said the Olympus was not bad at all if it had more codec options (bit rate/60/50p,24/25p) and a proper mic input I would buy two tomorrow the aliasing/ moire doesn’t look like it is as much of a problem as on the GH3. honeslty the GH3 is a nice camera minus the moire/aliasing.
He recorder at the Lowest AVCHD settings on the GH3 to match bit rates with the Olympus so the GH3 at hitbit rate would be a lot better. he also downed the Olympus footage from 30p to 24p hence some of the stuttering. I own the GH3 and I have to admit his footage doesn’t look like anything I get out of my GH3 except for two things lol the Moire and aliasing on the GH3 it doesn’t always pop up but when it does on man its bad. I wish mosaic would make a filter for the GH3 like they did the the D800 and 5dm2.
That said the Olympus was not bad at all if it had more codec options (bit rate/60/50p,24/25p) and a proper mic input I would buy two tomorrow the aliasing/ moire doesn’t look like it is as much of a problem as on the GH3. honeslty the GH3 is a nice camera minus the moire/aliasing.
Can you please add a comma or a full stop, now and then?
Sorry, you’re right.
I am an EM5 ownder, but the GH3 showed better fine details, a more muted palette (better for video) and less compression artifacts in the shadows. But that is what the GH3 does.
Having said that these were not night and day differences, as for the DR the exposure differences means you cant really compare DR from these videos.
Isn’t it great to have so much choice without having to sell all you lenses.
Are they saying that GH3 does not have 30 fps option? Or is it limitation of a European version?
I remember the earlier Olympus video are very crappy, this EP5 seems miles better, does this has anything to do with their partnership with Sony?
I always think Panasonic and Sony are the leader of pro-video, even better than Canon. If Olympus do benefit from Sony’s video tech, that would be a joy to all buyers.
It looks like the GH3 focus is at a diff spot. Looks out of focus.
One look and it’s obvious the E-P5 is doing a great job overall to compare this well with the GH3. From a consumer-grade standpoint, I think the Olympus is practically indistinguishable in most cases. I just wish Olympus had added a 60p native option for video, so that it could be used for slow-motion as well.
That ‘shootout’ is perhaps the worst I have ever seen. Focus points are different throughout, exposure is different throughout, even the framing is different in many cases. The FPS is different (a GH3 mode that is lower than the EP5’s BEST one is chosen)… Epic fail.