Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III vs Panasonic Lumix GH5S — Which Is Better?

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III and the Panasonic Lumix GH5S are both Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras, so every lens you buy for one fits the other with no adapter. The E-M5 Mark III, announced in 2019, is the more portable body at 414 g and 125 x 85 x 50 mm. The GH5S, from 2017, is the larger body at 660 g and 139 x 98 x 87 mm.

The E-M5 Mark III is the stronger choice for stills detail and cropping, with 20 megapixels against the GH5S's 10. Those extra pixels give you more room to crop a distant subject and still print or share at size. For handheld work in dim light, the E-M5 Mark III also offers in-body stabilisation, which the GH5S omits entirely.

The GH5S answers with a far wider standard ISO range of 160 to 51200, against 200 to 6400 on the E-M5 Mark III, giving more exposure headroom when the light drops. Its 225 autofocus points outnumber the Olympus's 121, offering more positions for placing focus. For action stills, the E-M5 Mark III shoots at up to 30 fps versus 12 fps on the GH5S.

The E-M5 Mark III is the stronger pick for slow motion: its maximum video frame rate of 120 fps, double the GH5S's 60, slows fast action further in post. Both cameras top out at 4K resolution. For dim venues, the GH5S's wider standard ISO range leaves more exposure settings available for moving subjects.

For timelapse projects, the E-M5 Mark III has the feature built in, while the GH5S requires an external intervalometer or app. Both record to MPEG-4 and MOV files, which drop straight into common editing workflows.

The GH5S gives you a clearer view of focus and framing on the rear screen, with a 3.2-inch TFT LCD carrying 1,620,000 dots against the Olympus's 3-inch, 1,040,000-dot panel. Both cameras keep a fully articulating screen for waist-level and selfie-angle shots, along with touch control for tap-to-focus and menu navigation.

Connectivity and protection are shared strengths. Both offer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for remote release and image transfer, and both are weather sealed for changeable outdoor conditions. Neither camera offers GPS or a built-in flash, and both support an external flash unit when you need extra light.

The GH5S is the better camera for long recording sessions, with two UHS-II SD card slots against the E-M5 Mark III's single slot. A second card means you can keep rolling when one fills mid-shoot. Both cameras take the same SD, SDHC and SDXC cards.

Battery life favours the GH5S too, at a rated 440 shots against 310 for the E-M5 Mark III under their respective test conditions. The Olympus counters with USB charging, so you can top it up from a power bank between locations, while the GH5S needs its mains charger for the DMW-BLF19 battery.