OM System OM-1 vs Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 II — Which Is Better?

The OM System OM-1 and the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 II are both mirrorless cameras built around the shared Micro 4/3 mount, so either body takes the same native lens range. The OM-1 arrived in 2022, a year after the GH5 II, and is the lighter carry at 599 g against 727 g, a 128 g saving. It is also the slimmer body at 135 x 92 x 73 mm versus 139 x 98 x 87 mm.

The OM-1 gives you far more autofocus points for tracking birds in flight and other erratic subjects, with 1053 selectable points against 225 on the GH5 II. Its electronic viewfinder is also much sharper, at 5760000 dots against 3680000, which helps when judging fine feather detail at distance. Both cameras offer in-body stabilisation, so handheld shutter speeds benefit on either body.

The GH5 II counters on burst rate and shutter speed. It shoots at 12 fps against 10 fps on the OM-1 in maximum burst mode, and its 1/16000 second ceiling gives a shorter exposure than the OM-1's 1/8000 second for wide apertures in bright light. Resolution is near-matched at 20.33 MP against 20 MP, so neither body gains a real cropping advantage from pixel count. The sensor designs differ, with a stacked CMOS sensor in the OM-1 and a CMOS sensor in the GH5 II.

The GH5 II is the stronger video camera for editors who crop or reframe. Its maximum video resolution is 6K, against 4K on the OM-1, giving extra pixels for stabilising or punching in during editing. The OM-1 reaches a 60 fps video frame rate ceiling against 30 fps on the GH5 II, offering more slow-motion headroom.

Recording capability itself is shared: both cameras offer video recording, built-in timelapse, and MOV and MP4 file output. For a wildlife or hybrid shooter who occasionally films, either body covers the basics; the choice comes down to whether 6K capture or a higher frame rate ceiling matters more to your workflow.

The GH5 II gives you a noticeably sharper rear screen for checking focus and reviewing footage, with 1840000 dots against 1040000 on the OM-1, roughly 77 percent more. Both screens are 3-inch touch LCDs that flip out, so low-angle and vantage shots work on either camera. Both bodies are weather sealed, support external flash units, and offer WiFi and Bluetooth for wireless transfer and remote control.

Neither camera has a built-in flash or GPS, so location tagging requires a paired phone or an accessory. If you shoot landscapes or travel work where geotagging matters, plan for that on both bodies.

The OM-1 is the better camera for a long day of shooting without a charger. Its BLX-1 battery is rated at 530 shots against 400 shots for the GH5 II's DMW-BLK22 under their respective test conditions, a useful margin for all-day wildlife sessions. Both cameras support USB charging, so topping up from a power bank between locations works on either body.

Storage is effectively shared: both cameras have dual SD card slots and accept SD, SDHC and SDXC cards with UHS-II speed, so fast cards for burst shooting and video suit either body. Two slots also let you separate stills and video or keep a backup card loaded.