Olympus PEN E-P5 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF6 — Which Is Better?

The Olympus PEN E-P5 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF6 are both 2013 mirrorless cameras on the Micro Four Thirds format, so any Micro 4/3 lens fits either body.

The Panasonic is the smaller and lighter body for everyday carrying, measuring 111 x 65 x 38 mm and 323 g against 122 x 69 x 37 mm and 420 g for the Olympus. The GF6 is roughly 23 percent lighter, a 97 g saving.

The Olympus E-P5 is the stronger camera for handheld low-light shooting because it offers in-body stabilisation, which steadies any mounted lens, while the GF6 does not. It also bursts at 9 fps against 4.2 on the GF6, which suits fleeting expressions.

Autofocus coverage favours the Olympus for off-centre subjects, with 35 autofocus points against the GF6's single point. The Panasonic counters with a 1/16000 second maximum shutter against 1/8000, a shorter exposure for wide apertures in bright light. Resolution is effectively a match at 16.1 versus 16 megapixels, and both frame on the rear screen with no viewfinder.

The Panasonic GF6 is the better choice for smoother motion in family clips, with a maximum video frame rate of 60 fps against 30 on the E-P5. The faster capture makes motion more fluid and allows half-speed slow motion in an edit.

Both cameras cap out at Full HD rather than 4K. The Olympus adds a built-in interval timer for timelapse work, which the Panasonic omits. File formats differ too, so match the GF6's MP4 and AVCHD or the E-P5's MOV and AVI to your editor.

The GF6 is the easier camera for self-portraits and waist-level shooting because it has a flip screen, while the E-P5's display is fixed. The screens otherwise match at 3 inches with touch control and about 1.04 million dots, so touch focusing works on either body.

Wi-Fi is shared for transferring images to a phone, and neither offers Bluetooth. Both include a built-in flash and an external flash shoe, but neither has GPS for geotagging travel photos, and neither is weather sealed.

Storage choices match, with each camera taking a single SD, SDHC or SDXC card and no second slot, so there is no in-camera copy. Neither charges over USB, so each needs its own external charger, the BLN-2 for the Olympus and the DMW-BLG10E for the Panasonic.

Battery ratings are close, with the GF6 rated at 340 shots and the E-P5 at 330. The ten-shot difference is minor, so a spare battery matters more than the rating.