Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM5

The Lumix DMC-GM5 is a mirrorless camera from 2014 built around one idea: an interchangeable-lens body as small as it can be. It measures roughly 99 x 60 x 36 mm and weighs 211 g, small enough to carry in a large pocket or a corner of a bag.

It uses the Micro Four Thirds sensor format and its matching Micro 4/3 lens mount, a pairing consistent with the tiny body. That suits travel and everyday photography where weight matters more than speed or endurance.

Owning one means planning around its scale rather than its power. It rewards deliberate shooting, and the 220-shot battery rating in particular asks you to pack a spare for longer days.

The optics score of 49 is modest, and the GM5 sits in the bottom 24% of cameras in our database for Optics. At its core is a 16-megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with the Venus Engine processor, a combination aimed at everyday photography rather than specialist demands.

Sensitivity runs from ISO 200 to 25600, giving a broad range of settings as light changes. The 5.8 fps burst rate is the maximum on offer; sustained rates may be lower depending on mode.

Focusing uses 23 AF points, and the electronic viewfinder with 1,166,000 dots gives a clear, detailed frame for composing and checking focus. The 1/16000 maximum shutter speed is a genuine strong point, making wide apertures easier to use in bright conditions.

There is no in-body stabilisation, so handheld sharpness at slow shutter speeds depends on technique, a solid support or a stabilised lens if one is fitted. The camera itself offers no built-in help against shake.

Video is a good area for the GM5, earning a score of 70. Recording tops out at Full HD resolution, the highest frame rate on offer is 60fps, and clips are saved as MP4 or AVCHD files.

A 60fps maximum can keep movement smooth, whether you are following a runner or panning across a scene, and it leaves some room for slowed playback in editing.

The built-in timelapse function lets you create sequence work without an external intervalometer, a welcome capability on a body this small.

There is no 4K option, so heavy cropping in post or delivery to very large screens is limited. For web sharing, family films and everyday clips, Full HD remains perfectly workable.

Features score a modest 54. The 3-inch LCD is a touchscreen with 921,000 dots, and touch input makes adjusting settings more direct than working through menus alone.

The screen is fixed, so overhead or waist-level framing means relying on the electronic viewfinder or guessing at the frame. Live view is available for composing on the screen itself.

Connection options are Wi-Fi only. There is no Bluetooth and no GPS, so geotagging your shots is not built in.

There is no built-in flash, but an external flash can be mounted when you need extra light. The body is not weather sealed either, so it deserves care around dust and moisture.

This is the GM5's weakest area, with a limited score of 13. Storage is a single SD, SDHC or SDXC slot, so there is no second card for overflow or backup during a shoot.

The DMW-BLH7 battery carries a modest 220-shot rating, another contributor to the limited score. Real-world endurance always depends on settings and usage, so treat the figure as a baseline for planning rather than a promise.

There is no USB charging, so the battery cannot be topped up from a computer or power bank over a cable. Carrying a charged spare is the practical answer for longer days out.