Sony A7R vs Panasonic GH5

Cameras
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Sony A7R vs Panasonic GH5

35mm 861.6mm²
36.4 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A7R Review.
See real-world photos taken with the A7R.

4/3 224.9mm²
20.3 megapixels
ISO 200 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Panasonic GH5 Review.
How does it shoot? Panasonic GH5 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the GH5.
Compare Panasonic GH5 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Panasonic GH5 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Sony A7R II
Compare A7R vs A7R II

Succeeded by the Panasonic GH5 II
Compare GH5 vs GH5 II

Compare SONY A7R II vs PANASONIC GH5 II

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Differences

Sony A7R advantages over Panasonic GH5

Larger sensor
35mm vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 4.88 vs 3.34 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A7R test data on DxO Mark GH5 test data on DxO Mark

2,746 vs 807 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Thinner
48 mm vs 87 mm
Thinner
Lighter weight
465g vs 725g
Lighter weight
More pixels
36.4 vs 20.3 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Panasonic GH5 advantages over Sony A7R

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$1298 vs $1799*
Save money for lenses or accessories
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Shoot 4K video
4K (DCI) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Fast startup
~1.00 vs 2.0 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Built-in Bluetooth
Yes vs No
Always-on wireless connectivity
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

410 vs 340 shots
Capture more photos
Higher max flash sync
1/250 vs 1/160 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Newer
7 years vs 10 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
Higher-res screen
405k vs 307k pixels
More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
Less shutter lag
0.13 vs 0.36 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster JPEG shooting
11.9 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
600 vs 15 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.9 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
65 vs 15 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Faster shutter
1/16000 vs 1/8000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Similarities

Common Strengths

Focus peaking
Both provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Headphone jack
Both provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7R User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read GH5 User Reviews

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Your purchases support this site

Buy the Sony A7R

Body Only

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Panasonic GH5

Body Only

Body Only
Filmmaking Kit
Kit with 12-60mm lens

Review Excerpt

Incredibly small body for a fully-featured, full-frame camera; Resolution that rivals a medium-format camera; Excellent image quality even at very high sensitivities; Decent performance bearing in mind its extremely high resolution; Accepts existing Alpha-mount and E-mount lenses, and can optionally crop to APS-C image circle.
Extreme resolution makes focus and lens quality critical; Modest performance; Loud shutter; Lacks hybrid autofocus of the A7; Mediocre battery life when using electronic viewfinder; Slow X-sync; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses.
Read our Sony A7R Review

20MP sensor; Better per-pixel sharpness; Very good, slightly improved dynamic range and high ISOs; Stellar 4K video up to 60p with no crop; 6K Photo; Dual UHS-II SD slots; Good battery life for its class.
Buffer is deep, but slow to clear; Expensive; Menus still confusing; No optical low-pass filter means greater risk of moire; No built-in flash.
Read our Panasonic GH5 Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony A7

Sony A7R

Sony A7

$1799
35mm

Higher effective ISO
More pixels

$748
35mm

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony A7R vs Sony A7

Panasonic GH5

Sony A7

$1348
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Lens selection

$748
35mm

Larger sensor
Less expensive

Compare Panasonic GH5 vs Sony A7

Compared to Sony A7R II

Sony A7R

Sony A7R II

$1799
35mm

Less expensive
Lighter weight

$2898
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Shoot 4K video

Compare Sony A7R vs Sony A7R II

Panasonic GH5

Sony A7R II

$1348
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

$2898
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Panasonic GH5 vs Sony A7R II

Compared to Leica M (Typ 262)

Sony A7R

Leica M (Typ 262)

$1799
35mm

Lens selection
Focus peaking

$4995
35mm

Bigger pixels
Longer exposure

Compare Sony A7R vs Leica M (Typ 262)

Panasonic GH5

Leica M (Typ 262)

$1348
4/3

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$4995
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Panasonic GH5 vs Leica M (Typ 262)

Compared to Sony A9

Sony A7R

Sony A9

$1799
35mm

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$3147
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony A7R vs Sony A9

Panasonic GH5

Sony A9

$1348
4/3

Lens selection
Less expensive

$3147
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Panasonic GH5 vs Sony A9

Compared to Panasonic G9

Sony A7R

Panasonic G9

$1799
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$1064
4/3

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A7R vs Panasonic G9

Panasonic GH5

Panasonic G9

$1348
4/3

Less expensive
Bigger JPEG buffer

$1064
4/3

High resolution composite
Top deck display

Compare Panasonic GH5 vs Panasonic G9

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