Some cameras are just tools. Others become extensions of who you are. The Panasonic Lumix GH5 wasn't just a camera for me—it was the catalyst that transformed my entire career. Eight years later, I bought another one. Not because I needed it, but because I owed it that much.
Finding "The One"
Every creator has that moment. You pick up a camera and it just fits. Not just physically in your hands, but in the way it challenges you, inspires you, and makes you want to create every single day. When you leave the house without it, you feel like you're abandoning opportunity itself.
For me, that camera was the Lumix GH5.
I knew absolutely nothing about video when I bought it in 2017. I was a wedding photographer drowning in an oversaturated market, desperately looking for something to differentiate my business. The GH5 wasn't just a purchase—it was a leap of faith.
What followed changed everything.
The Camera That Taught Me Everything
I shot short films and travel videos. I experimented with timelapses until I understood light and motion in my bones. I pushed every feature the camera offered, learning by doing rather than endless research.
The shutter count became eyewatering within a few short years. I shot weddings and interviews and took photos until muscle memory replaced conscious thought.
And yes, I literally dropped it into the ocean during a dolphin watching trip. Wave after wave crashed over the boat, and I had blind faith everything would work out. A little salt damage here and there, and eight years later? Still kicking just fine.
The rubber has cracked and worn with time. Dents and scratches tell stories of adventures capturing the stars, leaving it overnight in Monument Valley dust, hanging it off Welsh balconies for astrophotography while dew formed and frost settled.
These aren't just wear marks. They're memories.
Why the GH5 Was Revolutionary (And Still Is)
People forget what the camera landscape looked like in 2017. The GH5 wasn't just good for its time—it fundamentally changed what creators could expect from affordable cameras.
Unlimited Recording That Actually Meant Something
Most consumer cameras had cruel 30-minute recording limits. The GH5 said "I can go forever, mate. Forever." For wedding videographers and documentary filmmakers, this single feature was career-changing.
It offered 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 video recording internally without external monitors or mortgaging your house. In a relatively compact body. This combination simply didn't exist at this price point.
Compare it to modern cameras and you'll find the GH5 still exceeds the video capabilities of many 2024 releases. If you're considering buying one in 2025, don't think "oh, it's good for 2017." It's good, period. The video quality absolutely stands the test of time.
In-Body Stabilization That Changed How I Shot
Before the GH5, I was splitting my needs between two cameras. My Olympus had excellent stabilization but terrible video features. My Lumix G7 had wonderful video but zero stabilization.
Combining both in one body felt revolutionary. The GH5's stabilization opened up entirely new shooting possibilities—handheld work that looked gimbal-smooth, running shots that stayed watchable, intimate moments captured without intrusive rigs.
I learned to move with purpose rather than shaky enthusiasm. The camera's stabilization was forgiving enough for learning but not so perfect that I never developed technique.
4K 60fps: The Feature That Elevated My Work
This was my secret weapon for wedding films. Those blink-and-you-miss-it moments—a tear, a laugh, a glance—could suddenly stretch into epic little scenes. When something happened quickly, I knew I could slow it down and let emotion breathe.
For competitive differentiation, 4K 60p was a genuine game-changer. While other photographers in my area were still figuring out basic video, I was delivering cinematic slow-motion wedding films that stood apart.
My business didn't just survive the oversaturated photography market. It thrived beyond anything I expected, becoming my full-time career for over a decade. I trace that success directly back to investing in the GH5 and committing to learning its capabilities.
Open Gate in 2017 (Yes, Really)
This makes me laugh every time. The GH5 had open gate 4:3 recording in 2017. OPEN GATE. The feature everyone obsesses over now, that manufacturers trumpet as revolutionary? Lumix just included it and barely mentioned it.
So typical of Panasonic to have a revolutionary feature that everybody wants and needs now and just... not tell anyone. Like they were casually dropping the future into cameras without marketing fanfare.
I recently shot open gate "postcards" in Japan using my GH5. They're perfect for social media because they fill phone screens way more than 16:9 video. People scroll expecting a photo, then it starts moving—eye-catching and lovely.
Built Like a Tank (Because I've Tested That Theory)
The GH5 features a full magnesium alloy chassis. This is the most tortured camera I've ever owned, and it's still performing several years later.
I've baked this thing in midday Australian sun without a single overheat. I've taken it off-roading through Monument Valley—five hours of bumpy trails, dust, desert conditions, then leaving it out overnight for astrophotography.
I've left it hanging from balconies to capture stars while dew formed and temperatures dropped below freezing. I've shot while quad biking through Bratislava on a stag do, coating it in dust.
The used market value is probably zero now—it's absolutely battered. But it stood the test of time in ways modern cameras with delicate electronics never could.
This robustness matters. Dual SD card slots mean I could confidently shoot paid professional work with proper backup. When someone's paying good money for wedding coverage, equipment failure isn't an option.
The Autofocus Controversy: Setting the Record Straight
I've uploaded many slightly-out-of-focus videos in my time, so defending GH5 autofocus feels ironic. But here's the truth nobody mentions:
The GH5 was never designed as a vlogging camera. It wasn't built for "hey guys, check out this product" content. It was designed as a filmmaking tool for short films, wedding films, and corporate work.
The camera industry was genuinely surprised when vloggers and YouTubers adopted it en masse. The contrast-based autofocus hunts sometimes. It gets bored looking at you and wanders to examine the background instead.
For that use case? Not great.
But for its intended purpose—planned shots, manual focus pulling, deliberate compositions—it's nowhere near as bad as people claim. For photography work, it's perfectly fine.
The Secret Sauce Nobody Can Explain
This might be nostalgia talking, but I genuinely believe there's something special about the GH line. The GH2 and GH4 were also cult classics. There's secret sauce in the footage these cameras produce—something that looks different and special compared to other cameras.
Even when I use technically superior cameras, the GH5 remains my standard for comparison. That "something" in the image quality, the way it renders scenes, keeps me coming back.
Maybe I'm completely making this up through rose-tinted glasses. But I've always loved the video quality from this camera in a way that transcends specs.
Muscle Memory and Intuitive Design
I hadn't touched my GH5 for five months before my recent Japan trip. The moment I picked it up, muscle memory flooded back. White balance, ISO, and exposure compensation dials have different textures—you know which one you're touching without looking.
This attention to detail in ergonomics makes all the difference. When a camera is well-designed and you've customized function buttons to your workflow, you can pick it up years later and hit the ground running.
That's something I've always loved about Lumix cameras in general. They feel intuitive and fast in ways that expensive alternatives often don't.
The Tiny GH5 Discovery
In Tokyo recently, I discovered something called Gacha—miniature collectible cameras including a tiny GH5 with removable lens. I hunted across Tokyo to find the complete set.
I went slightly overboard. I now own many tiny GH5s and the complete set twice. But I regret nothing.
The fact that Panasonic's cameras inspire this kind of affection speaks volumes. People don't collect miniature versions of cameras they merely tolerate.
An Alternate Reality
In some parallel universe, Emily never adopted video. The YouTube channel probably wouldn't exist. My wedding business might have floundered. I have no idea what I'd be doing with my life right now.
That reality seems impossibly distant from where I am today. The GH5 didn't just change my career—it opened creative doors I didn't know existed.
I created a "Photographer's Guide to Video" workshop that helps other photography professionals make the same leap I did. That educational content, my years of successful wedding videography, this entire YouTube channel—none of it would exist without that 2017 investment.
It's honestly baking my noodle a bit.
Should You Buy a GH5 in 2025?
Yes. Absolutely yes.
Used GH5 cameras sell for around $500-600 now. You're getting an open gate camera with 4K 60fps, 10-bit recording, dual SD slots, and legendary build quality for less than many point-and-shoot cameras.
Is it the smallest camera available? No. It's probably not ideal for everyday carry unless you have stronger shoulders than I do. The magnesium alloy adds weight—I definitely felt it during long walking days in Japan compared to lighter alternatives.
But if you want a camera with incredible features for both photography and video at an insane price point, and one that's legitimately part of camera history, you can't go wrong with the GH5.
The Lesson Beyond Gear
Here's what I've learned from eight years with the GH5: cameras aren't just tools for us. They're keys to our imagination. Sometimes they're keys to our future and memories of our past and everything between.
If you've already found your "one"—that perfectly imperfect camera that changed everything—take it out for a spin occasionally, just for old times' sake. Those once-shiny features might not be quite so groundbreaking anymore, but trust me: you made magic once and you can do it again.
Sometimes it's important to look back and see how far we've come.
The camera market constantly pushes us toward the newest releases. Higher specs, better autofocus, more megapixels, shinier features. But the truth is that creative breakthrough rarely comes from gear upgrades.
It comes from mastering what you have. From pushing limitations. From learning so thoroughly that operation becomes instinct.
The GH5 taught me that lesson better than any camera before or since. It challenged me to become better rather than relying on technology to compensate for skill gaps.
For that, I owe it everything.
Practical Specs That Still Matter
Why the GH5 remains relevant in 2025:
- 4K 60fps internal recording (unlimited)
- 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 color depth
- Open gate 4:3 recording for social media
- In-body image stabilization (5-axis)
- Dual SD card slots for professional backup
- Weather-sealed magnesium alloy body
- No overheating in extreme conditions
- Full manual control for deliberate shooting
- Exceptional build quality that lasts
What it doesn't do well:
- Autofocus for vlogging (contrast-based system)
- Lightweight everyday carry (it's substantial)
- Low-light performance vs modern full-frame
- Modern subject tracking and face detection
Who should buy a used GH5:
- Filmmakers learning video fundamentals
- Wedding videographers needing reliable backup
- Content creators wanting 4K 60fps on a budget
- Anyone who values build quality over latest features
- Photographers adding video to their services
The GH5 won't impress people with specs. It'll impress them with what you create using it. And honestly, isn't that the only metric that actually matters?
If you're ready to learn video properly, to push yourself creatively, and to discover what you're truly capable of when gear gets out of the way—this camera remains one of the finest teachers available.
Even eight years later. Even in a market obsessed with the new.
Some tools become legends for good reason.
Have you found your "one" camera? What gear changed everything for your creative journey? Share your stories in the comments—I'd love to hear what tools inspired your breakthrough moments.