How does the GH5 compare to a GoPro for timelapse
Jul 30, 2017
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Here is an interesting question. If a $50 Handycam can be compared to $50,000 RED, why not pitch a Panasonic GH5 against a GoPro?
Youtuber biscuitsalive did just that and has some interesting feedback on the resulting footage.
While the GoPro will probably work in a pinch, biscuits lists three main areas where the GoPro can improve. I agree with about 99.9% with what he says, this is by no means a pixel peeping review, just a general outline to align expectations.
Control
Obviously, the GH has more control over the shot, you can control focus, shutter speed, and many aspects that the GoPro was just not planned to do. This control has an impact on quality, sure, but it also has an impact on the creative choices you can take. Which brings us to the second point:
Quality
This is an obvious one, but a $2K GH5 takes nicer looking photos than $400 GoPro, and there are many factors contributing to that: THe GH5 shoots RAW, while the GoPro shoots JPGs; The GH5 has a bigger 4/3 sensor vs. the smaller 1/2.3 inch GoPro sensor, the better glass on the GH5; and the list probably goes on.
One thing that taking RAWs allow is pushing or pulling the images without losing too much data, and this definitely shows in the parts when the sky goes dark.
Smoothness
Remember that we mentioned that control was important, well, with the GH5, you can set your exposure time as you wish, say to 1-second exposure. While this, obviously, lets more light into the sensor, it also blurs any sudden movement. This means that your time-lapse footage will look more natural, and more pleasing to the eye.
Does that mean that you should not use the GoPro for time-lapse? Not at all. It simply means that you need to be aware of its shortcomings and expect footage accordingly.
[Time-lapse tips, RAW vs jpg, GH5 vs GoPro | biscuitsalive ]
Udi Tirosh
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.




































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5 responses to “How does the GH5 compare to a GoPro for timelapse”
Well shoot, why not compare the Canon C100 cinema camera against the GoPro? or the 5d IV? Isn’t that youtube video like comparing apples and oranges? (Hint: we all know a more expensive video device will do better than a GoPro) :/
The eternal “quality vs price”…
its more convenience vs effort for me, i often use both when I’m travelling light. so i thought it might be vaguely interesting to compare them side by side. to help people weigh up the choice of what to carry with them.
Shitty movie. Two different light conditions. Why movies not created in the same time?
they were both shot at same time, from same spot, the gh5 TL was shorter though, so i had to loop the TL back and forth to fill the time… you can see the clouds sync up perfectly at several points.