Nikon D5600 vs Panasonic GX85

Camera to replace

Change

Nikon D5600

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Change

Panasonic GX85

16 MP | Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Nikon D5600 vs Panasonic GX85 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon D5600, which was introduced in November 2016 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 24.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Panasonic GX85, which was introduced in April 2016 is a Semi-Pro Mirrorless camera with a 16.0MP Four Thirds sensor.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting. Fortunately, you can't go wrong with any of these cameras as we rank them amongst Top 10 cameras in their classes. Nikon D5600 is ranked #5 out of 79 Entry-Level DSLR cameras with an overall score of 78 whereas Panasonic GX85 is ranked #9 out of 44 Semi-Pro Mirrorless cameras with an overall score of 79.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Nikon D5600 and Panasonic GX85 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon D5600 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2016-11-10

24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter

ISO 100 - 25600

Nikon F Mount

3.2″ Fully Articulated Screen

Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder

5.0 fps continuous shooting

1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

465g. 124 x 97 x 70 mm

Replaced Nikon D5500 Compare

Panasonic GX85 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2016-04-05

16MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 200 - 25600 ( expands to 100)

Micro Four Thirds Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Tilting Screen

2764k dot Electronic viewfinder

8.0 fps continuous shooting

3840 x 2160 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

426g. 122 x 71 x 44 mm

Also known as Lumix DMC-GX80 / Lumix DMC-GX7 Mark II

Reasons to choose Nikon D5600 over Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

Max Sensor Resolution	24 MP vs 16 MP	50% more pixels
LCD Screen Size	3.2″ vs 3"	0.2 inches larger display
Battery Life	820 shots vs 290 shots	530 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port	Yes vs No	High quality audio recording option
Flash Coverage	12.0m vs 6.0m	6m longer range
Color Depth	24.1 vs 22.9	higher color depth
Dynamic Range	14.0 vs 12.6	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	1306 vs 662	better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area	15.28µm² vs 14.21µm²	7% larger pixel area
NFC Connection	Yes vs No	Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Bluetooth	Yes vs No	Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Support for UHS Memory Cards	UHS-1 vs none	Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 over Nikon D5600

Built-in Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs None	All the lenses are stabilized
Number of Focus Points	49 vs 39	10 more focus points
Viewfinder Coverage	100% vs 95%	More accurate viewfinder
Continuous Shooting	8.0fps vs 5.0fps	3 fps faster
Weight	426 g vs 465 g	39 g lighter
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080	Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range	±3 EV vs ±2 EV	Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
4K Photo Mode	Yes vs No	Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
Focus Stacking	Yes vs No	Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Post Focus Mode	Yes vs No	Change focus point after taking a shot

Common Strengths of Nikon D5600 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

Wireless Connection	Yes vs Yes	Better connectivity
Articulating Screen	Yes vs Yes	Flexible shooting positions
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Touch Screen	Yes vs Yes	Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder	Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Electronic)	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution	1.037k dots vs 1.040k dots	Higher resolution screens
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs Yes	creative shooting
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Smartphone Remote Control	Yes vs Yes	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Weaknesses of Nikon D5600 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85

Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Nikon D5600 vs Panasonic GX85: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D5600 and Panasonic GX85. Panasonic GX85 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 2mm narrower, 26mm shorter and 26mm thinner than Nikon D5600.

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D5600 and Panasonic GX85.

Nikon D5600 vs Panasonic GX85 Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Panasonic GX85 is 39g lighter than the Nikon D5600 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Nikon D5600 has an APS-C sized sensor and Panasonic GX85 has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Panasonic GX85's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Nikon D5600 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

D5600

GX85

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

D5600

GX85

Min

Average

Max

Nikon D5600 vs Panasonic GX85: Sensor Comparison

Nikon D5600 has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Expeed 4 processor. On the other hand, Panasonic GX85 has a 16.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor.

Nikon D5600's sensor provides 8MP more than Panasonic GX85's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Nikon D5600's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the D5600 and GX85 sensor size comparison.

As seen above, Nikon D5600 has a 1.6x Larger sensor area than Panasonic GX85. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Nikon D5600 and Panasonic GX85 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D5600 and Panasonic GX85 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon D5600 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GX85 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon D5600 for Street Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GX85 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Nikon D5600 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Panasonic GX85 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
9 Cross Type Focus sensors
39 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 820 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
49 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 290 shots
Read the details

Nikon D5600 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Panasonic GX85 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body
465g
Body Thickness 70mm
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
426g
Body Thickness 44mm
Read the details

Nikon D5600 for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Panasonic GX85 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic GX85 vs Nikon D5600 Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Nikon D5600 has an advantage over Panasonic GX85. There are 302 lenses for Nikon D5600's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 98 lenses for Panasonic GX85's Micro Four Thirds lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Panasonic GX85 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. On the other hand, Nikon D5600 doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 88 lenses for Nikon F mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type	# of Nikon D5600 Lenses	# of Panasonic GX85 Lenses
Standard Zoom	33	14
Standard Prime	20	12
Wideangle Zoom	32	4
Wideangle Prime	46	26
Telephoto Zoom	51	17
Telephoto Prime	42	8
SuperZoom	30	7
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	8	5
Macro Prime	25	4
Perspective Control Prime	11	n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime	1	1
TOTAL	302	98

Nikon D5600 vs Panasonic GX85: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon D5600 and Panasonic GX85, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon D5600 and Panasonic GX85 scores compare:

Nikon D5600

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #5 out of 77 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #73 out of 1175 in all Cameras

Panasonic GX85

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #6 out of 117 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #71 out of 1175 in all Cameras

Panasonic GX85 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon D5600. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that GX85 trails behind the D5600: Imaging
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Nikon D5600. If not, we recommend the Panasonic GX85.

Nikon D5600

Panasonic GX85

Panasonic GX85 vs Nikon D5600 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon D5600	Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85
Brand	Nikon	Panasonic
Announced	2016-11-10	2016-04-05
Body Type	Compact SLR	Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	APS-C	Four Thirds
Dimensions	23.5 x 15.6 mm	17.3 x 13 mm
Area	366.60mm²	224.90mm²
Megapixels	24 megapixels	16 megapixels
Max Resolution	6000 x 4000	4592 x 3448
Max Native Light sensitivity	25,600 ISO	25,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	200 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity	-	100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	39	49
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Nikon F	Micro Four Thirds
Number of Available Lenses	302	98
Screen
Type	Fully Articulated	Tilting
Size	3.2″	3"
Resolution	1,037k dots	1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentamirror)	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder	2,764k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	95%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.55	n/a
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed	1/4000s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	No	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	12.00 m (at ISO 100)	6.00 m (at ISO 200)
Max Flash Sync	1/200s	n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	5.0 fps	8.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080	3840 x 2160
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	465g	426g
Dimensions	124 x 97 x 70mm	122 x 71 x 44mm
Battery Life	820 shots	290 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Optional	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	84	71
DxO Color Depth	24.1	22.9
DxO Dynamic Range	14.0	12.6
DxO Low Light ISO	1306	662
	Report a correction	Report a correction