Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, we are going to illustrate the Panasonic LS5 and Panasonic GF8 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic LS5 has external dimensions of 97 x 62 x 27 mm (3.82 x 2.44 x 1.06″) and weighs 126 g (0.28 lb / 4.44 oz) (including batteries). Panasonic GF8 has external dimensions of 107 x 65 x 33 mm (4.21 x 2.56 x 1.3″) and weighs 266 g (0.59 lb / 9.38 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Panasonic LS5 and the Panasonic GF8. Panasonic LS5 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 10mm narrower, 3mm shorter and 6mm thinner than Panasonic GF8. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Panasonic LS5 has a built-in lens but Panasonic GF8 doesn't. Once you put a lens on GF8, its thickness will increase significantly.
Here is the back view size comparison of the Panasonic LS5 and Panasonic GF8.
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic LS5 and Panasonic GF8.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Panasonic LS5 is significantly lighter (140g ) than the Panasonic GF8 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on GF8, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
Unfortunately neither the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS5 nor Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF8 provides any type of weather sealing in their bodies, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections: Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing Top Mirrorless Cameras with Weather Sealing
LCD Screen Size and Features
Panasonic GF8's 3.00" LCD screen is slightly larger than Panasonic LS5's 2.7 screen.
In addition to the size advantage, Panasonic GF8 LCD screen also has a
Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels. On the other hand, Panasonic LS5 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to GF8.