GH5 GH6 battery works in a GH5

[BobKo]

This is a minor and probably obvious thing, but a GH6 battery (DMW-BLK22) works fine in a GH5 (battery model DMW-BLF19E). I used my GH6's battery in my GH5 all morning the other day, and there was no problem. (I had the GH6 doing a timelapse, and it had a dummy battery in it at the time.) Why would you want to bother running a GH6 battery in a GH5? The GH6's battery is rated at 2200 mAh, while the GH5's battery is rated at 1860 mAh -- so the GH6's battery has about 18% more capacity.

There is a big "gotcha" in using a GH6 battery in a GH5, however: A GH6 battery will not fit in a GH5 battery's charger. You have to charge a GH6 battery in a GH6 (feeding power in the USB-C port) or in the charger that comes with a GH6. (The GH5 does not support in-camera charging via USB, but I think the GH5Mk2 does. Perhaps someone with a GH5Mk2 can confirm that. In any event, I do not know if a GH6 battery will charge in a GH5Mk2.)

I mention this because when it is time to replace my GH5's battery, I may want to get a GH6 battery. Charging will be a little more awkward, but just a little. However, the higher capacity of the GH6 battery allows for longer shooting times -- plus my two cameras will have exactly the same batteries. Since the GH6 turns off certain settings if a GH5 battery is used, using only GH6 batteries in the GH6 ensures you keep the settings you want to use.

The picture shows the batteries' label information:

 

[Ron Evans]

I think the new BMW-BLK22 batteries are common to the GH6, GH5MK2 and the full frame models and all of the new models have USB C charging and power supply. I run my GH6 from an Ankor USB PD battery supply. You do need the battery in the camera for this to work though and it keeps it fully charged too.

 

[BobKo]

I think the new BMW-BLK22 batteries are common to the GH6, GH5MK2 and the full frame models and all of the new models have USB C charging and power supply. I run my GH6 from an Ankor USB PD battery supply. You do need the battery in the camera for this to work though and it keeps it fully charged too.

I didn't realize that the GH5Mk2 uses the same battery (DMW-BLK22) as the GH6 and S5 (and S5II). That's great that there is such compatibility across models for necessary things like batteries. And I think it is useful to know that the new battery is backwards compatible with the GH5 (and GH4 and GH3)