Panasonic LUMIX GX85 4K Digital Camera, 12-32mm and 45-150mm Lens Bundle, 16 Megapixel Mirrorless Camera Kit, 5 Axis In-Body Dual Image…

I was looking for a rangefinder camera with a viewfinder and had to decide between Sony’s a6000 series cameras and the GX85. I decided to buy the GX85.

Why I chose the GX85:

– The two high quality and widely praised kit lenses that are sharp, stabilized, support Dual-IS and focus quickly.

– Access to cheap Micro Four Thirds lenses. I recently purchased the cheapest MFT prime lens with a wide aperture, the Panasonic Lumix G 25mm f1.7 ASPH and it’s phenomenal for the price ($199!!!). Autofocus is swift and images are crisp.

– The IBIS (in-body image stabilization) and Dual-IS (IBIS + lens stabilization) with stabilized Panasonic Lumix lenses.

– The electromagnetic shutter mechanism that prevents shutter shock and no AA filter on the sensor.

– The viewfinder is useful outdoors when the brightness of the sun dims the visibility of the LCD screen.

– Unlimited recording times and no overheating.

– Unrestricted touchscreen and intuitive user interface. (The touch capability of the Sony a6k cameras that have touchscreens [a5100, a6500, a6100, a6400 and a6600] is limited only to touch focusing and zooming in on pictures in playback mode.)

Things to consider:

– The 12-32mm kit lens has to be rotated and extended by its zoom ring for it to start working, which means it can’t be used in its flat position at the base focal length (12mm). And it also does not have a manual focus ring.

– Keep in mind that this camera bundle does not include a body cap for the camera sensor or a rear lens cap for the 12-32mm lens, so be sure to buy those. I bought the JJC 2 pack Micro Four Thirds body and rear lens caps here on Amazon for $12.

– The camera bundle only comes with a USB wall charger with a micro-USB cable for charging the battery inside the camera through its USB port while it’s off. In order to not wear out the USB port on the camera, I would suggest buying an external battery charger for the camera’s DMW-BLG10 battery such as the OEM Panasonic DE-A99 charger from eBay or a 3rd party charger that fits the DMW-BLG10 battery.

– The viewfinder uses a field-sequential display which can produce RGB (red-green-blue) color tearing effects if you are sensitive to it. I notice it slightly when I move my eye around the display image in the viewfinder, especially when I use the main menu in the viewfinder, but it doesn’t bother me personally.

Personal dislikes:

There isn’t anything I dislike about the camera, but I do wish the GX85 had the tilting viewfinder that the GX7, GX8 and GX9 were equipped with.

Picture quality is very poor and im very disappointed with this product.

Adquirí el kit que viene con cámara y dos lentes, de 12-32mm y 45-150mm. También la he probado con un lente manual Fotasy 35mm f1.7 comprado también en Amazon. Fácil de usar viniendo de otra Lumix (vengo de la compacta ZS100 y a grandes rasgos los menús y funciones son casi iguales), tiene gran calidad, sólidamente construida, incluye correa para el cuello, batería, cargador y cable USB. Si se desea usar la salida micro HDMI habrá que buscarla por separado. La cámara llegó perfectamente protegida. Ahora, la siguiente compra será alguna mochila para la cámara y los lentes. Estoy satisfecho y recomiendo ampliamente la cámara a quienes vienen de usar cámaras compactas o celular para tomar fotografías y quieren salto a algo más complejo y poderoso. El sistema Micro 4/3 que Olympus y Panasonic utilizan en sus cámaras es abierto, así qué hay otros fabricantes de lentes que tienen productos para este sistema y la variedad de opciones y precios es algo muy atractivo. Añadiré fotos a esta reseña en unos días. Espero que mi opinión sea de utilidad, gracias por leerme!

This review isn’t about the technical aspects of the camera. This review is tailored towards the consumer who wants a small, compact and capable mirrorless camera that they could take everywhere with them. This review if for:

– Someone who understands the importance of some really good food pics
– Likes adventure and looking back at it through pics and videos
– Explores around town and takes photos along the way
– Has cute pets and likes cute pet pics
– Has an eye for design and wants photos of cool spaces
– Wants to travel light but not miss a photo moment

Basically this is a review for the photographer/social media influencer/enthusiast who believes the best camera is the one they have on them.

Just a couple housekeeping notes:

* Before I continue, I have to put out a disclaimer and say that I was chosen as part of Panasonic and Lumix USA’s campaign (#PanasonicAdvocate) to test this camera out and share my experiences with an unbiased and honest review. And that is exactly what I’m going to do as these opinions are my own and I have literally been using this camera almost every day for over a month.

** All images posted to this review are taken with the kit lens.

I started out my mirrorless journey with the Panasonic GF1. It was a pioneer amongst the mirrorless cameras and to this day remains one of my favorite cameras to have used. Since then, I’ve owned mirrorless cameras from Olympus, Fujifilm and now Sony so it’s kind of cool how this all came full circle when Panasonic approached me with the gx85.

DISLIKES

Let’s get the things I dislike out of the way because they’re not a deal breaker for me, they’re simply just things I think can be improved upon. While I appreciate and have grown to love the tilt screen, I wish this camera flipped all the way up for selfies and group shots. Selfies aside, when I’m traveling, this is super useful trying for getting quick self-portraits.

This is also my first touch screen for a camera. While I love the option to quickly change my focal points with a touch of the screen, I find that when I put the camera up to my eye to compose a shot through the EVF, the touch focus point is so sensitive that it moves around like crazy.

The camera is also a bit heavy for it’s size. I read that people complained that it’s predecessor seemed dinky in the hands and while they improved that with the gx85 feeling robust, in my opinion, it’s a touch too heavy for such a compact m43 camera.

On that same note, because the added weight is attributed to making the camera feel more robust, they really should have made this weather proof. It would cancel out any negative feelings one has towards this camera being slightly heavy for a small compact.

High ISO = mehhh photo quality. There’s not much to this point other then when you have a small sensor and you’re pushing it’s ISO, images tend to smudge up, noise builds and the clarity becomes lost. It’s not horrible by any means and they’ve come such a long way since the first m43 cameras, but larger sensor cameras will always have the edge when it comes to high ISO.

LIKES

It’s so cute/cool. Yea I said it. Whatever lol. I’m big on how cameras look these days. I think the aesthetic of ones tools are a direct representation of ones style. For me, I love when cameras can embody a retro rangefinder look while still infusing some modern design elements without looking like the two are fighting against each other. When I think of retro and modern design friction, I think of some of the Olympus bodies. When I think of the perfect blend of retro and modern, I think of the Leica Q.

The buttons and dials are all fantastic. So much so I rarely use any of the touch screen buttons to navigate around for settings and the camera interface and menus.

The build quality is first rate. I know I said earlier it was a tad bit too heavy and while I stick with that statement, it really does feel good in the hands regardless.

Start up time is instant. Something Sony really needs to take note on.

I love the kit lens. It’s so small but provides a good range and the quality is really good for what it is. It’s also built well for a kit lens so the overall vibe of this combo still feels like a premium product.

The image stabilization on this thing is BANANAS. My Sony A7RII also has 5-axis image stabilization, but the gx85 also takes advantage of lens I.S. created a Dual I.S. system. Video clips feel like they’re taken with a gimbal (super amateur clips btw).

I’ll never buy a camera without Wi-Fi. Many times, I like to post photos instantly, especially when I’m traveling. The Wi-Fi on the gx85 works great with the app and transfers images relatively fast. I’ve yet to loose connection while transferring photos.

And like many current mirrorless cameras, the autofocus is lightning fast.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

Just like with every other mirrorless camera out there, there are still some short comings. Most of which I didn’t feel the need to mention because we’ve heard it time and time before. The most notable for me being battery life. It makes sense though when you have a small battery trying to give life to an almost all electronic device (LCD, EVF, shutter, etc.).

With those little gripes aside, I still do believe mirrorless is the future and this camera is just part of that journey.

The Panasonic gx85 is a great, be-with-you-at-all-times camera. As you can see by the photos I’ve posted, that’s exactly what happened. The gx85 was with me at all times. It came with me to dinner, it came exploring in my Jeep and it came with me to hang out with some friends.

Will I be using it for paid work? No, but that’s because I have my Sony line of cameras to do that for me. Is it capable for paid work? Absolutely! Just ask any of the social influencers making a killing per post with an iPhone.