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Why is the G7 so cheap?

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Gediminas 8

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Really, it's a new camera (announced last June if I'm not mistaken), and an able one judging by the specs list. Some have compared it to a lightly stripped-down GH4 even.

From handling it in a shop I found it to be plasticky. But if it's the main drawback, I am prepared to live with it considering the price/specs ratio.

(I'm looking for a second camera to fill in the video gap of my Fuji X. I considered something with a 1' sensor: an RX100M2, an FZ1000 (too big though), but then saw that the G7 - a much larger sensor plus the ability to fit lenses to suit various uses PLUS advanced video capabilities - was not more expensive than those P&Ss.)

A few days ago I could get the G7/14-42 kit for something like 420 euros - less than an RX100M2 from almost three years ago!

So where's the catch?
 
There isn't one. As you say its a very capable camera that is just out of the spotlight compared to some of its rivals. I find the handling to be very good and the build perfectly acceptable - it may be plastic but that keeps the weight down, and it probably shrugs off cosmetic damage better than a metal bodied camera. Only real downside is no IBIS.

Take advantage, there really isn't a catch. If I had to guess though, I reckon it might be a short lived model, to be replaced either with a 20mp model (repackaged GX8) or not at all.
 
I don't think there is a catch. I own a G7 and have been really happy with it. Both image and video quality are great, but the really standout feature for me is the autofocus, which is blazing fast and accurate. The only downside for me is that it's not pocketable. I may eventually add a GM5 or GF7 to my kit.
 
There is no catch, it's just Panasonic very aggressively trying to get some market share of potential entry level Canon/Nikon users I would say.

The G7 is a really good camera, the 4k is phenomenal and it's also a great photo camera.

There is no catch, but I think Panasonic is having problems to get the entry level Canon/Nikon users. "Joe Average" is very hard to convince into MFT system because "he" usually does not even really understand what a mirrorless camera is. Especially not an MFT one.

So, he either will go Canon/Nikon OR, if he knows about mirrorless, straight to Sony A7 because he wants the "latest and greatest" and BIG lenses. Because you NEED big lenses, that's what the Pros have, right? ;)

So... I think the low G7 price is simply Panasonic (desperately) trying to get some more customers.
 
Gediminas 8 said:
So where's the catch?
Click to expand...
Who knows.

In Germany the cheapest G7 kit with 14-42 I have ever seen was going for around 675€. The current offers at 700€ have the availability in weeks.

Probably they have misjudged the demand, and shipped too many units to NA. And now they go in NA on fire sales, while in Europe people have to wait.
 
I'd say it's because G-series bodies tend to be seriously underrated. I got both the G3 and the G6 at bargain basement price points and both are wonderful cameras. Even though I now have the GX7 and the E-M1, the G6 stays :-) Guess the G7 is much better than it's given credit for.
 
I asked the same question as the OP. My conclusion? There isn't one.

I do think that people (including reviewers) have to get past the fact that it does feel cheap when you first pick it up. Plasticky is a good word for it. Not that it feels shoddily put together but when handling it right next to an Olympus OMD it just doesn't compare in terms of "feel" when initially holding the camera. But once you've started to use it and see the output you'll see that it's just a great value (especially if you caught it on sale).

The G7 didn't/doesn't get the same attention as something like the a6000 but I think it compares very favorably and beats it on a number of points. I also think that Panasonic has done an absolutely terrible job marketing he G7. Bad for them, but good for us consumers who bought one.

I see that prices have started to go back up on the G7, though. The price on Amazon has gone up by $100 recently. It was $597 new and now it's $697.
 
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Gediminas 8 said:
From handling it in a shop I found it to be plasticky.
Click to expand...
Plastic is good. Plastic means lightweight.

Gediminas 8 said:
So where's the catch?
Click to expand...
Probably none. The G7 is one of the few panasonics I don't have, but the other 'plasticy' feeling ones I do own like the G6 have been flawless in real use and the initial impression you get should be ignored. Plus, once you put a nice lens like the 35-100 on there, it becomes a much nicer feeling setup.
 
Big Ga said:
Gediminas 8 said:
From handling it in a shop I found it to be plasticky.
Click to expand...
Plastic is good. Plastic means lightweight.
Big Ga said:
So where's the catch?
Click to expand...
Probably none. The G7 is one of the few panasonics I don't have, but the other 'plasticy' feeling ones I do own like the G6 have been flawless in real use and the initial impression you get should be ignored. Plus, once you put a nice lens like the 35-100 on there, it becomes a much nicer feeling setup.
Click to expand...
Some reviews even talk about poorer build quality than Olympus which clearly isn't true given that bits drop off Olympus cameras all of the time. I'm considering buying an EM1 as prices continue to fall but I have serious doubts about the build quality in a way that I don't have with Panasonic. I've said it before but Boeing 787s and Airbus 350s are built of plastic and no one doubts their build quality.
 
Trevor Carpenter said:
I've said it before but Boeing 787s and Airbus 350s are built of plastic and no one doubts their build quality.
Click to expand...
Yes, the camera business is seriously conservative, and it seems that anything that hints to back to the golden age of premium cameras is still important, including as much exposed metal as possible on the camera and lens.

On notebook computers, it seems that the exposed metal look is finally becoming out of fashion. What it took, was for the manufacturers to rebrand the plastic cases as "carbon fibre".

Perhaps that is what we need in the camera business as well, to get over this metal madness: Introduction of carbon fibre cameras and lenses. I guess Nikon at least is doing this for parts of their pro bodies.

 
Gediminas 8 said:
Really, it's a new camera (announced last June if I'm not mistaken), and an able one judging by the specs list. Some have compared it to a lightly stripped-down GH4 even.

From handling it in a shop I found it to be plasticky. But if it's the main drawback, I am prepared to live with it considering the price/specs ratio.

(I'm looking for a second camera to fill in the video gap of my Fuji X. I considered something with a 1' sensor: an RX100M2, an FZ1000 (too big though), but then saw that the G7 - a much larger sensor plus the ability to fit lenses to suit various uses PLUS advanced video capabilities - was not more expensive than those P&Ss.)

A few days ago I could get the G7/14-42 kit for something like 420 euros - less than an RX100M2 from almost three years ago!

So where's the catch?
Click to expand...
Wow, that is pretty cheap for such a recent body with 4K... Heck, at one point I thought Panasonic would surely debut it at $1,000 if they brought both 4K and DFD to the G7, I thought the launch price was pretty aggressive and the 14-140 bundle even more so.

In a way I'm not surprised tho... The same question was asked countless times by countless people of the G6, and probably older models too. Plus Panasonic bodies tend to depreciate really really fast, more so than Oly's, they don't seem to enforce retailer pricing as strictly either.

Good or bad it's just how they operate... Outside of no IBIS (no big deal if you're using lenses with OIS) there's little to fault on the G7.
 
ThePhilips said:
Gediminas 8 said:
So where's the catch?
Click to expand...
Who knows.

In Germany the cheapest G7 kit with 14-42 I have ever seen was going for around 675€. The current offers at 700€ have the availability in weeks.

Probably they have misjudged the demand, and shipped too many units to NA. And now they go in NA on fire sales, while in Europe people have to wait.
Click to expand...
Umm, he quoted a price in euros... And I seriously doubt that scenario, tho I wouldn't put it past them, their US distribution chain is rather terrible.
 
Trevor Carpenter said:
Big Ga said:
Gediminas 8 said:
From handling it in a shop I found it to be plasticky.
Click to expand...
Plastic is good. Plastic means lightweight.
Trevor Carpenter said:
So where's the catch?
Click to expand...
Probably none. The G7 is one of the few panasonics I don't have, but the other 'plasticy' feeling ones I do own like the G6 have been flawless in real use and the initial impression you get should be ignored. Plus, once you put a nice lens like the 35-100 on there, it becomes a much nicer feeling setup.
Click to expand...
Some reviews even talk about poorer build quality than Olympus which clearly isn't true given that bits drop off Olympus cameras all of the time. I'm considering buying an EM1 as prices continue to fall but I have serious doubts about the build quality in a way that I don't have with Panasonic.
Click to expand...
Exaggerate much? Wow.
 
Trevor Carpenter said:
Big Ga said:
Gediminas 8 said:
From handling it in a shop I found it to be plasticky.
Click to expand...
Plastic is good. Plastic means lightweight.
Trevor Carpenter said:
So where's the catch?
Click to expand...
Probably none. The G7 is one of the few panasonics I don't have, but the other 'plasticy' feeling ones I do own like the G6 have been flawless in real use and the initial impression you get should be ignored. Plus, once you put a nice lens like the 35-100 on there, it becomes a much nicer feeling setup.
Click to expand...
Some reviews even talk about poorer build quality than Olympus which clearly isn't true given that bits drop off Olympus cameras all of the time. I'm considering buying an EM1 as prices continue to fall but I have serious doubts about the build quality in a way that I don't have with Panasonic. I've said it before but Boeing 787s and Airbus 350s are built of plastic and no one doubts their build quality.
Click to expand...
 
OrdinarilyInordinate said:
Trevor Carpenter said:
Big Ga said:
Gediminas 8 said:
From handling it in a shop I found it to be plasticky.
Click to expand...
Plastic is good. Plastic means lightweight.
OrdinarilyInordinate said:
So where's the catch?
Click to expand...
Probably none. The G7 is one of the few panasonics I don't have, but the other 'plasticy' feeling ones I do own like the G6 have been flawless in real use and the initial impression you get should be ignored. Plus, once you put a nice lens like the 35-100 on there, it becomes a much nicer feeling setup.
Click to expand...
Some reviews even talk about poorer build quality than Olympus which clearly isn't true given that bits drop off Olympus cameras all of the time. I'm considering buying an EM1 as prices continue to fall but I have serious doubts about the build quality in a way that I don't have with Panasonic.
Click to expand...
Exaggerate much? Wow.
Click to expand...
Forums tend to amplify a lot of things out of context. If you go by the word on the GM1 threads the rear dial is all but unusable by anyone without the digits of a 6 month old baby... I've yet to have an issue with it. :p
 
OrdinarilyInordinate said:
Trevor Carpenter said:
Big Ga said:
Gediminas 8 said:
From handling it in a shop I found it to be plasticky.
Click to expand...
Plastic is good. Plastic means lightweight.
OrdinarilyInordinate said:
So where's the catch?
Click to expand...
Probably none. The G7 is one of the few panasonics I don't have, but the other 'plasticy' feeling ones I do own like the G6 have been flawless in real use and the initial impression you get should be ignored. Plus, once you put a nice lens like the 35-100 on there, it becomes a much nicer feeling setup.
Click to expand...
Some reviews even talk about poorer build quality than Olympus which clearly isn't true given that bits drop off Olympus cameras all of the time. I'm considering buying an EM1 as prices continue to fall but I have serious doubts about the build quality in a way that I don't have with Panasonic.
Click to expand...
Exaggerate much? Wow.
Click to expand...
OK, sorry a bit of a sweeping statement but you have to admit there are an awful of of threads on here re back dials, strap lugs and EVF covers. Certainly enough to possibly stop me purchasing an EM1 which I would like to own. My G7 has a 5 year warranty maybe Oly could offer me one on an EM1 to emphasise their confidence level.

--
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http://picasaweb.google.com/trevorfcarpenter
 
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Pretty is as pretty does. That goes for plastic bodies too. At least they hold together and resist most efforts to drop/smash them. It is what comes out that matters...not the appearance of the tool.
 
Really not that many compared to other threads to make such a sweeping overgeneralization. My own E-M1 has been holding up quite well against any such spontaneous disassembly (and even looks near mint cosmetically still). Until you do a proper large-scale survey and account for the selection effect of people posting specifically to report problems, you can't know just how widespread the problems are.
 
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OrdinarilyInordinate said:
Really not that many compared to other threads to make such a sweeping overgeneralization. My own E-M1 has been holding up quite well against any such spontaneous disassembly (and even looks near mint cosmetically still). Until you do a proper large-scale survey and account for the selection effect of people posting specifically to report problems, you can't know just how widespread the problems are.
Click to expand...
Your confidence is very welcome. If I buy an EM1 perhaps you'd like to guarantee if for for me :-)
 
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