Pany G7 vs G85 vs G9

Setter Dog wrote:

Hi Folks,

I'm an old retired guy and, for something fun to do, I use cameras every day on my walks. Having something to do that I enjoy makes the walking,.... which I don't enjoy,... more enjoyable. There's nothing serious about my photography. It's very repetitive but I enjoy the process and my family pretends they enjoy the pictures.

I confess to really enjoying cameras. Good IQ is nice and features are fun to try.

Since many readers of this forum are "Gear heads" and suffer from GAS, i thought it might be fun to give our preferences in cameras and maybe say why?

G7,....What a great camera and now VERY affordable. I just sold mine after several years of great service. Easy to carry on walks with big lenses. When paired with a stabilized Pany lens, the G7 can basically do it all.

G85,....A "better" camera than the G7, with small improvements in several areas. I used mine interchangeably with the G7. The OIS allows me to use non Pany lenses. It's still light enough to use on long walks with my 100-300mm, and still somewhat affordable. The camera is WR, which is important to some.

G9,....Sure looks like a really GREAT camera. I love the idea of a super EVF and the 6K photo mode, producing 18mp files from the fun 4K/6K photo mode. In my consideration, though, I find the camera to probably be too heavy for long walks, when paired with a lens like the Pany 100-300mm.

I get that technically one camera is bigger than the other, but for practicality sake, they are roughly the same.  There is not one bag/case in existence that you could put one in and not the other.

In terms of weight, here's the comparison.

G9 + 100-300mm is   1178g = 41.55oz
G85 + 100-300mm is 1025g = 36.15oz
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The difference is only: 153g = 5.40oz

Technically the G9 combo is heavier, practicality wise, and to be quite honest, you'll appreciate the larger deeper grip on the G9 for a bigger/heavier lens like the 100-300 anyway; it also might even be less fatiguing.

I added the grips to my E-M10 and Pen-F, it did increase the size/weight, but it make the camera easier to use in both cases, and I could carry either around for longer periods because if it.

Price/Budget/Value are things you'll have to weigh to see what is worth it to you.  Last on my list between these two would be the few mm and 5oz differences between them.  But that's my opinion.

I'd be interested in the thoughts of other forum members. If you use Panys, which one and why?

Jack