Alan Ernst
Well-known member
The GX850 is a great little camera and, with the 12-32mm lens, presents good value for what you get: an excellent feature set with decent image quality in a very compact package.
Together with the 12-60mm f2.8-4 lens, this has become my constant companion, which is small enough to take almost anywhere, with minimal need to change lenses. It replaces my GF7 which died after two years and 23k actuations (I bracket most shots). Compared to the GF7, the main difference is the sturdier quality and a few smaller changes, some good, some bad…
With the accessory grip by Richard Franiec (available online), I find it handles very well, even with medium sized, heavier lenses such as the 12-60 f2.8-4 or the 35-100 f2.8 (this is the same grip that works on the GM1, GM5 and GF7).
What I like about the camera is its compactness, good features, nice touch screen, ease of use. And FINALLY, Panasonic have come up with a way of allowing the combination of self-timer and bracketing, which was long overdue. It takes some getting used to as it is easy to change inadvertently at the outset. However, it works well and it is fast. The focus stacking, in reality I find less useful. It is complicated to use in the field and the reduced resolution makes it unattractive > I suggest to do this in post processing instead.
What I miss is:
- fully articulated LCD (I’d be willing to accept a smaller LCD if it was of good resolution)
- a decent flash synch speed
- a built in grip, which could also accommodate a slightly more powerful battery
What I do not like at all:
- the switch to micro SD memory card is a real pain in the … Transfer speeds using the USB cord are infinitesimally slow, and the cards are simply a nuisance to handle.
- as another user mentioned, Panasonic really needs to look at sensor size and ratio: sensors should be designed to make optimal use of the image circle at all aspect ratios, without a 25% loss of resolution when switching from 4:3 to 16:9. I am quite happy with 16MP, however I would like that resolution, irrespective of aspect ratio.
Adding a viewfinder (even a clip on would be welcome), flash hot-shoe and dual IS in a package the size of the GX1, together with the above “fixes” and the sensor of the G9 would make for the ideal m43 body in my view.
Unfortunately, Panasonic are moving to bigger and bulkier bodies and lenses all the time, losing out on the single most important benefit of the m43 system: small size and weight… Why buy a camera like the G9, approaching in size and cost a full frame mirrorless, when you have to put up with all the limitations of a m43 sensor that is ¼ the size of full frame??? I sold my GX8 because it felt like a brick, GX7, GX85 and GX9 are all way too big for my liking, while still not featuring fully articulated LCD’s. There are many other users out there who seem to share my views on this.
Until Panasonic get their act together (the way they did with the GM1/5), the GX850 remains your only compact choice in their line-up. It is a good camera and I do like it, and it is worth improving on.
Together with the 12-60mm f2.8-4 lens, this has become my constant companion, which is small enough to take almost anywhere, with minimal need to change lenses. It replaces my GF7 which died after two years and 23k actuations (I bracket most shots). Compared to the GF7, the main difference is the sturdier quality and a few smaller changes, some good, some bad…
With the accessory grip by Richard Franiec (available online), I find it handles very well, even with medium sized, heavier lenses such as the 12-60 f2.8-4 or the 35-100 f2.8 (this is the same grip that works on the GM1, GM5 and GF7).
What I like about the camera is its compactness, good features, nice touch screen, ease of use. And FINALLY, Panasonic have come up with a way of allowing the combination of self-timer and bracketing, which was long overdue. It takes some getting used to as it is easy to change inadvertently at the outset. However, it works well and it is fast. The focus stacking, in reality I find less useful. It is complicated to use in the field and the reduced resolution makes it unattractive > I suggest to do this in post processing instead.
What I miss is:
- fully articulated LCD (I’d be willing to accept a smaller LCD if it was of good resolution)
- a decent flash synch speed
- a built in grip, which could also accommodate a slightly more powerful battery
What I do not like at all:
- the switch to micro SD memory card is a real pain in the … Transfer speeds using the USB cord are infinitesimally slow, and the cards are simply a nuisance to handle.
- as another user mentioned, Panasonic really needs to look at sensor size and ratio: sensors should be designed to make optimal use of the image circle at all aspect ratios, without a 25% loss of resolution when switching from 4:3 to 16:9. I am quite happy with 16MP, however I would like that resolution, irrespective of aspect ratio.
Adding a viewfinder (even a clip on would be welcome), flash hot-shoe and dual IS in a package the size of the GX1, together with the above “fixes” and the sensor of the G9 would make for the ideal m43 body in my view.
Unfortunately, Panasonic are moving to bigger and bulkier bodies and lenses all the time, losing out on the single most important benefit of the m43 system: small size and weight… Why buy a camera like the G9, approaching in size and cost a full frame mirrorless, when you have to put up with all the limitations of a m43 sensor that is ¼ the size of full frame??? I sold my GX8 because it felt like a brick, GX7, GX85 and GX9 are all way too big for my liking, while still not featuring fully articulated LCD’s. There are many other users out there who seem to share my views on this.
Until Panasonic get their act together (the way they did with the GM1/5), the GX850 remains your only compact choice in their line-up. It is a good camera and I do like it, and it is worth improving on.
