Just bought a G85 a few months ago, and couldn't be happier!!

alcelc wrote:

richard stern wrote:

I had a GX85 but the screen cracked and it was expensive to replace, so I bought a G85 and I'm very happy with it, especially with the Panasonic 14-140 mk.2 lens.

However, a lot of my photography is birds, including BIF, and for that I have a Nikon D500 with a 300 f4-pf-vr and various teleconverters. That knocks the socks off the G85 with a Panasonic 100-300 mk.2 lens, unless the bird is very close, no crop needed, and is not moving very fast.

Dear I suppose you know 100~300 or 75~300 from Panny or Oly are consumer class lenses. For serious BIF the 300 f/4 or 100~400 might be the better tool for the job. If you need an eq of 300 AoV of FF, might the 45~150 f/2.8 also work.

How much you paid for the Nikkor 300 f/4 vs the 100~300 or 75~300? If these 2 cheaply lens can match with the Nikkor (never own it, but on the price and spec I suppose it is a premium class lens of Nikon), Nikon will die for long...

Finally, the DFD on CDAF until G85 generation does not do wow yet on AF tracking. Although some experts like Trevor demonstrated G85 can produce great result, he suggested G9 could do a better job. As per the general opinion from users of multiple system (dslr and M43), it seems that PDAF of dslrs could deliver better performance (more reliable and easier) for BIF. So are the OSPDAF of EM1-II or EM1X, similar AFs used by Sony and Fuji, DPAF of latest Canon are in a better position on this department than Pannys. Wish soon, like IBIS, that Panny might add to its later models to boost the AF tracking of non flagship models.

The G85 with a Panny 100-400 or Oly 300 are roughly the same weight, and only a bit smaller, than the D500 and 300 pf-vr,  and with the Oly, roughly the same price. I believe that m4/3 is the way of the future, and has many advantages over dSLR, but as yet capturing BIF is not one of them (except for the new Sonys). In the future I might consider selling all my Nikon stuff and going m4/3, but as yet I see no reason to, and anyway I can't afford to. As I have said, for still or relatively slow moving subjects that don't need big crops, or for the little video that I do, I am very happy with my G85.