You got all the cameras that I was using or considered!
Each of these cameras has its own appeal and drawbacks/tradeoffs.
I had been using G100 since 2022 until I bought a G9 in Nov,2023. I have been doubting how much I can take good usage of G9 since I bought it.
G9 is too heavy and complicated to use for me. I liked G100 for its light weight and SCN mode. I took G100 with me every weekend, and I was crazy about using it to take photos and shooting videos. All I need to do is finding the interesting angle and shoot, so that I can enjoy the journey, instead of adjusting the parameters and struggling with taking a good photo.
I can definitely appreciate the spirit with which you've enjoyed your G100. It can be a pleasure to go out with a small, light camera, leave it in iAuto (or a Scene mode in your case) or maybe iAuto+ so you can dial in exposure adjustments, and just focus on your subject matter and composition. I've done that myself on occasions here and there, and as hobbyists, having fun and making enjoyable memories is what it's all about.
However, I hardly take G9 out with my journey now, or I take it with me but I don't take photos as happy and easy as I was.
I think this tells you quite a bit about what you prioritize and enjoy most about the hobby, and which gear is the best fit for your style of shooting (at least most of the time).
I have been considering to sell G9 and get a smaller one. My lenses are DG12-60mm F2.8-3.5 and 45-150mm. I also consider selling them and buy a 14-140mm Ⅱ.
Here are my options:
I'll provide a few bits of commentary on my experience with these cameras below. YMMV and opinions vary, so don't take my opinions as canonical.
1. G100---I used to it. Enough for me.
Overall, a very enjoyable camera formula IMO but not for everyone. Fabulous, top-notch m43 stills (both JPEG and RAW) with mechanical or e-shutter (real 12-bit RAW) and great 1080p 8-bit video, great LCD screen, very usable EVF (IMO a big step up from the GX85), and a surprisingly decent grip for those with medium to smaller-ish hands.
But I'm not a fan of the 4k video with this camera. Not about the crop but IMO there's very distracting rolling shutter which gives a jello-like effect with lots of subjects and moving foliage. I'm not sure why this is worse than with the G95, which also has a 1.25x crop for 4k30. I'm guessing the readout speed is slower in exchange for full 12-bits of RAW data being fed through its imaging pipeline vs the G95 which I think goes down to 10-bit RAW data pipeline for the sake of less rolling shutter. I'm really not sure. Anyway, I personally don't shoot a ton of4k, favoring 1080p for most of my use cases. But I avoid 4k completely with the G100.
But the serious and major problem I have with the G100, and the reason I'm parting with it, is unfortunately, I'm completely cursed when it comes to Panasonic compact rear dials! They just fail on me again and again and yet again. You can
read about my experience here if you're curious.
A secondary complaint is that it lacks the live composite and panorama shooting modes of cameras like the GX85, G85, and G95, but this isn't a deal breaker, more of an annoyance IMO.
The limits missing IBIS, 1/500s limit with mechanical shutter, and 1/50s flash speed never bothered me with the G100 but again, it's obvious why these limits may matter to some folks.
As a result of the dial reliability problems I experienced, I wish you owners/prospective buyers of such cameras (including GX9, GX7, GM5, GM1, etc.) the best of luck with the longevity of your rear wheels. Some seem to have had good luck. Others have eventually seen these dials fail. As for me, I simply can't own these cameras as they fail too often to make them enjoyable and recommendable. Too much risk IMO.
2. G95---100g lighter than G9. Has live comp and full view and SCN mode. Sounds interesting. I.S.
I really like the G95. I like it a lot. Excellent build quality/durability and weather sealing, IBIS is good, EVF is good, features are very good, controls on it are perfect IMO and the grip makes the camera much more comfortable to use with longer or heavier lenses. IQ for JPEG and RAW is generally great although the camera can drop down into 10-bit RAW mode without telling you in certain high speed operating modes — i.e., bracketing, some high speed burst situations, etc. I don't like this behavior, but it rarely surfaces in my personal use cases. And even when it does, it's been an annoyance and not a deal-breaker.
Although not as heavy as the G9, the G95 is still nearly 200g heavier than your G100. You will definitely notice added mass. IMO, the larger, more comfortable grip of the means that the heavier weight is not more challenging to handle.
Prior to getting the G9, I would most often use my G95 as my A-cam and carry my G100 with a secondary lens mounted on it so I could cut down on lens changes (and also have a second camera body both as backup and to hand to my son who, during travel, often enjoys using a real camera body).
If you don't want/need specific features offered on the G9 (e.g., joystick control, 4k60 and true Vlog video profile, higher frame rates with full 12-bit quality, dual card slots), the G95 is a great choice. IMO the third "best" non-GH Panasonic camera available, behind the G9ii and G9.
3. GX85---Good looking. I.S. But only 16MP. I'm not sure how much the gap is between 16MP and 20MP.
Personally, I have very mixed opinions on the GX85 (and GX9) — I'd recommend the G85 (or G95 or even GX8) instead.
The GX85 is definitely attractive on paper, and a superb concept — dual dial controls, IBIS, no-record limit 4k and 1080p video, excellent feature set, in a small rangefinder package. And the price with the very good 12-32mm and 45-150mm kit lenses was extremely compelling.
However, my personal experience with multiple rear dial failures in a few short years really soured my time with the camera.
Reliability aside, my other critiques of the camera are that EVF is functional but truly unenjoyable, and the color science/AWB of JPEGs and videos with the GX85 (and G85) is IMO not as good as later cameras like the G100, GX9, G95, and G9. But others might prefer the slightly more "vintage-y" look of the GX85 (and G85) images so you should look at samples and judge for yourself. Grip is very lacking on the GX85 compared to even the G100 and certainly the G95, which you may or may not care about depending on which lenses you use and how long your carry your camera in your hand at a stretch.
Finally, the Auto ISO is way more limiting on the GX85 than on cameras like the G100, G95, and G9. It won't allow you to set a minimum shutter speed. To me that's simply not as useful of an implementation of Auto ISO. So I usually shot the GX85 in M mode to have control over my aperture and shutter speed when using Auto ISO. Unfortunately, exposure comp changes aren't allowed in M mode on the GX85 (no such limits exist on the G95, G100 or G9) so managing exposure** was simply harder for me with the GX85.
And finally, finally: No USB charging with the GX85. This never used to a big deal to me, and I could probably live without it. But there have been so many travel occasions where I've accidentally lost or forgotten a battery charger that having USB charging available as a backup option is huge. I really don't want a camera body that doesn't have it anymore.
I love zoom lenses like the 14-140mm f3.5-5.6 and tend to carry my camera body in my hand for hours at a time as a tourist and day hiker, so I found an add-on grip for the GX85 was a necessity for ergonomic reasons.
Taken together, the sum of my experience is that the G85/G95/G9 are the best fit for my own needs, use cases, weather sealing and ergonomic preferences. Small and light doesn't matter as much to me as other priorities.
In general, I'd recommend the G85 over the GX85 to everyone who can handle the slightly bigger body size. And I'd recommend the G95 over the G85 to everyone who doesn't absolutely require uncropped 4k.
But back to camera size and weight. If you didn't find the G9 enjoyable because of its bulk, I'm not sure you'll very much take the G95. It is smaller and lighter, to be clear. But it might not be smaller/lighter enough. I'm also going to add something that is not commonly understood about the GX85: Although it is small, to me it doesn't feel particularly light. Its density can be shocking to people who've never handled one before. IMO, a camera that's heavy and small is somewhat harder to hold onto than something that's slightly heavier but bigger and grippier. Personally, I found the ergonomics and overall shooting experience of the G95 so much better than the GX85, I didn't miss it one bit.
But definitely YMMV. Maybe what makes you happiest is the smallest and lightest Panasonic camera with superb, modern image quality and a good EVF and great LCD screen. Well the good news is you already own it: The G100.
Sorry for the ramble. Let me know if you have any specific questions.
For my part, my GX85 was sold long ago. The G100 will go next. I'm keeping only the G9 and G95. Despite their heavier/larger size, I prefer the reliability, ergonomics, features, and capabilities with these bodies. YMMV.
** exposure for RAW, lightness for JPEG and video, to be a bit more technically precise
