GX7 review (my first review!)

I've had the GX7 for over a month now. My camera experience includes long term use of a Nikon D300, D60, D200, D90, D70, Sony RX100 II, Panasonic LX3, LX5, Canon G11, and Panasonic G1 and GH2. I've been a photography enthusiast since the late '70's.

Some cameras really thrilled me when I first got them; Nikon D70, D200, D300, Panasonic LX3, Panasonic GH2, Sony RX100 II. The first day I got my GX7, I wasn't exactly overwhelmed. Functionally, it was very similar to my GH2, but arranged differently. Hanging over me, as well, was the question of whether I should have spent another $400-500 and waited another few weeks for the Olympus EM-1. Yes, they're different cameras, and the EM-1 would have introduced a different combination of pros and cons, but it was still a camera I was considering.

In the end, I decided that that $500 would be better spent on building out my m43 lens set. I told myself I would buy an EM-1 or its successor if I sold my Nikon system.

I was also considering the Olympus EM-5. My reservations with that camera were: 1) no built-in flash, 2) menus and control layout weren't appealing.

I was mostly happy with my GH2 but I wanted in-body stabilization and the better image quality of the 16mp class of m43 sensors. The shutter release button was also a bit flakey so I didn't trust the camera anymore, and didn't want to put money into repairing it. I didn't expect the GX7's in-body stabilization to be better than Olympus's, but if it gave me a 1- to 2-stop improvement over handholding, I'd be happy. My non-stabilized lenses are short focal lengths.

My first impression was that the GX7 didn't look as cool as it did in the photos. It didn't really capture the rangefinder look like the Fuji X100s did. Not that that was part of my purchasing decision. That was just my emotional reaction to seeing and handling the camera. It did, however, feel denser than my GH2 which I sold a month before. It had a re-assuring heft that the GH2 lacked. Is it more durable than the GH2? I have absolutely no idea. But it felt nicer in hand. Again, it's not something I'd base a buying decision on.

CONTROLS

The default control layout was okay: it had more buttons (that were also user-programmable) than the GH2, including front AND rear control dials. But it didn't feel like a big step up from the GH2. (At first it appeared that Panasonic didn't provide an quick access way to change the flash exposure compensation and that really annoyed me. But then someone on the forum explained how to enable that feature! It's ridiculous that it wasn't enabled by default, really.) After spending a couple of days experimenting with different layouts and button assignments, I arrived at a combination that pleased me a great deal and made me appreciate the new layout. Having the finder on the far left of the camera makes it very practical for me to use the touch screen for selecting the AF point while looking through the viewfinder.

I now think the GX7's control layout feels about as quick and easy to use as the one on my Nikon D300. Good use of the touchscreen (for AF point selection, the quick menu, and soft Function buttons) is a big reason for that. This is also a benefit you can't really discover when playing with the camera for 30 minutes in the store.

IMAGE QUALITY

I would say that the high ISO image quality has improved over the GH2 but at least one full stop. Maybe a stop and a half. I would sometimes go to ISO1250 in my GH2 but always with trepidation. ISO1600 with the GX7 isn't a problem, and I've capped auto-ISO at 3200, although for closer range shooting, I think 6400 is usable. Combine that with the extra 4,000 pixels and it is a distinct improvement over the GH2's low light ability.

Dynamic range also seems improved. Processing the raw files in Lightroom, there doesn't seem to be as much headroom in the highlights, as compared to my Nikon D300 or even my Sony RX100 II. So I've been shooting with a tendency toward underexposure. Still, I haven't run into many situations where highlights were blown out except in some scenes where it was quite obvious that there'd be a problem. In other words, I haven't been surprised by blown highlights. I've just noticed that there doesn't seem to be as much room to recover highlight detail. OTOH it also seems like I don't have to recover highlights as often as I did on my GH2, either.

Based on processing the raw files from my camera, I think the GX7 is the first micro four-thirds camera I've owned that bests my Nikon D300. That means a lot to me because I'm getting better image quality from my D300 in a much smaller, lighter package. The icing on the cake is that I'm also getting amazing video quality as well.

STABILIZATION

I didn't have high hopes for the built-in stabilization. Using it with my 20/1.7, I'd say it gives me about a 2-stop advantage over hand-holding. That's good enough for me. I'd rather have that AND a built-in flash, instead of even better stabilization and no built-in flash. I do have a complaint about the stabilization, and that is the fact that it is disabled during video recording.

BUILT-IN FLASH

I haven't used it a lot. Just a few times to reduce or remove shadows in harsh daylight. It worked quite well, providing a good balance (ie: not obvious) between the fill and ambient light.

AF PERFORMANCE

AF speed is faster than my GH2. It also focuses in lower light, although that seems hit or miss to me. Sometimes I'll be impressed by how well it can focus in very low light. Other times it will struggle in very low light. In any case, it's a definite improvement over the GH2. I haven't tried continuous AF so no comment on it.

MF PERFORMANCE

Focus peaking is a nice feature but there are many cases where it doesn't work well enough for me. I prefer to use a combination of the magnified center image + focus peaking. It works very well and I find it easy to toggle out of magnified MF mode without having to use any strange hand/finger contortions like I did on my GH2.

WIFI

Meh. It works but achieving a connection, even with a device that you've previously connected with, is fiddly. Even using NFC, it seems a bit "delicate" and doesn't always establish a connection right away. I'm glad to have it for some self-portrait and self-group shots. But the control layout is good enough that it's much easier to go into timed self-portrait mode + 3 bursts.

SIZE

While travelling I've carried this camera in my Lowepro Photosport 200 along with my 14-45, 7.5, 20/1.7, and 9-18; AND still had room for other gear in the bag's camera section. Some days I've carried it to work or on outings in my Pacsafe 200 G2 (http://pacsafe.com/metrosafe-gii-100-anti-theft-shoulder-bag). Even with the 14-45 attached, the GX7 easily fit into the top half of this "murse" and was comfortable to carry. I can see using this bag carrying the GX7 and a couple of other lenses as a very discreet bag for travelling in urban areas. See this video for why it is sometimes good to be discreet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnOHmehDcU0

SILENT MODE

Absolutely fantastic. Beyond the barely perceptible sound of the aperture closing, silent mode is, quite literally, silent. I used this on several occasions.

TILTING EVF

I've never wished for a tilting EVF but everytime I have one (had one on my first digital camera, the Minolta A1), I make use of its tilting ability. Some of this has to do with the fact that I need reading glasses these days. But even with my Minolta A1, I found the tilting EVF to be a pleasant feature. Tilting it up is also an easy way to stop the camera from activating the EVF when it is bouncing against your body (ie: when you're street shooting from hip or chest level).

I sold my GH2 a month or so prior to getting the GX7 so never did a side-by-side comparison. I also have a Nikon D70 which, if you want to complain about tunnel vision finders, well, start there. My first look through the GX7's finder did not make me think: "Hey, this is smaller than the GH2's finder!" My first thought was, "Wow, this is high resolution!" The only negative I felt with the finder was when I looked for the rainbow effect and saw it. Curiously, I've never noticed it since. I guess, for me, it just doesn't come up in normal use, and yes, I have done some panning shots with it.

If you haven't used the current generation of hi-res EVFs, I think you'll be quite impressed. Even in direct sunlight, the EVF was great. I did a fair bit of shooting into the sun and it didn't suffer the kind of blooming that would affect earlier EVFs. The only time I felt the EVF was a liability was shooting in very low light where the refresh rate drops considerably.

Framing a scene with the sun didn't produce blooming or other artifacts in the EVF.  The EVF is a true joy to use.

BATTERY LIFE

Seems shorter than my GH2 but not by much. Still too early to say for sure. Not really a problem for me, though, since I always carry a spare. Bought a kit of 2 spare batteries and a charger from Wasabi for about $25.

THINGS I DON'T LIKE

1) 2 min. "bulb" mode. Come on Panasonic! Give us a longer bulb mode, even if it results in more noise. Let the user decide.

2) No stabilization during video recording.

3) For a camera with this much customizability, it REALLY needed a better manual than what it came with.

CONCLUSION

This is a very competent camera that only really began to grow on me when I used extensively it on a 5-day trip. It doesn't impress right out of the box. But over the course of a 5-day trip, I felt compelled to shoot with it because it's such an enjoyable camera to use once it's dialled in to your preferences. Its small size also made it great for carrying all day long. IMO it's not any kind of a game changer. It's just a nicely executed and solid step up in the evolution of micro four-thirds cameras. The main difference, for me, is that this camera is now my benchmark for m43 ergonomics and it will be tough to upgrade to a subsequent camera if it doesn't meet or beat the GX7's layout.

Nice review, I like your summary and your overall experience mirrors mine. It's a Lovely camera to carry around and shoot with. Not perfect, but what camera is

Very nice, indeed.  A quick question, are the videos from GX7 better than those from GH2?

I want to upgrade my GH1 but I would prefer a body like the G6, which unfortunately does not have the sensor that GX7 has.  May be I should wait one more year ...

I've also greatly appreciated this sensible, balanced review.

No stabilization during video recording ?

If you use a Panasonic lens with OIS you will have stabilization in video recording.

EVF:  One thing I do NOT like about the EVF is that it extends about one centimeter behind the rear of the camera.  This causes the EVF to catch on things as you put it away, especially in tight spaces.

I would have much prefered a non tilting EVF, if it could have been made flush with the back of the camera.

WiFi:  I have had no problems with connecting via WiFi (Samsung and OPPO, both android), and the Panasonic app, which is a little rough around the edges, is far far better than the pathetic Sony app.

However, the WiFi on/off button is on Fn3 by default.  I will use WiFi occasionally, but not so much I want a Fn button dedicated to it.

My first thought was to reassign it to the Quick menu, but guess what, you cannot.  I can only assign it to other Fn buttons.  So that means I have to use a custom save slot to make WiFi available.

And before someone suggests it, I have touchscreen set to OFF, and that is the way it will stay.

Video:  When shooting video I want to activate AF ON using the AE/AF On button, and have the shutter button deactivated for AF ON.  But guess what, when you start recording video, the AE/AF On button becomes inactive, so you have no choice but to use the Shutter button.

What was Panasonic thinking, and why?

I can also assign AF ON to any Fn button, but they too become inactive during video recording.  Huh?  What gives Panasonic?

As for AF area, I like to use the pinpoint AF as it gives me the most control over what the camera focuses on.  But once video recording starts, that nice small + disappears, and you get a huge (by my standards anyway) AF rectangle.

Again what was Panasonic thinking, and why?

As for price, it must be remembered that the GX7 is Panasonic's top of the line, rangefinder styled camera.  It is still cheaper than the EM1 and does better video.

GodSpeaks wrote:

EVF: One thing I do NOT like about the EVF is that it extends about one centimeter behind the rear of the camera. This causes the EVF to catch on things as you put it away, especially in tight spaces.

I would have much prefered a non tilting EVF, if it could have been made flush with the back of the camera.

This is an issue on most Panasonic G-series cameras, and except the GX7 no one has a tilting EVF.

Not only does it catch on things, the rubber cover of the EVF gets more and more loose and on my oldest camera I am afraid of losing it some day.

Peter.

Cheers, geoff

Thanks very much for this very informative review ! And your photos are fantastic too.

I'm trying to gather as much info as possible about this camera, so I'll be glad to read any more comments you might have along the way.

Review says there's no sensor shift IS in movie mode. Do you know whether the lens-ois can be active during video shooting?

Ikay wrote:

Review says there's no sensor shift IS in movie mode. Do you know whether the lens-ois can be active during video shooting?

Lens OIS automatically overrides sensor shift IS so yes it can be active during video shooting. I guess Panasonic wants users to use their OIS lenses for video more.