Talk Me Out of Panasonic G7

I'm looking for a mirrorless camera option and have been looking at the Panasonic Lumix G7. There is a great deal at B&H for the G7 with a Panasonic 14-140mm kit lens for around $900.  I will be using this camera for mostly landscape photos.  In the future I would like a macro lens for flower photography and  a long lens for birding.  I'm not interested in video although it has 4K video.  It also has a pop-up flash.  I like the feel of the G7 body because I'm use to an SLR body type.  I want to be able to print images up to 16x20 inches.  The salesman also suggested the Panasonic Lumix GX8.  It has a 20MP sensor (versus 16MP for the G7), in-body image stabilization and better weather seals.  It is more of a rangefinder body style and lacks a pop-up flash.  The cost of the GX8 is greater.  It comes as a body only option with a price of about $1000.  The price of a Lumix 14-140mm lens is about $500.  Overall it will cost me about $600 more to put together a GX8 and lens than the G7 kit.  Is it worth the price or should I stick with the G7?  Will I regret not getting the GX8 if I buy the G7 package?  Above all, I really want to be able to print up to 16x20 inch images.  Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions.

I use a G7 and have no desire to replace it with a GX8.  It works very well with the Oly 60mm macro lens for wildflower/insect photos, the Panasonic 100-300 zoom for wildlife and the 14-140 for everything else.

The right hand grip fits my needs.  The cameras features, layout and ergonomics are well thought out and really work.

I don't print much but when I print at 8 by 10 or 11 by 17, the results are just fine.  The difference between 16 Mpixels and 20 is minor.

Well, if you don't care for 4k video and haven't written Olympus off I'd suggest looking at Olympus E-M1 + 12-40 f/2.8. Why?

You'd get a body that has

- more SLR-like shape than most of the Olympus bodies

- weather sealing

- excellent in-body image stabilization

- focus stacking (and bracketing) for macro shots (why not for landscapes as well)

And a lens that has:

- weather sealing

- very nice drawing qualities (it's sharp and contrasty)

- range for wider and narrower landscape shots

- probably enough macro capabilities for flower shots

I added a G7 with 14-140  this year and love it.  I already had an Oly EM5 ii as well as an EP5, but wanted something with better continuous AF for kids sports.  The G7 and 14-140 have not disappointed.  The ergonomics are great, the grip improves handling and the controls make it very easy to have whatever function you'd like just a button press away.  The lack of IBIS might be an issue is you shoot a lot of low light, static subjects with lenses that are not stabilized.

GX80 shares the same body style with GX8, but is basically a repackaged G7 on steroids. The steroids being sensor based IS and new mechanical shutter that promises to get rid of shutter shock issues (important for 14-140, which is known to be particularly prone to this problem). Maybe that will be more up your alley. It's very new to the market, so no reliable reviews yet.

Iku-Turso wrote:

Well, if you don't care for 4k video and haven't written Olympus off I'd suggest lookingat Olympus E-M1 + 12-40 f/2.8. Why?.....

I seriously considered the E-M1 when I bought the G7 and frankly, I was a little concerned about the reports on this forum of multiple strap lug failures and multiple dial failures.  And a search on here when I had an EVF issue on my EM5 Mark ii revealed the EM-1 can have the same issue I had on my EM5 of the EVF getting messed up if you have strong positive diopter adjustment dialed in and then let any bright sunlight hit the EVF, such as what happened with my EM5 Mark ii with it just hanging against my chest on a sunny day.  I've carried older Panny G series cameras that way for years and never had EVF damage, so I was shocked when it happened on my EM5 Mark ii.  I'm sure lots of users don't have these issues, but the reported problems convinced me to avoid the E-M1.

Hi

There has been a lot of discussion about the size of the GX8 compared with the GX7.

Of these the GX7 came out first, then the G7 then very shortly after the GX8

The GX7 is the smallest of the three.  The G7 was next and was bigger than the GX7 and then the GX8 was next and was significantly bigger than the GX7 and somewhat bigger than the G7.

I have the GX7 which has been great.  I waited to get a second camera.  When the GX8 and G7 were both available I went with the G7 due to its ergonomics, primarily because I wanted something a little bigger than the GX7.  The GX8 was too big and I didn't like the ergonomics, primarily the dials.

So from a grip point of view,   GX7 is the small, G7 is the medium and GX8 is the Large

As another poster mentioned, the G7 does not have In-body IS so you would rely on the IS of the lens, which means you'd mostly want to get Panasonic in the Future to add to the 14-140 you are planning on getting.

If the GX7 is not "too small" for you to hold then I would wait for the announced but not yet shipping GX85.  This model has the shutter shock dampening feature that the others do not yet have and can make use of both lens and body IS at the same time.

For me, if the GX85 had the extra dial and size/grip of the G7 I'd be lining up to get one now.  T

There are of course other differences between these models.  I hope this response has given you another perspective for selecting.

Mark

I had a G7 for a while, and it's a terrific camera.  I sold it when I saw a great deal on the GX8, but I prefer the range-finder style body and there were a few features on the GX8 that I wanted.  Is the GX8 worth $600 more than the G7?  I don't think so.  The G7 is the best-value Panasonic body right now - you should be quite pleased with it.

Got both the G7 and the GX8 but find the handling of the G7 better. Found that back button focus in MF with peaking to work a dream - and difficult to do with GX8.

Definitely won't let G7 go but there is a chance the GX8 will be sold first.

My only comment about IBIS is that I started out in photography when nothing like that existed and you learnt how to cope/manage with the conditions .....

The G7 is the best value in current m43 cameras going, especially with the 14-140mm bundle. I've gotten great photos and video with that set up. Seems like a no brainer for your usage needs, budget, and camera body preference.

The only other camera I can think of that may meet your needs as good would be the FZ1000. Has a smaller 1" sensor, but packs 20 megapixels, 24-400mm f/2.8-4 lens, and can shoot pretty decent macro. A great option if you want an all-in-one solution and prices are pretty low now for it.

After using the G7+14-140mm, FZ1000 and the V-Lux type 114 (Leica version of FZ1000) for a few months side by side, I went with the V-lux type 114. To my eyes, the OOC JPEGS of the V-Lux suited my taste best although the G7 had an edge in RAW file quality. I’ve printed the V-Lux at 13x17 at costco and they look great. Just have to make sure you don’t blow the highlights.

Hope that helps.

situman1 wrote:

JSB wrote:

I'm looking for a mirrorless camera option and have been looking at the Panasonic Lumix G7. There is a great deal at B&H for the G7 with a Panasonic 14-140mm kit lens for around $900. I will be using this camera for mostly landscape photos. In the future I would like a macro lens for flower photography and a long lens for birding. I'm not interested in video although it has 4K video. It also has a pop-up flash. I like the feel of the G7 body because I'm use to an SLR body type. I want to be able to print images up to 16x20 inches. The salesman also suggested the Panasonic Lumix GX8. It has a 20MP sensor (versus 16MP for the G7), in-body image stabilization and better weather seals. It is more of a rangefinder body style and lacks a pop-up flash. The cost of the GX8 is greater. It comes as a body only option with a price of about $1000. The price of a Lumix 14-140mm lens is about $500. Overall it will cost me about $600 more to put together a GX8 and lens than the G7 kit. Is it worth the price or should I stick with the G7? Will I regret not getting the GX8 if I buy the G7 package? Above all, I really want to be able to print up to 16x20 inch images. Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions.

I personally have the GX8. Despite what other posters said, its a little bit smaller than the G7, but also heavier since its made from Magnesium. I also purchased mine from a Canadian seller on ebay so that saved me $200 bucks. Compared to my old GX7, operations and picture quality was an improvement. The G7 has a similar sensor as the GX7 but same AF and video features as the GX8. So if you dont mind giving up a bit of IQ, then the G7 is a no brainer at half the price with a lens. My zoom lens needs were satisfied with the 12-32 f3.5-5.6 and 35-100 f4-5.6 and I got them for $135 a pop on ebay dekitted.

So my GX8 setup was $1,100 in total. $859 for GX8 body (currently for $819 from the same seller), and $260 for the two lens.

Honestly, you can't go wrong with the G7 and the value it presents with the 10x zoom.

You did really well with your GX8 set up! I really wanted the GX8 mostly because all of my lenses are Olympus and I wanted 4k video. the best price I could get was $1389 for the body. In the end I got the G7 and I would recommend it to the OP. Canadian prices for Panny products is atrocious unless you find deals like you did.

For a US buyer with the discounts they offer I agree with you, you can't really go wrong with the G7.

Silver

I wouldn't swap mine for any other m4/3s camera.  I have a small interest in owning an EM1, that aside, I don't see what, for me, any other camera does better than my G7.

Ty...I will look into this one.

Silver