Pany G7 vs G85 vs G9

Hi Folks,

I'm an old retired guy and, for something fun to do, I use cameras every day on my walks. Having something to do that I enjoy makes the walking,.... which I don't enjoy,... more enjoyable. There's nothing serious about my photography. It's very repetitive but I enjoy the process and my family pretends they enjoy the pictures.

I confess to really enjoying cameras. Good IQ is nice and features are fun to try.

Since many readers of this forum are "Gear heads" and suffer from GAS, i thought it might be fun to give our preferences in cameras and maybe say why?

G7,....What a great camera and now VERY affordable. I just sold mine after several years of great service. Easy to carry on walks with big lenses. When paired with a stabilized Pany lens, the G7 can basically do it all.

G85,....A "better" camera than the G7, with small improvements in several areas. I used   mine interchangeably with the G7. The OIS allows me to use non Pany lenses. It's still light enough to use on long walks with my 100-300mm, and still somewhat affordable. The camera is WR, which is important to some.

G9,....Sure looks like a really GREAT camera. I love the idea of a super EVF and the 6K photo mode, producing 18mp files from the fun 4K/6K photo mode. In my consideration, though, I find the camera to probably be too heavy for long walks, when paired with a lens like the Pany 100-300mm.

I'd be interested in the thoughts of other forum members. If you use Panys, which one and why?

Jack

Love your thoughts and honesty!

I have many cameras too, one to many really, trying to sell my GM1. I prefer my GX7 for shoots like yours and my GM1/5 for longer trips.

Cheers

Vincent, Amsterdam

I could almost have written your post, apart from the walking bit 

When I bought the G7, effectively replacing a gx7, it was (for me) the best camera I'd owned.

Then the G80 came along, and I decided that there were sufficient improvements to buy it, in spite of the increased weight.  I also like to go on safari, and the G80 + 100-300, and the G7 + 14-140 gave me a pretty perfect set up.  With the two bodies set up almost identically I could switch so easily.

The G9 has taken the extra size and weight a step too far.  I won't be buying.

Dave

Setter Dog wrote:

I enjoy the process and my family pretends they enjoy the pictures.

 I feel mine do the same, but it cheers me up

I haven't used any of these yet, but I am buying a G80/85 this week hopefully.  I have an Oly em5 and enjoy using that on side to my Fuji gear.  Enough for me to sell the Fuji gear and get the G80 and a few lenses in fact.  I have compared the em5 images to ones from my X-T1 and there really is very little difference until you push to higher ISO, and even then both have flaws - the mft is a bit noisier, but the Fuji files can get more ... smudgey.  With a similar sharp prime on each, you're going to get great quality images in anything better than half decent light.  I like the G85 for the grip, it's about the size of my Fuji so adjusting to it should be smooth enough.

I think you've summed it up very well:

best deals going:  G7

next step G85 (better AF, IBIS, no AA filter) G85 (can be found with 12-60 for $899)

premiere: G9, more AF points, 20mp, LCD, huge fast EVF, hi res mode.  (heavier yes, but nicely  balanced with deep G series grip. somehow feels "appropriately heavy" vs heavy).

it becomes a question of "what is best for you"

bradevans wrote:

I think you've summed it up very well:

best deals going: G7

I agree.  I had one for a while, and $500 for this camera really is a deal!

next step G85 (better AF, IBIS, no AA filter) G85 (can be found with 12-60 for $899)

and better shutter, better EVF, weather resistant, perhaps slightly better ergonomics (thumb rest).  With all the improvements over the G7, it is a substantial upgrade and a very good deal in its own right.

premiere: G9, more AF points, 20mp, LCD, huge fast EVF, hi res mode. (heavier yes, but nicely balanced with deep G series grip. somehow feels "appropriately heavy" vs heavy).

it becomes a question of "what is best for you"

The G9 did not feel too big or heavy for me when I handled one, and I'm looking forward to getting mine.  I have smaller bodies if it is ever a problem.  One definitely pays a premium for the top of the line, though, so it is not as good a "deal" as the other two.

Setter Dog wrote:

Hi Folks,

G85,....A "better" camera than the G7, with small improvements in several areas. I used mine interchangeably with the G7. The OIS allows me to use non Pany lenses. It's still light enough to use on long walks with my 100-300mm, and still somewhat affordable. The camera is WR, which is important to some.

I'd be interested in the thoughts of other forum members. If you use Panys, which one and why?

Jack

I own a G85 and I think it's a very good camera.

However, I don't take it on walks because I find it to be too heavy and bulky.

I prefer to carry my little GM5 with 12-32 on walks.

The GM5 is no longer available, but the GX85 is small enough to be a good walking companion.

Here are some shots taken while walking around with my GM5:

S

I reckon I recognise #4. That looks like the Shell building on the corner of Flinders and Spring Streets ...

Setter Dog wrote:

Hi Folks,

I'm an old retired guy and, for something fun to do, I use cameras every day on my walks. Having something to do that I enjoy makes the walking,.... which I don't enjoy,... more enjoyable. There's nothing serious about my photography. It's very repetitive but I enjoy the process and my family pretends they enjoy the pictures.

I confess to really enjoying cameras. Good IQ is nice and features are fun to try.

Since many readers of this forum are "Gear heads" and suffer from GAS, i thought it might be fun to give our preferences in cameras and maybe say why?

G7,....What a great camera and now VERY affordable. I just sold mine after several years of great service. Easy to carry on walks with big lenses. When paired with a stabilized Pany lens, the G7 can basically do it all.

G85,....A "better" camera than the G7, with small improvements in several areas. I used mine interchangeably with the G7. The OIS allows me to use non Pany lenses. It's still light enough to use on long walks with my 100-300mm, and still somewhat affordable. The camera is WR, which is important to some.

G9,....Sure looks like a really GREAT camera. I love the idea of a super EVF and the 6K photo mode, producing 18mp files from the fun 4K/6K photo mode. In my consideration, though, I find the camera to probably be too heavy for long walks, when paired with a lens like the Pany 100-300mm.

I'd be interested in the thoughts of other forum members. If you use Panys, which one and why?

Jack

Well that is a pretty good synopsis regarding a photos value. It is of course good to be out and about. No experience with cameras in question but just got a new to me GX8 and can say that the image quality is better than my  GH3 and Oly OMD E M5 and there are all those bells and whistles that I hope to be able to learn.

Regarding image quality in the newest bodies, the auto shutter function in my GX8 seems to matter under low light.so the newer shutter in the G85 may be good depending on your usage. Or maybe great.

just got the GH3 and am impressed by the feature set of this 2012 camera and takining into account its position in the Panasonic lineup maybe you get what you pay for. My GX8 seems to also be echoing that mantra. Using my new to me cams with some used but new to me lens, 12-35 and 25 1.4 I am closer to seeing what M4/3 can acheieve. Hopefully the G9 will be a new benchmark in quality.

I'm afraid I come from the Ebenezer Scrooge school of money management.  I'm not actually tight but I do like to think I am getting value for money and I hate being ripped off.  Because of that and my immense satisfaction with the g80 (I was more than happy with the G7 before it) I decided to forego the G9.  There are things about the G9 that I would so like but I feel both Panny and Olympus are taking the mick a bit when it comes to pricing policy.  I know people will argue that the G9 and the EM1-2 are incredible cameras but as I see it the difference in manufacturing costs are probably no more than 30% more.  Distribution cost, marketing and retail costs are the same yet the G9 is three times the current cost of the G80 and even when comparing launch day cost it is 2.5 times.  The EM1-2 was nearly twice the E1 on launch.  I have no way of proving it but I suspect that if the G9 had been about £1100 it would have been a sales sensation and Panny would have still made out like a bandit.

When it gets serious I take the Em1.2 with me, And a bag with some lenses. When I want to be fleixble and don't want to carry a bag I take GM5 and 2-3 primes. Fits in my coat pockets easily. The output is really good too.

On G9 and GH5 getting big and heavy. Not for me per se, but I can see this being a problem. Let's hope we get a G9lite with less stellar features and a lower price. May be GX9 might do the trick, may be G90?

Like quite a few I'd love to see a GM7 with 20 Mp sensor, better focussing and may be IBIS. Panasonic in my view needs to get the GM-series going.