A terrific and versatile camera

[larsbc]

The Panasonic G85 is a great camera that sells for a very reasonable price. I’ll list the reasons why I think this but first I’ll cover the main complaint I have about it: The programmable Func buttons on the back of the camera are almost flush with the body which makes them hard to find by feel. A possible fix is to apply little blobs of Sugru (you can also make your own from scratch: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-Your-Own-Sugru-Substitute/) to raise the height of the buttons.

Ok, on to the good stuff:

• Currently at USD$690 body only, the G85 is a very reasonably priced camera.
• It has weather sealing which is a handy feature if you’re the type of person who needs to photograph in inclement conditions. I’ve used non-weather sealed cameras in wet conditions before, and with one exception I’ve never had a problem. So I don’t think it’s a necessity. But it’s definitely a nice option to have, especially at this price point.
• The ergonomics are very good. While the camera is relatively compact, the control layout is well thought out, making it easy to manipulate the controls while looking through the EVF (but like I said, the rear Func buttons can sometimes be hard to feel due to their almost flush mounting). The deep grip makes it easy to carry this camera in hand, all day long. Long lenses are easy to handle on this body.
• The camera is very customizable, with virtually all buttons being user-programmable. In additional to programmable physical controls, the camera’s touch screen also provides another couple of programmable control surfaces via the Quick Menu and tab pull outs. I particularly like the Quick Menu because I can access it while looking through the EVF and it is fully customizable.
• The built-in flash is handy to have. Sure, direct on-camera flash is a harsh light source but it works well as a fill-flash and can also act as a master controller for m43 TTL flash units. And sometimes, you have no other choice but to use a flash, regardless of how harsh the light will look; so I’d rather have it and get the shot, than not get the shot at all. My EM5.2 came with a tiny hot-shoe flash that could also swivel and tilt. It was more versatile than the G85’s built-in flash *BUT* the mere fact that I’d have to pull it out of my bag and mount it was enough friction that I sometimes refrained from using the flash, or taking the shot.
• Battery life is quite good. Certainly better than my other M43 cameras (G1, GH2, GX7, EM5.2). When travelling, a single battery is enough for a day of shooting. But there have been occasions when I’ve needed two, particularly if I’ve recorded 4K video.
• Video quality at 1080p and 4K is great. Note: AF is distinctly faster at 1080p.
• EVF is quite nice. It’s got decent magnification and the picture looks good, too.
• Shutter is very quiet and smooth. I use electronic shutter almost exclusively on my GX7 but the mechanical shutter on the G85 is so smooth and quiet that I don’t bother using e-shutter with this camera.
• AF is fast and accurate, even in poor light.
• 16MP sensor produces good results and I have no issues shooting up to ISO3200 (I shoot in raw mode).
• In-body stabilization and Dual IS stabilization are fantastic. I haven’t noticed any practical differences compared to my Olympus EM5.2. Note: my most used lenses, 12-35/2.8 and 35-100/2.8 have OIS. My unstabilized lenses are normal or wide angle lenses.
• Start-up and shut-down times are fast and the power switch on the right-hand side makes perfect sense. I can turn the camera on/off with one hand as I’m bringing it up to my eye or putting it away.

I think for most people, the G85’s mundane appearance is a stumbling block and I can understand that. It doesn’t catch my eye the way my Olympus EM5.2 did. On the other hand, I found my EM5.2 to frequently be annoying to use. It had lots of physical controls but there were things I wanted but couldn’t program them to do. It had a nice, compact size, but the control layout felt cramped. Example: holding the AEL button down for long periods of time (I used it to lock focus) usually made my thumb go numb and make it difficult to feel if I was still pushing down on the button. When I switched to the G85, I immediately noticed how much more comfortable it was to use. The small obstacles that I frequently ran into with my EM5.2 were gone, making the photo experience much more enjoyable. In short, its ergonomics just suited me better than the EM5.2. That's really why I like the G85 so much. It makes photography fun because it makes it quick and easy to do the things I want, while giving me great photos and videos. For me, it's become a trusted travel companion.

 

[Peadingle]

A good read for me as I have bought one this afternoon (Ebay). I was very confident of my decision to buy one, and your review has done nothing to change my mind.

 

[HRC2016]

Good thoughts!

I'm glad you pointed out the fallacy about claims of weather resistance. I would not consider that claim when buying a camera. I've never had an issue with a non-WR camera/lens failing and I've shot in many extreme conditions.

Thank you for posting your review and such stunning images.

--
I believe in science, evolution and light. All opinions are my own. I'm not compensated for any of my posts. Can you honestly say that?

 

[JoostL]

I recommend wholeheartedly the Sugru/Oogoo solution, the difference is amazing!

 

[larsbc]

I recommend wholeheartedly the Sugru/Oogoo solution, the difference is amazing!

That looks very good! Did you put masking tape on the camera prior to applying the Sugru? How long have you been using your camera since you applied the Sugru?

 

[Trevor Carpenter]

I think it is worth more than an OK for action/sports. It serves me pretty well. The AF is very good which is the most important factor and I shoot BIFs and planes alongside DSLR shooters and our success rate is pretty similar although as I've said many times a good FF with a bazooka prime will do better and will leave me a bit behind in absolute IQ stakes.

 

[Michael Meissner]

I've had the G85 for about 16 months now. Depending on what I'm doing it is either the second choice camera (after the E-m1 mark I) or the first choice.

I have two major gripes with the G85 that keep me more in the Olympus camp:

• The G85 tends to blow out highlights more often than the E-m1 mark I given normal metering. Note, I see the same behavior on my other Panasonic cameras (LX-10, FZ300), and most of my Olympus cameras are similar to the E-m1 mark I. I like shooting events, particularly renaissance faires and steampunk events, and the men in these events tend to wear white shirts, which tends to get burned out. Now, there are various ways to fix this, and I've been trying them over time. In general though, I want to be able to hold the camera in my hand, raise it to my eye, take the phone, and put it back down when I see a decisive moment coming up. If I have to adjust the exposure compensation, enable/disable dynamic metering, and/or play with the tone curve, either the decisive moment passes, or the subject twigs that I'm shooting them, and will change their behavior.
• I shoot JPG almost exclusively, and the G85 is more heavy handed than Olympus is in using noise removable software, which sands away the details. Yes, I've set the NR parameter so it is less noticeable, but still, I tend to feel more comfortable in restricting the G85 to ISO 3200 at the most, when my E-m1 is set to ISO 6400. I do enough shooting using available light, that I tend to grab the Olympus over the Panasonic. Again on my other two Panasonic cameras, I notice the NR sander more often.

That being said, there are some distinct advantages for the G85:

• The viewfinder uses an OLED display, which means it can be seen in either shooting orientation when I'm wearing polarized sunglasses. Unfortunately, I need to wear polarized sunglasses pretty much all of the time when I'm outdoors in sunlight to cut down on the frequency of my migraines. My three Olympus cameras with viewfinders (E-m1 mark I, E-m5 mark I, Stylus-1) all use a TFT LCD display, and portions of the screen is not viewable with polarized sunglasses when shooting in landscape orientation. I can generally use the EVF to frame a shot, but I wouldn't be able to do something like manual focus with it. Note, the Olympus E-m10 mark II/III and Pen-F use OLED for viewfinders, but those bodies are not splash proof.
• Shooting videos is much better on the G85. I shoot videos a few times a year (1-2 weekends where I'm shooting nearly 8 hours/day video of various performers, and few other times, like a few nights ago, when I'm recording an entire show). Panasonic just understands video a lot better than Olympus does. The G85 has replaced my old JVC camcorder (EX-210GZ) as my main video record unit. While it doesn't have a headphone jack to monitor the sound level like the E-m1 mark II and GH5 do, it does support adding an external microphone. I use a AZDEN SMX-10 microphone, and it cuts down on recording peoples conversation behind me. At the moment, I only record 1080p video. The continuous focusing for video is better than my Olympus cameras, but not as good as the JVC was. If you have the USA version (G85), you can record single performances more than 29 minutes and 59 seconds. Unfortunately, if you have the European versions (G80/G82/...) you are limited.
• You can externally power the G85 a lot easier than you can with Olympus cameras.

In terms of weather sealing/splash proof, I do find myself shooting in wet conditions at times. I've been shooting with splash proof cameras since 2004 (Olympus E-1, E-3, E-5, E-m5 mark I, E-m1 mark I, and now Panasonic G85/FZ300).

Taken with Olympus E-5, 14-54mm lens.

I tend to think of it like using four wheel drive in mud/snow/etc. Having four wheel drive isn't a guarantee that you will be protected. But when it is very slippery, muddy, etc. out, I would rather be driving my Suburu Forester (with all wheel drive) than my wife's Mustang (rear wheel drive only). Of course when the weather is great, you might prefer the Mustang.

That being said, I have taken the G85 twice on whale watches, along with my E-m1 mark I and appropriate splash proof lenses. Both times I got splashed pretty badly (normally I don't get splashed). I was able to rinse off both cameras with the distilled water I bring with me and keep in the car and the cameras were both fine. However, I had just gotten a used Panasonic 100-300mm mark II lens, and it stopped working for a bit. I was eventually able to get it working again, but I no longer trust Panasonic lenses for sealing like I do with Olympus lenses. I don't recommend exposing your camera to ocean spray, as it can corrode things. And if Olympus/Panasonic decided not to honor the warranty if something broke, I would understand. But rain does happen.

 

[JoostL]

I recommend wholeheartedly the Sugru/Oogoo solution, the difference is amazing!

That looks very good! Did you put masking tape on the camera prior to applying the Sugru? How long have you been using your camera since you applied the Sugru?

No, no masking tape, just a lot a patience and my best reading glasses! The problem is that the surface of the buttons is very smooth so you have to apply some pressure to make the Sugru stick well. If you do that with the whole blob most of it will spill between the button and the body, and the button will be stuck forever. Therefore I first put a very tiny bit of Sugru on the button and made it stick, pushing and spreading it with a dissecting needle. Next I put the rest of the blob and shaped it with my fingers and the needle. I also used the needle to remove any Sugru that had come between the buttons and the body.
So far so good, I've been using it for about 4 weeks now, no problems whith stuck buttons, and the Sugru still sticks well. The next chapter will be how to remove it if I ever want to sell the camera, but that probably won't be soon since it's a terrific and versatile camera indeed

 

[JoostL]

I've had the G85 for about 16 months now. Depending on what I'm doing it is either the second choice camera (after the E-m1 mark I) or the first choice.

I have two major gripes with the G85 that keep me more in the Olympus camp:

• ...
• I shoot JPG almost exclusively, and the G85 is more heavy handed than Olympus is in using noise removable software, which sands away the details. Yes, I've set the NR parameter so it is less noticeable, but still, I tend to feel more comfortable in restricting the G85 to ISO 3200 at the most, when my E-m1 is set to ISO 6400. I do enough shooting using available light, that I tend to grab the Olympus over the Panasonic. Again on my other two Panasonic cameras, I notice the NR sander more often.

...

Did you also set sharpening to its minimum? I found that at its default setting it destroys some fine detail, like NR. Of course this means you have to do sharpening in post, thus losing part the convenience of shooting jpeg...

 

[Michael Meissner]

Did you also set sharpening to its minimum? I found that at its default setting it destroys some fine detail, like NR. Of course this means you have to do sharpening in post, thus losing part the convenience of shooting jpeg...

I do tend to do a little sharpening in post (usually I use rawtherapee with two sets of defaults, based on regular or high noise). I'll think about it in the future. Thanks.

 

[larsbc]

The problem is that the surface of the buttons is very smooth so you have to apply some pressure to make the Sugru stick well. If you do that with the whole blob most of it will spill between the button and the body, and the button will be stuck forever. Therefore I first put a very tiny bit of Sugru on the button and made it stick, pushing and spreading it with a dissecting needle. Next I put the rest of the blob and shaped it with my fingers and the needle.

That's an excellent tip. Thanks!

 

[larsbc]

I've had the G85 for about 16 months now. Depending on what I'm doing it is either the second choice camera (after the E-m1 mark I) or the first choice.

I have two major gripes with the G85 that keep me more in the Olympus camp:

• The G85 tends to blow out highlights more often than the E-m1 mark I given normal metering. Note, I see the same behavior on my other Panasonic cameras (LX-10, FZ300), and most of my Olympus cameras are similar to the E-m1 mark I. I like shooting events, particularly renaissance faires and steampunk events, and the men in these events tend to wear white shirts, which tends to get burned out. Now, there are various ways to fix this, and I've been trying them over time. In general though, I want to be able to hold the camera in my hand, raise it to my eye, take the phone, and put it back down when I see a decisive moment coming up. If I have to adjust the exposure compensation, enable/disable dynamic metering, and/or play with the tone curve, either the decisive moment passes, or the subject twigs that I'm shooting them, and will change their behavior.
• I shoot JPG almost exclusively, and the G85 is more heavy handed than Olympus is in using noise removable software, which sands away the details. Yes, I've set the NR parameter so it is less noticeable, but still, I tend to feel more comfortable in restricting the G85 to ISO 3200 at the most, when my E-m1 is set to ISO 6400. I do enough shooting using available light, that I tend to grab the Olympus over the Panasonic. Again on my other two Panasonic cameras, I notice the NR sander more often.

Thanks for your input, Michael. I only shoot raw and hadn't noticed any blown highlight issues when I used to shoot my EM5.2 and GX7 together. In fact, the presets I made for the two cameras ended up being fairly close, too. Both had the highlights reduced a bit and the shadows brought up a bit more. Maybe it's more of a jpg engine issue? I also have a dislike of blown highlights. I'm more forgiving of blocked up blacks than blown highlights.