G7 good enough or G85

Looking to add a 4/3 camera to my collection. It will mainly be used for 4K video.

Leaning heavily towards a G85 but with the price of the G7, curious how much of a difference there is between the two?  How do the low light 4k performances compare? Is the G85 significantly better than the G7 when on a tripod?

Thanks for the input.

Probably not much difference on a tripod.  But I sold my G7 and have a G85 arriving soon so I can "loan" it to my son and get my G9 back.  The weather proofing and IBIS are nice additions.  I snagged one on Greentoe for a good price.  I had to wait a few days and turn down a counter offer, but eventually I got the G85 kit with 12-60 for $700.

Mwh624 wrote:

Looking to add a 4/3 camera to my collection. It will mainly be used for 4K video.

Leaning heavily towards a G85 but with the price of the G7, curious how much of a difference there is between the two? How do the low light 4k performances compare? Is the G85 significantly better than the G7 when on a tripod?

Thanks for the input.

The G7 has shutter-shock (I've observed it in mine); the G85 shutter is significantly improved, + it has IBIS.

I was buying my first M4/3 camera and was looking at G7 or G85. I researched obsessively and ultimately decided to save some money and go with the G7 (about $500 on sale) and an extra lens. Here's the thing... The G7 is probably good enough for your needs. But I wish I had dropped the extra $300 and just gone with the G85.

the g85 is a better camera and has better stuff for lower light.

the best feature is the limitless recording vs the g7.

it all depends on your budget and needs though.

Hi

The G7 does not have in body IS.

Many of the primes do not have IS

If you will always be on a tripod that is very stable then having either one on a tripod will be extremely close to the to other in appearance for video, if you take into account that the G85 does not have an AA filter but the G7 does.

If you are ever going to walk with the camera the IS capabilities of the G85 will be much better than that of the G7 regardless of IS in the lens or not.

Mark

I have a G7 and on image quality they are just about equal. the G85 has more features ibis 2more fps unlimited record time and no AA filter I believe, plus you can add a battery grip. Now if that is worth 300 more dollars you can decide. one more thing weather sealing on G85. I got mine on black Friday on special 2years ago for 399 and the G85 was a 1000 so no way was it 600 dollar better to me but now at 300 the choice is yours

In the m43 world, there are many new models I consider as mere refreshes, and only a few I consider real upgrades. The G85 is most definitely one of the latter.

Better body, better EVF, IBIS (a game changer), new shutter (game changer as well), and other bells and whistles. So for me, it's a no brainer.

Chris Noble wrote:

The G7 has shutter-shock (I've observed it in mine); the G85 shutter is significantly improved, + it has IBIS.

I'm sure you know this already, but with the latest firmware there is an option to set the camera to use E shutter on an automatic basis. If you are straying into S/S parameters it will engage E shutter. So far I have not seen any shock on my G7 - but I know from experience it is variable from rig to rig/shot to shot.

For sure an IBIS body is a major advantage and makes lens choice more flexible.

Mwh624 wrote:

Looking to add a 4/3 camera to my collection. It will mainly be used for 4K video.

Leaning heavily towards a G85 but with the price of the G7, curious how much of a difference there is between the two? How do the low light 4k performances compare? Is the G85 significantly better than the G7 when on a tripod?

Thanks for the input.

I never thought I’d replace my G7 as it did exactly what I wanted in a mini-DSLR and I was delighted with the images I captured with it.

And then the dastardly rotters at Panasonic released the G85 for an entirely reasonable price.

Weather sealing, IBIS, Dual IS, no AA filter on sensor (which may or may not improve detail),  magnesium body and the improved shutter.

Which made it an easy decision for me, but I can’t say I’ve noticed any difference between the G7 and the G85 as far as stills performance when tripod mounted.

rambling robin wrote:

Chris Noble wrote:

The G7 has shutter-shock (I've observed it in mine); the G85 shutter is significantly improved, + it has IBIS.

I'm sure you know this already, but with the latest firmware there is an option to set the camera to use E shutter on an automatic basis. If you are straying into S/S parameters it will engage E shutter.

Yes, but E-shutter is useless if there is motion in the frame or when using flash. And the G7 E-shutter mode is only 10 bits. The G85 E-shutter mode is a full 12 bits (like the mechanical shutter mode in both cameras).

So far I have not seen any shock on my G7 - but I know from experience it is variable from rig to rig/shot to shot.

For me, it was very noticeable with my 14-140 lens.

For sure an IBIS body is a major advantage and makes lens choice more flexible.

Mwh624 wrote:

G85 it is. Weather sealed will be nice and having the IBIS opens up a few more doors for what I'll be able to do with the camera

Thanks for the input!

Have you looked at the G9?........

There are three major improvements to G85 vs G7:

1. shock-free mechanical shutter
2. IBIS
3. weather resistance

IBIS is a pretty big deal if you're interested in shooting video but don't want to work on tripod or stabilizer rig.

Also, the G85 with the 12-60 is a very versatile kit with a solid lens. I would say that it's worth the difference in price, especially if you want to use it for handheld video.

Chris Noble wrote:

Yes, but E-shutter is useless if there is motion in the frame or when using flash. And the G7 E-shutter mode is only 10 bits. The G85 E-shutter mode is a full 12 bits (like the mechanical shutter mode in both cameras).

Are you sure of that? I certainly notice increased noise in the shadows when using E shutter. I would have bet it is only 10 bits.

Mwh624 wrote:

G85 it is. Weather sealed will be nice and having the IBIS opens up a few more doors for what I'll be able to do with the camera

Thanks for the input!

Good choice. Should be able to get a good deal on black friday

Mwh624 wrote:

Looking to add a 4/3 camera to my collection. It will mainly be used for 4K video.

Leaning heavily towards a G85 but with the price of the G7, curious how much of a difference there is between the two? How do the low light 4k performances compare? Is the G85 significantly better than the G7 when on a tripod?

Thanks for the input.

I have both.  Used for video, I think the stabilised video on the G85 is invaluable for hand held.  Haven't done video on a tripod.

Dave

photofan1986 wrote:

Chris Noble wrote:

Yes, but E-shutter is useless if there is motion in the frame or when using flash. And the G7 E-shutter mode is only 10 bits. The G85 E-shutter mode is a full 12 bits (like the mechanical shutter mode in both cameras).

Are you sure of that? I certainly notice increased noise in the shadows when using E shutter. I would have bet it is only 10 bits.

I read that it was 12 bits -- I don't have a G85. Look at a Raw file on RawDigger and you can see where the missing codes start.

My G7 definitely had 10-bit e-shutter Raw files. My G9 is 12-bit.