GX8 or GX9 as second body for Safari?

I leave in one week for a safari and am preparing my camera bag right now.

I packed right now:

• Panasonic G81
• all my Pana zooms
  • 7-14
  • 12-35 2.8
  • 35-100 2.8
  • 100-300
• lots of memory cards
• 3 batteries
• cleaning material

I think now that I might need a second body.
At first I though the GX8 might be perfect (quiet small, weather sealed, same batteries as my G81) but then I read about shutter shock with that camera and found out that I can not buy that camera anymore, but I could try buying a used one?

So the second option, a GX9 came up. Unfortunately no weather sealing, different batteries, and quiet expensive.

What would you recommend?

GX8

Weather sealed and EXCEPTIONAL EVF and cost ~$400.

No need for further discussion. 

Just get a used GX8.  The shuttershock issue only happens with specific lenses (14-140mm for eg) at very specific focal lengths and with the latest firmware there's a setting that switches the camera to electronic shutter automatically in that danger zone, so it shouldn't be an issue.

The importance of the weather sealing and sharing of batteries should not be discounted.   The alternative is to just get a used G85 body. Then you won't have to deal with the change in controls from one body to the next which might cause u to miss a shot.

The GX9 is a good street camera but the EVF is only good for framing a shot. It's unusable for checking sharpness/focus etc.

I have all 3 cameras so this is from my personal experience.

RotorX wrote:

I leave in one week for a safari and am preparing my camera bag right now.

I packed right now:

• Panasonic G81
• all my Pana zooms
  • 7-14
  • 12-35 2.8
  • 35-100 2.8
  • 100-300
• lots of memory cards
• 3 batteries
• cleaning material

I think now that I might need a second body.
At first I though the GX8 might be perfect (quiet small, weather sealed, same batteries as my G81) but then I read about shutter shock with that camera and found out that I can not buy that camera anymore, but I could try buying a used one?

So the second option, a GX9 came up. Unfortunately no weather sealing, different batteries, and quiet expensive.

What would you recommend?

I had the GX8 and now have the GX9, both are wonderful cameras with their own plus and minus points. This article may help you decide

https://www.ephotozine.com/article/panasonic-lumix-gx9-vs-panasonic-lumix-gx8-vs-panasonic-lumix-gx80-31937

The shutter shake is overstated in the Gx8. I have owned mine for 7 months. Before I owned a GX85, sold it. I owned the GX9 for 2 days then returned, nice enough camera, but it's EVF was terrible. The EVF on the GX8 is sublime. For a backup camera, the GX8 can be had used in great condition for around $500 USD, Stateside.

RotorX wrote:

I leave in one week for a safari and am preparing my camera bag right now.

I packed right now:

• Panasonic G81
• all my Pana zooms
  • 7-14
  • 12-35 2.8
  • 35-100 2.8
  • 100-300
• lots of memory cards
• 3 batteries
• cleaning material

I think now that I might need a second body.
At first I though the GX8 might be perfect (quiet small, weather sealed, same batteries as my G81) but then I read about shutter shock with that camera and found out that I can not buy that camera anymore, but I could try buying a used one?

So the second option, a GX9 came up. Unfortunately no weather sealing, different batteries, and quiet expensive.

What would you recommend?

You will definitely need a second body. Make it weather sealed.

Olympus offers quite a few valid alternatives, all weather sealed.

An E-M1 mark 1 would be terrific and ... cheap.

Olympus offers quite a few valid alternatives, all weather sealed.

An E-M1 mark 1 would be terrific and ... cheap.

I thought about Olympus but ditched the idea because of losing Dual IS and the difference in controls would be too different.

C Sean wrote:

Have you thought about renting the G9 and possibly the 100-400 as well?

A G9 would be at least 1000€!

Renting a 100-400 would be roughly 200€ I guess?
But I have no experience with renting lenses yet.

A GX8 or GX9 would be ~400-500€

That is a big difference for me.

On the weight side:

The G9 would add ~700g to the kit (body, batteries, charger)
The 100-400 would add 1kg

A GX8 is ~450g
The 100-300 I already own is ~500g

Again, quiet a big difference of over 700g extra.

But I agree that it would be a lot of fun to shoot with!

Hustle76 wrote:

As 50% of those lenses aren’t weathersealed, personally, I feel that limits the usefulness of a WS body for the trip.

I think the only lens not wheathersealed is the 7-14.
As the others are the II.
So I guess another argument for trying to get a GX8.

The gx9 is a more modern camera, but you may really struggle with its viewfinder in bright light.

The quality of gx8 images is first class and if you use the electronic shutter there is no shutter shock.

I only need mechanical shutter on the GX8 when using flash, or for longer than 1 second exposures.

C Sean wrote:

That why I suggest renting the G9. Anyway like I said it sound like you already made your mind up on the GX8.

Oh sorry, I only checked buying the G9 and renting the lense.
Renting both would be about 500€ for the three weeks.

I haven't read through all the comments but you never said where you're going?

It will be an offroad Safari in Tanzania (Ngorongoro, Serengeti, ...)

Anyway have fun and don't mess about in the dark/sunset/sunrises.

What do you mean by don't mess about?

Another example this was one of my favourite shots from Kenya and it was taken at the dinner table while sitting down.

Beautiful!
Hope my 100-300 will produce comparable results

I just got back from a trip to Iceland with my granddaughter.  We had a G9, GX8, and a GX9 with us.  The GX9, in our opinions, was our preferred backup camera.  One day, I used only the GX9 with my small 15mm 1.7 lens and it did an amazing job and was so small and light that it was a pleasure.  We really only used the GX8 when we needed the weather protection.

Hal

C Sean wrote:

Sound like you made your mind up and fancy the GX8.

Have you thought about renting the G9 and possibly the 100-400 as well?

One of the reasons I sold my GX8 is the occasional shutter shock with my PanaLeica 100-400mm.

I was hoping for GX9 to be a proper substitute for GX8, but lack of any weather sealing killed it for me. I am still waiting for a rangefinder weather-sealed body with no SS.

RotorX wrote:

Olympus offers quite a few valid alternatives, all weather sealed.

An E-M1 mark 1 would be terrific and ... cheap.

I thought about Olympus but ditched the idea because of losing Dual IS and the difference in controls would be too different.

I use both brands and I suspect that wouldn't be a problem for anyone else, as well.

AS for the dual IS  I believe the M1 IBIS alone would be very beneficial.

Of course dual IS is a plus but I can't tell what it would translate into in terms of practical gain.

Also the E-M1 has PDAF which is a good thing to have when tracking moving subjects.