Advice please on G80 or G90 and 24-140 lens

I have been waiting for price of G80 to go down, at the moment it is variable £550 to £700 12-60 lens.  But now I am thinking about the G90 with 14-140 lens £999.  which seems a good price, depends on quality of lens.

I take nature pics, macro's and some landscapes. I like the 12fps on my fz150 to combat camera shake, but would like better quality pictures.  My Oly E-510 had better pics, and I hope a G80/90 would be even better.  But the 510 broke down after only 4/5 years leaving me with useless lenses.

I tried the G7 with 100-300 lens which felt good, but wanted the dual stabiliation. So later tried the G80 which did hurt shoulder a bit.  And the G90 is heavier, but it does have 20mp and I think more fps which is good for camera shake. But one site said the extra mp's make it worse in low light, which in the Uk is most of the time.

Is the G90 alot better than the G80.     I will buy the 100-300 lens but have choice between 12-60 and 14-140,   I think the gap between 12-60 and 100-300 may be annoying.  Is the kit lens 14-140 good? dual stabilised?  The separate 14-140 is £400-£600+, way too expensive.  And the G80 doesn't come with 14-140 in UK.

Difficult to get to a shop at the moment, the Panny shop closed down.  Need to find another larger shop somewhere.  Small shops too expensive and would feel guilty trying and not buying.

Need to make decision so ready to snap up when price is good.  Can only afford one camera so need to get it right.

Any advice welcome.

I have a G80 and just got a G90 from Amazon at the crazy price of £499.97, saw it flagged up on here and went for it.

Haven't used it much yet, it's a bit bigger and heavier than the G80, think I prefer the smaller one. Rear screen is a bit clearer, viewfinder seems about the same, not really much difference.

You won't go wrong with the G80, use mine with the 12-35 and 35-100 f/2.8 lenses. Seen some good deals lately with the 12-60 kit lens, supposed to be very good. Have a look at this site for the best UK prices https://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAvc_xBRCYARIsAC5QT9kK6E8d9cLfb-cIP3xsGcMB2UhXxszL4MYBE60XsMfchBbRKyC_72EaAljaEALw_wcB

Also don't forget the good used dealers like WEX, MPB and Camera Jungle, all give warranty and no obligation return. Photography Show in Birmingham is coming in March, always some good show prices to be had there. Any questions just ask, will answer them if I can

Funnily enough I am just trying to put my G80 up for sale with the 12-60mm lens. I bought a G90 and I am going to use it with my LEICA 12-60mm for video because it supports VLOG L. But the G80 is still a good buy and better than the G90 in some areas.

If you are looking for a G80 with the 12-60mm or 14-140mm zoom and you are close to London, I might be able to help you out.

larsbc wrote:

Lilyanna wrote:

I tried the G7 with 100-300 lens which felt good, but wanted the dual stabiliation. So later tried the G80 which did hurt shoulder a bit. And the G90 is heavier, but it does have 20mp and I think more fps which is good for camera shake. But one site said the extra mp's make it worse in low light, which in the Uk is most of the time.

I've been shooting a 20MP GX9 along with my 16MP G80 and haven't noticed a problem with high ISO / low light shooting.

Using a high FPS to combat camera shake is an interesting tactic. I think the dual stabilization you'll get from a current Panasonic body like the G80 will help you combat the camera shake. BTW a heavier body will usually be a bit more stable than a lighter camera simply because it's harder for your muscle tremors to move it.

Is the G90 alot better than the G80.

I really like my G80 and did not upgrade to the G90 because I don't like the high crop factor when shooting 4K video as well as the relatively high price. Aside from that, it seems like a great camera and I like the user interface improvements they've made. If you don't mind the 4K video crop then yeah, of the two cameras I'd recommend the G90. 20MP is nice to have since it'll give you a little more room for cropping, too.

I will buy the 100-300 lens but have choice between 12-60 and 14-140, I think the gap between 12-60 and 100-300 may be annoying. Is the kit lens 14-140 good? dual stabilised? The separate 14-140 is £400-£600+, way too expensive. And the G80 doesn't come with 14-140 in UK.

I don't know much about the original 14-140 does not support Dual IS but the mark II version does.

There are 3 14~140 from Panny. The oldest (heavier and slower) 14~140 f/4~5.8 which is not DUAL IS compatible.

A newer 14~140 f/3.5~5.6 which is DUAL IS 2 compatible.

The latest is 14~140 f/3 5~5.6 mk-II which is a mk-I plus WR.

The 14~140 f/4ish was discontinued for quite a long time.

Difficult to get to a shop at the moment, the Panny shop closed down. Need to find another larger shop somewhere. Small shops too expensive and would feel guilty trying and not buying.

Good for you. I have the same policy so have spent a decent amount of money at my local camera store.

Need to make decision so ready to snap up when price is good. Can only afford one camera so need to get it right.

Both are very good cameras so I wouldn't worry too much.

Any advice welcome.

Lilyanna wrote:

I have been waiting for price of G80 to go down, at the moment it is variable £550 to £700 12-60 lens. But now I am thinking about the G90 with 14-140 lens £999. which seems a good price, depends on quality of lens.

14~140 (I suppose it could likely be the 14~140 f/3.5~5.6 mk-I, not the WR version mk-II) is a fantastic 10x superzoom kit lens having IQ very close to the premium f/2.8 lenses or even to prime lens. It is worth for every penny you paid.

It is a lens that changed my long old bias view on the supposed lower quality of these super zoom lens.

Unfortunately it has a narrow wide end. If you are happy with 14, 14~140 is a no brainer. Fast AF, sharp across the frame wide open, good contrast, versatile zoom range making it a perfect one lens solution, WR on mk-II, DUAL IS 2 compatible, DFD on Panny bodies...

I take nature pics, macro's and some landscapes. I like the 12fps on my fz150 to combat camera shake,

I don't think you need it under the good ergonomic of G85 or G95, plus the added weight of the lens, and 5 stops effective stabilisation to combat handshake (indeed most of us are talking about how crazy slow shutter speed we can shoot hand held, hand shaking is the least concern).

Except for the FZ1000/2500 which are as large (very often larger) than a G, those other smaller FZs are some distance on handling ergonomically.

but would like better quality pictures. My Oly E-510 had better pics, and I hope a G80/90 would be even better. But the 510 broke down after only 4/5 years leaving me with useless lenses.

I tried the G7 with 100-300 lens which felt good, but wanted the dual stabiliation. So later tried the G80 which did hurt shoulder a bit.

In terms of size, might look at the GX85 or GX95. They are smaller, lacking of the comfortable hand grip on the body (can add an extra hand grid to improve it), non WR, no microphone port, but has all features of its bigger brother G85/95.

GX85 is also under deep discount as G85. My wife has 14~140 on GX85 happily.

And the G90 is heavier, but it does have 20mp and I think more fps which is good for camera shake. But one site said the extra mp's make it worse in low light, which in the Uk is most of the time.

Is the G90 alot better than the G80. I will buy the 100-300 lens but have choice between 12-60 and 14-140, I think the gap between 12-60 and 100-300 may be annoying. Is the kit lens 14-140 good? dual stabilised?

See above.

The separate 14-140 is £400-£600+, way too expensive. And the G80 doesn't come with 14-140 in UK.

Difficult to get to a shop at the moment, the Panny shop closed down. Need to find another larger shop somewhere. Small shops too expensive and would feel guilty trying and not buying.

Need to make decision so ready to snap up when price is good. Can only afford one camera so need to get it right.

If 12 is important to us, 12~60 is the better option. Might also consider a cheap 45~150 to make it a light weight combo. To me 100~300 is for specific shooting only. Its size and weight is not my usual walking around setup. BTW, 100~300 has to shoot at stopping down to f/7.1~8 for sharpest result whereas 45~150 can produce similar sharpness wide open at f/4~ f/5.6 😉.

If 14 is workable to you, 14~140 is great single lens solution and no lens swapping.

Or might try 12~32, plus 100~300 if you always need that reaching. The ultra light weight of 12~32 can make up for the weight grain on 100~300 vs other consumer grade lenses, to maintain the overall size and weight in check. When you don't need the long reaching, 12~32 could be your ultra light weight setup.

My 2 cents.

Any advice welcome.

Lilyanna wrote:

I have been waiting for price of G80 to go down, at the moment it is variable £550 to £700 12-60 lens. But now I am thinking about the G90 with 14-140 lens £999.

I take nature pics, macro's and some landscapes.

You'll like the 14-140; it's a great travel lens and does very good close-ups of flowers and such.

I like the 12fps on my fz150 to combat camera shake, but would like better quality pictures. My Oly E-510 had better pics, and I hope a G80/90 would be even better.

Already the G80 is vastly better than the E-510. I have an E-520 and know how its images look: there's a thick AA filter leading to blurry detail at the pixel level. The G80 has no AA filter and more pixels, therefore much finer detail. Colour and dynamic range are also noticeably better. The G90 would be better still.

But the 510 broke down after only 4/5 years leaving me with useless lenses.

They would still work on a G80 or G90, or any other m43 camera in fact, if you use an MMF-3 adapter. Just AF speed would be slow but that isn't much of an issue for your style of shooting.

the G90 is heavier, but it does have 20mp and I think more fps which is good for camera shake.

I know that old trick but with the very good IBIS these days you'll hardly need it.

But one site said the extra mp's make it worse in low light, which in the Uk is most of the time.

That's largely just a theoretical reasoning. Comparing with the E510 you'll be ecstatic about the low light capabilities of a G80 or G90.

Is the G90 alot better than the G80.

Not enough difference for me as a G80 owner to upgrade to a G90.

I will buy the 100-300 lens but have choice between 12-60 and 14-140, I think the gap between 12-60 and 100-300 may be annoying. Is the kit lens 14-140 good? dual stabilised? The separate 14-140 is £400-£600+, way too expensive.

I have the 100-300 Mk.II, the 14-140/3.5-5.6 and the latest weather proof 14-140 Mk.II. The 14-140 is an excellent that always delivers. The 100-300 is much more a specialised lens; I haven't made up my mind if it was a good buy for me. If you use the 100-300 to shoot small things that are very far away, as I would sometimes do in a landscape, then more often than not the atmospheric conditions conspire against getting a crisp image. It's much better closer by e.g. shooting something within 50 meters from you.

And the G80 doesn't come with 14-140 in UK.

https://www.photospecialist.co.uk/panasonic-lumix-dmc-g80-14-140mm-1

Difficult to get to a shop at the moment, the Panny shop closed down. Need to find another larger shop somewhere. Small shops too expensive and would feel guilty trying and not buying.

Need to make decision so ready to snap up when price is good. Can only afford one camera so need to get it right.

Any advice welcome.

Thanks for all the advice.  Sounds like the quality will be much better than I am used to. From what you say the 14-140 sounds good.

The lens is Lumix G vario 14-140 3.5-5.6 Power OIS, dual stabilisation.  So I presume that is the one before the newest one.

I  live over 200 miles from London so no go on your offer Sranang Boi, thanks all the same.

I saw saw the £495 link on here but when I followed it to Amazon, the price was £849, so they must have changed it by then, shame.

I prefer the grip of the G80/90, feels much safer and more comfortable.

I use the 100-300 for shooting birds, animals, but still needs alot of cropping.  I have old 4/3rds Oly 75-300,  Oly 18-180? and Sigma 90m Macro lenses.  It would be great if I could use the Macro on the Panasonic.  Have to see how expensive an adaptor is these days.

I don't do alot of video.  Don't know if it will be a problem.  Was there a good reason to crop on the G90?

I have looked at Photospecialist before and they are in the Netherlands, and I wasn't too keen on buying from abroad.

G90 and 12-60 lesn £999 or G90 and 14-140 lens £999.  So seems to be a good deal, but still alot of money, to wait or not to wait.  I am terrible at making decisions and then miss the deals.

Again thanks for the advice.

Lilyanna wrote:

The lens is Lumix G vario 14-140 3.5-5.6 Power OIS, dual stabilisation. So I presume that is the one before the newest one.

The sure way to tell is to look for the model number on the lens. It's in small type at the "bottom" of the lens when mounted, near the lens mount itself.

The first 14-140 3.5-5.6 has a model number of H-FS14140. The latest model is H-FSA14140. Optically they're the same, the only real difference is that the FSA model is weather resistant (and costs more as a result).

If you don't need or want the weather resistance H-FS14140 will give just as good images at a lower cost.

Steve

Lilyanna wrote:

Sigma 90m Macro lens

Interesting, I never knew that existed in 4/3 mount. I only know of 105mm and 150mm.

Lilyanna wrote:

I have been waiting for price of G80 to go down, at the moment it is variable £550 to £700 12-60 lens. But now I am thinking about the G90 with 14-140 lens £999. which seems a good price, depends on quality of lens.

Look at Panasonic outlet on eBay. Full warranty but can be significantly cheaper. Also, do check out mpb.com for cameras and lenses with warranties.

I take nature pics, macro's and some landscapes. I like the 12fps on my fz150 to combat camera shake, but would like better quality pictures. My Oly E-510 had better pics, and I hope a G80/90 would be even better. But the 510 broke down after only 4/5 years leaving me with useless lenses.

I tried the G7 with 100-300 lens which felt good, but wanted the dual stabiliation. So later tried the G80 which did hurt shoulder a bit. And the G90 is heavier, but it does have 20mp and I think more fps which is good for camera shake. But one site said the extra mp's make it worse in low light, which in the Uk is most of the time.

There are other pluses besides the 20MP on the G90 but the price IMO is still way too high.

Is the G90 alot better than the G80. I will buy the 100-300 lens but have choice between 12-60 and 14-140, I think the gap between 12-60 and 100-300 may be annoying. Is the kit lens 14-140 good? dual stabilised? The separate 14-140 is £400-£600+, way too expensive. And the G80 doesn't come with 14-140 in UK.

Yes, dual stabilised but not the very original 100-300mm f3.5 to 5.8

The latest 14-140mm is weathersealed, likewise the 100-300mm, plus, of course, the kit 12-60mm. Both are good lenses. If you buy the previous model 14-140 or 100-300mm, they will be cheaper and more readily available secondhand. The 12-60 and 14-140 focus quite close. Unless you need the 12mm, which is noticeably wider than 14mm, you’d be better off with the 14-140mm. Sometimes, when wildlife is close, the 100 end of the 100-300 is too long and the 14-140 is actually better.

You can see dedicated albums by lens for example images on my Flickr.

Difficult to get to a shop at the moment, the Panny shop closed down. Need to find another larger shop somewhere. Small shops too expensive and would feel guilty trying and not buying.

Need to make decision so ready to snap up when price is good. Can only afford one camera so need to get it right.

The G80 is still a very good camera and now at bargain prices, especially if there’s a Panasonic offer on. I have two G80s and, given they’ve come down a lot, I’ll upgrade at some point but probably to the G9 - much bigger true but much more of a step up than the G90.

Any advice welcome.

Thanks everyone for your advice.  My macro is probably 105mm, it has been a long time since I looked at it.  I hope that I can find an adapter for it.

I have looked at several G90 and 14-140 offers and none of them say Mk11 or give serial numbers which is annoying.   So I assume that it is probably Mk1.  On Amazon Mk1 is £479 and Mk11 £449 on some sites and £620 on others as is Wex £620.

Is the 14-140 kit lens the same as separate lens or is it a special cheap one made for the kit, anyone know?

If it is same as sold separately then even Mk1 means the camera would only then be £550, which is a good price considering G85 is £499 cheapest at them moment.

I have read several reviews, and  G90 is alot newer so presumably better.  Any reasons for one over the other?  Reviews said not alot of difference, but given price at moment of G90 14-140 then price difference not an issue.

The review said the grip is different than the G80, I found the G80 ok, is the G90 much different?

Of course I would like it cheaper but the G80 has taken a long time to drop in price and Panasonic don't seem to have done any significant promotions ( that I have seen) since Nov 2018 when it had cashback of £200 for a week.  And I missed it due to dithering.

Do  you think there will be any significant price drops or promotions soon? Of course this has dropped from £1200-1300 to £999 and may go back up soon.

My Fz150 does quite nice pics on quite close subjects, so this will really be for more distant, but not too distant as will only 100-300 not 100-400 subjects, and not prime lenses.  So I am still really trying to justify why I need a SLR again at this price.

Thanks

Lilyanna wrote:

Thanks everyone for your advice. My macro is probably 105mm, it has been a long time since I looked at it. I hope that I can find an adapter for it.

What is your 105? If a Canon, you can find an adapter which supports communication so has AF, can set f/stop precisely on the body, and has f/stop recorded on EXIF.

If Nikon, a dummy adapter only. i.e., no AF, no f/stop on EXIF. Your lens is better to have an aperture ring for precise f/stop setting.

I have looked at several G90 and 14-140 offers and none of them say Mk11 or give serial numbers which is annoying. So I assume that it is probably Mk1. On Amazon Mk1 is £479 and Mk11 £449 on some sites and £620 on others as is Wex £620.

Is the 14-140 kit lens the same as separate lens or is it a special cheap one made for the kit, anyone know?

They are the same.

Mk-I has 3 versions in different finishing, gross, dull and a red HD etc, but all optically and are built the same.

If it is same as sold separately then even Mk1 means the camera would only then be £550, which is a good price considering G85 is £499 cheapest at them moment.

G85 is under big discount right now. A reason it triggered my GAS buy (I always wish to avoid the size of G series). I paid £335 in gray market for a new body after de-kitted the 12~60 a few months ago. In gray market a new de-kitted 12~60 is listed at £150~160.

A kitted lens very often is a good buy.

I have read several reviews, and G90 is alot newer so presumably better. Any reasons for one over the other?

To me IQ of G85 vs G95 is not a deal beaker. 4Mp more pixel, a new My Menu for easier menu diving, also Live Composite which is new for the 9/9? series of Panny that 8/8? does not have could be the major difference. Other than those, minor upgrade here and there.

Do you need those newer feature and more pixel at a higher price...?

Reviews said not alot of difference, but given price at moment of G90 14-140 then price difference not an issue.

The review said the grip is different than the G80, I found the G80 ok, is the G90 much different?

Of course I would like it cheaper but the G80 has taken a long time to drop in price and Panasonic don't seem to have done any significant promotions ( that I have seen) since Nov 2018 when it had cashback of £200 for a week. And I missed it due to dithering.

Before the current wave of discount on G85, Panny was busy on selling GX85 which seems a big success so far. After a brife period of inventory sales of G7 in earlier time, now is G85.

Do you think there will be any significant price drops or promotions soon? Of course this has dropped from £1200-1300 to £999 and may go back up soon.

In fact I saw gray market price on G95 is also coming down quickly. I guess 6 months or so later I can expect a £400/450 price tag on G95 (now is around £500~700 body only).

My Fz150 does quite nice pics on quite close subjects, so this will really be for more distant, but not too distant as will only 100-300 not 100-400 subjects, and not prime lenses. So I am still really trying to justify why I need a SLR again at this price.

On ILC, how close we can shoot is lens dependence. Panny 30 f/2.8, Oly 30 f/3.5 or 60 f/2.8 macro lens are great for macro shooting. Or a cheap AF extension tube, a close up filter, or a MF adapted vintage macro lens will all do.

Thanks

2 important updates for considering the G90 over G80 not mentioned here are:

A. Internal charging. The box includes a standalone charger also. Moreover, both the camera and the charger use a micro usb input. I simultaneously charge 2 batteries at a time with a dual port powerbank or charge the spare in my bag while using the first one.

B. Powering the camera via usb. Very useful for video, timelapse or live composite.

Regarding the kit lens.  The store where I bought mine allowed me to upgrade it to any lens, so I bought the G90 with the 12-60 2.8-4 instead. This is the advantage for buying in smaller stores.

duchamp wrote:

2 important updates for considering the G90 over G80 not mentioned here are:

A. Internal charging. The box includes a standalone charger also. Moreover, both the camera and the charger use a micro usb input. I simultaneously charge 2 batteries at a time with a dual port powerbank or charge the spare in my bag while using the first one.

B. Powering the camera via usb. Very useful for video, timelapse or live composite.

I suppose the newer Panny from hereon would use the same internal USB charging.

I had once researched to a longer battery life solution back to the GX7's day. While a DC coupler, a voltage step up case and an USB power bank be finally proved working, arrival of G95 (which can take USB power directly) had stopped my progress on this front.

Regarding the kit lens. The store where I bought mine allowed me to upgrade it to any lens, so I bought the G90 with the 12-60 2.8-4 instead. This is the advantage for buying in smaller stores.

This is not the first Panny with internal charging (both G9 and GX85 have it) but the first in the sub premium price range that has also the external charger included.

duchamp wrote:

This is not the first Panny with internal charging (both G9 and GX85 have it) but the first in the sub premium price range that has also the external charger included.

No, GX85 can take in-camera charging but the camera must be switched off... Therefore I use external charger and spare batteries.

I think it is only until the more recent models like G95 (might be the same for GX9) can be powered (but cannot charge battery simultaneously) by USB directly.

It should have killed the setup of DC coupler + voltage set up case + USB power bank.