Panasonic Choices

[gektron]

Hi, I've not posted for a while as I am just coming back into micro four thirds. My question is Panasonic G80 (G85) with kit lens for £499 or Panasonic G90 (G95) with kit lens on offer at the moment for £679?

My budget is not endless, so I thought with the G80 I could also buy the 25mm 1.7 prime lens for £135 (Amazon) and some accessories for the same price as the G90. My main use for the camera is stills photography (no great interest in video) and specifically both street photography and landscape.

The main advantages of the G90 from my perspective are the 20 megapixel sensor and possibly the dedicated buttons on top for WB, ISO and EV. I was almost pulling the trigger on the G90 but then I looked at the DPReview exposure latitude tool and compared the 2 cameras...

The G90 sensor looks so noisy compared to the G80 and my perception is that the G80 produces a better quality of image when increasing the stops of a RAW image when under exposing for highlights/low light. The normal image comparison tool does show that the G90 can resolve slightly more detail than the G80 however.

Can anyone with any experience offer any comment as to the relative image quality of these 2 cameras in a purely photographic role? Based on my potential use for street/landscape is the G90 worth an extra £180 when I can buy a decent lens for the difference? I've no problem with buying into slightly older tech all things being equal.

I know people might be screaming Fuji, Sony, Olympus, Canon at me but I really like the Panasonic range particularly because of the ergonomics, and MFT because of the smaller and lighter cameras/lenses.

 

[Trolleyman]

I have both and thinking about selling the G80, that shows what I think of the comparison.

The buttons on top and the control wheel instead of a d pad are a definite improvement. In body charging and powering via external source are useful additions too. I also have the GX9 and prefer the jpegs from that and the G90 compared to the G80. Nicer colours and more detail from the newer sensor and processor. Not sure how they got the results in the review, never seen anything like it, would have gone back if I had.

Despite some saying they share the same evf and lcd, they are both clearer and have more contrast on the newer camera. The focus merge tool in the G90 is handy, all done in camera, very good it is too.

So my advice would be get the G90, exceĺent camera, equal or better to the underrated and at times unloved GX9

 

[windmillgolfer]

I have G80 and added G9 because it was much cheaper than the G90 and suited my intended use with 100-400mm. The G9 came with free f1.7, battery grip - both on eBay as of today. So, you can get an as-new 25mm f1.7 for well under £139.

The G90 is clearly better than the G90 in many ways but unless you plan to use those extra features the G80 could be good enough. The g80 is still a great camera, teh 12-60mm kit lens is very good too and usually costs little extra in kit form. You should be able to get a very good price on the G80. The G90 price is coming down, so if you're not in a hurry it may be worth hanging on. Do check out the Panasonic Outlet on eBay, full warranty and sometimes at bargain prices.

 

[gektron]

I was kinda thinking that the G90 is not a massive step up from the G80 compared to the G9. So my thoughts were G80 for now and perhaps upgrade to the G9 when and if the prices come down.

 

[gektron]

Where did you get the G9 cheaper than the G90?

 

[Jozef M]

Where did you get the G9 cheaper than the G90?

I don't know.

The G9 is a great camera, but if in doubt, get the G90, not the G80, it's IQ is not so good, has a useless auto iso, ... the G9 is superb, I'm planning to use it for many years on.

Jozef.

 

[windmillgolfer]

Wilkinson Camera, a NW based chain, it included a Panasonic offers of 3 year warranty, plus 25mm f1.7, extra battery, Battery Grip, plus the camera body was £799 (at least £100 less than the G90). I note that since then there has been some downward movement on the G90.

My G9 arrived just before lockdown, so a few weeks ago. I've no doubt there'll be another offer but when is anyone's guess. Prices could be spectacularly low in the run-up to Christmas this year.

--
Stuart
Latest uploads http://www.flickr.com/photos/dieselgolfer/
G80 images https://www.flickr.com/photos/dieselgolfer/albums/72157669344521949
FZ330 images https://www.flickr.com/photos/dieselgolfer/albums/72157659823425652
TZ60 images https://www.flickr.com/photos/dieselgolfer/albums/72157642261079494
Aurora Borealis https://www.flickr.com/photos/dieselgolfer/albums/72157663549812064
Panoramas https://www.flickr.com/photos/dieselgolfer/albums/72157651603418606
UltraWide https://www.flickr.com/photos/dieselgolfer/albums/72157646076479907

 

[larsbc]

Hi, I've not posted for a while as I am just coming back into micro four thirds. My question is Panasonic G80 (G85) with kit lens for £499 or Panasonic G90 (G95) with kit lens on offer at the moment for £679?

My budget is not endless, so I thought with the G80 I could also buy the 25mm 1.7 prime lens for £135 (Amazon) and some accessories for the same price as the G90. My main use for the camera is stills photography (no great interest in video) and specifically both street photography and landscape.

The main advantages of the G90 from my perspective are the 20 megapixel sensor and possibly the dedicated buttons on top for WB, ISO and EV. I was almost pulling the trigger on the G90 but then I looked at the DPReview exposure latitude tool and compared the 2 cameras...

The G90 sensor looks so noisy compared to the G80 and my perception is that the G80 produces a better quality of image when increasing the stops of a RAW image when under exposing for highlights/low light. The normal image comparison tool does show that the G90 can resolve slightly more detail than the G80 however.

Can anyone with any experience offer any comment as to the relative image quality of these 2 cameras in a purely photographic role? Based on my potential use for street/landscape is the G90 worth an extra £180 when I can buy a decent lens for the difference? I've no problem with buying into slightly older tech all things being equal.

I don't have the G90 but I do have the GX9 which I presume has the same sensor. I didn't notice the image quality of the GX9 to be worse than my G85 at higher ISOs. For me, the only difference between the sensors is that I have a little bit more cropping room with the larger, 20mp file of the GX9.

Features-wise, one of the things my GX9 has that my GX7 and G85 don't have that is very important to me is a setting for Minimum Shutterspeed which I can use in conjunction with Aperture-priority exposure. I believe the G90 has this as well. I also like the G90's additional controls.

BUT getting back to image quality, aside from cropping I don't see any practical advantage of the 20mp sensor over the 16mp sensor.

I can understand you being on the fence about those two options. I have a 15/1.7 lens which is crucial to me these days since I've been using it a lot for street photography. So if the 25/1.7 is something that will see a lot of use then it makes sense to prioritize that over the body. But will you use it a lot?

 

[Pete_W]

Hi, I've not posted for a while as I am just coming back into micro four thirds. My question is Panasonic G80 (G85) with kit lens for £499 or Panasonic G90 (G95) with kit lens on offer at the moment for £679?

My budget is not endless, so I thought with the G80 I could also buy the 25mm 1.7 prime lens for £135 (Amazon) and some accessories for the same price as the G90. My main use for the camera is stills photography (no great interest in video) and specifically both street photography and landscape.

The main advantages of the G90 from my perspective are the 20 megapixel sensor and possibly the dedicated buttons on top for WB, ISO and EV.

I recently purchased the G95, having used a GX85 for the past 3+ years, and can say that I really find those dedicated buttons very useful.

 

[gektron]

Well thank you very much for the replies but I’ve gone a bit curveball and just purchased the GX9. I found a sweet deal for the body, the 12-60mm kit lens and the 25mm 1.7 prime as a free item, all for £569.

Given one of my uses as street photography this just may be the best starter package for me. A small and discreet body, a versatile kit lens for general use, and the prime for street and low light. I’m very happy with this.

 

[Pete_W]

Well thank you very much for the replies but I’ve gone a bit curveball and just purchased the GX9. I found a sweet deal for the body, the 12-60mm kit lens and the 25mm 1.7 prime as a free item, all for £569.

Given one of my uses as street photography this just may be the best starter package for me. A small and discreet body, a versatile kit lens for general use, and the prime for street and low light. I’m very happy with this.

That's exactly how I started with the GX85, i.e. 12-60mm and 'free' 25mm/1.7.

The GX body is great for street photography and with a prime is great for walking around. The 12-60mm is a very versatile focal range lens. I am glad you got a good deal. Enjoy!

 

[larsbc]

Well thank you very much for the replies but I’ve gone a bit curveball and just purchased the GX9. I found a sweet deal for the body, the 12-60mm kit lens and the 25mm 1.7 prime as a free item, all for £569.

Given one of my uses as street photography this just may be the best starter package for me. A small and discreet body, a versatile kit lens for general use, and the prime for street and low light. I’m very happy with this.

Congratulations on your new kit. I think you'll find the GX9 to be an exemplary street camera. Three things you should consider buying:

1. Extra batteries. I've been happy with the pair of Wasabi batteries plus charger that I got on Amazon.
2. Black, self-adhesive rhinestones. I bought some off of Amazon. I stuck them onto some of the back buttons on the camera so they're easier to find by touch.
3. The Panasonic optional eye cup. It makes a huge difference when shooting in bright light.
   https://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DM...s=panasonic+gx9+eye+cup&qid=1590384915&sr=8-1

 

[Trolleyman]

Well thank you very much for the replies but I’ve gone a bit curveball and just purchased the GX9. I found a sweet deal for the body, the 12-60mm kit lens and the 25mm 1.7 prime as a free item, all for £569.

Given one of my uses as street photography this just may be the best starter package for me. A small and discreet body, a versatile kit lens for general use, and the prime for street and low light. I’m very happy with this.

Probably my favourite camera, but as others have said get the extended eye cup its almost essential. Only other fault I have found is the Exp Comp wheel not being very easy to turn. Also a good idea to get a spare battery and separate battery charger. It, doesn't come with one and not always convenient to charge in body.

Sure you will love this great little camera, mine has been used extensively on my European travels.

 

[windmillgolfer]

A good deal and the tilt screen is best option, IMO, for Street. The option to trigger a shot by touching the screen should be good for street too - no obvious pressing of the shutter button.

 

[gektron]

Thanks everyone for all the recommendations and encouragement. I can't wait to get the camera and test drive it. I will be definitely buying the eye cup and extra batteries

 

[JakeJY]

I was almost pulling the trigger on the G90 but then I looked at the DPReview exposure latitude tool and compared the 2 cameras...

The G90 sensor looks so noisy compared to the G80 and my perception is that the G80 produces a better quality of image when increasing the stops of a RAW image when under exposing for highlights/low light. The normal image comparison tool does show that the G90 can resolve slightly more detail than the G80 however.

If you are making a decision based on that test, there is a huge flaw in the test where they used a bracketing/continuous drive mode that dropped the RAW into 10-bit mode.

The G95 drops to 10-bit mode in bracketing and continuous drive mode, lowering dynamic range. These tests were unintentionally shot in one of these modes, meaning they do not represent the camera's full capability. We will re-shoot and re-assess this test and the score as soon as we can.

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonic-lumix-dc-g95-g90-review/5

I was the one who found this to be the case here (and others reported to DP Review):

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/62990877

So that test is not representative of the typical quality you get from 12-bit RAWs you get otherwise (although you still need to be aware that G95 does seem to drop to 10-bit for bracketing, while other cameras may not).

 

[leorimkus]

Well thank you very much for the replies but I’ve gone a bit curveball and just purchased the GX9. I found a sweet deal for the body, the 12-60mm kit lens and the 25mm 1.7 prime as a free item, all for £569.

Given one of my uses as street photography this just may be the best starter package for me. A small and discreet body, a versatile kit lens for general use, and the prime for street and low light. I’m very happy with this.

Congrats on your purchase. I was going to recommend it while reading the thread. Rangefinder format is perfect for street (and I think overall) photography - I bought a G7 recently for video tasks, but still find GX7 much more pleasing to use despite mine developed some issues over the years.