Almost perfect vacation camera ... ?

My 8-yr old GX7 is still great. Have not been using it much at home. Using Fuji more at home. But my Panasonic GX7 is surprisingly good (still).

Compare to Fuji X100F, GX7 is better in three ways:

1. More comfortable grip

2. Image stabilization

3. Tilting LCD panel.

Having the joystick to move focus points, built in ND filter and quiet leaf shutter like X100F would make it much much better, but the GX7 with the 20mm lens is proving to be more handy than X100F.  It's just surprising after almost a year of not using it.  I was thinking about selling it, but I think I just changed my mind.  The grip is so good on GX7, I just keep reaching for it instead of my Fuji.

I spent a big chunk of last summer trying to like the 20mm on my Olympus E-M10ii. And, frankly, my copy didn't impress me at all with either focus or rendering. Does it work better on a Panasonic camera?

This made me rather sad, since 40mm is pretty much my favorite "wide angle" field of view for walkaround and general shooting, and the package was certainly nice and small. At the end of the summer, I was back to the excellent Oly 25mm f/1.8 as the tradeoff general purpose lens to the 60mm macro.

This summer, of course, the problem is solved. I finally got the gorgeous Fuji 27mm f/2.8 WR to put on my old X-T10, so I have a great 40mm compact with all the advantages of a larger sensor and Fuji full traditional controls, including an aperture ring on the lens. If you can live without IBIS, the X-Txx series offers a tilt screen and a lot more fun behind the camera in a not much larger size, and I like the lens so much more.

I don't think the stabilisation on the GX7 is worth very much, although of course it is true that the Fuji doesn't have any.

i love my X100 for travel and stuff

Genes Pentax wrote:

My 8-yr old GX7 is still great. Have not been using it much at home. Using Fuji more at home. But my Panasonic GX7 is surprisingly good (still).

Compare to Fuji X100F, GX7 is better in three ways:

1. More comfortable grip

2. Image stabilization

3. Tilting LCD panel.

One MAJOR feature you forgot…

4. Tilting EVF

Having the joystick to move focus points, built in ND filter and quiet leaf shutter like X100F would make it much much better, but the GX7 with the 20mm lens is proving to be more handy than X100F. It's just surprising after almost a year of not using it. I was thinking about selling it, but I think I just changed my mind. The grip is so good on GX7, I just keep reaching for it instead of my Fuji.

With the GX7 you can move the focus point with your thumb on the LCD when using the EVF. BRILLIANT feature! No clumsy joystick necessary.

I've been shooting the XF27, in both versions, for a lot of years, and I think getting good jpegs out of it depends a great deal on camera settings, more so than the other Fuji lenses I own .

I'm considering now that my 20mm, which I bought very secondhand, may be a bad copy?   If I ever get a chance to try another one, I will.

larsbc wrote:

Genes Pentax wrote:

My 8-yr old GX7 is still great. Have not been using it much at home. Using Fuji more at home. But my Panasonic GX7 is surprisingly good (still).

Compare to Fuji X100F, GX7 is better in three ways:

1. More comfortable grip

2. Image stabilization

3. Tilting LCD panel.

Having the joystick to move focus points, built in ND filter and quiet leaf shutter like X100F would make it much much better, but the GX7 with the 20mm lens is proving to be more handy than X100F. It's just surprising after almost a year of not using it. I was thinking about selling it, but I think I just changed my mind. The grip is so good on GX7, I just keep reaching for it instead of my Fuji.

Yes, it's funny (peculiar funny, not haha funny) how Panasonic's subsequent GX bodies haven't had a grip as good as the GX7's.

I think it’s tragic! The GX9 would be sooo much better with it…

jeffharris wrote:

Genes Pentax wrote:

My 8-yr old GX7 is still great. Have not been using it much at home. Using Fuji more at home. But my Panasonic GX7 is surprisingly good (still).

Compare to Fuji X100F, GX7 is better in three ways:

1. More comfortable grip

2. Image stabilization

3. Tilting LCD panel.

One MAJOR feature you forgot…

4. Tilting EVF

Having the joystick to move focus points, built in ND filter and quiet leaf shutter like X100F would make it much much better, but the GX7 with the 20mm lens is proving to be more handy than X100F. It's just surprising after almost a year of not using it. I was thinking about selling it, but I think I just changed my mind. The grip is so good on GX7, I just keep reaching for it instead of my Fuji.

With the GX7 you can move the focus point with your thumb on the LCD when using the EVF. BRILLIANT feature! No clumsy joystick necessary.

Yes!! And especially in offset mode it is FANTASTIC! Way better than joystick. I think it works so well because the EVF is not centered.

Genes Pentax wrote:

My 8-yr old GX7 is still great. Have not been using it much at home. Using Fuji more at home. But my Panasonic GX7 is surprisingly good (still).

Compare to Fuji X100F, GX7 is better in three ways:

1. More comfortable grip

2. Image stabilization

3. Tilting LCD panel.

Having the joystick to move focus points, built in ND filter and quiet leaf shutter like X100F would make it much much better, but the GX7 with the 20mm lens is proving to be more handy than X100F. It's just surprising after almost a year of not using it. I was thinking about selling it, but I think I just changed my mind. The grip is so good on GX7, I just keep reaching for it instead of my Fuji.

The GX7 was my first ILC and have a real soft spot for it. I had a GX9 for while but sold it again, not the least because of the grip.

I used it again quite a bit on this summer vacation. I brought it as a second body because my wife has taken a shine to the OM-1, which means I often couldn’t get my hands on it. Obviously AF is not as good and the whole camera is a bit slow to react, But many images still came out just great!

If they made a GX10 (or even better a SX1…) with that grip and a better EVF, I would buy it in a heartbeat

larsbc wrote:

Genes Pentax wrote:

My 8-yr old GX7 is still great. Have not been using it much at home. Using Fuji more at home. But my Panasonic GX7 is surprisingly good (still).

Compare to Fuji X100F, GX7 is better in three ways:

1. More comfortable grip

2. Image stabilization

3. Tilting LCD panel.

Having the joystick to move focus points, built in ND filter and quiet leaf shutter like X100F would make it much much better, but the GX7 with the 20mm lens is proving to be more handy than X100F. It's just surprising after almost a year of not using it. I was thinking about selling it, but I think I just changed my mind. The grip is so good on GX7, I just keep reaching for it instead of my Fuji.

Yes, it's funny (peculiar funny, not haha funny) how Panasonic's subsequent GX bodies haven't had a grip as good as the GX7's.

I would say that the grip on the GX8 is every bit as good { I used to own a GX7 as well } . One man's meat 

James Stirling wrote:

larsbc wrote:

Genes Pentax wrote:

My 8-yr old GX7 is still great. Have not been using it much at home. Using Fuji more at home. But my Panasonic GX7 is surprisingly good (still).

Compare to Fuji X100F, GX7 is better in three ways:

1. More comfortable grip

2. Image stabilization

3. Tilting LCD panel.

Having the joystick to move focus points, built in ND filter and quiet leaf shutter like X100F would make it much much better, but the GX7 with the 20mm lens is proving to be more handy than X100F. It's just surprising after almost a year of not using it. I was thinking about selling it, but I think I just changed my mind. The grip is so good on GX7, I just keep reaching for it instead of my Fuji.

Yes, it's funny (peculiar funny, not haha funny) how Panasonic's subsequent GX bodies haven't had a grip as good as the GX7's.

I would say that the grip on the GX8 is every bit as good { I used to own a GX7 as well } . One man's meat

PLUS the G8's EVF is great! Then add the much better external controls, handling and ergonomics are steps above the GX7.

Yes, I had a GX7. The grip was fantastic. Probably too expensive… $2 more … for the Panny bean counters.

However, within the first minute using the GX8, the GX7 was rarely used ever again.

jeffharris wrote:

James Stirling wrote:

larsbc wrote:

Genes Pentax wrote:

My 8-yr old GX7 is still great. Have not been using it much at home. Using Fuji more at home. But my Panasonic GX7 is surprisingly good (still).

Compare to Fuji X100F, GX7 is better in three ways:

1. More comfortable grip

2. Image stabilization

3. Tilting LCD panel.

Having the joystick to move focus points, built in ND filter and quiet leaf shutter like X100F would make it much much better, but the GX7 with the 20mm lens is proving to be more handy than X100F. It's just surprising after almost a year of not using it. I was thinking about selling it, but I think I just changed my mind. The grip is so good on GX7, I just keep reaching for it instead of my Fuji.

Yes, it's funny (peculiar funny, not haha funny) how Panasonic's subsequent GX bodies haven't had a grip as good as the GX7's.

I would say that the grip on the GX8 is every bit as good { I used to own a GX7 as well } . One man's meat

PLUS the G8's EVF is great!

It is, indeed.

Then add the much better external controls, handling and ergonomics are steps above the GX7.

I don't see much improvement here. On the opposite, the exposure compensation is much easier to use on the GX 7. And alas, BQ of these controll wheels is miserable in both cameras.

Yes, I had a GX7. The grip was fantastic. Probably too expensive… $2 more … for the Panny bean counters.

Well the grip of the G1 and 2 was very good, the one on the GX8 is as well, the GX7 grip is phantastic - here I agree. Just forget about the Olympus grips of the em 5 and 10 models.

However, within the first minute using the GX8, the GX7 was rarely used ever again.

Same with me, but because of the imoproved sensor. It just didn't feel right not to use the best bensor I have.

And honestly, the GX7 looks so much better with the smaller M43 lenses. The GX8 is a ugly brick and look ridiculous with the 60mm macro lens.

Peter