Panasonic - LUMIX GX85 Mirrorless Camera with G VARIO 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH. MEGA O.I.S Lens - Black

had this camera for 30 days. Took brilliant pics right out of box. bought 2 lenses 42.5 mm portrait and 150 mm zoom lens. pic of park in this review is not edited just out of camera, took it walking my dog in the park with zoom lens: f/4, 1/100sec, iso 250, focal length 45 mm. I have been taking lots of 4K video, 5-axis stabilization works great, Have not used tripod yet. Sales people at Bestbuy were very great, bought camera, 2 lenses, strap, cleaning kit, tripod, lens filters. All of those were price matched.

I originally visited my local BestBuy for a different mirrorless camera that can record 4K video, but saw they have the Panasonic GX85 in stock and ready for purchase 3 weeks before its actual retail release date! So I did not hesitate to pick this up. So far photos look great, but 4K video recording is one of the best in class at this price range. Some important things to note if you are looking to get this camera: 1) Dual Axis Image Stabilization: The camera body has its own image stabilization and if you attach a Panasonic Lens (the lens will have its own built in image stabilization, too) - the GX85 will use BOTH at the same time = dual stabilization for better photos and video. At the time of this review, you cannot find a DSLR or Mirrorless camera for under $2000 with this feature! 2) New Sensor does not have low pass filter: Some camera brands have low pass filter built into the lens or the camera body's sensor. The purpose of low pass filters works as Anti-Aliasing to by blurring the outlines of the objects to help minimize or eliminating moire - but at the expense of sharpness. Since megapixels are higher in modern cameras, low pass filters are no longer needed and the GX85 has no low pass filter = up to 10% sharper images. 3) It has Direct Wifi connect: You can remote control the GX85 with your smart phone by directly connecting to it (no need for router wifi). You can adjust the camera functions and transfer photos to your smart phone too. Just download and install the Panasonic app to your smart phone. 4) Make sure you have a SD Card that is U3 rated - otherwise you won't be able to use all the camera's features. 5) Micro 4/3 - other Micro 4/3 lens from other brands will work with this camera with no need for an adapter, so you will have a good chose of lens or use lens from your current Micro 4/3 camera if you decide to make the GX85 your main camera. So far I am happy with this camera and just purchased a Panasonic Lumix 25mm f/1.7 lens to go with it - it takes much sharper images and video than the kit lens.

I realized I should have got the one with extra zoom lens of 140mm. I ended up with just the prime lens, which is still a great deal too. I wanted a point and shoot as I was done with Phone pics. The built quality of LUMIX is great. Wanted to use less of my DSLR. This is great option for carrying around in pocket. I can trade my brand loyalty to Panasonic LUMIX Now.

Wow! This little Panasonic was introduced 4 years ago & still ahead of it's time. Compact & ready for on the go traveling. I added the Panasonic Lumix 12-35mm f/2.8 lens & completely satisfied!

I took this camera to Disney world and got really good quality pictures even at night time with the fireworks

My reason for purchasing a pocket camera is as a backup to my larger gear. I wanted very similar control of the settings that I have with the DSLR. The LUMIX GX85 delivers on that requirement. The image quality is excellent with good saturation, and the ability to shoot RAW allows a lot of latitude in post processing. Video quality is excellent also, both in HD and 4K, though 4K video requires a modern processor for smooth playback. The image stabilization seems to work really well. Most rolling movements are compensated very nicely and smoothly. It makes taking videos without a stabilizer pretty easy, but still requires a gently, slow, steady hand for best results. Interchangeable lenses promise more creative uses for the camera, but I've not explored that aspect yet. There are some drawbacks, especially when compared against the DSLR cameras... There is a shutter lag, even when the exposure is set to full manual. The short lens doesn't have a manual focus ring, so the camera still performs that function, and it's not as fast as I'd like. Still, off-to-image time is very short. The rear view screen is really good in subdued light but almost useless in bright light. Fortunately, the camera has an electronic viewfinder that switches automatically when it detects a face (or stray finger). It provides an adequate quality image for framing, but the optics of the eyepiece create a distorted image to my eye. Part of the internal screen is blurry, and I have to move my eye around to be able to focus on different parts of the screen. I was a bit surprised to find that sort of anomaly in such a high end compact. The panorama feature really does a great job. Most images come out looking simply beautiful. But the is one part of the process that I found difficult. If the light levels in the panorama are significantly different, the camera doesn't hold the exposure I asked it to. My examples are subsets where the sun is still slightly above the horizon. The images are stunning, but there is a very noticeable line where the exposure was reset by the camera. That may be a firmware issue and can be fixed in an update. My solution was to play with the starting point and width of the panorama to get one that was a consistent exposure. The supplied strap is too short for my style of shooting. I sling the camera under my right arm so it rides on my side or back, limiting the potential for it to swing out when I bend or lean. The strap is too short to simply twist into position as I do with my DSLR, and is a bit tight for letting my elbow slip easily through to bring it to a normal around-the-neck position. I've replaced it with a commercially available strap that ends up being as large as the camera. Adding maybe 6" to 12" to the strap would make a lot of difference (hint hint Panasonic...). Also, a wrist strap would be a handy addition to the packaging. I've installed one in addition to the replacement strap for when it really does get carried in a pocket. As a true pocket camera, this one doesn't quite make it because it is still a bit bulky. It won't go into any of my pants pockets like my little Canon, but then none of the true pocket cameras I looked at gave me the image quality or control I was needing. Also, the documentation says this camera is not weather sealed in any way, so I'm still looking for a waterproof bag or enclosure that allows me retain control of the camera while letting me shoot in the rain. To date, a gallon zip-lock bag and dry cleaner bags have served as weather gear. As a pocket camera, this is a bit large and requires either a strap or a jacket to carry. But as an alternative to carrying a large DSLR for capturing sharp, rich photos, this is a wonderful little camera!

This camera is perfect for beginner or even advanced photographer, is small and compact. Good for travel shooting.

This camera was a huge step up from my other gear. It performs better than any other camera I've ever owned in low light. There are enough features to have you reading the manual and the forums for days. Being a Micro Four Thirds camera, it can accept a huge number of lenses, and the kit lens it comes with is very versatile. You can shoot 4K video handheld in relatively poor conditions and still be amazed by the results. One huge advantage...NO 30 minute limit for videos (provided you have a big enough SD card). Good luck finding that feature on other cameras anywhere near this price point! The only real "cons" are the lack of a hot shoe, no external mic input (who cares, if you're serious about video production you'll have a separate audio recorder anyway) and the fact that you cannot use the camera while charging it. A simple purchase of extra battery/charger fixes that, and anyone using these types of cameras with any serious level of frequency has an external card reader anyway.