Today saw the arrival of the successor to the now two-year-old GX7, the Panasonic Lumix GX8. With so many Lumix cameras having appeared over the past year, you would be right to wonder what new and exciting features the GX8 could bring to the system. Well, as it turns out, there’s quite a lot to be said about this new addition to the Lumix line-up!
The Panasonic GX8, with its new 20MP sensor, is currently the Micro Four Thirds camera with the highest native resolution. (The Olympus OM-D E-M5 II has a 40MP High Res Shot mode but it combines eight shots into one.) This is a significant step forward for a system whose name has become synonymous with 16MP.
It has an updated chassis which is both larger than its predecessor and more rugged thanks to its weatherproof build and chunkier grip. Though we haven’t seen it in person, other reviewers such as Gordon Laing suggest that it is about the same size as an Olympus OM-D E-M1. It features twin dials on top, 13 function buttons (five virtual and eight physical), and an exposure dial wrapped around the mode dial. In the place of the tilting 16:9 LCD screen, we now have a fully-articulating 4:3 OLED touchscreen, which will have video shooters jumping for joy, and an updated version of the tilting viewfinder first seen on the GX7, with a 4:3 OLED panel, 2.36 million dots and 0.77x magnification.
Like the GH4 and the recently-released G7, it employs Panasonic’s new Depth-from-Defocus autofocus system, which is currently one of the fastest and most reliable on the market. It has 8 fps burst shooting, 6 fps burst shooting with C-AF, and both a mechanical and silent shutter which go as high as 1/8000 and 1/16000 respectively.
Another upgrade from the GX7 is the new dual image stabilisation system that allows the camera to stabilise images on four axes instead of just two. It combines the in-body stabilisation of the camera with the existing lens-based OIS of certain Lumix lenses, though you’ll have to update them with a firmware update first for it to work. With lenses that aren’t stabilised, such as those from the M.Zuiko line-up, the GX8 will activate IBIS on its own.
As for video, the GX8 is on par with other offerings from Panasonic. It has the G7’s 4K video / 4K photo modes (albeit without an explicit place on the mode dial). It can record 4K video (QFHD) up to 30fps and 100mbps and Full HD can be recorded up to 60fps. There aren’t any advanced slow motion capabilities like on the GH4 but you get some of the same options as the flagship model such as the Cine Like profiles. Unfortunately, its in-body stabilisation does not extend to video recording. For this, you will have to continue to rely on the internal stabilisation of Lumix lenses.
The camera also incorporates other features already seen on many other Lumix products such as:
- Improved Multiple Panorama Mode (Image quality priority or angle priority)
- 2.5mm Microphone Socket
- 21mm Eyepoint LVF for improved usability with glasses
- Focus Peaking / Eye Sensor AF / Touch Pad AF / Starlight AF
- Silent Mode
- Creative Control
- Time Lapse Shot / Stop Motion Animation
- Wifi/NFC
Along with the GX8, the development of two new lenses for the system was announced: the Lumix 25mm f/1.7 and Lumix 100-400mm f4-6.3. The former is a slower alternative to the 25mm f/1.4 designed by Leica, while the latter will offer the longest focal length for Micro Four Thirds.
Even more exciting is the announcement that Panasonic is working on a Lytro-esque solution to choosing your focus point!
It will use a combination of the Depth-from-Defocus autofocus system, 4K burst mode and its fast sensor readout (240fps) to create images that can be “post focussed.” The technology will become available via a firmware update for the GX8 and FZ300 (a new bridge camera), as well as future models.
The Panasonic Lumix GX8 will be available for purchase in mid-August and will have a heftier price tag than its predecessor at over $1000 for the body alone. Though the price may be off-putting to some, it is a reflection of how Panasonic wants to market this camera and the audience for which it is intended.
Want to try out the Lumix GX8 for yourself? Then why not pay a visit to Jessops this weekend. At select stores across the UK, Lumix Luminaries will be there to show you the camera and take you through its new functions!
Which flash unit are you using?
When it was introduced last Autumn I got one of the first GX8’s available in The Netherlands. In soms respects an underrated camera! Especially the sensor is a step up from the 16mp Olympus + other Panasonic sensors. High iso is a bit better, but the files have a more natural look and are more flexible as the older 16mp.
However! This camera, and maybe other Panasonic m43’s? have one big failure! When a flash is attached, you can only use single shot modus! Not possible in any way to have bursts with the flash attached. No problem with my OMD-E-M1 or the older OMD E-M5.
First I thought I’d did something wrong, but asking on forum, I wasn’t it seems. Even did mail Panasonic for it, but no solution.
How can it be that a camera with such impressive specifications isn’t able to work this way? For me working mostly as a photo journalist this camera becomes a bit useless for this kind of photography. I need fill in flash in maybe 60% of the occasions.
Other than the above, the GX8 is a fine and capable camera! Although the OMD-E-M1 is more intuitive to use + the EVF placed in the middle works more relaxt I find.
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Hi Heather & Mathieu! Although the GX8 seems to really an exciting camera I have a question about the lenses. I somewhere read a official press release from Panasonic which sayed that these new ones will be “compatible with DFD”. Seeing this I startet to look for list of Pansonic lenses which are already prepared for DFD – but didn’t have any success with my search. Maybe you both have an idea which lenses will/won’t support DFD? (Alternatively it could just have been my faulty interpretation of the press release 😉 )
Best regards,
Klaus
I’m surprised they didn’t save it all for the GH5, i always through the x7 was a bit of a cult cam, so this is a heck of a follow up
Better dynamic range and just as much resolution as the 6D, though, full-frame aside. That’s saying something.
Yes. Though there are a number of Olympus lenses that are also weather sealed (8mm/1.8 fisheye, 7-14/2.8, 12-40/2.8, 40-150/2.8, 60mm macro, 12-50mm kit lens, 14-150mm superzoom)
But I think now that Panasonic has another weather-sealed flagship body, they might have more interest in committing to weather sealed lenses. The 100-400mm Leica they just announced is also weather sealed.
In Japan, it has the same price than … Canon 6D
FF vs 4K, weatherproofing stabilization, micro 4/3 …
Like the A7r II for FE, the spec sheet on this reads like every fanboi’s wishlist of new features. It’s pretty amazing to me how they’ve managed to include everything except the kitchen sink. The size increase is a little bit disappointing, but I can see replacing my GX7 with this in a year or few once the price drops a bit. It’ll be nice to have weatherproofing!
Since it doesn’t have OIS, I am hoping it also stands out as the budget fast prime option in the system. M4/3 could use a $200-300 “nifty fifty.”
Excellent camera; however, I would not consider this a GX-7 successor. It’s a whole new line.
The GX7 was the first Panasonic m4/3 camera I have ever really considered, now the GX8 looks good. Is there really only 2 Panasonic lenses that are weather sealed to match the GX8 sealing ?
I’ve just had a look at some raw files from – http://www.quesabesde.com/noticias/panasonic-gx8-lumix-analisis-muestras_13450?utm_source=quesabesde&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
If you have a dcraw programme like raw therapee you can open them. It seems that there is a bit of a trade off between sharpness and low noise, but there is a shot at ISO 4000 which is VERY impressive and fits in with what Panasonic claim, that their GX8 images are very close to the Fuji X-T1. It’s obviously early days, but it looks like there is a different look to the files as opposed to ‘standard’ m4/3. But then that is probably to be expected.
Great camera though.
I just picked up a used GX7 for a song but now this? Guess I’ll have to make due, wait to see that Sony A7000 reassess then 🙂
The 4K still mode is extremely useful. The only time I’ve ever been able to capture insects in flight was with this mode! I’m sure it would be a good for concerts too. 🙂
Tell me about it. 😀 I doubt we’ll see an E-M1 until next year’s Photokina but they may surprise us.
My guess is that the new 25mm will be faster and more compatible with the DFD technology, but we’ll have to see!
Looks like an interesting camera full of new features. I also have good memories of the GX 7 … but some more MPs would have been missing to get the resolution with my Panoramas on MFT. Possibly this would have been the camera i missed for MFT … but by now I changed systems already, *sigh*.
The new tele looks interesting. However I am wondering on the value proposition of the 25mm (this is now the 3rd one …)
The specification looks great, although the initial price looks steep I am sure it will come down after a few months, I think everyone is now wondering how good it will be and how well it will handle. I guess everyone now will be looking at Olympus to see what it can come up with to match this camera, how soon before a EM-1 mk2 appears? With all these great cameras coming out mirrorless users will be spoiled for choice.
I saved money for the EM 5 II, but now I´ll wait a little more and wait for reviews. I can imagine that the 4k stills modes can be interesting for shooting live concerts. I hope the highISO performance will be similar to the olympus cameras.
Same here! The GX7 is one of my favourite mirrorless cameras. I think I might miss its compact design but we’ll have to see… 🙂
I am curious too! But it’s nice to see a real new sensor in the MFT system.
Seems a nice upgrade to one of my favorite cameras of all time. Weatherproofing is a very nice addition. DFD, 4k, etc. I’m eager to see how good the new sensor will be, especially at high ISO and for DR.