{"id":6070,"date":"2016-01-16T16:11:44","date_gmt":"2016-01-16T21:11:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/?p=6070"},"modified":"2024-09-05T17:03:59","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T22:03:59","slug":"review-panasonic-lumix-gx8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/admiringlight.com\/blog\/review-panasonic-lumix-gx8\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Panasonic Lumix GX8"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Panasonic’s GX series of Micro 4\/3 cameras has evolved from the high-end small body of the original GX1 into a sort of ‘second flagship’ line along with their GH series, but with a stronger focus on stills shooting instead of video.  The latest entry in the series, the GX8, further expands on the well-received GX7 from 2013 by including a brand-new 20 megapixel sensor, and improved viewfinder and 4K video capabilities. The camera has also grown in size and weight, putting it a far cry from the original GX1’s tiny body.  The $1100 asking price for the body only positions the GX8 firmly in the enthusiast space, competing with cameras such as the OM-D E-M1 , and Fuji X-T1 while coming in a bit below the top-end GH4. How does this new camera stack up against the competition?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Panasonic<\/a>
Panasonic GX8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not familiar with my reviews, I review from a real world shooting perspective. You won\u2019t find lens charts or resolution numbers here. There are plenty of other sites that cover those. I review products on how they act for me as a photographic tool.  I am not a videographer, so my reviews concentrate on the still imaging capabilities of a camera.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Construction, Handling and Ergonomics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The GX8 has grown a bit since the GX7 was first released.  It’s not a rather substantial body, though it retains the sleek rangefinder styled body from earlier GX series cameras. The camera is very solidly built and the all metal shell inspires confidence. Panasonic claims the GX8 is sealed against dust and moisture, and indeed, the open port areas are well sealed.  The side cover that hides the A\/V, Microphone and HDMI ports is very tightly fitting and sometimes even difficult to open. Overall, it’s a very solidly constructed camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Panasonic<\/a>
Panasonic GX8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The GX8’s grip is also enlarged in comparison to the earlier GX7, and it does provide a nice hold on the camera, though I think Panasonic could have done things a bit better here.  The rear thumb grip area is angled away from the shooter, and the result is a less than ideal grip on the rear of the camera.  The material covering the front grip is also somewhat hard and kind of slick, so while the size of the grip increases overall handling, it’s not a grip that my hand settles into naturally.  This is going to be a somewhat personal thing, though, and I can see people with other preferences really liking how it feels in the hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am going to be rather subjective in this next section, so fair warning.  Note that these observations may not be reflective of how you may interact with the camera.  These things can feel quite different for each individual shooter, but I can only report on how I felt, and overall, I am not a fan of the control placement and ergonomics on this camera.  The GX8 has gone to a somewhat odd dial configuration, with the standard two dial setup that most Micro 4\/3 cameras utilize, but adding an exposure compensation dial under the mode dial.  These dials all move fine but there’s something that I just didn’t like to how they felt.  The front dial is too short, and feels overly thin when rotating it.  The rear dial is nice and chunky, but the detents are fairly weak and the dial is too flush to the rear of the camera, making it feel unnatural in use.  And while the EC dial moves just fine, with the best clicks of all three dials, it is positioned in what I feel is a very poor location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On almost every camera that utilizes an EC dial, it’s located at the far right rear of the camera.  On cameras that don’t have it, the rear dial that controls that parameter is located in that position.  With the GX8, it’s located well to the left of the rear dial (which can’t be set up to use EC), making it not only counter intuitive in location, but also somewhat difficult to reach, especially with your eye to the viewfinder. I’ll go a bit more into the dial operation itself in the next section, but let’s continue with ergonomics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The GX8 has a large number of direct controls, though placement could be better.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The GX8 also has a focus mode switch that is meant to be thumb operated, which is great.  What’s not great is the position of this switch, which is just too far left to be comfortable to use.  To be fair, I do have short thumbs, but regardless, the switch should be moved about a half-inch further right.  The buttons, of which there are many, are also poorly placed on top of the camera.  The Fn button on the top plate is exceptionally difficult to press without changing your grip, as is the button on top of the rear dial that acts in the same manner as Olympus’ two-way switch.  The movie record button feels identical to that hard-to-reach Fn button as well, so it can be easy to accidentally press one when you wanted the other, without looking at the buttons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, I felt like I was fighting the camera during shooting.  While I did adjust somewhat to these controls over the two weeks I shot with the GX8, I never really grew comfortable with them. It was a big minus for me in shooting with this camera, as I feel that the ability for a camera to get out of the photographer’s way and melt into the background while shooting is of critical importance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Operation and Controls<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The GX8 has a bevvy of control options to allow for extensive customization and quick access to many settings.  The camera features a total of 8 physical buttons that can be programmed to various settings and actions, plus an additional five buttons that appear on a slide-out drawer on the rear LCD touchscreen. The buttons are a bit smaller than I’d like given the size of the body, but they work fine.  While spending time customizing the buttons, dials and touch screen to your preferences takes time, it does allow for the GX8 to become a very personal camera, which is great.  It also means less diving in the menu system than many other cameras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dial system used on the GX8 is new, and to my preference, a bit odd.  There are three total dials on the camera: one dedicated exposure compensation dial and two other dials in the standard front\/rear dial configuration for changing exposure parameters.  As I alluded to in the handling portion, the dials are positioned in the place you’d expect them to be: except  the exposure compensation dial, which sits in a place you don’t expect.  This wouldn’t be a problem except when shooting aperture or shutter priority modes, one of the two main control dials becomes essentially redundant.  In these modes, both dials change either aperture or shutter speed (depending on the mode).  It is impossible, for instance, to set the front dial to change aperture and the rear dial to change ISO, while utilizing the exposure compensation dial for its intended function.  There is also no way to disable the dedicated EC dial and assign it to one of the other two dials.  The result is the feeling of honestly losing a dial.  I don’t understand the decision-making here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The rear of the GX8 shows the many buttons and switches that can be customized for your use.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One very nice thing, however, is the ability to switch the operation of the dials simply by pressing a function button.  This can be assigned to any of the programmable function buttons, but defaults to the one on top of the rear dial.  This operates just like the 2×2 switch on Olympus bodies, and changes the function of the two dials from exposure parameters to ISO and White balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focus mode is changed via a dedicated three position switch, with an additional button for exposure and focus lock in the center of this switch.  Despite my issues with button placement, the degree of customization and direct controls is outstanding, and will really aid a photographer in getting the shot once they become comfortable with where everything is located.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The GX8 can shoot to 1\/8000s with its mechanical shutter, and up to 1\/16,000s with the electronic shutter.  The electronic shutter can be easily accessed by setting one of the buttons to enable silent mode. The top plate Fn button is set this by default, and it’s a quick way to quiet the camera or enable electronic shutter capabilities for discretion or an extra stop of shutter speed when using fast lenses in daylight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The GX8 menu system is clear and easy to navigate by touch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The menu system is the same that has been present on Panasonic cameras for quite a while, and for the most part they are well done. The menu system is laid out in a way that begs to be touched, and indeed, the touch screen works very well for navigating through the many pages of options present on the camera.  A few things were frustrating, such as the depth to which the in-body stabilizer settings are buried, or the somewhat haphazard organization of items, but overall, Panasonic does a better job here than most camera manufacturers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a Quick Menu option as well, which can be accessed at the press of a button, which allows for direct access to change common settings. It adds convenience, but the way you navigate the options is a bit counter-intuitive.  For instance, going to the movie quality section brings up two rows of options.  To get into the options, you press the down button, but then the settings must be accessed solely using the left and right buttons.  Pressing up when you’re in the bottom row to go to a setting in the top row simply closes the setting entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last major portion of operation and controls involves the touch screen, so let’s dive into those details next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue: Viewfinder, Rear Screen and Performance<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Viewfinder and Rear Screen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The viewfinder on the GX7 was quite good, but it was a 16:9 panel, such that the camera displayed a cropped, smaller view when shooting at full resolution in still photo modes.  Thankfully, the GX8 has moved to a 4:3 panel, and the resulting EVF is phenomenal.  The 2.36 million dot EVF is bright, crisp and clear, and the generous 0.77x magnification is among the largest of any mirrorless camera.  Due to the clear optics and bright display, it looks even better than the EVFs on the Fuji X-T1 and A7R II; it’s the best EVF on any camera I’ve reviewed. Well done, Panasonic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The viewfinder also retains the 90 degree tilting capability first featured on the GX7, to enable the EVF to be used while looking down. It’s a neat feature, but to be honest, I never found a use for it.  When shooting low to the ground, I find the articulating LCD to be of far greater value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The articulating rear screen and tilting EVF of the GX8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The rear touch screen is similarly bright and clear, and unlike the GX7, it’s fully articulating. I have a love\/hate relationship with articulating screens, as I love them for vertical shooting and dislike them for horizontal shooting, preferring a tilt screen when shooting at waist level.  However, all things considered, the full articulation gets the nod for added versatility, and so it’s nice to see it implemented here.  The touch response on the screen is very good, and Panasonic incorporates it into the interface of the camera, which you can choose to fully embrace or ignore as your preferences dictate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like the OM-D E-M10 Mark II I reviewed last month, the Panasonic GX8 has the ability to utilize the touch screen while using the EVF as a means to adjust focus point.  I liked this feature on the E-M10 II and it’s a great feature here that adds some extra versatility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Autofocus and Performance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Panasonic has always had excellent autofocus capabilities in single shot mode, and this continues with the GX8.  Panasonic always seems to add subtle tweaks to the AF algorithms and at this point, in single shot mode with a fast lens, focus is essentially instantaneous.  With a lens like the 25mm f\/1.7, I was seeing and hearing focus confirmation simultaneously with completing the shutter half-press: it’s that fast.  For the most part, the camera is exceedingly accurate as well. If shooting in single AF mode, you will have a hard time finding a camera that focuses faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When light levels drop, AF still keeps on going, though I found that there were occasional time when the algorithm would interpret a defined edge from a bokeh ball as being in focus, and therefore ‘lock’ focus when the lens was completely out of focus. Overall, though, the GX8 continues the great single shot AF performance that you expect from the Lumix cameras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The GX8’s AF points can be placed anywhere on the screen at a multitude of AF point sizes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The GX8 also gains Panasonic’s Depth From Defocus continuous focus algorithm that first appeared on the flagship GH4.  This technology is used in lieu of dedicated phase detect autofocus points, and it works surprisingly well.  Tracking moving people coming towards the camera, even at moderate speeds, is met with a very high hit rate even at the maximum 6fps burst rate that allows continuous AF.  Even fast-moving vehicles yielded an in-focus rate greater than 50%.  The GX8 is definitely a camera that can keep up with moving kids, some low-intensity sports action and even the occasional fast sports action.  However, the downside to this technology is that the AF doesn’t look<\/em> like it’s tracking in the viewfinder.  During a test where I had a subject walk briskly towards me, it appeared in the viewfinder that every photo would be out of focus, as the lens rapidly searched for its target.  However, when reviewing the images, nearly 9 out of every 10 shots was in perfect focus. This behavior may be distracting when shooting sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Performance wise, the GX8 is a quick camera.  Startup is nice and snappy and shot to shot times are excellent.  I was never waiting on the camera. The GX8 can shoot at 8 frames per second (with fixed focus) with the mechanical shutter or 10 frames per second at full resolution with the electronic shutter, though you likely won’t want to use the electronic shutter for capturing action due to the potential for rolling shutter artifacts.  There’s also the 4K Photo mode, which I’ll get into in the next section, that allows for shooting bursts of 4K video with easy 8 megapixel frame extraction to capture just the right moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The GX8 lacks a built-in pop-up flash in favor of some extra dials, but in the tests with my Metz 50 AF-1 flash, the GX8 metered flash exposures well, with flash exposure compensation really only needed when the tonality of the subject was strongly biased light or dark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue: Key Features<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The GX8 is the second Panasonic camera to feature in-body image stabilization, after the GX7. Panasonic has improved the stabilizer by allowing it to work in tandem with most optically stabilized Panasonic lenses as well, helping to gain an extra stop or so of handholding. However, like the GX7, I found the IBIS of the GX8 to be a step behind the other systems that feature body-based stabilization.  While occasionally I was able to get sharp shots at 3 stops slower than my normal hand-holding shutter speed, I could generally only count on one to two stops of stabilization in my daily shooting, with one stop really being the only level I could consistently count on.  Because the IBIS wasn’t consistently stable at the slower speeds, I generally had to treat the stabilizer as if it were only good for one stop.  It’s disappointing that Panasonic hasn’t been able to figure this one out, as Olympus continues to improve its amazing IBIS, which now can easily stabilize for 4 stops on bodies like the E-M1 and E-M10 Mark II, and even 5 is possible with the new E-M5 Mark II.  Sony’s Mark II bodies in the A7 series all features internal stabilizers that are generally good for around three stops of stabilization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lights<\/a>
Lights – Panasonic GX8 with Panasonic 25mm f\/1.7 @ f\/1.7 – The IBIS helped keep this shot sharp at 1\/30s with the camera held high over my head.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The only optically stabilized Micro 4\/3 lens I have is the tiny 12-32mm f\/4-5.6 pancake zoom, which is compatible with the new Dual IS system present on the GX8.  Again, I didn’t notice any major improvement vs. the bare lens.  The 12-32mm’s optical stabilizer was generally good for 2-3 stops, while the lens in Dual IS mode gains perhaps another half a stop to one stop.  It’s not a big difference, and still falls behind what the Olympus bodies can do with IBIS alone.  It’s nice that Panasonic continues to work at improving the IBIS system on the GX series, but to date, it’s a largely ineffective stabilizer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4K Photo Mode and Post Focus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Panasonic cameras led the way with 4K video capabilities long before most makers had the capability to shoot 4K video footage at all.  They also lead the way with figuring out how to use that 4K video footage to further stills shooting with 4K photo mode.  In 4K photo mode, the camera effectively takes short bursts of 4K video footage, then allows you to select individual frames to export, producing an 8 megapixel final image.  8 megapixels is a far cry from the 20 available on the sensor, but it’s still plenty of resolution to make decent sized prints, and more than enough for most on-screen display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"After<\/a>
After shooting a burst in 4K photo mode, just scroll through the shots on the touch screen to find the perfect image.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 4K photo mode, you select one of three ways to capture the 4K burst.  You can have it operate just like any other continuous shooting burst, where the burst starts when you fully depress the shutter and stops when you release it.  A second mode allows you press the shutter once to start and again to stop a burst, and a final mode creates a continuous buffer at all times, and when the shutter is depressed, it captures the action starting a second or two BEFORE you pressed the shutter.  However you activate it, the idea behind 4K photo mode is having 30 frame per second bursts so that you capture the decisive moment in a still image.  Shooting a group of toddlers who never look at the camera at the same time? Use 4K photo mode to get the one<\/em> frame that has all the children with eyes open looking at you.  Capturing a shot that requires precise timing? 4K photo mode can help increase the chances of nailing the perfect moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the lower resolution and limitation of electronic shutter and JPEG only output, I wasnt a big user of the 4K photo mode in my time with the camera, but it’s great to have for special situations like the ones I laid out above. The picture above shows the interface after capture.  While the photo taken for the above example obviously didn’t need 4K photo mode, I just wanted to show how Panasonic designed the post capture interface.  Scrubbing along the image timeline at the bottom goes through the burst frame by frame.  Faster scrubs can be done at the top and the buttons on the side also advance a frame at a time.  Once you have the frame you like, simply select the ‘OK’ button and the image will export that frame to a JPEG.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Post Focus<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Panasonic also uses the GX8’s 4K photo mode to engage in a bit of fun with their Post Focus mode.  This mode takes a very short 4K video clip but steps the focus point of the lens through every area in the frame.  You can then, on the rear of the camera, choose the frame that has the focus point you most want.  The way of navigating can be done in the filmstrip style selection mode, as with regular 4K photo clips, or you can simply tap on the image where you’d like the image to be focused, and the camera will find the frame that was taken at that focus point.  Then export it and you’ve got the 8MP JPEG image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"To<\/a>
To select an image in Post Focus, you can tap anywhere in the image and the camera will allow you to export the frame that was focused there.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As neat as this feature sounds, in reality, it’s really not going to come in handy very often. Because it’s a clip, it’s not going to be useful for action (a moving subject will be in a different part of the frame at each focus point), it’s lower quality than choosing a focus point in advance and it is limited in the settings available when utilizing the feature.  Overall, it’s a neat trick, but I think the potential for great imagery from it is fairly minimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wi-Fi<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Like all current mirrorless cameras, the GX8 has full-featured Wi-Fi capabilities.  The GX8 can connect to your mobile device and transfer images, tag images with GPS location or remotely control the camera. Panasonic predominantly does an excellent job with their Wi-Fi system, with a very full feature set that operates smoothly in most circumstances. Where it doesn’t operate smoothly is in setting up the connection at first.  There are a multitude of ways to connect your device to the phone, but the sheer number of ways to do it and the less than clear names and instructions makes it often difficult to remember which one you should use in what circumstances.  Setting up a direct connection doesn’t work smoothly at all if you choose an image and then select the option to transfer the image to the phone.  However, that option is readily available with the WiFi function soft-button on the touch screen, or by going through the menu system.  Once you’ve finally connected, however, things are smooth sailing. Images transfer quickly and allow for browsing of the camera from the phone to select images to transfer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/a>
The GX8’s remote control capabilities are excellent.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For remote control, Panasonic’s app is one of the best.  Almost all manual controls are available right from the app, allowing changes to all exposure controls, focus points, drive mode, white balance, shutter controls and more. It even has a ‘jump’ mode where you can set the camera up and give the phone to a person in the picture.  When that person jumps, the camera will take the shot at the apex of the jump.  It’s a gimmicky feature, but it works well and could add some fun. The nicest thing about remote control with the GX8 is that the live view from the camera has a decent refresh rate and relatively low lag, especially compared to most of its competitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Features<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I’ll just mention a few more things the camera has up its sleeve. The GX8 has a built-in intervalometer for creating time-lapse movies, star trails or any other plethora of reasons to capture images over a long period of time, and can then output that timelapse as a 4K video file right from the camera. It also has a ‘starlight AF’ mode, which is supposed to precisely focus on stars for night shooting.  I didn’t get a chance to test that mode during my time with the camera, but it is intriguing. Also included are an in-camera HDR mode and, like most cameras, a panorama mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The GX8 is certainly a full featured camera, as you’d expect for a high-end mirrorless camera, but how do the images look?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue: Image Quality<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Image Quality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The GX8 is the first Micro 4\/3 camera to gain a bump in resolution since the GH2 came out way back in 2010. The GX8’s features an all-new 20 megapixel sensor, which helps bring Micro 4\/3 up a bit to compete with other recent interchangeable lens cameras, which predominantly feature resolutions of 20 megapixels or higher.  Let’s see how well this new sensor performs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dynamic Range and Color<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Panasonic has had good dynamic range capabilities with their most recent 16 megapixel sensors used in the GH3 and GH4, and the new 20 megapixel sensor in the GX8 essentially matches the performance of those sensors. This puts the dynamic range performance on par with the most recent Olympus cameras and around a stop behind the typical full-frame and better APS-C sensors.  The dynamic range of the GX8 is enough for the vast majority of shooting situations.  RAW capture allows for the recovery of a bit more than a stop of highlight detail.  In most situations, I could push the shadows quite a lot at low ISO and maintain good color response and high levels of detail with minimal noise.  Pushing the very darkest shadows will result in some speckled noise artifacts, however. In all, it’s a very good performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Columbus<\/a>
Columbus Before Dawn – Panasonic GX8 with Panasonic 25mm f\/1.7 @ f\/11, 2s, ISO 200<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The GX8 produces RAW files that are rather muted out of camera, often requiring rather intensive saturation adjustments to bring the files up to where I’d like them. The good thing is that the RAW files take these adjustments in stride, with the end result of a pleasing color palette with smooth gradients.  It’ not going to match the depth of larger sensors, but it’s definitely good enough for most any shooting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Detail and Noise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With the highest resolution Micro 4\/3 sensor around, there’s the potential for increased detail levels along with the possibility of a bit higher noise. With regards to detail, I”m happy to report that indeed, at low ISO you will notice a small increase in the detail level that the GX8 can resolve in comparison to other Micro 4\/3 cameras. It’s not a big improvement, but it will give a bit of extra flexibility with cropping and some extra fine detail in prints. Unfortunately, the resolution advantage disappears at high ISO, as the slight increase in noise negates the slight increase in resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I said, the GX8’s sensor is very slightly noisier than the other recent Micro 4\/3 cameras at the pixel level.  That is, you’ll see a slight increase in noise when viewing images at 100% on your screen. However, because the GX8 files are 20 megapixels, that noise increase is negated and the resulting file has about the same level of detail and same level of noise at the same magnification.  In other words, at high ISO, prints and web reductions will look almost identical in noise performance to something like the GH4 or OM-D E-M5 Mark II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Waiting<\/a>
Waiting for Santa – Panasonic GX8 with Panasonic 25mm f\/1.7 @ f\/1.7, ISO 3200<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In general, the GX8 produces images with reasonable noise levels up to around ISO 1600, with ISO 3200 and 6400 being useful if you don’t mind a bit of grain. ISO 12,800 could be used in a pinch for black and white or small shots, but things get a bit too noisy for my taste at 12,800 or 25,600.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JPEG Quality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Panasonic has come a long way since the first G series cameras were released with regards to JPEG quality.  The GX8 has the best JPEGs I’ve seen from a Panasonic camera.  Low ISO shots retain excellent detail and have very low compression.  Even at ISO 800 and 1600, the level of detail retained is quite good and the noise reduction is held in check. Panasonic has also pulled the tone curves down to help retain as much dynamic range as possible in the JPEGs.  Color is also rich and vibrant without being unnatural.  It’s nice to see Panasonic continuing to make strides in this department, and the JPEGs are truly useful for final output.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Columbus<\/a>
Columbus (Straight out of camera JPEG) – Panasonic GX8 with Panasonic 12-32mm f\/3.5-5.6 @ 12mm, f\/5.6, ISO 200<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Video<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The GX8, like most recent Panasonic cameras, is capable of shooting 4K video internally, at 24 or 30 frames per second, as well as 1080p up to 60 fps with bit rates as high as 100Mbps. 4K shooting will crop the frame somewhat, reducing the field of view of your lenses by around 1.25x. As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, I’m not a videographer, and I don’t shoot enough video to properly evaluate the nuances in video shooting. I will say that the quality looked quite good, though high ISO movies show a bit too much compression. There’s a full range of manual controls that will be helpful to video shooters.  I will say I was quite disappointed to see that in-body image stabilization is not available in video mode, so stabilization options are only useful if you use a stabilized lens.  This is a missed opportunity, as video stabilization is one of the better features of IBIS capable cameras. Aside from that, however, the GX8 is a very capable video camera and will please most shooters who have both stills and video in mind.  For dedicated video shooters, the GH4 is going to be the better option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue: Conclusion and Image Samples<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pros<\/h4>\n\n\n\n