Panasonic GX8 Review

August 27, 2015Angela Nicholson

It’s the first Panasonic CSC to feature a 20 million pixel sensor – find out how it delivers in our full Panasonic GX8 review.

Trying to distinguish between the different lines which Panasonic offers can be a little tricky, with five different ranges to choose from. The GX models feature a flat design when compared with the G and GH lines, which are more akin to a DSLR type shape.

Panasonic GX cameras are also aimed at enthusiasts, and as such have some more high-end features than GF and GM models.

Panasonic’s GX7 found favour with enthusiasts, and it’s this which the GX8 is an upgrade from – the company says the existing GX7 will remain in the line-up until stock runs out though.

For the first time, Panasonic has increased the resolution of the GX8’s sensor to 20 million pixels – all of the other current models have a 16 million pixel device. For this reason, Panasonic says that the GX8 is capable of the best image quality of any G series camera – including its top-of-the-range GH4 and the recently announced G7.

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A new processing engine has also been included – the same as found in the GH4 and G7. This combination leads to Panasonic claiming that the GX8 has 15% improvement in detail resolution when compared to the older model. The GX8’s native sensitivity range is ISO 200 – 25600, which can be expanded down to ISO 100.

Shooting at a maximum of 8fps is available at full resolution, or if you want to shoot continuous autofocus, then the maximum available is 6fps. However, there’s also the possibility to shoot at up to 30fps when using one of the 4K Photo modes – more on that later.

The GX8’s screen features 1,040,000 dots and is fully articulating, making it more useful for a variety of different awkward angles than the tilting version found on the GX7. It’s also touch sensitive.

Another improvement for this model is the electronic viewfinder, which offers 2,360,000-dots and is larger than those usually found on Micro Four Thirds cameras. In fact, this device has many of the same specifications of Fuji’s X-T1 sensor, which is really very good.

There’s 1.54x magnification (equivalent to 0.77x in 35mm format). Panasonic also says that its device has less fringing and blurring than Fuji’s. The GX8’s viewfinder can be tilted upwards to view it from above – the same design idea as on the GX7.

SEE MORE: Panasonic G7 review

Along with 4K and Full HD (1080p) video, Panasonic has the same 4K Photo Modes as found on the G7. You’ve got 4K Burst, 4K Burst (Start / Stop) and 4K Pre-Burst. These modes are designed to allow you to extract 8 million pixel images from the 4K video which is created at 30fps.

In Burst mode, 4K footage will be recorded so long as you keep the shutter release held down, while the Start/Stop mode starts and stops recording with the press of a shutter release.

When you have Pre-Burst mode selected, the camera is always scanning, but only records 1 second before and 1 second after pressing the shutter release – giving you 60 frames to choose from.

It’s not available yet, but Panasonic is planning to introduce a focus shifting 4K mode which will allow you to set the focus point after an image has been recorded.

It does this by shooting a sequence of 10 images at 30fps, each featuring a different focusing distance, which you then choose the best from later. This may mean that a focus stacking option can also be introduced.

Handily, the existing 4K photo modes can be deployed when shooting in manual and semi-automatic modes, giving you control over how the image looks.

Dual Image Stabilisation has been introduced for this model, combining both lens and camera stabilisation for a reduction in blur. 2-axis stabilisation comes from the lens, while 4-axis comes from the body. 5-axis stabilisation is available when shooting video: aside from in 4K mode.

Built in Wi-Fi and NFC are included for controlling the camera remotely, or sharing your shots between devices.

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Panasonic GX8 Review: Build and Handling

Whether you go for the GX8 over something like the GH4 or G7 may come down to your preferred camera shape – the GX8 is much flatter than either of those models. There is still a fairly deep grip, but it could perhaps do with being a little more pronounced.

Those with larger hands may find that their thumb accidentally presses a couple of the buttons on the back of the camera from time to time.

On the plus side however, the magnesium alloy body of the GX8 elevates it above the G7, while the fact that it is splash and dustproof makes it more suitable to use in different weather conditions.

Compared with the GX7, the GX8 is quite a bit larger, and looking at the two cameras side by side, it’s this which strikes you. However, it could also be argued that the new camera has a cleaner look, while the bigger front grip may be more appealing to some.

A dual-dial control system is in operation here, just like the GX7, but thanks to its larger size, those dials are both bigger and easier to reach. The shutter release has been moved to the top of the grip making the front dial easier to access. The rear dial meanwhile is now better placed for your thumb to reach.

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An exposure compensation dial is a new addition, with the exposure mode dial sitting just on top of it. One of the bonuses of having a dedicated exposure compensation dial is that you can make sure you’ve got the right setting before you’ve even switched on the camera.

It’s got a satisfying amount of friction so you shouldn’t accidentally knock it, but it’s also smooth enough to be used while using the viewfinder.

There’s no drive mode dial for the GX8, unlike the G7. This enables you to quickly choose between single, continuous and 4K Photo mode. Instead, here you have a drive mode button, or you can change modes through the quick menu – activated by pressing the Q button.

You can use an on-screen function button to access the 4K photo modes, or if you prefer, you could customise one of the physical buttons. Given that this is a headline feature of the camera though, it would be nice if there was a quicker, more direct route.

It can take a little while to become accustomed enough to the button layout to be confident with finding buttons from an awkward angle from feel alone.

Although some of the buttons, such as Review, Display and the navigational keys are raised from the body, others, such as Quick Menu are not, making it trickier to find them in a hurry. You also can’t bring up the quick or main menu directly from the screen itself.

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A fully articulating screen is a welcome improvement, and gives you good scope when you’re shooting from a low or high level, or when shooting portrait images. You can also fold the screen inwards to protect it when not in use.

Panasonic’s TouchPad AF system is very useful – it allows you to continue to use the screen to set the AF point even when using the viewfinder. With the Panasonic GX8 though, it seems to be the case that accidentally resizing, rather than moving, the focus points, happens a little too often. A good solution for this would be if you could turn off the option to resize the focus point when using Trackpad AF.

If you use the viewfinder with your left eye, you may notice that your nose accidentally sets the AF point from time to time. Luckily, the GX8’s EVF is set quite apart from the body so it’s not overly frequent, and the ability to tilt the viewfinder upwards also takes away this issue altogether.

The improvements made to the EVF make it excellent to use in practice. There’s a clear view without visible texture or noise, with a realistic view of the scene in front of it. It’s nice and large too, while the refresh rate is also apparently high, which is good news.

An eye sensor will automatically detect when the camera has been lifted to your eye to turn it on, and the rear screen off. This makes for a seamless workflow, but your hand can accidentally switch off the screen if it passes near the viewfinder – you can press a button to switch off the sensor if you need to though.

Using the GX8’s electronic level can be useful for helping to get horizons straight, but it seems to have a fairly wide margin of error, meaning it can occasionally indicate that something is straight when the resulting images appear otherwise.

In summary, the GX8’s controls and menus are well thought out, and it shouldn’t take most enthusiasts too long to get a good feel for using it. It’s responsive and feels well built, but there could be a couple more customisation options, such as the ability to change the main menu.

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Panasonic GX8 Review: Performance

For the most part, the GX8 is a very capable camera, producing well balanced exposures and nice colours.

As the first 20 million pixel Micro Four Thirds camera, we were keen to keep an eye on detail resolution and how well noise is controlled, and the good news is that on both counts the GX8 performs well.

Using it with the right lens allows for an impressive amount of detail to be captured. Our labs indicate that it competes well with the 24 million pixel Sony A6000 at the lowest sensitivity and across much of the ISO range (remember that the A6000 has a larger APS-C sized sensor).

It’s also comparable with the Olympus OM-D E-M5 II – although the Olympus has a mode specifically designed for increasing resolution.

In terms of noise control, we’ve got another impressive performance. You can see a hint of chroma noise when looking at raw files shot at ISO 1600 and looking at them at 100%. There’s more visible in ISO 3200 and 6400 shots – as you would expect – but it’s still not detrimental to the overall effect of the image.

JPEGs, with the default settings applied, also display a good level of detail – some details appear a little smoothed out, so switch to raw format shooting for the most natural looking images. Again, as is expected, it’s possible to see quite a bit more noise in raw files shot at ISO 12,800, but there’s still a good level of visible detail.

Push up to ISO 25,600 and saturation dips, while raw files are very noisy and JPEG images have a lot of image smoothing. It’s not particularly strange for a camera at this level, and you can still use them at very small sizes.

Sticking with a general purpose Multi-metering system most of the time will usually result in well exposed images. There are times when you may need to dial in some exposure compensation, but not usually in situations when you wouldn’t expect to.

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If you shoot in raw format, you can bring back detail if you find that highlights are being blown out in certain situations – such as very bright skies.

Both raw files and JPEG images have a good dynamic range. If you’re shooting something very high contrast, it can be beneficial to use the iDynamic system which boosts the tonal range of JPEG shots.

Natural looking shots are produced from it, even when using the highest setting, while it can also cause the camera to set a lower exposure and therefore capture more detail in highlights – so it’s also useful for raw files too.

A firmware upgrade allows some of Panasonic’s lens range to be used with the hybrid stabilisation system on offer here. This works very well, and even shooting at en effective focal length of 200mm (via the G X Vario 35-100mm f/2.8 lens), images appear sharp at relatively slow shutter speeds of 1/10 seconds, and even on occasion, 1/8 second, which is pretty impressive.

It also helps when using the viewfinder if you have image stabilisation switched on, as the view becomes more stable. Video footage is also improved by it.

Automatic white balance works well with the standard photo style to produce natural looking colours and you’ll probably find you use this most of the time – especially if you shoot in raw format.

Cloudy and Shade produce a little too much warmth to appear natural, but may boost a drab scene if you prefer it. Switching to the Sunny setting helps to produce a more accurate rendition though.

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Talking of the Photo Styles, the Standard setting is good as an every day option, but it’s worth experimenting with the others which are on offer, such as Vivid, Natural and Monochrome. You can adjust each setting to your own personal needs, or save your own custom Style.

Using one of the 22 filter effects is fun, but will be down to personal taste as to which ones you like best. The good news is that you can continue to shoot in raw format while using filters, so if you decide that you would prefer a clean version of the image later down the line, you can access it.

For the GX8, Panasonic is using the same DFD (Depth From Defocus) technology as seen in the GH4, with claimed speeds of 0.07 seconds. It’s also claimed that AF tracking is improved by 200%.

During our tests we found that the GX8 was good at keeping track of moving subjects when under the active AF point. Fairly fast moving subjects don’t trouble the GX8 too much either.

When compared with the GX7, the newer camera copes better to quickly snap into focus under lower light conditions, such as when photographing a concert, making it a better all-round and versatile camera.

Panasonic GX8 Review: Sample Photos

Click on all images to see at full resolution

Taken using the Monochrome Photo Style with the contrast boosted to the maximum setting and the red filter effect applied to darken the green foliage.

The AF system managed to keep up with this musician as she moved around the stage. The skin tones have also been reproduced well while using the Daylight White Balance setting has captured all the colour of the background.

Despite being taken at 1/8sec this image is still sharp at 100% thanks to the hybrid stabilisation system.

The light was illuminating the grass heads quite nicely but using the Sun filter has added the flare effect to accentuate the feeling of a sunlight.

There’s good detail around the swan’s eye and in the feathers here.

Panasonic GX8 Review: Verdict

Making the leap to 20 million pixels is a significant milestone for Panasonic, and fortunately the resulting effects on resolution and noise control are positive.

Furthermore, the new 5-axis stabilization system is very good which helps to create sharp images while hand holding and using slow shutter speeds. It also helps to keep the image within the viewfinder nice and stable and thus handy for composition.

The 4K photo modes are very interesting and fun to use, especially when you capture a split-second moment that you’d be unlikely to obtain without 30fps at your disposal.

However, it’s worth remembering that the resulting image is only 8 million pixels – that’s big enough to make an A3 print, but of course it’s some way off the full 20 million pixel resolution of the sensor. We’re looking forward to seeing how Panasonic implements its promised focus shifting option.

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One key improvement here is with the AF system, which is fast and effective, coping well with a variety of different lighting conditions thrown at it – such as low light, and it can also maintain focus when photographing a moving subject.

A good range of features and nice solid build give the GX8 high appeal to enthusiasts. The excellent viewfinder, which can be tilted upwards, is a pleasure to use, while the vars-angle screen is much more versatile than that found on its predecessor.

Having a touchscreen along with a sensible group of dials and buttons makes it easy to use, while the new exposure compensation dial is a welcome addition.

However, there are of course downsides to the camera. It’s got quite a bit more heft than other Micro Four Thirds cameras on the market – in particular we’re thinking of the Olympus OM-D E-M10. Some people will like a camera, but the problem here is that there still isn’t a huge amount of room on the back of the camera for your hand.

A decently performing camera with some very appealing specifications, including the tilting viewfinder, touchscreen and 4K photo modes make this suitable for various kinds of photographer.

This camera may prove more pop on the sales floor than Panasonic’s other recent introduction – the G7 – especially when you consider the higher pixel count and better viewfinder. However it’s worth noting the GX8’s much higher asking price.

Features 5/5
Build & Handling 4/5
Performance 4/5
Value 3.5/5

Overall Score: 4/5

PAGE 1: Panasonic GX8 Review
PAGE 2: Our original Panasonic GX8 Hands-on Review

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