Panasonic GX7

[rhl-oregon]

Maybe they can adopt a Boeing approach. Here's the Lumix 727, later replaced by the 737. The 747 will be the biggest Lumix, despite the 757, 767, and 777 being newer! But the 787 will have flaming battery issues.

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[shadowfox]

I do own an OMD, and I may get this...
I do like form factor with the side and tiltable EVF over the PENS.

See, I was lambasted when I suggest that Olympus has lost their head when they didn't include EVF in their latest Pen series.

As this thread suggested, there are quite a few interest in the non SLR-like form factor that sports a viewfinder.

Back to topic, I never liked Panasonic cameras, but I have to admit just the fact that they get it (put the EVF where the dinky flash used to be, I said that too), it means they hear and think correctly.

 

[GaryLH]

It looks to be a pretty nice camera. It is what the GF should have grown up to be a while ago instead of the gx1. I think it will do well.. Not sure if the price point is right though, given the current cost of the Sony Nex 6 w/ kit is lower then their kit price. It is however about the current cost of a Fuji xe1 w/ kit lens though.

It is about time they had a built in evf.. But I a really glad they added ibis, really helps w/ using manual focus lenses.

I use a omd for long tele work and mf lenses like the Leica 135f4.. If I did not have the omd, I would be tempted to get the gx7.

Gary

 

[Godfrey]

My interest in mFT has been renewed since acquiring an inexpensive, used E-PL1 for use with some 'special' lenses.

The E-P5 I handled and tested recently came up very nicely, with excellent image quality. The sensor seems on par with the Leica X2.

Presuming the GX7 has the same sensor, or a later, even improved version, it should be quite a good camera. It seems to have all the features I might want, and the overall body design is something of a return to the Panasonic LC-1/L1 in ergonomics, two cameras that I found to be excellent.

I'll be keeping an eye on this model for a possible future addition, but probably a year or more from now.

G

 

[gavinlg]

See, I was lambasted when I suggest that Olympus has lost their head when they didn't include EVF in their latest Pen series.

As this thread suggested, there are quite a few interest in the non SLR-like form factor that sports a viewfinder.

Back to topic, I never liked Panasonic cameras, but I have to admit just the fact that they get it (put the EVF where the dinky flash used to be, I said that too), it means they hear and think correctly.

This may finally (after about 8 different versions of the same recipe) force Olympus to put an in built EVF into the pen series.

 

[merciless49]

*drool* this might tempt me to upgrade from my GF1 now, after all these years!

 

[NazgulKing]

This is all great. I'm a Nikon guy and do most of my work with a D3.

Lately though, I've been using an X100 and a GX1 with a 14 on it. (The D3 is still the workhorse. Hands down.)
Wow. Wow. WOW!

The X100 is nearly as good as the Nikon in poor light and beats everything in the skin tone department. The GX1 is fast light and in good light, hell, even not so good light, very, very good.

BUT CAN SOMEBODY HELP THEM OUT WITH THE COLORSPACE?!?!?! PLEEEZE!!

My iPhone has a better colorspace than just about anything. Blown highlights, lousy noisy, no dynamic range, but a great colorspace. My little Canon S95-something has a better colourspace....

If I was to start all over again, I'd probably Canon - and this is the problem for me: reds. Canon and the iPhone seem to be the only folks who can get the reds right straight-out-of-the-camera.

Please don't tell me you can do it in post. Yeah, you can. Of course you can. But if it can be done in post, it can be done in camera.

My frustration with Panasonic, and Fuji, and Sony, is the way-too-blue cast. I've tweaked and torqued. Sometimes it works. Mostly it doesn't. Nikon and Canon really get color as a whole. They have very different approaches, but they get it. Fuji gets skin tones and really has a hard time with red. In fact the entire color thing with Fuji, except the skin tones, is meh. Panasonic has a great handling camera with stellar lenses (most of them) and meh color. Sony has a great body/sensor thing going and nothing happening with lenses and meh color.

My ancient iPhone 3GS has a creepy little sensor and a crummy lens and great color.

Can we get those guys to write the firmware/DSP for Panasonic?

I think the blue cast is because.... a good tonne of slide film had a very strong blue channel...

 

[gavinlg]

This is all great. I'm a Nikon guy and do most of my work with a D3.

Lately though, I've been using an X100 and a GX1 with a 14 on it. (The D3 is still the workhorse. Hands down.)
Wow. Wow. WOW!

The X100 is nearly as good as the Nikon in poor light and beats everything in the skin tone department. The GX1 is fast light and in good light, hell, even not so good light, very, very good.

BUT CAN SOMEBODY HELP THEM OUT WITH THE COLORSPACE?!?!?! PLEEEZE!!

My iPhone has a better colorspace than just about anything. Blown highlights, lousy noisy, no dynamic range, but a great colorspace. My little Canon S95-something has a better colourspace....

If I was to start all over again, I'd probably Canon - and this is the problem for me: reds. Canon and the iPhone seem to be the only folks who can get the reds right straight-out-of-the-camera.

Please don't tell me you can do it in post. Yeah, you can. Of course you can. But if it can be done in post, it can be done in camera.

My frustration with Panasonic, and Fuji, and Sony, is the way-too-blue cast. I've tweaked and torqued. Sometimes it works. Mostly it doesn't. Nikon and Canon really get color as a whole. They have very different approaches, but they get it. Fuji gets skin tones and really has a hard time with red. In fact the entire color thing with Fuji, except the skin tones, is meh. Panasonic has a great handling camera with stellar lenses (most of them) and meh color. Sony has a great body/sensor thing going and nothing happening with lenses and meh color.

My ancient iPhone 3GS has a creepy little sensor and a crummy lens and great color.

Can we get those guys to write the firmware/DSP for Panasonic?

Its actually true! The colors straight of the iphone are excellent.

 

[Al Patterson]

Maybe they can adopt a Boeing approach. Here's the Lumix 727, later replaced by the 737. The 747 will be the biggest Lumix, despite the 757, 767, and 777 being newer! But the 787 will have flaming battery issues.

Snark o' the day, brought to you by:

Flaming battery issues? Now, THAT was funny. I may pick up a GX-1 or one of the Pen series though. I agree that 1,000 monetary units be they $ or otherwise is to rich for my budget these days.

 

[MikeAUS]

First impressions at DPReview : http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/08/01/panasonic-lumix-dmc-gx7-first-impressions-review

 

[Kent]

That cam is the first µ4/3 cam that makes me drool. I really would like to have one.
And at €500,- I would instantly order one. But at the expected price? No, thank you.
I am kind of crazy when it comes to gear, but not THAT crazy.

 

[Jim-st]

EP-5 currently listed around £900 in UK, add £250 for the VF-4 and the price for this camera, inc built-in tilting EVF looks pretty competeive to me

I'll still wait for it to fall a couple of hundred before I snap one up, though 🙂

 

[jsrockit]

It looks like a nice m4/3 body, but it is bigger than I thought it would be.

 

[shadowfox]

This may finally (after about 8 different versions of the same recipe) force Olympus to put an in built EVF into the pen series.

Gavin, if that's what it takes, I hope Panasonic sell a lot of these.

 

[jsrockit]

I agree Shadowfox... I've always liked the Digital Pen (the E-P1 and the like), but they need a VF at this point.

 

[DNG]

Olympus should of made the E-P5 with Side Mounted EVF... That was a mis-step... IMO.... I guess Oly should plant a SPY at Panasonic to get a better idea of the Competition, even if Pany and Oly are somewhat communicating with lens road maps.

As an owner/user of the OMD E-M5, This GX7 may be a Upgrade/Replacement, if the ISO at 8000-10000 is as good w/o smearing as the E-M5 is....which I do use

 

[biomed]

The camera looks promising! Hopefully it will be large enough to fit my hands. Physical size was one of the reasons for my choice of the GH3 over the otherwise excellent OMD. The GX7 is on my watch list for possible purchase in the next year along with the Olympus 17/1.8. I am liking the camera and lenses coming from the MFT group of manufacturers.

 

[Godfrey]

The camera looks promising! Hopefully it will be large enough to fit my hands. Physical size was one of the reasons for my choice of the GH3 over the otherwise excellent OMD. The GX7 is on my watch list for possible purchase in the next year along with the Olympus 17/1.8. I am liking the camera and lenses coming from the MFT group of manufacturers.

It looks like a nicely more substantial camera than the GF1 that I had, briefly. I found the GF1 a bit too difficult to hold securely. This one has the grip and is nicely that increment bigger.

G

 

[biomed]

It looks like a nicely more substantial camera than the GF1 that I had, briefly. I found the GF1 a bit too difficult to hold securely. This one has the grip and is nicely that increment bigger.

G

I still have a GF1. You are correct about the small grip. The GX7 does look like it will be easier to hang on to. I asked a local dealer when they expect to receive the GX7. I was told not to hold my breath. My guess is that it will be around six months before I am able to hold one in my hands.

Mike

 

[Archiver]

Looks like a really nice camera, especially for compact but well-featured shooting experience.

I hear a tell that the in body stabilization does NOT work when shooting video, which would be disappointing for a fair number of people. Panasonic's lens-based OIS is pretty good, but still not good enough for really stable handheld video shooting.