Panasonic Gx7

[peterm1]

On a whim (how much has that phrase cost me?) yesterday I bought a Panasonic GX 7. I bought it partly for nostalgic reasons as one of my very early digital cameras was a Panasonic L1 in the original 4/3 configuration and I loved it. Though like many first loves it was flawed....... 🙁

The GX7 looks and in some ways feels like an L1's baby grandson. Much smaller but the family resemblance it strong. But it was not all emotion - I have owned a few other Panasonic offering such as the GF 1 and have long admired the way these cameras perform and render.

I would be interested in hearing from others who have owned the Gx7 on thier thoughts and in seeing some examples of photos.

There is one oddity I have noticed with Panasonic cameras. Its not a biggie really but it is still a little confounding so i will raise it here, more or less in parenthesis. I have a couple of original 4/3 lenses including the 14-50mm f2.8 -3.5 Panasonic / Leica. I like to use this with a 4/3 to M4/3 adapter on my more recent M4/3 cameras. I could never get it to function at all on my Gf1 but it works perfectly with adapter on every Olympus M4/3 camera I have thrown at it. When I tried it on the GX 7 it kind of worked but not seamlessly. At first it did not work at all then somehow it started but seemed to under expose. Focus was slow but I expected this. And yet the other 4/3 lens I use in the same way - the 25mm f1.4 works perfectly on all Panasonic and Olympus M4/3 cameras I have tried it with. I wonder if anyone has ideas what is going on?

 

[JP Owens]

I've owned the GX7 and have owned a GX8 since it came out. The GX8 is better optically, but I think the GX7 was a better camera all around, and am tempted to buy another one. Carried the GX7 everywhere, but usually grab the G85 instead of the GX8 when I head out. You will really enjoy that GX7.

No experience with adapted 4/3 lenses, though.

 

[Ken Davis]

I've taken thousands of photos with a GX7 with various zooms and fixed focal length lenses and found the camera is very effective. Bought a GX8 at a bargain price and I use it as I like the articulating rear screen and its larger size fits my big hands very well but I still use the GX7. The GX9 seems to combine the size of the 7 with updated GX8 specs? I do like Panasonic's micro 4/3 cameras having started with a G1.

 

[al1966]

I had a pair and regret selling them, used mostly with the 12-32mm pancake zoom and the Oly 25mm and 45mm pair. The camera I recall felt like a quality product but the lure of FF got me and got a Sony A7. I missed the small size of the m43 cameras, handy for when you want to carry less weight plus a lot of the lenses are good.

 

[Yokosuka Mike]

I have a GX7. I use it mostly for travel. I only have two complaints:
1) The EVF is not up to par (IMO) with the optional EVF I have for my Panasonic GX1.
2) I wish the base ISO was 100 (or 50 would be even better) instead of 200.

All-in-all though I have to say it's a damn good camera.

Panasonic GX7 and Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 zoom lens.

Panasonic GX7, Sigma 16mm f1.4 DC DN "Contemporary" lens

Sorry if this is sharing too much.

 

[peterm1]

Thanks folks for your responses and my apologies for being dilatory in mine - a busy few days. As a result I have also not had any chance to text the camera but here are a couple shot inside with from memory the Panasonic 25mm f1.4. So far , so good. In particular it seems to cope reasonably well with moderately high ISO settings (1600 ISO) and quite high contrast - unlike some M43 cameras which struggle.

 

[traveler_101]

I've taken thousands of photos with a GX7 with various zooms and fixed focal length lenses and found the camera is very effective. Bought a GX8 at a bargain price and I use it as I like the articulating rear screen and its larger size fits my big hands very well but I still use the GX7. The GX9 seems to combine the size of the 7 with updated GX8 specs? I do like Panasonic's micro 4/3 cameras having started with a G1.

No, not really - though the Gx9 does have the 20mp sensor, it also has something much closer too the Gx7's viewfinder than the Gx8's.

 

[traveler_101]

I have a GX7. I use it mostly for travel. I only have two complaints:
1) The EVF is not up to par (IMO) with the optional EVF I have for my Panasonic GX1.
2) I wish the base ISO was 100 (or 50 would be even better) instead of 200.

All-in-all though I have to say it's a damn good camera.

Panasonic GX7 and Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 zoom lens.

Panasonic GX7, Sigma 16mm f1.4 DC DN "Contemporary" lens

Sorry if this is sharing too much.

Oh, these are wonderfully expressive shots! Thanks for sharing.