Panasonic GX850 Review
I recently decided to switch cameras (again). This is something I do every few years, out of boredom, mostly, and it always inspires me as a photographer.
I usually end up switching between Leica and Fujifilm cameras, but this time is different â I decided to pick up my first MicroâFourâThirds camera â the smallest one on the market. One thatâs so small, it even lacks a viewfinder.
I opted for the Olympus 17mm f/1.8 lens, which is the closest thing to my preference of 35mm f/2.0 (on full frame). Â
## Size Beats All \& Inspiration
For me, size is king right now. I want the smallest camera reasonably possible, as I want to carry the body with me everywhere, and every millimeter counts a lot towards the feel of the camera on your body.
I was very happy with the superior quality and size of the Fujifilm x100F, which I highly recommend to anyone â and while this camera is absolutely a step back in terms of image quality, it holds a candle, and, most importantly, it inspires me â something that, after several years, the Fujifilm no longer was doing.
Creative inspiration is the most important quality a camera can have, and Iâm finding it in this novelishlyâsmall Panasonic camera.
## Overall Impressions
The 3:4 aspect ratio is a serious downside to this sensor size. Luckily, the camera offers 2:3 cropping for JPEGs, and when importing images from JPEG+RAW mode, Lightroom CC (even on the iPad) automatically applies the crop to the RAW image. So, my GX850 is effectively a 2:3 camera, with some extra vertical pixels to play with if I ever need them.
Iâm impressed with the image quality, given the size and price of the camera. The camera pales in comparison to the Fujifilm x100F, which was to be expected, especially when it comes to things like getting white balance just right, but overall Iâm quite happy with its quirks.
The dynamic range of the resulting images are âgood enoughâ to work with, far from excessive, and is taking some getting used to, for more creative work.
The form factor is worth these tradeoffs, in my opinion. Thereâs also something comforting/humbling about shooting with whatâs considered an âentry levelâ camera when youâre a professionalâlevel shooter.
## Life Without a Viewfinder
So far, life without a viewfinder is quite okay. I was very apprehensive about this, but the portability of the camera (meaning I always have it on me), is easily worth the tradeâoff of not having a viewfinder. Plus, I have experience with a viewfinderâless system from the Ricoh GR, so I knew what I was getting myself into.
Shooting with a screen has a few unexpected benefits:
- Youâre less noticeable on the street.
- People donât consider you a professional when they do notice you, so they donât mind you snapping a photo, and mostly ignore you.
Most importantly, the screen articulates 180 degrees upwards, for selfies or shooting 4K video of yourself. This is a very fun aspect of the camera that I donât expect to use often, but I expect that when I need it, itâll be considered quite useful.
## Final Thoughts
I love this camera. Itâs inspiring me to shoot.
Thatâs something that the fantstic Fujifilm X100F was no longer doing, hence me getting rid of it. I miss it dearly already, but thereâs no need to hold on to things that are no longer serving you.
I expect myself to pick up the next iteration of the X100, once itâs released. Itâll likely be time to be reâinspired then :)