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| G7 Kit lens |
Panasonic recently released two new micro four thirds cameras, The G7 and GX8.
I bought a G7 and have been reviewing it on this blog.
No doubt the two cameras offer potential buyers a choice, but the different specification sets seem a bit puzzling to me and also a bit frustrating.
I will post separately why I bought the G7 in preference to the GX8 but suffice for now to say it has largely to do with ergonomics which seem to me better implemented on the G7.
The GX8 offers several key upgrades to Panasonic’s M43 lineup. These include the new (Sony IMX 269 ???) 20 Mpx sensor and In Body Image Stabiliser (IBIS) with the ability to use both OIS and IBIS together with some lenses.
But if you want that package of features it comes with the GX8’s rangefinder/flat top styling, large-ish body and some ergonomic issues.
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| G7 in hand. Mostly good ergonomics |
Flat top vs Hump top There are basically two popular camera shapes. One is the hump top/SLR, the other is the flat top/rangefinder.
The flat top can be used to achieve a low, slim line body which might be preferred by some users for its aesthetic appeal or because it can be slightly smaller than the hump top.
The hump top style is associated with DSLRs and is generally a taller, larger camera with a larger handle. Cameras of this type have more space on top for a built in EVF, Flash and hotshoe, dials and other controls.
But Panasonic is changing the script.
I am not sure I understand where Panasonic is going with the G and GX lines.
The GX1 was a flat top without EVF.
Then we jumped to the GX7 which was another flat top, this time with EVF but still with the typical slim “rangefinder” look. The GX7 had IBIS for the first time in the Panasonic M43 lineup.
Maybe that is why the upgraded 4 axis IBIS went into the GX8 rather than one of the hump top models.
But that is not the way I hoped Panasonic would go.
The problem is that the IBIS mechanism is bulky. So any camera in which it resides will perforce be larger than one without IBIS.
The GX8 is 36% larger by box volume than the GX7 and 36% heavier.
It seems to me the best camera for IBIS would be a hump top which already has a more bulky appearance anyway.
On that basis the upgraded IBIS and new sensor would have gone into a slightly larger G7 at a higher price point with the GX line remaining slim and stylish at a lower price point.
Or is that the market niche which the GM series is supposed to fill ?
Presumably the GH5 will come in with all the latest techno features at a price point above the GX8.
The M43 camera which I would prefer is more like a slightly larger G7 than the GX8.
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