Panasonic LUMIX G85 4K Digital Camera, 12-60mm Power O.I.S. Lens, 16 Megapixel Mirrorless Camera, 5 Axis In-Body Dual Image Stabilization, 3-Inch Tilt and Touch LCD, DMC-G85MK (Black)

Reasonably priced Micro 4/3s Progress. I have been thinking of buying the OMD EM1 Mark 2. I am an enthusiast and take pictures of my family and for travel. Many years ago, I sold my Canon bodies/lenses to get into Micro 4/3’s. Like many, my investment in film lenses led me to Canon bodies in the electronic world. However, it became clear to me that the electronic world offered new opportunities as the technology improved. It looked like Micro 4/3 sensors would be the sweet spot for most photography in this new world. My first 4/3’s camera was a Panasonic. I loved it.Later I upgraded to the OMD EM5 Mark 2 for the better-quality sensor, better in-body stabilization system, and small size. The technology was advancing.Update: I have used the camera for some time now. There have been two firmware updates to improve stabilization and stabilization “hum” and I am using the Panasonic 100-400 with dual IS. I cannot say enough about how good this camera is, and at the price, it is a great value. I have added some pictures using the zoom lens and 12-60 lens for illustration.Time passed, looking for my next upgrade. It is not picture quality driving me, but 4K video and, frankly handling. Don’t like the size of the existing OMD camera for handling. Just a bit too small physically.Out comes the OMD EM1 Mark 2 for body only almost $2,000, but looks like better handling. Very professional features, especially fast focus and rapid fire. Also, higher pixel stills is interesting technology. But What. $2,000.I found the G85. I bought it despite the stability issue. I do not have a noise issue in video. Price is right. I am using it and it meets my needs. (I expect a firmware update, but camera is entirely usable for photography, which is my focus, pun intended. I have also made some video’s and they are passable. There is a little “jump” at the start of the pan, but for me, I could survive. I expect that Panasonic will fix this, as the GX85 does not exhibit this behavior.)Handling is much better with a larger size handle for holding and taking pictures. Still light and better than dslr’s for everyday picture taking. This is the next generation of Micro 4/3’s. Frankly, I like the on-off switches on the right side, and this does it. (You can set up the dual switch on EM2 2 to be the on-off switch but too expensive to buy just for this.)Picture quality is superb. Not the reason to upgrade or switch brands.I had forgotten, but I much prefer the Panasonic UI to the Olympus. I much prefer the Panasonic smartphone apps, in addition.Micro 4/3’s is really where the action is, as there is strong and vibrant competition. I wish all markets were like this. I expect features to improve and prices to fall.

One of the best value cameras out today! Highly recommend to all. One of the best value camera out there. Hands down.For current users, I highly suggest to do the following: Go to menu –> Setup –> beep (page 2) –> Turn off the beep volume and E shutter volumeThis was a huge annoyance for me at first, and I was relieved to find it in the settings.Battery saving options are also within the page 2 of setup such as Live View Mode (30fps), Monitor Luminance, and Economy.Pros:Stills quality is very nice and sharp, even from the 12-60mm kit lens. Image quality and bokeh are stunning when paired with the 25mm f1.7. The dual IS is really good for stills and even more amazing in video. Two custom settings within the dial are really helpful for saving your own shooting modes. I personally save Shutter-priority video moves to these in different recording formats (i.e. 4k30fps, FHD60fps). There are also plenty of fn buttons to customize. There are also color profiles to shoot in that may be customized. I find that the “Natural” profile to be the most pleasing in video. There is also Cine-D for those wanting a flatter look or for grading.Weather sealed – Not much to say here other than, great!Coming from a Nikon APSC camera, I am amazed at how light and robust the mirrorless form factor is. There is little fatigue in carrying it in your hands all day. The LCD screen that allows a full swivel is really neat for selfies/vlogging.Finally… the video. Most buyers are probably here b/c of this and yes… it does not disappoint. The detail is amazing! BUT, the real shocker is the image stabilization. When paired w/ dual IS and E-stabilization turned on, the video is practically gliding (especially @ wider angles – 12mm). I am not joking. Walking with the camera is buttery smooth, no jittery videos.Cons:It’s only up to 16MP stills, though I still find the image quality to be very good even when an image has been cropped in edits.I found that the image is a bit noisy at higher iso (6400 and above), though this is not really a bother to me. I find that it gives it a natural feel to lowlight shots. You can always dial it down with a bit of NR in Lightroom and other software.A slight crop to the 4k video recording.This was not a con for me, but others may think it. There’s a lot to learn w/in the settings of this camera. Take the time to read the advanced handbook. Experiment!In summary, I highly recommend this. If you are on the fence, JUMP OVER!

Absolutely love the camera and the lens (12-60) that came with it. No complaints at all. I am writing this after using it for a year… Completed 1 year in May. Its good even if you are a beginner as you then will have more room to learn and can use all its features properly once you learn about them.It’s quite feature packed and equally compact and pretty easy to travel with. The 12-60 lens that I got with it is pretty good too and I found it useful for my projects like using it for vlog videos, short films, product films, some photography.Although I am not a professional photographer. So do your research on the lens and the type that would suit yoilur need.Battery life is ok I would say, It’s not bad but not so good at all. I will recommend still keep an extra battery.People talk about its auto focus not being so good, I honestly haven’t used it much and always used manual focus… It dint have issues focusing whenever I did use it but that is something I can’t comment about.I have no complaints about it yet. Quite happy with it.

Incredible Value, IF You Can Settle For Less Than Cutting Edge. In this day of camera smart-phones, is there still a place for DSLRs?I say yes, if you actually want to take pictures rather than snapshots and if you are willing spend some money and are ready to haul some stuff around to take those pictures. I settled on the Micro 4/3 format because it is the most easily portable DSLR camera, and therefore the most likely to be used by me. I don’t see myself printing larger than 8×10 photos so 16mp is more than enough and overkill for social media. The regular-speed 4K video is more than adequate for and videography I will be doing (invest in a good mike to up your game).A HUGE plus is the fact that this camera and kit lens that cam with it are weather-sealed so I have peace of mind taking it on a hike.I look forward for using 4K pre-burst mode, it is literally a time machine, letting you capture an event up to one second before you push the shutter button! It allows you to follow your child on the field and to get the shots you really want with having to take thousands of pictures.There are trade-offs for not going full-frame sensor (e.g. low-light performance, less depth of field) but the price differential, $697 on sale with a 12-60mm weather proof lens, rather than thousands for the bigger camera? It was a no brainer for me.Great ergonomics, custom setting modes that can be saved to allow up to 4 different set-ups, a very good and versatile kit lens (24-120mm 35mm equivalent focal length) all in a camera that I will take on day hikes.Go on Youtube and watch some videos about what this camera can do. You will see that it is still more than adequate for a hobby-enthusiast. It has rekindled my love of photography. Happy snapping!

My first camera. This was my first major camera purchase and I couldn’t be happier. I still have a lot to learn to effectively use the camera to its fullest but it’s been great and easy to use.