Finally! A quippy and didactic look at this camera with _examples_ of "this is wtf I'm talking about" as opposed to the technical dribble I can Google myself. Keep it up-please.
Good stuff David. I've been using two GX8's for commissions and personal assignments. Been very happy with the results and my clients love the work as well.
+Giulio Sciorio Thanks Giulio - two of them eh? You'll have made a lot of people jealous :-) Although it shouldn't be important, clients do like to see their photographer using a a'professional' camera' and the GX8 certainly looks the part.
@@DavidThorpeMFT Thousands of years later and I think I want to buy it to replace an aging GX7, although I would want to get a G9 I can't justify it's price for me a non photographer thoughts?, Is just me probably wanting to justify my lack off technique lol with a newer body, or will it be wiser to just invest in glass (I do not own any fast lens besides the 12mm2.0 and 25mm1.7
@@emudojo Interesting l'm considering either a GX8, GX9 or Pen-F as a second M43 body. I already use and enjoy a G9. I'm looking for a street camera to use with my Panasonic 15mm f1.7.
@@peterlemke3468 HI Peter! I'm looking for a second M43 body (my primary is EM1 Mark II) and I'm considering the GX8 or the Pen-f...which did you get and why??
Just bought a gx8 and my full frame friends love it. Form and function on it is the best. Its not big its the perfect size. The flip up evf is so useful and not a gimmick. In 2022 id buy this all day. Gx85 and gx9 dont come close. This has weatherproofing!
David - Thank you for your generosity in offering these reviews. I enjoy your technical expertise and your capacity to be so clear, concise and artful in your communication. You''re my go-to source for wise and thoughtful here.
I have to say I'm always entertained by your reviews. Listening to your voice and eloquent words are something to behold ahaha. As a proud GH4 owner I implore you to keep going! Never stop shooting my friend!
I finally bought the GX8, and after about a month using it, there's quite a lot of small little things that really improved the overall experience of using the GX8 compared to the GX7. The grip, the custom buttons, the LCD screen, the viewfinder, the dials, the buttons, the overall handling, and everything else about this camera make so much sense for me. It inspires me to learn about video too and now I've been doing some video projects too with the camera. I "baptized" the camera by taking it into a concert, with the concert pictures that you shared in my mind. It didn't disappoint at all, the pictures at ISO 3200 were just amazingly clean and sharp, just like your concert pictures. The 20MP doesn't make too much improvement by default. But on the same line as what you said, when I downsized my images, they were noticeably sharper and cleaner than GX7's images. To add to your review, the E-Shutter doesn't produce banding anymore under the same lighting condition when compared to GX7's E-Shutter, although as you explained the jello effect is still present. I still don't like the price, but here where I live it's a bit cheaper than the E-M5 Mark II or the E-M1, so it's the best value for the money for this price range. Thanks once again for your excellent review.
+bajigurwedangronde Thanks for that and the interesting observations. I agree with everything you say and I'm interested to learn that the banding is gone with the e-shutter. I also agree about the price which makes me think that Panasonic's decision to sell both cameras is a good one.
David Thorpe I already am! But I must say it’s not coming quite as naturally to me as the G7 did. I’d like to master the layout and format of the GX8. If I recall I had seen somewhere a guide to the GX8 that you had done somewhere? That’s what I need! Could you remind me where I can find that? Thanks!
Great review David , the only trouble is with your reviews is that they cost me lots of money. Ive now sold all of my Nikon gear and have gone compleatley over to the 4/3 system. Camera EM1D, Lenses 7/14, 12/40, 40/150 with converter, and the 75 mm which is unbelievable the sharpest of them all. This DMC- GX8 is on my wish list for a good second camera. Micro 4/3 is a great system and very light for traveling with. Keep up the great reviews David. Regards Mick
Thank you for such a detailed review +DavidThorpe, you actually helped me to decide on a GX8. I'm getting it as a companion to my new FZ2000 since I'll be filming interviews, some outdoor footage (great that GX8 is weather sealed) and overall as my B camera, smaller and easier to carry with me every day. Cheers!
Love your reviews, detailed, well explained and very informative. Great to listen and certainly the best micro 4/3 channel on youtube Regards and a happy new year for you and your family. Subscribed.
Another fantastic review, David. The most thoughtful review I've seen on the GX8 so far. You've given me a different perspective on this camera. Now, do I buy a GX8, or wait for the upgraded EM-1. Hmm.
+Dustinrhoades Thanks very much. Hmmm indeed! The GX8 isn't cheap but by the time a new Olympus comes up it will have come down in price. Trouble is there's no way of knowing how much an E-M2(?) will be or when it will come out. Not soon, I would have thought since Olympus are just about to upgrade the firmware of the E-M1 in a big way and if a new version was imminent they'd have put it on that instead. Mind you, Olympus don't even reply to my emails so I have no insider knowledge whatsoever! If you are happy with your present setup it might be good to wait. If you're not, you might look at both an E-M1 and GX8 now. The E-M1 is a lot cheaper now than the GX8.
True. Olympus is announcing a new firmware update for the OMD 5 II and EM1. Mabye they're trying to buy themselves little time. Still, can't say my EM-1 leaves me wanting for much. It's like carrying a camera and a computer around with you all the time.
+David Thorpe I do like it! Your video helped me to understand the GX8 a bit more before I buy it. It's not yet available in my country but when it's available, no doubt I will buy it in a heartbeat. The weather-sealing, the faster continuous auto focus, the grip, the swivel screen, the new IBIS technology, and the slight bump in image quality, all tick the boxes in my checklist of which features to improve in GX7. Once again thanks for the video, and enjoy your GX8
Wonderful review - I've just purchased it based on your recommendation. I only have Olympus lenses at this point, so I'm glad that it has in-built stabilization, even if it's not at the level of the E-M5 Mark II. And the autofocus is faster than any other camera I've used.
Thanks for helping make up my mind about this camera. I ended up starting with the body, Pan 14-140mm f3.5, Pan 20mm f1.7, and the Oly FL-LM3 flash. So far I love it.
thanks,great review as always.most other reviewers seem to focus on video ,with a lot of them clearly not knowing very much technically about the camera,or lens .yours clear concise,and informative.thanks again
just bought one. I enjoy the fit. the viewfinder. the customisation. it's got a big tag on it that says use me. I'm moving from a 7d which used to take a pounding as I took seascapes and landscape. I'm a little apprehensive about going microfourthirds for this. currently using 12-35 f2.8. ultimately anything that makes me get out and take pictures is going to help me get better. this does! thankyou very much for a very personable review.
Thanks Simon. I'm always strong on the point that a camera that feels right and makes you want to pick it up and use it is much more important than its sheer technical ability. The GX8 has both attributes to my mind, good to use and good performance. The S-AF is as fast as it gets with _any_ camera and down to really low light levels too. With so few moving parts compared to a DSLR, there is a built in hardiness which should take the rigours of your use. Canon build tough cameras, so I hope the GX8 doesn't disappoint. I don't think it will, both camera and lens being weather sealed. I've personally not had a Micro Four Thirds camera fail on me at all - having said that, I have a feeling I shouldn't have!
Hi David, excellent review and very informative. I was a Leica rangefinder camera owner who loved my Leicas but now welcome our new digital overlords. At the moment I am shooting more video than stills so the GH4 is the thing, but I do pine for a Leica-like rangefinder-style form factor and the GX8 may be the one for me, for MFT format at least. I would love to create a practice combining making documentaries with shooting documentary-style photographs and perhaps the best current combo would be the GX8 with a GH4 and maybe a GH5 (especially if it has great stabilization).
+angelaERDE I somehow doubt the GH5 will have great stabilization because the 4K generates so much heat. But makers seem to be doing technical miracles now, so who what do I know? One of my best photographer friends always had Leicas and he loved using them as much as I didn't. I think that apart from a few specialist applications like macro, manual focus, rangefinder or not, is becoming redundant because the he auto is so fast and accurate on these latest cameras. I have a little 12-32mm lens which doesn't have a focusing ring and I have yet to miss it. One Leica thing I did really love was the gorgeous engineering and build quality. Like the Hasseblad, that German engineering made the cameras sexy, somehow.
I'm on a tight budget, and looking at the GX8 as my main camera for the future, some decent used ones about now at a fair price. I like shooting birds mostly. Would you still recommend it today?
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts David. I loved the Lord Vader sound clip, super cool and it made literally laugh out loud. I've been looking forward to your GX8 review, and now I may just go out and buy one. Panasonic should hire you!
i dont mean to be so off topic but does someone know of a tool to log back into an Instagram account..? I somehow lost the account password. I would appreciate any tricks you can give me!
That's quite a superb review, I much enjoyed listening. Particularly like the slide-show style - instead of being forced to look at some geezer's punim for too long - and intelligent wording. Hope you'll be doing the GX80/ 85 sometime soon.
+Stef Hendrik Glad you like the videos, thanks Stef! I did put my punim on screen but I got too many love letters and marriage proposals from women all over the world, so I stopped :-) New word for me punim, I'll remember that one. I have a GX80 on order so that's in hand. Don't know when it will be available but I'm looking forward to it.
I am in the process of down-sizing (= replacing) my Canon DSLR equipment to MFT. So far the Olympus EM1 or EM5 II has been on top of my preference list. The GX8 is now number one as a consequence of this excellent review!
+Torsten Villnow Thanks Torsten. The E-M1 or E-M5ll would feel more DSLR like so worth trying one in store if you can. I prefer the E-M1 because the E-M5ll is too small for my taste. Of the E-M1 and GX8, I personally prefer the GX8 for its (in my opinion) better handling. To match the stabilization of the E-M1, you would need to use compatible Panasonic lenses that will use the dual stabilization function of the GX8. All in all, if you like the feel of the GX8, that would be the one I'd go for, though in the final analysis I'd be happy with either.
Thank you David Does the DFD focus scheme help focus lens such as the 20mm f/1.7 which is known to be a little slow (particularly in low light). Thank You
+123HURST No, not really. The slow(ish) focusing of the lens is due to the lens focus mechanism itself so any gain from DfD would be minimal. Nonetheless, the GX8 will make the 20mm focus as fast as it capable.
David, at 1m43s you mention the left hand viewfinder "keeps your nose from choosing the focusing for you" - is that because you look through the viewfinder with your right eye ? I'm *very* new to my GX8, had it a month or so and only now having time to learn how to use it. I'm overwhelmed by the complexity right now to be honest. But...... as I was learning about the focussing and being able to use the rear screen, yes, if I view the EVF with my left eye (more natural) then I find my nose does touch the screen and change the focussing..... I do know that Cartier-Bresson et al, users of the Leica, would use their right eye on the left hand viewfinder, to keep their left eye open and free to view their surroundings normally. As I've purchased this camera for Street photography, would you suggest I now do my best to also employ that style of usage ? Many thanks.
Ideally you'd have mirrored versions of rangefinder style cameras for left and right eyed people but the real world isn't like that and the majority right eyed people get the best of it! Yes, keeping one eye open is extremely useful and not too hard to get used to. I do it a lot. Sometimes if I really need to concentrate on something, I frame the subject (not too tightly) and look over the top of the camera with both eyes. I'm afraid the complexity of these cameras overwhelms a lot of people. I work with Micro Four Thirds cameras all the time and I still have to look things up sometimes. I have a book on the GX8 (what a great camera!) here amzn.to/2hj1bsy (USA) and here amzn.to/2hfLiCI (UK)
+CafeKraft I like the 'well thought out' - I sit down and work through my thoughts on a camera after a lot of use with it and 'well thought out' is exactly my aim. It's nice when it is noticed - thanks!
Thanks for the review of the GX8 David it helped make my mind up to purchase the camera and the Panasonic Leica 100-400mm Lens took them out for a test drive yesterday to RSPB Bempton Cliffs and the results are brilliant. That's coming from Canon which I also love but health reasons I need lighter gear and this set up fits the bill perfectly.
Glad it helped, Kurt. The great big EVF on the GX8 is great with the 100-200 and I found the dual stabilization was more than good enough even for such a high mag lens. The weight of an outfit to perform a similar task a DSLR doesn't bear thinking about!
david thorpe thanks for the response because I have been thinking about the gx8 as a backup wedding camera and honestly I thought the high iso jpeg processing looked very digital and not grainy when i tried it at the camera store. I can deal with grain but I hate it when in camera jpegs look soft and digitilized if that makes sense. thanks again for replying
+Rufus Leakin With an f/2 or better lesn, slow shutter and the high ISO capability there wouldn't be many situations the camera couldn't cope with hand held. It'll focus in those situations, too. Otheerwise, a tripod will enable shooting in any light. The only problem with that is that sometimes at low levels the quality of the light is poor, directional or shadowy, for example. Then, the only way is with flash or (possibly) an LED lamp. I do like to have a flash with me just in case and Panasonic really should have supplied a small one at this price, even if it has to be separate.
i have the gx8 & g7 both fantastic, the only gripe with the gx8 is the 2.5mm mic jack! also just a point to note, my olly 40-150 2.8 'pro' lens has dies after just 5 months, i await to see what olympus have to say!!
+Harry Bunn (GRVOTV) I don't know why they use that small jack, since there is room for an extra 1mm. I'm surprised about the Olympus zoom but it is (hopefully) a one -off. At least it is still under warranty.
+Marcus Nixon Not much of a bright side to those of us who own several mics with the standard 3.5mm plug. Just what we need - a 3.5mm to 2.5mm dangling around
Great video!! Thank you!!! This was 2015, we are now in 2017. Which do you think is a better choice, especially for pictures... the GX8 or the G85???? Thank you again! Aloha!
Thanks Darren - for mainly stills I'd be inclined to the GX8. The great EVF and the 20Mp sensor are a big attraction. The GH4 has more specialist video facilities and is an excellent stills camera too but the GX8 is more up to date. Very different designs but both are great handling, well laid out cameras. I do like the GX8's dedicated exposure compensation dial, too.
An excellent and well considered review. I bought a GF6 and that sold me on the m43 format, soon I found myself lense swapping and bought a GX8. I must admit that the GF6 has had little use since. I wear reading glasses and it was always a bit of a juggling act using the large display on the GF6. The GX8 layout allows me to memorise the functions I use most and I also do not need glasses to use the excellent EVF. In my limited experience the EVF is better than an optical view finder. Another merit to the combination I use most (GX8 with the later 14-140mm lense) is bizarrely not the way the camera sees the subject but the opposite. People do not get intimidated so much by this diminutive little camera.
Thanks David. You're absolutely right about the intimidation factor. Also in public places where jobsworths are around, they see a big DSLR and think professional camera, you're up to no good. As we know, it's the results that count, not how they were obtained! I don't think there are many photograhers who, given the GX8's EVF to compare side by side with a DSLR optical finder would prefer the latter. Most people who say they don't like a modern EVF have never tried one.
Thanks for the reply, fortunately most of my pictures are landscapes or vehicles. In this modern society I am conscious that people are sensitive to the presence of cameras in various places. I just missed an opportunity to take some pictures of some derelict wooden boats, they were on private land but visible from public land. Something quite beautiful about the decay but despite them being there for decades I thought I may be mistaken for a busy body gathering evidence. Today I found the site has been bulldozed. On a lighter note there is something comical about a great big FF camera with battery grip making a pub band forget the words part way through a song!
As you obviously know, if something is visible from a public place, even if it is on private property, you are perfecty entitled to photograph it. We seem to be diving head first into a society that believes that everyone is a criminal until they prove they're not. That pub band must have felt guilty about something. I wonder what they'd been up to? :-)
+datapro007 The very highest bit rate video shooting generates a lot of heat on the sensor, so requires substantial heat sinks. That makes it heavy. The very best IBIS requires a light sensor that can move nimbly. The two are to some extent incompatible . Panasonic has always attached more importance to vieo than Olympus, hence the disparity. Things are moving on though and the Olympus E-M5ll with its amazing stabilization will work with 70mbps while the GX8 combines digital and sensor stabilization to its higher bit rate FHD video though nopt 4K which really does generate a lot of heat.
9:54 there he is! The man himself :-) Looking at the GX9 for "B roll" and rumour has it there'll be a GM5 replacement in the near future - I *cannot* wait for that. Those are impossible to come by in mint condition and a bit outdated, too.
@@DavidThorpeMFT Yeah, me too, but you didn't hear it from me. I was harassing a local Panasonic sales department begging for NOS GM5 stock and kept pushing on them, but they said nothing, cough.
No, there are no firmware hacks for the GX8 that I know of so unfrotunately the recording limitation has to be lived with. The camera will turn off if it overheats i any mode.
love your reviews, i'm trying to find a camera I can match up with my jvc gy-ls300 (M4/3). I want it to have 4k capability and be able to use rokinon m4/3 lens. this might be a good option with out breaking the bank.
I went for the GX8. I previously tried a TZ80 and liked the 4k photo burst mode also found on the GX8. That sealed the deal. But I could only sell the idea to myself by buying an OM10 and a bunch of film too.
Thanks David, another great review. I've owed the Olympus OM-d EM5 ii and LOVE the camera (when its working properly) Since purchasing Olympus in July, it's been sent back to Olympus TWICE!!!!....in fact just again yesterday. My issues are a blank LCD and now it won't power off.... I say all of this to say, As soon it returns from repair.....I'm TRADING it in for the Panasonic. I can live without the 5 axis stabilization.
+Darryl Harris That's a shame about the E-M5ll. I've had a few people mentioning breakdowns of Olympus gear lately. I do hope it isn't a quality control matter but just a normal failure rate. There'll always be some faulty cameras out of the vast number made but two with one camera doesn't look good and it'd shake my trust in its reliability. The GX8 should be a decent replacement for the Olympus, very, very different in feel. I hope you like it as much as I do. I actually like everything about the E-M5ll.....except the size and therefore handling.
Thank you David for your enjoyable and helpful review. Since the announcement of the upcoming Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm F4-6.3 lens I have been looking for the most suitable camera body to pair with it. That lens is very tempting for my wildlife and airshow use. I handled a GX8 in store yesterday and was quite impressed by it. The EVF looks really good as does the touchscreen. It fits my hand well and the controls seem well placed. I plan to use the GX8 and 100-400 along with my current Sony A6000 and 16-70 F4 Sony Zeiss zoom which I rate highly.
+Barry Pate The GX8 and the new 100-400 will go together very well since they'll integrate their stabilization systems.What will work well with such a long lens will be the touch screen focusing while using the EVF. Focusing should be pretty slick, too.
I heard that gx8 has 49 focus point , question is it has good and fast focusing when taking video ? Especially when we take an object closer to the lens and back to our face..and compare to olympus pen f in fast focusing , which one wins over ?
Both the GX8 and Pen F have decent C-AF in video. It intentionally isn't fast with either because fast focus changes with video look really awful. Most videographers use manual focus where possible but otherwise S-AF and a half press on the button will change the focus point.
Hello David and thank you for your review. Which lenses in your opinion are best paired with this camera for depth of field and bokeh? I believe the four thirds sensor is not quite as good in this field as a DSLR. It's important in my work. Thank you
+RCPHOTOMAN If you are looking for shallow depth of field as your _main_ consideration you would be better staying with your DSLR. For shallow depth of field on MFT, you really just need any lens faster than f/2 and 25mm or more. That will be a prime. But the smaller sensor of MFT means that for a given focal length you will be twice as far away as with a DSLR and therefore inevitably have more depth of field. It's all a balance and if you want smaller size cameras and (especially) lenses there is a price to pay. For me MFT hits the best balance and more DoF is just as much an advantage as disadvantage. but - no magic bullet, unfortunately.
I have watched this video too many times! I originally bought a GX8 about 3 years ago, loved it and it’s deceptive simplicity. So, in mid 2019 I am tempted by a G9 but an absolutely mint GX8 appeared, I didn’t find the GX9 persuaded me either so I now have another GX8. They are still a great camera for my purposes, great handling and that super EVF. Subjectively I have been amazed by the IBIS though some of my lenses do co-operate to do DUAL IS. Unfortunately as a hobbyist there is temptation to buy different formats in search of some sort of holy grail, what my camera needs most is to be taken out on adventures, it might be safe stashed in a Pelican case but it doesn’t take good pictures in there...
The GX8 is a great camera and its spec is still bang up to date. I couldn't agree more about the temptation to try different formats - it's far more productive to actually go out and take pictures. When you're stuck, new equipment is very rarely the answer. Because of my long experience with cameras and their professional use, I don't suffer from that with photography. However, as a hobbyist/ enthusiast guitar player, I am constantly having to talk myself out of searching for a holy grail. I have a bog standard instrument and convince myself that my playing would be better if only I had this or that...then I bring myself back to earth (somewhat unwillingly) by remembering that some of the greatest players spent their entire career playing the bog standard instrument that is apparently impeding my progress. It's a human condition, I suppose.
David Thorpe, I can think of plenty of examples of that compulsion. Your video has persuaded me that I should use my function buttons! Keep up the great videos!
Yes, fantastic. Especially from a distance where you can see the way it sits on the top of the hill.
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Thanks David for another great review! If I could wish for something in a future review, it would be very helpful if you could add some pauses of, say, 1/2 sec or so between the statements, so that you have a chance to assimilate all your great findings. Thanks!
I wonder if you can help me with this as I can't find an answer in the GX8 handbook. Saturday I was photographing frogs and was attempting to use a elichrom wireless flash setup. The flash wouldn't fire with the wireless hotshoe transmitter. I could not access the flash settings in the record menu as it was greyed out and the display shows forced flash off symbol. I have checked the following which the handbook says would make the camera have flash off and none apply. Camera was set to - no 4K, no filters, electronic shutter off and silent mode off. So I ended up using my GX7 which worked fine. Later I put my small flash in the hotshot of the GX8 and as soon as I turned it on, the flash section in the record mode came on and the flash fired, as soon as I turned the flash off, in the record menu the flash section greyed out again . However whilst the flash section was operative on the GX8 with the small hotshot flash the firing modes were still greyed out. I'm at a loss. Any help would be appreciated
The transmitter doesn't have a on off switch but when attached to the camera it doesn't allow access to the flash menu. The transmitter is a part of the a Godox DE300 flash kit. However this problem also existed when i attempted this with a Elinchrom set up
Micro Four Thirds has its own standard for flash operation, so any accessory would have to conform to that. I use a small flash on the GX8 to trigger remote flashes via infra red, which is the standard way.
+Harry Bunn (GRVOTV) Hi Harry - mine worked, though it doesn't lock. There's tiny lip of plastic stopping the flash pushing fully home, which if shaved off would allow the lock. This 4 contact fitting is the new standard. I just shoved it _firmly_ home switched it on and it worked fine.
Hello David, is this the best backup body for the EM1? Or do you know anything about an update for the EM1? By the way, the combo 40-150 2.8 with the 1.4 convertor is brilliant. I am shooting handheld at 1600 ISO at 210mm at one half second and getting use able pics. At 1/100 s they are dead sharp.
+Steinar Knai Hi Steinar - I'm inclined to think that an updated E-M1 is some way off because Olympus are rolling out an extensive firmware upgrade this month to include an electronic shutter facility among other goodies. Yes, the big zoom and converter is a superb combination and although there is some image degradation (laws of optics) I find it imperceptible in practice. The GX8 would make an excellent second body though I strongly suspect that you might find yourself using it just as often as the E-M1. I have!
+David Thorpe This is a little off subject, but I happened to listen to a video by Tony Nortrop who claims that a MFT lens with an f 1.7 light gathering capability is equivalent to a FF lens at f3.4 in terms of overall light gathering capability. Is this really true? I thought the light gathering capability was what it was, i.e. f1.7, but that the depth og field of course is different. In other words; is my Olympus 12-40 f2.8 equivalent to a Nikon 24-70 at f5.6? I did not think so!
+Steinar Knai This is an argument put forward by people who like to make simple things complicated. Your Olympus 12-40 lens is not equivalent to anything. It is an f/2.8 lens made for MFT cameras and works exactly as expected and paid for. However, a sensor 4x the area of the MFT standard, 36x24 mm will require 4x the amount of light for a given exposure just as a bucket 4x the size of another will require 4x the amount of water to fill it. Quite what relevance that has to a photographer I do not know. 125th @ f/17 on an MFT camera gives you the same photographic result as 125th@f/1.7 on a 36x24 sensor. The stupidity of this argument comes about because the 36x34mm sensor has become some sort of tokenistic perfection for photographic pontificators. You'd never think that it came about simply because it was the only frame size that Oscar Barnack could get easily for his miniature camera. Applied to a 12x9cm camera such as I trained with, which has more than 12 times the area of 'full frame', a f/1.7 'FF' lens becomes the equivalent of something like an f/11. This is as relevant to the equivalence argument as MFT to FF. Or irrelevant. Once they argued about how many angels could dance on the head of a pin. Now the priests of pointless talk about equivalence. It's like judging a musical instrument by how loud it is. You could go on forever but it's just shouting down a well. The bottom line is, any lens that covers its intended format is a full frame lens. Just stick it on the camera, point it in the desired direction and take a picture.
Good, detailed analysis, David! Just one question: I had the camera for a day and realized my shots (all RAW) were consistently less sharp than the ones I took with GH3 with added stabilization and even sharper lens (Nocticron with the GX8 vs. 35-100 f2.8 with the GH3), so I wonder if you have experienced the same or maybe it was a problem of that particular unit (though I have seen pictures in other online reviews that seem to have this same issue of lack of fine sharpness at 100%). All other aspects of the camera seemed great, but this one aspect was enough to make me return it.
+Gonzalo Broto It sounds like you were getting the much documents 'shutter shock' effect, a slight (but at 100% noticeable) double imaging caused by the s'slamming shut' action of the mechanical shutter. It occurs with all cameras (including DSLRs) but seems especially noticeable with MFT cameras maybe because of their lower body mass. Olympus have a special shutter mode to cope with it but with Panasonic all you can do is use the e_shutter (I do 95% of the time) or avoid shutter speeds between 1/60th and 1/350th or so. It's possible that it is more noticeable still with the GX8 because the extra pixel count highlights it more. As a result of your coment I've just looked at some of my RAWs in Lightroom at 200% and certainly my pix with it are just as sharp as any other MFT body. An important point you've raised here, thanks.
+David Thorpe Thanks for your fast and detailed answer, David, though I also used the e-shutter since I was aware of the issue and it didn't solve the issue. It was not a night and day scenario, but the pictures were clearly less sharp with the GX8, so I'm not really sure what happened.
+Gonzalo Broto I'm not sure either. Maybe a faulty camera but since the image you are seeing and focusing is straight off the sensor it is hard to see what it could be. Mine is certainly not less sharp with any lens than any of my other cameras. Maybe someone has some ideas?
An aircraft would likely be at infinity focus, so you could lock focus there and then the shoot as fast as the camera was able. AFC is very capable these days on Micro Four Thirds cameras. You can see in my review how good the GX8 is and essentially all the Panasonics are to this standard. The Olympus E-M1 Mkll with its phase detection focusing would be best for low light fast moving subjects like ice hockey but that's pretty specialist.
You make a good point in your reviews! I enjoy them. Man, I'm so torn between the GX8 and the PEN-F. No one seems to mention an increase of resolution between the GX7 and 8. The GX7 had a notably lower detail resolution than other 16mp m43 cameras. That always annoys me when I shoot with my two GX7s. In my studio I use my Pen E-PL5 due to the higher detail resolution. No one also mentions whether the WiFi reach has been increased because the GX7's WIFi is appalling. I step 2m away from the camera with my iPhone, I turn my back to the camera and I start to lose connection. My previous E-M1s gave me around 30m of reach and it was great.
+lesdeth12 It's odd that the GX7 has restricted wireless range. The GMs, GHs and now the GX8 have the usual range, up to about 10 metres, I find. Like you, 2-2.5 metres and the GX7 starts to run out. The upcoming GX80 has the GX7 sensor but with the low pass filter removed so I imagine that was the reason for the lesser resolution. For studio use, it might be useful to bear in mind that the GX8 can be mains powered.
+Marcus Nixon It'll use the little flash from the GM5 or any standard MFT hot shoe fitting which is the four pins and locking pin at the front. Panasonic seem to have had an Olympus moment with the flash - like Olympus not supplying a lens hood with their primes - and I can't help thinking that the aggravation caused will cost them more than the petty price of a tiny flash.
I've got a Metz flash which I use wirelessly with the gx7, just didn't want to have to buy another one just to re-enable the wireless flash functionality.
+Marcus Nixon I have a Metz flash which I use wirelessly too. I have used the little flash from my GM5 with the GX8 and any flash that will work properly with an MFT show will do the trick. But essentially you have to buy a hotshoe flash, There aren't any triggers available as far as I know. Pathetic, really.
Hello David! Your friend across the pond here in Utah. Brilliant review. I was wondering when you would add your Vader voice to the GX8 reviews! I was curious about the camera and rented it for a couple of days. We visited the Grand Escalante in the southern part of Utah which is gorgeous. I was shooting with the 8 and the GX7 simultaneously. What I found was I loved the ergonomics of the 8, the weight to me was fine. The EVF was a big upgrade over the 7. Focus, notably faster and the 4K mode, when I figured it out was great. Worked the images in LR 6 and I saw a slight improvement over the 7, not much. I've shot with everything since the G1 and I see this camera as a great companion to the GX7. I still love my GX7 and will keep it. I will sell my GH2/GH3 and a lens so I can buy the GX8.
+Mark Seawell Ho mark. Yes, as I said, the IQ is only marginally better than the GX7 but that is pretty good given the increased pixel count. GX7 and GX8 would make a very good pairing and ideal for travel photography.
Are you going to review the Pen-F soon? I wanna see what you think in comparison to the GX8. My concern of the Pen-F is the small size & not being able to get a grip on it while the GX8 has a Great grip.
+Cody Robinson I'm putting it together now. I'm going to review the Pen F and then do a more in depth comparison of the two cameras. They are very much the same and yet very different at the same time.
+Steinar Knai Basically it shoots a sequence of 8Mp images in 4K Photo Mode, altering the fucus point in each one. You can then, afterwards, pick the one that has the focus point you deem best. You could do it yourself even in RAW by shooting a series of pictures altering the focal distance a little each time and then picking the best one afterwards. They would have to be tripod mounted pix to get useful results. The new mode will will make it possible to shoot handheld, by shooting 30 frames in a second while altering focus. It'll be better in that results will be consistent and more easily manipulated but you are stuck with limited resolution. I think that photographers will come up with some innovative uses for this. They usually do!
Very late to this party.. :-) Just bought an excellent used GX8 and already have David Thorpe's book on this camera at hand. As a retired diesel mechanic with xl hands and tired of fumbling with a diminutive low end Oly, the GX8's size will find a new home for Oly's glass. Panasonic still has this camera on offer at considerably more than the G9 here in the US.
Camera costs get a bit out of kilter sometimes, don't they? The GX8's size and layout are ideal for anyone with larger hands and in terms of IQ the GX8 is little, if any different from the G9. Great EVF and ergonomics, too.
Absolute Fanfare for the Common Man. Just think of the pictures & films u could of taken if u had this camera when they were in their hey day. Your an ole' rocker David, just a bit of fun, so who am I talking about & did u ever get take any pictures of one my favorite bands on your side of the pond? Great review as always.
+sski66 Honestlt, I'd have thought I'd gone to heaven if this kind of gear was about when I was earning my daily crust from cameras. Who was your favourite band? I saw and photographed so many but The Who were a stunning act on stage. But then there's AC/DC. And Paul McCartney. And Neil Young. It just goes on. We get a lot of American bands at my blues club, Buddy Whittington is a favourite and Skinny Molly to name a couple of my favourites. They are always impressive, really tight and they pay attention to detail, little touches that lift them out of the ordinary.
David Thorpe Haha, ok I thought the hint of "Fanfare for the Common Man" & "your side of the pond" was a decent hint for the riddle. I was referring to (ELP), Emerson, Lake & Palmer, they did a great cover of "Fanfare," I believe it was on their album called "Works". There one of my favorite bands, & 3 of the most talented musicians I ever had the pleasure of seeing & hanging out with @ the after party. I will admit they are an acquired taste.
+sski66 That was a bit thick of me, I must say. yes, ELP. That was a great cover of the Fanfare. They were very popular this side of the water and still performing as far as I know. I had a couple of their albums, though they've got lost somewhere in moving house a few times. I wonder how many of today's bands will still be going after more than 40 years?
David Thorpe Thick of u, no, not @ all, there not the first band on peoples minds. Yeah that is a good question, how many bands will still be around 40 years from now...I'd have to say even if there is bands our children or our kids kids will be talking about it still won't be as impressive I think for the simple reason of technology, Facebook & the like. Just think when u were covering shows u couldn't just pull out the ole' computer & say ok Muddy Waters is going to be here this week, there next month, & so on. I think we had to work a lot harder just to find out were they were playing, haha. Anyway nice talk David & happy shooting. O I'm curious, how come u didn't like shooting with Leica? Just didn't like the feel or the way they worked, or was it picture quality?
+sski66 The Leica, no picture quality was fantastic and those Leitz lenses had a very special quality, lots of detail but without looking contrasty like Nikon optics. I just found the rangefinder focusing clunky and the cameras suitable only to the lenses they naively had the brightline image for, 35mm for the M2 and 50mm for the M3.. I had a mate who swore by his Leicas and I loved the quality and feel of them but as a working camera they lacked versatility. I found the Nikon F just as quick to focus and while in theory you could focus in lower light than with the F, with the Leica it depended on there being something with a suitable shape near where you wanted to focus.
Battery life is similar to most mirrorless cameras at around 300+ shots though I use the e shutter and expet to get double that. using the battery carefully. Video, it'll record for about 2-2.5 hrs on one battery. It'll record video in 4Gb chunks but there's no limitation otherwise.
Excellent review. I have a GM1 thinking of adding this to the line up. Any comment on picture quality difference between the two? I'm hoping not just improvements on camera experience but also better pics and better low light pics. I'm sure there are I just would like to hear your opinion on it. Cheers!
+Brad Satz The GX7, GM1 and GH4 all have the same sensor as far as I recall. The GX8 has more pixels but very similar performance, so it is a case of something for nothing in a way. Downsampling to 16Mp from 20Mp gives better noise performance, of course, so in that sense the GX8's performance is better.
Hi David! I'm having a bit of a drama trying to decide between the GX8 or the Olympus EM-5 Mark II. I recently purchased a GX-80 and I do like it but there's something not quite sitting right with me and I'm not sure what it is. Could you please give your opinion on which camera I should go for? I will hardly ever film video so that isn't a contender, this is purely for stills. I look forward to your response!
Reading between the lines, it looks to me as if you may just not like the rangefinder style camera body shared by the GX80 and the GX8. I'd point to a coupe of other factors which may influence your decision. While the GX8 has a 20Mp sensor and the Olympus 16Mp, it makes no real difference to your results. The 20Mp is nice to have but certainly wouldn't be a factor in my choice. The GX8 also has the better EVF. Again, nice to have but the E-M5 II has a very good EVF and the difference between the two is only seeable side by side. The E-M5 II has in its favour better stabilization than the GX8 and in my opinion is as good as stabilization needs to be. It is also more compact and for many people the DSLR layout feels much more natural. The biggest downside of the Olympus for me is their menu system but others love it so that may be just personal. It all tilts to the E-M5 II as your choice, I think.
+seanimal3 I always shoot RAW. When I use the high ISO pix on the videos I apply no noise reduction beyond the touch I use as standard (it's the Lightroom default) on 200ISO images and I apply no sharpening whatsover. Obviously, the downsampling from 5000px wide to 1920 loses a bit of noise anyway ( no way to stop that). But even for my own use with 3200 or 6400 ISO images I only apply enough color noise reduction to turn the coloured speckles to grey. I much prefer noise to detail loss and I don' find the RAW images, Panasonic or Olympous, need extra sharpening anyway.
hi David I have A G7 and was going to sell it and get the GH4. however many people are saying the the G7 has better low light capability. so now I am looking at the G80 or GX8 as my video camera mainly because they have in body stabilization and that is important to me , which I why I am not looking at the GH4. I basically want to do documentary work and want to up my game in video. would you recommend the G80 or GX8 or do you believe I should still consider the GH4. I am on a limited budget which is why the GH5 is not a consideration any advice would be truly appreciated as I am now completely confused. thanks JF
Great vid as always! I see you have the Olympus 17mm 1.8 mounted on the GX8 here. How is in the autofocus in video mode? I currently have the Olympus 17mm 2.8 lens and even though I love this lens for traveling, the autofocus doesn't seem to work on video mode on the GX8.
Yes, it does. Micro Four Thirds is more than a sensor size, it's a standard covering all the root specifications of the equipment. For that reason, any item of equipment sold as Micro Four Thirds will work with any other. You can't put a Nikon lens on a Canon body or vice versa but you can put an Olympus lens on a Panasonic or vice versa. Or Sigma, or Meike or Voigtlander and many others.
David, a question on build quality. I bought a new GX8 two weeks ago and one thing concerns me about the display panel. When fully folded against the body, either reversed or ready for use, my display has a very small amount of movement from top to bottom (vertically), a couple of millimetres only. This worries me (a little) because over time, the screen will probably be brushed against when putting into a bag, and even with your thumb when handling the camera. I phoned Panasonic and the woman I spoke to claimed it was 'normal' and the one she had to hand was the same. I asked about the GH4, and so she got one and claimed that was the same! I wonder if you have noticed this at all?
I just tried it. My GX8 is the same, so is the G80 and the E-M1 Mkll. it's as you say, a couple of mills, a tiny bit less on the Olympus so it must just be acceptable play in the hinges. I hadn't noticed it before, I should add.
Thank you, David. I have never owned a camera with a fold out display before. As you say, it must be 'acceptable play' in the hinges - which is what Panasonic said to me. I found myself wondering why they had not designed in a tiny lip at the bottom to fully secure the display! I also bought an Olympus OMD EM5 mark 1, which was sold as 'mint' but was actually brand new (£210) Amazing quality! My first Olympus. As I was about to register my new Olympus 45mm on their website, I thought I'd try and register the EM5. It allowed me to register for the full 2-year warranty. I bought the EM5 from Camera Jungle, London. I'm not connected in any way, but your subscribers might be interested. Fantastic review, as always. I have been looking at your reviews for a couple of years now and after initially buying, then selling, my original Panasonic and switching to Fuji, I decided to return to MFT. I could not have found the necessary discernment required in understanding the essential differences in digital photography - not the dull spec sheets, without your in-depth reviews. What little I thought I knew was based on my use of my Canon SLRs from the mid 70s.
Thanks for the kind words, Paul. That E-M5, it is often forgotten what a bargain the 'old' model becomes after the new one has been out while. That's an absurdly good camera for the price of an ordinary compact. That's 45mm is a little gem, it really is.
Still rocking my GX8 after many years of reliable use, thanks primarily to this review. You are sorely missed David. RIP.
Absolutely. My go to for MFT related stuff.
Still sounds like a great camera
I came here to say thanks to the late, great Mr Thorpe. I bought this camera thanks to this excellent review.
Seven years have passed, and the GX8 is still a great camera. Panasonic got it right back then, and it is still a camera worth using in 2023.
Is shutter shock real issue like people said?
@@evernam993m8I've not experienced it with my GX8. I've owned it for six years.
@@evernam993m8No.
@@evernam993m8 No its fixed with firmware update and its also severely exaggerated.
Thanks David, I love your reviews, they don't age. RIP. Ross
Finally! A quippy and didactic look at this camera with _examples_ of "this is wtf I'm talking about" as opposed to the technical dribble I can Google myself. Keep it up-please.
I intend to keep it up, Ralph and I'm glad you enjoy it!
Your profile picture is Hotline Miami! I like that game!
I googled “wtf”. It seems to mean “what”. Just in case others might be wondering...
Good stuff David. I've been using two GX8's for commissions and personal assignments. Been very happy with the results and my clients love the work as well.
+Giulio Sciorio Thanks Giulio - two of them eh? You'll have made a lot of people jealous :-) Although it shouldn't be important, clients do like to see their photographer using a a'professional' camera' and the GX8 certainly looks the part.
@@DavidThorpeMFT Thousands of years later and I think I want to buy it to replace an aging GX7, although I would want to get a G9 I can't justify it's price for me a non photographer thoughts?, Is just me probably wanting to justify my lack off technique lol with a newer body, or will it be wiser to just invest in glass (I do not own any fast lens besides the 12mm2.0 and 25mm1.7
@@emudojo Interesting l'm considering either a GX8, GX9 or Pen-F as a second M43 body. I already use and enjoy a G9. I'm looking for a street camera to use with my Panasonic 15mm f1.7.
@@peterlemke3468 HI Peter! I'm looking for a second M43 body (my primary is EM1 Mark II) and I'm considering the GX8 or the Pen-f...which did you get and why??
Just bought a gx8 and my full frame friends love it. Form and function on it is the best. Its not big its the perfect size. The flip up evf is so useful and not a gimmick. In 2022 id buy this all day. Gx85 and gx9 dont come close. This has weatherproofing!
David - Thank you for your generosity in offering these reviews. I enjoy your technical expertise and your capacity to be so clear, concise and artful in your communication. You''re my go-to source for wise and thoughtful here.
That's good to hear and thanks for it, Jonathan!
Great review! I bought my GX7 almost solely on your review of it, but now you've gone and got me lusting after the GX8. Thanks a lot, David!
+Will Blake You're welcome, Will! I hope you like the GX8 as much as I do.
+David Thorpe If only I could talk my wife into letting me spend another $1000! Until then, I have to enjoy the GX7.
absolutely brilliant review - truly a poet photographer - a very rare breed.
+Peter Sellmer Thanks Peter. If I'm a rare breed, I hope that doesn't mean I am endangered too :-)
I have to say I'm always entertained by your reviews. Listening to your voice and eloquent words are something to behold ahaha. As a proud GH4 owner I implore you to keep going! Never stop shooting my friend!
+HeyHerdy Thanks - I fully intend to keep going and I don't think I'll ever willingly stop shooting :-)
Just watched this now, held in high regard! Absolutely one to consider now!
I finally bought the GX8, and after about a month using it, there's quite a lot of small little things that really improved the overall experience of using the GX8 compared to the GX7. The grip, the custom buttons, the LCD screen, the viewfinder, the dials, the buttons, the overall handling, and everything else about this camera make so much sense for me. It inspires me to learn about video too and now I've been doing some video projects too with the camera.
I "baptized" the camera by taking it into a concert, with the concert pictures that you shared in my mind. It didn't disappoint at all, the pictures at ISO 3200 were just amazingly clean and sharp, just like your concert pictures.
The 20MP doesn't make too much improvement by default. But on the same line as what you said, when I downsized my images, they were noticeably sharper and cleaner than GX7's images. To add to your review, the E-Shutter doesn't produce banding anymore under the same lighting condition when compared to GX7's E-Shutter, although as you explained the jello effect is still present.
I still don't like the price, but here where I live it's a bit cheaper than the E-M5 Mark II or the E-M1, so it's the best value for the money for this price range. Thanks once again for your excellent review.
+bajigurwedangronde Thanks for that and the interesting observations. I agree with everything you say and I'm interested to learn that the banding is gone with the e-shutter. I also agree about the price which makes me think that Panasonic's decision to sell both cameras is a good one.
your reviews get better and more interesting with every one , can't wait for the next thanks
+paul botwright I'm blushing! Thanks Paul.
David, your review was worth the wait. Much appreciated. Confirmed for me that this will be my next camera. Looking forward to using it. Thanks again.
+Will Snow Thanks a lot Will. You'll ,love it, I'm certain.
Very well spoken with enough repetition to commit the details to memory. He sold me on this camera. Its on my "wanter list."
+Rob Fuldner Glad you found it helpful Rob.
!
Hey David, after our discussions I have pulled the trigger on this, the GX8! Thanks again for all of your feedback as well as great reviews!
You'll love it, Adam!
David Thorpe I already am! But I must say it’s not coming quite as naturally to me as the G7 did. I’d like to master the layout and format of the GX8. If I recall I had seen somewhere a guide to the GX8 that you had done somewhere? That’s what I need! Could you remind me where I can find that? Thanks!
Adam Neely It's my Amazon eBook or paperback - here amzn.to/2R6J62v (UK) or amzn.to/2QakEvG (USA)
Your reviews are the best I've found on youtube so far. Great work!
Thanks Roger!
Great review David , the only trouble is with your reviews is that they cost me lots of money. Ive now sold all of my Nikon gear and have gone compleatley over to the 4/3 system.
Camera EM1D, Lenses 7/14, 12/40, 40/150 with converter, and the 75 mm which is unbelievable the sharpest of them all. This DMC- GX8 is on my wish list for a good second camera.
Micro 4/3 is a great system and very light for traveling with. Keep up the great reviews David.
Regards Mick
+Misha crowe Thanks, Mick!. You certainly have gone for MFT in a big way. Great outfit you have there.
Thank you for such a detailed review +DavidThorpe, you actually helped me to decide on a GX8. I'm getting it as a companion to my new FZ2000 since I'll be filming interviews, some outdoor footage (great that GX8 is weather sealed) and overall as my B camera, smaller and easier to carry with me every day. Cheers!
What a lovely, calm, even review :-) Thank you.
Ah yes, keep it up, David.
No ‘What’s up TH-cam’ and especially no waving hands.
Just your calm delivery, spiced up with succinct humour.
A blessing.
Thanks you, Koos!
Love your reviews, detailed, well explained and very informative.
Great to listen and certainly the best micro 4/3 channel on youtube
Regards and a happy new year for you and your family.
Subscribed.
+João Lopes Thanks for letting me know that, Joao. I really appreciate it. Happy new year to you and yours too!
Another fantastic review, David. The most thoughtful review I've seen on the GX8 so far. You've given me a different perspective on this camera. Now, do I buy a GX8, or wait for the upgraded EM-1. Hmm.
+Dustinrhoades Thanks very much. Hmmm indeed! The GX8 isn't cheap but by the time a new Olympus comes up it will have come down in price. Trouble is there's no way of knowing how much an E-M2(?) will be or when it will come out. Not soon, I would have thought since Olympus are just about to upgrade the firmware of the E-M1 in a big way and if a new version was imminent they'd have put it on that instead. Mind you, Olympus don't even reply to my emails so I have no insider knowledge whatsoever! If you are happy with your present setup it might be good to wait.
If you're not, you might look at both an E-M1 and GX8 now. The E-M1 is a lot cheaper now than the GX8.
True. Olympus is announcing a new firmware update for the OMD 5 II and EM1. Mabye they're trying to buy themselves little time. Still, can't say my EM-1 leaves me wanting for much. It's like carrying a camera and a computer around with you all the time.
+Dustinrhoades I dind't realize you already had an E-M1. So you're not deprived, whatever happens, then :-)
I've been waiting for your thoughts on this camera, thank you for posting your video of GX8! I am watching it right now :)
+bajigurwedangronde That's quick! I hope you like it.
+David Thorpe I do like it! Your video helped me to understand the GX8 a bit more before I buy it. It's not yet available in my country but when it's available, no doubt I will buy it in a heartbeat. The weather-sealing, the faster continuous auto focus, the grip, the swivel screen, the new IBIS technology, and the slight bump in image quality, all tick the boxes in my checklist of which features to improve in GX7. Once again thanks for the video, and enjoy your GX8
Wonderful review - I've just purchased it based on your recommendation. I only have Olympus lenses at this point, so I'm glad that it has in-built stabilization, even if it's not at the level of the E-M5 Mark II. And the autofocus is faster than any other camera I've used.
Hi Tyrone - yes it's a pretty stunning all rounder. Glad you liked the review.
Fabulous review. I decided to purchase second hand on the basis of this.
Thanks for helping make up my mind about this camera. I ended up starting with the body, Pan 14-140mm f3.5, Pan 20mm f1.7, and the Oly FL-LM3 flash. So far I love it.
+Perpetual Journey Glad to hear that and glad I was helpful. Great outfit and very capable.
2024 and just bought this camera, what a beautifully crafted and performance packed camera. SUPER HAPPPY!
thanks,great review as always.most other reviewers seem to focus on video ,with a lot of them clearly not knowing very much technically about the camera,or lens .yours clear concise,and informative.thanks again
Glad to hear that -and thanks for telling me!
Just got myself a GX-8 after seeing your review. Appreciate your fair-balanced view of it.
+Vincent Wu Thanks Vincent!
just bought one. I enjoy the fit. the viewfinder. the customisation. it's got a big tag on it that says use me. I'm moving from a 7d which used to take a pounding as I took seascapes and landscape. I'm a little apprehensive about going microfourthirds for this. currently using 12-35 f2.8. ultimately anything that makes me get out and take pictures is going to help me get better. this does! thankyou very much for a very personable review.
Thanks Simon. I'm always strong on the point that a camera that feels right and makes you want to pick it up and use it is much more important than its sheer technical ability. The GX8 has both attributes to my mind, good to use and good performance. The S-AF is as fast as it gets with _any_ camera and down to really low light levels too. With so few moving parts compared to a DSLR, there is a built in hardiness which should take the rigours of your use. Canon build tough cameras, so I hope the GX8 doesn't disappoint. I don't think it will, both camera and lens being weather sealed. I've personally not had a Micro Four Thirds camera fail on me at all - having said that, I have a feeling I shouldn't have!
I got mine one week ago and I'm really impress with this camera.
Nice review.
+Hans Lewinnek Thanks Hans. Yes, impressed me too.
Hi David, excellent review and very informative. I was a Leica rangefinder camera owner who loved my Leicas but now welcome our new digital overlords. At the moment I am shooting more video than stills so the GH4 is the thing, but I do pine for a Leica-like rangefinder-style form factor and the GX8 may be the one for me, for MFT format at least. I would love to create a practice combining making documentaries with shooting documentary-style photographs and perhaps the best current combo would be the GX8 with a GH4 and maybe a GH5 (especially if it has great stabilization).
+angelaERDE I somehow doubt the GH5 will have great stabilization because the 4K generates so much heat. But makers seem to be doing technical miracles now, so who what do I know? One of my best photographer friends always had Leicas and he loved using them as much as I didn't. I think that apart from a few specialist applications like macro, manual focus, rangefinder or not, is becoming redundant because the he auto is so fast and accurate on these latest cameras. I have a little 12-32mm lens which doesn't have a focusing ring and I have yet to miss it.
One Leica thing I did really love was the gorgeous engineering and build quality. Like the Hasseblad, that German engineering made the cameras sexy, somehow.
I'm on a tight budget, and looking at the GX8 as my main camera for the future, some decent used ones about now at a fair price. I like shooting birds mostly. Would you still recommend it today?
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts David. I loved the Lord Vader sound clip, super cool and it made literally laugh out loud. I've been looking forward to your GX8 review, and now I may just go out and buy one. Panasonic should hire you!
i dont mean to be so off topic but does someone know of a tool to log back into an Instagram account..?
I somehow lost the account password. I would appreciate any tricks you can give me!
@Alexis Dante Instablaster =)
That's quite a superb review, I much enjoyed listening. Particularly like the slide-show style - instead of being forced to look at some geezer's punim for too long - and intelligent wording. Hope you'll be doing the GX80/ 85 sometime soon.
+Stef Hendrik Glad you like the videos, thanks Stef! I did put my punim on screen but I got too many love letters and marriage proposals from women all over the world, so I stopped :-) New word for me punim, I'll remember that one. I have a GX80 on order so that's in hand. Don't know when it will be available but I'm looking forward to it.
Damn you David!!! I've got a G7 now wondering if I need a GX8 lol. Great vids and love your dry humour.
+Ben Lister Thanks Ben!
Let me know I have the same dilemma exactly the same ....and i dont know
I am in the process of down-sizing (= replacing) my Canon DSLR equipment to MFT. So far the Olympus EM1 or EM5 II has been on top of my preference list. The GX8 is now number one as a consequence of this excellent review!
+Torsten Villnow Thanks Torsten. The E-M1 or E-M5ll would feel more DSLR like so worth trying one in store if you can. I prefer the E-M1 because the E-M5ll is too small for my taste. Of the E-M1 and GX8, I personally prefer the GX8 for its (in my opinion) better handling. To match the stabilization of the E-M1, you would need to use compatible Panasonic lenses that will use the dual stabilization function of the GX8.
All in all, if you like the feel of the GX8, that would be the one I'd go for, though in the final analysis I'd be happy with either.
Thank you David
Does the DFD focus scheme help focus lens such as the 20mm f/1.7 which is known to be a little slow (particularly in low light). Thank You
+123HURST No, not really. The slow(ish) focusing of the lens is due to the lens focus mechanism itself so any gain from DfD would be minimal. Nonetheless, the GX8 will make the 20mm focus as fast as it capable.
Superb review with nice details (Vader) and good explanations (form factor).
Keep up your good work!
+Andrea Thode Thanks Andrea!
David, at 1m43s you mention the left hand viewfinder "keeps your nose from choosing the focusing for you" - is that because you look through the viewfinder with your right eye ?
I'm *very* new to my GX8, had it a month or so and only now having time to learn how to use it. I'm overwhelmed by the complexity right now to be honest.
But...... as I was learning about the focussing and being able to use the rear screen, yes, if I view the EVF with my left eye (more natural) then I find my nose does touch the screen and change the focussing.....
I do know that Cartier-Bresson et al, users of the Leica, would use their right eye on the left hand viewfinder, to keep their left eye open and free to view their surroundings normally.
As I've purchased this camera for Street photography, would you suggest I now do my best to also employ that style of usage ?
Many thanks.
Ideally you'd have mirrored versions of rangefinder style cameras for left and right eyed people but the real world isn't like that and the majority right eyed people get the best of it! Yes, keeping one eye open is extremely useful and not too hard to get used to. I do it a lot. Sometimes if I really need to concentrate on something, I frame the subject (not too tightly) and look over the top of the camera with both eyes.
I'm afraid the complexity of these cameras overwhelms a lot of people. I work with Micro Four Thirds cameras all the time and I still have to look things up sometimes. I have a book on the GX8 (what a great camera!) here amzn.to/2hj1bsy (USA) and here amzn.to/2hfLiCI (UK)
Fantastic and well thought review. Thank you!
+CafeKraft I like the 'well thought out' - I sit down and work through my thoughts on a camera after a lot of use with it and 'well thought out' is exactly my aim. It's nice when it is noticed - thanks!
+David Thorpe gffffgff
Nice revisada gracias
Thanks for the review of the GX8 David it helped make my mind up to purchase the camera and the Panasonic Leica 100-400mm Lens took them out for a test drive yesterday to RSPB Bempton Cliffs and the results are brilliant. That's coming from Canon which I also love but health reasons I need lighter gear and this set up fits the bill perfectly.
Glad it helped, Kurt. The great big EVF on the GX8 is great with the 100-200 and I found the dual stabilization was more than good enough even for such a high mag lens. The weight of an outfit to perform a similar task a DSLR doesn't bear thinking about!
just LOVE this review!
didn't understand half of it (I'm no photographer) but you did a heck of a job explaining!
thank you
Photography ought to be fun, i reckon!
david thorpe thanks for the response because I have been thinking about the gx8 as a backup wedding camera and honestly I thought the high iso jpeg processing looked very digital and not grainy when i tried it at the camera store. I can deal with grain but I hate it when in camera jpegs look soft and digitilized if that makes sense. thanks again for replying
hi sir, how do you solve webbing caused by fungus inside the lense?
Can you manually set the aperture and focus in the movie mode?
+Steady Rolling Yes, all the modes including full manual are available in video, as is manual focus with peaking if required.
How usable is it in dimly lit areas without a built in flash? Would just raising the ISO and(or) slowing the shutter speed compensate?
+Rufus Leakin With an f/2 or better lesn, slow shutter and the high ISO capability there wouldn't be many situations the camera couldn't cope with hand held. It'll focus in those situations, too. Otheerwise, a tripod will enable shooting in any light. The only problem with that is that sometimes at low levels the quality of the light is poor, directional or shadowy, for example. Then, the only way is with flash or (possibly) an LED lamp. I do like to have a flash with me just in case and Panasonic really should have supplied a small one at this price, even if it has to be separate.
daive . can you tell us about
photojournalism ?
like pro and con
you're experience +++
i have the gx8 & g7 both fantastic, the only gripe with the gx8 is the 2.5mm mic jack! also just a point to note, my olly 40-150 2.8 'pro' lens has dies after just 5 months, i await to see what olympus have to say!!
Harry bunn, hope We also going to see some final thoughts from you :)
+Harry Bunn (GRVOTV) I don't know why they use that small jack, since there is room for an extra 1mm. I'm surprised about the Olympus zoom but it is (hopefully) a one -off. At least it is still under warranty.
well look on the bright side, the gx7 has no mic input at all!
+Marcus Nixon Not much of a bright side to those of us who own several mics with the standard 3.5mm plug. Just what we need - a 3.5mm to 2.5mm dangling around
might you get gx9 with 5 axis body dude
Great video!! Thank you!!! This was 2015, we are now in 2017. Which do you think is a better choice, especially for pictures... the GX8 or the G85???? Thank you again! Aloha!
Great video. I can't decide between the GX8 or the GH4.I will be shooting more stills than video. Any suggestions.
Thanks Darren - for mainly stills I'd be inclined to the GX8. The great EVF and the 20Mp sensor are a big attraction. The GH4 has more specialist video facilities and is an excellent stills camera too but the GX8 is more up to date. Very different designs but both are great handling, well laid out cameras. I do like the GX8's dedicated exposure compensation dial, too.
Very well spoken David...downsizing from my 5DMK3 to this camera.
Thanks Ewin! I hope you find the system change to your liking. I'm sure you will, actually. And that EVF will be a revelation!
An excellent and well considered review. I bought a GF6 and that sold me on the m43 format, soon I found myself lense swapping and bought a GX8. I must admit that the GF6 has had little use since. I wear reading glasses and it was always a bit of a juggling act using the large display on the GF6. The GX8 layout allows me to memorise the functions I use most and I also do not need glasses to use the excellent EVF. In my limited experience the EVF is better than an optical view finder. Another merit to the combination I use most (GX8 with the later 14-140mm lense) is bizarrely not the way the camera sees the subject but the opposite. People do not get intimidated so much by this diminutive little camera.
Thanks David. You're absolutely right about the intimidation factor. Also in public places where jobsworths are around, they see a big DSLR and think professional camera, you're up to no good. As we know, it's the results that count, not how they were obtained! I don't think there are many photograhers who, given the GX8's EVF to compare side by side with a DSLR optical finder would prefer the latter. Most people who say they don't like a modern EVF have never tried one.
Thanks for the reply, fortunately most of my pictures are landscapes or vehicles. In this modern society I am conscious that people are sensitive to the presence of cameras in various places. I just missed an opportunity to take some pictures of some derelict wooden boats, they were on private land but visible from public land. Something quite beautiful about the decay but despite them being there for decades I thought I may be mistaken for a busy body gathering evidence. Today I found the site has been bulldozed. On a lighter note there is something comical about a great big FF camera with battery grip making a pub band forget the words part way through a song!
As you obviously know, if something is visible from a public place, even if it is on private property, you are perfecty entitled to photograph it. We seem to be diving head first into a society that believes that everyone is a criminal until they prove they're not.
That pub band must have felt guilty about something. I wonder what they'd been up to? :-)
Any idea why Panny lags behind Olympus in IBIS?
+datapro007 The very highest bit rate video shooting generates a lot of heat on the sensor, so requires substantial heat sinks. That makes it heavy. The very best IBIS requires a light sensor that can move nimbly. The two are to some extent incompatible . Panasonic has always attached more importance to vieo than Olympus, hence the disparity. Things are moving on though and the Olympus E-M5ll with its amazing stabilization will work with 70mbps while the GX8 combines digital and sensor stabilization to its higher bit rate FHD video though nopt 4K which really does generate a lot of heat.
+David Thorpe That makes sense. Thank you.
9:54 there he is! The man himself :-) Looking at the GX9 for "B roll" and rumour has it there'll be a GM5 replacement in the near future - I *cannot* wait for that. Those are impossible to come by in mint condition and a bit outdated, too.
Not me, it's a doppelganger! I'll be interested to see a GM5 type - I was amazed they weren't big sellers when they came out.
@@DavidThorpeMFT Yeah, me too, but you didn't hear it from me. I was harassing a local Panasonic sales department begging for NOS GM5 stock and kept pushing on them, but they said nothing, cough.
Does the camera turn off by heating when recording in 4K ?, is there any way to record more than 15 min in 4k?
No, there are no firmware hacks for the GX8 that I know of so unfrotunately the recording limitation has to be lived with. The camera will turn off if it overheats i any mode.
love your reviews, i'm trying to find a camera I can match up with my jvc gy-ls300 (M4/3). I want it to have 4k capability and be able to use rokinon m4/3 lens. this might be a good option with out breaking the bank.
I will be purchasing this over a EM5II as my first MFT. Thank you for the great video.
+Chi Guy Glad it was useful!
David is time laps available on this camera and how is it done.
If only more camera reviews were as concise as this. Nicely done. Though I still am getting a headache deciding between GX8 and EM5 II.
Thanks! It _is_ a difficult choice.
I went for the GX8. I previously tried a TZ80 and liked the 4k photo burst mode also found on the GX8. That sealed the deal. But I could only sell the idea to myself by buying an OM10 and a bunch of film too.
Thanks David, another great review.
I've owed the Olympus OM-d EM5 ii and LOVE the camera (when its working properly)
Since purchasing Olympus in July, it's been sent back to Olympus TWICE!!!!....in fact just again yesterday.
My issues are a blank LCD and now it won't power off....
I say all of this to say, As soon it returns from repair.....I'm TRADING it in for the Panasonic.
I can live without the 5 axis stabilization.
+Darryl Harris That's a shame about the E-M5ll. I've had a few people mentioning breakdowns of Olympus gear lately. I do hope it isn't a quality control matter but just a normal failure rate. There'll always be some faulty cameras out of the vast number made but two with one camera doesn't look good and it'd shake my trust in its reliability. The GX8 should be a decent replacement for the Olympus, very, very different in feel. I hope you like it as much as I do. I actually like everything about the E-M5ll.....except the size and therefore handling.
Thank you David for your enjoyable and helpful review. Since the announcement of the upcoming Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm F4-6.3 lens I have been looking for the most suitable camera body to pair with it. That lens is very tempting for my wildlife and airshow use. I handled a GX8 in store yesterday and was quite impressed by it. The EVF looks really good as does the touchscreen. It fits my hand well and the controls seem well placed. I plan to use the GX8 and 100-400 along with my current Sony A6000 and 16-70 F4 Sony Zeiss zoom which I rate highly.
+Barry Pate The GX8 and the new 100-400 will go together very well since they'll integrate their stabilization systems.What will work well with such a long lens will be the touch screen focusing while using the EVF. Focusing should be pretty slick, too.
+David Thorpe Thank you for the reply David. I have been viewing some of your other videos. Really good viewing and most interesting.
+Barry Pate Thanks Barry.
I heard that gx8 has 49 focus point , question is it has good and fast focusing when taking video ? Especially when we take an object closer to the lens and back to our face..and compare to olympus pen f in fast focusing , which one wins over ?
Both the GX8 and Pen F have decent C-AF in video. It intentionally isn't fast with either because fast focus changes with video look really awful. Most videographers use manual focus where possible but otherwise S-AF and a half press on the button will change the focus point.
Does the double stabilization work in 4K video mode?
+Tecnovlog No, just the lens OIS in 4K. You have lens + digital stabilization in FHD but video doesn't use the sensor stabiization at all.
David Thorpe too bad... i hope in the GH5
Hello David and thank you for your review. Which lenses in your opinion are best paired with this camera for depth of field and bokeh? I believe the four thirds sensor is not quite as good in this field as a DSLR. It's important in my work. Thank you
+RCPHOTOMAN If you are looking for shallow depth of field as your _main_ consideration you would be better staying with your DSLR. For shallow depth of field on MFT, you really just need any lens faster than f/2 and 25mm or more. That will be a prime. But the smaller sensor of MFT means that for a given focal length you will be twice as far away as with a DSLR and therefore inevitably have more depth of field. It's all a balance and if you want smaller size cameras and (especially) lenses there is a price to pay. For me MFT hits the best balance and more DoF is just as much an advantage as disadvantage. but - no magic bullet, unfortunately.
+David Thorpe Thank you for your reply David. Your findings with MFT are much appreciated.
I have watched this video too many times! I originally bought a GX8 about 3 years ago, loved it and it’s deceptive simplicity. So, in mid 2019 I am tempted by a G9 but an absolutely mint GX8 appeared, I didn’t find the GX9 persuaded me either so I now have another GX8. They are still a great camera for my purposes, great handling and that super EVF. Subjectively I have been amazed by the IBIS though some of my lenses do co-operate to do DUAL IS. Unfortunately as a hobbyist there is temptation to buy different formats in search of some sort of holy grail, what my camera needs most is to be taken out on adventures, it might be safe stashed in a Pelican case but it doesn’t take good pictures in there...
The GX8 is a great camera and its spec is still bang up to date. I couldn't agree more about the temptation to try different formats - it's far more productive to actually go out and take pictures. When you're stuck, new equipment is very rarely the answer. Because of my long experience with cameras and their professional use, I don't suffer from that with photography. However, as a hobbyist/ enthusiast guitar player, I am constantly having to talk myself out of searching for a holy grail. I have a bog standard instrument and convince myself that my playing would be better if only I had this or that...then I bring myself back to earth (somewhat unwillingly) by remembering that some of the greatest players spent their entire career playing the bog standard instrument that is apparently impeding my progress. It's a human condition, I suppose.
David Thorpe, I can think of plenty of examples of that compulsion. Your video has persuaded me that I should use my function buttons! Keep up the great videos!
Will it take an external mic via either 2.5mm or 3.5mm jack?
Yes, 2.5mm.
@@DavidThorpeMFT Thanks.
Carcassonne, such an impressive sight. Took my breath away the first time I saw it.
Yes, fantastic. Especially from a distance where you can see the way it sits on the top of the hill.
Thanks David for another great review! If I could wish for something in a future review, it would be very helpful if you could add some pauses of, say, 1/2 sec or so between the statements, so that you have a chance to assimilate all your great findings. Thanks!
+Hans-Göran Puke I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks.
I wonder if you can help me with this as I can't find an answer in the GX8 handbook. Saturday I was photographing frogs and was attempting to use a elichrom wireless flash setup. The flash wouldn't fire with the wireless hotshoe transmitter. I could not access the flash settings in the record menu as it was greyed out and the display shows forced flash off symbol. I have checked the following which the handbook says would make the camera have flash off and none apply. Camera was set to - no 4K, no filters, electronic shutter off and silent mode off. So I ended up using my GX7 which worked fine. Later I put my small flash in the hotshot of the GX8 and as soon as I turned it on, the flash section in the record mode came on and the flash fired, as soon as I turned the flash off, in the record menu the flash section greyed out again . However whilst the flash section was operative on the GX8 with the small hotshot flash the firing modes were still greyed out. I'm at a loss. Any help would be appreciated
With the transmitter in place and on, have you set Wireless Mode ON on P2 of the Flash menu?
The transmitter doesn't have a on off switch but when attached to the camera it doesn't allow access to the flash menu. The transmitter is a part of the a Godox DE300 flash kit. However this problem also existed when i attempted this with a Elinchrom set up
Micro Four Thirds has its own standard for flash operation, so any accessory would have to conform to that. I use a small flash on the GX8 to trigger remote flashes via infra red, which is the standard way.
OK that makes sense. What flash do use for firing Studio flash via infra red
hi, does the em5 ii flash work ok on the gx8, i tried one and it does not function?
+Harry Bunn (GRVOTV) Hi Harry - mine worked, though it doesn't lock. There's tiny lip of plastic stopping the flash pushing fully home, which if shaved off would allow the lock. This 4 contact fitting is the new standard. I just shoved it _firmly_ home switched it on and it worked fine.
Hello David, is this the best backup body for the EM1? Or do you know anything about an update for the EM1?
By the way, the combo 40-150 2.8 with the 1.4 convertor is brilliant. I am shooting handheld at 1600 ISO at 210mm at one half second and getting use able pics. At 1/100 s they are dead sharp.
+Steinar Knai Hi Steinar - I'm inclined to think that an updated E-M1 is some way off because Olympus are rolling out an extensive firmware upgrade this month to include an electronic shutter facility among other goodies. Yes, the big zoom and converter is a superb combination and although there is some image degradation (laws of optics) I find it imperceptible in practice.
The GX8 would make an excellent second body though I strongly suspect that you might find yourself using it just as often as the E-M1. I have!
+David Thorpe This is a little off subject, but I happened to listen to a video by Tony Nortrop who claims that a MFT lens with an f 1.7 light gathering capability is equivalent to a FF lens at f3.4 in terms of overall light gathering capability. Is this really true? I thought the light gathering capability was what it was, i.e. f1.7, but that the depth og field of course is different. In other words; is my Olympus 12-40 f2.8 equivalent to a Nikon 24-70 at f5.6? I did not think so!
+Steinar Knai This is an argument put forward by people who like to make simple things complicated. Your Olympus 12-40 lens is not equivalent to anything. It is an f/2.8 lens made for MFT cameras and works exactly as expected and paid for. However, a sensor 4x the area of the MFT standard, 36x24 mm will require 4x the amount of light for a given exposure just as a bucket 4x the size of another will require 4x the amount of water to fill it. Quite what relevance that has to a photographer I do not know. 125th @ f/17 on an MFT camera gives you the same photographic result as 125th@f/1.7 on a 36x24 sensor.
The stupidity of this argument comes about because the 36x34mm sensor has become some sort of tokenistic perfection for photographic pontificators. You'd never think that it came about simply because it was the only frame size that Oscar Barnack could get easily for his miniature camera. Applied to a 12x9cm camera such as I trained with, which has more than 12 times the area of 'full frame', a f/1.7 'FF' lens becomes the equivalent of something like an f/11. This is as relevant to the equivalence argument as MFT to FF. Or irrelevant. Once they argued about how many angels could dance on the head of a pin. Now the priests of pointless talk about equivalence. It's like judging a musical instrument by how loud it is. You could go on forever but it's just shouting down a well.
The bottom line is, any lens that covers its intended format is a full frame lens. Just stick it on the camera, point it in the desired direction and take a picture.
+David Thorpe Thank you for confirming the stupidity of the argument made by Northop. 😀
Good, detailed analysis, David!
Just one question: I had the camera for a day and realized my shots (all RAW) were consistently less sharp than the ones I took with GH3 with added stabilization and even sharper lens (Nocticron with the GX8 vs. 35-100 f2.8 with the GH3), so I wonder if you have experienced the same or maybe it was a problem of that particular unit (though I have seen pictures in other online reviews that seem to have this same issue of lack of fine sharpness at 100%). All other aspects of the camera seemed great, but this one aspect was enough to make me return it.
+Gonzalo Broto It sounds like you were getting the much documents 'shutter shock' effect, a slight (but at 100% noticeable) double imaging caused by the s'slamming shut' action of the mechanical shutter. It occurs with all cameras (including DSLRs) but seems especially noticeable with MFT cameras maybe because of their lower body mass. Olympus have a special shutter mode to cope with it but with Panasonic all you can do is use the e_shutter (I do 95% of the time) or avoid shutter speeds between 1/60th and 1/350th or so. It's possible that it is more noticeable still with the GX8 because the extra pixel count highlights it more.
As a result of your coment I've just looked at some of my RAWs in Lightroom at 200% and certainly my pix with it are just as sharp as any other MFT body. An important point you've raised here, thanks.
+David Thorpe Thanks for your fast and detailed answer, David, though I also used the e-shutter since I was aware of the issue and it didn't solve the issue. It was not a night and day scenario, but the pictures were clearly less sharp with the GX8, so I'm not really sure what happened.
+Gonzalo Broto I'm not sure either. Maybe a faulty camera but since the image you are seeing and focusing is straight off the sensor it is hard to see what it could be. Mine is certainly not less sharp with any lens than any of my other cameras. Maybe someone has some ideas?
What would the performance be if you want to photograph/film moving things like aircraft?
An aircraft would likely be at infinity focus, so you could lock focus there and then the shoot as fast as the camera was able. AFC is very capable these days on Micro Four Thirds cameras. You can see in my review how good the GX8 is and essentially all the Panasonics are to this standard. The Olympus E-M1 Mkll with its phase detection focusing would be best for low light fast moving subjects like ice hockey but that's pretty specialist.
You make a good point in your reviews! I enjoy them. Man, I'm so torn between the GX8 and the PEN-F. No one seems to mention an increase of resolution between the GX7 and 8. The GX7 had a notably lower detail resolution than other 16mp m43 cameras. That always annoys me when I shoot with my two GX7s. In my studio I use my Pen E-PL5 due to the higher detail resolution. No one also mentions whether the WiFi reach has been increased because the GX7's WIFi is appalling. I step 2m away from the camera with my iPhone, I turn my back to the camera and I start to lose connection. My previous E-M1s gave me around 30m of reach and it was great.
+lesdeth12 It's odd that the GX7 has restricted wireless range. The GMs, GHs and now the GX8 have the usual range, up to about 10 metres, I find. Like you, 2-2.5 metres and the GX7 starts to run out. The upcoming GX80 has the GX7 sensor but with the low pass filter removed so I imagine that was the reason for the lesser resolution. For studio use, it might be useful to bear in mind that the GX8 can be mains powered.
David, nice review thanks. quick question re wireless flash; the gx7 uses its own flash as a wireless trigger, so what will the gx8 use?
+Marcus Nixon It'll use the little flash from the GM5 or any standard MFT hot shoe fitting which is the four pins and locking pin at the front. Panasonic seem to have had an Olympus moment with the flash - like Olympus not supplying a lens hood with their primes - and I can't help thinking that the aggravation caused will cost them more than the petty price of a tiny flash.
I've got a Metz flash which I use wirelessly with the gx7, just didn't want to have to buy another one just to re-enable the wireless flash functionality.
+Marcus Nixon I have a Metz flash which I use wirelessly too. I have used the little flash from my GM5 with the GX8 and any flash that will work properly with an MFT show will do the trick. But essentially you have to buy a hotshoe flash, There aren't any triggers available as far as I know. Pathetic, really.
+David Thorpe yeah, seems a backwards step to me mate
Hello David! Your friend across the pond here in Utah. Brilliant review. I was wondering when you would add your Vader voice to the GX8 reviews! I was curious about the camera and rented it for a couple of days. We visited the Grand Escalante in the southern part of Utah which is gorgeous. I was shooting with the 8 and the GX7 simultaneously. What I found was I loved the ergonomics of the 8, the weight to me was fine. The EVF was a big upgrade over the 7. Focus, notably faster and the 4K mode, when I figured it out was great. Worked the images in LR 6 and I saw a slight improvement over the 7, not much. I've shot with everything since the G1 and I see this camera as a great companion to the GX7. I still love my GX7 and will keep it. I will sell my GH2/GH3 and a lens so I can buy the GX8.
+Mark Seawell Ho mark. Yes, as I said, the IQ is only marginally better than the GX7 but that is pretty good given the increased pixel count. GX7 and GX8 would make a very good pairing and ideal for travel photography.
David Thorpe Indeed. I this is a lovely camera and will definitely buy it!
Are you going to review the Pen-F soon? I wanna see what you think in comparison to the GX8. My concern of the Pen-F is the small size & not being able to get a grip on it while the GX8 has a Great grip.
+Cody Robinson I'm putting it together now. I'm going to review the Pen F and then do a more in depth comparison of the two cameras. They are very much the same and yet very different at the same time.
+David Thorpe Can't wait David :) Nobody has done a direct comparison video online yet :)
Another great video David.
+Paul H Thanks, Paul!
Hi again, any comments on the Post Focus and what it will do on the GX8 ?
+Steinar Knai Basically it shoots a sequence of 8Mp images in 4K Photo Mode, altering the fucus point in each one. You can then, afterwards, pick the one that has the focus point you deem best. You could do it yourself even in RAW by shooting a series of pictures altering the focal distance a little each time and then picking the best one afterwards. They would have to be tripod mounted pix to get useful results.
The new mode will will make it possible to shoot handheld, by shooting 30 frames in a second while altering focus. It'll be better in that results will be consistent and more easily manipulated but you are stuck with limited resolution. I think that photographers will come up with some innovative uses for this. They usually do!
Hi David,
Thanks for the review. Any plans to write a Simplified Menu guide for the GX8?
If so, when will it be available?
+Umer Nalla Hi Umer - I'm doing it now. Very complicated! Should be with a couple of weeks.
+David Thorpe Thanks for the reply.
That is one less reason why I should not to upgrade to a GX8 and stick to my GX7....
+Umer Nalla :-)
+David Thorpe Just ordered mine. Look forward to your book - happy to proof read and will still buy once ready.
You always do great and informative reviews, thank you.
+Hanzilla75 Thanks!
Great video David. Perhaps off-topic here but were some of these pictures taken in Collioure, France or around that area?
+Mr Gijs Thanks! The pix, not too far away. They are mostly in Carcassonne, with a few around Limoux.
Very late to this party.. :-) Just bought an excellent used GX8 and already have David Thorpe's book on this camera at hand. As a retired diesel mechanic with xl hands and tired of fumbling with a diminutive low end Oly, the GX8's size will find a new home for Oly's glass.
Panasonic still has this camera on offer at considerably more than the G9 here in the US.
Camera costs get a bit out of kilter sometimes, don't they? The GX8's size and layout are ideal for anyone with larger hands and in terms of IQ the GX8 is little, if any different from the G9. Great EVF and ergonomics, too.
Absolute Fanfare for the Common Man. Just think of the pictures & films u could of taken if u had this camera when they were in their hey day. Your an ole' rocker David, just a bit of fun, so who am I talking about & did u ever get take any pictures of one my favorite bands on your side of the pond? Great review as always.
+sski66 Honestlt, I'd have thought I'd gone to heaven if this kind of gear was about when I was earning my daily crust from cameras. Who was your favourite band? I saw and photographed so many but The Who were a stunning act on stage. But then there's AC/DC. And Paul McCartney. And Neil Young. It just goes on. We get a lot of American bands at my blues club, Buddy Whittington is a favourite and Skinny Molly to name a couple of my favourites. They are always impressive, really tight and they pay attention to detail, little touches that lift them out of the ordinary.
David Thorpe Haha, ok I thought the hint of "Fanfare for the Common Man" & "your side of the pond" was a decent hint for the riddle. I was referring to (ELP), Emerson, Lake & Palmer, they did a great cover of "Fanfare," I believe it was on their album called "Works". There one of my favorite bands, & 3 of the most talented musicians I ever had the pleasure of seeing & hanging out with @ the after party. I will admit they are an acquired taste.
+sski66 That was a bit thick of me, I must say. yes, ELP. That was a great cover of the Fanfare. They were very popular this side of the water and still performing as far as I know. I had a couple of their albums, though they've got lost somewhere in moving house a few times. I wonder how many of today's bands will still be going after more than 40 years?
David Thorpe Thick of u, no, not @ all, there not the first band on peoples minds. Yeah that is a good question, how many bands will still be around 40 years from now...I'd have to say even if there is bands our children or our kids kids will be talking about it still won't be as impressive I think for the simple reason of technology, Facebook & the like. Just think when u were covering shows u couldn't just pull out the ole' computer & say ok Muddy Waters is going to be here this week, there next month, & so on. I think we had to work a lot harder just to find out were they were playing, haha. Anyway nice talk David & happy shooting. O I'm curious, how come u didn't like shooting with Leica? Just didn't like the feel or the way they worked, or was it picture quality?
+sski66 The Leica, no picture quality was fantastic and those Leitz lenses had a very special quality, lots of detail but without looking contrasty like Nikon optics. I just found the rangefinder focusing clunky and the cameras suitable only to the lenses they naively had the brightline image for, 35mm for the M2 and 50mm for the M3.. I had a mate who swore by his Leicas and I loved the quality and feel of them but as a working camera they lacked versatility. I found the Nikon F just as quick to focus and while in theory you could focus in lower light than with the F, with the Leica it depended on there being something with a suitable shape near where you wanted to focus.
I am curious in 4k30 how long does record?Also how good is it battery life?
Battery life is similar to most mirrorless cameras at around 300+ shots though I use the e shutter and expet to get double that. using the battery carefully. Video, it'll record for about 2-2.5 hrs on one battery. It'll record video in 4Gb chunks but there's no limitation otherwise.
@@DavidThorpeMFT Thanks
Another great review. Seriously thinking of buying one of these for use when I get too weak to lift my Nikon D800 with a 24-70 mm lens!
Thanks Gordon. Yes, some people think the GX8 is too big but that's only by Micro Four Thirds standards. By others it is compact.
Excellent review. I have a GM1 thinking of adding this to the line up. Any comment on picture quality difference between the two? I'm hoping not just improvements on camera experience but also better pics and better low light pics. I'm sure there are I just would like to hear your opinion on it. Cheers!
+Brad Satz The GX7, GM1 and GH4 all have the same sensor as far as I recall. The GX8 has more pixels but very similar performance, so it is a case of something for nothing in a way. Downsampling to 16Mp from 20Mp gives better noise performance, of course, so in that sense the GX8's performance is better.
+David Thorpe Thanks for the reply! I look forward to your future uploads and posts!
Hi David! I'm having a bit of a drama trying to decide between the GX8 or the Olympus EM-5 Mark II. I recently purchased a GX-80 and I do like it but there's something not quite sitting right with me and I'm not sure what it is. Could you please give your opinion on which camera I should go for? I will hardly ever film video so that isn't a contender, this is purely for stills. I look forward to your response!
Forgot to add that this will mainly be used as travel/street photography! So I like how relatively small both of these are in comparison to say a G80
Reading between the lines, it looks to me as if you may just not like the rangefinder style camera body shared by the GX80 and the GX8. I'd point to a coupe of other factors which may influence your decision. While the GX8 has a 20Mp sensor and the Olympus 16Mp, it makes no real difference to your results. The 20Mp is nice to have but certainly wouldn't be a factor in my choice. The GX8 also has the better EVF. Again, nice to have but the E-M5 II has a very good EVF and the difference between the two is only seeable side by side. The E-M5 II has in its favour better stabilization than the GX8 and in my opinion is as good as stabilization needs to be. It is also more compact and for many people the DSLR layout feels much more natural. The biggest downside of the Olympus for me is their menu system but others love it so that may be just personal.
It all tilts to the E-M5 II as your choice, I think.
David thorpe at high iso were you shooting raw or jpeg?
+seanimal3 I always shoot RAW. When I use the high ISO pix on the videos I apply no noise reduction beyond the touch I use as standard (it's the Lightroom default) on 200ISO images and I apply no sharpening whatsover. Obviously, the downsampling from 5000px wide to 1920 loses a bit of noise anyway ( no way to stop that). But even for my own use with 3200 or 6400 ISO images I only apply enough color noise reduction to turn the coloured speckles to grey. I much prefer noise to detail loss and I don' find the RAW images, Panasonic or Olympous, need extra sharpening anyway.
hi David I have A G7 and was going to sell it and get the GH4. however many people are saying the the G7 has better low light capability. so now I am looking at the G80 or GX8 as my video camera mainly because they have in body stabilization and that is important to me , which I why I am not looking at the GH4. I basically want to do documentary work and want to up my game in video. would you recommend the G80 or GX8 or do you believe I should still consider the GH4. I am on a limited budget which is why the GH5 is not a consideration any advice would be truly appreciated as I am now completely confused. thanks JF
Great vid as always!
I see you have the Olympus 17mm 1.8 mounted on the GX8 here. How is in the autofocus in video mode? I currently have the Olympus 17mm 2.8 lens and even though I love this lens for traveling, the autofocus doesn't seem to work on video mode on the GX8.
Thanks! The 17mm f/1.8 works very well for video or anything else on the GX8. It was designed with silent focusing and video in mind so no worries.
Hello,
does the Olympus M. zuiko 25mm f1.2 lens fit to the GX8 ?
Yes, it does. Micro Four Thirds is more than a sensor size, it's a standard covering all the root specifications of the equipment. For that reason, any item of equipment sold as Micro Four Thirds will work with any other. You can't put a Nikon lens on a Canon body or vice versa but you can put an Olympus lens on a Panasonic or vice versa. Or Sigma, or Meike or Voigtlander and many others.
Thank you very much, i thought it because i heard that not all of them fit, so thanks a lot for the Answer ^^
David, a question on build quality. I bought a new GX8 two weeks ago and one thing concerns me about the display panel. When fully folded against the body, either reversed or ready for use, my display has a very small amount of movement from top to bottom (vertically), a couple of millimetres only. This worries me (a little) because over time, the screen will probably be brushed against when putting into a bag, and even with your thumb when handling the camera. I phoned Panasonic and the woman I spoke to claimed it was 'normal' and the one she had to hand was the same. I asked about the GH4, and so she got one and claimed that was the same! I wonder if you have noticed this at all?
I just tried it. My GX8 is the same, so is the G80 and the E-M1 Mkll. it's as you say, a couple of mills, a tiny bit less on the Olympus so it must just be acceptable play in the hinges. I hadn't noticed it before, I should add.
Thank you, David. I have never owned a camera with a fold out display before. As you say, it must be 'acceptable play' in the hinges - which is what Panasonic said to me. I found myself wondering why they had not designed in a tiny lip at the bottom to fully secure the display! I also bought an Olympus OMD EM5 mark 1, which was sold as 'mint' but was actually brand new (£210) Amazing quality! My first Olympus. As I was about to register my new Olympus 45mm on their website, I thought I'd try and register the EM5. It allowed me to register for the full 2-year warranty. I bought the EM5 from Camera Jungle, London. I'm not connected in any way, but your subscribers might be interested. Fantastic review, as always. I have been looking at your reviews for a couple of years now and after initially buying, then selling, my original Panasonic and switching to Fuji, I decided to return to MFT. I could not have found the necessary discernment required in understanding the essential differences in digital photography - not the dull spec sheets, without your in-depth reviews. What little I thought I knew was based on my use of my Canon SLRs from the mid 70s.
Thanks for the kind words, Paul. That E-M5, it is often forgotten what a bargain the 'old' model becomes after the new one has been out while. That's an absurdly good camera for the price of an ordinary compact. That's 45mm is a little gem, it really is.
Does this have an internal mono or stereo video mic?
Tyia
It's stereo. I think it is standard on all Micro Four Thirds cameras now.
Great review, pacing, and narration. Thank you.
+ZER0 OPS Great to hear that, thank you!
Hey, we use the same OP/TECH strap system on our cameras.
+Peichen01 I like being able to plug and unplug them at will but also they are soft on the wrist. Good prices, too.