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PANASONIC LUMIX G85 4K Mirrorless Camera, with 12-60mm Power O.I.S. Lens, Dual I.S. 2.0, 16 Megapixels, 3 Inch Touch LCD
Purchase options and add-ons
Brand | Panasonic |
Model name | Panasonic Lumix G85 |
Photo Sensor Size | Micro Four Thirds |
Image stabilization | Dual |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds |
Minimum shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds |
Metering description | Center-Weighted Average, Multiple, Spot |
Exposure control type | aperture-priority, shutter-speed-priority, manual-and-automatic |
Form factor | Compact |
Effective still resolution | 16 |
About this item
- Less bulky than a DSLR, the LUMIX G85 is the compact 4K video-enabled Micro Four Thirds Mirrorless (DSLM) camera with true-to-life photo image quality
- Class leading 5-axis body stabilization that when mated to LUMIX 2-axis optically stabilized lenses for a “Dual IS” effect
- 4K Video recording at 30p/24p 100 Mbps plus a 3. 5mm port for external microphones. (Full HD 60p 28Mbps). Flash type TTL Built-in-Flash, GN9. 0 equivalent (ISO200 ・m) / GN6. 2 equivalent (ISO100 ・m), Built-in Pop-up (Reference)
- Weather sealed splash proof and dustproof, rugged enough to withstand even the most challenging environments
- 16-Megapixel MFT eliminates the need for low-pass sensor filters while boosting fine detail resolving power sensor
- Recording file format: Still image - JPEG (DCF, Exif 2. 3), RAW, MPO (When attaching 3D lens in Micro Four Thirds system standard) ; Motion picture - AVCHD (Audio format: Dolby Digital 2ch), MP4 (Audio format: AAC 2ch)
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Product details
- Batteries : 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included)
- Is discontinued by manufacturer : No
- Product Dimensions : 7.44 x 12.85 x 8.89 cm; 503.49 Grams
- Date First Available : Sept. 19 2016
- Manufacturer : Panasonic
- Place of Business : AIRMONT, NY, 10952 US
- ASIN : B01M050N05
- Item model number : DMC-G85MK
- Best Sellers Rank: #39,142 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
- #42 in Compact System Cameras
- Customer Reviews:
Top Brand: Panasonic
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This Item PANASONIC LUMIX G85 4K Mirrorless Camera, with 12-60mm Power O.I.S. Lens, Dual I.S. 2.0, 16 Megapixels, 3 Inch Touch LCD | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
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Price | $937.17$937.17 | $998.00$998.00 | $1,349.00$1,349.00 | $949.94$949.94 | $1,088.02$1,088.02 | -35% $1,049.00$1,049.00 List: $1,607.99 |
Delivery | Get it Apr 2 - 8 | Get it by Wednesday, Mar 27 | Get it by Wednesday, Mar 27 | Get it by Wednesday, Mar 27 | Get it Apr 2 - 9 | Get it Apr 2 - 8 |
Customer ratings | ||||||
Image stabilization | 4.7 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.1 | — | — |
Picture quality | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.3 | 4.8 | — | — |
Auto focus | 3.8 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 | — | — |
Sold by | EP Pro!! | 123-easyship | 123-easyship | Amazon.ca | Layger | Camera Canada |
display type | LCD | OLED | LCD | LCD | LCD, OLED | LCD |
display size | 3 inches | — | 3 inches | 3 inches | 3 inches | 3 inches |
lens type | Fisheye | Telephoto | Telephoto | Telephoto | Zoom | Telephoto |
zoom type | Optical | Digital Zoom | Digital Zoom | — | — | — |
shooting modes | Expressive & Retro & Old Days & High Key & Low Key & Sepia & Monochrome & Dynamic Monochrome & Rough Monochrome & Silky Monochrome & Impressive Art & High Dynamic & Cross Process & Toy Effect & Toy Pop & Bleach Bypass & Miniature Effect & Soft Focus & Fantasy & Star Filter & One Point Color & Sunshine | Automatic | Movie | Movie | — | Automatic |
connectivity tech | USB, HDMI | HDMI | USB | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, HDMI, USB | Wi-Fi | HDMI |
video resolution | 2160p | 2160p | 2160p | 4320p | 4K UHD 2160p | 2160p |
optical zoom | 5 multiplier x | — | 0 multiplier x | 0 multiplier x | 3 multiplier x | 0 multiplier x |
Looking for specific info?
From the manufacturer
Overview
The Panasonic LUMIX G85 offers over 27 LUMIX compact lens options built on the next-generation interchangeable lens camera standard (Micro Four Thirds) pioneered by Panasonic. Its “mirrorless” design enables a lighter, more compact camera body that includes cutting-edge video, audio, creative controls, wireless, intelligent-focusing, gyro sensor control in body image stabilization and exposure technologies not possible with traditional DSLRs. And with the exclusive LUMIX 4K Ultra HD video pause and export as a 4K PHOTO mode, you’ll never again miss that one shot that perfectly captures a scene.
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Keeps Pace With Your PhotographyWhen life's adventures take you places, you need a camera that keeps up. Photographer Mitchell Kanashkevich took the LUMIX G85 on a journey to Romania. Perfect for outdoor shooting, the Dual Image Stabilizer helped him take crisper, clearer images in difficult and fast-moving environments, while the compact, weather-sealed body and kit lens improved flexibility wherever he went. See the difference a LUMIX G85 makes on your adventures, too. |
5-Axis Gyro Sensor CompensationWith the LUMIX G85, a new gyro sensor increases the image stability compensation power of the 5-Axis Body image stabilization to correct hand-shake for all lenses, including classic lenses not equipped with optical image stabilization. |
Dual I.S. Effective To 5 StopsThe LUMIX G85 integrates 5-Axis Dual I.S.2 (Image Stabilizer)*, combining 5-axis body and 2-axis lens stabilization for more effective handshake correction and compensation for shots up to 5 f-stops**. The 5-axis stabilization works in both wide and telephoto photography and motion picture recording, including 4K Video. * 5-Axis Dual I.S. 2 works when attaching compatible lenses. . Firmware update of the lens is also required. ** Based on the CIPA standard [Yaw/Pitch direction: focusing distance f=50-140mm (35mm film camera equivalent f=100-280mm), when H-FS14140 is used.] |
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A Rugged Sealed BodyRugged enough to withstand even the most challenging environments, the splash/dustproof body gives you the flexibility and freedom to never stop exploring. The thick, ergonomically designed grip provides stable shooting even with one hand. |
4K Photo - Never Miss That ShotLUMIX-pioneered 4K PHOTO lets you capture the perfect moment by selecting single frames from a 4K video sequence shot at a blistering 30fps to save as individual high-res images. |
Extend Your Battery LifeProlong battery life to approximately 800–900* images with a power-saving eye sensor that detects when your eye moves away from the viewfinder and automatically enter Sleep mode. * When the time to enter Sleep mode is set to 3 sec. |
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A Grip On PowerShoot longer with two batteries — one in the camera, the other in the optional battery grip (DMW-BGG1). The grip also makes handling the camera more comfortable, even in vertical angle shooting and it perfectly matches the camera's rugged splash/dustproof design. |
Shoot Now, Focus LaterEnjoy the creative freedom of being able to decide what you want in focus, even after you shoot. Exclusive POST FOCUS mode gives you the power to review an image and touch the area you'd like to be pinpoint sharp. What's more, a new Focus Stacking feature lets you easily select several focus points in the same image. |
Shutter Shock ReductionThe LUMIX G85 includes a new electromagnetic drive in the shutter unit. The shock caused by movement of the shutter diaphragm is dramatically reduced and the shutter sound is significantly minimized. Together with the use of a new solid magnesium front panel, shutter shock is reduced by approximately 90% compared with the LUMIX G7. |
DFD - Ultra High Speed FocusingThanks to the DFD (Depth From Defocus) technology that instantly calculates distance to subject by evaluating two images with different sharpness levels, ultra-high-speed AF and 6-fps burst shooting with AFC, and 9-fps burst shooting with AFS is possible. The compatibility of the UHS-II SDXC/SDHC Memory Card and increased buffer memory elevate the maximum number of recordable images in consecutive shooting up to 300 (JPEG) / 45 (RAW) or more. |
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What You See Is What You GetThe Live View Finder with 0.74X (35mm equiv.) magnification ratio gives you the freedom to frame your shot and capture everything you see. Plus, 2360K-dot high resolution and approximately 100% color reproduction provides high visibility under any circumstances. |
True-to-Life DetailThe 16-megapixel Digital Live MOS sensor with no low pass filter helps capture sharper images with more detail. |
Impressive Color ReproductionShoot true-to-life images with excellent resolution, high contrast and impressive color reproduction. Removing the Low Pass Filter improves quality by approximately 10%* while the Venus Engine designed for the LUMIX G85 detects high-frequency components to suppress the generation of moiré. Combining the Digital Live MOS Sensor and Venus Engine renders clear images with minimum noise even in low-light situations and a maximum sensitivity of ISO25600. * A Panasonic comparison with the LUMIX G7. |
Life has Never Looked so GoodWith highest quality 4K Video, the LUMIX G85 lets you record every journey's twists and turns in up to 4X the resolution of Full HD. More detail and more clarity means more memories to look back on, all in perfect quality. |
Product description
PANASONIC LUMIX G85 4K Mirrorless Camera, with 12-60mm Power O. I. S. Lens, Dual I. S. 2. 0, 16 Megapixels, 3 Inch Touch LCD
Customer reviews
Reviews with images
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Top reviews
Top reviews from Canada
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I wasn't sure if that was the expected behaviour or not, but given that other camera's dual IS like GX85 is working fine for sideway movements, G85 should not have this issue.
Here is the video test footage I uploaded to my YouTube channel:
[...]
[...]
I will post more in-depth review of image stabilization feature.
For the record, Panasonic has announced/admitted that G85 has issues with dual I.S. So at least that's good to know (that means, IS for sideways and diagonal movements are to be improved).
Other than that, G85 was exactly what I wanted, and this is a pretty cool camera that has:
-4k video
-autofocus during video
-light
-IS
-180 degree flip screen
-external mic jack
-very sharp photo/video even if the 12-60m kit lens is used
-awesome features like 4K live cropping (panning and zooming) => my video using 4K live cropping ([...])
-solid gripping
-rugged metal body
I'm pretty satisfied with the kit lens as well (except low light situation). Will buy Leica 15mm F1.8 for extra blurriness and bokeh!
Top reviews from other countries
It's quite feature packed and equally compact and pretty easy to travel with. The 12-60 lens that I got with it is pretty good too and I found it useful for my projects like using it for vlog videos, short films, product films, some photography.
Although I am not a professional photographer. So do your research on the lens and the type that would suit yoilur need.
Battery life is ok I would say, It's not bad but not so good at all. I will recommend still keep an extra battery.
People talk about its auto focus not being so good, I honestly haven't used it much and always used manual focus... It dint have issues focusing whenever I did use it but that is something I can't comment about.
I have no complaints about it yet. Quite happy with it.
For current users, I highly suggest to do the following: Go to menu --> Setup --> beep (page 2) --> Turn off the beep volume and E shutter volume
This was a huge annoyance for me at first, and I was relieved to find it in the settings.
Battery saving options are also within the page 2 of setup such as Live View Mode (30fps), Monitor Luminance, and Economy.
Pros:
Stills quality is very nice and sharp, even from the 12-60mm kit lens. Image quality and bokeh are stunning when paired with the 25mm f1.7. The dual IS is really good for stills and even more amazing in video. Two custom settings within the dial are really helpful for saving your own shooting modes. I personally save Shutter-priority video moves to these in different recording formats (i.e. 4k30fps, FHD60fps). There are also plenty of fn buttons to customize. There are also color profiles to shoot in that may be customized. I find that the "Natural" profile to be the most pleasing in video. There is also Cine-D for those wanting a flatter look or for grading.
Weather sealed - Not much to say here other than, great!
Coming from a Nikon APSC camera, I am amazed at how light and robust the mirrorless form factor is. There is little fatigue in carrying it in your hands all day. The LCD screen that allows a full swivel is really neat for selfies/vlogging.
Finally... the video. Most buyers are probably here b/c of this and yes... it does not disappoint. The detail is amazing! BUT, the real shocker is the image stabilization. When paired w/ dual IS and E-stabilization turned on, the video is practically gliding (especially @ wider angles - 12mm). I am not joking. Walking with the camera is buttery smooth, no jittery videos.
Cons:
It's only up to 16MP stills, though I still find the image quality to be very good even when an image has been cropped in edits.
I found that the image is a bit noisy at higher iso (6400 and above), though this is not really a bother to me. I find that it gives it a natural feel to lowlight shots. You can always dial it down with a bit of NR in Lightroom and other software.
A slight crop to the 4k video recording.
This was not a con for me, but others may think it. There's a lot to learn w/in the settings of this camera. Take the time to read the advanced handbook. Experiment!
In summary, I highly recommend this. If you are on the fence, JUMP OVER!
Primary reasons why I bought the G85:
Lightweight and small, low profile, reasonable price of camera and lenses, good in lowlight conditions (with Dual IS), built-in bright EVF and LCD screen, versatile stills and video camera, customizable and easy user interface for a small mirrorless, weather sealed (water and dust resistant).
Camera features I really like:
• 4K Photo
• Silent mode
• Time-lapse option on the dial
• 11 customizable function butttons
• Customizable in-camera highlight and shadow. Cuts down work in post processing.
• Post focus and built-in Focus Stacking (JPEG only). I would prefer Focus Stacking output as RAW. However, with the highlight shadow feature setting I can pull up highlights and shadows in-camera and the JPEG result is still good. Hopefully RAW output will be included in the future.
Compared with the Sony a6000 (that I sold):
Focusing - The hybrid (w/ phase detect) autofocus with the a6000 is just phenomenal (now more impressive with the new a6500) but I don't shoot sports often. Contrast detect for the G85 is sufficient to track pets, kids, indoor sports (I prefer using the Panasonic 35-100mm f2.8). It can also track faster movement like birds in flight quite well. Short buffer on the a6000 compared to the G85.
Battery- Battery life is almost the same. Non-OEM batteries (Wasabi) used with the a6000 causes the camera to freeze. I had no problems with Wasabi batteries on the G85. Mirrorless cameras are notorious for sucking a lot of juice from your battery therefore you need to have at least two spare ones.
Powering On - Instantaneous on the G85. I can take pictures soon as I turn on the switch. Similar to my FF DSLR. With the a6000 it takes 2 to 3 secs to start up. Good luck if you use cheap batteries. I missed a lot of shots because of it.
Video - Of course, the G85 has an advantage with 4K does heats up quickly and so far after using it a couple or more times, it does not overheat. Sony a6000 starts heating up after taking video for more than 15 mins. It still plagues the a6300 and hopefully not the a6500. Diagonal panning issues and jitters have been resolved after the firmware update. Humming sound of the IBIS is still present with the G85. The humming can be picked up by the built in mic in a quiet environment. You need an external mic if you do need to record video in such conditions.
User interface - Love the DSLR like controls on the G85. Two dials (front and back) is very convenient in manual mode. Sony a6000 does not have intuitive controls like the G85. The G85 has 11 customizable function buttons (6 physical, 5 on the LCD screen), pressing a function button (physical) for 2 sec. will let you directly assign a function, not to mention the Q. MENU possibilities. What I like about this camera is that I can retain back button focusing when in PASM modes, and half pressed shutter focusing in auto mode which is not possible with my DSLR. The touchscreen and touch focusing feature with G85 is convenient and very responsive. Careful not to touch your nose on the screen though as it can move your focus point. Among some settings that are easily accessible when pressing the Exposure Compensation button (F1 by default) are Exposure Bracketing and Flash Compensation. Still looking for other cool stuff that this camera has in store.
IBIS and Dual IS - With Dual IS I can shoot even at 1/10th of sec. to even 1 sec. handheld and still get sharp images especially when paired with the 12-35mm f2.8 lens. The a6500 will have IBIS and dual IS on Sony lenses that has OSS.
Lenses - Reasonable prices for micro 4/3 lenses and other choices from Olympus, Rokinon or Sigma. Sony aps-c has limited zoom lenses and they are larger than micro 4/3. No Sony 24-70 f2.8 (35mm equivalent) for aps-c. Best I ever used is the Zeiss 16-70mm f4.0. Sony FF e-mount lenses are expensive. Main reason why I left Sony. If they have more lenses for aps-c and make it smaller and affordable, I may come back... maybe.
Image Quality - Love the IQ of photos taken with the a6000 but the IQ of the G85 is equally good despite having a smaller sensor. Just do not crop too much.
WiFi and Mobile App - The best I have ever used so far. It never prematurely disconnects, very capable controls and app performance is nearly flawless. Good job software team. The only caveat, as with all the other camera brand apps is that they only download images in JPEG. I only shoot in RAW and download my images to my iPad Pro using a card reader since I mostly edit my photos with Adobe Lightroom Mobile and later syncing and tweaking some of it on my PC. This is how rate my experience with the WiFi apps:
Very Good - Panasonic App w/ G85, Could have been Excellent if it downloads RAW.
Good - Sony PlayMemories w/ Sony a6000. Good controls but it disconnects. WiFi turned on quickly drains the battery.
Acceptable - Canon Camera Connect w/ Canon G7X Mark II (sold)
Mediocre - Nikon WMU w/ my D610 w/ wifi adapter, D5500 (sold). Limited controls and disconnects. Since I am an Apple user I cannot attest to how SnapBridge performs but still the app should work well with all platforms. As if Nikons software department is almost non-existent.
Why did I choose the G85 over the 1 inch sensor Canon G7X Mark II(sold)?
The G7X Mark II is an excellent camera because of its portability and performance in low light, but sometimes I needed a viewfinder. It is difficult to see anything on the LCD screen on a sunny day. Could not wait for the Nikon DL 18-50mm. Still no built in viewfinder and is priced at almost $1000. Sony RX 100 IV or V? Maybe. But soon as I got hold of this camera I just couldn't let go.
Why did I choose the G85 over the Sony a6500?
Price. The a6500 is $1500 . If I was thinking of getting the GH5, which is in the same price point, I would consider the a6500. However, native Sony aps-c E-mount lens selection is still limited.
Compared to my Nikon D610:
Image Quality - Full frame wins in this department, hands down. But if you only post photos in social media or don't print that often in large sizes then why need a full frame DSLR at all.
Weight and portability - I would rather equally enjoy taking photos and traveling without lugging heavy equipment. I would not drag my Nikon 80-200 f2.8D on overseas trips and would rather carry a Lumix 35-100mm f2.8 lens or Lumix 45-150mm lens. For most of my travels, I will just bring my Nikon 20mm f1.8G on my Nikon D610 for landscapes and Panasonic Lumix G85 cam and lenses (12-35mm f2.8, 35-100 f2.8 or the lighter and affordable 45-150mm f4.0-5.6) for walk-around.
Price - Micro 4/3 wins, camera and lenses! The pro grade Panasonic Lumix 35-100mm f2.8 lens with IS for the G85 is selling for $897 at this time of writing vs the expensive Nikon 70-200 f2.8G VRII for $2200+.
User Interface - Going from AF-S to AF-C on the D610 is a nuisance sometimes. Back button focusing resolves this issue and having it permanently on AF-C. Most DSLR users know this. The G85 however has a dedicated switch for AFS, AFC and MF. Awesome. I can take advantage of the 9 fps on AF-S or MF with focus peaking at any time. D610 has no wifi and touchscreen.
Build quality - My D610 looks and feels sturdier, however as light as it is, the build quality of the Panasonic G85 does not dissappoint.
Suffice to say, I am happy with my new camera system. I am a Micro 4/3 convert.
UPDATE: Purchased the Lumix 45-150mm, 35-100mm f2.8 and included sample photos. Night and long exposure shots of Union Square shot using Lumix 12-35 f2.8. Close up of xmas tree and skating rink shot at 1/15th, f2.8, ISO 800 handheld. Bird photos using the Lumix 35-100mm f2.8 at 100mm.
UPDATE 2: In video mode, microjitters are still apparent when using the long end of the Lumix 35-100mm f2.8, even after the firmware update. You may not want to shoot handheld at 100mm. No problems with the Lumix 12-35mm f2.8 which normally what I use for video anyway. Still a stellar performer.
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2016
Primary reasons why I bought the G85:
Lightweight and small, low profile, reasonable price of camera and lenses, good in lowlight conditions (with Dual IS), built-in bright EVF and LCD screen, versatile stills and video camera, customizable and easy user interface for a small mirrorless, weather sealed (water and dust resistant).
Camera features I really like:
• 4K Photo
• Silent mode
• Time-lapse option on the dial
• 11 customizable function butttons
• Customizable in-camera highlight and shadow. Cuts down work in post processing.
• Post focus and built-in Focus Stacking (JPEG only). I would prefer Focus Stacking output as RAW. However, with the highlight shadow feature setting I can pull up highlights and shadows in-camera and the JPEG result is still good. Hopefully RAW output will be included in the future.
Compared with the Sony a6000 (that I sold):
Focusing - The hybrid (w/ phase detect) autofocus with the a6000 is just phenomenal (now more impressive with the new a6500) but I don't shoot sports often. Contrast detect for the G85 is sufficient to track pets, kids, indoor sports (I prefer using the Panasonic 35-100mm f2.8). It can also track faster movement like birds in flight quite well. Short buffer on the a6000 compared to the G85.
Battery- Battery life is almost the same. Non-OEM batteries (Wasabi) used with the a6000 causes the camera to freeze. I had no problems with Wasabi batteries on the G85. Mirrorless cameras are notorious for sucking a lot of juice from your battery therefore you need to have at least two spare ones.
Powering On - Instantaneous on the G85. I can take pictures soon as I turn on the switch. Similar to my FF DSLR. With the a6000 it takes 2 to 3 secs to start up. Good luck if you use cheap batteries. I missed a lot of shots because of it.
Video - Of course, the G85 has an advantage with 4K does heats up quickly and so far after using it a couple or more times, it does not overheat. Sony a6000 starts heating up after taking video for more than 15 mins. It still plagues the a6300 and hopefully not the a6500. Diagonal panning issues and jitters have been resolved after the firmware update. Humming sound of the IBIS is still present with the G85. The humming can be picked up by the built in mic in a quiet environment. You need an external mic if you do need to record video in such conditions.
User interface - Love the DSLR like controls on the G85. Two dials (front and back) is very convenient in manual mode. Sony a6000 does not have intuitive controls like the G85. The G85 has 11 customizable function buttons (6 physical, 5 on the LCD screen), pressing a function button (physical) for 2 sec. will let you directly assign a function, not to mention the Q. MENU possibilities. What I like about this camera is that I can retain back button focusing when in PASM modes, and half pressed shutter focusing in auto mode which is not possible with my DSLR. The touchscreen and touch focusing feature with G85 is convenient and very responsive. Careful not to touch your nose on the screen though as it can move your focus point. Among some settings that are easily accessible when pressing the Exposure Compensation button (F1 by default) are Exposure Bracketing and Flash Compensation. Still looking for other cool stuff that this camera has in store.
IBIS and Dual IS - With Dual IS I can shoot even at 1/10th of sec. to even 1 sec. handheld and still get sharp images especially when paired with the 12-35mm f2.8 lens. The a6500 will have IBIS and dual IS on Sony lenses that has OSS.
Lenses - Reasonable prices for micro 4/3 lenses and other choices from Olympus, Rokinon or Sigma. Sony aps-c has limited zoom lenses and they are larger than micro 4/3. No Sony 24-70 f2.8 (35mm equivalent) for aps-c. Best I ever used is the Zeiss 16-70mm f4.0. Sony FF e-mount lenses are expensive. Main reason why I left Sony. If they have more lenses for aps-c and make it smaller and affordable, I may come back... maybe.
Image Quality - Love the IQ of photos taken with the a6000 but the IQ of the G85 is equally good despite having a smaller sensor. Just do not crop too much.
WiFi and Mobile App - The best I have ever used so far. It never prematurely disconnects, very capable controls and app performance is nearly flawless. Good job software team. The only caveat, as with all the other camera brand apps is that they only download images in JPEG. I only shoot in RAW and download my images to my iPad Pro using a card reader since I mostly edit my photos with Adobe Lightroom Mobile and later syncing and tweaking some of it on my PC. This is how rate my experience with the WiFi apps:
Very Good - Panasonic App w/ G85, Could have been Excellent if it downloads RAW.
Good - Sony PlayMemories w/ Sony a6000. Good controls but it disconnects. WiFi turned on quickly drains the battery.
Acceptable - Canon Camera Connect w/ Canon G7X Mark II (sold)
Mediocre - Nikon WMU w/ my D610 w/ wifi adapter, D5500 (sold). Limited controls and disconnects. Since I am an Apple user I cannot attest to how SnapBridge performs but still the app should work well with all platforms. As if Nikons software department is almost non-existent.
Why did I choose the G85 over the 1 inch sensor Canon G7X Mark II(sold)?
The G7X Mark II is an excellent camera because of its portability and performance in low light, but sometimes I needed a viewfinder. It is difficult to see anything on the LCD screen on a sunny day. Could not wait for the Nikon DL 18-50mm. Still no built in viewfinder and is priced at almost $1000. Sony RX 100 IV or V? Maybe. But soon as I got hold of this camera I just couldn't let go.
Why did I choose the G85 over the Sony a6500?
Price. The a6500 is $1500 . If I was thinking of getting the GH5, which is in the same price point, I would consider the a6500. However, native Sony aps-c E-mount lens selection is still limited.
Compared to my Nikon D610:
Image Quality - Full frame wins in this department, hands down. But if you only post photos in social media or don't print that often in large sizes then why need a full frame DSLR at all.
Weight and portability - I would rather equally enjoy taking photos and traveling without lugging heavy equipment. I would not drag my Nikon 80-200 f2.8D on overseas trips and would rather carry a Lumix 35-100mm f2.8 lens or Lumix 45-150mm lens. For most of my travels, I will just bring my Nikon 20mm f1.8G on my Nikon D610 for landscapes and Panasonic Lumix G85 cam and lenses (12-35mm f2.8, 35-100 f2.8 or the lighter and affordable 45-150mm f4.0-5.6) for walk-around.
Price - Micro 4/3 wins, camera and lenses! The pro grade Panasonic Lumix 35-100mm f2.8 lens with IS for the G85 is selling for $897 at this time of writing vs the expensive Nikon 70-200 f2.8G VRII for $2200+.
User Interface - Going from AF-S to AF-C on the D610 is a nuisance sometimes. Back button focusing resolves this issue and having it permanently on AF-C. Most DSLR users know this. The G85 however has a dedicated switch for AFS, AFC and MF. Awesome. I can take advantage of the 9 fps on AF-S or MF with focus peaking at any time. D610 has no wifi and touchscreen.
Build quality - My D610 looks and feels sturdier, however as light as it is, the build quality of the Panasonic G85 does not dissappoint.
Suffice to say, I am happy with my new camera system. I am a Micro 4/3 convert.
UPDATE: Purchased the Lumix 45-150mm, 35-100mm f2.8 and included sample photos. Night and long exposure shots of Union Square shot using Lumix 12-35 f2.8. Close up of xmas tree and skating rink shot at 1/15th, f2.8, ISO 800 handheld. Bird photos using the Lumix 35-100mm f2.8 at 100mm.
UPDATE 2: In video mode, microjitters are still apparent when using the long end of the Lumix 35-100mm f2.8, even after the firmware update. You may not want to shoot handheld at 100mm. No problems with the Lumix 12-35mm f2.8 which normally what I use for video anyway. Still a stellar performer.
Reviewed in Mexico on November 3, 2022