Panasonic Lumix G85 Review – Micro Four Thirds Greatness
Panasonic Lumix G85 Review
The Panasonic Lumix G85 is a mid-range Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera with many features for its price point. As someone who has owned two of these cameras, I know it’s a great option for those wanting to step up their photography or video game without breaking the bank. I’ve purchased two Lumix G85 camera bodies since 2018 and have much to cover in this review.
Lumix G85 Weather-Sealed Design
One of the standout features of the G85 is its weather-sealed body. This means the camera is resistant to dust and moisture, making it a great choice for outdoor photography. The camera is also lightweight and compact, making it easy to carry around all day.
Panasonic G85 Sensor
The G85 features a Micro Four Thirds 16-megapixel sensor that delivers sharp, detailed images. The autofocus system is fast and accurate, making it easy to capture sharp shots even in low-light conditions. The camera also has a 4K video mode that delivers excellent quality footage, making it a great choice for vloggers and videographers.
Interface and Controls
The camera also has a range of customizable controls and features, including a touchscreen interface, customizable function buttons, and a focus stacking mode.
Why the Panasonic G85 is a Great Video Camera
One of the standout features of the G85 is its 4K video capability. The camera can record 4K footage at up to 30 frames per second, which delivers exceptional quality and clarity. In addition, the camera also supports 1080p video at up to 60 frames per second, which is great for slow-motion footage.
The G85 also features a range of video-specific controls and features. These include focus peaking, zebra patterns, and a waveform monitor. These tools help videographers ensure their footage is properly focused and exposed, even in challenging lighting conditions.
Gimbal Shooters
Gimbal shooters will appreciate the compact size and form factor of the Lumix G85. In addition, the G85 will work on most smaller gimbals thanks to the lightweight design. For example, you won’t need to buy a DJI Ronin.
Panasonic G85 Video Autofocus
While the video autofocus isn’t great, it’s usable in some scenarios. I made a video autofocus tutorial for the G85 below. While this “hack” works only in 1080p, you can still get it to work. For shooters wanting the 4k image, the manual focus option will be your best friend unless you’re behind the camera. Instead, use the one-area mode for shooters behind the camera; it works well enough for most scenarios.
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Panasonic Lumix G85 Color Profiles
The G85 is packed with great picture profiles for both video and photography. My favorite is the Natural Picture profile, Cine-V, and Cine-D profiles. These picture profiles will give you excellent results straight out of the camera. See my article covering the Panasonic G85 picture profiles in more detail.
Lumix G85 Audio Recording Options
The camera also has a range of options for recording audio. It has a built-in microphone that delivers good-quality audio and a microphone input for external microphones. The camera also has a headphone jack, which makes it easy to monitor audio levels while recording.
Overall, the Panasonic Lumix G85 is an excellent camera for video enthusiasts. It offers various features and controls, including 4K video, focus peaking, and in-body image stabilization. So whether you’re a professional videographer or just starting, the G85 is worth considering.
Panasonic Lumix G85 Sensor
The G85 features a 16-megapixel sensor that delivers sharp and detailed images with vibrant colors. In addition, the camera’s autofocus system is fast and accurate, making it easy to capture sharp shots even in low-light conditions.
The camera also has a range of customizable controls and features, including a touchscreen interface, customizable function buttons, and a focus stacking mode.
Great IBIS Performance
One of the most impressive features of the G85 is its in-body image stabilization (IBIS) system. This system utilizes lens stabilization to deliver incredibly stable footage, even when shooting handheld or in challenging conditions. This is particularly useful for vloggers or filmmakers who must shoot on the go.
Photographic Modes of the Lumix G85
The Panasonic Lumix G85 is a great camera for photography, offering advanced features and excellent performance. As someone who has used this camera extensively, it is one of the best options in its price range.
The camera also offers a range of shooting modes, including aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual mode, which gives photographers full control over their settings. Additionally, the camera offers a range of creative modes, such as miniature effect, selective color, and high dynamic range (HDR), which allow photographers to experiment with different looks and styles.
Overall, the Panasonic Lumix G85 is an excellent camera for photography, offering a range of advanced features and controls. Whether you’re a professional photographer or just starting, the G85 is worth considering. Its fast autofocus, in-body image stabilization, and customizable controls make it an excellent choice for capturing stunning photos in various shooting conditions.
One of the standout features of the G85 is its in-body image stabilization (IBIS) system. Great IBIS is particularly useful for photographers who must shoot in low-light conditions or capture fast-moving subjects.
Panasonic Lumix G85 Media SD Cards
The Panasonic G85 uses an SD memory card, specifically SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards. Additionally, the camera supports UHS-I speed class for faster data transfer rates. Therefore, a high-speed memory card is recommended to take full advantage of the camera’s features, especially when shooting high-resolution or burst-mode photography.
The great news is you won’t require anything faster than a V90 card. My recommendation for the G85 is the affordable SanDisk Extreme Pro. (B&H Link)
Panasonic Lumix G85 Downsides
The Panasonic Lumix G85 is a popular mirrorless camera with many great features, but like any camera, it does have some downsides. Here are a few potential downsides to consider:
- Autofocus system: While the autofocus system on the G85 is generally fast and accurate, it can struggle in low-light conditions or with fast-moving subjects. Some users have also reported that the autofocus can be noisy during video recording.
- Limited battery life: The G85’s battery life is decent but not outstanding, with a rating of around 330 shots per charge. Battery life may be a concern if you plan to shoot for long periods without access to a power source.
- No headphone jack: The G85 does not have a built-in headphone jack, which may be a concern if you plan to use the camera for video recording and need to monitor audio in real time.
- No built-in flash: The G85 does not have a built-in flash, which may be a concern if you plan to shoot in low-light conditions without an external flash.
- Limited dynamic range: Some users have reported that the G85’s dynamic range is not as wide as they would like, meaning it may struggle to capture detail in both bright and dark areas of a scene.
Overall, the Panasonic G85 is a great camera for its price range and offers many features that will be useful for both still photography and videography. However, as with any camera, it’s important to consider your specific needs and preferences before purchasing.
Panasonic G85 vs Panasonic G7
The Panasonic G85 and G7 are excellent cameras, but the G85 has a few advantages that make it a better choice for some photographers. First, the G85 has a built-in 5-axis image stabilization system, which helps reduce camera shake and produce sharper images. The G7, on the other hand, relies on lens-based stabilization, which may not be as effective in all situations.
Another advantage of the G85 is its weather-sealed body, which makes it more durable and able to withstand harsher shooting conditions. On the other hand, the G7 is not weather-sealed, so that it may be more vulnerable to moisture, dust, and other environmental damage.
Additionally, the G85 has a slightly higher resolution electronic viewfinder (2.36 million dots vs. 2.36 million dots) and a larger grip, making it more comfortable to hold and shoot with for extended periods.
While the G7 is still a great camera and might be a better choice for some photographers based on their specific needs and preferences, the G85’s image stabilization, weather-sealing, and ergonomic enhancements make it a solid upgrade for those who are looking for a more advanced and reliable camera.
Panasonic G85 Specifications
Sensor:
- 16.0 Megapixel Digital Live MOS sensor
- Micro Four Thirds mount
Image Stabilization:
- 5-axis Dual I.S. (Image Stabilizer) 2 system
- Compatible with Dual I.S. 2 and Dual I.S. capable lenses
Video:
- 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) video recording at 30p/24p
- Full HD (1920 x 1080) video recording at 60p/30p/24p
- 4K Live Cropping feature
- 4K Photo mode
Viewfinder and LCD:
- 2.36M-dot OLED electronic viewfinder
- 3-inch 1.04M-dot vari-angle touchscreen LCD
Autofocus:
- Depth From Defocus (DFD) technology
- The 49-point contrast-detection autofocus system
- Customizable AF options
Connectivity:
- Wi-Fi connectivity
- Micro-HDMI port
- Microphone and headphone jacks
- USB 2.0 port
Other Features:
- Weather-sealed body
- High-Speed AF with DFD technology
- 9fps continuous shooting mode
- Creative Control mode
- Built-in flash
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Panasonic Lumix G85 is an excellent camera with exceptional performance and features at a mid-range price point. Whether you’re a professional photographer or just starting, the G85 is worth considering, especially if you’re interested in outdoor photography or videography.
The Panasonic Lumix G85 is a fantastic camera for video enthusiasts. It offers an impressive range of video features, making it an excellent choice for amateur and professional videographers. While the autofocus is fantastic for stills, it’s not perfect in video mode. If you can live with that compromise, the Lumix G85 is still a great option all these years after its release.
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