All About the Gear: Panasonic Lumix G7
318The Panasonic Lumix G7 replaces the two-year-old G6. It's quite similar to the GX7, positioned between the GF7 and top-of-the-line GH4. Since it uses the same sensor (ie, same image quality) as the GX7, GM5 and GF7, why would you opt for this new model instead?
At US$800 with a good 14-24mm kit zoom, it's a bit more expensive than the GF7, which has a somewhat inferior kit zoom. But it's a whopping US$900 less expensive than the GH4. Gordon says the G7 is a good step up from the GF series -- probably a better place to get started in micro four-thirds (MFT) cameras than the entry-level GF7 and for those not ready to spend the big bucks for the GH4. The alternative kit zoom is also a good option: a 14-140mm 10x zoom for only US$300 additional.
Like nearly all of the latest Lumix cameras, the G7 shoots 4k video directly to an SD card. But this camera takes seriously the idea of shooting 4k video at 30fps specifically with the intention of extracting still images from the video. Not only is there a dedicated mode for this purpose, but the G7 also offers a terrific feature to preview and extract the best frame in-camera, making the idea of 4k-video-for-stills much more practical than having to run the video through post-processing software. You can shook 4k video, extract a still, transfer it to your mobile device and post it online without a desktop or laptop computer.
As a bonus feature in this episode of All About the Gear, Gordon reviews two new ultra-wide MFT lenses from Olympus: the 7-14mm f/2.8 (reminiscent of the famous Nikon 14-24mm for full-frame cameras) and the 8mm f/1.8 fisheye. If you've been looking for an ultra wide for your micro-four-thirds camera, don't miss Gordon's review.
Read Gordon's in-depth review of the G7 at CameraLabs.com as well as the Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 and 8mm f/1.8 fisheye.
For more, visit the All About the Gear website: http://thisweekinphoto.com/gear
Read Gordon's in-depth review of the G7 at CameraLabs.com (http://goo.gl/1hYkWP) as well as the Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 (http://goo.gl/aDNsfp) and 8mm f/1.8 fisheye (http://goo.gl/yablo1).
Buy now from B&H: Lumix G7 (http://goo.gl/Z4KvXd), Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 (http://goo.gl/anIil6) or 8mm f/1.8 fisheye (http://goo.gl/YKSy1E).