Camera test 41
Photography News Issue 23 absolutephoto.com
ISO performance
The Micro Four Thirds format sensor measures 17x13mm, so significantly smaller than APS-C ones and that’s one reason these cameras are less good on noise performance. However, that’s changing as illustrated by the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II and this Panasonic. The impact of noise on fine detail rendition at the top ISOs of 12,800 and 25,600 is significant and best avoided unless you have no choice. But at ISO 6400, image quality is presentable and probably the best
quality yet seen at this speed from a Micro Four Thirds camera. Noise is evident and there is loss of saturation and image clarity, but it’s not horrible and if you need to shoot in dismal light it’s a viable option. Naturally, quality gets better as ISO decreases and ISO 800 and 1600 are good enough for critical use when the light is poor. This scene was shot at twilight and the exposure at ISO 100 was 15secs at f/8 so it was pretty dark.
Full-frame image
Shooting stills with 4K Photo Most modern cameras can
is depressed and ends a second after the button is released. Then on the camera monitor you can scroll through the MP4 format footage and pick and save the image you want as an eight- megapixel JPEG complete with EXIF data. Choosing and saving your best shot from a 4K sequence is simple enough but an option to save more than one still image at a time would be really handy. An eight-megapixel still from the GX8 is 3328x2496 pixels so good enough for a 300ppi print of 11x8inwithout interpolation – the image above is a 4K still. That, to be honest, is not bad at all and is good enough for most needs.
capture Full HD video, and an increasing number offer 4K video shooting and that includes the Lumix GX8. With 4K video capture you can grab an eight- megapixel still image in software later, but with the GX8 you can do that in-camera thanks to the 4K Photo mode. There are three options. You can press the shutter release and the camera will shoot video at 30fps for as long as the release is held down. You can press once to start shooting and press again to end shooting. Or you can use pre- burst which means the camera starts recording at 30fps a second before the shutter button
ISO 100
ISO 1600
Features An impressive list of useful features Performance Sensor is very good, so too is the GX8’s exposure and AF skills Handling Good, but a lot of function buttons and command dials a bit clunky Value for money You get a lot for your cash including 20-megapixels and 4K video Overall A fine camera with lots of creative potential Pros Long features list, handling, image quality, vari-angle LCD, EVF Cons Overly complex to set-up, large for an MFT camera How it rates 24/25 24/25 22/25 24/25 94/100 Verdict Panasonic’s latest high-end Micro Four Thirds camera is highly featured and has much going for it, including a vari-angle monitor, adjustable EVF, good noise performance and a 20-megapixel resolution. Its 4K Photo mode opens up action shooting to everyone because you can shoot video at 30fps and then cull a peak of the action, eight-megapixel still picture from the footage. It’s also an enjoyable camera to use once you get familiar with its handling. For £999 the GX8 offers an attractive option if you want a capable Micro Four Thirds camera.
ISO 3200
ISO 6400
ISO 12,800
ISO 25,600
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