Panasonic LUMIX DMC GX8 Review | 108 Data compared

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 is a robust, weather-sealed mirrorless camera featuring a high-resolution 20.3MP sensor, fast "Depth from Defocus" autofocus, and a 2.36M-dot tilting electronic viewfinder. It offers superior dual image stabilization and capable 4K video/photo capabilities within a solid magnesium body. Conversely, the GX8 is hampered by shutter shock, causing image softness with the mechanical shutter, and it presents a larger, heavier design than its predecessors. Additional downsides include a lack of built-in flash, uninspiring JPEG color, and a screen that is obstructed when using an external microphone.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 features a 20.3-megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor that delivers excellent raw image quality, complemented by a highly effective in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) system. Evaluators praised the enthusiast-focused, versatile design, particularly highlighting the excellent tilting electronic viewfinder (EVF) and the fully articulated touchscreen. Conversely, the review notes the body is relatively bulky with uninspiring styling, while the connector ports hinder the movement of the articulated screen. Additionally, the camera produces mediocre JPEG color output, often requiring raw shooting to achieve the best results. Amateur Photographer

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 is a rugged, weather-sealed mirrorless camera featuring a 20MP Four Thirds sensor, 4-axis in-body image stabilization, and a 2.36M-dot tilting electronic viewfinder. Key advantages include 8.3fps burst shooting, 4K video capability, and a fully articulating LCD, making it a robust option for photographers, though it lacks an internal flash. Conversely, the review notes drawbacks such as a noticeable crop factor when recording 4K video and the use of a non-standard 2.5mm microphone jack instead of a 3.5mm input. These limitations, along with the absence of a built-in flash, prevented the camera from receiving a top-tier rating in the analysis.

The Photo Review Australia review praises the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 as a robust, weather-sealed mirrorless camera featuring a 20-megapixel sensor, 4K video capabilities, and a highly effective Dual I.S. system for improved handheld stability. Key advantages include the articulating OLED EVF and touchscreen, providing excellent handling for advanced users. Conversely, the review identifies limitations such as the camera's increased size and weight, the lack of a built-in flash, and limited battery life. Additional drawbacks include the lack of sensor-shift stabilization during 4K recording and a 2.5mm, rather than 3.5mm, microphone input.

The Panasonic Lumix GX8 breaks through the Micro Four Thirds 16MP limit with a new 20.3MP sensor that delivers excellent image quality, color accuracy, and noise control up to ISO 6400. Key pros highlighted in the review include its highly customizable physical buttons and touchscreen, a comfortable redesigned grip, an articulating LCD screen, and a tilting electronic viewfinder. Performance-wise, it stands out with crisp 4K video and photo modes, a dual image stabilization system providing up to a 3-stop advantage, and fast burst shooting up to 8 frames per second. However, the camera has several distinct cons stemming from its structural redesign and performance trade-offs. The addition of the top exposure compensation dial forced Panasonic to remove the built-in pop-up flash, meaning users must purchase an external hot-shoe flash accessory. Additionally, shooting at the maximum 8 fps causes the electronic viewfinder to blank out, and the burst speed drops to 6 fps when continuous autofocus is enabled. Finally, the initial Wi-Fi setup process is confusing due to convoluted menu options, and the camera launched at a heftier price point—$1,198 body-only—which...

The Panasonic Lumix GX8 is a mature, robust, rangefinder-style micro four thirds camera that serves as an excellent, lightweight travel system alternative to full-frame setups. Its standout features include a high-quality, 90-degree tilting OLED electronic viewfinder that simplifies low-level shooting, a substantial built-in handgrip for comfortable handling, and weather proofing. A major pro for Panasonic users is its seamless compatibility with newer Leica DG lenses, allowing photographers to utilize the physical, smooth aperture rings directly on the camera body. Additionally, the GX8 delivers highly customisable physical and virtual controls, an intuitive manual focus system with precise peaking and magnification aids, and effective 4K video recording features. However, the camera comes with notable downsides, such as a bulkier and heavier 487g body compared to competitors like the Olympus PEN-F. It retains an anti-aliasing (AA) filter on its 20MP sensor, which slightly diminishes ultimate image quality, and relies entirely on a contrast-based autofocus system that proves less accurate for continuous tracking. The lack of a built-in or bundled flash unit is another omission. Its 4-axis stabilization is weaker than Olympus’s 5-axis alternative,...

Despite its high-end performance, the GX8 introduces a few physical and technical trade-offs. It is significantly chunkier and heavier than its predecessors, pushing it out of pocketable territory into the size ballpark of larger flagship models. While the sensor-shift stabilization is a step up from the GX7, its standalone performance remains a pale shadow compared to Olympus's class-leading stabilization system. Video shooters face multiple limitations: body-based sensor stabilization is completely unavailable during movie recording, forcing users to rely on electronic stabilization at 1080p or use an optically stabilized lens for 4K video. Furthermore, capturing 4K video applies a noticeable 1.25x horizontal crop to the field of view and introduces potential scaling artifacts, while the audio setup restricts users to a less common 2.5mm microphone jack with no option for headphone monitoring.

The Panasonic Lumix GX8 is a feature-packed, weather-sealed, 20.3-megapixel Micro Four Thirds camera that introduces Dual Image Stabilisation and a high-resolution 4K photo mode. Its strengths include a robust magnesium alloy body, excellent 4K video capabilities, a detailed tilting EVF, and fast autofocus, making it a significant upgrade over the GX7. Conversely, the camera is notably larger and more expensive than its predecessor, losing the ultra-compact feel of the GX7. Other limitations highlighted include the lack of a built-in flash and relatively fast battery drain, particularly when utilizing the 4K photo modes. For the full, detailed review, visit ePHOTOzine. YouTube

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 features a new 20.3-megapixel Micro Four-Thirds sensor that achieves a DxOMark score of 75, making it the highest-scoring sensor in its category at the time of review and marginally outpacing the GH4 and OM-D E-M1. A major strength of the camera is its high resolution combined with 4K video capabilities at 24/25p, alongside an innovative Dual Image Stabilization system that coordinates anti-shake mechanisms in both the camera body and the lens. Designed for hybrid enthusiasts, it offers a robust, weather-sealed body, a wide ISO sensitivity range of 100 to 25600, 8fps burst shooting, an OLED electronic viewfinder, and a free-angle LCD screen. However, despite the welcome bump in resolution, the sensor's overall performance shows negligible image quality improvements over older 16-megapixel Micro Four-Thirds sensors and falls slightly behind the GH4 in landscape dynamic range. Furthermore, its performance lags roughly a stop behind physically larger, less expensive APS-C competitors like the Samsung NX500 and Sony A6000 in color sensitivity and base ISO dynamic range. At a premium retail price of $1,198, the GX8 is a costly investment,...

Panasonic Lumix GX8 The Panasonic Lumix GX8 is a solid Micro 4/3 mirrorless camera that provides quick performance, excellent image quality, and professional controls, making it a compelling alternative to traditional entry-level DSLRs. A major highlight of the camera is its blazing-fast autofocus system, driven by Depth-from-Defocus (DFD) and Starlight AF technologies, which effortlessly matches or surpasses competing cameras even in low-light environments down to -4 EV. Photographers will also benefit from its unique, swivelling electronic viewfinder (EVF) that allows for creative low-angle shooting, alongside a crisp 3-inch touchscreen articulating LCD. Furthermore, it supports high-end features such as 4K photo and video modes, dual image stabilisation when paired with optically stabilised lenses, a customisable menu layout, and a durable, weather-sealed build. However, the camera has notable drawbacks, particularly regarding its physical footprint and stabilisation capabilities. The body is noticeably large, thick, and bulky compared to previous iterations like the GX7 and rivals like the Olympus E-M5 II, making it less comfortable for users with small to medium hands. When used with non-stabilised lenses, its standalone in-body image stabilisation is underwhelming...

Marius Masalar’s review highlights the Panasonic GX8 paired with the Leica 15mm f/1.7 lens as a highly balanced, durable, and compact kit, offering excellent ergonomics and 30mm-equivalent versatility for travel. Key pros include the lens's rapid autofocus, high sharpness, and rich contrast, complemented by the GX8’s robust weather sealing, efficient dual image stabilization, and a high-quality tilting electronic viewfinder. However, the review notes that the Leica 15mm lens lacks weather sealing, which reduces the environmental protection of the overall setup, and that the lens's physical aperture ring is unusable on Olympus bodies. Additionally, the GX8 is described as lacking a unique, stand-out identity to truly define its place in the market.

The Trusted Reviews evaluation of the Panasonic Lumix GX8 highlights it as a highly capable compact system camera featuring a unique, side-mounted 2.36 million-dot OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF) that swivels, an articulated touchscreen, and in-body optical image stabilization. It offers superb RAW image quality and 4K video capabilities, supported by fast contrast-detect autofocus. However, the review outlines that the GX8 is relatively large and bulky for a Micro Four Thirds camera, with image noise becoming noticeable at ISO 800 and fine details washing out by ISO 3200. Additionally, the default color mode is described as uninspiring and cool, and the camera faces stiff competition from APS-C models in low-light scenarios.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 stands out as the first Micro Four Thirds camera to break the 16-megapixel barrier by featuring a 20-megapixel sensor. Built for durability, the camera features a dust- and moisture-sealed body, a smart control layout with customizable buttons, and a highly versatile 3-inch vari-angle OLED touch screen. It delivers exceptional shooting speed, powering up and focusing in under a second, while achieving burst speeds of 8.3fps with locked focus and 5.7fps with continuous tracking. Photographers will benefit from built-in Wi-Fi and NFC, an expansive tilting electronic viewfinder (EVF), an impressive mechanical shutter speed of 1/8,000-second, and effective in-body stabilization. Furthermore, its video capabilities are notable, offering sharp 4K resolution recording at 24 or 30fps alongside standard 1080p video. Despite its robust features, the camera has several performance limitations and design trade-offs. The contrast-based autofocus system struggles to match the speed of competitors like the Sony Alpha 6300, which offers faster continuous shooting. Image quality drops noticeably at higher sensitivities, with visible smudging starting at ISO 3,200 and worsening significantly beyond ISO 6,400 for JPGs. Videographers may be...

Panasonic Lumix GX8 Review Summary The Panasonic Lumix GX8 is a sturdy, well-built micro four-thirds camera featuring a robust metal magnesium alloy frame and a rangefinder-style layout with customizable physical knobs. It introduces a 20-megapixel sensor that delivers improved dynamic range and high-ISO capabilities up to 25,600, paired with a fast autofocus system. Its standout features include a sharp, rotatable electronic viewfinder, amazing 4K video quality, and a highly effective dual image stabilisation system that combines in-body and lens stabilisation to allow blur-free, handheld low-light shots for up to one second. It also includes smart modern additions like a 4K Photo mode for pulling 8MP stills from video bursts, time-lapse modes, and Wi-Fi connectivity. However, the camera's primary drawback is its loss of the classic micro four-thirds portability, as it is wider, thicker, and nearly 20% heavier than its predecessor, the GX7. While still image resolution is higher, the actual jump in everyday print quality is not deeply dramatic compared to the previous model. Furthermore, utilizing the dual image stabilisation requires a compatible Panasonic lens. For videographers, the GX8 presents...