Lumix DMC-GX8 - Performance

Wellington weather was crappy the week I receive the review cameras from Panasonic New Zealand.

It was good of them to include both "kit lens" that came with the GX8 kits, I also asked and got a GX7 body for comparison.  Much appreciated Panasonic NZ :)

 In New Zealand the new GX8 are offered in two kits,  NZ$ 2,895.00 with a 12-35 f2.8 X lens (left) and 

NZ$ 2,548.00 with a 14-140 f3.5/5.6 zoom lens.

The Lumix GX Vario 12-35mm/F2.8 ASPH / Power OIS is a weather sealed ultra high performance zoom lens, with bright F2.8 over the entire 24-70 (35mm equivalent) zoom range.

The slightly cheaper  Lumix G Vario 14-140mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH / Power OIS is not weather sealed, however it's 28-280 (35mm equiv.) zoom range can "pull in" your subject 3 times closer compare to the X lens.

Lumix DMC-GX8 - Prima Facie

Panasonic raised many eye brows when they released their DMC-GX7 in 2013.

The GX7 is compact, with nice retro design and stuff with all the latest M43 technology, lots of external controls and today, remain a reasonably priced, high end camera that you still can buy.

Then in mid July Panasonic launch their GX7 "Update" or "Refresh", the GX8; the camera got me excited, just look at the new features this LARGER camera include!

150 Shades of Wellington, New Zealand!

On 25 and 26 July, Wellington celebrates its 150th year as the capital of New Zealand.

In the last few weeks, I am trying to amass 150 photos that I took around this Coolest Capital City In The World and also our adopted Capital City since 1988.

Happy Birthday, Wellington!

Part of Wellington CBD and Oriental Parade taken from Mt Victoria in 1988.

Our first day at Manners Street, in our adopted city; 1988.

For new arrival like us, in 1988; we were not that impressed with Wellington. Why do they have so many branches of BNZ in the CBD?

A DSLR Fanboy's Rant...

2015 is NOT a good year for my Photo Blog, two months ago, I was told by the person who loan me test cameras and lenses that his "bosses" do not like what he did; so no more toys for me :(

Oh well, I knew good things don't last...

Looking at the brighter side, I noticed this long comment from "Rob" in Adiós DSLR!, a September 2014 post.

I love the way he express his dissatisfaction with my "test"...

"This is the most biased review I have ever read. Never mind that you're comparing a 1 year old pano with upgraded glass that's arguably the best pee-wee you can get, to a 5 year old mid-range nikon with a bargain-box lens. Despite all this you failed to note the colour depth in the nikon being far superior to the pano, and there's at least 10m difference of effective shooting distance in your "Sharpness Test"... Whether it was the zoom or the standing position it still skews the outcome. 

Don't get me wrong. I agree that there's way too many people in the world lugging around slr's they really don't need to. But to try and give the impression that a pee-wee is better than an SLR is preposterous.

"review" blogs like yours are half of the reason it was so hard to make someone buy the correct camera for their needs when I sold them for a living. Because people who don't know any better read this drivel and actually believe it.... 

you want to do this test for real? try using two cameras that were actually built in the same generation of digital technology for a start. The GM1 is an impressive camera for what it is, but it isn't better than an EQUIVALENT D-SLR, and it never will be. Stop talking garbage."

The cameras that started Rob's comment, on the left, in Rob's words, the "PANO PEE-WEE" and right, my 5 year old Nikon D300 with a "BARGAIN-BOX" lens.

In reality the small "Pee-Wee" was my feather weight Lumix GM1 with the Panasonic 7-14mm f/4 ASPH LUMIX G VARIO ultra wide zoom.

The 5 year old Nikon was once the Camera Of The Year, the zoom lens was a Nikon 12-24mm f/4 AF-S DX, an expensive highly praised and reviewed ultra wide zoom; never in the "Bargain Box"!

How Good Is Lumix G 20mm F1.7 @ F1.7?

One of my photo friend was thinking of getting the little Lumix G 20mm F1.7 ASPH pan cake lens for his OM-D E-M5.

My friend love to shoot dim available light pictures, not surprising then he wanted to know if this compact glass is any good, FULL OPEN!

The compact 20mm/1.7 on a OM-D E-M5

How do you answer question like that?

2014 Compact Camera Of The Year

2014 has been a good year for my photo blog!

Most of my blog followers realised that I am mainly interested in testing point n shoot compacts, I still believe strongly that the heavy, bulky DSLR days are numbered ;)

Among the memorable compacts I had a chance to try out...

The very impressive Lumix LX100.

The Lumix TZ60 with a whopping 30X Leica DC Vario-Elma 24-720mm in 35mm equivalent zoom.

      The smallest compact with interchangeable lens, the incredible Lumix GM1.

                      The versatile and just as compact Sony RX100-3.

                  The slightly larger but able to change lens, the Sony A6000.

                                 The bulky Canon G1X Mkll.

Out of these SIX compacts, which one do you think I will pick as my COMPACT CAMERA of 2014?

Dynamic Range of LX100 & GM1

A friend who is really keen to purchase the latest Lumix LX100 asked me if it's dynamic range is as wide as the GM1.

Afterall, he concluded, the LX100 "crop" the 16MP sensor to 12 but the GM1 utilises the full 16MP M43 surface!

So, in real life; the little GM1 should have WIDER dynamic range than the much larger (physically) LX100?

Smaller but better dynamic range? The little GM1, right and the latest LX100

Guess what?  I CANNOT give a confirm answer to my friend's question!  The reasons being, of the two days I was loan the LX, I do not have the time to compare the dynamic range of the two cameras.  And now I cannot repeat the test because I do not have the LX100 any more :(