Panasonic GX850 Comparison Review

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX850 (called Panasonic GX800 in some regions) is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was revealed to the public in January 2017 and is equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. It offers a resolution of 15.8 megapixel.

Is the Panasonic GX850 a good camera? The GX850 has a Camera Elo of 2118. This rating puts the GX850 below average of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (Four Thirds cameras), the GX850 ranks among the top 50 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 3-star performance rating.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

The physical dimensions of the Panasonic GX850 relative to a credit card are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Panasonic GX850 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Panasonic GX850	107 mm	65 mm	33 mm	269 g	210	n	Jan 2017	US$ 549	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-PL5	111 mm	64 mm	38 mm	325 g	360	n	Sep 2012	US$ 599	ebay.com
3.		Olympus E-PM2	110 mm	64 mm	34 mm	269 g	360	n	Sep 2012	US$ 499	ebay.com
4.		Panasonic G3	115 mm	84 mm	47 mm	336 g	270	n	May 2011	US$ 599	ebay.com
5.		Panasonic G5	120 mm	83 mm	71 mm	396 g	320	n	Jul 2012	US$ 599	ebay.com
6.		Panasonic G6	122 mm	85 mm	71 mm	390 g	340	n	Apr 2013	US$ 599	ebay.com
7.		Panasonic GF3	108 mm	67 mm	32 mm	264 g	300	n	Jun 2011	US$ 549	ebay.com
8.		Panasonic GF5	108 mm	67 mm	37 mm	267 g	360	n	Apr 2012	US$ 499	ebay.com
9.		Panasonic GF6	111 mm	65 mm	38 mm	323 g	340	n	Apr 2013	US$ 499	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic GF7	107 mm	65 mm	33 mm	266 g	230	n	Jan 2015	US$ 499	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic GX1	116 mm	68 mm	39 mm	318 g	320	n	Nov 2011	US$ 699	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Panasonic GX850 was launched in the US market at a price of $549. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check GX850 offers at
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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Panasonic GX850 features a Four Thirds sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Panasonic GX850 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

For most cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Panasonic GX850	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	4K/30p	23.2	13.3	586	73
2.		Olympus E-PL5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.3	889	72
3.		Olympus E-PM2	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.7	12.2	932	72
4.		Panasonic G3	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	1080/60i	21.0	10.6	667	56
5.		Panasonic G5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	21.4	11.6	618	61
6.		Panasonic G6	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	21.3	11.5	639	61
7.		Panasonic GF3	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60i	20.6	10.1	459	50
8.		Panasonic GF5	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60i	20.5	10.0	573	50
9.		Panasonic GF6	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	1080/60i	20.7	10.6	622	54
10.		Panasonic GF7	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	1080/60p	22.7	12.3	874	70
11.		Panasonic GX1	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	1080/60p	20.8	10.6	703	55
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The GX850 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the GX850 can use is 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Panasonic GX850 and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Panasonic GX850	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/500s	10.0/s	Y	n
2.		Olympus E-PL5	optional	n	3.0 / 460	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
3.		Olympus E-PM2	optional	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	Y
4.		Panasonic G3	1440	n	3.0 / 460	swivel	Y	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
5.		Panasonic G5	1440	n	3.0 / 920	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
6.		Panasonic G6	1440	n	3.0 / 1036	swivel	Y	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	n
7.		Panasonic GF3	none	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	Y	1/4000s	3.2/s	Y	n
8.		Panasonic GF5	none	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
9.		Panasonic GF6	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.2/s	Y	n
10.		Panasonic GF7	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/500s	5.8/s	Y	n
11.		Panasonic GX1	optional	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.2/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The LCD screen on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX850 is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD can be tilted vertically to facilitate odd-angle shots in landscape orientation. This tilting design is often preferred, for example, by street photographers to a fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment, as it is more unobtrusive during shooting than a screen that flips out to the side.

One convenient feature of the GX850 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX850 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Panasonic GX850	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
2.		Olympus E-PL5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Olympus E-PM2	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Panasonic G3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Panasonic G5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Panasonic G6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
7.		Panasonic GF3	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Panasonic GF5	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Panasonic GF6	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Panasonic GF7	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Panasonic GX1	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

It is notable that the GX850 offers wifi support. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

Further information on the features and operation of the GX850 can be found in the free online Panasonic GX850 Manual or on the Panasonic support site.

Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the GX850 in practical situations. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Panasonic GX850	..	+	..	76/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	US$ 549	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-PL5	3/5	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	US$ 599	ebay.com
3.		Olympus E-PM2	3/5	..	..	77/100	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	US$ 499	ebay.com
4.		Panasonic G3	3/5	+ +	..	75/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2011	US$ 599	ebay.com
5.		Panasonic G5	3/5	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2012	US$ 599	ebay.com
6.		Panasonic G6	4/5	+ +	..	..	5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2013	US$ 599	ebay.com
7.		Panasonic GF3	3/5	82/100	..	71/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2011	US$ 549	ebay.com
8.		Panasonic GF5	3/5	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2012	US$ 499	ebay.com
9.		Panasonic GF6	..	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2013	US$ 499	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic GF7	4/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2015	US$ 499	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic GX1	3/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Nov 2011	US$ 699	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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