Panasonic G85 Comparison Review

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G85 (called Panasonic G80 in some regions) is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was announced in September 2016 and is equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. It offers a resolution of 15.8 megapixel.

Is the Panasonic G85 a good camera? The G85 has a Camera Elo of 2360. This rating puts the G85 below average of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (Four Thirds cameras), the G85 ranks among the top 30 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 3.5-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

An illustration of the physical dimensions of the Panasonic G85 vis-à-vis a credit card is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are presented. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Panasonic G85 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 (USD)	Street Price
1.		Panasonic G85	128 mm	89 mm	74 mm	505 g	330	Y	Sep 2016	899	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-M1 II	134 mm	91 mm	67 mm	574 g	440	Y	Sep 2016	1,999	ebay.com
3.		Olympus E-M5 II	124 mm	85 mm	45 mm	469 g	310	Y	Feb 2015	1,099	ebay.com
4.		Olympus E-P5	122 mm	69 mm	37 mm	420 g	330	n	May 2013	999	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-M5	122 mm	89 mm	43 mm	425 g	360	Y	Feb 2012	1,299	ebay.com
6.		Panasonic G95	130 mm	94 mm	77 mm	536 g	290	Y	Apr 2019	999	amazon.com
7.		Panasonic GX85	122 mm	71 mm	44 mm	426 g	290	n	Apr 2016	799	amazon.com
8.		Panasonic G7	125 mm	86 mm	77 mm	410 g	350	n	May 2015	649	ebay.com
9.		Panasonic GX8	133 mm	78 mm	63 mm	487 g	330	Y	Jul 2015	1,199	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic GH4	133 mm	93 mm	84 mm	560 g	500	Y	Feb 2014	1,499	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic GX7	123 mm	71 mm	55 mm	402 g	350	n	Aug 2013	999	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 G85 was launched in the US market at a price of $899. 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.

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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tent to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Panasonic G85 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 G85 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). 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 G85	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	4K/30p	22.8	12.5	656	71
2.		Olympus E-M1 II	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.7	12.8	1312	80
3.		Olympus E-M5 II	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60p	23.0	12.5	842	73
4.		Olympus E-P5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	22.8	12.4	895	72
5.		Olympus E-M5	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60i	22.8	12.3	826	71
6.		Panasonic G95	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.2	13.0	1273	75
7.		Panasonic GX85	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	4K/30p	22.9	12.6	662	71
8.		Panasonic G7	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	4K/30p	22.8	12.4	904	71
9.		Panasonic GX8	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.5	12.6	806	75
10.		Panasonic GH4	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	23.2	12.8	791	74
11.		Panasonic GX7	Four Thirds	15.8	4592	3448	1080/60p	22.6	12.2	718	70
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 G85 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the G85 can use is 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the G85 has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 2360k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.74x. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Panasonic G85 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 G85	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Olympus E-M1 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	18.0/s	n	Y
3.		Olympus E-M5 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
4.		Olympus E-P5	optional	n	3.0 / 1037	tilting	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
5.		Olympus E-M5	1440	n	3.0 / 610	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	n	Y
6.		Panasonic G95	2360	n	3.0 / 1240	swivel	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Panasonic GX85	2765	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
8.		Panasonic G7	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	n
9.		Panasonic GX8	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	Y
10.		Panasonic GH4	2359	n	3.0 / 1036	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	Y	n
11.		Panasonic GX7	2760	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
Notes: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The LCD screen on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G85 is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD is hinged on the side and can be flipped out for odd-angle shots in both portrait and landscape orientation. Also, this fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment is often appreciated by videographers for its flexibility. Moreover, v-loggers like the design because the screen can be turned to be front-facing.

One convenient feature of the G85 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-G85 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 G85	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
2.		Olympus E-M1 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.0	Y	-	-
3.		Olympus E-M5 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
4.		Olympus E-P5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
5.		Olympus E-M5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Panasonic G95	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
7.		Panasonic GX85	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
8.		Panasonic G7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
9.		Panasonic GX8	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Panasonic GH4	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Panasonic GX7	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-

It is notable that the G85 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the G85 can be found in the free online Panasonic G85 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 remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the G85 handle or perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known 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 (USD)	Street Price
1.		Panasonic G85	..	+ +	..	84/100	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2016	899	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-M1 II	5/5	+ +	5/5	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2016	1,999	ebay.com
3.		Olympus E-M5 II	5/5	+ +	4.5/5	81/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2015	1,099	ebay.com
4.		Olympus E-P5	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2013	999	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-M5	4/5	+ +	..	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2012	1,299	ebay.com
6.		Panasonic G95	4.5/5	+	4.5/5	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2019	999	amazon.com
7.		Panasonic GX85	4.5/5	+ +	..	82/100	5/5	5/5	Apr 2016	799	amazon.com
8.		Panasonic G7	4/5	+ +	3.5/5	80/100	5/5	4.5/5	May 2015	649	ebay.com
9.		Panasonic GX8	5/5	+	..	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2015	1,199	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic GH4	5/5	+ +	..	85/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	1,499	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic GX7	4/5	+	..	79/100	5/5	5/5	Aug 2013	999	ebay.com
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, 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

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, 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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