The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G85 is a mid-range mirrorless camera that looks like an SLR. It can record 4K videos and has a 16MP Four Thirds sensor with no optical low pass filter and 5-axis image stabilisation from the second generation. Depending on the market, it is also called the Panasonic G80, G81, or G8.
Even though Panasonic hasn’t said it outright, the G85 is the camera that comes after the G7. Both cameras have what looks like the same body and have two control dials, a lot of customizable buttons, and touch interfaces that can move in all directions.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]Specifications
- 16MP Four Thirds MOS sensor w/o optical low pass filter
- 5-axis image stabilization with Dual I.S. 2
- Splash/dust-proof body
- Depth from Defocus AF
- 2.36M-dot OLED EVF
- 3-inch 1.04M-dot fully-articulating touchscreen LCD
- 4K video / photo
- Focus stacking and post focus
Where to get Panasonic LUMIX G85 camera?
But the G85 is a bit fancier. It has a magnesium alloy front plate that protects it from the weather and a new electromagnetic shutter that reduces shutter shock. It also has an updated electronic viewfinder and 5-axis in-camera IS.
The Panasonic G85 has a Four Thirds Live MOS sensor with 16 megapixels, which is the same number of megapixels as the sensor in its predecessor, the G7. However, the G85 doesn’t have an optical low pass filter like the G7 (OLPF). Because of this change and different processing, the G85 takes sharper photos at base ISO than the G7 (200). The G85 takes pictures with nice colours and clearer, sharper details, but there are more artefacts and moiré because it doesn’t have an OLPF and the default sharpening is stronger.
In terms of print quality, the Panasonic G85 did very well at ISO 100 and 200, making great 24 x 36 inch prints. We were still able to make a good 13 x 19 inch print at ISO 1600. At ISO 12800, you could print a good 4×6 photo, but that is really pushing the sensor to its limits. If you need to print 8 x 10 or bigger, we recommend keeping ISO at or below 3200. We think the G85 has very good print quality, given its price and the size of its sensor.
Photo Styles include Vivid, Natural, Monochrome, and Scenery. When shooting in Manual Movie mode, you can also choose from two Cinelike gamma presets. There are also a lot of Creative Control presets that can be used to quickly change the look of photos and videos. These include the common High Key, Toy Effect, Miniature, Rough Monochrome, and Impressive Art options.