44 http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukPanasonic
LUMIXG80
BodyOnly
£369from
excellentconditionPanasonic
LUMIXG9
BodyOnly
£729from
excellentconditionTestbench SECOND HAND CAMERAS
PanasonicLenses
Released towards the end of 2016, the
Lumix G80 is essentially Panasonic’s
answer to the Olympus OM-D E-M5
Mark II. Indeed a glance through the
spec sheets reveals that in terms of
photographic ability, on paper the two
cameras are practically identical. But
there’s a major difference for those who
are also interested in video, because
the G80 is capable of recording in 4K,
and with very creditable quality too.
There’s also a massive difference in
terms of design. In contrast to the
Olympus’s charismatic retro styling, the
Lumix is built much more along the lines
of a conventional DSLR, with a squat
black weather-sealed body and
prominent handgrip. It’s festooned with
external controls, including a pair of
large top-plate dials for changing
exposure settings, a drive-mode dial on
the top plate, and a focus-mode switch
on the back. As a result it’s easy to
carry around one-handed, balances well
with telephoto lenses, and in most
respects is a pleasure to shoot with.
Panasonic’s control set-up may notsuit everyone, as both dials do the
same thing by default (except in manual
mode), and it relies on the touchscreen
for positioning the focus point. But the
good news is that the camera is highly
con gurable to suit the user. Viewing is
via a large, clear 2.36m-dot OLED nder,
while the rear screen is fully articulated
for shooting at awkward angles. An
excellent touch interface complements
the physical controls nicely.
The G80 was Panasonic’s rst
SLR-style model to include in-body
image stabilisation (IBIS), and in general
it works very well. When coupled with an
optically stabilised lens, the two
systems work together for increased
effect, in a system Panasonic calls Dual
IS. The caveat is that with some lenses
the rmware will need updating, and
with the very oldest ones, Dual IS won’t
work at all.Feature packed
Noteworthy features include a really
quiet, well-damped shutter, in-camera
raw conversion, and up to 900 shotsPanasonic
Lumix DC-G80
This might look like just
another small-aperture
kit zoom, but in fact a
couple of desirable
characteristics make it
stand out from the
crowd. First is the
unusually versatile
24-120mm equivalent
zoom range, making it
suitable for a broad
range of subjects from
landscapes to portraits.
Secondly, the lens is
weather-sealed to match
the G80, making it the
ideal choice for shooting
outdoors in less than
perfect conditions. It’s
small and lightweight, at
just 210g, whileaccepting 58mm lters
and focusing as close as
25cm at the telephoto
end. Sharpness is very
respectable, with the best
results seen around
f/5.6-8, while integrated
software compensation
eliminates distortion and
chromatic aberration. It’s
a ne lightweight
general-purpose zoom for
everyday use.PA NA S O N I C
One of the biggest
advantages of
Micro Four Thirds
is the ability to
get substantial
telephoto reach
without having to
carry around
massive lenses, and
Panasonic’s 100-300mm
f/4-5.6 is arguably the
epitome of this. Smaller,
lighter and much less
expensive than the rm’s
Leica DG 100-400mm
F4-6.3 OIS, it delivers a
200-600mm equivalent
zoom range in a
remarkably portable
package that weighs only
520g. It focuses quickly,
provides excellent opticalstabilisation, and gives
very respectable images,
although it bene ts from
being stopped down a
little at 300mm. We’ve
selected the ‘II’ version
here, as it’s dust and
splash-proof and fully
supports Panasonic’s
Dual IS system, which
makes it a great match to
the G80. However the
original can also be found
at an even more
affordable price.Panasonic Lumix G Vario
12 60mm F3.5 5.6 ASPH OIS
● £159Panasonic Lumix G Vario
100 300mm F4 5.6 II OIS
● £359● £369
ALL PRICES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF WRITING. FOR THE L ATEST DE ALS, CHECK WWW.PARKCAMERAS.COM