Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 Review

September 27, 2016 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Half rating star

Introduction

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 (also known as the Panasonic G85) is a new Micro Four Thirds compact system camera that features 5-Axis Dual Image Stabilisation and a splash/dust proof magnesium body. It integrates 4K video recording capability with a variety of 4K Photo functions and can record 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) video with either 30p/25p/24p frames rates at 100Mbps in the MP4 format. A new 5-Axis Dual I.S. system combines OIS (Optical Image Stabiliser - 2 axis) as well as B.I.S (Body Image Stabiliser - 5 axis) in the main body of the camera. This is designed to negate the effects of hand shake, and Panasonic claims that it is the “best IS in the camera market” - which it says is especially true when shooting with telephoto lenses. A brand new shutter unit has been designed to minimise slight vibrations and shutter sound when pressing the shutter button. This means that you can use the mechanical shutter in situations where you might have only been able to use the electronic shutter before. The Panasonic G80 features a 16 megapixel Digital Live MOS image sensor with no Low Pass Filter the optical which boosts the sensor’s capability to record fine detail, new Venus Engine processor, 2,360K-dot OLED Live View Finder, 3-inch 1040K-dot Free-Angle touch screen display, 9fps continuous shooting, ISO 100-25,600, ultra-high speed AF of just 0.07 sec, mechanical and silent electronic shutters, new Eco Mode to extend the battery life, and Wi-Fi connectivity. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 is available in black, body-only (£699 / $899), or in a kit with the G Vario 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH lens (£799 / $999). The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 is compatible with the new optional Battery Grip (DMW-BGG1) which doubles the battery life.

Ease of Use

The new Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 is a little larger than the DMC-G7 model that it replaces, measuring 128.4 x 89 x 74.3 mm, and weighs about 90g more at 453g for the body only. Styled very much like a miniature DSLR camera, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 shares the same angular design as the G7. It manages to fit a 3-inch fully rotating, free-angle LCD screen and an electronic viewfinder into its diminutive dimensions, yet is still comfortable enough for users with average-sized hands to operate. Apart from the handgrip, rear thumbgrip and the right-hand side of the camera, which are all rubberised, the DMC-G80 has a slightly textured plastic finish. It's extremely well-built with a full die-cast magnesium body, metal lens mount and metal tripod socket that belies its relatively affordable price point. Even better, the DMC-G80 is now both splash and dustproof thanks to seals on every joint, dial and button.

On the front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 is a tiny focus-assist and self-timer indicator lamp, black lens release button, metal lens mount and a large rubberised hand-grip with a sculpted indent for your forefinger, an improvement on the G7's smaller handgrip.

Panasonic have significantly upgraded the image stabilisation system on the G80. The new 5-axis Dual I.S. MK II system incorporates new gyro-sensor technology to combine the 2-axis stabilisation from the lens (if it has OIS built-in) and 5-axis stabilisation from the camera body, resulting in compensation for up to 5-stops slower shutter speed. Furthermore, the DMC-G80 also has an electromagnetic drive in the shutter unit which reduces the shutter shock by approximately 90% compared to the previous G7 model.

On the left flank of the DMC-G80 (when viewed from behind) is a MIC socket for use with an external microphone, the AV Out/Digital port, a port for the optional remote shutter release, and an HDMI port for connecting the DMC-G80 to a HD television or monitor, all hidden under two rubber flaps. On the right of the body is the newly relocated SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot. On the bottom is a metal tripod socket, importantly in-line with the middle of the lens barrel, and the battery compartment. The DMC-G80 manages around 330 shots using the supplied 7.2V 1200mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery before needing to be recharged, about the same as the previous DMC-G7, but this is boosted to around 800 shots when using the new Power Save Mode mode. If the camera detects that your eye has moved away from the EVF, it automatically enters sleep mode (after either 3, 5 or 10 seconds), thus cleverly conserving the battery life (this feature can be turned off).

Located on top of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 is the drive mode dial on the left which includes the burst mode/4K/bracketing/continuous shooting/timer options, the external flash hotshoe and built-in pop-up flash, complete with a manual sliding switch to open it on the side, twin stereo microphones, on/off switch, a handy one-touch movie record button, Fn1/Exposure Compensation button, and a reasonably sized, tactile shutter button that's encircled by the first of two control dials. The second thumb operated control dial changes the aperture by default, but cleverly has a button at its centre that allows you toggle to the white balance and ISO speed - very handy.

Completing the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80's top panel is a traditional shooting mode dial that lets you choose the different exposure modes. The usual selection of Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual are available for more experienced photographers, while beginner-friendly Scene modes are accessed via the SCN setting. Additionally there are now 2 custom modes, marked C, which allow you to configure six of your favourite settings and quickly access them.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80
Front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

The DMC-G80's range of Creative Controls, denoted by an artist's palette, offers a whopping 22 options. Some are more useful than others, and you do lose control of the exposure and other key settings when using the Creative Controls, whereas the 6 available Photo Styles still allow full control of the camera's settings. The Creative Panorama mode allows you to apply any of the different effects to a vertical or horizontal panoramic image, which is easily taken by 'sweeping' with the camera while keeping the shutter release depressed.

The clever Intelligent Auto mode, selected via the shooting mode dial, tries to make things as easy as possible for the complete beginner, allowing them to point and shoot the camera without having to worry about choosing the right scene mode or settings. Intelligent Auto Mode automatically determines a number of key criteria when taking a picture, including selecting the most appropriate scene mode (from 5 commonly used presets) and ISO speed, and turning face detection (up to 15 faces), image stabilization and quick auto-focus on.

The Intelligent Auto Plus Mode also includes Intelligent Exposure, which increases exposure only in the under-exposed areas of the image, Digital Red-eye, which automatically detects and removes red-eye, and AF Tracking, which continually tracks a moving subject and keeps it in focus, without you having to hold the shutter button halfway down as on most other cameras. Intelligent D-range continually checks the ambient light level and adjusts the exposure setting as conditions change to prevent blown highlights and blocked shadows, while Intelligent Resolution mode makes a standard image look like a higher resolution one.

In practice the Intelligent Auto Mode system works very well, with the DMC-G80 seamlessly choosing the most appropriate combination of settings for the current situation. The 5 available scene modes are Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Night Portrait and Night Scenery, so obviously not all situations are covered by Intelligent Auto Mode, but it does work for the majority of the time. It makes it possible for the less experienced photographer to easily take well-exposed, sharp pictures of people, scenery and close-ups by simply pointing and shooting the camera.

The DMC-G80 offers both AVCHD video capture and MP4, with the latter offering 4K recording at 3840x2160 pixels at 30p/25p/24p in the MP4 format with full-time auto-focusing. Interestingly, if you want to shoot the maximum 4K video – i.e twice as high quality as Full HD – then a switch to the MP4 mode is required before you can implement that setting on the Panasonic. In other words 4K shooting is not available with AVCHD compression.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80
Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 is an intriguing prospect for videographers, providing access as it does to the same creative exposure P,A,S,M modes selectable when shooting stills. You also get access to all the Photo Style and Creative Control modes when shooting video. ISO settings, white balance and AF tracking are also all accessible when shooting movies. The normal bugbear of exterior location shoots is also dealt with thanks to a wind cut option among the four screen's worth of menu settings in motion picture mode.

The DMC-G80's Intelligent Auto mode works for movies as well as for still photos. Simply select the iA shooting mode on top of the camera, then the Movie Record button. The Intelligent Scene Selector automatically determines the most suitable Scene mode from five options - Portrait, Scenery, Low Light and Close-up or Normal modes. Face Detection automatically detects a face in the frame and adjusts the focus, exposure, contrast, and skin complexion. Intelligent Exposure continually checks the ambient light level and adjusts the exposure setting as conditions change to prevent blown highlights and blocked shadows. The Image Stabilizer helps prevent blurring from hand-shake when using a compatible lens or via the camera body. One great benefit of the touch-screen control system is that Touch Auto Focusing is available in movie recording, enabling pro-level rack-like focusing simply by pointing at the subject on the LCD screen.

There are three 4K Photo functions - 4K Burst Shooting, 4K Burst (Start/Stop) and 4K Pre-burst which all record continuous 8 megapixel stills at a 30fps shooting rate. 4K Burst allows you to continuously record 8 megapixel images at 30fps, 4K Pre-Burst does the same but for one second prior to and one second after pressing the shutter button in order, giving you 60 frames to choose from, and 4K Burst (S/S) allows you to playback your video, pause at the chosen moment, and use the shutter button to mark a chosen frame from the video and save it as a single 8 megapixel frame.

The Post Focus mode allows you to take a series of photos all with a different focus point, and then choose your preferred one after you’ve captured the shot. This can be more useful for some subjects than others, for example with macro it’s a great idea. Focus Stacking is new to the DMC-G80. This feature enables you to take multiple shots with different aperture values, then combine them into a single image and choose how much of the subject is in focus, again good news for macro photographers.

The Wi-Fi function (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n) lets you use your smartphone to change the DMC-G80's settings (focus setting, exposure compensation, ISO, WB and Photo Styles) and even fire the shutter button remotely (including interval video recordings), while the auto transfer function automatically backs up your photos onto a tablet. You can also use GPS data from your smartphone to record the shooting location onto your images. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 offers a time lapse function in which you can set the time interval and the number of images to take, plus a multi-exposure option that lets you combine up to four exposures in a single frame.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80
Top of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

The rear of the Lumix DMC-G80 is dominated by the large 3 inch LCD screen which has 1040K-dots. The rotating, free-angle LCD monitor, which is hinged on the left side of the camera (looking from the rear), can be rotated 180 degrees for side to side and flipped out and twisted through 270 degrees. You can use the screen as a waist-level viewfinder, holding the camera overhead, and even for turning the DMC-G80 on yourself for arm-length self-portraits. There's also the added benefit of folding the screen away against the camera body to protect it when stored in a camera bag, preventing it from becoming marked or scratched.

The high-resolution screen coped admirably with the majority of lighting conditions. The Auto Power LCD function automatically detects the current lighting conditions and boosts the LCD backlighting by up to 40% when shooting outdoors in bright sunshine, helping to keep the screen visible. The high-res, free-angle LCD screen is much more than just a novelty - it's a lot more versatile than the usual combination of optical viewfinder and fixed LCD, providing new angles of view and enhancing your overall creativity. Above all, it's a fun way of composing your images.

The DMC-G80 inherits the DMC-G7's clever touchscreen interface. Panasonic have wisely restricted the amount of things that you can do by interacting with the screen, and indeed you can still operate everything on the camera without having to push and prod the LCD at all. You would be missing out on a lot of genuinely useful functionality, though, which really improves the overall shooting experience. The DMC-G80 has a feature called Touchpad AF which allows you to move the focus point area with your finger on the LCD while you're looking through the EVF.

The most immediately noticeable function is the ability to use the 1-area AF mode to focus on your main subject simply by touching it on the LCD. If the subject then moves, the DMC-G80 cleverly follows it around the screen using the the AF tracking function. If the subject exits the frame entirely, simply recompose and tap it again to start focusing. Impressive stuff that makes focusing on off-center subjects fast and intuitive. It is a little too easy to accidentally press the screen and set the focus point to the wrong area for the current subject, but a simple tap in the middle of the LCD will center the AF point (or you can turn this feature off altogether).

The size of the AF point itself can also be changed via an interactive onscreen slider. If Face Detection is enabled, the 1-area AF point can be manually set to a person's eye to help ensure that the most important part of a portrait is in focus. If Multi-area AF rather than 1-area AF is enabled, then you can select a group of 4, 5 or 6 AF points from 9 different areas, again providing some manual control over what is traditionally a rather hit and miss affair.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80
Swivelling LCD Screen

When Intelligent Auto is switched on, the DMC-G80 changes the scene mode used when you touch the subject, for example selecting portrait mode if you touch a face and macro mode if you touch a close-up flower. If you prefer to manually focus rather than use the snappy AF, you can magnify any part of the subject by 1x, 5x or 10x by simply dragging the image around the screen. The final touchscreen ability from an image composition point of view is the ability to release the shutter, with a small icon on the right hand screen enabling this functionality, and then a single on-screen tap all that's required to take the picture.

All of the menu options can be changed via the touchscreen interface. You can also control image playback by touching the screen, with the ability to tap a thumbnail to see the full-size version, scroll through your images by dragging them from side to side, and magnifying them up to 16x.

Instead of the optical viewfinder of a conventional DSLR, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 has an electronic viewfinder. The excellent viewfinder on the DMC-G80 is an OLED Live View Finder with 2,360k dots. It has a large 1.4x (0.7x on 35mm equiv.) magnification, very high contrast at 10,000:1, a minimum time lag of less than 0.01 sec, and offers 100% field of view, resulting in a very usable display indeed. The EVF (and also the main LCD screen) operates at 60fps, twice the usual speed, which helps make it relatively flicker-free (although it is still slightly noticeable).

The DMC-G80 has a handy eye proximity sensor which detects when the camera is held up to your eye and automatically switches from the rear LCD screen to the EVF. You can also manually switch between the two via the LVF button (this button can also be usefully reconfigured to the Function5 button). As the EVF is reading the same signal from the image sensor as the rear LCD screen, it can also display similar information - for example, you can view and operate the DMC-G80's Quick Menu, giving quick access to all the key camera settings while it's held up to your eye.

The main downside of the DMC-G80's EVF system occurs indoors in low light, as it has to "gain-up" to produce a usable picture, resulting in a noticeably grainier picture. In all other situations, however, the electronic viewfinder on the DMC-G80 is the equal of and in many areas better than a DSLR's optical viewfinder, particularly those found on entry-level models which are typically dim and offer limited scene coverage. The truest testament to the DMC-G80 is that we mostly used it by holding it up to eye-level, something that we wouldn't do unless the EVF was of sufficiently high quality.

Positioned to the right of the EVF are the Focusing switch and a very useful AF/AE Lock button. The Q.Menu/Fn2 button underneath provides quick access to most of the principal controls, including the photo style, flash, movie type, image size, image quality, auto-focus and metering options.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 In-hand

Below this are the Playback and the Display buttons, the latter cycling through the various LCD views, including the useful level gauge for making your horizons straight. Underneath again is a traditional 4-way navigation pad system with a Menu/Set button in the centre. Pressing left, up, right and down on the D-Pad buttons selects AF Mode, ISO, White Balance and Fn3 options respectively.

The main menu system on the DMC-G80 is straight-forward to use and is accessed by pressing the Menu/Set button in the middle of the navigation D-Pad. There are five main menus represented by large icons, Record, Motion Picture, Custom, Setup and Playback.

The DMC-G80 employs the same Contrast Auto Focus system that is commonly used by compact cameras. Despite this, the DMC-G80's auto-focus system is as fast, if not faster, than a typical DSLR camera's, with a claimed speed of just 0.07 second when used with certain lenses, thanks to an enhanced digital signal communication that runs at a maximum of 240 fps. Panasonic have also added Depth From Defocus (DFD) technology which shortens the focusing time even further, although note that this only works with Panasonic Micro Four Thirds lenses. In practice we noticed very little difference in speed between the DMC-G80 and a DSLR, and there were also very few occasions when the DMC-G80 failed to lock onto the subject, especially when using the centre AF point.

The DMC-G80 additionally boasts a mode called Low Light AF which allows the camera to focus even in moonlight (down to -4EV) without needing to use the AF assist lamp, while the Starlight AF mode allows you to capture individual stars and constellations in the night sky. There are a wide range of AF modes on offer, including multiple-area AF with up to 23 focus areas, 1-area AF with a selectable focus area, Face Detection, and AF Tracking. The DMC-G80 also has a useful Quick AF function that begins focusing as soon as you point the camera, and it also offers the popular Focus Peaking function that outlines the in-focus subject in the MF and AF+MF modes.

The start-up time from turning the Lumix DMC-G80 on to being ready to take a photo is very impressive at less than 0.5 seconds. It takes about 1 second to store a JPEG image, allowing you to keep shooting as they are being recorded onto the memory card. Storing a single RAW image only takes around 1 second. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 has a very good Burst mode which enables you to take 9 frames per second when using the mechanical shutter for an unlimited number of JPEG images at the highest image quality, or 45 RAW images. There's also a faster 40fps mode when using the electronic shutter, and a 6fps mode at full 16 megapixel resolution with AF Tracking turned on to capture moving subjects. The electronic shutter function also raises the shutter speed to 1/16,000 sec. as well as allowing silent operation for quick, inconspicuous shooting.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 16 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 6Mb.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 produced images of excellent quality during the review period. It produces noise-free images at ISO 100 to 1600, with limited noise starting to appear at ISO 3200. ISO 6400 exhibits quite visible noise and loss of fine detail, and the faster setting of ISO 12,800 is even noisier but still usable for small prints and web use. We'd avoid using the headline-grabbing ISO 25,600 setting though.

The various Creative Controls and Photo Styles allow you to quickly and easily customise the look of the camera's JPEG images. The pop-up flash worked well indoors, with no red-eye and good overall exposure. The night photograph was excellent, with the maximum shutter speed of 60 seconds allowing you to capture plenty of light. We struggled to see any differences between the Intelligent Resolution settings, but Intelligent D-range and the HDR mode are effective features for capturing more detail in the shadows and highlights.

Noise

There are 9 ISO settings available on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting:

JPEG

RAW

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

iso100.jpg iso100raw.jpg
   

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

iso200.jpg iso200raw.jpg
   

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

iso400.jpg iso400raw.jpg
   

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

iso800.jpg iso800raw.jpg
   

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

iso1600.jpg iso1600raw.jpg
   

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

iso3200.jpg iso3200raw.jpg
   

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

iso6400.jpg iso6400raw.jpg
   

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

iso12800.jpg iso12800raw.jpg
   

ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

iso25600.jpg iso25600raw.jpg

File Quality

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 has 2 different JPEG image quality settings available, with Fine being the highest quality option. Here are some 100% crops which show the quality of the various options, with the file size shown in brackets.

Fine (6.57Mb) (100% Crop)

Standard (3.03Mb) (100% Crop)

quality_fine.jpg quality_standard.jpg
   

RAW (18.9Mb) (100% Crop)

 
quality_raw.jpg  

Flash

The flash settings on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 are Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced Flash On, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction and Forced Flash Off. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.

Flash Off (24mm)

Flash On (24mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64
   

Flash Off (120mm)

Flash On (120mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64

And here are some portrait shots. As you can see, neither the Flash On setting or the Red-Eye Reduction option caused any amount of red-eye.

Flash On

Flash On (100% Crop)
flash_on.jpg flash_on1.jpg
   

Red-eye Reduction

Red-eye Reduction (100% Crop)

flash_redeye.jpg flash_redeye1.jpg

Night

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 maximum shutter speed is 60 seconds and there's also a Bulb option for exposures up to 127 seconds long, which is good news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 15 seconds at ISO 160. The camera takes the same amount of time again to apply noise reduction, so for example at the 15 second setting the actual exposure takes 30 seconds.

Night

Night (100% Crop)

night1.jpg night1a.jpg

Image Stabilisation

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 has an antishake mechanism which allows you to take sharp photos at slower shutter speeds than other digital cameras. To test this, we took 2 handheld shots of the same subject with the same settings. The first shot was taken with the stabilizer turned off, the second with it turned on. Here is a 100% crop of the image to show the results. As you can see, with image stabilisation turned on, the images are sharper than when it's turned off.

Shutter Speed / Focal Length

Image Stabilisation Off (100% Crop)

Image Stabilisation On (100% Crop)

1/8th / 24mm antishake1.jpg antishake1a.jpg
     
1/8th / 120mm antishake2.jpg antishake2a.jpg

Intelligent Resolution

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80's Intelligent Resolution feature identifies outlines, texture areas and soft gradation areas of the image and then automatically optimizes the edges and detailed texture areas while using noise reduction to make the soft gradation areas smoother. There are four available strengths - low, standard, high and extended.

Off

Low

intelligent_resolution_off.jpg intelligent_resolution_1.jpg
   

Standard

High

intelligent_resolution_2.jpg intelligent_resolution_3.jpg
   
Extended  
intelligent_resolution_4.jpg  

HDR

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80's HDR mode combines three pictures taken at different exposures to create one image with greater dynamic range than a single shot.

Off

+1EV

hdr_off.jpg hdr_01.jpg
   

+2EV

+3EV

hdr_02.jpg hdr_03.jpg

Intelligent Dynamic Range

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80's Intelligent D-range setting adjusts the exposure setting to record more detail in the highlights and shadows, with three strengths available - low, standard and high.

Off

Low

intelligent_drange_off.jpg intelligent_drange_01.jpg
   

Standard

High

intelligent_drange_02.jpg intelligent_drange_03.jpg

Multiple Exposure

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100's Multiple Exposure mode combines two or three different pictures to create one composite image.

Multiple Exposure

multi_exposure.jpg

Photo Styles

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 has 6 preset Photo Styles, with Standard as the default setting. The contrast, sharpness, saturation and noise reduction can be individually set for each picture style, and there is also a Custom style so that you can create your own look.

Standard

Vivid

photo_style_1.jpg photo_style_2.jpg
   

Natural

Monochrome

photo_style_3.jpg photo_style_4.jpg
   

Scenery

Portrait

photo_style_5.jpg photo_style_6.jpg

Filters

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 has an extensive range of creative Filters with 22 different options on offer.

Expressive

Retro

filter_01.jpg filter_02.jpg
   

Old Days

High Key

filter_03.jpg filter_04.jpg
   

Low Key

Sepia

filter_05.jpg filter_06.jpg
   

Monochrome

Dynamic Monochrome

filter_07.jpg filter_08.jpg
   

Rough Monochrome

Silky Monochrome

filter_09.jpg filter_10.jpg
   

Impressive Art

High Dynamic

filter_11.jpg filter_12.jpg
   

Cross Process

Toy Effect

filter_13.jpg filter_14.jpg
   

Toy Pop

Bleach Bypass

filter_15.jpg filter_16.jpg
   

Miniature Effect

Soft Focus

filter_17.jpg filter_18.jpg
   

Fantasy

Star Filter

filter_19.jpg filter_20.jpg
   

One Point Color

Sunshine

filter_21.jpg filter_22.jpg

Panoramas

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 allows you to take panoramic images very easily, by 'sweeping' with the camera while keeping the shutter release depressed. The camera does all the processing and stitching and even successfully compensates for moving subjects.

panorama1.jpg

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 camera, which were all taken using the 16 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Panasonic RAW (RW2) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

This is a sample movie at the highest quality setting of 3840x2160 pixels at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 20 second movie is 230Mb in size.

Product Images

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 / Lens Removed

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 / Pop-up Flash

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 / Image Displayed

 

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 / Turned On

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 / Main Menu

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 / Quick Menu

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Swivelling LCD Screen

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Swivelling LCD Screen

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Top of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Bottom of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Memory Card Slot

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80

Battery Compartment

Conclusion

The new Lumix DMC-G80 camera completes the Panasonic range of enthusiast-focused compact system cameras. Arguably, with the G80, GF7, GX80 and GX8, Panasonic has cameras to suit every type of user (not to mention the video-centric GH4), although choosing between them all could be a challenge in itself. We've always had a soft spot for the mini-DSLR-like G-series, and although it looks very much like the previous G7 camera at first glance, the new G80 offers several key improvements, most notably the 5-Axis Dual Image Stabilisation, splash/dust proof magnesium body, new shutter unit and the clever Eco mode which greatly extends the battery life.

Despite the fact that the DMC-G80 has four fewer megapixels than the range-topping GX8, the removal of the optical low pass filter and the improvement to the optical image stabilisation system makes it difficult to judge between the two cameras as to which in fact has the better image quality - it’s pretty much too close to call. Images shot at ISO 100-1600 are clean, with a little noise appearing at 3200 and more at the still very usable setting of 6400. ISO 12,800 is best reserved for resizing and smaller prints, while the top speed of 25,600 is really only for emergency use, but overall the G80 delivers outstanding still image quality for a Micro Four Thirds camera.

In summary, the Lumix DMC-G80 brings together almost all of the cutting-edge technologies that Panasonic have recently introduced into one camera. If you prefer your mirrorless camera to look and feel like a DSLR rather than a rangefinder, then the new Panasonic G80 is an excellent choice.

4.5 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 4.5
Features 5
Ease-of-use 4.5
Image quality 5
Value for money 4.5

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80.

Canon EOS M3

The Canon EOS M3 is a new compact system camera that offers 24 megapixel resolution, full 1080p high-definition videos, a faster auto-focusing system, and a touch-screen interface. Other key features of the EOS M3 include a tilting 3-inch LCD screen, ISO range of 100-12,800, wi-fi and NFC connectivity, and a built-in flash. Is Canon's new mirrorless model finally a real contender? Read our Canon EOS M3 review to find out...

Fujifilm X-T10

The Fujifilm X-T10 is a new mid-range compact system camera that inherits most of the key features of the flagship X-T1 model. Does the X-T10 cut too many corners to hit its aggressive £499 / $799 price-tag, or does it offer a compelling blend of features, performance and price? Read our in-depth Fujifilm X-T10 review to find out...

Olympus OM-D E-M1

The Olympus O-MD E-M1 is a new professional compact system camera. Targeting its DSLR rivals, Olympus are promoting the E-M1 as a smaller and more capable camera. Read our expert Olympus E-M1 review to find out if it really can beat the competition...

Olympus PEN-F

The new Olympus PEN-F is a new premium compact system camera boasting a gorgeous retro design and some pro-level features, including a new 20 megapixel sensor, 5-axis image stabilisation, 10fps burst shooting, vari-angle 3-inch LCD touchscreen, 4K time-lapse movies, an electronic shutter and built-in wi-fi. Priced at £999 / $1199 body-only, is the PEN-F all style and no substance? Read our in-depth Olympus PEN-F review to find out...

Sony A6300

The Sony A6300 is a new high-end compact system camera that features the fastest auto-focusing system in the world and the highest number of AF points. With a 24.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, 4K movie recording, high-res 3-inch tilting LCD screen, electronic viewfinder and built-in flash, the Sony NEX-6 also offers 11fps burst shooting, wi-fi and NFC connectivity, and downloadable PlayMemories Camera Apps. Read our in-depth Sony A6300 review to find out if it's the best Sony APS-C camera yet...

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 from around the web.

photoreview.com.au »

Arriving in stores roughly six months after the DMC-GX85 camera was announced, Panasonic's new DMC-G85 slots in just below the now venerable GH-4, to provide a slightly smaller and lighter SLR-styled model for enthusiast photographers and introduce a wealth of handy innovations, including improved 4K Photo modes. More feature-rich than the G7 it replaces, it has the same 16-megapixel sensor as the GX85 but in a magnesium-alloy body with dust- and splash-proof sealing.
Read the full review »

ephotozine.com »

Panasonic's new Lumix G80 / G85 is a new weather-sealed mirrorless camera, with a 16 megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor, Dual IS Mark II, 4K video recording, 4K photos, and 9fps continuous shooting. Dual IS Mark II uses a combination of 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilisation, and lens based optical image stabilisation to give 5-stops of image stabilisation. The G80 will be available from £699 body only.
Read the full review »

photoxels.com »

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-G85 is a Micro Four Thirds (MFT) mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. It features a 16MP Four-Thirds sensor, a high resolution 2.36M-dot electronic viewfinder with a large and bright 0.74x (equivalent) magnification, a fully-articulated 3.0-in. (1.04M-dot) touch panel LCD, 4K video with a number of smart practical still photo functions, completely silent electronic shutter, built-in flash and Wi-Fi.
Read the full review »

Specifications

TYPE Type Digital Single Lens Mirrorless camera
Recording media SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, SDXC Memory Card/(Compatible with UHS-I / UHS-II UHS Speed Class 3 standard SDHC / SDXC Memory Cards)
Image sensor size 17.3 x 13.0 mm (in 4:3 aspect ratio)
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds mount
IMAGE SENSOR Type Live MOS Sensor
Total pixels 16.84 megapixels
Camera effective pixels 16.00 megapixels
Color filter Primary color filter
Dust reduction system Supersonic wave filter
Image Stabilization System Image sensor shift type (5-axis / 5-stop), Dual I.S. (Dual I.S. 2 compatible)
RECORDING SYSTEM Recording file format Still image JPEG (DCF, Exif 2.3), RAW, MPO (When attaching 3D lens in Micro Four Thirds system standard)
Motion picture AVCHD (Audio format: Dolby Digital 2ch), MP4 (Audio format: AAC 2ch)
Aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 1:1
Image quality RAW, RAW+Fine, RAW+Standard, Fine, Standard/MPO+Fine / MPO+Standard (with 3D lens in Micro Four Thirds system standard)
Color Space sRGB, AdobeRGB
File size(Pixels) Still Image [4:3] 4592x3448(L) / 3232x2424(M) / 2272x1704(S) / 1824x1368 (When attaching 3D lens in Micro Four Third system standard)/[3:2] 4592x3064(L) / 3232x2160(M) / 2272x1520(S) / 1824x1216 (When attaching 3D lens in Micro Four Third system standard)/[16:9] 4592x2584(L) / 3840x2160(M) / 1920x1080(S) / 1824x1024 (When attaching 3D lens in Micro Four Third system standard)/[1:1] 3424x3424(L) / 2416x2416(M) / 1712x1712(S) / 1712x1712 (When attaching 3D lens in Micro Four Third system standard)
Motion picture* MP4 [4K] 3840x2160:4K/30p 100Mbps, 4K/25p: 100Mbps, 4K/24p 100Mbps/[Full HD] 1920x1080:FHD/60p 28Mbps, FHD/50p: 28Mbps, FHD/30p 20Mbps, FHD/25p: 20Mbps/[HD] 1280x720:HD/30p 10Mbps, HD/25p: 10Mbps
AVCHD [Full HD] 1920x1080 FHD/50p: 28Mbps, 50p recording/[Full HD] 1920x1080 FHD/50i: 17Mbps, 50i recording/[Full HD] 1920x1080 FHD/25p: 24Mbps, 50i recording (sensor output is 25fps)/[Full HD] 1920x1080 FHD/24p: 24Mbps, 24p recording
Continuous recordable time (Motion picture) AVCHD [FHD/50i]: Approx. 120 min with H-FS12060 / H-FS14140/MP4 [4K/30p, 4K/25p]: Approx. 90 min with H-FS12060 / H-FS14140
Actual recordable time (Motion picture) AVCHD [FHD/50i]: Approx. 60 min with H-FS12060 / H-FS14140/MP4 [4K/30p, 4K/25p]: Approx. 45 min with H-FS12060 / H-FS14140
WiFi FUNCTION WiFi IEEE 802.11b/g/n, 2412 MHz - 2462 MHz (1-11 ch), Wi-Fi / WPA / WPA2, Infrastructure mode
NFC No
QR Code Connection Yes
Password-less connection Yes (ON / OFF selectable)
VIEWFINDER Type OLED Live View Finder (2,360k dots)
Field of view Approx. 100%
Magnification Approx. 1.48x / 0.74x (35mm camera equivalent) with 50 mm lens at infinity; -1.0 m-1
Eye point Approx. 20 mm from eyepiece lens
Diopter adjustment -4.0 - +4.0 (dpt)
Eye sensor Yes
Eye sensor adjustment High / Low
FOCUS Type Contrast AF system
DFD technology Yes
Post Focus Yes
Focus mode AFS (Single) / AFF (Flexible) / AFC (Continuous) / MF
AF mode Face/Eye Detection / Tracking / 49-Area / Custom Multi / 1-Area / Pinpoint/(Full area touch is available)
AF detective range EV -4 - 18 (ISO100 equivalent)
AF assist lamp Yes
AF lock Yes (AF/AE LOCK button)
Others One Shot AF, Shutter AF, Half Press Release, Quick AF, AF Sensitivity, Continuous AF (during motion picture recording), Eye Sensor AF, AF+MF, MF Assist, Touch MF Assist, Focus Peaking, Touch AF/AE Function, Touch Pad AF, Touch Shutter
Starlight AF Yes
EXPOSURE CONTROL Light metering system 1728-zone multi-pattern sensing system
Light metering mode Multiple / Center Weighted / Spot
Metering range EV 0 - 18 (F2.0 lens, ISO100 equivalent)
Exposure mode Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual
ISO sensitivity (Standard Output Sensitivity) Auto / Intelligent ISO / 100 (Extended) / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 / 6400 / 12800 / 25600 (Changeable to 1/3 EV step)/(Up to ISO6400 in motion picture recording) (ISO Auto in M mode)
Exposure compensation 1/3 EV step ±5EV (±3EV for motion picture)
AE lock Yes (AF/AE LOCK button)
WHITE BALANCE White balance Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Shade / Incandescent / Flash / White Set 1, 2, 3, 4 / Color temperature setting
White balance adjustment Blue/Amber bias, Magenta/Green bias
Color temperature setting 2500 - 10000K in 100K
SHUTTER Type Focal-plane shutter
Shutter speed Still image: Bulb (Max. 2 minutes), 1/4,000 - 60/Motion picture: 1/16,000 - 1/25/Electronic shutter: 1/16,000 - 1/Electronic first curtain shutter: 1/2,000 - 60
Self timer 10sec, 3 images / 2sec / 10sec
PANORAMA SHOT Panorama shot Yes (Standard / Wide)
BURST SHOOTING Burst speed [Mechanical shutter] AFS: H: 9 frames/sec, M: 6 frames/sec (with Live View), L: 2 frames/sec (with Live View)/[Mechanical shutter] AFC: H: 6 frames/sec, M: 6 frames/sec (with Live View), L: 2 frames/sec (with Live View)/[Electronic shutter] SH: 40 frames/sec/[Electronic shutter] AFS: H: 10 frames/sec, M: 6 frames/sec (with Live View), L: 2 frames/sec (with Live View)/[Electronic shutter] AFC: H: 6 frames/sec, M: 6 frames/sec (with Live View), L: 2 frames/sec (with Live View)
Number of recordable images More than 45 images (when there are RAW files with the particular speed)/More than 300 images (when there are no RAW files)/(Depending on memory card type, aspect, picture size and compression)
BRACKET AE bracket 3, 5, 7 images in 1/3, 2/3 or 1 EV step, max. ±3 EV, single/burst
Aperture Bracket 3, 5 or all positions in 1 EV step
Focus Bracket 1 to 999 images, focus steps can be set in 5 levels
White balance bracket 3 exposures in blue/amber axis or in magenta/green axis
TIME LAPSE SHOT Yes
STOP MOTION ANIMATION Yes
FLASH Flash type TTL Built-in-Flash, GN9.0 equivalent (ISO200 ・m) / GN6.2 equivalent (ISO100 ・m), Built-in Pop-up (Reference)
Flash Mode Auto*, Auto/Red-eye Reduction*, Forced On, Forced On/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync., Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off * For iA, iA+ only.
Synchronization speed Less than 1/160 second
Flash output adjustment 1/3EV step ±3EV
Flash synchronization 1st Curtain Sync., 2nd Curtain Sync.
Synchronization for flash dimming and exposure compensation Yes
4K PHOTO MODE 4K Photo mode* 4K Burst: 30 frames/sec/4K Burst (S/S): 30 frames/sec/4K Pre-Burst: 30 frames/sec, approx. 2 seconds/(Depending on memory card size and battery power)
Exif information Yes
Marking function Yes (in 4K Burst (S/S) mode)
Loop rec function Yes (in 4K Burst (S/S) mode)
SILENT MODE Yes
REAR MONITOR Type TFT LCD monitor with static touch control
Monitor size Free-angle 7.5cm (3.0-inch) / 3:2 aspect / Wide viewing angle
Pixels Approx. 1,040k dots
Filed of view Approx. 100%
Monitor adjustment Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Red-Green, Blue-Yellow
LIVE VIEW Digital zoom 2x, 4x
Extra Tele Conversion Still image: Max. 2x/Motion picture: 2.4x (FHD), 3.6x (HD)
Other functions Level Gauge, Real-time Histogram, Guide Lines (3 patterns), Highlight display (Still image / motion picture), Zebra Pattern (Still image / motion picture)
DIRECTION DETECTION FUNCTION Direction Detection Function Yes
PHOTO STYLE Still image and motion picture Standard / Vivid / Natural / Monochrome / L. Monochrome / Scenery / Portrait / Custom / Cinelike D* / Cinelike V* *When Creative Video Mode is selected.
CREATIVE CONTROL Still image Expressive / Retro / Old Days / High Key / Low Key / Sepia / Monochrome / Dynamic Monochrome / Rough Monochrome / Silky Monochrome / Impressive Art / High Dynamic / Cross Process / Toy Effect / Toy Pop / Bleach Bypass / Miniature Effect / Soft Focus / Fantasy / Star Filter / One Point Color / Sunshine
Motion picture Expressive / Retro / Old Days / High Key / Low Key / Sepia / Monochrome / Dynamic Monochrome / Impressive Art / High Dynamic / Cross Process / Toy Effect / Toy Pop / Bleach Bypass / Miniature Effect / Fantasy / One Point Color
MOTION PICTURE FUNCTION Flicker reduction [1/50] / [1/60] / [1/100] / [1/120] / OFF
PLAYBACK Playback function 30-thumbnail display, 12-thumbnail display, Calendar display, Zoomed playback (Max. 16x), Slideshow (All / Picture Only / Video Only / 4K PHOTO / Post Focus / 3D / Category Selection / Favorite, duration & effect is selectable), Playback Mode (Normal / Picture Only / Video Only / 4K PHOTO / Post Focus / 3D Play / Category / Favorite), Location Logging, RAW Processing, 4K PHOTO Bulk Saving, Light Composition, Clear Retouch, Title Edit, Text Stamp, Video Divide, Time Lapse Video, Stop Motion Video, Resize, Cropping, Rotate, Rotation Display, Favorite, DPOF Print Set, Protect, Face Recognition Edit, Picture Sort, Creating Still Pictures from a Motion Picture
IMAGE PROTECTION / ERASE Protection Single / Multi
Erase Single / Multi / All / Except Favorite
PRINT Direct Print PictBridge compatible
INTERFACE USB USB 2.0 Micro-B
HDMI microHDMI TypeD / VIERA Link/Video: Auto / 4K / 1080p / 1080i / 720p / 576p/Audio: Stereo/Monitor-through: 4:2:2/8-bit (While recording motion picture on the SD memory card in the camera unit.)
Audio video output No
Microphone Stereo, Wind-cut: OFF / Standard / High
Speaker Monaural
LANGUAGE OSD language Japanese, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish
CREATIVE VIDEO MODE Exposure mode Program AE / Aperture-Priority / Sutter-Priority / Manual Exposure
POWER Battery Li-ion Battery Pack (7.2V, 1200mAh, 8.7Wh) (included)
Battery life (CIPA standard) Approx. 330 images (rear monitor), 320 images (LVF) with H-FS12060/Approx. 320 images (rear monitor), 310 images (LVF) with H-FS14140/Power Save LVF Shooting mode: Approx. 800 images* with H-FS12060 / H-FS14140/* Under the test conditions specified by Panasonic based on CIPA standard. When the time to get in the sleep mode is set to 3 sec.
DIMENSIONS / WEIGHT Dimensions (W x H x D) 128.4 x 89 x 74.3 mm / 5.06 x 3.50 x 2.93 inch (excluding protrusions)
Weight Approx. 505g / 1.11 lb (SD card, Battery, Body)/Approx. 453g / 1.00 lb (Body only)/Approx. 715g / 1.58 lb (SD card, Battery, H-FS12060 lens included)/Approx. 770g / 1.70 lb (SD card, Battery, H-FS14140 lens included)
OPERATING ENVIRONMENT Operating temperature 0oC to 40oC (32oF to 104oF)
Operating humidity 10%RH to 80%RH
STANDARD ACCESSORIES Software ・ The software to edit and playback images on computer is not bundled with DMC-G80. To do this, PHOTOfunSTUDIO is available for download at Panasonic website using computer connected to the Internet. http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/soft/download/d_pfs99pe.html (For Windows) ・ The software to process RAW file on computer is not bundled with DMC-G80. To do this, SILKYPIX Developer Studio is available for download at Ichikawa Soft Laboratory's website using computer connected to the Internet. http://www.isl.co.jp/SILKYPIX/english/p/ (For Windows / Mac)
Standard accessories DMC-G80M Kit/Hot Shoe Cover, Body Cap, Battery Pack, Battery Charger, AC Cable, USB Connection Cable, Shoulder Strap, Lens Hood, Lens Cap, Lens Rear Cap/The DMC-G80/ G81 Operating Instructions for advanced features is available for downloaded at Panasonic LUMIX Customer Support Site using PC, smartphone or tablet connected to the Internet.
INTERCHANGEABLE LENS-1 Lens Name LUMIX G VARIO 12-60mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S.
Lens Construction 11 elements in 9 groups (3 aspherical lenses, 1 ED lens)
Nano Surface Coating -
Mount Micro Four Thirds mount
Optical Image Stabilizer Yes (POWER O.I.S.)
Focal Length f=12-60mm (35mm camera equivalent 24-120mm)
Aperture Type 7 diaphragm blades / Circular aperture diaphragm
Maximum Aperture F3.5 (Wide) - F5.6 (Tele)
Minimum Aperture F22
Closest Focusing Distance 0.20m / 0.66ft (Wide), 0.25m / 0.82ft (Tele)
Maximum magnification Approx. 0.27x / 0.54x (35mm camera equivalent)
Diagonal Angle of View 84.05°(Wide) to 20.44°(Tele)
General Filter Size φ58mm / 2.3inch
Max. Diameter φ66.0mm / 2.6inch
Overall Length Approx. 71mm / 2.80inch (from the tip of the lens to the base side of the lens mount)
Weight [g] Approx. 210g (excluding lens cap, lens rear cap and lens hood)
Weight [oz] Approx. 7.41oz (excluding lens cap, lens rear cap and lens hood)
NOTE * About motion picture recording / 4K PHOTO recording - Use a card with SD Speed Class with "Class 4" or higher when recording motion pictures. - Use a card with SD Speed Class with "UHS-I / UHS-II UHS Speed Class 3 (U3)" when recording motion pictures with [MP4] in [4K] or [4K PHOTO]. (SD speed class is the speed standard regarding continuous writing.) - Recording stops when the continuous recording time exceeds 29 minutes and 59 seconds with [AVCHD] in Europe. - Recording stops when the continuous recording time exceeds 29 minutes and 59 seconds with [MP4] in Europe. - MP4 motion pictures with [MP4] in [4K]: - When using an SDHC memory card: You can continue recording without interruption even if the file size exceeds 4 GB, but the motion picture file will be divided and recorded/played back separately. - When using an SDXC memory card: You can record a motion picture in a single file. - MP4 motion pictures with [MP4] in [FHD] [HD]: - You can continue recording without interruption even if the file size exceeds 4 GB, but the motion picture file will be divided and recorded/played back separately. - When the ambient temperature is high or continuous recording is performed, the camera may stop the recording to protect itself. Wait until the camera cools down. ** For [4K] video output, use an HDMI cable that has the HDMI logo on it, and that is described as"4K compatible".

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