Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 Review

September 3, 2013 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Introduction

The Lumix DMC-GX7 is Panasonic's new compact system camera for keen prosumers. The Panasonic GX7 features the world's first built-in 90-degree tilt-able Live View Finder (LVF), a FourThirds sized 16-megapixel Digital Live MOS sensor, built-in pop-up flash and a tilt-able 3-inch touch-sensitive rear LCD screen with a resolution of 1040K dots. The DMC-GX7 also offers in-body image stabilization, magnesium alloy body, 1/8000th sec shutter speed, Full HD 1920 x 1080 60/50p movie recording with stereo sound and full-time auto-focus, 5fps continuous shooting, low-light focusing down to -4 EV, focus peaking, silent mode for street photography, built-in wi-fi and NFC connectivity, RAW support and an ISO range of 125-25600. The Panasonic GX7 is available in black or silver for £819 / $999 body-only, £899 / $1099 for the 14-42mm kit, or £999 for the 20mm kit (not available in the US).

Ease of Use

The new Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 is officially the successor to the GX1, but things have moved on so quickly in the compact system camera world that this new model bears little resemblance to its forebear. So much so that Panasonic have taken the unusual decision to skip several possible model numbers to bring the GX7 in line with the rest of their range, which is why there's no GX2, GX3, GX5 or GX6.

The GX7 carries on the same mantle of being a small, compact interchangeable-lens camera with all the functionality, controls and degree of customisation that an enthusiast could want, but it does so with even more bells and whistles and crucially with a higher price-tag. £819 / $999 for the body-only sees it competing against cameras like the Olympus OM-D E-M5, Sony NEX-7 and the Fujifilm X-Pro1, not to mention a plethora of mid-range DSLRs, so the GX7 is certainly up against some serious competition. Within the Panasonic range, only the flagship DMC-GH3 sits above the GX7, which with its DSLR-styling and video-centric positioning is an altogether different beast.

The aluminium-bodied Panasonic GX7 is still a fairly small camera despite its added complexity, measuring 122.60x 70.7 x 54.6 mm and weighing 402g without a lens attached or battery inserted, although this is both bigger and heavier than the GX1. With a slim lens like Panasonic's 20mm pancake fitted, the GX7 is just about pocketable, although in a coat pocket rather than your trousers. With the supplied 14-42mm zoom lens the GX7 is much more at home in a small camera bag.

The GX7 has a very chunky hand-grip on the right that really helps with the camera's handling, with more than enough room to accommodate three fingers. This works in tandem with the useful rubberized thumb-rest on the rear to ensure that it's easy to use the GX7 one-handed if you so desire. The GX7 sports an even more traditional design than the GX1, characterised by a svelter look. It's still not as overtly retro as the Olympus PEN series nor as futuristic as the Sony NEX-7, occupying a position mid-way between the two in terms of its design ethos.

For the very first time on a prosumer Panasonic compact system camera, the GX7 has a built-in electronic viewfinder, and what a viewfinder it is! If ever there was a reason to end the debate about optical versus electronic viewfinders, this is it. Firstly, it has a staggeringly high resolution of 2764k dots, which translates into a display so good that you would swear it was an optical finder, helped in no small part by the high color reproduction of approximately 100% of the Adobe RGB colourspace. Secondly, there's a handy sensor which automatically detects when the camera is held up to eye-level and even starts auto-focusing, with just the slightest delay until the display is ready. Thirdly, a whole host of information is displayed onscreen - virtually everything that you can display on the rear LCD screen can be shown in the EVF. And last but not least, the viewfinder can be physically tilted through 90-degrees, acting as a conventional finder or a waist-level finder and anything in between. Suffice to say that we didn't miss having an optical viewfinder when shooting with the GX7.

Working in tandem with the tilting electronic viewfinder is the tilting 3-inch LCD screen on the back of the GX7. The 1040K pixel, high-resolution screen delivers approximately 100% field of view and tilts up by 45 degrees and down by 80 degrees, useful for overhead or waist-level shooting. Panasonic say that the "front panel is directly attached to the In Cell Touch LCD without containing an air layer in-between, resulting in reduced reflection of external light", and we'd have to agree - it's one of the best screens that we've used in bright sunlight. The Monitor Luminance function can be set to automatically detect the current lighting conditions and boost the LCD backlighting by up to 40% when shooting outdoors in bright sunshine, helping to keep the screen visible, or you can manually set it to one of three levels.

The Micro Four Thirds system is now very well-established, with a lot of excellent lenses on offer from Panasonic and Olympus that cover almost all of the popular focal lengths. You can also use regular Four Thirds lenses or even Leica D lenses via optional adapters from either Panasonic or third-parties, but lenses that are not compatible with the GX7's Contrast AF function can only be used with manual focusing and cannot use the Tracking AF, AFc (Auto Focus Continuous) or Continuous AF functions.

Just like every other Panasonic compact system camera, optical image stabilisation is supplied via the lens, in this case the 14-42mm optic. But unlike every other Panasonic compact system camera, the GX7 also offers image stabilisation built-in to the camera body too, a surprising but very welcome development. Panasonic were keen to point out that this is of benefit for Leica lens owners, but obviously it applies to lenses from heir main rival, Olympus, too. At a stroke, you can now fit any Olympus Micro Four Thirds lens to the GX7 and benefit from image stabilisation. When an optically stabilised lens is fitted, the GX7 defers to the lens rather than using the body-based system (you can't manually choose between the two), with Panasonic stating that the optical image stabilisation supplied via the lens is still the best system - but crucially no longer the only one. If you fit a non-stabilized lens, you need to enter its focal length from 8mm to 1000mm via the main menu system to benefit from the body stabilisation system.

When enabled, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 automatically compensates for camera shake, which is a slight blurring of the image that typically occurs at slow shutter speeds when the camera is hand held. There are two different modes, Mode 1 is on all the time including image composition, and Mode 2 compensates for up and down movements only (which in turn allows you to pan the camera). In practice we found that it does make a noticeable difference. You don't notice that the camera is actually doing anything different when anti-shake is turned on, just that you can use slower shutter speeds than normal and still take sharp photos.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7
Front Rear

The built-in Wi-Fi function (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n) lets you use your smartphone to change the camera 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 DMC-GX7 is also one of the first compact system cameras to feature NFC (Near Field Communication) technology (the same technology that's used for mobile payments), which allows you to connect it to a compatible internet enabled device or another NFC-enabled camera by simply tapping them together.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 also has 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, while the new Stop Motion Animation mode allows you to create unique stop motion videos.

The top shutter speed has also been increased to a very impressive 1/8000th second, making the GX7 one of the first compact system cameras with a mechanical shutter to offer such a high speed, and great for freezing fast-moving objects or shooting wide-open with fast lenses, even in bright conditions.

On the front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 is a small focus-assist and self-timer indicator lamp, lens release button, metal lens mount and the already mentioned chunky hand-grip. On the bottom is a metal tripod socket, importantly in-line with the middle of the lens barrel, and the shared battery compartment and SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot. The GX7 manages 320 shots using the supplied DMW-BLG10E 7.2V 1025mAh rechargeable Li-ion battery.

The right-hand side of the camera, looking from the rear, is empty save for the small NFC symbol (more on this later). On the left are ports for the remote socket, HDMI and AV Out/Digital connections, hidden beneath a plastic flap that annoyingly can only be opened when the LCD screen is tilted outwards. Underneath is a small microphone, with protruding metal eyelets on either side of the body for the supplied camera strap. Unfortunately, Panasonic don't include a HDMI cable as standard in the box, which means that you'll have to purchase one separately to take advantage of this camera's HD connectivity.

The top of the GX7 somewhat amazingly houses the tilting electronic viewfinder, a flash hotshoe, small stereo speakers, a cleverly designed built-in pop-up flash, a one-touch movie record button, tactile shutter button surrounded by a control dial for setting the aperture/shutter speed, and a traditional recessed shooting mode dial with integrated on/off switch. Phew! Despite having so many controls in such a small space, Panasonic have achieved the no mean feat of making the GX7's top-plate feel relatively uncluttered, with only the dedicated button for the Intelligent Auto mode being sacrificed.

The Panasonic GX7 has a dedicated button on the rear for opening the pop-up flash. Given the small size of the GX7, fitting a built-in flash was no mean feat, as proven by the double-hinged design which is quite a technical achievement. Although not particularly powerful with a guide number of just 7.0, the GX7's flash is perfectly adequate for fill-in effects at close-quarters.

The shooting mode dial offers the usual selection of Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual for the more experienced photographer. An optional exposure meter can be displayed in the P/A/S/M shooting modes which graphically shows the relationship between shutter speed and aperture, with a color-coded warning that alerts users when the settings are not in the proper range.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7
Front

Tilting Viewfinder

Intelligent Auto mode tries to make things as easy as possible for the complete beginner. It allows you 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.

More beginner-friendly Scene modes are also available. One scene mode particularly worthy of mention is the Peripheral Defocus option, which makes it easy for beginners to achieve a blurred background / sharp subject effect without having to understand what apertures are. For more advanced users, the GX7 offers a graduation curve which can be used to individually tune the contrast behavior of the camera. The highlights and shadows can be adjusted via the touchscreen or front and rear control dials to create your own unique look, which can then be stored on one of three custom settings (or one of the three presets can be selected). Additionally there are 3 custom shooting modes which allow you to configure your favourite camera settings and quickly access them via the dedicated C1, C2 and C3 modes.

The GX7's range of Creative Controls, denoted by an artist's palette, has been greatly expanded from just 8 options on the GX1 to 22 on the GX7 - you can see examples on the Image Quality page. You can also fine-tune each effect via a series of simple on-screen sliders for color, saturation and contrast, complete with a real-time preview of your changes. The camera even provides filter recommendations and on-screen scene guides.

The Creative Movie shooting mode allows you to set the shutter speed, aperture or both settings manually during recording (a Program option is also available). Changing the shutter speed is especially suitable for shooting fast-moving subjects, whilst the ability to control the aperture is convenient when there are several subjects at different distances. In practice this system works well, allowing some really creative effects, but there are a couple of drawbacks. Firstly the operating sound of the control dials is very audible in the movie, so you'll need to edit the soundtrack later to remove it or use the Silent Operation mode which operates the zoom, aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation, ISO sensitivity and mic level adjustments via the touch-screen. Secondly, you can't set the shutter speed to below 1/30th second, instantly ruling out more creative slow shutter-speed effects.

One of the GX7's main innovations is its touchscreen interface, with an attractive user interface that's easy on the eye. Panasonic have wisely restricted the amount of things that you can do by interacting with the screen, and indeed you can still operate most things on the camera without having to push and prod the LCD at all. But you would be missing out on a lot of genuinely useful functionality that really improves the shooting experience.

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 GX7 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 press of the Display button 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 or the rear scroll wheel. 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. The Pinpoint AF auto-focus area mode allows you to touch the area of the frame where your subject is, whereupon said area gets magnified in order to allow you to set the focus point with pinpoint accuracy using a second touch. While this method is obviously slower than the others, it can be very useful when shooting, say, a portrait with shallow depth of field where you will want to make sure focus is on the subject’s eyes rather than her nose, ears or eyebrows.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7
Top Tilting LCD Screen

When Intelligent Auto is switched on, the GX7 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 very responsive auto-focus system, you can magnify any part of the subject by up to 6x by simply dragging the image around the screen and pinching your fingers together. In the pin-point AF mode the magnification can be set from 3x to 10x enlargement in 0.1x gradients. 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.

Above the LCD screen is the aforementioned electonic viewfinder, a button for manually switching between the viewfinder and LCD screen (which can optionally be configured as the fourth configurable Function button), and a flash button for popping-up the built-in flash. To the right is a useful AF/AE Lock surrounded by a switch for choosing between the auto and manual focus modes. The GX7 offers three auto-focus modes - AF Single, AF Flexible, AF Continuous. AF Flexible is a relatively new mode which conventionally locks the focus when the shutter button is half-pressed, but then automatically resets it if the subject moves. Notably the GX7 can focus ona subject in very low light situations, such as under starlight, with Panasonic claiming an industry leading level of -4EV.

Focus Peaking is also new to the GX7, if not to recent compact system cameras. When enabled, it graphically shows the peak of focus in the MF and AF+MF modes by displaying an outline around the subject. The detection level can be set to 'High' or ‘Low’ and a colour can be selected In ‘High’ these are light blue, yellow or green and in 'Low' blue, orange or white can be selected.

Alongside this is a thumb-operated control dial for setting the aperture and/or shutter speed and also selecting menu options. Cleverly this dial can be pushed in to toggle between the aperture/shutter speed and exposure compensation.

Directly to the right of the LCD screen is the Quick Menu / Function 1 button, which is again customisable to suit your way of working, although we can't see why you'd want to turn off the Quick Menu, which as the name suggests provides quick access to most of the principal controls via an onscreen menu. Depending on the current shooting mode, this displays up to 13 options that can all be changed via the touch-screen. You can also configure it to include up to 10 out of 19 available settings simply by dragging and dropping the onscreen icons. You can still access all of these options from the main menu system too if you wish.

Underneath is a self-explanatory Playback button alongside a Display button which toggles detailed settings information about each picture on and off, such as the ISO rating and aperture / shutter speed. Underneath again is a traditional 4-way navigation D-Pad system with Menu/Set button in the centre. Pressing left, up, right and down on the D-Pad buttons selects AF Mode, ISO Speed, White Balance and Burst / Self-timer options respectively.

The main menu system on the DMC-GX7 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. As an indication of how configurable the GX7 is, the Custom menu has 39 different options, allowing you to fine-tune this camera to suit your way of working. If you have never used a digital camera before, or you're upgrading from a more basic model, reading the easy-to-follow manual before you start is a good idea. Unfortunately Panasonic have only chosen to supply a basic guide in printed format, with the full manual only available as a PDF on the product CD.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7
Memory Card Slot Battery Compartment

In terms of movie shooting, the GX7 offers Full HD 1920 x 1080 60p/50p smooth, high quality video recording in AVCHD Progressive and MP4 formats complete with stereo sound. Higher quality sound can also be recorded via Dolby Digital, and there's also a useful wind cut function which blocks out most of the noise from background wind. The dedicated movie button on the top makes it simple to start record video footage at whatever quality level is currently selected. The HDMI port allows you to connect the GX7 to a high-def TV set, but only if you purchase the optional HDMI mini-cable. You can extract a frame from a movie during playback and save it as a small still image. New to the GX7 is the ability to use the touchscreen interface whilst recording a movie. Touch AF allows you to set the focus with one touch, while AF Tracking helps ensure the focus stays on a subject or face, even if they move around.

The Panasonic GX7'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.

You can use any zoom lens during recording with focusing set as for still images. On the negative side, you'll find that if you choose continuous auto-focus, areas of the video will be blurred before becoming sharp again as the camera tries to refocus. On a more positive note, the the GX7 is quite fast at re-focusing (although not as fast as for still images), and having this system is much better than not being able to auto-focus at all, as with some current DSLR cameras that offer video recording. Hand-holding the GX7 during movie recording inevitably leads to obvious shake, despite the optical image stabilization, so for best results you'll need a dedicated video tripod. 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.

The Intelligent Resolution mode makes a standard image look like a higher resolution one by processing the contour areas, texture areas and smooth areas individually. There are three available strengths - low, standard and high - and an Extended option which increase the zoom range. Despite all the clever behind-the-scenes processing, it's fairly easy to tell which image was taken with Intelligent Resolution turned on and which one with it turned off due to unwanted artifacts appearing, particularly if viewing onscreen at 100% magnification. While the difference isn't quite so apparent on a print up to A3 in size, we're not convinced enough to recommend regularly using it.

Intelligent Dynamic adjusts the exposure setting to record more detail in the highlights and shadows, with three strengths available - low, standard and high. It's actually very effective for high-contrast scenes when the camera tends to blow-out the highlights and block-up the shadows. New to the GX7 is the HDR mode, which combines 3 frames taken at different exposures to create a single image with increased dynamic range, while the Panorama mode allows you to take panoramic images very easily by 'sweeping' with the camera and even apply creative effects.

Unlike a conventional DSLR camera which uses a phase detection auto-focus system, the GX7 employs the same Contrast AF that is commonly used by compact cameras. Panasonic have published marketing data which suggests that the GX7's Light Speed AF system is as fast, if not faster, than a typical DSLR camera's, with a claimed speed of just 0.06 second when used with certain lenses,. In practice we noticed very little difference in speed between the GX7 and a DSLR, and there were also very few occasions when the GX7 failed to lock onto the subject, especially when using the centre AF point. 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, AF Tracking and Pinpoint. The GX7 also has a useful Quick AF function that begins focusing as soon as you point the camera.

The start-up time from turning the Lumix GX7 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 - there is a barely perceptible LCD blackout between each image. Storing a single RAW image takes around 4 seconds, but thankfully it doesn't lock up the camera in any way - you can use the menu system or shoot another image while the first file is being written to memory. The Panasonic Lumix GX7 has a pretty good Burst mode which enables you to take 5 frames per second for an unlimited number of JPEG images at the highest image quality, or 9 RAW images, or 4.3fps if continuous auto-focusing is selected. There is a much faster 40fps option, but it only records Small sized images.

Once you have captured a photo, the Panasonic Lumix GX7 has an average range of options when it comes to playing, reviewing and managing your images. You can instantly scroll through the images that you have taken, view thumbnails (up to 30 onscreen at the same time and in a Calendar view), zoom in and out up to 16x magnification, view slideshows, delete, protect, trim, resize, copy and rotate an image. You can also select favourite images, change an image's aspect ratio, divide a video and set the print order. The new Clear Retouch function quickly and accurately removes any unwanted objects or figures in an image by just tracing over them with your fingertip.

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 8Mb.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 produced images of outstanding 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 fastest settings of ISO 12800 and 25600 are even noisier but still usable for small prints and web use.

The images were a little soft straight out of the camera at the default sharpening level and ideally require further sharpening in an application like Adobe Photoshop, or you can change the in-camera setting if you don't like the default results. The large number of 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 is an effective feature for capturing more detail in the shadows and highlights, as is the new HDR mode. The clever Panorama mode allows you to take panoramic images very easily by 'sweeping' with the camera, with the ability to apply one of 15 different creative filters.

Noise

There are 9 ISO settings available on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting, with JPEG on the left and RAW on the right:

JPEG

RAW

ISO 125 (100% Crop)

ISO 125 (100% Crop)

iso125.jpg iso125raw.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-GX7 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 (7.17Mb) (100% Crop)

Normal (3.24Mb) (100% Crop)

quality_fine.jpg quality_normal.jpg
   

RAW (19.35Mb) (100% Crop)

 
quality_raw.jpg  

Sharpening

Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are a little soft at the default sharpening setting, and benefit from further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. You can also change the in-camera sharpening level by tweaking the Film Mode, with five different settings available.

Original (100% Crop)

Sharpened (100% Crop)

sharpen1.jpg sharpen1a.jpg
   
sharpen2.jpg sharpen2a.jpg

Flash

The flash settings on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 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 (28mm)

Flash On (28mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64
   

Flash Off (84mm)

Flash On (84mm)

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-GX7 maximum shutter speed is 60 seconds and there's also a Bulb option for exposures up to 4 minutes long, which is excellent news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 15 seconds at ISO 125. 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-GX7's 14-42mm kit lens has a built-in shake reduction 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 anti shake turned off, the second with it turned on. Here are some 100% crops of the images to show the results.

Shutter Speed / Focal Length Image Stabilisation Off (100% Crop) Image Stabilisation On (100% Crop)
1/15 sec / 28mm antishake1.jpg antishake1a.jpg
     
1/8 sec / 84mm antishake2.jpg antishake2a.jpg

Intelligent Resolution

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7'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 three available strengths - low, standard and high.

Off

Low

intelligent_resolution_01.jpg intelligent_resolution_02.jpg
   

Standard

High

intelligent_resolution_03.jpg intelligent_resolution_04.jpg
   
Extended  
intelligent_resolution_05.jpg  

Intelligent Dynamic

The Panasonic Lumix GF6's Intelligent Dynamic mode 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_01.jpg intelligent_drange_02.jpg
   

Standard

High

intelligent_drange_03.jpg intelligent_drange_04.jpg

HDR

In the HDR mode the Panasonic Lumix GX7 combines 3 frames taken at different exposures to create a single image with increased dynamic range.

Off

+1EV

hdr_01.jpg hdr_02.jpg
   

+2EV

+3EV

hdr_03.jpg hdr_04.jpg

Photo Styles

Panasonic's Photo Styles, similar to Nikon's Picture Styles, Canon's Picture Controls and Olympus' Picture Modes, are preset combinations of different sharpness, contrast, saturation and noise reduction settings. The six available Photo Styles are shown below in the following series, which demonstrates the differences. There is also a Custom option so that you can create your own look.

Standard

Vivid

photo_style_01.jpg photo_style_02.jpg
   

Natural

Monochrome

photo_style_03.jpg photo_style_04.jpg
   

Scenery

Portrait

photo_style_05.jpg photo_style_06.jpg

Creative Controls

The Panasonic Lumix GX7 has an extensive range of Creative Controls, denoted by an artist's palette on the shooting mode dial, with 22 different options on offer.

Expressive

Retro

creative_control_01.jpg creative_control_02.jpg
   

Old Days

High Key

creative_control_03.jpg creative_control_04.jpg
   

Low Key

Sepia

creative_control_05.jpg creative_control_06.jpg
   

Monochrome

Dynamic Monochrome

creative_control_07.jpg creative_control_08.jpg
   

Rough Monochrome

Silky Monochrome

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Impressive Art

High Dynamic

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Cross Process

Toy Effect

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Toy Pop

Bleach Bypass

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Miniature Effect

Soft Focus

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Fantasy

Star Filter

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One Point Color

Sunshine

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Panoramas

The Panasonic Lumix GX7 allows you to take panoramic images very easily by 'sweeping' with the camera. The camera does all the processing and stitching. In addition 15 of the Creative Filter effects can also be applied to panorama shots in the Creative Panorama mode.

Panorama
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Panorama with the Dynamic Monochrome Filter
panorama2.jpg

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 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-GX7 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

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 can record 1080p HD video at the highest quality setting of 1920x1080 pixels at 50fps in the AVCHD format. Please note that this 17 second movie is 60Mb in size.

Product Images

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 / Tilting Viewfinder

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 / Pop-up Flash

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

 

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 / Image Displayed

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 / Turned On

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 / Main Menu

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 / Quick Menu

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 / Graduation Curve

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 / Wi-Fi Menu

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 / Tilting Viewfinder

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 / Tilting LCD Screen

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 / Tilting LCD Screen

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 / Tilting LCD Screen

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Top of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Bottom of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Memory Card Slot

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7

Battery Compartment

Conclusion

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 is the best Panasonic compact system camera to date, and one of the best interchangeable lens cameras that we've ever reviewed. Offering a winning combination of outstanding image quality, excellent performance, deep feature-set and great design, the new GX7 deserves to be a run-away success.

Panasonic's engineers have somehow fitted a tilting viewfinder, pop-up flash flash hotshoe and a tilting LCD screen into a still compact body that can be fitted inside a coat pocket with the right lens attached. The electronic viewfinder in particular is a revelation, rivalling a true optical viewfinder for clarity whilst offering the ability to display a plethora of information onscreen, not to mention that it can be tilted through 90 degrees to aid with composition. Together with the tilting LCD screen, it makes the GX7 a joy to shoot with whatever the lighting conditions are like.

Other standout features that make the GX7 one of the most well-appointed cameras on the market include both wi-fi and NFC connectivity, a fast shutter speed of 1/8000th, a truly silent shooting mode that will appeal to street photographers, incredible low-light focusing down to -4 EV, and in-camera image stabilisation. This last feature has surprisingly received little press, given that the GX7 is the first Panasonic CSC to feature it. Suddenly you can attach any Olympus Micro Four Thirds lens, for example, and benefit from stabilisation, something that no other Panasonic camera can offer.

The GX7 also provides the best image quality of any Panasonic CSC, including the flagship GH3, in particular moving things on in the ISO stakes. Images shot at ISO 125-1600 are clean, with a little noise appearing at 3200 and more at the still very usable setting of 6400. ISO 12800 is best reserved for resizing and smaller prints, while the top speed of 25600 is only for emergency use, but overall the GX7 offers the best still image quality of any G-series camera to date. Videographers are very well catered for too, making the GX7 a versatile camera whichever format you choose to shoot in.

If you haven't guessed already, we rather like the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7! Dislikes are minimal. There's a very slight lag when switching from the LCD screen to the electronic viewfinder, it's easy to accidentally set the AF point via the touchscreen, there aren't enough sharing features in the wi-fi implementation, there's no external mic connection and battery life is merely acceptable rather than great. And sure, it's priced much higher than its predecessor at £819 / $999 body-only, but it offers so many improvements that we feel its new prosumer price-point is more than justified. In short the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 is one of our favourite cameras of 2013, judging it against both its compact system and DSLR competition.

5 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 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-GX7.

Canon EOS M

The Canon EOS M is a new compact system camera that boasts 18 megapixels, full 1080p high-definition videos with continuous auto-focusing, and a touch-screen interface. Other key features of the EOS M include a 3-inch LCD screen with 1,040k dot resolution, ISO range of 100-25,600, and a flash hotshoe. Is Canon's new mirrorless model a real contender? Read our Canon EOS M review to find out...

Fujifilm X-E1

The Fujifilm X-E1 is a new premium compact system camera. The retro, rangefinder-styled X-E1 offers the same image sensor and lens mount as the flagship X-Pro in a smaller, lighter body, with a new electronic viewfinder, built-in flash, 18-55m kit lens and more affordable price tag. Read our Fujifilm X-E1 review to find out if it's a viable alternative to the X-Pro1...

Nikon 1 V2

The Nikon 1 V2 is a second-generation compact system camera that's clearly been redesigned to appeal to the serious enthusiast. In addition to a more direct control layout with shooting mode and control dials, a chunky hand-grip and built-in pop-up flash, the Nikon V2 also sports a new 14 megapixel sensor, faster 15fps burst shooting with continuous focusing, and improved Best Moment Capture and Motion Snapshot Modes. Read the World's first Nikon 1 V2 review to find out if this new mirrorless model can capture the attention of the more discerning photographer...

Olympus E-P5

The Olympus E-P5 is a new compact system camera that's both old-fashioned and cutting-edge, with a gorgeous retro design that harks back to the 1950s and the very latest digital technologies. Read our expert Olympus E-P5 review to find out if this is the best PEN camera yet...

Olympus OM-D E-M5

Olympus have expanded their Micro Four Thirds family with the launch of the OM-D E-M5. Boasting the World's fastest autofocus system, the E-M5 brings the original design ethos of the 1970's film OM series kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Read our expert Olympus E-M5 review to find out if it's the best compact system camera on the market.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 is a new compact system camera that promises to offer both high-quality still images and movies. The exciting GH3 features Full 1080p HD video with bit rates up to 72Mbps, a 16 megapixel sensor, a 3 inch swivelling touchscreen OLED, built-in wi-fi connectivity, a weather-proof body, and an extensive ISO range of 125-25600. Read our Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 review to find out if it's the most complete video/stills camera yet...

Samsung NX210

The Samsung NX200 is a new mirrorless compact system camera that aims for the middle ground between the more DSLR-like NX20 and consumer-oriented NX1000 models. Featuring a 20 megapixel APS-C sensor, full 1080p video, ISO 100-12,800, a 3-inch AMOLED screen, 8fps continuous shooting and new Wi-fi connectivity, read our in-depth Samsung NX200 review to discover if this is the right camera for you.

Samsung NX300

The Samsung NX300 is a new mid-range compact system camera featuring a 20.3 megapixel APS-C sensor, hybrid AF system, 3.3-inch tilting AMOLED touchscreen, 8.6fps continuous shooting, Wi-fi and NFC connectivity, full 1080p video, and an ISO range 100-25,600. Read our in-depth Samsung NX300 review now...

Sony NEX-6

The NEX-6 is the latest compact system camera from Sony, slotting in between the mid-level NEX-5R and the top-of-the range NEX-7. With a 16 megapixel APS HD CMOS sensor, 1080p HD movies, high-res 3 inch OLED screen and built-in flash, the Sony NEX-6 also features 10fps burst shooting, wi-fi connectivity and downloadable PlayMemories Camera Apps. Read our full Sony NEX-6 review, complete with sample JPEGs, RAW files, and movies, to find out if it's the best Sony NEX camera yet...

Sony NEX-7

The Sony NEX-7 is a new compact system camera with a long list of photographer-friendly features. Offering a 24.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, 1080p HD movies, high-res 3 inch tilting screen, 10fps burst shooting, built-in electronic viewfinder and pop-up flash, the NEX-7 seems to be on paper at least a very exciting proposition. Read our full Sony NEX-7 review, complete with sample JPEGs, RAW files, and movies, to find out if this is the ultimate compact system camera...

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 from around the web.

pocket-lint.com »

The Panasonic Lumix GX7 immediately took up the "most wanted" position in our desirable compact system cameras list when it was announced earlier this year. How's that for hype? But it's hype with reason: the GX7 comes complete with a brand new Micro Four Thirds sensor, has a built-in tilt-angle electronic viewfinder that has minimal impact to the camera's size, and all the bells and whistles features that advanced photographers will want.
Read the full review »

techradar.com »

The Panasonic Lumix GX1 was announced back in November 2011 as a more advanced alternative to the rectangular-shaped GF line of compact system cameras (CSCs) or a smaller alternative to the G series of mini DSLR-style CSCs. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 is the first update to this range and according to Barney Sykes, Panasonic UK's product manager, the large numerical jump is to signify the progress made with the camera.
Read the full review »

whatdigitalcamera.com »

The Panasonic Lumix GX7 is very much a case of the manufacturer going back to the drawing board with regards to its advanced CSC offering.
Read the full review »

trustedreviews.com »

The Panasonic Lumix GX7 is Panasonic's answer to the likes of the Fujifilm X-E1 and Sony NEX-7: an advanced compact system camera (CSC) aimed squarely at enthusiast photographers, not the mainstream like the recent Lumix GF6.
Read the full review »

ephotozine.com »

The Panasonic Lumix GX7 is the latest premium mirrorless camera from Panasonic and introduces a number of unique features, including a tilting EVF built into the body, a tilting 3 inch touch screen, a completely new Panasonic sensor, as well as in-body sensor shift image stabilisation, which will benefit anyone who shoots with lenses without built in IS, such as the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 or Olympus Micro Four Thirds lenses, as well as legacy lenses such as Leica lenses used with an adapter.
Read the full review »

neocamera.com »

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 is the company's latest flagship mirrorless camera. It uses a 16 MP LiveMOS Micro Four-Thirds sensor with a sensitivity range from ISO 125 to 25600. It can record full 1080p HD video at 60 FPS and images at 5 FPS. The GX7 is the most sophisticated camera Panasanic has produced to date.
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 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
Colour filter Primary color filter
Dust reduction system Supersonic wave filter

IMAGE STABILIZATION SYSTEM

Image Stabilization System Image Sensor Shift Type

RECORDING SYSTEM

Recording file format Still Image: JPEG(DCF, Exif 2.3), RAW, MPO (When attaching 3D lens in Micro Four Thirds standard) / Motion Image: 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 (When attaching 3D lens in Micro Four Thirds System standard)
Color Space sRGB, Adobe RGB
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) / 3232x1824(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 Image*1 (MP4*2 : NTSC area) [Full HD]1920×1080, 60fps (sensor output is 60p, 28Mbps) / [Full HD]1920x1080, 30fps (sensor output is 30p, 20Mbps) / [HD]1280x720, 30fps (sensor output is 30p, 10Mbps) / [VGA] 640x480, 30fps (sensor output is 30p, 4Mbps)
Motion Image*1 (MP4*2 : PAL area) [Full HD] 1920×1080, 50fps (sensor output is 50p, 28Mbps) / [Full HD]1920x1080, 25fps (sensor output is 25p, 20Mbps) / [HD] 1280x720, 25fps (sensor output is 25p, 10Mbps) / [VGA] 640x480, 25fps (sensor output is 25p, 4Mbps)
Motion Image (AVCHD Progressive : NTSC area) [Full HD]1920×1080, 60p (sensor output is 60p, 28Mbps)
Motion Image (AVCHD Progressive : PAL area) [Full HD] 1920×1080, 50p (sensor output is 50p, 28Mbps)
Motion Image*1 (AVCHD*2 : NTSC area) [Full HD] 1920x1080, 60i (sensor output is 60p, 17Mbps) / [Full HD] 1920×1080, 60i (sensor output is 30p, 24Mbps) / [Full HD] 1920×1080, 24p (sensor output is 24p, 24Mbps) / [HD] 1280 x 720, 60p (sensor output is 60p, 17Mbps)
Motion Image*1 (AVCHD*2 : PAL area) [Full HD] 1920x1080, 50i (sensor output is 50p, 17Mbps) / [Full HD] 1920x1080, 50i (sensor output is 25p, 24Mbps) / [Full HD] 1920x1080, 24p (sensor output is 24p, 24Mbps) / [HD] 1280 x 720, 50p (sensor output is 50p, 17Mbps)
Continuous recordable time (Motion images)*1 AVCHD : Approx. 140 min with H-FS1442A / AVCHD : Approx. 130 min with H-H020A
Actual recordable time (Motion images) AVCHD : Approx. 70 min with H-FS1442A / AVCHD : Approx. 65 min with H-H020A
Flicker reduction [1/50] / [1/60] / [1/100] / [1/120] / OFF

WiFi FUNCTION

WiFi IEEE 802.11b/g/n, 2412MHz - 2462MHz (11ch), Wi-Fi / WPA / WPA2, Infrastructure mode
NFC ISO/IEC 18092, NFC-F(Passive Mode)

VIEWFINDER

Tilting Yes
Type LCD Live View Finder (2,764,800 dots equivalent)
Field of view Approx. 100%
Magnification Approx. 1.39x / 0.7x (35mm camera equivalent) with 50mm lens at infinity; -1.0 m -1
Eye point Approx.17.5mm from eyepiece lens
Diopter adjustment -4.0~+3.0(dpt)
Eye sensor Yes
Eye sensor adjustment High / Low

FOCUS

Type Contrast AF system
Focus mode AFS (Single) / AFF (Flexible) / AFC (Continuous) / MF
AF mode Face detection / AF Tracking / 23-area-focusing / 1-area-focusing / Pinpoint
AF detective range EV -4 - 18 (ISO100 equivalent)
AF assist lamp YES
AF lock Set the Fn button in custom menu to AF lock
Others Quick AF, Continuous AF (during motion image recording), AF+MF, Eye Sensor AF, Touch AF/AE Function, Touch Pad AF, Touch shutter, MF Assist, Touch MF Assist, One Shot AF,

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 / 125(Extended) / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 / 6400 / 12800 / 25600 (Changeable to 1/3 EV step)
Exposure compensation 1/3EV Step ±5EV
AE lock Set the Fn button in custom menu to AE lock
AE bracket 3,5,7 frame, in 1/3 or 2/3 or 1EV Step, Max.±3 EV

WHITE BALANCE

White balance Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Shade / Incandescent / Flash / White Set 1, 2 / Color temperature setting
White balance adjustment Blue/amber bias, Magenta/green bias
Color temperature setting 2500-10000K in 100K
White balance bracket 3 exposures in blue/ amber axis or in magenta/ green axis

SHUTTER

Type Focal-plane shutter
Shutter speed Still Images: Bulb (Max.2min), 1/8000 ~ 60 / Motion image: 1/16000 ~ 1/25 (NTSC area/PAL area)
Self timer 10sec, 3 images/ 2sec / 10sec

SCENE GUIDE

Still image Clear Portrait / Silky Skin / Backlit Softness / Clear in Backlight / Relaxing Tone / Sweet Child's Face / Distinct Scenery / Bright Blue Sky / Romantic Sunset Glow / Vivid Sunset Glow / Glistening Water / Clear Nightscape / Cool Night Sky / / Warm Glowing Nightscape / Artistic Nightscape / Glittering Illuminations / Clear Night Portrait / Soft Image of a Flower / Appetizing Food / Cute Dessert / Freeze Animal Motion / Clear Sports Shot / Monochrome / Panorama
Video Clear Portrait / Silky Skin / Backlit Softness / Clear in Backlight / Relaxing Tone / Sweet Child's Face / Distinct Scenery / Bright Blue Sky / Romantic Sunset Glow / Vivid Sunset Glow / Clear Nightscape / Cool Night Sky / / Warm Glowing Nightscape / Artistic Nightscape / Clear Night Portrait / Appetizing Food / Cute Dessert / Freeze Animal Motion / Clear Sports Shot / Monochrome

BURST SHOOTING

Number of recordable images 9 images (when there are RAW files with the particular speed) / Unlimited consecutive shooting (when there are no RAW files) / (depending on aspect ratio, memory card size, picture size, and the setting for the quality)
Burst speed Mechanical Shutter - H: 5.0 frames/sec(with AFS), 4.3 frames/sec(with AFC, In 1-area-focusing AF mode), M: 4.0 frames/sec with Live View, L: 2.0 frames/sec with Live View / Electronic Shutter - SH: 40.0 frames/sec, H: 10.0 frames/sec, M: 4.0 frames/sec with Live View, L: 2.0 frames/sec with Live View

BUILT-IN-FLASH

Type TTL Built-in Flash, GN7.0 equivalent (ISO 200 ・m), GN5.0 equivalent (ISO 100 ・m), Built-in Pop-up
Flash Mode Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Forced On/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync., Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off
Synchronization speed Less than 1/320 second (Built-in Flash) / Less than 1/250 second (External Flash)
Flash synchronization 1st. Curtain Sync, 2nd Curtain Sync.

LCD MONITOR

Type Tilt Static LCD with Touch Monitor
Monitor size 3.0inch (7.5cm)/ 3:2 Aspect / Wide-viewing angle
Pixels Approx. 1040K dots
Filed of view Approx. 100%
Monitor adjustment Brightness, Contrast and Saturation, Red tint, Blue tint

LIVE VIEW

Digital zoom 2x, 4x
Extra Tele Conversion Still image: Max.2x (Aspect ratio sets at 4:3. Not effective with L size recording. Magnification ratio depends on the recording pixels and aspect ratio.) / Motion image: 2.4x (FHD/60p, FHD/60i, FHD/30p, FHD/24p in NTSC area / FHD/50p, FHD/50i, FHD/25p, FHD/24p in PAL area), 3.6x (HD/60p, HD/30p in NTSC area / HD/50p, HD/25p in PAL area), 4.8x (VGA/30p in NTSC area / VGA/25p in PAL area)
Other functions Guide Lines (3 patterns) / Real-time Histogram

LEVEL GAUGE

Level Gauge Yes

DIRECTION DETECTION FUNCTION

Direction Detection Function Yes

FUNCTION BUTTON

Fn1, Fn2, Fn3, Fn4, Fn5, Fn6, Fn7, Fn8, Fn9 WiFi / Q.MENU / LVF/Monitor Switch / AF/AE LOCK / AF-ON / One Push AE / Touch AE / Preview / Level Gauge / Focus Area Set / Zoom Control / Photo Style / Aspect Ratio / Picture Size / Quality / Metering Mode / Highligt Shadow / / i.Dynamic / i.Resolution / HDR / Electronic Shutter / Flash Mode / Ex. Tele Conv. / Digital Zoom / Stabilizer / Sensitivity / White Balance / AF Mode / Drive Mode / Restore to Default / Motion Pic. Set / Picture Mode / Silent Mode / AFS/ / AFF/AFC / Peaking / Histogram / Guide Line / Rec Area / Step Zoom / Zoom Speed

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 / Sun Shine
Video 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

FUNCTION LEVER

Function Lever No

CREATIVE VIDEO MODE

Exposure Mode Program AE/ Aperture-Priority / Sutter-Priority / Manual Exposure

PHOTO STYLE

Still image and Video Standard / Vivid / Natural / Monochrome / Scenery / Portrait / Custom

PLAYBACK

Playback mode Normal playback, 30-thumbnail display, 12-thumbnail display, Calendar display, Zoomed playback (16x Max.), Slideshow (duration & effect is selectable), / Playback Mode (Normal/Picture/Video/3D Play/Category/Favorite), Title Edit, Location Logging, Clear Retouch, Text Stamp, Video Divide, Stop Motion Video, / Time Lapse Video, Resize, Cropping, Rotate, Favorite, Print set, Protect, Face Recognition Edit

IMAGE PROTECTION / ERASE

Protection Single / Multi, Cancel
Erase Single / Multi / All / Except Favorite

PRINT

Direct Print PictBridge compatible

INTERFACE

USB USB 2.0 High Speed Multi
HDMI miniHDMI TypeC / VIERA Link / Video: Auto / 1080p / 1080i / 720p / 480p (576p in PAL system) / Audio: Stereo
Audio video output Monaural Type, NTSC/PAL, NTSC only for North America / *Check the website of the Panasonic sales company in your country or region for details on the products that are available in your market.
Microphone Stereo
Remote input φ2.5mm for Remote
Speaker Monaural
External microphone input No

LANGUAGE

OSD language Japanese, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish

POWER

Battery Li-ion Battery Pack (7.2V, 1025mAh) (Included) / Battery Charger
Battery life (CIPA standard) Approx. 320 images with H-H020A / Approx. 350 images with H-FS1442A

DIMENSIONS / WEIGHT

Dimensions (W x H x D) 122.60x 70.7 x 54.6 mm / 4.83 x 2.78 x 2.15 inch
Weight Approx. 402g / 0.89 lb (SD card, Battery, Body) / Approx. 360g / 0.79 lb (Body only) / Approx. 489g / 1.08 lb (SD card, Battery, H-H020A lens included) / Approx. 512g / 1.13 lb (SD card, Battery, H-FS1442A lens included)

OPERATING ENVIRONMENT

Operating temperature 0℃ to 40℃ (32°F to 104°F)
Operating humidity 10% RH to 80% RH

STANDARD ACCESSORIES

Software PHOTOfunSTUDIO 9.2 PE (Windows XP/Vista/7/8) / SILKYPIX® Developer Studio 3.1 SE (Windows XP/Vista/7/8, Mac OS X v10.4/v10.5/v10.6/v10.7/v10.8) / LoiLoScope 30 day full trial version (Windows XP/Vista/7/8)
Standard accessories Battery pack, Battery Charger, Body Cap, Lens Cap, Lens Hood, Lens Rear Cap, / USB Connection Cable, Shoulder Strap, CD-ROM / * Lens Hood of H-H020A lens is not included for DMC-GX7C kit

INTERCHANGEABLE LENS-1

Lens Name LUMIX G 20mm / F1.7 Ⅱ ASPH.
Lens Construction 7 elements in 5 groups (2 Aspherical lenses)
Mount Micro Four Thirds mount
Optical Image Stabilizer No
Focal Length f=20mm (35mm camera equivalent 40mm)
Aperture Type 7 diaphragm blades / Circular aperture diaphragm
Aperture F1.7
Minimum Aperture F16
Closest Focusing Distance 0.2m / 0.66ft
Maximum magnification Approx. 0.13x / 0.25x (35mm camera equivalent)
Diagonal Angle of View 57°
General
Filter Size φ46mm / 1.81 in
Max. Diameter φ63mm / 2.48 in
Overall Length Approx. 25.5mm / 1.00 in (from the tip of the lens to the base side of the lens mount)
Weight [g] Approx. 87g (excluding lens cap and lens rear cap)
Weight [oz] Approx. 3.07oz (excluding lens cap and lens rear cap)

Further Specifications

NOTE *1 Videos can be recorded continuously for up to 29 min 59 sec in Europe and some Asia areas. Continuous recording exceeding 4GB or 29 min 59 sec is not possible when recording MP4. For Full HD in MP4, the recordable time will drop below 29 min 59 sec. / *2 Use a card with SD Speed Class with "Class4" or higher

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