Introduction

Ease of Use

Front of the Panasonic Lumix GX880

The Panasonic Lumix GX880 is identical to the previous GX800 model in terms of its external design, with the exception of a new raised handgrip on the front.

Calling it a handgrip is something of a misnomer, though, in that it only really accomodates two or three fingers of your right hand.

To be honest, the finger-grip only marginally improves your hold on the camera, and we'd hesitate choosing this new model over the previous GX800 just because of the new grip.

Rear of the Panasonic Lumix GX880

In fact, other than the smattering of improvements that have been made to the camera's already impressive range of selfie modes, designed principally for the Asian market, there's very little to reason to consider the Panasonic GX880 instead of the GX800, unless the pricing is the same or very similar.

The new Night Selfie mode cleverly combines two different exposures in-camera - one of the background without the flash, and one of the subject with flash - to create a better-exposed night-time shot.

Tilting LCD Screen

In daylight, the new 4K Burst Wide-angle mode utlilises the full width of the image sensor to capture a wider angle of view, although the frame rate drops from 30 to 15fps in order to do so.

Other than a couple of new beauty retouch options, Aesthetic Retouch and Make-up Retouch, which are also now available in the Portrait scene mode, the new Panasonic GX880 offers all of the same core features as its 2-year-old predecessor, the GX800.

The Panasonic Lumix GX880 In-hand

Therefore we're going to direct your attention to our detailed Panasonic Lumix DC-GX800 review if you want to learn everything else there is to know about the new GX880.

Once you've read that, come back here to see sample images and videos from the Panasonic GX880, plus our final verdict.

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 7Mb.

Noise

There are 9 ISO settings available on the Panasonic Lumix GX880. 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 100 (100% Crop)	ISO 100 (100% Crop)
ISO 200 (100% Crop)	ISO 200 (100% Crop)
ISO 400 (100% Crop)	ISO 400 (100% Crop)
ISO 800 (100% Crop)	ISO 800 (100% Crop)
ISO 1600 (100% Crop)	ISO 1600 (100% Crop)
ISO 3200 (100% Crop)	ISO 3200 (100% Crop)
ISO 6400 (100% Crop)	ISO 6400 (100% Crop)
ISO 12800 (100% Crop)	ISO 12800 (100% Crop)
ISO 25600 (100% Crop)	ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

Flash

The flash settings on the Panasonic Lumix GX880 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)

Flash Off (64mm)

Flash On (64mm)

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

Red-eye Reduction

Night

The Panasonic Lumix GX880 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 60 seconds at ISO 200. 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

Photo Styles

The Panasonic Lumix GX880 offers seven different photo styles, with the default being Standard. You can alter the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction and saturation for each preset, and create your own custom look.

Standard

Vivid

Natural

Monochrome

L.Monochrome

Scenery

Portrait

Filters

The Panasonic Lumix GX880 has an extensive range of creative Filters, with 22 different options on offer.

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

Panorama

The Panasonic Lumix GX880 allows you to take panoramic images very easily by 'sweeping' with the camera. The camera does all the processing and stitching. In addition many of the Creative Filter effects can also be applied to panorama shots in the Creative Panorama mode.

Panorama

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Panasonic Lumix GX880 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 GX880 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

Product Images

Conclusion

The new Panasonic Lumix GX880 is such a minor refresh of the 2-year-old GX800 that it's hard to recommend over its predecessor, unless of course you can no longer find the GX800 in stock.

Which isn't to say that the GX880 is a miss rather than a hit, rather that it doesn't really add anything new that's worth paying the inevitable extra for.

Panasonic have sweetened the deal somewhat, though, by launching the DC-GX880 at £400 with the 12-32mm kit lens, rather than the £500 price-tag that accompanied the GX800 on its launch.

Other than the rather ineffectual hand-grip and the smattering of new and improved selfies modes, the Panasonic GX880 is identical to its predecessor both externally and internally.

Therefore it continues to be an easy-to-use step up from your smartphone camera, easily small enough to fit inside a handbag even with the retractable kit lens attached, and offering better image quality than your phone thanks to its larger sensor.

So overall, although there's very little new on offer, the new Panasonic Lumix GX880 remains an attractively designed, compellingly compact starter camera.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4.5
Features	4.5
Ease-of-use	4.5
Image quality	4
Value for money	4.5

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Panasonic Lumix GX880.

Specifications

News

The Panasonic Lumix GX880 is a sleek and stylish mirrorless camera for high-quality 4K shooting with advanced selfie function technology.

Available in black, silver or tan, the Lumix GX880 kit with 12-32mm lens will be available to buy from the end of June 2019, priced at £399.99 / €449.00 (Ireland).

Panasonic UK Press Release

Capture the moment with ultra-high-definition 4K PHOTO and 4K video technology with added Night Mode and Wide 4K selfie functions

Uncompromising 16.1MP picture quality without low pass filter

Sophisticated compact body design with easy operation for daily use

Panasonic LUMIX has today launched the new LUMIX GX880 mirrorless camera. Packed with advanced features such as 4K PHOTO and Video technology, the GX880 is also specially tailored for impressive selfie shooting with a practical flip-up rear screen.

The 16.0-megapixel Digital Live MOS Sensor without low-pass filter and Venus Engine combine to achieve crisp, high-resolution images in fine detail with high-contrast, impressive colour reproduction and max. ISO 25600 high sensitivity. The Contrast AF System features DFD (Depth From Defocus) technology and excels in both speed and accuracy by exchanging digital signals between the camera and the lens at a max. 240 fps*1, resulting in ultra-fast auto focusing of approx. 0.07 sec*2.

The LUMIX GX880 records smooth, high-resolution QFHD 4K videos in 3840x2160 resolution at 30p / 25p(50Hz Area) or 24p in MP4*3. Taking advantage of 4K technology, users can enjoy 4K PHOTO as well as variety of related functions such as Focus Stacking, Post Focus and Light Composition. For more creative freedom, Creative Control, Creative Panorama and Photo Style including L.Monochrome mode are included. The LUMIX GX880 is capable of shooting images in RAW format and developing them inside the camera.

For people who are new to digital interchangeable lens system cameras, the LUMIX GX880 provides a variety of shooting assist functions such as iA (Intelligent Auto) mode and Scene Guide.

Available in black, silver or tan, the LUMIX GX880 boasts a sleek, stylish profile in a traditional camera design. The leather-touch front with a newly added anti-slip grip is ergonomically designed and easy to hold.

The LUMIX GX880 kit with 12-32mm lens will be available to buy from the end of June 2019, with an anticipated retail price of £399.99 / €449.00 (Ireland).

*1 Contrast AF with DFD Technology works only with Panasonic Micro Four Thirds lenses.

*2 In AFS, at wide-end with H-FS14140 (CIPA).

*3 Recording stops when the continuous recording time exceeds 5 minutes with [MP4] in [4K]

More impressive selfies with advanced Self Shot modes

The LUMIX GX Series is known for providing a variety of unique functions to enjoy taking selfies and the new GX880 is no exception. A richer variety of in-camera beauty functions and airbrush effects enable users more creative control over their portraits.

The 3.0-inch 1040K-dot static type touch control monitor boasts a 180-degree tiltable structure. When the monitor is flipped up, the camera automatically activates Self Shot mode. In conventional selfie pictures, users have to stretch their arms to hold the camera, however, the hands-free selfie capability of the GX880 allows users to use their hands as they like, resulting in freer, more expressive posing. Face Shutter and Buddy Shutter functions can also be used to trigger the shutter release when a face is covered for a moment with a waving hand or when two faces come close together in a frame.

4K PHOTO Self Shot mode now supports a wider angle of view without cropping the frame. This feature makes it easy to capture more background and scenery, and is perfect for large group selfies. In burst mode, the user can choose the best frame after shooting 30fps in 4K resolution meaning you can always capture the perfect photo opportunity.

The LUMIX GX880 enables more impressive selfie shooting with new Night Mode. In this mode, both the front subject and the background are captured separately in one press, then synthesized together through automatic shooting and composition for a more vibrant night scene image.

In addition, Background Control mode lets users decide whether to capture the background in or out of focus to make the subject stand out.

Ultra-high-definition 4K video and 4K PHOTO for unmissable moments

With its high-speed signal readout of the sensor and engine processing, the LUMIX GX880 records smooth, high-resolution 4K videos in 3840x2160 resolution at 30p / 25p(50Hz Area) or 24p in addition to the Full-HD 1,920 x 1,080 60p / 50p(50Hz Area) videos with practical full-time AF.

Users can utilise the 4K PHOTO technology to capture fleeting photo opportunities at 30 fps by extracting the best frame out of a 4K burst file to save as a photo. In 4K PHOTO, three modes can be chosen from depending on the situation; 4K Burst, 4K Burst (Start/Stop) and 4K Pre-burst. All of these functions in 4K PHOTO let the user save pictures in 8-megapixel equivalent high resolution, which is good enough for printing in A3 size, and help to avoid missing those spur-of-the-moment shots.

The LUMIX GX880 also comes with a Post Focus function, giving users the power to decide exactly what they want in focus even after taking the picture. The Focus Stacking function also enables users to adjust the depth of field after shooting by combining multiple images. Users do not need to focus strictly while shooting as they can obtain the image with the defocus level that they want or pan-focus the image by simply selecting the focus area afterwards. This is beneficial when shooting macro shots where strict focusing is required.

* 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 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 20 minutes with [AVCHD] in [FHD/60p] [FHD/60i] [FHD/50p] [FHD/50i].

Recording stops when the continuous recording time exceeds 5 minutes with [MP4] in [4K].

When using an micro 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 micro SDXC memory card: You can record a motion picture in a single file.

Recording stops when the continuous recording time exceeds 20 minutes with [MP4] in [FHD/60p] [FHD/50p] 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.

MP4 motion pictures with [MP4] in [FHD/30p] [FHD/25p] [HD]: You can continue recording without interruption even if the file size exceeds 4 GB or 30 minutes in length, but the motion picture file will be divided and recorded/played back separately.

High image quality with true-to-life detail and impressive colour reproduction

The LUMIX GX880 lets users shoot vibrant, true-to-life high quality images with excellent resolution, high contrast and impressive colour reproduction. By removing the low-pass filter, the resolution has been improved while detecting high-frequency components to suppress the generation of moire by the Venus Engine. The Venus Engine reproduces vibrant, impressive colours for images such as clear skies by dividing the hue, saturation, and luminosity, and finely adjusts them separately. The combination of the Digital Live MOS Sensor and the Venus Engine achieves clear image rendering with minimum noise even in low-lit situations and at max.ISO 25600.

The Contrast AF achieves high-speed, high-precision focusing with digital signal communication at max. 240 fps. Furthermore, the DFD (Depth From Defocus) technology*1 calculates the distance to the subject by evaluating two images with different sharpness levels while consulting the data for the optical characteristics of the current lens in a moment. As a result, the LUMIX GX880 achieves an ultra-high-speed AF of approx.0.07 sec*2. A multi-processing capability achieves high speed burst shooting at 5.8 fps (AFS) / 5 fps (AFC) to capture fast-moving subjects in crisp focus.

The Low Light AF makes it possible to set focus on the subject more precisely even without an AF assist lamp in extremely low-lit situations down to -4EV, which is as dark as under moonlight. Plus, the LUMIX GX880 features Starlight AF which allows users to shoot a star in the sky at night with auto focus. This is achieved by accurately calculating the contrast value in a smaller AF zone. A total of 49 focus detection areas enable more flexible composition together with the Custom Multi AF mode in which users can freely select the blocks to focus on out of these focusing areas. In addition to conventional face recognition AF, the LUMIX GX880 incorporates face/eye detection AF which automatically focuses directly on the eye of a human face. With Pinpoint AF, users can magnify the target area for a more precise focus.

*1 Contrast AF with DFD Technology works only with Panasonic Micro Four Thirds lenses.

*2 In AFS, at wide-end with H-FS14140 (CIPA).

Easy wireless connectivity via Wi-Fi® with smartphones

The LUMIX GX880 integrates Wi-Fi® connectivity (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n) to offer a more flexible shooting experience and instant image sharing with easy operation. Once connecting the camera and smartphone/tablet installing Panasonic's dedicated application software Panasonic Image App for iOS / Android, users can shoot, browse and share images remotely.

Using the remote control, it is possible to capture selfies while jumping with the Jump Snap function. The smartphone held by the subject detects when they are at the highest position and the camera automatically releases the shutter.

Other Features include:

Scene Guide

The Scene Guide* offers 21 sample pictures shot by professional photographers. Users can choose the one closest to their shooting situation and optimum parameters for shooting the scene will be automatically set. The shooting procedure, technical advice and recommended interchangeable lens for the scene can also be shown to users.

* Video recording using Scene Guide is not possible in some scenes.

iA+ (Intelligent Auto) Mode for Photos and Videos

For beginners, iA (Intelligent Auto) mode provides beautiful pictures with a variety of shooting-assist functions including AF Tracking, Intelligent Scene Selector, Face Recognition, Intelligent ISO Control and Food Recognition.

Creative Control

The LUMIX GX880 integrates a variety of artistic functions that adds fun to digital photography. The popular Creative Control mode features a total of 22 filter options and the effect parameter of each mode is also adjustable. The LUMIX GX880 is capable of taking pictures with and without the filter effect simultaneously, so that users can compare them to choose their favourite later.

Photo Style

Photo Style is a function that lets you set the picture quality, such as contrast or saturation, as you like before shooting. After choosing the mode you like from a total of seven modes (Standard, Vivid, Natural, Monochrome, L.Monochrome and Scenery), you can fine tune for the desired effect.

RAW development inside the camera

For advanced users, the LUMIX GX880 is capable of developing RAW images inside the camera. In addition to the colour space setting (sRGB/ AdobeRGB), the parameters for white balance, exposure compensation, contrast, highlight/shadow, saturation, noise reduction, and sharpness can be flexibly adjusted and LUMIX’s Photo Style, Intelligent D-range Control, and Intelligent Resolution can also be applied.

Silent Mode

This mode switches the shutter from mechanical to electronic and turns all sound (AF, operation) off while suppressing the emission of the AF assist lamp and flash with just a single setting for special shooting occasions.

AC/USB Power Charging

The camera’s battery can be recharged either via AC or USB according to the users’ convenience.

The "AVCHD" is a high definition (HD) digital video recording / playback format jointly established by Panasonic Corporation and Sony Corporation.

“AVCHD Progressive”, “AVCHD”, the “AVCHD Progressive” Logo and the “AVCHD” Logo are trademarks of Panasonic Corporation and Sony Corporation.

Android and Google Play are trademarks or registered trademarks of Google Inc.

IOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco in the U.S. and other countries and is used under license.

All other company and product names are trademarks of their respective corporations.

The use of recorded or printed materials that are protected by copyright for any purpose other than personal enjoyment is prohibited, as it would infringe upon the rights of the copyright holder.

Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.

Preview Images

Ahead of our full review, here are some full-size sample JPEG and Raw images taken with the new Panasonic Lumix DC-GX880 entry-level mirrorless camera.

A gallery of sample photos taken with the Panasonic Lumix GX880 camera.

Panasonic Lumix DC-GX880 Sample Images

Sample RAW Images

The Panasonic Lumix DC-GX880 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).

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