Another mini-review of a now "ancient" digital camera: the Panasonic GX8.

A liberal's BBQ placemat. 

The GX8 almost fell through the cracks. I bought it just after I started my process of really coming to grips with the Sigma fp camera and that seemed to overshadow any immediate interest I might had in the used and inexpensive Panasonic. But more and more lately, even after the recent re-purchase of a better spec'd G9, I reach for the GX8 when I'm heading out the door without a specific photographic intention. I wondered why that was.

If you want to know more about the nuts and bolts and specifications of the GX8 just head over to Digital Photography Review and read their review from three years ago. They liked it except for some stuff that's more or less been fixed in firmware. One big issue was what is called "shutter shock" in which vibrations from the mechanical shutter in this camera caused a degraded sharpness in files shot at certain (much used) shutter speeds. Panasonic incorporated an electronic shutter setting which eliminates the issue and also a EFC (electronic first curtain) shutter that also seems to deal with the problem.

What you are getting in the GX8 is a m4:3 camera with a good, 20 megapixel sensor, a rangefinder body design - with the evf over to the left side as you use the camera, and a big enough camera to hold onto without having to do some wacky compromise handhold. Add to that the fact that the finder can be rotated up by 90 degrees and you basically have a good idea of the whole package.

When it was introduced the whole delusional mania of the moment was that this particular model was too big. That, of course, was nonsense for normal, rational people. In fact, the camera is well proportioned and perfectly sized for people who actually go out and use cameras. It's much smaller and lighter than the G9, or the GH series cameras, and positively tiny and weightless when compared to the full frame, Panasonic S1 series cameras.

The camera features dual I.S. which uses the body I.S. and the lens I.S. together to leverage better stabilization performance than either could provide separately. It's not in the same league as the G9 with a dual I.S. enabled lens but it's very usable and, along with the electronic shutter setting it's quite enough for most applications.

I bought this camera, used, in 2020 but it was first released in 2015. It's currently holding its value well on the used markets. A cursory check today shows that it still commands a price of about $500 to $600 used and in excellent condition. About half its new price which is actually quite good for any digital product.

I bring this camera along with me when I'm not on some self-styled mission to get a particular kind of photograph because in a addition to being small and light it also has good high ISO performance, uses the same battery as my Sigma fp, and it very unobtrusive.

There are a few downsides that weren't deal killers in 2015 but might give one pause in 2020 if this is intended to be your sole camera and if you are ready to do some work in video. There is no built in flash, the buffer clearing can be a bit slow, and the camera has a single card slot (which is adjacent to the battery at the bottom of the camera body). In video there is no mechanical I.S. in 4K capture, there are no high data rate settings in 1080p and, for some insane reason, the microphone jack is an odd 2.5mm size which will require an adapter in order to use it with any consumer microphone or audio interface. There is also no headphone jack. I'm not interested in using the GX8 for video but I can see pressing it into use in a pinch because of the rotating rear screen (V-logger friendly) and the very decent 4K output. But I have cameras that are much, much better equipped and optimized for high quality video capture.

But I would say that this camera was clearly intended to be a pleasant and competent photography camera and that video was a familial afterthought on the part of Panasonic.

Since the camera uses Panasonic's previous (to the G9 and S1 series) Jpeg motor those files from the camera aren't quite as good as Jpegs from more recent Panasonic cameras. The G9 is generates some of the nicest files I've worked with of all the cameras I routinely shoot with. But! If you shoot raw so much of the heavy lifting (in terms of color science and file glorification) are done in post so if you are using the latest version of the Adobe products or even Luminar 4.1+ you'll get a lot of control with color and tonality from the GX8 files. It's a classic case of improvements in raw processors lifting all boats. Even those launched five years ago.

My take on the GX8? I was able to purchase my very clean model for around $350 a month or so ago and I keep my eyes on the market to see if I can acquire one more in the same price range. They are well made, weatherproof, fun to use and even more fun to carry around. All the dials and buttons seem to be perfectly placed and the menus are easy to learn. If I was shooting with these as my primary cameras I'd be reticent to upgrade. Seems like color performance (Jpeg) in newer cameras gets tweaked but not much has really advanced, sensor-wise, and some of the models following the GX8 have compromises (lesser EVFs, smaller, fiddly-er interfaces) that don't really make them "better" for my kinds of shooting.

And now, a quick and odd assessment of an overlooked lens: I've shot all of the attached photographs with one lens. It's a tiny, collapsible 12-32mm f3.5 to f5.6. I thought of it as a throw-away toy when I got it last year, bundled with a GX85 kit. On a lark, last week I put it on the GX8 and started shooting. I liked the focal length range and it gave me a finder image that was sharp and snappy. I saved judgement until I could view the results in PhotoShop on a 27 inch, 5K screen. While the lens has some obvious barrel distortion when used around 12mms I don't really find it objectionable, and with a little elbow grease in my Adobe products I can correct it, for the most part.

So, the lens is sharp, contrasty, yields detailed files and also provides the second dose of image stabilization when used in conjunction with the body stabilization. Counterintuitively I am really enjoying using this lens on the GX8 as my take anywhere lens. I also have the 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 Leica lens but I haven't felt compelled to put it on the GX8. Maybe that's because the little 12/32 is doing such a sweet job and it so small and light...

The rest of the review is totally visual. It's in all the images included with this post. Just scroll through, pop open in a bigger window. Click to enlarge and have a good look. I can't tell (except for the geometric distortion) that they weren't done with an expensive lens but maybe you have more refined visual perception than me. As essentially a free addition to a kit I'm certain the lens is a valuable keeper.

In conjunction with the GX8? A winning, relatively modern point-and-shoot configuration with all the needed bells and whistles for a street shooter or avid artist. Maybe not a sports camera... Most of these images were done in Program mode using Auto ISO. I tweaked where I felt necessary with the fabulous compensation dial that is concentric with the GX8's mode dial. Easy and fun.

In Texas, it isn't BBQ without some white bread to go with it. 

From the Salt Lick BBQ.

Wine for BBQ.

My chef/friend Emmett Fox. Curator of the BBQ dinner last Saturday.

Emmett at home in Dripping Springs, Texas.

The country roads around Dripping Springs are perfect for those

Socially Distanced walks. The GX8 and 12/32 are perfect for same.

Surprised by just how good the files shot at 1250 and 1600 ISO look. 

One message one week, an opposite message on another week...

Concave exhibitionist mirror.

This image really shows of the lens distortion.

I think it looks sweet.

Austin, Texas Street Photographer. Circa 2020.

In mid-2020 the authentic street photographer is seen with his trusty

Panasonic GX8, the natty 12-32mm kit lens (which has awesome distortion!!!)

and his face mask. The bandana, worn loosely around the neck, serves as a 

"back-up" face mask should the need arise.

Note to self: purchase less baggy clothing.

What a perfect morning! It's amazing what there is to see before the sun rises...

Exuberance. 

5:30 a.m. is an interesting time to be awake. Everything is still and quiet. And dark. I try to get out of bed gently so I don't wake up Belinda. I walk down the long, dim hallway to the bathroom I've taken over as my own and I find my swim suit, goggles and a dry towel. We come to the swimming pool in our swim suits now since the locker rooms are closed. 

Once I've got the important stuff in hand I pad out to the kitchen and make a quick coffee with lots of milk in it. I browse through e-mail while I drink my coffee and, sometimes, eat a handful of the amazing granola that my friend, Emmett, makes while he's taking time off from his restaurant. 

It's so delicious I want to eat it all but I resist because I know Belinda likes it too. 

After I finish with coffee I brush my teeth. I like Tom's natural toothpaste in the peppermint flavor. No one wants to swim next to a person with coffee breath. 

I'm always extra careful backing out of the driveway because we have baby fawns nearby and then there's the occasional grey fox and, of course, the early joggers and walkers. The back-up camera in my car is one of the miracles of modern life...

The trip to the pool takes about a minute and 45 seconds at 5:50 a.m. There's no traffic and the lights are still set to blinking red. I turn into the pool and I'm on familiar turf as I've swum here most days for the last 25 years. You'd think I'd be a better swimmer by now but there's always one more thing to learn. 

Today's coach, Will, was already on the deck and ready for us. He's an amazing coach and a part owner of a craft distillery that makes whiskey. At 25 he seems to have his path figured out well. He starts us out with a 400 yard swim. The workout progresses through different sets and the person in the next lane over from me remarks about the beautiful first blush of the sunrise. I swim the set of 200s doing backstroke instead of freestyle so I can see the magenta clouds flow across the deep, rich, blue sky. 

I am at peace in a way that's hard to explain. To be an age that is considered by some to be "old" but to have total confidence in my body's abilities to swim, run and exist without pain or fatigue is a priceless gift. To swim a stroke for which you have a degree of speed and mastery while watching the sky shift from subtle to beautiful to regal is an amazing mix. For the better part of the workout my mind seemed to exist perfectly in the present. As I brought each arm down to complete the backstroke I could feel the pressure of the cool water resist and flow. 

When we ended our workout I felt so truly alive that I had to just stand still for a few moments to smell the morning and to enjoy the painted sky. I wish I had brought my camera to the pool deck. I'm glad I didn't bring my camera to the pool deck. There is something about the directness of some experiences that makes all accessories to the moment seem shallow and dilute. 

I got home, made tea, ate pancakes and then put on my favorite walking shoes. Belinda and I headed out the door around 7:45 for our walk over the hills and through our neighborhood. The sun was shining but there was a cool breeze and the temperature was just right. Cool enough to keep sweat at bay but warm enough to preclude the need for a jacket or sweater. We talked about how lucky we have been and how we have so much to be thankful for. Neither of us looks backward. We're always ready to see what the future holds and to see what our place in it will be. 

At the moment it seems like a life without fear; without want. Now I'm off to make some equipment donations. Later I'll pick up a camera and head downtown. My friend, Andy, wrote about a new art installation at Republic Park. His photos were intriguing. I want to see for myself.

I wonder if we'll have an equally beautiful sunset tonight...

Tranquility. 

companionship. 

Hope.

Sparkle. 

History. 

Landscape. Roots. 

The sunset looks good even over the waste facility.

always ready to swim. Anywhere.

Change.

My wish for everyone.

Keeping Your Head in the Game. Keeping Your Hands on the Gear.

I'm noticing a sad trend in photo blogs. A lot of people are writing about regrets for things they never got around to doing. Reminiscing about some past "golden age" in photography or settling into their bunkers to rehash the Photo Secession or to re-re-re-appreciate some style (Walker Evans? Eugene Smith? Hopalong Cassidy?) from the days of film and prosperity. What all this depressed introspection seems to tell me is that people are marking this pandemic as the endpoint to their careers in photography and are now settling into the ritual telling of tales from the past. Sitting in a fucking armchair and staring out the window at...nothing. 

Of course, if you are financially able, you can certain call it game over and pull up the drawbridges and spend the rest of your life watching your favorite movies re-run on TV and leafing through your stamp collections, or your old photo albums, and regretting all the things you didn't do. Or...you could just suck it up and get back to work on more photography. More art. More of everything. Sure, we've had a two month+ break in which we could sit with ourselves and assess. But the longer we go on with the presumption of having hit the end of the road the rustier we are going to be when we shake off the depression and get our hands back on the cameras and do our work. For pleasure or money. 

I'm trying every day to keep my head in the game and my hands on a camera. You'll notice I miss very few days of writing new content for the blog. I also have let all my friends know that now is the time to hit me with all those "can you do me a favor?" projects that tend to pile up. This doesn't mean I'm ready to put safety on the line, and I'm not rushing back to work to make money, but it does mean that I think photographing, like swimming, is something that requires daily or almost daily practice if you are going to be at all good. But more daunting than swimming is that the cultural vision that we all share and add to in our photographs is very much a moving target and even if we think our work doesn't change a daily practice and review would show that most of us incorporate, little by little, the changing textures of society in general and our environments specifically. But we have to experience life to incorporate, in an honest way, these textures and nuances of changing life. We have to get outside our own lethargy.

Yesterday was fun. A friend had asked if I would photograph the exterior of his house over in Dripping Springs, Texas. I was happy to oblige. We do stuff for each other all the time.

I packed a small collection of lenses and a camera, put on my hiking shoes, and headed over (about 28 miles due West) to his house. It's in a neighborhood gifted with marvelous (and challenging) hills for walking, and the majority of the houses sit back on five acre lots. The roads are mostly bereft of any traffic and you could walk down the middle of them, eyes closed, with impunity. After a pleasant walk and a break for ritual coffee I broke out the photo gear and started to explore the exterior of his house. I've visited more than a few times lately and have always loved the way he and his wife have integrated the exterior Texas Hill Country into their home. Big screen porch with a giant dining table. A cozy patio. BBQ smokers and outside cookers galore. Even an outside shower to wash off after a hot run in the sun. 

I brought along the Lumix S1R, a Lumix 24-70mm f2.8 S-Pro and a Sigma Art Series 20mm f1.4. The camera has great image stabilization so I left the two car tripods in the car. I made big time use of the in finder levels and shot the files a little dark with the idea of preserving the highlights in the raw files while intending to lift the shadows and midtowns during post production. 

For me the fun thing was to have a project that came from outside my own head. I shot a bunch of images and processed nearly 80 of them for my friend's future use. The project focused me on photography, gave me ample hand/eye practice and let me take chances with composition and shooting style. I set the in-camera profile to "flat" and was amazed at how much dynamic range the camera captured. 

A client called today from a favorite law firm and needed to track down an image I'd done a couple of years ago of one of their key attorneys. He'd won an award and needed an image of himself for several magazines and journals. I called him directly to see exactly what he needed and we actually settled on a different image he'd come to like better than the one we originally retouched for the law firm. 'Would I mind processing this one?' Of course not. Glad to do it. I spent a while making tweaks in PhotoShop, just to see if I still had the touch, and made the best portrait image I possibly could. He was delighted. I was thrilled to have a "real" reason to jump back into PhotoShop and practice my skills. 

I'm putting together a donation package of video gear for Zach Theatre today and will spend a bit of tomorrow delivering the stuff and then getting online with the in-house content producer (who desperately needs some decent tools with which to shoot during the shut down --- for every marketing thing you can imagine) to walk him through all the little tips for using the gear. It's a camera that does wicked good 1080p and very good 4K video as well as a microphone, a mixer, some batteries, two LED light panels and a video tripod. It feels good to know that my gift will be going to a non-profit that I love and also to a producer whose work will really benefit. And it's a way to keep thinking about craft.

Once I hit a stopping point today I'm grabbing a camera and heading out for a long walk. Part of the desire to head out the door is to get some additional exercise (head clearing tonic of the gods...) but also to get my hands all over a camera and work with it like a sculptor works a chisel or a painter works a brush. It's only when you stop; hard stop, and start looking backwards into the scrapbook that the rust starts to creep in. Keep the photographic joints moving and you'll stay in the game. It's only when you surrender to endless reminisces and regret that you kill the spirit and end your engagement with your art. And that would be too sad to contemplate. 

Today's camera will be the Panasonic GX8 and I'll be sporting the little 12-32mm, collapsible kit lens when I head out. The choices of how to use your time are stark; you can give up and watch endless tutorials on YouTube (or "research" other crap on the web) or you can remember what drove you into this passion-filled hobby when you were young and fresh and go out the door to see what might be keeping you in the hobby now that you're experienced and crafty. Easy choice for me.

But I get that it's like swimming early in the morning. There's always a rationale for not getting out of bed at 5:30, not putting on your swim gear, not backing out of the driveway, not jumping into the cold water, and not breaking a sweat or breathing hard. But every day you rationalize your retreat is one step further from ever coming back. And back is, generally, where we want to be. 

There is an old Zen story about the past, the present and the future. I can't remember it exactly but the gist of it is that if you always ride at the stern of a boat all you will ever see are the places you have been, along with the wake of the boat but if you ride at the bow you see the beautiful, still water in front of you and the places you may yet go. And if you shut your eyes, calm your mind, and breathe you'll experience being in the present. The past is done. Written. That book is closed. The present is where the action is. If you let go of the past you get to live in the exhilarating moment of now. As to the future? One foot forward and all is blackness. You can't know. You can plan but you can't know. That's why amplifying the moment are in now is the strategy that will satisfy you the most. 

As my kid always reminds me: No one outside of your own house cares about the awards you won in the past. They're only interested in what you'll do now. 

I stopped and thought about that when I was photographing my friend's house. And I thought to myself: How lucky I am to have this camera, this friend and...this day. Make the most of it.

The pool seems like a harsh mistress in the cool chill of early morning

But an hour later the pool seems like a cherished lover.

The water and the motion have enriched you.

I guess yesterday was self portrait day. That's what you get when downtown has been de-populated by the pandemic...

Panasonic G9 hidden behind the 12-60mm zoom. I was shooting into one of those round, convex mirrors that they put up at the exits of parking garages to try and prevent accidents. I love em. 

the ongoing exploration of self portraits with cameras and reflections.

An odd attempt at humor in front of a crappy bar.

So, I picked up a new camera on Sunday and took it out for a spin yesterday afternoon and this morning. Learning curve? Naw...

Let's consider this a short, mini-review of the Panasonic G9 with the 12-60mm Leica zoom. This particular one is the third G9 I've owned. I have experience shooting with these cameras in the theater, out on road trips, and touring around glaciers and natural wonders in Iceland. I've used this model extensively for location work commissioned by large companies. The one time in my life that I really, really regret selling out a system and moving on was when I bailed on a really nice micro four thirds system built around two G9s and a GH5 (or two...). I traded the cameras and some of the best lenses I've ever used for some new Fuji stuff. And while I liked the images coming out of the Fuji cameras just fine I never made the really deep; almost visceral connection I unwittingly made with the Lumix gear. 

When the G9 first came out the idiot savants of the web pissed and moaned about how big and heavy the camera was. They seemed to think that the only rationale for using cameras in this format was to provide the smallest and lightest possible package possible for photography. They could not be more wrong. 

The thing about the two professional Panasonic cameras (G9 and GH5) is that they were designed to fit just right in a human hand and to provide an advanced platform for a combination of high end video and photographing imaging capabilities. The size of the body was dictated by haptics, ergonomics, professional usability (full sized HDMI port!!!) and not by some wet dream about ultra-miniaturization. 

After using the GH5, the GH5S and the G9s side by side for a good while I gravitated to the G9 for its handling and also for it's really nice color rendering in Jpeg. I was spoiled by four really wonderful lenses as well as a handful of just really good lenses. The four stellar ones were the Panasonic/Leica 8-18mm, the Panasonic/Leica 12-60mm, the Olympus 12-100mm Pro and the (absolutely delicious) Olympus 40-150mm f2.8. The two Olympus lenses were larger and heavier but I count them among the very, very best lenses I have ever used; regardless of format. 

So, what does the G9 have going for it that makes it so desirable to me? What can this camera (and system) do that my two full frame S1 and S1R Panasonics can't? 

There are obvious differences between the formats. The S1s and S1Rs offer, in the former, an insanely good high ISO sensor and, in the later, an extremely high resolution sensor. And both offer beautiful files with rich and accurate colors. But those cameras and their lenses are big, heavy and pricey. I love them when I use them for my paid work but I started chaffing at carrying them around as "casual, all day" cameras. 

The first reason I like the G9 is that, along with the Panasonic/Leica 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 lens, it's a package that I can carry around on a shoulder strap for a long day and barely notice that it's there. If I don't need to shoot in the dark or make gigantic prints, or try to impress the hell out of a client by delivering enormous files, the G9 is the camera I prefer. 

The three buttons just behind the shutter button are identical in placement and function across the G9 and both of the S1 variants. That makes for fluid operation and the ability to switch between formats with no need to re-learn....anything. Ditto for most of the rest of the controls and function buttons. 

I like the "night mode" on the G9 because it's perfect for shooting in a theatre with an audience all around me. I can see the menu items but the subdued reddish orange light of the screen isn't distracting or obnoxious to people adjacent to my shooting position. 

The finder on the G9 has a higher magnification than the GH cameras and it's a pleasure to compose through. It's also a higher res EVF than is available on many other cameras--- at much higher prices. 

The ability to now do 10 bit, 4:2:2 video in 4K, and write the files directly to one of the two SD cards in camera, is the feature that gave me the final nudge to re-buy the G9. I shot video with it yesterday and today and did some test editing in Final Cut Pro X. The camera delivers beautiful files! Really beautiful. And when I use the 4K, 30 fps setting the AF in continuous locks in on my face (I was my "test" subject) and stays there. I wish the camera was able to be used with the GH5 and S1 microphone interface/adapter for XLR microphones but that's a small ding to an otherwise really brilliant, little and adaptable video camera. 

Plus, if I want to shoot in a way that might damage a camera during a video project (mounted on the front bumper of a Ferrari driving 120 mph?) I'd rather do it with this smaller, lighter and much cheaper package than to sacrifice a full frame camera and lens at double or triple the price....

The "larger" camera body means fewer issues with overheating while shooting 4K video which is something even the much, much more expensive ( and non-10 bit) Sony full frame cameras have yet to master. Imagine, they have to have a menu item the "allows" you to toast your camera. A "heat" setting that lets the camera disregard its high internal temperature as a sacrifice to your video vision. Better maybe just to make the camera with the intention to actually work for high data rate video. Sony is way, way behind Panasonic and Sigma in this respect. 

The final reason to own a G9 (for me) is to have a light(er) weight street shooting/travel camera that offers world class performance when it comes to Image Stabilization. When using a compatible lens that also offers I.S. you get "dual-I.S." performance which can be as much as six and a half stops on stability improvement. The "tripod" mode is just science fiction scary. 

To sum up: Great hand feel and operational sanity. Sensible and easy to understand menus. Great color and tonality in the files, from both video and photos. High-res mode to give you medium format resolution. Weatherproof lens and camera (took them both out in a thunderstorm this morning...). Operational buttons and menus aligned through the whole family of cameras, from the G9 all the way through to the S1R. A great selection of available lenses; some of which are downright mouthwatering. A great viewfinder. Best in class video which is only rivaled by the GH5 and the S1H. A current body purchase price under $1,000. A bundle with the very well respected Pana/Leica 12-60mm for under $1600. 

I'll stop here to take a breath. I shot about 100 frames in the last couple of days and I'm back in the fold. Those who know me well predict that it's just a matter of time before I start looking with serious intent at the 8-18mm Pana/Leica and especially the 40-150mm f2.8 Olympus lens. The Pro version. Then I'll be right back in the mess.  I'd give you a link but you really should find your camera and lens on your own...that's part of the thrill...

I was heading back in from swim practice and I looked through the double doors into the side garden this morning. It was cool and breezy and coffee actually tasted better while I sat in one of the red chairs and watched the sun come up. I guess staying home for most of the day isn't all bad.

After coffee I walked around to the other side and shot out through the dining room doors. 

I was able to handhold the camera for this image at 1/5th of a second. 

It was sunny about an hour after swim practice and I decided to go for a walk. 

It took me five minutes to drive to Zilker Park and when I arrived I felt the wind 

pick up and looked to the west to see big, black thunderclouds rolling in. 

The rain hit a minute or two later so I stayed in my parked car and watched it all roll through. 

Ten minutes later I was out on the trail and the morning looked like this: (above) 

Then it all cleared up and started to look like this: (below)

May 2020 Reprint #2. Getting approval to take someone's photograph in a public space.

https://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2011/05/approval-tacit-approval-implied.html


This was a very popular post when I wrote it back in May of 2011. I don't think much has changed but a lot more people are practicing "street photography" and I thought the content might be helpful for folks who are new to the genre. I tried to explain how I handle the balance between my right to do something and a subject's right not to participate.

Dani. At Medici Caffe. Austin, Texas