Pier Yves is testing the new GX80 and recorded those images of the flooded Paris:
“Paris is under flood sine one week. I made 2 films about it. On this second film (3 minutes) > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=397ETUNeyqA, you can watch what happens just in front of my building…It changes me from Kansas City. Completely filmed with the Panasonic DMC-GX80 and the Panasonic 12-35mm F/2.8 lens.“
From a purist point of view, the Meike 50mm f/2 gives total freedom from automation. This may well appeal to some photographers who will enjoy the process of using it and live with the soft edges, even using its shortcomings to create distinctive images. For most, there are inexpensive marque lenses that are sharper and much easier to use, for not very much more money.
The Meike 35mm f/1.7 lens is a well made, attractive optic in a very traditional way. It is totally manual in every respect and as such needs some care in use to get the best out of it. Purists may love this lens and will be rewarded with excellent central sharpness, but really quite soft edges to the images. This may suit portraiture, and on MFT format the 75mm 35mm-equivalent is fine for this. On APS-C the equivalent is more like a 50mm standard lens, so a bit on the short side for pictures of people. At the price asked, it could well be worth giving this lens a shot and seeing how it might be used creatively to produce distinctive images.
The fact is there’s little to complain about here and a great deal to like – especially when you consider its affordable price. If you’re looking for a mid-range interchangeable lens camera, there’s little that’ll match its overall feature-set and performance for the money. I really feel Panasonic has its mojo back here and I’m happy to award it my Highly Recommended rating. I’ll be even happier to see the upgrades rolled-out to its humped models, the G7 and GH4.
I know this is not an MFT camera. But the new TG-Tracker action camera is certainly a key product from Olympus that could help their imaging business as a whole. The action camera market is bigger than the “classic” compact camera market. And if Olympus will manage to have some success the MFT department will certainly indirectly benefit from it (sharing research costs and so).
So let’s take a closer look the the new TG-Tracker:
At a a glance:
A full detailed overview of what can be done with the action camera can be seen on GetOlympus (Click here). What I noticed is:
– The camera hasa LCD screen (and beats most of the competition here)
– Unlike most of the competition the camera does not need a protective housing (cool!)
– The camera is cheaper than the competition
– The camera is smaller than it looks on the product photos (just check otu the videos below)
– The camera can be controlled via smartphone and is compatible with many nice accessories
Videos:
Images:
Specs:
My two cent on the TG-TRacker:
It has the potential to be one of the best products Olympsu has ever made!
To be honest, I had a hard time finding real flaws with this camera, and there certainly wasn’t anything that would prompt me to not recommend it. In fact, my only real disappointment is that a few features I liked on the GX7 have been removed. Right now, especially for someone who wants to buy their first mirrorless camera without spending too much, I can’t think of any better deal especially considering the compact size and great selection of lenses within the micro four thirds system.
At $799, I feel that this camera is a tough contender in the mirrorless world and can still compete with DSLRs within the price range or even the next tier up.
Thisweekinphoto posted that 52 minutes long review of the Panasonic new GX80/85 camera. And dutch readers can check out the full GX80 review at Pixelmania.
If you have large hands, photograph often in poor conditions or prefer lenses with a long focal length, then the Panasonic GX8 might be a more suitable candidate. If you want to use the camera primarily for video, then the Panasonic GH4 is a more obvious choice. In all other cases: It is a pleasure to work with this handy camera. The AF of the Panasonic GX80 is really lightning fast. 4K photo offers the option of recording action at 30 frames per second and saving the best picture in the camera. Go ahead and argue with them, the photographers who choose a Panasonic GX80 over a Leica or a Canon.