Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GX7 Pro Reviews

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 is a mirrorless camera that delivers excellent images, but it doesn't quite earn Editors' Choice honors.

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 Panasonic GX7 may just be the Micro Four Thirds model we've all been waiting for, offering a ton of advanced features -- including a tilting electronic viewfinder, touchscreen LCD and robust Wi-Fi capabilities -- while capturing very good still images and great video. It may not rank the best in any one specific area, but the GX7 is the rare compact system camera that doesn't sacrifice much either, delivering all-around great performance for a reasonable price. It hits a sweet spot that should surely appeal to both pros looking for a compact, everyday alternative to their bulky DSLRs as well as a smart and sophisticated step-up model for amateur shooters.

Ultimately there's a great deal to like about the GX7 and I very much enjoyed using it during my test period. As such it's a camera I can easily Recommended to anyone who wants a compact but powerful system camera, but the issues mentioned earlier rule out our top rating. I certainly can't say (as others have) that this is the best mirrorless camera, the best Micro Four Thirds camera or even the best Lumix G camera. There's both pros and cons here so it really boils down to which features are a priority for you personally. It could be the aspects that annoyed me may be non-issues for you in which case it's a great choice. But if you find yourself agreeing with my points, then you should look very carefully at the competition as there could be a better camera for you. In the meantime though I remain very fond of smaller enthusiast-class system cameras and hope Panasonic continues to innovate and refine the GX series.

The Panasonic GX7 is a full-featured mirrorless camera that offers very good photo and video quality, a highly customizable interface, plenty of useful features, and robust performance. It's marred by a so-so viewfinder, lack of in-camera Raw conversion, and a disappointing in-body IS system.

Stylish, highly accomplished and brimming with features

Panasonic’s newest LUMIX is its best compact system camera yet. Read our Panasonic LUMIX GX7 review to find out more.

The GX7 is a very polished and well-made camera that not only delivers excellent results, but is also a pleasure to use at the same time. Panasonic has made a bold statement saying that the GX7 is their best Lumix camera to date, and we have to say we fully agree.

The Lumix GX7 is the package deal. It's bursting with features, it's a pleasure to use and it produces some excellent shots. Pro-spec features such as a 1/8000th sec maximum shutter speed and that tilt-angle viewfinder further bolster the package deal that, straight of of the box, is unlike anything else out there on the market. Only there is one strong competitor that can't be overlooked: the Olympus E-P5. Out of the two models we think the E-P5 is the better looking and it even produces images with preferable processing and less noisy raw files to our eyes. But - and here's the clincher - add a VF4 viewfinder on to the Olympus model and watch the price tag soar. It's the do-it-yourself trip of a lifetime that'll inevitably cost more. And herein lies one of the GX7's most appetising features: its £899 price-point. Yes it's not cheap but for what you get it's well worth it. If money were no object then we'd pick out the E-P5 each and every time - but when there's little cash lining those pockets the price-point becomes of crucial importance. We also prefer the layout, menus and customisability of the Panasonic, which also carries plenty of weight when it comes to general functionality. In true Panasonic fashion the GX7 ticks plenty of boxes. But beyond feeling solely functional, this Lumix has soul too; it successfully flirts with the current design trends and pulls it off. It feels luxury, it feels exciting and it definitely feels worthy of the hype. There are shortcomings as we've detailed, including so-so battery life, but considering the feature set and the price-point the Lumix GX7 is up there among the compact system camera greats. It's got every base covered - and covered well.

Both the Panasonic Lumix GX7 and Olympus OM-D E-M5 are capable of shooting extremely high quality images, delivering sharp results with low noise levels, as well as excellent colour. While the cameras use different sensors, with Panasonic using their own sensor, and the Olympus OM-D E-M5 using a Sony sensor, they both produce similar levels of noise, with a slight benefit going to the GX7 at the highest ISO settings of ISO12800 and ISO25600. With them both capable of delivering excellent image quality, high speed shooting, and fast focus, it comes down to what features you are looking for in a camera, as to which would be best for you. For example, if you are regularly shooting outdoors, then the weather sealed OM-D E-M5 will be best suited to you. If however you like the idea of using a tilting EVF, and want the latest Wi-Fi connectivity features, then the Panasonic Lumix GX7 would make an excellent choice, particularly if you would benefit from focus peaking for manual focus lenses. If you shoot video, the GX7 has more options and settings as well as a full range of frame speeds, however as the in-body image stabilisation isn't active in video mode, you would be best investing in optically stabilised lenses. The Olympus OM-D E-M5, with 5-axis image stabilisation, does an excellent job at stabilising the video, regardless of what lens is on the front. Choosing between the two is an extremely tough choice, as the cameras are extremely closely matched, and I think it would be difficult to be disappointed with either of them.

The Panasonic Lumix GX7 offers some unique new features, including an extremely high resolution tilting electronic viewfinder, a high resolution 3inch tilting touch screen, as well as built in sensor-shift image stabilisation. In addition to this, the camera comes with new creative effects, highlight / shadow tone adjustment, high speed 9fps continuous shooting, as well as 4.2fps continuous shooting with AF, built in flash, and a high shutter speed of 1/8000th of a second. The GX7 offers an extremely compelling package, with excellent build quality, a stylish design, and a number of ways to customise the operation of the camera. In camera image stabilisation is an excellent addition, particularly for those who like to switch between different lens manufacturers, or for those that have lenses without optical image stabilisation built in. It's just a shame that the image stabilisation isn't available in movie mode, and while the electronic shutter does allow for silent operation, there is the risk of rolling shutter, a second battery may also be useful. As the specifications, features, and technology available in mirrorless or compact system cameras increases, with continuing improvements in image quality and performance, it's becoming increasingly difficult to justify the purchase of a large and often bulky Digital SLR. The Panasonic Lumix GX7 introduces a truly unique experience thanks to the tilting electronic viewfinder, and with a new sensor the camera delivers excellent image quality, with particularly impressive noise performance beating the previous class leader at high ISO settings.