Panasonic's New GX85 Keeps It Steady

Panasonic’s new Lumix GX85 interchangeable lens camera is a budget minded Micro Four Thirds camera with a couple of interesting tricks up its sleeve.

The camera features a 16-megapixel MOS sensor with no low pass filter, the first time Panasonic has released a camera without one. With the low pass filter kicked to the curb, the camera enjoys a 10 percent improvement in resolving power compared to older models, Panasonic said. Moire, which can rear its head with no low pass filter, is removed by the camera’s Venus Engine image processor.

As with all new Panasonic cameras, the GX85 boasts 4K video recording and several 4K Photo modes that help users isolate 8-megapixel still images from 4K clips. Also new is a Post Focus mode that takes a burst of 8-megapixel stills with different focus points across the camera’s 49 AF points. When reviewing the footage, users can select what part of the image they want in focus from those 49 AF points and choose that still–or, save the entire series of images.

The camera features a 4K Live Cropping mode that lets you record a 4K video and then pan or zoom across the footage Ken Burns-style in playback. The final video will be delivered in HD, not 4K.

The GX5 uses a dual optical image stabilization system that combines in-body and in-lens correction (on select Lumix G I.O.S. lenses). The result is up to 4 stops of image correction, per CIPA standards. According to Panasonic, the dual image stabilization delivers better results than simply using in-camera stabilization, especially at the telephoto end of a zoom.

Additional features include:

• A 3-inch tillable display – up 80 degree, down 45 degrees
• 2.7 million dot resolution EVF
• 8 fps burst with AF locked on first frame or 6 fps with continuous AF
• Wi-Fi
• an electromagnetic shutter that reduces shutter shock by 10 percent to improve sharpness
• RAW shooting
• ISO range of 100-25,600

It’s due in May and will retail for $800 with a 12-32mm kit lens (there’s no body-only pricing option at this time).  It is available for pre-order now.