Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 w/ 14-42mm

Mirrorless cameras

A 20-megapixel camera from Panasonic with a 4/3 sensor, a 3-inch LCD, and an image stabilizer.

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CR Expert Take

How did it perform in our expert lab testing?

Overall Score

The Overall Score for this model is derived from our expert lab test results.

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Current Range of Tested Mirrorless cameras

What goes into the Overall Score?

Image quality

/ 5

Ease of use

/ 5

Video quality

/ 5

LCD quality

/ 5

Viewfinder

/ 5

Flash photos

/ 5

Image stabilization

/ 5

Sensor types

/ 5

Battery life (shots)

/ 5

4K video

/ 5

WiFi

/ 5

Test lens

/ 5

Megapixels

/ 5

Weight (oz.)

/ 5

Detailed Test Results

PHOTO QUALITY. This 20-megapixel mirrorless camera captured images with very good quality. Pictures were very sharp, which means you can see even tiny details and very subtle patterns in the image. In low-light situations without a flash, pictures were sharp. We judged this model excellent for outdoor performance, such as shooting landscapes in the daytime; very good for indoor performance, such as photographing a well-lit basketball game in a gym; and very good for low-light performance without a flash, such as capturing a birthday party. Photos taken in our low-light performance tests displayed very little image noise; subjects retained correct detail and color.FLASH. This model has no flash.LENS. This camera has a standard 3x optical zoom lens. The lens also has wide-angle (28mm) capability that's useful for landscapes and group portraits, although you may notice a bit of distortion when you're shooting faces up close, for instance.IMAGE STABILIZATION. This is an important feature; taking hand-held shots at the telephoto end of the zoom range can generally blur or soften images due to the slight movement of your hands. Shooting telephoto in well-lit scenes, this model did an excellent job of minimizing the effects of camera shake. In low-light settings, it performed excellently and almost never produced blurry photos. Overall, the shake reduction results from our tests were excellent.SPEED. In terms of performance, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 w/ 14-42mm powers up instantly. It has a short interval between shots, which can be important when shooting fast-moving or unpredictable subjects.VIDEO. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 w/ 14-42mm takes very good video. It also captures 4K-UHD video at 3840 x 2160 60p. As for sound, it captures very good audio in stereo.ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. Like most mirrorless models, this camera does include an electronic viewfinder, which means you have flexibility when composing your photo or video; this viewfinder has excellent quality. The display also swivels; this can be helpful when shooting self-portraits or hard-to-reach shots.

About

The Lumix DMC-GX8 w/ 14-42mm is a 20-megapixel camera with a kit lens that has a 35mm-equivalent focal length range of 28mm-84mm. It has a 3-inch LCD (1,040,000 pixels) that swivels. It also includes an electronic viewfinder, which is helpful when composing in bright light. Because it accepts interchangeable lenses but does not have a mirror and through-the-lens viewfinder, we consider this model a mirrorless SLR-like camera. The camera's kit lens has a maximum aperture of f/3.5. The camera's shutter speed range is 60 seconds to 1/16000 of a second. The Lumix DMC-GX8 w/ 14-42mm stores photos and video on SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards but has no on-board storage. It captures images as JPEG or RAW files at a top resolution of 5184 x 3888 and UHD-4K-resolution video as MTS, MP4 files at a top resolution of 3840 x 2160 and a frame rate up to 60p. Like most digital cameras, this model comes with a proprietary rechargeable battery. This mirrorless has 49 autofocus points, 8 exposure modes, and an exposure compensation control that can be set at +/-3 EV. The image stabilization system for this camera is optical and mechanical. The Lumix DMC-GX8 w/ 14-42mm measures 5.5 inches wide by 3.1 inches high by 2.4 inches deep, and weighs 22 ounces (1.3 pounds) (with battery, memory card, strap, and tested lens).

Features & Specs

Features

Swivelling screen

Yes

Hot shoe

Yes

Memory card

SD/SDHC/SDXC

Color space

sRGB/Adobe RGB

PC flash sync jack

Maximum aperture

3.5

Touch screen

Yes

Wireless remote

Live view

Exposure modes

Specs

Image stabilizer

L, B

LCD size (in.)

Max. ISO

25600

35mm equivalent multiplier

2.0

Shutter speed range

60 - 1/16000

Height (in.)

3.1

Width (in.)

5.5

Depth (in.)

2.4

Total weight (oz.)

Memory card slots/type

Max. buffer size JPEG/RAW

Full frame

LCD pixel count

Still image formats

Price & Shop

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 w/ 14-42mm

CR Expert Take

Overall Score

What goes into the Overall Score?

Detailed Test Results

About

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