Review Date: August 22, 2013
Category: Serious to Advanced Amateur
Photoxels Editor’s Choice – Enthusiast Interchangeable Lens Camera
USER’S EXPERIENCE
Here’s what you can expect in the box (depends on country):
- Lumix DMC-GX7 with body cap
- Li-ion Battery DMW-BLG10PP 7.2V 1025mAh 7.4Wh
- DE-A99 Battery Charger (plugs directly into the wall outlet)
- Shoulder Strap
- USB Cable
- Documentation: Basic Owner’s Manual
- Software CDs: PHOTOfunSTUDIO 9.2 PE (Win only), SILKYPIX Developer Studio 3.1 SE (Win & Mac)
If you purchase it with the kit lens:
- LUMIX G Vario 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH MEGA O.I.S. Ø46mm with Lens cap, Lens Rear Cap and Lens Hood
Enthusiast-friendly. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 jumps to the front of the compact mirrorless interchangeable lens camera line with a camera that squeezes into a compact body almost all the best features of an enthusiast camera.
The DMC-GX7 has lots to offer, and then some: it’s compact, well-built, has twin dials, built-in image stabilizer, a tiltable LCD, a tiltable LVF, access to the full range of shutter speeds in all PASM modes, built-in flash, hotshoe, Focus Peaking with color choice, WiFi with NFC, Touchscreen, Stop Motion Animation, Time Lapse Shot, a tripod mount that is inline with the center of the lens, ability to change battery or memory card while the camera is on a tripod, and lots of quality lenses. It is fast, really fast. Customizable to a fault.
It has one of the best touchscreen interface I’ve used. The AF area can be moved to literally anywhere, edge to edge, on the screen. I have not had the problem that it gets moved inadvertently by touching the screen with your cheek or nose while peering through the LVF (which extends outward from the body). There is an optional rubber cup that fits the eyepiece and it would have been nice if that were included as standard.
Not sure why Panasonic chose to display the histogram more or less smack in the middle of the screen. Would be nice if it was displayed on the bottom left corner and/or we could move it to wherever we want to on screen.
The Q. Menu displays a screen divided into 3 areas: the top and bottom areas list settings you can change; the middle area list the values available for a selected setting. When you first bring it up, the setting you last changed is highlighted and selected. Scroll the Rear Dial to select another setting to change; scroll the Front Dial to select a value for the highlighted setting. However, once you rotate the Front Dial, the highlight shifts to the values area and if you now scroll either the Front or Rear Dial, it’s the values you’ll be selecting. To return to selecting another setting, click the Rear Dial to exit the values area, then scroll it.
You can also use the Cursor buttons. Use LEFT/RIGHT to select another setting. Use UP/DOWN to enter into the values area and then use LEFT/RIGHT to select a value for the setting. Use UP/DOWN to exit the values area and LEFT/RIGHT to select another setting to change.
It just works more complicated than it should. A simpler way would be to dedicate the Rear Dial to always select a setting and the Front Dial to always select a value for that setting.
Of course, there is an even simpler way: just touch the screen to select whatever setting and value you desire. Now, that’s better!
There are 4 Fn buttons and 5 Fn tabs, so you can customize the GX7 to your heart’s content. The GX7 is unabashedly targeted to those who know cameras and will appreciate the level of control that it provides.
The Menu structure is usable but it is not easy to figure out where to go to change a setting. There is a scrolling marquee at the top of the Menu screen that acts as a Help message, but it scrolls real slow and it takes too long to get to read the whole message. Why not just let the DISP. button display a full screen of help text?
It was easy enough to connect the camera to my smartphone and use the latter for Remote Shooting & View using Wi-Fi and the Panasonic Image App. I can also transfer images from the GX7 to my smartphone. I was, however, a bit puzzled that I was unable to connect the camera to my PC via Wi-Fi (same Wi-Fi used to successfully connect to smartphone). Could be an incompatibility of the new WPS Router connection which is not available on my router. I tried to connect manually and, though it finds my router, it fails to connect to the computer. I’ve had no problem connecting other [older] cameras to my PC via Wi-Fi. Canceling the connection takes a v-e-r-y long time. SO, some more work to be done here.
Missing? I would have loved it to have Weatherproofing, wireless control of external flash units by the built-in pop-up flash and high speed flash synching. Perhaps a better designed Menu structure.
PHOTOfunSTUDIO will download your pictures from your camera and will download RAW files also. It’s an OK software but its 1980’s syle user interface can be frustrating to use. It also does not remember my destination folder and I have to re-input it every single time. And it maddeningly asks me to confirm every click. There are lots of good photo viewers out there so Panasonic could easily solve this tomorrow if they wanted to. Or, include Lightroom for free!
I am not sure when sensor cleaning is performed. There is no option to specify it in the Menu. From the speed of startup and power down, it seems it may be at power down.
What I like about the GX7:
- A really enjoyable camera with user-friendly controls.
- Very good to excellent image quality with low noise up to ISO 1600.
- Very good handling and feel.
- Very well implemented Touchscreen interface.
- Fast and precise AF, even in low light.
- Huge internal buffer means you can take one picture after another as fast as you want.
- Very fast start up.
- Love the AF mode that can be anywhere on screen.
- High resolution tiltable LCD and LVF which gain up very well in low light.
- Twin Front and Rear Dials.
No review is complete without a couple of improvement suggestions:
- Wireless control of external flash units.
- High speed flash synching.
- Wi-Fi and NFC need more work.
- Better Menu structure.
- A simpler Q. Menu.
- Weatherproofing.
- Tone down the brightness of the Wi-Fi connection lamp. It is extremely bright and I find myself placing my thumb over it to avoid blinding my eyes.
- A better and more user-friendly photo editor and viewer software.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 is an extremely compelling compact mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. From its improved image sensor, tiltable LVF and LCD, in-body sensor-shift image stabilizer, fast performance, Live View, … you’ll find a camera that is easy to use and easily rivals many more bulky, heavier and complicated DSLRs. Highly Recommended.
Next: Panasonic GX7 QuickFact Sheet / Buy