G7+14-42 vs G7+12-60 vs G80/85+12-60

[Lightningkill007]

Hey everyone!

I'm unsure what of these 3 options to pick from based on value for money. The G7+14-42 is priced at €669, the G7+12-60 is €799 and the G80/G85+12-60 comes in at €899. The reason why I would buy one of these camera kits is because I want to make videos of my travels and because I'd like to make tech videos for YouTube so it would be mainly for video!

Would the 12-60 be a significant upgrade over the 14-42, even if I have to pay €130 more for it? And if I do choose the 12-60 would the G80 be an upgrade worth €100?

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[cin19]

First for the camera, the G80/G85 is the SLR-style, and the G7 is not. If you want to go for next level like advanced amateur or even the pro. Recommend to buy the G80/G85.

For the lens, 12-60mm is not a significant upgrade over the 14-42mm, because the standard lens is 50mm, less than 50mm is wild angle. If you can find other kit like the camera with wild angle to 70 or 80mm that will be good for you. Otherwise if you just want to use the camera for daily usage, then buy that g7 with 12-60mm kit.

I added the reviews:
G7 https/www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonic-lumix-dmc-g7
G85/G80 https/www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonic-lumix-dmc-g85-g80

 

[kletkeman]

The G85 and G7 have nearly identical bodies, so please ignore the reply above. There are, however, myriad improvements in the G85 that make it a far better long term value. Number 1 is the new shutter, which eliminates the G7's shutter shock issue, which was quite prevalent. This is one major reason why I sold my G7 kit last week to finance the G85 kit. There is also weather sealing, no AA filter, and dual IS II ... among others.

Now, if budget is a huge issue, then by all means grab the G7 kit with the 14-42II, which is a very sharp lens. Now, 12 versus 14 is noticeably wider ... again, I know because I have the 14-140, the 14-42II (5 copies over time) and the 12-32 (2 copies). The 12-32 is wider and sharper. The 12-60 is supposed to be decent and so would be a bit of an upgrade. Maybe not worth what it would cost. For that money, you can add the wonderfully sharp 45-150 Panny lens for a really s mall travel kit.Frankly, I have the GX85 as well, and that kit plus the 45-150 is amazing for the size. Sharper images than the G7 for not that much more money.

Anyway, good luck.

 

[Lightningkill007]

Hey Kletkeman,

Thank you very much for your helpful reply! I have the chance to buy the g7 (not used) with the 12-60 for 606 euros on Amazon.co.uk. Would you still recommend to pay 290 euro more to upgrade to the g80 body?

Thanks in advance!

 

[kletkeman]

Hey Kletkeman,

Thank you very much for your helpful reply! I have the chance to buy the g7 (not used) with the 12-60 for 606 euros on Amazon.co.uk. Would you still recommend to pay 290 euro more to upgrade to the g80 body?

Thanks in advance!

I just sold my G7 with 14-42 kit for about 700cad ... so it sounds like a very reasonable deal, especially with the 12-60, which tests show is very sharp in the center and focuses very close. A nice 24-120 equivalent.

The decision to pay quite a lot more for the G85 kit is a personal one. For me it is an addition of about 600cad, and I am still willing to pay it (I think) ... bearing in mind that I still need to replace my 100-300 with the new version, and that is another thousand or so (all prices include our taxes). Since I am also shooting the Nikon D600 these days, I have been working on a very careful split of duties and the G85 might fit in well. The video stuff I do now and again is all Panasonic. I enjoy prime lenses, and the G85 has the best IBIS of the Pannys. But the GX85 is all right too.

It is the softness of the shutter and the lack of shock that makes the difference for me. I push shutter speeds low quite a bit, and the G7 blurred shots slightly much too often for me. Between the G7 and the GX85, the latter was my favourite by a mile. And so the decision was easy for me.

For you though, the decision has to come after you decide what exactly you want to do with the camera. If you are experienced, then you should be able to make that decision based on how you have been shooting the last few years. If you are inexperienced, then you will have to guess at what interests you.

For me, the G85 is what the G7 should have been. Panasonic irritate me because they brought out the G7 a long time after the G6 and then the G85 fairly quickly. The G85 completely obsoletes the G7. I bought the G7 only a few months before the G85 was announced ... I never seem to learn the lesson that buying late in the cycle brings pain if the new camera is significantly better. In this case, it is.

But remember -- the G7 remains an excellent camera. It betters the GH4 in certain video settings, and the sensor is excellent for stills too.

Sorry that this is not particularly definitive. It is an entirely personal choice, and you can see from the above that I am still convincing myself that I did the right thing 🙂

 

[Lightningkill007]

Hey Kletkeman,

Thank you very much for your helpful reply! I have the chance to buy the g7 (not used) with the 12-60 for 606 euros on Amazon.co.uk. Would you still recommend to pay 290 euro more to upgrade to the g80 body?

Thanks in advance!

I just sold my G7 with 14-42 kit for about 700cad ... so it sounds like a very reasonable deal, especially with the 12-60, which tests show is very sharp in the center and focuses very close. A nice 24-120 equivalent.

The decision to pay quite a lot more for the G85 kit is a personal one. For me it is an addition of about 600cad, and I am still willing to pay it (I think) ... bearing in mind that I still need to replace my 100-300 with the new version, and that is another thousand or so (all prices include our taxes). Since I am also shooting the Nikon D600 these days, I have been working on a very careful split of duties and the G85 might fit in well. The video stuff I do now and again is all Panasonic. I enjoy prime lenses, and the G85 has the best IBIS of the Pannys. But the GX85 is all right too.

It is the softness of the shutter and the lack of shock that makes the difference for me. I push shutter speeds low quite a bit, and the G7 blurred shots slightly much too often for me. Between the G7 and the GX85, the latter was my favourite by a mile. And so the decision was easy for me.

For you though, the decision has to come after you decide what exactly you want to do with the camera. If you are experienced, then you should be able to make that decision based on how you have been shooting the last few years. If you are inexperienced, then you will have to guess at what interests you.

For me, the G85 is what the G7 should have been. Panasonic irritate me because they brought out the G7 a long time after the G6 and then the G85 fairly quickly. The G85 completely obsoletes the G7. I bought the G7 only a few months before the G85 was announced ... I never seem to learn the lesson that buying late in the cycle brings pain if the new camera is significantly better. In this case, it is.

But remember -- the G7 remains an excellent camera. It betters the GH4 in certain video settings, and the sensor is excellent for stills too.

Sorry that this is not particularly definitive. It is an entirely personal choice, and you can see from the above that I am still convincing myself that I did the right thing 🙂

Thanks again for trying to help me, I really do appreciate it

I'll give it some thought and let you know my decision when I make it!