Review: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 is a compact camera with professional features

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 compact mirrorless camera is much more than just a point-and-shoot.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 camera is marketed as the quality of a DSLR without the hassle, but still requires the user to know what they are doing. Courtesy Panasonic

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 is a compact mirrorless camera, which means it looks and acts like a scaled-down version of a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) unit – the cameras mostly used by professionals.

However, while the DMC-GX85 is not a professional camera, it is far from an amateur beast. It is a solid, sophisticated machine that enhances the images of all users but works best with those with a little bit of knowledge and skill.

While many mirrorless compact camera makers have moved from the manual bells and whistles many high-end cameras carry, allowing the camera’s technology to automatically enhance your images, Panasonic has decided the shooter needs to be in control, not the technology.

That means, for all its compact status, the user still needs to understand the basic settings of a camera, beyond point and shoot, to get the best out of it.

Saying that, the image quality is sumptuous, with the 4K video capture truly beautiful, offering tones and colours usually missed by mid-range cameras. While it only has 16 megapixels rather than the new 20MP available on many of its rivals, the images are stunning.

One of the standout features is the post-focus option. Turn this on using a button at the back of the camera and it allows you to take a picture and choose what you want to focus on afterwards. It allows three focus points in the frame with the touchscreen at the back of the camera letting you orientate the image the way you want it. The camera’s interchangeable lenses offer a variety of width, depth and tonality which ensure beautiful-looking images, however the tiltable touchscreen can often become overrun with icons and meters. While the icons are there to help you take the perfect picture, the sheer volume of them can confuse.

If you buy this camera you need to spend an afternoon studying its user manual to fully make use of all its strengths.

Q&A:

Would you buy this camera?

Well, it retails for Dh2,999 with a 14-42 kit lens and is available only at Panatech Showrooms. Why am I telling you this? Because at the Dh2,999 price point you immediately understand that this is more than a point-and-shoot camera and its relatively small window of availability means you actually have to want this device. The price makes it more than an impulse buy and you aren’t going to see it in Carrefour, therefore you will already probably know about the Lumix range if you find yourself with one in your hands.

So would you actually buy one then?

Yes. The images are superb. Plus there are a host of different lenses that can be added and, alongside its built-in flash, it has a hot shoe for an additional flash. It also has most of the manual adjustments available on a DSLR but is nowhere near the size, allowing you to click away without ever feeling self-conscious.

So I can just pick one up and start snapping?

Not quite. The camera needs to be loved; it needs to be understood. It’s not something to pick up and idly fool around with; it’s not a toy. While the mirrorless cameras are billed as a DSLR without the hassle, this camera requires a little bit of skill. It looks like a solid little beast and its matte-black casing gives it a retro style that belies its computer-aided images.

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