Panasonic G7 v G80/85 Cameras - Is the extra $200 worth it?

Ok, so if you're reading my posts or following me on Facebook you know I LOVE these Panasonic cameras and for good reason... they're perfect for my type of video and about the best you can get for the money. PLUS they have a couple of awesome features I'll mention at the end.

Now I was all over the G80/85 and reading the specs I figured it was the perfect camera to recommend but it's predecessor the G7 is $200 cheaper and I wanted to put them side by side to see if there was actually any difference for recording videos like this.

So in the above video you can see exactly the difference between the two, shooting in the same place, with the same settings. What do you think? 

So if you're only using the camera for studio style videos or where the camera will be mounted on a tripod then there's very little difference between the two cameras as you saw. If you plan on trying some walking footage and getting more creative then it may be worth the upgrade as the in-body image stabiliser in the the G80/85 does make a big difference and will smooth out a lot of the jerky movement doing away with the need for a stabiliser. 

On either camera I recommend the 20mm prime lens as a great option for your recordings.  So you don't necessarily need the lens that comes in a usual package unless you want to expand your photography / video experience. I say that because you can often buy 'body only' which means it comes without the 'kit' lens and then you just get the 20mm prime lens. 

US Links:

Panasonic Lumix G7
Panasonic G80/85
Panasonic 20mm lens

UK Links:

Panasonic Lumix G7
Panasonic G80/85
Panasonic 20mm lens

Let me know what you think. Post any questions in our Facebook group, 'Pro Video Made Easy' and if you buy one or the other you definitely have to take a photo of you with it and post it in the group, that would be really encouraging to me! 

What were those TWO AWESOME FEATURES? 

Haha, well done for tracking with me. The main reason I LOVE these Panasonic Lumix camera is:

1. They have a great app that lets you set up and record yourself without assistance. You download the free app to your smart phone then you get a live view of yourself with control over all the essential settings and most importantly you can focus perfectly on your face then hit record! It's such a game changer for those of us who have been struggling with this for years! 
   
   
2. The cameras allow audio output through the HDMI lead! ... *tumbleweed*
   Haha, I know that really gave you goosebumps didn't it. Ok so the BIG deal about this is I can plug a mic into the camera whether that be a clip on lavaliere mic or a boom mic pointing at you and... you can use it for LIVE video!!! Yep, you can now record top quality video on Facebook Live, Webinars, Skype or Zoom chats, you name it and if you could normally select an external webcam then this will let you use the camera. 
   This is HUGE again as Facebook are loving it when we put out LIVE videos. 
   NOTE: You do need to purchase another piece of kit to convert the video signal into one that your computer recognises. It's this little beauty (US or UK) and it's literally plug and play. No software, no settings, simple! 
   
   

Well I hope that's been helpful. Please subscribe and we'll keep you in touch with newsletters and offers as they come up. 

Catch you in another post soon :-) 

Adrian