I like this 4 years on review.... when you've really had a chance to make all the mistakes, find all the little quirks and give your thoughts based on experience. Nice work.
This is the kind of camera review i love, my man did the review with shots from the camera and specified the lens in use. Most reviewers will use a different camera and just talk rubbish and i can't even see what they are talking about or what they mean. Thank you mahn
Thank you Justin for always explaining things so that us beginners can learn and understand what you're talking about. Too many RU-vidrs loosely use technical terms without explaining those terms. Through your explanations and videos you've helped me learn more about videography and make proper decisions on which gear to purchase. Thank you!
On my Panasonic G7/G9/S5 For video AF make sure in your video menu settings 2/5 (G7) you set the continuous AF to On and you set the camera switch to AFC and press the F2 button and set to tracking mode then half press the shutter button on the subject then release it. It should now focuse a lot better!
Loved your comments. I just bought a G7. Can't wait to get it. The reviews are really good on the G7 (except relative to the AF, as you describe). The two features that made me pull the trigger (in addition to all the good reviews) was that this one is lighter/smaller, and a good design for making quick settings adjustments. Also like the flip out screen. I mostly take photos and want to get much better at that (more than just grab shots)...and I'm going to try to play around more with the video on this camera than I have with previous cams. I will be watching your channel for sure.
I just picked up one because it was a decent price. Love how it does color, and it’s so nice and light to hold. Thanks for helping to reinforce my choice of purchase.
Great video. Like you I’ve tried so many cameras. I had good reasons for trying new cameras and to be honest I still think part of this trail we are on is by design...it really doesn’t take much to make an uncrippled camera and they still aren’t doing it. With that said, I’ve circled all the way back around to the 90d with a longer kit lens. For what I do, it checks the most boxes instead of trying to find a better tool and I think it’s made me a better RU-vid creator. (Please hold my wallet for me. The r5/r6 should be out any day. Lol) Great to see you uploading. I always enjoy your thoughts.
I remember my buddy Greg saying “That camera just makes you smile” in reference to the M50 after coming from the a6500 because it was just such a joy to use. Canon have that nailed for sure. Fortunately I’m broke so no R5 hahaha. Phew.
Yeah, the DFD (depth from defocus) contrast system produces one focus solution whereas phase produces two, which is why phase has to hunt to know which way to move the lens. Unfortunately DFD is less clever when the subject is moving, it needs to read, move, read again, and then move to the focus point and check. So it needs focus aimed at one spot throughout not very long, and it needs obvious contrast. Tracking works if your aim hits the target, the camera doesn't guess well. Yes there are tricks to play shooting video to have it follow-focus. G5, GX7, GH4, E-PL7, G7, E-M5ii Focus speed can depend on the lens motors but all of them are fast. The fastest in 0.07 seconds. DFD only works with Panny lenses like that 12-35mm which although getting old is "world class", meaning you will not find better glass. The Panny G X PZ lenses are video lenses, designed for shooting movies. Panny video focus and power zoom are deliberately slower to avoid harsh transitions, which can be annoying at times. Some of the very best PCM recorders are made by Olympus, the same will be found in their cameras. Panasonic are not far behind, to the extend that the GH4 and the Tascam DR60Dii produce the same quality sound, and unlike most of the other brands Panny do not digital-clip harshly. The G7 has no earphone socket but a HDMI to jack with a headphone amp is a simple solution (if you've tried recording a rock band you'll understand why the amp is needed) This may be interesting - naturalexposures.com/predictive-af-comparison-tests-lumix-gh5-g85-oly-em-1-markll-nikon-d500/
Hey. I am new to the channel. I just got the Panasonic lumix-g7. I love it so far. I'm watching your other videos too. I enjoyed the video. Thanks for the content.
I just got my ZV1 this weekend and I must say... the Sony z-v1 is undoubtably the best vlogging camera ever made. I hope you can get your hands on one. Game changer in my book.
Hi Justin, I love your channel. Especially the vlogs! I’ve been binge watching your vlogs. It’s so entertaining!! I’m learning a lot from your tech videos too. You were the reason why I bought the G7 and I love it! Just a couple questions. Have you tried using pull focus on the G7 and when are the daily vlogs coming back? :) Again, I love your channel and you are an inspiration! Keep up the great work buddy!!
Thanks Jill! Daily vlogging is like trying to sprint a marathon - you only make it so far before you die, haha. But I do want to turn up the content more and have more of it be non-tech - picking something up today that should help!
you probably dont care at all but does anyone know of a method to log back into an Instagram account?? I stupidly lost my login password. I would love any assistance you can give me
@Alonso Ibrahim thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site through google and Im in the hacking process now. Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
im thinking of getting another g7 i sold my first one and now have a g9 im thinkin of the g7 as a b cam, and justin i have seen both you 12mm and 15mm leica vids i had the 12 was excited about it but ended up returning it now i have the 15.. LOVE IT!
@@JustinReves ya the 12 is great optically but its not very versatile at all and in terms of optics i think the laowa 7.5mm is right there which i kept. if the 15 was a 1.4 ah man lol great stuff man I hope you make more vids
I love how you mentioned, around 2:47, how mirrorless cameras make it a LOT easier to learn because the "constant preview" function allow you to see exactly what you'll be getting.
@@JustinReves Thank you again. I used to have a Panasonic G5 (older camera) which did NOT have the "Constant Preview" while shooting video, and it didn't work very well. It was only when I started using adapted manual focus & manual aperture lenses that I started to feel like I could affect the exposure while shooting, because there were no manual settings while in video modes (but even then it would quickly adjust the exposure automatically, and it made it difficult to control.) I am now using 3 Panasonic GX85 bodies with Viltrox focal reducers, and that "Constant Preview" function is helping a lot. Next, I'm planning to add a G7 body, but to leave on a tripod in the studio, due to the lack of IBIS, a really big feature for me since I don't use a gimbal, but rather put 2 cameras on one cage, etc😀
Dude I still have mine G7 either! Btw I did buy it because of your vlogs;) Well I ended up with Nikon D780 but still love this piece of camera and use it from time to time
Hello Justin, amazing straight to the point review bud! quick question: G7 or LX100 for pics ? i am aware they are two different types of cameras but wondering which one gets you better photos. Tnx
LX100 because the lens you get with it is way cooler/better than the kit lens on the G7. It's "fast" so it lets in a lot more light and can blur the background a lot more.
The G7 remains the best price for features camera I've seen. 4k video. 60fps HD. Raw images suitable for professional work. And you can get one for around $400.
I was excited when you said the viewfinder allows you to see a preview of the picture but nothing seems to change as im adjusting the settings. EDIT: enable constant preview
I'm still in confused with all camera in this last year, they are so good. But, I need some of them for my travel or motorcycle touring blog needs in photography and some videos. My options are Sony A6100/A6400, Fuji X100/X200, Canon M50 and Panasonic G7/G85. They are still confusing me. And after watch this your G7 video, I guess my confusion starting a bit fade out. Maybe between 6100, M50 or G7 only. Thank you, Justin.
You're right I bought mine in 2020 and it does everything I wanted to do I have no complaints a lot of Cry Baby it's perfect to carry its lightweight and it takes beautiful pictures thank you so much for sharing just watch Chris Nichols the camera shop he demonstrates the camera that's the reason why I bought it
I just had to buy one that came up for sale locally for only USD 400. Low shutter count (130), with kit lens/box/papers/accessories...this camera is mint. Needed the 4K to supplement my OLY EM-10. I mostly use vintage lenses, so M4/3 is perfect for my needs.
Do you have any favorite/recommended lenses for stills? Currently just own the kit lens and the 25mm 1.7 and while I enjoy shooting nature for my photography classes with the kit lens, I am always on the lookout for something new to add to the bag.
My favourite was the 15mm f/1.7, hands down. Love fast wide angles. 42.5mm f/1.7 was great for portraits too. But if I could only have one prime lens, it’s the 15mm. The 12-35 f/2.8 is the best all around lens though. Not as creative but just a workhorse.
Iv got to comment. After owning canon cameras such as 1dx1 dx2, sony camers, a7s, mk2 a7r2 etc. I still have my beloved gh4 and g7. Yes g7 has some limits, but if one knows how to light the scene at max 800 iso, even underexposed -2 stops, the g7 still looks beautiful and can pull shadows even as low as - 2 and a half stops underexpose. The g7 and any panasonic camera has the worst AF in video mode, but if you are serious filmmaker, ud still be using manual focus with focus puller. There are other tricks to do focus, the mobile app is a handy tool to pull focus, using afsmor manual focus, tap to focus works using the app. This is af issue is only in video mode. For stills, the af is fast and accurate when shooting bif, u need the right lenses. I encourage anyone that has the budget to buy these used, grab it. Better yet the g80/85 just coz u can use batterygrip and IBIS in it. Ill go back to my corner now......
Hi Justin - quick question. My 14 granddaughter loves taking photos and films with her iPad and iPhone but now wants to get more serious with photography. She goes to car shows and discovered another teenager who takes pictures and sells them. Is the G7 a good starter camera for her? I want to give her one as a Xmas present, thinking in the $400-$800 range. Thanks in advance for your advice.
Hey John, the G7 I would say is more about video than it is photos. Yes, it can also do decent photos, but I'd say you really need to add on a good lens to this (or any basic camera) to start getting really good photos. However, in your price range, if it was my money, I'd be getting the Sony ZV-1: amzn.to/3pIqCGX. It has a great lens built in, takes good photos (HUGE upgrade from a phone), is easy to use, and also has a ton of great video features if she ended up wanting to go that route. Now, you can't upgrade the lens as it isn't changeable, but right off the hop, it's going to be better than any other camera in your price range with their basic kit lens. That's what I'd do if it were me.
Good review. Panasonic G7 is still the best 4k camera on the market today along with as you said a great selections of native lenses. For two hundred dollars more the Panasonic g85 is slightly better and is weather sealed.
Yeah, the IBIS on the g85 is incredible too, if you're using a lens without it. I did just discover the Olympus OM-D EM1 Mark II which finally solves Panasonic's video autofocus issues while still being affordable. I do really like the Micro Four Thirds platform for their size and video quality.
A 4/3 sensor is not four thirds of an inch. It is named for the old valve TV camera tube size. Diagonal or image circle diameter is 22.5mm. Light sensitivity is down to the pixel size and at 3.74µ is as large or larger than many high resolution full frame sensors, plus being a smaller sensor experiences less electronic noise, and produces less heat which makes electronic noise. The amount of light getting to the sensor is given by the aperture, nothing else matters, certainly not sensor size. DxO used to adjust in favour of larger sensors, which propagated the myth that larger sensors are better in low light, but have now realised their error and use the international standard, which makes no correction for sensor size - but they have not back dated their tests, so multiply their MFT low- light ISO results by about 4. i.e. 656 ISO becomes 2624 (which beats the Sony A7). The NR can be overly aggressive which results in that grainy film look, fiddle with the Photo-Style and the exposure +/-
Hi I am trying to buy this because of budget. What do you think just taking video the classical orchestra concert on tripod without moving?? Do you think focus will have some issue? And can I shoot more than 1hour?? Thank you.
Set your focus before and don't let it autofocus and it'll be fine. But you're limited to 30 minutes for recording unless you get an external HDMI recorder. That would kill the budget though. Most all cheap cameras are limited to 29:59 recording time for some tax reasons in some countries so they just apply that to all.
How do you think the G7 with the kit lense would do for lower light livestream EDM performances as well as working double duty on a beginners music video?
Any kit lens is tough in low light - doesn't matter which camera company. You want to get something that has a fast aperture (meaning more wide open, letting in more light) to do better in low light. Kit lenses, especially when you zoom, close down a lot. If you know you're going to have tough lighting conditions, I'd look at a Sony as they have the best low-light performance. That's not the G7's strength.
I'm trying to decide between the g7 and the olympus om de m10 mark IV, I want good picture taking and to take video footage of vacationing and traveling. hellppppp
Yep, incredible value for that. Both 4K and 1080p look great and the AF shouldn’t be a problem for that. But you may have to “jailbreak” them if you want to remove the 30 minute record limit. Lots of cheap dummy battery adapters so they can run forever.
I actually got the camera in January . I like the camera the only downside is that the autofocus lenses are really expensive. Since i love photos i was thinking of going full frame for the lowlight but G9 is also decent. Still thinking on it whether i should stay with system or not. Maybe i'll get a full frame sony and this will be my backup but G9 is whether sealed, with ibis and a 80 mp mode. Ah screw it i wanna go full frame
Full frame is fun for sure. Obviously lenses get REAL expensive. Haven’t used the G9 but I had a G85 and the IBIS ruled but otherwise it was pretty similar. G9 was a nice step forward.
I'm moving to Sony, but refuse to sale my G7. I keep it for photos, but have shot a film with it. Love it's look at night, but yes, that autofocus is an issue.
looking to invest in my first real camera- doing sit down review type videos, often where a product will be the focus, and I'm leaning toward the g85. I'm a bit skeptical because of it's smaller than average sensor, so I'm not sure if it will hold up for the long haul- but I don't think I plan on dong too much work where I have to walk around and always be auto focusing, so i'm not TOO worried about panasonics limited AF capabilities..
I actually have a G6!!!! It's still a great camera. I considered trading it in to get a Canon M50. But, the G6 is not worth much. It's worth more keeping it. I know that the Canon lens selection isn't large(yes, can use speed booster, thus increasing size). And, Sony lenses are expensive, and so are the bodies. So, I'll stay put with Panasonic for now. If my G6 breaks, then maybe then I'll jump ship.
sir please help me . it is good for beginner flimmaker or not ? and it has image stablizer or not when we flimmaking . we have to use gimbal for it ? and when we fliming for better footage auto focus is best or manual focus ? please sir help me
Found your channel years ago got a G7 and still have it needed to upgrade as I was doing more videos and my first camera a Nikon d5100 was just not good. I 100% agree with all you have said. I have made some great vids with it. I purchased a canon g7x mark 2 but later sold it as I didn’t really find the benefit of having both as the G7 is still light enough and I even found the auto focus to be not that much better. Here is a good one for ya though. I recently started back doing stop motion photograph I use a program called dragon frame but the G7 does not hook up to it. My old Nikon does. So I’m thinking I wanna sell all and just get a good all rounda that hooks up to dragonframe and I can still use to make vids. Most stopmotion peeps use EOS canons. Hmmmmm what to do????
Does Olympus work with it?? Check out my recent vid in the EM1 Mk II and maybe that or the Mk III or EM5 Mk III. They’re all great upgrades from the Panasonic.
@@JustinReves hey mate thanks for the reply. Just looked through your vids that camera does look pretty nice. I can use my 12-35 lense then aswell. Dragonframe says yes it works just not with mac el capitain. Oh and the camera body only is $1800 here in Australia. Ouch that’s more than a a6400
@@JustinReves ok dude I’ll try hunt down a used one of the em1 Mkii sounds like the new firmware update really makes it a good camera. I’ll keep ya posted.
@@mr.commenter7953 Hi. The autofocus issue is not that much of a problem as people make it. Theere is a wireless app, from Panasonic that makes it very easy to remotely shift focus. Although you might have to buy 25mm f1.7 as the kit lens aperture was not enough for my lighting setup to use at iso400. also background blur is aswsm in 25mm f 1.7. Having said all that, I would recommend you to go with canon m50 or canon 200d II because of 2 things. Cheaper lens - amazing autofocus. For me both g7and kit lens + 25mm f1.7 costed me around 51k . 25mm fl1.7 lens is freking 15k. If I was in canon, same feature lens will be under 8k. Rest of money you can invest in lighting and audio. So dont go for nikon please.
@@geekdroid8059 yeah I know the prices of Panasonic lenses. But I can use lens adapter from f-mount to micro four thirds which is around 2k inr and can use Nikon lenses then. Also Cannon M50 is 51k inr and Cannon 200D 2 is 50k inr whereas G7 is only 40k inr.
@@Leabysses nah not really, I mean it shoots 4k which is all anybody really needs to get good video. So as long as the video looks good it doesnt really matter. I actually prefer older cameras anyways
How about the G7 still going in 2024!!?? --I use Olympus for most of my MFT stills..and basic video too.. but a nice G7 came up on our local for sale site--And before I knew it I was shelling out $150,,,,,
You sure can - as long as you add an HDMI capture card of some kind like this: amzn.to/2Kc3XD1 I regularly use mine on Zoom - the capture card turns it into a webcam you can use anywhere.
You can pick these up for $100 now with a 14-42 lens now. I'm going to be doing a podcast and want 3 cameras and I'm struggling to find a reason not to get 3 of these. With a used atem mini, 3 mics, and a used Behringer mixer you're talking $600 all in. I'm a pro photographer using phase one medium format, so there's no reason for me to buy anything for this high-end because I simply won't use anything but the medium format at any time for photography. With all the continuous lighting I use for work then low light will never be an issue. I genuinely think that bang for buck (buying used), that the g7 is as good as you're gonna get, specifically for what I planning on using them for.
Honestly, for a podcast, 3 of these would RULE because you don't need autofocus and they look great as long as you give them some light. You can even "hack" them to remove the 30 minute time limit.
This makes the upgrade from my 600D to this seem worth while. From experiences with Canon, I don't like their video camera systems, they're too expensive for my 16 year old bank account lol. Also I have vowed never to use Sony as I spoke to someone about it and they weren't happy with it and they are more expensive than Canon.
Indeed! I don’t think people understood how far ahead of its time it was back then - we all just talked about the autofocus being bad. Really good if you work around that.
The m200 doesn't have a mic jack so I would say no as you really can't get decent quality audio without doing some kind of external recorder. However, the Canon M3 or M50 would definitely be competitors.
No - you need a camera about 10X the price (plus an insane amount of storage) to do raw video. Although, I'm really not sure you need raw video unless you're shooting hollywood movies or commercials for fortune 500 companies (and even then, probably not).
@@JustinReves I appreciate u for the fast response too 💯✨✨ I just wasn’t sure because I own the G7 and a Nikon d5500 my Nikon shoots raw videos I was just wondering if the G7 did. You were very helpful! U were the only one who responded back thanks alot 🙏🏽 I will subscribe now ✨✨
@@JustinReves But the G100 fared pretty well in an autofocus test by Markus Pix: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7gFF1vYFekY.html The G100 seems to crush the Sony A7III in this test. Pretty remarkable.
@@JustinReves Ok cool thanks for answering I remember when you first bought the Panasonic G7 that is how I discovered your channel you swapped the Nikon D5500 out in order to purchase the Panasonic G7. Granted I did actually purchase the Nikon D5500 and it my great street photography camera. I use it till this day still. But I am looking to purchase the Panasonic S5 and a Nikon D5600 to go alongside my Nikon D5500
@@ruff1draft Oh that's so cool! Also, the D5500 shortly after I had it went to the new AF-P lens which was so much quieter and smoother which made it a much more useful camera. I still look back fondly on my old Nikon D800 pictures - my best photo work was done on that camera for sure.
A product is only as good as it service. You'd better check the service response before you get anything from Panasonic, especially their ancillary products for this camera.
Daksh Industries Kit lenses in general for all cameras are cheap and very “meh”. Getting a good lens will last for 10-15-20 years whereas camera bodies change every few years. And the good lenses really open up your creative options.
You need a chill pill, dude. I changed the title because the advice and thoughts in this video are EXACTLY the same in 2021 as they were a few months ago when I made this and I want people to be able to find it for that advice if they’re searching this year. It doesn’t need a whole new video. The self-entitlement, negativity, and judgement here is coming across THICK. Not sure if you meant it that way but this is free content on RU-vid not a paid course you’re buying.
@@JustinReves Why not making a new video instead dude? :D It's up to you, I'm not complaining, just saying that it's not the best way to market yourself as a person to trusts. This is all I'm saying.
@@pwolfarts Sure, I could spend a bunch of hours recreating the same video just so I say 2021 in it instead of 2020, even though all the content would be the same. Or I could do what I did which was just to update the title. I'm amazed you're taking it like "This dude is LYING to me and trying to DECEIVE me because he said 2020 in the video but his title is 2021!! CLICKBAIT!! HE CAN'T BE TRUSTED!!". The thumbnail is the same - it's an update 5 years after using the camera. All I did was make the title 2021 to help people find it this year. That's it.
