GX85 - end of shutter shock

[stever]

when the seasonal discounts started i bought a gx85 to replace the gx7.  i've been using a gx7 since it's early days for street/travel/hiking and am not going to give up FF for landscape, low light, action.

with the exception of shutter shock the gx7 is a good camera even though the ergonomics and user interface are mediocre/mysterious by Canon/Nikon standards. with good lenses the IQ is not significantly different from good APSC cameras and the small size and light weight with lenses is great.

the gx85 shows no loss of resolution from shutter shock at 200mm between 1/60 & 1/240 and the shutter is very quiet.  i'm glad it's fixed but still find it amazing that camera manufacturers could produce and sell cameras for so long with such a basic defect.

the new IBS is a big improvement with non stabilized lenses - i can hand hold the 20mm f1.7 at 1/4 sec with a high percentage of good images compared to 1/20 on the gx7.  but i can't good results at less than 1/4 second with the 7-14 or with the dual stabilization and the 12-35 f2.8.  I think the dual stabilization makes some difference with the 12-35 and 34-100 lenses but it's not huge.

the ergonomics and interface show no indication that any serious photographers have been added to the design team or consulted. there are a few improvements but probably an equal number of head-scratchers. i've ordered an accessory grip and am hoping the improvement in holdability offsets the extra bulk

the package i bought included a spare battery and charger which are just as necessary as with the gx7 and the kit 12-32 at very little additional cost over the body only.  the camera with kit lens still doesn't go in very many pockets and is so slow and soft that you'd get better IQ from a good 1 inch sensor pocket camera.

[JNB_Rare]

I just picked up the GX85 kit as part of a "take (almost) everywhere" camera. I don't pixel-peep, but my first session with the 12-32mm was impressive, not soft. I normally carry the EM5ii with Panasonic 12-35 f/2.8 and 35-100 f/2.8, along with the Oly 9-18 and PanaLeica 25 f/1.4 (or a set of primes). But for grabbing "just in case" a small bag with GX85, 12-32, 35-100 f/4-5.6 and 20mm is significantly less weight and bulk.