Jimbo - very nice! finally a GX85 video that looks professional and not super saturated with weird panny colors. Can I ask if you used MP4 or AVCHD? I owned a G6 for a bit and absolutely hated using AVCHD, canikon files are so much easier to work with straight from the camera.

I could never get the colors right either, but you made it look workable somehow.

I'm looking at getting a small camera for gimbal shots but would like some decent quality so really thinking about this one... too bad 1080p 24p only avchd

Received my GX85 with no recording limits from personal-view last week in time for a Friday wedding (fantastic service, very fast delivery - thanks Vitaliy!)

Just wanted to share my initial thoughts on the camera (being a GH4 and GX7 owner) and a short teaser film I made for the couple I filmed with the camera on Friday.

Firstly, operationally, this camera with its stabilisation is a gem. For a number of years now, every time I've wanted to go handheld at a wedding I've had to remove my baseplate and attach my Zacuto target shooter and z-finder (I don't keep the Zacuto baseplate on permanently as I value the GH4s flippy screen way too much). Weddings being as they are, this meant I only used my mini rig at strategic times of the day when the switchover meant I wouldn't miss anything. So having it built in meant I could go handheld whenever I wanted; and I did. I had it slung around my neck most of the day, operating my GH4 on tripod and mono as my A Cam and then choosing certain moments to use the GX85. As the day progressed I began using the GX85 more and more and it gave me a photography-like framing freedom to the height and angles I could get to without having to hoist up my beloved monopod or put my tripod down into low leg move. I can see the pitfalls of a device making shooting so easy... you get lazy... but on Friday I felt a freedom and creativity I haven't felt in a long time. I started looking with my eyes more knowing that my gear wouldn't stop me getting into position (and quickly at that).

And the quality of the stabilisation? Well, you can probably already tell from the videos that it's incredible. And where I wouldn't normally go handheld with anything over 25mm on my Zacuto, by the end of the day I had my Nikon 105mm and speedbooster (making it 75mm) and it was fantastic, allowing me to grab shots that normally I'd have to set a tripod up for. And with some practise I felt quite comfortable panning gently with it too, it doesn't come to a hard stop like the Olympus stabilisation seem to, it tapers off nicely.

I won't comment too much on image quality at this stage as I haven't had time to pore over the footage. My initial feeling is that in terms of DR, detail and colour it is on par with the GH4 with a slightly different colour signature. I feel it is definitely less noisy than the GH4 at high ISO (which is a boon for my work, although I'm really not afraid of noise as much as some people) but detail and DR like normal still seem to struggle once you hit 1600. Also, I don't think the slow-mo (50p/100 shutter on a 25p timeline) is as good as the GH4, doesn't seem as fluid. The GH4 has fantastic 50p. Again, please take this with a pinch of salt as I've scanned my footage for all of an hour and never have time or inclination to pixel peep (too busy editing bloody weddings!). It's just my feel.

Now the cons to the camera.... instantly the moment I took it out of the box and put it up to my face I was disappointed. I love the left-side EVF, it means guests can see more of my face and I can smile to put them at ease and more easily talk to the bride and groom if doing any direction. However, that damned left strap lug just sticks into my nose. The GX7 has the correct placement of this lug and I cannot believe Panasonic engineers changed it and then didn't think about the consequences. Anyone else notice this? I want to hold the camera to my nose for additional stabilisation and can't do it comfortably now. I can live with it, but found myself pushing the viewfinder upwards into my eye socket so I didn't have red marks on my nose all day. It's workable, but the GX7 lug placement was perfect.

Secondly, no battery charger included. You have to charge the battery in camera which is less handy when you want to have your second battery on charge while using the first. I do this a lot.

Obviously it's a real shame it doesn't have mic input, but I understand this isn't a pro model. I just have to choose wisely when I use it for my work until the GH5 comes out as audio clips are so important to the way I edit (I use natural, candid audio whenever I can, especially in my longer edits). However, I really will have so much pleasure using it for my work in the meantime, and it is now the perfect personal camera for me too.

So here is a mini teaser video I put together for my bride and groom from Friday. Shots 1, 2 and 4 at 50mm, shots 3 and 5 (cliff ones) at 75mm. Yes, I have slowed them down, but I would be more than happy (and will) use them at normal speed too. The 75mm on the cliff was a bit of a wow moment for me. With the wind the way it was, there is no way I would have been able to get the shot on a monopod that steady, and I would have never been able to get the variety of shots I did if I were using a tripod (there was no time for a tripod anyway). The GX85 is opening my mind up to new possibilities.

All shots straight out of camera, natural w/ -2 contrast, -4 sharpness, -3 NR:

First project with my GX80, STD with -5/-5/-5/-5

Lens used: Panasonic 20mm f1.7 together with the almighty Tiffen Ultra Contrast 3 filter.

Whitebalance setting adjusted to A3G3, used the cloudy preset at daylight and the tungsten preset at night.

Graded with Filmconvert (GH4 Profile, Standard Setting) using the KD P400 Ptra emulation.

Loved this wedding shot with it:

(Wedding film handheld with GX80/85, P12-35 and Voigtlander 17.5)

• http://www.3dnews.ru/assets/external/downloads/2016/07/28/936910/P1000386.MP4

http://www.3dnews.ru/936910

Rolling shutter comparison GH4 vs GX80/85

Both cameras in the same rig and fast pan at 1:30. Result is very close, GH4 has little less RS.

http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/15460/pop-quiz-the-4-cams
Which cam is the gx 85?

There's nothing wrong with the video from either this camera or the G7. The A6300 is ever so slightly sharper, but it randomly overheats.

@ninetto If you have the time to wait and the significantly more money it goes without saying to wait for the GH5. If you want something lighter cheaper and available now the GX85 is an attractive package. I have a G7 so as alluring as body stabilization is I'm waiting for the GH5 or whatever it will be called.

@markr041 It was the L.Monochrome yeah. I quite like it as well. Some of the shots were a little washed out but I think that's something a lens hood would've helped with.

That's some impressive unimpaired vision work there markr041 ;-)

Further to my post above: I've tried this before, the night street videography with the Oly 75mm f/1.8. I find the 150mm equiv focal length completely unusable hand held. Even with a monopod I get mostly unusable results. I find it possible to get reasonably steady static shots if handled with great care (kneeling, monopod steadied against chest or with the tilting eyepiece resting against eye socket (GX8)), however as soon as any movement's introduced it's incredibly challenging to keep things smooth. The monopod also requires a certain degree of deliberacy which invariably draws a lot of unwanted attention.

I tried with a Pilotfly H1+ once and did a little better, but still the panning was a bit of a mess. Most problematic was keeping a moving subject where I wanted it in the frame. The slight delay in the gimbal's response was too much for that focal length. And of course it also draws its fair share of attention from curious onlookers.

So I had no expectations of the GX80's IBIS doing any better. I even almost left the Oly 75mm at home, thinking I'd just take the 20mm f/1.7 and Oly 45mm f/1.8.

But I'm glad I did take the 75mm because I couldn't be any more thrilled with the results. I'm genuinely stupified at how capable it is. It's so much fun to handhold a 150mm equiv non-stabilised lens and come away with rock solid results and reasonably smooth pans.

An attempt at some street night videography with the Oly 75mm f/1.8: