Panasonic GX8 Hands-On Walkaround
New design looks and feels great, with a couple caveats
In a brief hands-on with a prototype unit, we found the camera to be quite comfortable for the most part and indeed noticeably larger and thicker-feeling than the original GX7. The deeper handgrip design is nice and makes for a more secure grip on the body. We did come across one small caveat that we felt worth mentioning. On the GX7, the rear thumb control dial was nearly flush with the back surface of the camera and was positioned right next to your thumb for ease of use. On the GX8, however, the repositioned rear dial is much higher up on the camera body and a bit farther forward onto the center of the camera with battery such as panasonic DMC-FX01 Battery, panasonic DMC-FX12 Battery, panasonic CGA-S006E Battery, panasonic DMW-BMA7 Battery, panasonic DMC-FZ50 Battery, panasonic CGA-S007E Battery, panasonic CGA-S008 Battery, panasonic CGA-S008E Battery, panasonic SDR-S10 Battery, panasonic DB-70 battery, panasonic VW-VBD2 battery, panasonic VW-VBD1 battery. We felt that we had to reach a little further with our thumb or at least reposition our hand slightly to get our thumb in place over the thumbrest protrusion. This is far from a deal-breaker in our eyes, but those with smaller hands at least may want to keep this in mind.
The mode dial has been moved off the far corner and toward the center of the camera and now sits atop a large dedicated exposure compensation dial, itself a new feature on the GX8. (We should note that these product images are of a pre-production model, and we've been told the label of the exposure compensation dial here is opposite to what the final production model will indicate. In other words, positive numbering along the top and negative along the bottom.)
Interestingly, and perhaps to the dismay of many, Panasonic has opted for this dual mode dial and exposure compensation dial cluster instead of a built-in pop-up flash. The GX8 still maintains its hot-shoe, though, so those with an external flash unit will be good to go. Note however that an external flash unit is not included in the standard body-only bundle.
Dual Operation Switch offers vast customization
Like we saw on the G7, the thumb or rear control dial surrounds a new Dual Operation Switch. This "switch," which is technically a button, is fully customizable to perform a host of secondary mode and settings adjustments. By default, the rear control dial has a dedicated set of functions depending on the shooting mode, such as aperture or shutter speed adjustments. With a quick press of the Dual Operation Switch, you can quickly and temporarily adjust things like ISO, white balance, drive mode, or Photo Style. Then, simply press the button again, or give the shutter release a quick half-press, and the control dials return to their default functions.
Panasonic has also added a dedicated customizable Function button to the top deck controls, as well as moving the video recording start/stop button over to the far right edge of the top deck.