Priced £509, body only, the GX80 sports a 3in (7.62cm), 1.04m-dot display designed to tilt upwards by 80°, and a built-in EVF carrying a resolution of 2.764m dots.
In a first for a Panasonic Lumix G camera, the firm has removed the low-pass filter from the imaging sensor in a bid to maximise image quality.
Panasonic claims this leads to a 10% improvement in ‘limiting resolution’ for ‘greater clarity’.
Key features include a new, slightly smaller, shutter unit designed to reduce shutter vibration and noise.
The shutter unit uses an electronic drive that will allow users to release the mechanical shutter in situations where they previously would have ‘had no choice but to use the electronic shutter [release]’, explains Panasonic.
Armoury also includes eye-sensor AF, a top ISO of 25,600, and Post Focus – a mode that allows the photographer to alter the focus areas of the image after taking the shot.
The 4K Photo option, which can be activated using a dedicated button, offers three modes, each designed to enable the user to extract a still image from a 4K video sequence and save it as an 8MP JPEG. In theory, this should mean photographers never miss a shot while shooting video.
Also newly added is L Monochrom, a function that aims to produce deep blacks reminiscent of an ‘authentic black and white movie’, and Light Composition, which takes multiple frames in 4K Photo and combines them into a single image, allowing the camera to prioritise specific pixels on the basis of their brightness.
‘This makes it possible to produce dramatic images in low light, high-contrast environments such as fireworks or shots of the night sky,’ claims Panasonic.
Also on board is a contrast detect AF system that aims to focus as fast as 0.07secs, and Wi-Fi connectivity for wireless control and shooting.
The GX80 will also be available with 12-32mm and 35-100mm lenses in a kit priced £729, while an outfit that includes only the 12-32mm lens will cost £599.
The GX80 is due out in black, silver or tan colour options. The silver version will only be available at Jessops, and the tan-coloured GX80 (below) will be exclusive to John Lewis stores.
