GX-8 or GX-9 ? Need advice if you have used both.

[Naptown Gaijin]

Gonna buy a GX-8 or GX-9 for low light and night shots, and food shots. Leaning toward GX-9. Getting 90mm f2.8 macro and 24-70mm f2.8. Which do you recommend, if you have used both? Why? Thanks!!

 

[agentlossing]

GX8 is big, and can suffer from some softness due to the harsher shutter. Colors are quite a bit better on the GX9, as is the stabilization. Go GX9.

 

[Naptown Gaijin]

GX8 is big, and can suffer from some softness due to the harsher shutter. Colors are quite a bit better on the GX9, as is the stabilization. Go GX9.

Thanks for the quick reply. I'm definitely leaning towards the GX-9. Will decide for sure next week, then a long drive to B&H to buy toys!!

 

[saladin]

gx8 is a nicer camera to use, imo. its viewfinder is just brilliant, the gx9 viewfinder is like looking through a letterbox.

 

[Dave Lively]

When I was looking at the GX8 or GX85 to replace my damaged GX7 I ended up with the GX85. But if the GX9 had been out at the time I probably would have bought it instead. It came down to light and compact vs. a better viewfinder and price. If you can live with the viewfinder I would go with the GX9. It has the same sort of viewfinder my GX7 had and GX85 has and is best described as "usable". Just as a 17 year old minivan will get you to work every day the viewfinder on the GX9 will get the job done but is not a lot of fun to use compared to better ones.

Macro lenses tend to be very sharp but compared to conventional lenses have worse bokeh at the same aperture, weigh more, are more expensive, focus slower and tend to hunt for focus even if they have a limiter. Since the one you are looking at is f2.8 it will also require lower shutter speeds or higher ISO in low light and offer less depth of field control than the f1.8 or 1.7 non-macro lenses available. I am not sure how close you need to get for food photography but a 45mm f1.8 Olympus lens will focus so close my hand fills the frame.

When I bought a 60mm f2.8 Olympus macro lens I planned to sell my 45mm. But after using both for a while I decided to keep the 45 too for the reasons I just mentioned. The only time I use the macro lens is for real macro shots. When it comes to macro shooting longer is better since it is easier to get light on the subject if you have more working range. If you do not mind changing lenses you could get both the 45mm and 60mm Olympus lenses for the same price as the Panasonic 45mm f2.8 macro. And you would have a 45mm better for general use and a macro lens with more working distance for macro use. Both the bodies you mention have IBIS so do not let the lack of image stabilization deter you from buying Olympus lenses.

I have no experience with the Panasonic 42.5 f1.7 but it has image stabilization and focuses closer than the Olympus 45mm f1.8. It might be what you are looking for.

 

[Naptown Gaijin]

When I was looking at the GX8 or GX85 to replace my damaged GX7 I ended up with the GX85. But if the GX9 had been out at the time I probably would have bought it instead. It came down to light and compact vs. a better viewfinder and price. If you can live with the viewfinder I would go with the GX9. It has the same sort of viewfinder my GX7 had and GX85 has and is best described as "usable". Just as a 17 year old minivan will get you to work every day the viewfinder on the GX9 will get the job done but is not a lot of fun to use compared to better ones.

Macro lenses tend to be very sharp but compared to conventional lenses have worse bokeh at the same aperture, weigh more, are more expensive, focus slower and tend to hunt for focus even if they have a limiter. Since the one you are looking at is f2.8 it will also require lower shutter speeds or higher ISO in low light and offer less depth of field control than the f1.8 or 1.7 non-macro lenses available. I am not sure how close you need to get for food photography but a 45mm f1.8 Olympus lens will focus so close my hand fills the frame.

When I bought a 60mm f2.8 Olympus macro lens I planned to sell my 45mm. But after using both for a while I decided to keep the 45 too for the reasons I just mentioned. The only time I use the macro lens is for real macro shots. When it comes to macro shooting longer is better since it is easier to get light on the subject if you have more working range. If you do not mind changing lenses you could get both the 45mm and 60mm Olympus lenses for the same price as the Panasonic 45mm f2.8 macro. And you would have a 45mm better for general use and a macro lens with more working distance for macro use. Both the bodies you mention have IBIS so do not let the lack of image stabilization deter you from buying Olympus lenses.

I have no experience with the Panasonic 42.5 f1.7 but it has image stabilization and focuses closer than the Olympus 45mm f1.8. It might be what you are looking for.

Dave,
LOTS of great lens info! Thanks for taking the time to pass it along. I appreciate it very much.

 

[Mountain]

I love my GX-8, and have no plans to buy the GX-9, but objectively the latter is generally the better choice (GX8 wins for ergonomics, viewfinder, weather sealing). TBH I don't think m4/3 would be my first choice for night and food images, though, if that's all you plan on shooting

 

[Naptown Gaijin]

Thanks. I was thinking about a Sony a7 iii, because I do plan to travel and shoot the atreets a bit, but the weight and size and cost differences are too much. Were u thinking FF or aps-c sensor?

 

[Mountain]

Thanks. I was thinking about a Sony a7 iii, because I do plan to travel and shoot the atreets a bit, but the weight and size and cost differences are too much. Were u thinking FF or aps-c sensor?

Don't get me wrong, I love using m4/3 and have always accepted the compromises associated with a smaller sensor. However, you lose a couple stops in performance compared to FF, which really only matters (to me at least) if you want the best low light performance, or razor thin DoF. I don't need either of these, so I prefer the smaller/lighter lenses and longer FoV. If those are your primary needs, if might be worth looking into a FF option. APS-C probably gets you a little in this regard, but I'm not convinced the gains are so readily apparent. FF comes with extra size and cost, so only you can really decide if that is a trade off that you want. If you're talking food shots while you're out at restaurants, etc. then DoF control might be more important to you than if you're shooting food in a studio like @MichaelSewell, where light is controlled. I'm definitely no authority on either night shooting or food photography, so take this all with a grain of salt. Either setup you listed above (or really any modern camera) can make great images, so don't let this deter you. Whatever you decide, come back here and post some images.

 

[Naptown Gaijin]

Don't get me wrong, I love using m4/3 and have always accepted the compromises associated with a smaller sensor. However, you lose a couple stops in performance compared to FF, which really only matters (to me at least) if you want the best low light performance, or razor thin DoF. I don't need either of these, so I prefer the smaller/lighter lenses and longer FoV. If those are your primary needs, if might be worth looking into a FF option. APS-C probably gets you a little in this regard, but I'm not convinced the gains are so readily apparent. FF comes with extra size and cost, so only you can really decide if that is a trade off that you want. If you're talking food shots while you're out at restaurants, etc. then DoF control might be more important to you than if you're shooting food in a studio like @MichaelSewell, where light is controlled. I'm definitely no authority on either night shooting or food photography, so take this all with a grain of salt. Either setup you listed above (or really any modern camera) can make great images, so don't let this deter you. Whatever you decide, come back here and post some images.

Will do!!

 

[Sam0912]

This is the same dilemma I've just had, GX9 or GX8. I came to the conclusion that the GX8 is a better, more serious camera - better ergonomics, fantastic EVF, lots of external controls, weather sealed etc. but my preference is the smaller body (The GF1 got me into photography after initially trying Nikon APS-C and finding i rarely took it with me). However, I just saw a near mint GX80 on Amazon for £322 and pulled the trigger. Going to use the £300 I saved to buy the PL45 macro, to make a nice 3 prime kit with my 14 and 20mm pancake primes, and 12-35 and 35-100 2.8 zooms. I'd planned to try and find a camera store with both the GX8 and 9 in to try both out, but I'm a sucker for a bargain! Good luck

 

[agentlossing]

The GX8 has some premium features, but the GX85/GX9 are definitely serious cameras.

 

[Sam0912]

The GX8 has some premium features, but the GX85/GX9 are definitely serious cameras.

Of course, that's why I described the 8 as "More serious", it's rare I'll miss weather sealing and all the external controls etc. but if i was out using the camera day after day to make a living, reckon i'd appreciate them more. Ultimately, the 9 has all the core features bar the 1/8000 mech shutter, plus the latest tech, so that'd probably be the best option, but there's also no huge difference between the 80 and 9, all are perfectly capable cameras.

 

[saladin]

make sure you get as long as possible to handle both camera's before purchasing. They are quite different in the hand and ultimately i preferred the Gx8 to the GX85 that i owned for a while. The GX9 will be awesome as long as its omissions - EVF, weathersealing, smaller formfactor, non flippy LCD - dont bother you.