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| G85 with 14-42mm lens 70mm at f5.6 Very good resolution and overall picture quality. |
I like street and documentary photography and like to make a photographic record of family gatherings.
For these purposes I prefer a compact but not tiny camera. I find the tiny ones awkward and unsatisfying to hold and operate.
I value good functional design and good ergonomics in a camera provided it makes good pictures. I have never warmed to the idea of making photos with a smart phone. All right, true confession time I don’t even own one. I do have an iPad which I use frequently but never for photos.
Over the years I have owned and used many advanced compacts and many interchangeable lens cameras with some kind of kit lens.
Which is better ?
This post looks at the question using the Canon G1XMk3 as the advanced compact and the Panasonic G85 with standard 14-42mm lens as the ILC with kit lens.
Price I bought both retail in Sydney.
The G1X3 cost $1499 (effectively $1399 with a Canon $100 cashback).
The G85 with 14-42mm cost $1059.
I fitted each with a lens protect filter and two spare batteries which cost about the same for each kit.
Size and mass The photo tells the story. The G1X3 has a larger sensor than the G85 but is smaller overall due to the collapsing multibarrel lens design.
The G85 has a much larger handle and control panel.
Carry bag I find the size of the bag required to carry a camera more important to me than the precise dimensions of the camera itself.
The G1X3 carries nicely handle up in a Think Tank mirrorless mover 5 bag. It is a bit loose in there but I could not locate a better fit from bags available in Australia.
The G85 fits handle up in a Think Tank Mirrorless Mover 10 bag. Again it is a bit loose but that is the best fit I could locate.
I find the MM10 bag just as easy to carry with a shoulder strap as the MM5.
Basic specifications You can read all the details elsewhere but the main features are:
The G1X3 has a Canon APS-C 27mm diagonal 24 Mpx sensor with an aspect ratio of 3:2.
The G85 is a micro four thirds model using the smaller 21.5mm diagonal 16 Mpx sensor with an aspect ratio of 4:3.
Each has a built in hump top style EVF, a fully articulated monitor with very similar touch functions and a set of controls designed to appeal to an enthusiast/expert user group.
Each has a 3x zoom with similar focal length and aperture range.
The G1X3 covers (equivalent) 24-70mm with an aperture of f2.8 to f5.6.
The G85 covers (equivalent) 28-84mm with an aperture of f3.5-5.6.
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| G1X3 at 72mm f5.6 |
Image Quality The Canon has a larger sensor than the Panasonic with 50% more pixels. So you might think the Canon would have easily the better image quality. However on my quite extensive tests that did not prove to be the case. Overall I rate the G1X as providing marginally more fine detail than the G85 but this is only visible on close inspection of matched test subjects viewed carefully side-by-side at 100% on a high definition monitor.
For all practical purposes they are the same.
Lens I ran many tests on this using two types of test target at close range, a frequently used test scene at 100+ meters from the camera and numerous general scenes. I found that at the limit of fine resolution, which by the way is quite impressive, the G1X3 was able to reveal marginally more detail in a scene than the G85, evident mainly at the periphery of the frame.
Both lenses are actually very good at resolving detail at all focal lengths and apertures. Both benefit a bit at the frame edges from stopping down the aperture a little.
By way of comment I think that small (tiny in the case of the G1X3), inexpensive (the 14-42mm adds only $70 to the G85 body only price) lenses like these are the real heroes of the lens world. Sure there are big, heavy, expensive lenses which get most of the publicity but their optical quality is only modestly better than these budget lenses at matched apertures and focal lengths.
Note on sample variation: Sample variation in lenses is the bugbear of modern cameras. I have bought and used very bad and very good copies of lenses from all makers at all levels of the price range. My copy of each the lenses compared here tests very good. They both show good centering, good sharpness at all apertures, across the frame and at all focal lengths. I am confident that I am not comparing a bad copy of one with a good copy of the other.
Note on lens and image testing with different sensors: The G1X3 has more pixels and a different aspect ratio than the G85. To match images side by side on screen they need to be adjusted such that picture elements will be the same actual size on screen. For this series of tests I downsized the G1X3 images in Photoshop (with resampling) to the same vertical height (landscape orientation) as those from the G85. This gave me images close enough in size for meaningful comparison.
ISO range noiseThe G1X3 is said to use the same Canon DPAF, 24Mp sensor as several other current Canon EOS and EOS-M ILCs. Those which have been tested by DXO give a high ISO score one stop (EV Step) better than the G85.
But my tests show that the G85 has about 0.3 stops less RAW noise at high ISO settings than the G1X3. I double checked.
I looked at Digital Photography Review’s results and found the same thing.
For some as-yet-unknown reason the 24Mp sensor in the G1X3 has about 1.3 stops more Raw noise at high ISO settings than other Canon cameras said to use the same sensor.
Overall appearance After minor adjustment in Adobe Camera Raw, pictures from both cameras were indistinguishable with regard to overall appearance, highlight and shadow detail and color balance
Faults and problems The G1X3 is quite prone to purple/magenta/green color fringing in Raw files at high contrast edges, not always fully removable in Adobe Camera Raw. In some cases when the fringing is removed using the Defringe sliders in the Lens Corrections>Manual tab the phenomenon of gray fringing can occur, most noticeable on skin tones.
The G85 (and some other Panasonic cameras) is prone to misfocussing when presented to a subject with multiple very small bright light sources. In Sydney this usually means sunlight reflecting off glossy tree leaves. I select a position of the AF area to avoid these sparkly bright lights.
The G85 demonstrates considerable correction of distortion, aberrations and color fringing even in Raw files. This gives mostly nice clean images but sometimes the tips of fine foliage have a light purple halo around them if seen against a clear sky. This is a long standing Panasonic characteristic which I have never seen reported although it is fairly obvious when you know what to look for.
Speed and responsiveness Both cameras respond promptly to user inputs and most of the time neither feels as though it is impeding the picture taking flow.
The G85 has a focal plane shutter which has a slower shutter response than the in-lens leaf shutter of the G1X3 because the focal plane shutter has to close then open before every exposure. (unless the E-Shutter is used but there are very good reasons for not using this, discussed in another post).
The G1X3 has a small buffer. This can cause noticeable slowing if a series of JPG+RAW shots is made in quick succession.
Focusing Both cameras provide fast, accurate AF single and both can readily follow focus on a moving subject in AF continuous. The Canon has the most accurate, reliable AF single of any camera I have ever used. That is a really big deal for me. I gave up Canon DSLRs many years ago, frustrated by their erratic, unreliable autofocus.
The G85 is also fast, accurate and reliable except in the specific lighting condition referred to above.
Ergonomics
Note: Both cameras have small, flat buttons on the control panel. These are difficult to locate and operate by feel. I placed a dot of clear epoxy resin on two buttons on the G1X3 and the Cursor, Menu/Set and Disp. Buttons of the G85. This minor improvement makes each camera much easier to control without having to interrupt the capture workflow to find a button by sight.
I also modified the finger grip parts of the G1X3 lens cap to make it easier to get a hold on the cap and remove it.
Overall I gave the G1X3 a Camera Ergonomics overall score of 68.
The G85 scored (entirely by coincidence) 85.
In practice the G85 provides a much better user experience for the expert/enthusiast photographer who wants to take control of the picture making process.
With the G85 almost all the tasks of controlling the camera can be carried out with fewer actions, each less complex than is required for the G1X3.
Holding The G85 has an anatomical handle which is comfortable and provides a very secure grip. This is complemented by a well shaped and positioned thumb support. The G85 is easy to carry by the handle ready for instant use.
There is enough space on the G1X3 for a more substantial handle but it does not have one. The thumb support is well positioned.
After using the G85 for a while I really don’t want to go back to the G1X3.
Holding and carrying the G85 is more comfortable and secure than the G1X3.
Viewing On the specifications the two cameras appear to be very similar. However the G85 has a larger, clearer EVF with better color accuracy and a more natural tonal rendition.
On the G85 both the EVF and monitor can be set to either “viewfinder” or “monitor” style to suit personal preference. I set both the same to ensure a seamless segue from on to the other.
On the Canon you get monitor style on the monitor and viewfinder style on the EVF. This means the two viewing portals always present a different appearance.
The EVF is much more adjustable on the G85.
On screen camera data is easier to read on the G85 as is the level gauge.
The sum of numerous small differences makes for a better viewing experience with the G85.
Operating My work with camera ergonomics has led me to the view that operating efficiency can usefully be described by the number and complexity of actions required for a practiced user to control the device.
For almost every task required to operate these cameras, the G85 requires fewer actions each less complex than the G1X3.
This includes switching on and off, changing mode dial position, adjusting aperture and shutter speed, adjusting exposure compensation, moving and changing size of the active focus area, switching between the various modes including drive mode, focus mode, autofocus mode, changing ISO setting and many others.
Close ups I set each camera to the longest focal length available to give a workable distance between the camera and subject. I set the close up mode on the G1X3.
At minimum possible focus distance the G85 gave a horizontal field of view of 10.5 cm. The G1X3 gave 15.5 cm.
Neither camera gives anything like real macro but the G85 can capture a smaller piece of the world than the G1X3.
Panorama Both cameras can do in camera auto panorama utilising all focal lengths of the lens.
Picture quality from both is quite good at the wide end of the zoom but poor at the long end of the zoom.
Getting good auto panoramas requires practice with technique and experience with subject selection.
Either camera can do a decent job using the wide end of the zoom in either landscape or portrait orientation.
Video The G85 can output 4K video which is not available to the G1X3.
But even with Full HD quality the G85 outputs higher quality video than the G1X3.
In addition the G85 can accept an external microphone for improved audio if desired.
Comment
If I want the most compact camera available to me I select the Sony RX100Mk4. This is much smaller than either of the cameras compared in this post and makes pictures which are for the most part indistinguishable from those made with the G1X3 or G85.
So why not use the RX100M4 all the time ? The reason is I don’t like using it.
It is a utilitarian device which has its uses in my household. It works well on one of the full auto settings which is just as well because it scores poorly on the ergonomics of holding, viewing and operating.
The G85 with the 14-42mm kit lens is just about the perfect sized camera for me. It suits my slightly above average adult male sized hands but is also very suitable for anybody over the age of about 10 years.
In the bridge camera world I find the Panasonic FZ300 occupies this goldilocks size zone. No surprise that it is a very similar size to the G85.
The G85 is just large enough to have a fully evolved design for holding and viewing and a well designed set of controls for an expert/enthusiast user. Beginners and snapshooters will have no trouble using the G85 on one of the automatic settings.
Where does that leave the G1X3 ?
A bit stuck in the middle, I think. It is not quite large enough to support a fully ergonomic handle and controls although that could be improved with a different approach to design. On the other hand it is not really pocketable unless you have very large pockets.
On its own merits the G1X3 is a good camera the standout feature of which is its very reliable autofocus system. It can make very good pictures. Problem is so can most cameras these days.
Conclusion My choice for walk-around camera at the moment is the G85 with the 14-42mm kit lens. This represents something of a return to the M43 system for me, at least for this purpose.
I have a Lumix G 12-35mm f2.8 lens on backorder and will test and report on the G85 fitted with this lens in due course.
For sport/action/birds perched/birds in flight I have no interest in M43 or any other interchangeable lens system.
The reason for that is the Sony RX10Mk4 which is a super performer for this type of photography.