Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 — Which Is Better?

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G80 is the newer camera of this pair, arriving in 2016 while the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX7 dates from 2013, a three-year gap. Both are mirrorless bodies, so the choice between them rests on the specification differences that follow rather than on camera type.

The GX7 is the smaller and lighter body for travel and everyday carry. It measures 123 x 71 x 55 mm and weighs 402 g, against the G80's 128 x 89 x 74 mm and 505 g, a 103 g difference.

The G80 is the stronger choice for photographing moving subjects. Its 9 fps burst rate well exceeds the GX7's 5 fps, and its 49 autofocus points more than double the GX7's 23, giving more coverage for tracking a running child or a bird in flight. A 1/16000 second top shutter speed, against 1/8000 on the GX7, allows a shorter exposure at wide apertures in bright light.

Resolution and stabilisation are similarities, not differences. Both use a 16 megapixel CMOS sensor in the Micro Four Thirds format, and both offer in-body stabilisation for sharper handheld shots at slower shutter speeds. Both use the Micro 4/3 mount, so any lens you own fits either body. The viewfinder is where they differ: the GX7 resolves 2,764,800 dots against 2,360,000 on the G80, an advantage for judging fine detail while composing.

The G80 is the camera for 4K video, recording at up to 4K resolution while the GX7 tops out at Full HD. That extra resolution gives more latitude for cropping a frame in editing or delivering crisp footage to a 4K display. The G80 records in MPEG-4 and AVCHD, while the GX7 records in MP4.

The GX7 answers with a higher maximum frame rate, capturing up to 60 fps against 30 fps on the G80. That headroom suits smoother rendering of fast motion such as sports or dancing children. Neither camera offers a built-in timelapse mode, so interval work needs external triggering on either body.

Weather sealing is the practical difference here: the G80 is sealed, while the GX7 is not. For beach trips, hikes or damp street photography, that protection lets you keep shooting where the GX7 would need sheltering.

Everyday controls and connectivity are shared. Both have a 3-inch LCD with 1,040,000 dots, touch control and a flip screen for waist-level or overhead framing. Both offer built-in and external flash, live view and Wi-Fi for wireless transfer, and neither includes GPS, so neither body can geotag photos on its own.

Storage is a similarity: each camera takes SD, SDHC and SDXC cards in a single slot, with no dual-slot redundancy on either. Neither body supports charging over USB, so both rely on an external charger for their lithium-ion batteries.

The GX7's battery is rated for 350 shots, against 330 shots for the G80, a 20-shot difference in the GX7's favour under their stated test conditions.