Panasonic Lumix DC-GX800

The GX800 is a 2017 mirrorless camera built around a simple idea: a genuinely pocketable body that still takes interchangeable lenses. It measures 107 x 65 x 33 mm and weighs 269 g, so it disappears into a small bag or coat pocket.

There is no viewfinder, so every shot is framed on the rear touchscreen. Wi-Fi is built in, and the flash lives inside the body rather than hanging on the front of it.

That portability involves trade-offs. The Micro Four Thirds format matches the camera's compact scale, but the short battery rating and absent weather sealing make it better suited to fair-weather, carry-everywhere photography than long, demanding shoots.

The 16-megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor is the defining choice here, and the Optics score is a modest 53. The camera sits around the middle of cameras in our database for Optics. The compact format suits the tiny body while keeping the option to change lenses.

Sensitivity runs from ISO 200 to 25600, and shutter speeds reach 1/16000 s, which helps when freezing fast motion or shooting with a wide aperture in bright conditions. The Venus Engine handles image processing.

Burst shooting peaks at 10 fps, which helps when a fleeting expression is the difference between a keeper and a miss, though the maximum figure is not a promise of sustained speed. The autofocus system offers forty-nine points.

The clearest omission is stabilisation. With none in the body, sharpness at slower shutter speeds depends on stabilised lenses, faster shutter speeds or a steady support.

Video is one of this camera's stronger areas, with a good score of 70. The score reflects the 4K maximum resolution, the 30 fps maximum frame rate and the built-in timelapse function, and that 30 fps limit makes this a standard-motion camera rather than a slow-motion tool.

The maximum resolution and the maximum frame rate are separate limits, so a combined 4K 30 fps recording mode is not confirmed. Recording duration, crop and heat behaviour are not established either. Footage records as MP4 or AVCHD, so you can match the file format to your workflow.

A timelapse function is built in, so you can capture interval sequences, from a sunset to drifting clouds, without a separate intervalometer or other add-on gear.

Handling is screen-led. The 3-inch LCD carries 1,040,000 dots, responds to touch, and flips to help with waist-level or overhead shots. Live view is available for framing on the screen. The Features score is a modest 57, held back mainly by what is absent.

The built-in flash adds light when you need it, but there is no way to mount an external flashgun, making the built-in unit the only flash option.

Wi-Fi is built in for wireless connection, but there is no Bluetooth as an alternative link and no GPS for automatic location tagging. Nor is there weather sealing, so keep rain and dust away from the body.

Storage and battery is this camera's weakest area, with a limited score of 13. A single slot takes microSD, SDHC or SDXC cards, and the microSD option is handy if your other devices use the same small format. With no second slot, the camera cannot record to two cards at once.

The DMW-BLH7 battery is rated for around 210 shots, a modest figure rather than an all-day promise. A spare belongs in the bag for anything beyond light shooting.

There is no USB charging, so the battery has to come out and go into a charger. Plan recharges around breaks in the day rather than expecting to top up from a power bank.