Yes, I said it! The G85 Panasonic beats the Black Magic Design Cameras, out-performs the Red Cinema cameras and beats all of the Nikon and Cannon cameras. If you're in the film industry, this probably sounds absurd to you, but hear me out because in this article I will explain to you the 10 reasons that that G85 Panasonic Lumix is the way to go for beginners to even most professionals.
Of course there are upgraded versions of the G85 that has since been released, like the G9, the Gh5 and the Gh5s. However I might even argue that the G85 is even better than the newer models for entry-level and those who are starting off. Lets go over what make the G85 such a good choice.
#1 Waterproof
This 1st one is self explanatory. The G85, unlike a lot of older cameras is weather sealed. I wouldn't go deep sea diving with this camera but the weather protection from rain and snow is a good addition and is a matter of convenience.
#2 Very Light And Compact
When your holding a camera for smooth panning or doing a run-and-gun style shooting, size and weight means every thing. A big bulky camera might have trouble fit in tight spaces. Being able to get fit in tight space gives the G85 an edge up when shooting creatively with cinematic angles. A heavy camera is harder to control and can be exhausting to carry around when filming long events. The G85 is practical weightless and that give options to add accessories without the camera getting heavy. light and swiftness of the G85 allows more room for creativity and efficiency.
#3 Stabilization
So you've bought your 100,000 Red Cinema camera. Now what? How are you going to stabilize the footage. Believe it or not, some videographers spend more money on ways to move the camera around smoothly, then the actual camera itself. That's how important stabilization can be. Because no one wants shaky footage and most cinematic shots are in motion. The G85 uses a fairly new system called IBIS. IBIS is a built-in, dual stabilization which not only has stabilization in the body of the camera, but also the lens of the camera as well, making panning, holding, and walking with the camera, smooth and seamless. This allows for Hollywood style panning with very little effort. Something that would usually cost thousands of dollars plus years of training to acquire.
#4 It's has 4k!
4k is fairly new so a lot of the older cinematic cameras can't film in that quality. And that's a shame because all of the newer tv's and technology are starting to switch over to 4k. This means that those older model cameras are actually obsolete. The G85 not only has 4k, but also options to switch between 30 fps for slow motion and 24fps for a more cinematic look. This feature alone gives the G85 a clear edge over it's competition.
#5 Price
Considering the built in stabilization and the 4k quality, you would think this camera would be I the thousands. After all, people pay thousands of dollar just for the stabilization alone and the 4k make it one of the only mirrorless dslr style cameras on the market right now. Despite it feeling like 5 thousand dollar camera, it only run at 700 dollars. 500 if you can find it used. That is an amazing price considering what you're getting. Yes, you can buy the upgraded version of this camera (the GH5) for 2000 dollars. But the upgrade is miniscule. Only a slightly better color bitrate for better color grading and a 6k option. Yes it's technology better but the untrained human eye wouldn't be able to tell the difference. And at that price difference it would be more beneficial to buy something else the G85 and accessories or even two G85's and still have enough money for accessories.
Summary Conclusion
Yes, there are better quality cameras out there like the red cinemas, but the money you would have to spend in order to make that type of modular camera work, is in the hundred thousands. You could start a whole production company with that type of money. You could buy a house with that type of money. Most companies aren't expecting you to have that type of equipment, so it would be a waste of resources to buy those type of cameras at any level other than block buster movie levels of film production. If your making a box office movie or a Netflix exclusive, then by all means, buy a 10,000 to 100,000 dollar camera. However, if you're creating commercials, filming events or literally anything else, then it would be more cost efficient to buy the G85 and work your way up to the GH5. The G85 is plenty. With the right lens and accessories You can run with the G85 for years to come.
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