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Best Budget Micro Four Thirds Setup for Under $1,000?

Photo Moment - July 25, 2017

A viewer wrote in asking for the best starting budget MFT/M43 setup for under $1,000. Their requirements were:

• Interchangeable lens
• Rangefinder (non-dSLR) form factor
• For urban, travel, and amateur portraiture
• Approx. $1,000 budget

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Videos Mentioned In Today's Photo Moment

 

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For now, you still promote G85 or G9 or G95?
Three different cameras. I don’t use the G95 but the G9 is definitely still the best for stills, and the GX85, even though it’s quite old, is my favorite for travel.
Im with you on the 12-32mm lens, really didnt get on with it, thought it wasnt particularly sharp, tried it on my em1 and was just the same, poor effort from Pana
Listening to you rattle off all the "8-named" cameras caused me to reflect on camera names.It's sad Panasonic can't come up with user friendly names for their cameras.  On their website are the following cameras: GX8, G85 (also known as G80). GX85 (also known as GX80), and the G850 (also known as the G800).  Such names are confusing for a person looking at the Panasonic line-up for the first time and are easy to confuse with each other.  In contrast, there are the Olympic Pen and the Canon Rebel cameras.  Both names are easy to remember and distinguish them from other cameras in the manufacturer's product line-up.
What would be a good interchangeable lens camera for under $350, micro 4/3 or smaller sensor. Closer to rangefinder or point and shoot size.
I know this was 9 months ago, but now there's a gx85 kit with two variable aperture lenses for $600. How quickly things change!
Wow! That’s a great deal. I still absolutely love that camera.
I get that you are a Panasonic ambassador, but to just say there are only Panasonic options its a bit cheap! You can say that you are an ambassador for the brand, and advise panasonic (which is pretty good to be fair), but you still need to talk of other options man, specially options that are more suitable for the folk asking for micro 4/3 options.

For me, I think that Olympus cameras are more sexy (Pen F or even O-MD E-M10 MarkII), they provide in camera stabilisation (that is a mass bonus), and he can buy both brands lenses that will work on both cameras!
Is olympus om d e 10 mark 2 good to buy for 2018? i like to do street,landscape and portrait photography. Im on budget and have 50 mm 1.8 and 70-210mm lens from my very old dslr pentax k100d.
That’s a pretty old model right? I can’t do a bunch of comparisons but that seems like a fair price. Also look at the LUMIX G7 which is about two years old but available new for about that price. And GX85 which you can probably get used at that price.
Frist of all,thx for such a quick answer..you got one scrb. ;) Well camera have 16 MP, 5 axis image stabil.,8.5 fps and it cost around 449$. You are expert so better ask you than some amateurs :)
I’m not familiar enough with that camera, and don’t even know the price, but I’m confident that it’s a very good camera. All the Olympus and Panasonic camera’s are great these days.
Good recommendation for "Best Budget PANASONIC Camera Kit Setup". For a Micro Four Thirds system Olympus has great options too, especially for urban and travel. The EM5-II is smaller than the G85 and is also weather sealed. The E-M10 II is competitive w/ the GX85. The 45mm 1.8 is a less expensive than the Panasonic equivalent and makes for a good portrait lens.
HAHA!!!!! Thats a fucking joke! I got my G7 for 500 fucking bucks with the kit lens.
I don’t know what you’re responding to specifically, but you are aware this video is nearly half a year old, and yes the G7 kit now is one of the best deals available. Certainly wasn’t that affordable when I recorded this though.
hi is this compatible with olympus em5 mark @
Help me out here… is which piece compatible with the Oly?
I'm from shropshire toooooooo
I recently acquired a G85 kit with both 12-60 and 45-200 kit lenses (and camera bag) for under $1,000. Had enough left over from my trade-in to pick up a 20mm f1.7 pancake. I was considering the GH5, but I'm a stills photographer (since 1982) just starting to dabble in video: I couldn't justify the GH5's price to myself at this stage, especially since there are a couple of more lenses I'd like to pick up, perhaps selling one or both of the kit lenses to defray that cost. Also, I prefer a second body to changing lenses (another advantage, in weight and bulk, of m43). We'll see where I am when the G9 actually hits the shelves: I like to give some time for hype to die down and the inevitable v.1 kinks to be ironed out.
You already own a great body. Put your money in lenses. You’ll get way more out of that.
The GX8 was mid 2015, the Pen F was early 2016 release date. You were correct when you said the 20mp was first in the GX8.
+Mark Cotner Thanks!
Love my GX85. A home run for Panasonic would be one the exact same size with a slightly larger viewfinder and the 20mp sensor with aa filter removed. :D
+Mark Cotner haha hey why not!
Em-10 MkII....under $1000 allows you to do a swap and get a different lens on initial purchase...
+Rifleman7kw Nice
I have the GX80 and I love it. My experience is that the battery lasts a lot longer by turning of the display if you mainly use the viewfinder. The most annoying thing imo is the default charging method through the camera itself because it is so damn slow, so if you buy one I would recommend buying a battery charger
Agreed, a charger is a good idea. But I love that you can charge in-camera. I've saved my own arse by charging in the car with a USB adapter before!!
Hi Joseph :) When can we expect Panasonic GX9 do you have any info....?
Ok thanks ...
+Danmark Digger no info
+PhotoJoseph What do you think about Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II like every day lens for GX85?
+otantsura The 25/1.4 is a Leica lens so it'll be considerably better than the kit lens. Kit lenses are usually (not always) general-purpose, lower cost and lower quality lenses — unless it's a Leica.
PhotoJoseph thank you for quick response. What do you think about other prime Lumix 25mm f/1.4? Is it good as a kit lens?
+otantsura Great! I hadn't recommended that here because the kit lens covers that focal length and I wanted him to get something for portraits first. But yes that's a great little lens.
PhotoJoseph why no mention of gx850?
+jon bilson No viewfinder, more consumer grade camera
The gx8 is a perfect body for landscape/nature photography. The tilting viewfinder and fully articulating LCD make setting up a shot so easy. Panasonic needs to update it with a better sensor though.
PhotoJoseph Yes, a great camera! That's why I chose it over the others for landscape and nature even though the sensor is lacking compared my previous Nikons (DR and Low ISO noise). Its light and quick to set up shots which is great for photographing national parks.
+jon bilson Better? It had the best, newest, most advanced sensor when it was released. Sure it's older now but that doesn't make it bad. Still an incredible camera.
The gx85 has been my favorite camera by far after using Nikon, Pentax, Canon, Sony and Fuji. It is what I usually grab on the go. The 12-32 is a good and very compact lens.
+jon bilson Nice!
Love the GX85. It's around 600 bucks on Amazon these days!! Such a great deal ( used to be 500 - I guess the deals over ) Anyways, It's a stellar little b cam and the stills are killer.
+Nicholas Waugh Yeah there was a short promo on that camera. Sadly over now but still a very fair price for what it is.
Hi Joseph, yeah the Olympus Pen F has a 20mp sensor
Jorge Andres Vazquez

Panasonic GX8 also has the 20.3mp sensor
But it is well beyond my budget :(
+John Dyer Awesome!
Hello there! I'm @jorgevazq on Twitter (the one who asked the question that sparked this video). I was leaning towards the GX85 myself, but had absolutely no clue about which lenses should I get. As you mentioned, the G85 sounds like a good camera but I'm not really sold on the shape. I think I'm going to go for the GX85 and the 45 mm / f 1.7 lens ;)
+Nicholas Waugh Thank you!
Jorge Andres Vazquez you will be very happy with that choice!
PhotoJoseph by the way... thanks again for the always solid videos. Keep em coming!
Jorge Andres Vazquez Go to Amazon and check out their GX85 prices. Really good deals. Might save ya a few bucks.
+Jorge Andres Vazquez Fantastic! I'm glad I could help
Hi from Northern Ireland 👍
+Chris81124 Hi back! Belfast is awesome. Really enjoyed visiting in 2009.
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