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My favorite camera of 2019

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Recently, someone asked me… what’s your favorite camera?

Well, I have the mindset that you should use the right tool for the job. But after this question. It dawned on me that there was one camera that I reached for more often than the others.

So my favorite camera of 2019?

Before I state which one that is, you got to realize that I’m choosing from the cameras I have experience with. These are: Panasonic Lumix G85, Panasonic Lumix GX85, Panasonic Lumix G7, and Canon 7D Mark II.

Panasonic Lumix G85, 4k Camera
Panasonic Lumix G85, 4k Camera
Panasonic Lumix GX85, 4K Camera
Panasonic Lumix GX85, 4K Camera
Panasonic Lumix G7, 4K Camera
Panasonic Lumix G7, 4K Camera
Canon 7D Mark II
Canon 7D Mark II

So back to the question: what’s my favorite camera?

Out of these cameras, I looked at features like portability, build quality, stabilization, and adaptability. Now the only camera that I own that satisfies all these requirements is my Panasonic Lumix GX85.

Panasonic Lumix GX85 with Viltrox EF M2 and Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 (IPA not included)
Panasonic Lumix GX85 with Viltrox EF M2 and Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 (IPA not included)

Since I already have videos on features, I’ll be linking to those rather than repeating them here. For portability, this video shows how much you can fit into a small bag with the GX85. For the plethora of camera features including stabilization and adaptability, check out my 25 Reasons video, which was made for the G85 but most of them also apply to the GX85 (with the exception of mic input, articulating screen, remote shutter port). And the build quality on this is pretty nice. Feels much nicer than the G7.

Now, in addition to those features, you can also charge the GX85 directly using a USB cable. This is perfect for travel so you don’t even need to pack the external battery charger. Another cool feature is not only does it have in-camera focus stacking, but also merging.

Now I’m not saying to go buy this camera right now especially since there have been newer models released, but if you’re on the fence about this camera, then definitely buy it right now.

Whether you’re into video or photography, it’s a camera that can handle both exceptionally well.  That’s an absolute steal, especially during the current sale. My recommended lenses are the 42.5 f/1.7, the 25mm f/1.4, and the 15mm f/1.7.

Now I can’t end this video without giving props to my other cameras. As I mentioned in the beginning, I use the right tool for the job. The G85 is my main camera at home and does its job well. The G7 was my very first manual camera (long-term review) and it’s now a backup to my G85 and the 7D mark II is perfect for wildlife and BIF photography.

  • Great White Egret
    Birds-in-flight: Great White Egret taken on the Canon 7D Mark II and Sigma 150-600
  • Red-Shouldered Hawk
    Wildlife Photography: Red-Shouldered Hawk taken on the Canon 7D Mark II and Sigma 150-600

Even with all these amazing cameras, GX85 is still the one that I reach for more frequently. Now more important than the features already mentioned, this camera is a joy to hold and shoot with.  The small build makes it convenient and I can fit it into a jacket pocket. It’s a camera that ticks so many boxes that it’s hands-down my favorite camera of 2019. 

Now, tell me… what’s YOUR favorite camera? Let me know in the comments below!

If you’re interested in any of the gear mentioned, please use the affiliate links to help support the website.

OpenFilmmaker Links and Sales

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Thank you for visiting OpenFilmmaker. These are affiliate links that support the website and YouTube channel at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

DJI Osmo Pocket 4K

Micro Four Thirds

===Panasonic G7 Bundles===

https://adorama.rfvk.net/xdOmy
https://amzn.to/39yw5Hb

===Accessories===

Remote Shutter: https://amzn.to/2H3UqJs
SD Card: https://amzn.to/2Kru2uY
Spare Batteries: https://amzn.to/33sO8wA
Rode Mic: https://amzn.to/2H1W3ak
AC Adapter: https://amzn.to/2Kfnuz6
Crane M2 Gimbal: https://amzn.to/2XaXxWJ
Viltrox EF-M2 Speedbooster: https://amzn.to/2YYdEKu

===Lenses===

Panasonic 15mm: https://amzn.to/2T5dEFd
Sigma 18-35mm: https://amzn.to/2H05G9p
Panasonic 25mm: https://amzn.to/33LPjGS
Panasonic 42.5mm: https://amzn.to/2CInsf8

===Panasonic G85===

G85: https://amzn.to/2KtRoQN

PriceCamera ModelYouTube
$297Olympus PEN E-PL8
$397Panasonix Lumix ZS100
$447Panasonix Lumix FZ1000
$447Panasonic Lumix GX85Why I love the GX85
$497Panasonic Lumix LX10
$497Panasonic Lumix G7G7 Long-Term Review
$699Panasonic Lumix G8525 Reasons to buy this camera!
$997 Panasonic Lumix G9
$797 Panasonic Lumix GX9
$897Panasonic LX100 II
$1297Panasonic Lumix GH5

Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 (Canon EF) on Panasonic MFT with Viltrox EF-M2

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Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8
Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8

If you can say the title three times in a row, your Panasonic Lumix will magically get DPAF.

-OpenFilmmaker

After purchasing the Viltrox EF-M2 for the Sigma 18-35mm, I started looking at other lenses for our Micro Four-Thirds system. The goal was an inexpensive, wide aperture lens. The Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 at $46 seemed to meet both requirements.

So getting right into it, the speedbooster has a .71x crop, making the 50mm into a 35mm lens. This is equivalent to a 71mm on a full-frame (if you believe in that sort of thing). Due to the speedbooster, you also gain a stop of light: f/1.8 * .71 = f/1.27

50mm * .71 crop/mm * 2 mm/crop = 71mm

Focal-length equivalence (FF/35mm)

Build Quality

The lens mount is plastic. Seriously, what do you expect for $46? The advantage here is it’s so light weight. The focus ring is also loose. Honestly, for $46, we’re lucky this thing isn’t made from a potato.

Sample Images

These images are straight from the camera (unedited). If you’d like to see a portrait in good lighting conditions, comment and I’ll make it happen.

Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8
Pencil Holder
Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8
Ribbons
Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8
Formal Dining Lights
Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8
Fan in the Dark
Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8
O Brother Where Art Thou?
Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8
Pumpkin

YouTube Video

OpenFilmmaker: Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 for Micro Four Thirds

Disadvantages

  • Requires a speedbooster.
  • When using manual focus, the ring may drift. I had to hold it firmly.
  • The auto-focus on this missed about 50% of the time. I couldn’t tell if it was from the lens itself or the Viltrox Speedbooster. If you’re gonna use this for photography, you might be better off using manual focus with focus peaking.

Advantages

  • This is a fantastic lens for portraits. Not exactly a 85mm, but it’s not far off at 71mm.
  • The light weight. It’s seriously light and won’t add much weight in your camera bag.
  • Did I mention it was $46? It’s so cheap! Makes a great back-up lens.

Recommendation

If you shoot manual and need a lens in this focal range, the $46 is a no-brainer. The video quality was absolutely fantastic. Many parts of our G85 video was shot on this lens. Also, if you don’t already down a speedbooster, I don’t recommend purchasing one just for this lens. That defeats the bargain aspect of this deal.

This would be great for casual shooting and I recommend the Canon f/1.8 for professional work. For a native option, I recommend the 42.5 f/1.7 (or f/1.2) – you’ll be much happier with the build quality and results. Native options are anywhere from 9x – 30x the price of this lens, but are they 9x – 30x the quality? I don’t think so.

It’s a great value lens.

I simply can’t think of any other lens that might beat this bargain. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

5 amazing vlogging features on the Panasonic Lumix cameras

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Panasonic Vlogging Features
Panasonic Vlogging Features

1. Auto ISO

If you’re a hand-held vlogger, one thing that might drive you nuts is the constant adjustment to exposure.

Ain’t no vlogger got time to adjust exposure!

-OpenFilmmaker.com

Well if you have a manual lens, then set your shutter speed and record away with this cool trick! You can also use this priority mode with native, automatic lenses, but you’ll need to be mindful of drastic exposure changes since two factors (both aperture and ISO) will be affected.

2. Focus peaking

Let’s face it, these Panasonic cameras don’t have the best auto-focus technology. I’m constantly shooting in manual focus and this feature is so helpful in highlighting the areas in focus. It can be found in the custom menu page 4/9. There are two sensitivity settings, low and high which sets the amount of highlighted pixels on screen.

For vlogging, set it on manual focus and aim the camera at yourself. With the help of focus peaking, you can easily see on the articulating screen when you are in or out of focus. Because you’re in manual focus, you don’t have to worry about focus hunting which will only help your vlogs and videos look more professional.

3. Snap movie

Snap movie is a great way to shoot small clips of video with ability to automatically pull focus. That’s right! Set your camera on auto focus and head over to the motion picture menu, page 1/5. Select snap movie and set pull focus to “on”. Check it out to add some nice variety to your videos.

4. 4K Cropping

If you’ve been making videos for a while, it’s likely you also spend a lot of time editing. With this feature, you can pan and zoom in-camera! This saves so much time in post. Just select your starting and ending position and the camera will create a 1080p clip for you! With all the time you save, you can put that time towards watching all the OpenFilmmaker videos on YouTube. 🙂

5. ImageApp for Monitoring

Don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on an external monitor? Well neither do we! Using your phone as a monitor can be immensely helpful. You can set aperture, shutter, iso, white balance, and other settings directly from your phone or tablet. These settings take effect immediately on your camera. You can even use this like a hidden camera to spy on your kids eating your chocolate chip cookies that you bought to satisfy your late night sugar addiction. Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone.

Check out the ImageApp (Android / Apple).

How to enable Auto ISO for Video on Panasonic Cameras

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How to get Auto ISO for Video on Panasonic Cameras

Some of the Panasonic cameras don’t have “Auto ISO” available. Here’s a neat trick to get Auto ISO for video on Panasonic Cameras. I’ve tested this on the G7, GX85 and the G85. This is especially useful for home videos and vlogging where you don’t want to constantly tinker with the settings.

Do check out the video and subscribe if you like the content!