Panasonic releases Lumix GX880 system camera for 449 euros

Panasonic is coming with a successor to the GX800 system camera. The new GX880 is heavily focused on taking selfies. To this end, the camera is equipped with a screen that can be folded up completely vertically and a larger part of the sensor is used in 4K Photo mode.

Like its predecessor, the GX880 is a small microfourthirds camera with interchangeable lenses. The sensor still has a 16-megapixel resolution and the folding screen has also been retained. The 4K photo mode was already on the GX800, but according to Panasonic, an important innovation is that no or a smaller crop of the sensor can now be used, so that a relatively wider viewing angle is achieved during normal video recordings or selfies.

The 4K Photo mode is in fact a lesser version of the 6K Photo mode that is on the G9 system camera, for example. Video images are created, after which the user can view each of the thirty frames that are made per second and save it as an 8-megapixel photo. With the 6K photo mode, this also produces 18-megapixel photos. Panasonic says that the GX880 uses a standard crop at 30fps, but that at 15fps a smaller crop is used, resulting in photos with a wider angle of view. There are also several other modes focused on taking selfies, such as a panorama mode, and users can adjust the focus point or focus area in captured images afterwards. Videos can be recorded in maximum 4k and at 30fps.

The device has a 3″ LCD with 1.04 million pixels and this screen can be tilted 180 degrees. As soon as that happens, a selfie mode is automatically activated. You can shoot just like the predecessor at a maximum of 5.8 fps, or 10 fps with the electronic shutter and the GX880 also lacks a viewfinder. The specified 210 photos that are possible with a single battery charge are also unchanged and the battery can be charged via USB. The new device will be available from the end of June and costs 449 euros including the 12- 32mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens.