Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 Review

The Lumix G7 is Panasonic’s fifth model with 4K video capture. Is it just for video shooters?

Image Quality

To view more images taken with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 see our sample image gallery

If you include the extended ISO 100 setting, there are nine sensitivity settings to choose from on the G7. Unlike the Lumix G6 that limited the sensitivity range to ISO 160-1600 when the electronic shutter was deployed, this is no longer the case on the Lumix G7. This is good news – not only does it mean you can shoot silently when you’re forced to push up to higher ISO’s in low-light, G7 users now have the full range of ISO settings available to them at any shutter speed.

At the time of testing, the Lumix G7’s raw files weren’t supported by Adobe Camera raw update, so to convert our sample image and lab results before analysing them alongside the G7’s JPEGs we downloaded and installed Panasonic’s proprietary SilkyPix Developer Studio 4.3 SE software that comes bundled with the camera.

Resolution

Close examination of the G7’s images taken of our Applied Imaging test chart reveals the sensor resolves cleanly to 2800l/ph at ISO 100 in both Raw and JPEG formats. The G7 continues to resolve the same level of detail up to ISO 800 and drops only slightly to 2600l/ph at ISO 1600.

Detail holds up well as the sensitivity is pushed to ISO 3200 and our lab results show the sensor is capable of resolving 2600l/ph at ISO 6400 – a strong performance by Micro Four Thirds sensor standards.

Above ISO 6400 the level of fine detail deteriorates to 2400l/ph at ISO 12,800, further reducing to 2000l/ph at the G7’s sensitivity ceiling of ISO 25,600. These resolution figures remain equivalent to those recorded by the Lumix G6’s sensor.