Which of Panasonic's Four New Cameras Is Right for You?

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Panasonic's four new cameras fill a variety of needs for all types of photographers. Here's who Panasonic is targeting with each model.

Panasonic is refreshing its camera lineup with a quartet of shooters aimed at photographers of all stripes, including an advanced compact camera, a super-zoom and a mirrorless camera that can record video at 4K/60 frames per second. Here's a brief rundown of all four cameras, three of which are due out later this year.

For those who like to get close to the action, but don't want to carry — or can't afford — a DSLR as well as a telephoto lens, the Lumix DMC-FZ2500 ($1,199, available in December) has a 24-480mm equivalent zoom lens, a 1-inch 20MP CMOS sensor and 5-axis image stabilization. It, too, can record video at up to 4K/30 fps and shoot still photos at up to 12 fps. It has an OLED Live View Finder and an articulating 3-inch touchscreen on its back. Its lens has an aperture of f/2.8-4.5, with a 9-blade diaphragm and 16 lenses in 11 groups.

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Built for the rugged outdoors, the Lumix G85 ($999 with a 12-60mm lens; $899 body only) has a splash- and dustproof chassis with 5-axis in-body image stabilization as well as 2-axis optical image stabilization in the lens. Its 16MP CMOS sensor can record video at 4k/30 fps, and the camera can output images in real-time via its micro HDMI port. It also has a 3.5mm jack for attaching an external microphone, essential when you want good audio to go along with your video. The G85 will be available in October.

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Lastly, Panasonic teased the Lumix GH5, a mirrorless camera that can shoot 4K video at up to 60 frames per second, twice the rate of other cameras, which will result in much smoother motion. Using a new 18-MP sensor, it can also extract 18-MP still images from video. Not much else is currently known about this camera, which, based on hands-on photos from Engadget, is slightly smaller than a DSLR. Pricing for the GH5 has yet to be announced, but the camera should come out early to mid-2017.

Mike Prospero
Mike Prospero
U.S. Editor-in-Chief, Tom's Guide

Michael A. Prospero is the U.S. Editor-in-Chief for Tom’s Guide. He oversees all evergreen content and oversees the Homes, Smart Home, and Fitness/Wearables categories for the site. In his spare time, he also tests out the latest drones, electric scooters, and smart home gadgets, such as video doorbells. Before his tenure at Tom's Guide, he was the Reviews Editor for Laptop Magazine, a reporter at Fast Company, the Times of Trenton, and, many eons back, an intern at George magazine. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College, where he worked on the campus newspaper The Heights, and then attended the Columbia University school of Journalism. When he’s not testing out the latest running watch, electric scooter, or skiing or training for a marathon, he’s probably using the latest sous vide machine, smoker, or pizza oven, to the delight — or chagrin — of his family.