Panasonic GX8 announced: The big, brawny street shooter ups the resolution, combines lens and sensor stabilization

by William Brawley

posted Thursday, July 16, 2015 at 12:31 AM EDT

After a couple years' wait, the big brother of the much-loved GX7 is here and aptly-named the Panasonic GX8. Sporting a similar, but beefier, larger body design, the new GX8 houses a raft of new technological goodies, including a brand new 20.3MP Four Thirds sensor, a larger EVF whose magnification rivals the impressive Fuji X-T1, and a new Dual I.S. stabilization system than combines lens I.S. with sensor-shift I.S.

While not a direct replacement to the earlier GX7, the new Panasonic GX8 sits above it as the new flagship GX-series model, and sits side-by-side with the impressive GH4. While the GH4 is aimed at the high-end hybrid stills and video market, the GX8 is the top-of-the-line sleek, street photography powerhouse. The overall design styling of the GX8 shares much with the earlier GX7, but the new camera now shares the GH4's level of dust- and moisture-sealing as well as incorporating a redesigned, larger handgrip, reconfigured top-deck controls and a fully-articulating rear OLED touchscreen.

Under the hood, the GX8 combines the increased resolution of the new sensor with the same Venus Engine image processor used in the GH4 for improved image quality with increased resolving power and intelligent sharpening, better dynamic range and improved higher ISO performance. Furthermore, the GX8 also includes 4K Ultra HD video recording and Panasonic's fun and convenient 4K Photo shooting modes.

For more about the brand new GX8, incuding a hands-on walkaround, head over to our Panasonic GX8 Hands-on Preview for all the details!

Hitting store shelves in the US sometime mid-August, the GX8 will come solely in a body-only configuration (with your choice of black or two-toned silver/black), for a suggested retail price of $1,199.99. If you're ready to pre-order, use one of IR's trusted affiliates below and help support the site!