Panasonic GX7 Un-Boxed: First Impressions and Initial Observations of the Panasonic GX7

Panasonic GX7 + 14-42mm Kit Lens

I have to admit, I was pretty excited when I found out that Panasonic was sending me the Panasonic GX7 for review.  It's a camera I've been very interested in for a number of reasons, so as you can imagine, I had that little kid in the candy store feeling when the courier showed up at my door.

Right from the moment I took the box from the courier, I got my first hint at one of the BIG features of the little GX7, it's size.  The box that the GX7 shipped in, along with the Panasonic 20mm f1.7, both in their own original boxes inside the shipping box, was a small one, and it didn't weigh much either.


You know the feeling where your brain already has an idea of how much something is going to weigh, but then when you actually grab it, you almost start to throw it up in the air a little because it's much lighter than you anticipated.

Well, yeah... I kinda had one of those moments. :-)

Right off the bat, I opened up the boxes and found the battery and battery charger.  First thing I always do with a new camera, get the battery on the charger ASAP.

And then I pulled out the camera.

Panasonic GX7

And I think I fell in love at that moment.

What a beautiful little piece of technological engineering.  Metal, metal, metal.  Solidly built.  It just felt so right in my hands (and so tiny).

The GX7 is small, and it weighs practically nothing.  Now, when I say that, I have to clarify that it feels solid and well put together, despite the fact that it feels so light.

The fit and finish are excellent.

Panasonic GX7 with LCD tilted up

The GX7 has a tilting LCD screen, which, while I would've preferred an articulated LCD with side hinge that allows it to flip out from the body, is still nice and much better than an LCD that doesn't move at all.

Panasonic GX7 with EVF flipped to up position

Another neat feature of the GX7 is the ability to flip the EVF up so that you can look down into it instead of from behind, very handy for use on a tripod.  

Panasonic GX7 Rear View

All the dials and buttons have a nice feel to them, with good resistance and tactile feel.  The layout of them makes sense too.  I could turn on the camera and just start shooting without a second thought.

Panasonic GX7 + Panasonic 20mm f1.7 prime lens

Next up I opened the 20mm f1.7 and put it on the camera.  I owned the 20mm before when I had my Panasonic GH2, and I have fond memories of this lens.  Now, on the GX7, the little 20mm f1.7 is a perfect fit.  Small and light, it compliments the GX7 perfectly, and at f1.7, it's fast and functional. 

Panasonic 14-42mm kit lens beside the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 prime lens

The little Panasonic 14-42mm kit lens that came with the camera is also pretty nice looking for an inexpensive kit lens.  It's small and lightweight, and like the 20mm, feels like a nice fit on the camera.  Considering the 14-42mm is a 28-84mm in 35mm terms, it's a nice range for a standard walk-around lens, so I'll be interested to try it out and see how it performs.

Over-all, as I'm sure you can tell, my first impression and initial observations of the little Panasonic GX7 are very favorable, in fact, I think I have a little crush on it. :-)

Stay tuned for my Day 1 Review to see how the GX7 measure up after a day of shooting!