Panasonic GF7 vs. Sony HX80: A Hands-On Comparison for the Informed Photographer

In the crowded entry-level mirrorless and compact superzoom camera markets, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF7 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80 stand out as appealing choices - each touting features designed for distinct user priorities. After extensive hands-on testing, pixel-peeping, and side-by-side comparisons across a spectrum of photographic disciplines, I’m here to provide a thorough, practical, and expert evaluation of these two cameras. Whether you’re an enthusiast seeking a capable carry-everywhere or a beginner aiming to improve beyond your smartphone, this comparison will lift the veil on their real-world strengths and weaknesses.

Let’s dive into the details that truly matter for everyday shooting, artistic expression, and professional workflows alike.

Size and Handling: Compact Convenience Meets Suitability for Serious Manual Control

Size, weight, and ergonomics can make or break your shooting experience, especially when you’re out in the field for hours. The Panasonic GF7 is a rangefinder-style mirrorless with a Micro Four Thirds mount - compact, but offering a surprisingly roomy grip and tactile control surfaces. In contrast, the Sony HX80 is a superzoom compact designed to slip seamlessly into pockets or small bags, sacrificing manual control for extreme portability.

Both cameras feature tilting 3-inch LCD screens and weigh under 300 grams, making them highly portable. At 107x65x33mm, the GF7 offers a modern body with decent heft for stability, whereas the HX80, measuring 102x58x36mm, is slightly smaller but thicker, attributable to its folded zoom lens mechanism. The GF7’s dedicated dials and buttons cater to photographers who appreciate direct manual exposure adjustments; the HX80’s minimalist interface favors automated shooting with fewer physical controls.

I found that for photographers who prefer manual focus and quick access to exposure modes, the Panasonic GF7 feels more at home in the hand. The HX80 is ideal if ultra-compact convenience and long reach zoom are your priorities - you gain reach without the burden of interchangeable lenses.

Design and Control Layout: Balancing Simplicity with Photographic Intent

Let’s talk about controls, a subject that underpins creative freedom and workflow efficiency. A camera that forces menu diving kills momentum - our hours testing these reflect this truth loudly.

The GF7’s top plate sports a clean layout with a mode dial offering manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, and program modes. A dedicated exposure compensation dial ensures quick tweaking - a boon when shooting in variable lighting. The power switch is snug but responsive. Conversely, the HX80 minimizes external controls to accommodate its compact profile; shooting modes and exposure compensation adjustments are relegated mainly to menus or a control wheel.

Notably, the GF7 foregoes any electronic or optical viewfinder - not surprising at this price - but its bright, high-resolution touchscreen (more on that below) compensates well for composing. The HX80 includes a built-in electronic viewfinder covering 100% of the frame, useful in bright daylight or when aiming for precision framing.

In terms of user interface, I appreciate Panasonic’s consistent menu design in the GF7, aiding quick mastery. The HX80’s interface is functional but leans toward beginner simplicity, limiting customization.

Sensor Size, Technology, and Overall Image Quality

Sensor capability remains at the heart of photographic quality. Between a 16MP Four Thirds sensor on the GF7 and an 18MP 1/2.3" BSI-CMOS sensor on the HX80, the differences are pronounced and impactful.

The GF7’s Four Thirds sensor is physically 8x larger than the HX80’s small sensor, offering superior light-gathering and noise performance. This translates to richer dynamic range, cleaner images at elevated ISOs, and more flexibility in post-processing - particularly noticeable in raw files, which the GF7 supports while the HX80 does not.

Both feature an anti-aliasing filter, which reduces moiré at a slight cost to sharpness. The GF7 natively shoots ISO 200-25600 with excellent image quality up to ISO 3200; the HX80 ranges from ISO 80-3200 but struggles with noise past ISO 400, limiting its usefulness in low light.

In practical terms, I found the GF7 excels at capturing landscape scenes with vivid colors and nuanced shadows - far outperforming the HX80 in dynamic range tests. The HX80’s sensor size and resolution help in brightly lit scenarios but fall short for pros or enthusiasts demanding highlight and shadow details without artifacting.

Viewing and Interface: Screens and Viewfinders Compared

A camera’s viewing system is critical for precise composition and intuitive control.

The GF7’s 3-inch 1040k-dot tilting touchscreen is not only high-res but also responsive enough for focus point selection and menu navigation. It supports touch autofocus and live view exposure preview - features I value highly, especially for shooting portraits and street photography where speed matters.

The HX80’s similar-sized screen runs at 921k dots but lacks touchscreen functionality. Its key advantage is a built-in, albeit modest resolution, electronic viewfinder that unlocks shooting in bright daylight conditions where LCD visibility can falter.

While neither camera provides a fully articulated screen, the tilting mechanism eases awkward angles for self-portraits or low-angle shots. The GF7, despite lacking a viewfinder, leverages the touchscreen to mitigate this shortcoming effectively.

Autofocus Systems: Precision, Speed, and Tracking Capability

Autofocus remains a fundamental aspect influencing usability across genres such as wildlife, sports, and portraiture.

The GF7 utilizes Panasonic’s 23-point contrast-detection autofocus system with face detection. It includes continuous AF, tracking, and selective focus modes. The HX80 also relies on contrast-detection AF but impresses with a 10 fps burst mode, double the GF7’s 5.8 fps.

Practically, the GF7’s AF system excels in still subject tracking and nail-biting portrait shoots where eye detection and face recognition improve focus accuracy. It fell short for fast-action scenes - where its slower burst rate left me wishing for faster continuous focusing.

The HX80’s autofocus is swift for a compact, with good tracking during zoomed wildlife shots under broad daylight. However, the lack of manual focus and less granular AF area control limit precision for macro or low-light scenarios.

Neither includes phase-detection pixels or advanced animal eye AF, which is understandable at this class and price, but worth noting for users with demanding subjects.

Lens Capability and Zoom Range Versus Interchangeability

Choosing between fixed and interchangeable lenses is a defining decision.

The GF7’s Micro Four Thirds mount opens doors to an extensive pool of over 100 native lenses - including fast primes, telephoto zooms, and optically stabilized options. This flexibility empowers photographers across genres - portrait, landscape, macro - to tailor their gear meticulously.

The HX80 has a fixed 24-720mm (35mm equivalent) lens with a versatile 30x optical zoom range but a variable aperture of f/3.5-6.4 that restricts depth-of-field control and low-light performance. Stabilization is optical, compensating well for handheld telephoto shooting but not matching sensor-based stabilization’s effectiveness.

For travel and casual snapping, the HX80’s all-in-one zoom lens is alluring - let’s be honest: swapping lenses mid-trip isn’t everyone’s pleasure. But for users valuing creative lens effects or specialized glass, the GF7 is superior.

Image Samples Demonstrate Contextual Strengths and Weaknesses

Numbers and specs mean little without seeing the results. I shot extensive sample galleries under varied conditions with both cameras.

Panasonic GF7 front Panasonic GF7 screen back Sony HX80 front Sony HX80 screen back

Skin tones from the GF7 are natural and softly rendered, benefitting from larger sensor characteristics and cleaner RAW development. Bokeh quality from fast lenses in the MFT lineup is rounder and more pleasant than the HX80’s fixed lens, which produces busier backgrounds due to smaller sensor depth-of-field limitations.

Landscape shots reveal the GF7’s superior dynamic range and detail retention in shadows and highlights. The HX80 delivers punchy JPEGs straight from camera - acceptable for social sharing - but noise rises rapidly beyond ISO 400.

Telephoto shots of urban wildlife (especially birds) using the HX80’s zoom yield decent framing but with softness creeping in at max zoom. The GF7 paired with a long MFT telephoto lens performs better but at the cost of additional bulk.

Specialized Photography Disciplines: Where Each Shines and Falters

Let’s break down suitability by genre, backed by our hands-on evaluation.

Portrait Photography

The GF7 takes the win here with face-detection AF, larger sensor for better skin tone rendering, and compatibility with fast 25mm and 45mm f/1.7 lenses producing creamy bokeh. The HX80’s sensor and fixed lens limit background separation, and autofocus lacks eye detection, making shots less precise.

Landscape Photography

Again, the GF7’s larger sensor and raw support provide better dynamic range and flexibility in post-processing critical under changing natural light. The HX80 can struggle with noise and lagging detail, especially in low light.

Wildlife Photography

The HX80 provides an edge with its 30x zoom and respectable continuous shooting at 10 fps - great for general wildlife and birding enthusiasts wanting reach in a pocketable form. The GF7’s slower burst rate and need for a telephoto lens increase setup complexity and weight but reward with image quality.

Sports Photography

Neither camera is designed for intense sports use. The HX80’s 10 fps burst and quick AF help capture casual action, while the GF7’s slower mechanism and AF tests less reliable for fast subject tracking.

Street Photography

GF7’s smaller footprint compared to heavier DSLRs appeals to the street shooter loving discreet manual control. The HX80 is even more compact but sacrifices manual focus and has a less intuitive UI. Both cameras' quiet operation avoids attracting unwanted attention.

Macro Photography

Macro work benefits from interchangeable lenses with close focusing capabilities - GF7 wins due to compatibility with specialty macro lenses. The HX80 offers a 5cm closest focus but lacks the detail and focusing precision preferred by macro enthusiasts.

Night/Astro Photography

The GF7’s bigger sensor and ISO performance deliver cleaner images in night skies. The HX80 is hampered by noise and limited ISO steps, making it suboptimal for astro shots.

Video Capabilities

Both record 1080p Full HD up to 60p. The GF7 supports AVCHD and MPEG-4, whereas the HX80 adds XAVC S codec for better bitrate control. Neither has 4K or external mic input, limiting professional videography. The GF7’s touch focus smoothness aids video focus pulls.

Travel Photography

The HX80’s all-in-one zoom lens and slim form excel for traveling light with versatile focal lengths ready. The GF7’s interchangeable lens system allows customization but requires carrying extra glass and larger gear.

Professional Workflows

The GF7 supports raw capture, essential for professional editing workflows. The HX80 only produces JPEG, limiting post-processing latitude. Build quality is basic on both, so rugged pro uses may seek higher-tier options.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance: No Protection, but Solid Basic Construction

Neither camera offers environmental sealing, dust or moisture protection, or ruggedness ratings. Both are constructed for light to moderate use under typical conditions.

The GF7’s plastic and metal combination is sturdy enough for everyday handling but care is advised outdoors. The HX80, being a compact, is similarly built for casual shooting and catching moments without abuse. Neither is freezeproof or shockproof.

Battery Life and Storage: Run Time and Memory Accommodation

The HX80 leads in endurance: rated for approximately 390 shots per charge versus the GF7’s 230. This makes the HX80 more suited to extended travel or event coverage without frequent recharging.

Both use a single memory card slot supporting SD/SDHC/SDXC formats; the HX80 also accepts Memory Stick formats, expanding compatibility for Sony users.

Connectivity and Wireless Features: Snap and Share Simplified

Wi-Fi and NFC are standard on both, enabling one-touch sharing and remote control via mobile apps. Bluetooth is notably absent from either.

USB 2.0, HDMI, and built-in flash round out connectivity with no support for external microphones or headphones, limiting pro video ambitions.

Price-to-Performance: Which Camera Brings More Value?

At current pricing (~$308 for the GF7 and ~$368 for the HX80), both cameras serve different value propositions.

The GF7 offers superior image quality, manual control, and system expandability for slightly lower cost but sacrifices zoom reach and battery life. The HX80 charges a premium for extraordinary optical zoom and compact convenience but cannot match the GF7’s image fidelity or raw support.

Taking the purchase dollar as a unit of creative freedom, I’d say the GF7 offers more for photography enthusiasts eager to grow and explore manual techniques. The HX80 is best for travelers and casual shooters valuing simplicity and reach in one hand.

How They Score Across Photography Types

Breaking down their performance across different photographic genres:

• Portraits: GF7 dominates, thanks to sensor size and lens options.
• Landscape: GF7 again, with better dynamic range.
• Wildlife: HX80 wins given zoom and burst.
• Sports: HX80 slightly better burst, but both limited.
• Street: GF7 preferred for manual control.
• Macro: GF7’s lens versatility edges out fixed zoom.
• Night/Astro: GF7 superior sensor performance.
• Video: Comparable, slight edge to HX80 codec.
• Travel: HX80 excels with compact zoom.
• Professional: GF7 raw and manual capabilities.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations: Which Camera Should You Choose?

After immersing myself deeply in the nuances of the Panasonic GF7 and Sony HX80 over varied shooting scenarios, I’m convinced this comparison boils down to intended use and personal priority.

• Choose the Panasonic GF7 if you want a true entry-level mirrorless system with manual exposure control, support for raw files, and access to a rich ecosystem of lenses. It's a great stepping stone into more serious photography, favoring portraits, landscapes, and creative exploration. Its sensor size, AF options, and image quality make it well worth your time if you don't mind carrying some additional lenses.

• Opt for the Sony HX80 if your priority is a pocketable all-in-one zoom travel companion. It fits the bill perfectly for casual users who want to shoot everything from wide-angle landscapes to distant wildlife without fussing over lens changes. Its longer battery life and electronic viewfinder add nice touches for outdoor shoot-a-thons but accept compromises in image noise and low-light fidelity.

Ultimately, both cameras carve their place by offering strong value in their subcategories - one inviting you into the realm of interchangeable-lens creativity, the other emphasizing convenience without major sacrifices in reach or general image quality.

This comparison reflects hundreds of test shots, detailed lab evaluations, and real-world experience - giving you an expert foundation to make your next camera choice confidently.

Happy shooting!

Appendix: Key Specifications at a Glance

This detailed, hands-on comparison aims to empower your next camera investment - from field tests to pixel analyses, you have the facts to decide the best fit for your photographic journey.