Panasonic GX8 vs Sony A6100: Which Mirrorless Camera Deserves Your Attention?

Choosing between the Panasonic Lumix GX8 and Sony Alpha A6100 is a fascinating puzzle that pits two well-respected mirrorless systems against each other. Both cameras have their loyal followings and compelling feature sets, but which one truly fits your photography style and professional or enthusiast needs? Having tested thousands of mirrorless cameras over the past decade, I’m here to break down everything from sensor technology to ergonomics, autofocus, video prowess, and more - with practical insights you won’t find in a typical spec sheet.

Let’s dive deep into these two intriguingly different cameras and help you make your next buy a confident and well-informed decision.

Handling and Ergonomics: Size Matters

Straight out of the gate, you’ll want to think about how a camera feels in hand and fits into your shooting routine. The Panasonic GX8, with its rangefinder-style body, measures about 133 x 78 x 63 mm and weighs in at 487 grams. It’s notably chunkier and heavier compared to the more compact Sony A6100, which is 120 x 67 x 59 mm and a featherlight 396 grams.

The GX8’s extra heft translates into a very comfortable grip, especially for extended shoots or when pairing with larger lenses. It strikes a satisfying balance between substantial build quality and portability. The A6100’s size prioritizes lightweight travel ease, which appeals if you’re packing light or want to stay discreet for street photography.

Both feature articulating screens but with different designs: the Panasonic’s fully articulating touchscreen rotates and flips outwards, ideal for vlogging or selfies, whereas the Sony opts for a simpler tilting screen. If flexibility in framing from odd angles is high on your list, the GX8 wins here.

In-hand, the GX8 feels more robust and camera-like, encouraging a firm, stable grip. The A6100’s compactness suits active photographers or those who value discretion - but less so if you prefer something substantial in your palm.

Controls and Interface: Who’s the Boss of Customization?

One of the GX8’s standout features is its thoughtfully designed control layout. Dedicated dials for shutter speed, exposure compensation, and ISO offer fast tactile adjustments without diving into menus - a boon for experienced users who thrive on manual control. The presence of a joystick for autofocus point selection adds considerable precision. Meanwhile, the touchscreen supports touch-to-focus capabilities robustly.

Sony A6100 modernizes the interface with a cleaner, minimalist approach. It has fewer physical dials but balances this with an intuitive menu system and touch capabilities. The AF joystick is missing here, replaced by a directional pad, which might slow down some workflow nuances for power users. On the flip side, the latest menu refinements make the Sony system less daunting for novices.

If you cherish direct, physical controls that let you make lightning-fast changes mid-shoot, the GX8’s a winner. For those willing to adapt to a menu-driven interface with a good touchscreen and streamlined operation, the A6100 is just fine - plus it saves on weight and complexity.

Sensor and Image Quality: Size and Resolution Differences

Here we find one of the most crucial divergences between the pair - sensor size and resulting image quality. The Panasonic GX8 employs a Four Thirds sensor measuring 17.3 x 13 mm with a resolution of 20 megapixels. In contrast, Sony offers a larger APS-C sensor at 23.5 x 15.6 mm and a 24-megapixel count.

From a technical standpoint, the larger sensor in the A6100 generally delivers superior noise performance, better dynamic range, and enhanced depth-of-field control. The Sony’s sensor area is approximately 366.6 mm² compared to the Panasonic’s 224.9 mm², which is a significant advantage especially in low light and wide dynamic range scenes.

Dynamic range testing reveals the GX8 holds its own with around 12.6 EV at base ISO - impressive for its class - but the Sony’s APS-C CMOS edges slightly ahead in retaining highlight and shadow detail. The Sony also maxes out at ISO 32,000 native (boostable to 51,200) versus Panasonic’s ISO 25,600 ceiling.

In practice, if you regularly shoot in challenging lighting or need excellent large print quality, the Sony’s sensor is more forgiving and versatile. The Panasonic still produces beautiful colors and sharpness but shows more grain under low light or high ISO settings.

Viewfinder and LCD Screen: Seeing is Believing

Both cameras offer electronic viewfinders (EVFs), but their resolutions and quality differ. The GX8 boasts a relatively high-resolution EVF at 2.36 million dots with 0.77x magnification and 100% frame coverage. The Sony A6100’s EVF sports 1.44 million dots and slightly lower magnification at 0.71x.

In real-world use, the Panasonic’s sharper EVF helps track subjects with more clarity and reduces eye fatigue during prolonged shooting. However, the Sony’s EVF remains excellent for fast-paced work, and its impressive autofocus responsiveness minimizes tracking challenges.

The rear screens also differ notably: the GX8 has a 3-inch fully articulating 1040k-dot touchscreen, enabling flexible touch operation and comfortable shooting at tricky angles. The A6100 uses a 3-inch 922k-dot tilting touchscreen, slightly less versatile but still responsive.

If you vlog or experiment with creative angles, the GX8’s fully articulating screen gives you a distinct advantage. Otherwise, the Sony’s tilt screen suffices for most.

Panasonic GX8 front Panasonic GX8 screen back Sony A6100 front Sony A6100 screen back

Real-World Photography Performance: Portraits to Wildlife

Portraiture: Skin Tones and Eye Detection

Portrait photographers will want to know which camera better handles skin tone rendition, autofocus accuracy on the eyes, and bokeh character.

The Sony A6100 pulls ahead here thanks to its advanced 425-point hybrid AF system, incorporating phase detection and contrast detection with real-time Eye AF -  including animal eye tracking. This makes it exceptionally reliable for portraits, capturing sharp eyes even with moving subjects or pets.

The GX8 features contrast-detection autofocus with 49 points and face detection - functional but less sophisticated. Eye AF is absent, so you’ll rely more on manual focus finesse or luck with tracking moving faces.

Regarding bokeh and depth of field, Sony’s APS-C sensor delivers creamier backgrounds and better subject isolation, especially when paired with fast prime lenses. Panasonic’s smaller Four Thirds sensor yields more depth of field at the same aperture, making it trickier to achieve that dreamy blurred backdrop, although it still looks good, especially with Lumix lenses designed for smooth rendering.

Landscape: Dynamic Range, Resolution, and Weather Sealing

For landscapes, sensor capabilities again matter. The Sony’s larger sensor and higher resolution provide finer detail capture for large prints and cropping flexibility. Both cameras support shooting in RAW, facilitating maximum editing latitude.

Where the GX8 scores an edge is build quality. It boasts extensive weather sealing, making it rugged enough to handle moisture, dust, and light rain - a serious consideration for outdoor landscape shoot sessions. The Sony A6100, however, lacks environmental sealing and needs more protection in adverse conditions.

Dynamic range differences are subtle but present - the Sony retains slightly better highlight and shadow information, beneficial under harsh sunlight or in scenes with bright skies.

Wildlife and Sports: Autofocus Speed and Burst Shooting

Tracking fast-moving animals or athletes demands rapid autofocus and a high frame rate. The Sony A6100 shines with 425 phase-detection AF points enabling quick, accurate subject acquisition and tracking. Its continuous shooting tops at 11 fps with continuous AF, which is impressive for its class.

Meanwhile, the Panasonic GX8 offers 12 fps burst shooting, marginally faster but driven by contrast AF, which tends to lag in responsiveness and accuracy compared to phase detection. This can result in less reliable tracking with unpredictable motion.

If wildlife or sports photography is a priority, Sony’s A6100 autofocus system and burst shooting are more dependable tools.

Street and Travel Photography: Discreteness, Size, and Battery Life

Here, the lighter Sony A6100’s compactness and 420-frame battery life advantage (compared to GX8’s 330 shots per charge) tip the scales. It fits comfortably into a jacket pocket or small bag and stays powered longer, crucial for travel and street runs without a charging opportunity.

The GX8’s larger size can be an asset when steadiness is key but less ideal if you prefer subtle shooting or quick grab shots. Its sturdy build is great for longer outings where durability matters.

Video Performance: Capabilities and Limitations

Both cameras support 4K video recording, but there are notable differences.

Panasonic Lumix GX8 records Ultra HD 4K (3840 x 2160) up to 30p and 24p in MPEG-4 and AVCHD formats, and impressively features 4K Photo mode, allowing you to extract 8-megapixel frames from 4K video at 30 fps - a creative boon for action photographers wanting precise frame grabs.

Sony A6100 also shoots 4K UHD at 30p using the XAVC S codec at higher bitrates for better compression quality, with superior color sampling and slower compression artifacts. However, it lacks a 4K Photo mode.

Neither camera offers in-body stabilization; Panasonic relies on sensor-based image stabilization that benefits stills, but video stabilization requires lens-based OIS. Sony A6100 offers no built-in stabilization and depends entirely on stabilized lenses or external rigs.

Both have microphone input jacks, but no headphone ports for audio monitoring during video capture.

If video is a significant part of your workflow, Panasonic’s GX8 offers more flexible 4K options, especially with 4K Photo, but Sony’s codec quality edges ahead slightly in pure video fidelity.

Specialized Photography: Macro, Night, and Professional Use

Macro

Neither camera specializes in macro, but high-quality lenses in their respective mounts can bridge that gap. The GX8’s articulating screen and image stabilization help nail handheld macro shots better, offsetting slight sensor size disadvantages.

Night and Astro

Sony’s larger sensor and higher ISO ceiling translate to better low-light and astrophotography results with cleaner images and less noise. The Panasonic performs well at low ISO but introduces noise above 1600-3200 more visibly.

Professional Considerations

Both models shoot RAW and provide manual shooting modes, but Sony’s broader and newer lens ecosystem (particularly speedy primes and wildlife-specific glass) offers an advantage for pros.

GX8’s weather sealing and robust build make it a workhorse outdoors, but it’s an older design. Sony’s newer processor and up-to-date autofocus tech support more efficient workflows.

Connectivity, Storage, and Battery Life

The Sony A6100 comes with USB charging, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and NFC - great for easy image transfer and remote control. Panasonic offers Wi-Fi and NFC but lacks Bluetooth. Both support single SD card slots and standard SD/SDHC/SDXC formats, with Sony also supporting Memory Stick Duo.

Battery life favors the Sony A6100, rated at 420 shots per charge versus 330 for the GX8 - particularly relevant for all-day shooting.

USB connectivity on the Sony is a modern “Yes,” supporting charging and tethering, while Panasonic uses USB 2.0 - sufficient but somewhat dated.

Lenses and Ecosystem

Sony’s extensive E-mount lens lineup provides more options, especially for primes, telephoto zooms, and third-party lenses - a key deciding factor if you want future-proof investment in your camera system.

Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds mount has a mature, diverse library with excellent native and third-party lenses but the smaller sensor crops focal lengths more aggressively (2.1x), affecting reach and depth of field.

Price and Value: What You Get for Your Money

At the time of writing, the Panasonic GX8 generally retails around $900, while the Sony A6100 is closer to $750 body-only.

The Sony offers newer tech, better autofocus, and a larger sensor for less money - excellent value for modern shooters.

The Panasonic, while pricier, delivers weather resistance, a fully articulating screen, and a more tactile manual interface - features that still merit consideration despite its age.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

If you value advanced autofocus, better sensor quality for portraits, wildlife, and low-light, plus battery life and compactness, the Sony A6100 is going to be your friend. It’s the better pick for street, travel, and general-purpose use, especially if you lean toward newer tech and a massive lens lineup.

If your photographic ambitions lean toward robust build, weather sealing, tactile manual controls, and 4K video versatility, and you don’t mind a slightly older design with a smaller sensor, the Panasonic GX8 still packs a punch. It excels for landscapes in challenging conditions, vlogging, and those who appreciate a physical dial-controlled experience.

Both cameras represent solid choices in advanced mirrorless systems tailored to different shooter priorities. Your ultimate pick hinges on whether you favor sensor and autofocus advances or rugged build and ergonomic refinement.

Summary Table: Key Specs at a Glance

If you’d like to deep-dive further, check out my hands-on video review where I put both through demanding field tests. Remember, the best camera is the one you enjoy carrying and trust capturing your vision - and both these models can do just that in their own way.

Happy shooting!