Most cameras are shaped like small DSLRs. The Panasonic Lumix GX8 is not: it is flat, with the viewfinder in the corner, and that difference changes how you photograph with it.
The tilting corner viewfinder
Two things make this special. First, a corner viewfinder lets you hold the camera to the side of your face rather than dead centre, which is less confrontational when photographing people. Second, it tilts upward, so you can hold the camera at waist level and look down into it — the classic discreet approach, and far less likely to change a scene than lifting a camera to your eye.
For street and documentary work this is not a gimmick; it is the reason to choose this camera.
Built properly
A weather-sealed magnesium alloy body is a serious specification for a camera that looks this casual, and Dual I.S. stabilisation combines body and lens correction for sharp handheld shots. Paired with one of the many small, sharp Micro Four Thirds primes, it makes an outstanding walk-around kit.
Its age
Autofocus is from an earlier generation and does not track like modern subject-recognition systems. Video, while including 4K, is basic by current standards. And as a discontinued model, firmware support has run its course.
Who should buy it
Street photographers, travellers and anyone drawn to rangefinder-style handling who does not want to pay rangefinder prices. If you want something newer with the same sensor format and better all-round performance, the Lumix G9 is the more capable choice, though it is a much bigger camera.
