Panasonic G95: Is it Good for YouTube and Vlogging? Review

The Panasonic Lumix G95 is a mirrorless camera made for recording anywhere at any time. It was released in 2019 and it has many useful features for video creators in a compact-sized body.

So far, it sounds like a nice deal for vloggers but no camera is perfect, so… is the Panasonic G95 good for YouTube and vlogging?

In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about it so you decide if it’s is the dream vlog-camera you were looking for.

Let’s get started!

Panasonic G95 Overview

Despite its DSLR-style, the Panasonic Lumix G95 is a mirrorless camera with a Micro Four Thirds sensor.

Because of the sensor size and specs, this is a mid-range camera that offers great benefits for video enthusiasts, such as a fully-articulating screen, in-body image stabilization, 4K video, and more.

Let’s see its key features:

Design and body construction

Generally speaking, this camera is compact and lightweight, although it’s a little big for a Micro Four Thirds sensor. However, it’s still portable, and it has a good, deep grip for safety and comfort when holding it.

Its physical design resembles a classic DSLR and it includes a large EVF, a hot shoe, and a built-in flash. This is awesome because not all cameras of this range have all those features at the same time.

It also has accessible dials and buttons to easily adjust exposure. Plus, the controls are very customizable, so you have the option to adapt your camera as much as you wish.

Additionally, the body has a rugged construction and it’s weather-sealed so you can take your camera anywhere with you.

As for the rear display, it has an articulating LCD touch-screen, which is incredibly useful for vloggers and will allow you to close the screen against the body to protect it.

20.3 megapixels Micro Four Thirds sensor

Micro Four Thirds sensors are used in mirrorless cameras from Panasonic and Olympus.

They are smaller than APS-C sensors and, because of this, the image quality might be lower in low-light conditions.

And they also have the downside that you will get less Bokeh effect — you know, that “blurry” background everybody loves.

Fortunately, Panasonic has shown over and over again that the quality of this system keeps growing, and this camera is no exception.

The sensor has a resolution of 20.3 megapixels and a sensitivity range from ISO 200 to 25600.

Just like its predecessor, this camera provides excellent image quality and good performance for stills and video. It’s one of the best in its category.

Autofocus and image stabilization

Autofocus is fast and reliable for most situations, even with moving subjects or in low-light conditions.

Eye and Face detection work speedy and accurately as well.

You should know that the G95 has Depth from Defocus (DFD) technology, a contrast-based AF system developed by Panasonic.

Because of the way this system works, you’ll notice some “wobbling” or “hunting” as the camera adjusts focus during video.

However, vloggers usually don’t move much when they’re talking in front of the camera, so maybe this won’t be an issue for you.

This wobbling effect will annoy you if you move closer or further to the camera, or if another subject comes into the frame rapidly, most notably when using wide aperture lenses.

Despite that unpleasant aspect, the autofocus does a great job for recording videos, especially in bright conditions. So, if you’re going to be shooting outdoors, or use your own lighting kit for YouTube at home, you probably won’t have any trouble.

Moreover, as mentioned above, this camera has image stabilization, which is vital for vlogging. This will become your best ally for handheld recording as it will prevent wild shaking in your videos.

Video and time-lapse functions

If there’s something the Panasonic G95 can do, is capturing nice-looking video. It can shoot 4K video at up to 30 fps and Full HD at up to 120 fps (so, yeah, you can create slow-motion videos!).

BUT, there’s a little thing you need to know.

Sadly, this camera makes a 1.25x crop when recording in 4K resolution. In other words, it makes the sensor even smaller, so you’ll have less wide-angle possibilities.

Still, video quality is very good, and unlimited recording is allowed, which is great news for vloggers.

For those who want to have some fun during post-production, the G95 offers the V-Log-L picture profile for more dynamic range and flexibility for color grading.

Besides all of this, the camera also has a time-lapse mode.

Battery and connectivity

Battery life is not that great.

To deal with this, you can use an energy-saving mode that extends battery life by limiting some functions of the camera.

The G95 includes a battery charger and it supports USB charging as well.

You also can charge the camera while you’re using it. However, it has a micro USB port, not a USB Type C (which is newer and available in most recent cameras).

In addition to the micro USB port, the camera has micro HDMI, microphone and headphone ports.

And, for storage, it only has one SD memory card slot but, luckily, it supports UHS-II.

As for wireless connectivity options, the camera has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth but no NFC.

You can connect the camera to your smartphone and use it as a remote control or play with other cool functions in the Panasonic Image App (available for Android and iOS devices).

Is The Panasonic G95 Good for Vlogging?

The moment of truth has come: would this camera be a suitable choice for YouTubers and vloggers?

The Panasonic G95 is, undoubtedly, a nice camera for vlogging, especially for beginners.

But, of course, it’s not perfect.

On the positive side, many cool features make this camera a great deal for most content creators:

• Flip-screen
• Image stabilization system
• Headphone and microphone ports
• The versatility of the shooting modes
• Good autofocus performance, etc.

On the negative side, this camera has a smaller sensor with lower resolution than its main competitors, such as the Sony a6400, for example.

Also, battery life is below average, and the fact that you can’t use the full size of the sensor for recording 4K video is a little bit disappointing because a lot of similar cameras with larger sensors can do it (and for the same price).

Best YouTube/Vlogging Lenses for the Panasonic G95

No camera is complete without a great lens. And, to bring out the best of the G95, I’ll recommend you these two options:

Best YouTube Lens: Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F1.7

This is a good choice to record on a tripod at home, where you have enough space. It has a wide maximum aperture so it’s great for low-light conditions.

Best Vlogging Lens: Panasonic Lumix 14mm f/2.5 G

This is a wide-angle lens that is super slim and lightweight, which makes it extremely comfortable to take with you anywhere.

As an alternative, the 12-60mm kit lens is also a decent option for any type of video that you want to record.