Get your selfie game on point with Panasonic’s GF8 CSC
Basically a GF7 underneath, only with beauty modes
Selfies aren’t the exclusive domain of smartphones, but if you’re worried a better camera will show up your flaws, Panasonic’s new CSC could be just the thing.
The GF8 is a seriously small mirrorless camera with a screen that flips up so you can check you’ve hidden your double chin before you press the shutter button.
Underneath, the GF8 is almost identical to last year’s GF7. It’s got the same 16MP micro four thirds sensor, same VENUS picture engine with ISO sensitivity up to 25,000, and same 3in flip-up LCD display – perfect for framing those selfie shots.
The big change is the addition of beauty mode features, for touching up your pics before you download them to a PC or upload them to social networks. Make-up Retouch adds your choice of foundation colours and lets you choose particular areas to beautify, while Aesthetic Retouch whitens your teeth, clears skin blemishes, and the like.
You can beautify on the fly, too, with real-time adjustments like Smooth Skin to eliminate wrinkles better than a dose of botox, and Slimming to digitally lose a few pounds without a workout. The camera can defocus areas around the face to really make your pictures pop, too.
Of course, the GF8 is capable of more than just selfies; it’s got Micro Four Thirds interchangeable lenses, Full HD video recording at up to 60fps, and a Snap Movie mode for filming Vine-like short clips for uploading later.
With Pink and Orange colour choices, there’s no doubt Panasonic is going after women here, although blokes might be happy enough with the Four Thirds sensor and manual mode shooting.
There’s no word on prices yet, but seeing as almost all the new features seem to be software-based, here’s hoping it won’t cost much more than the GF7. Panasonic hasn’t confirmed which countries are getting it first, either, but expect a Japanese release initially and a worldwide rollout later.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
