The Panasonic G85 (Panasonic Lumix DMC-G85) is a mirrorless camera which makes up part of Panasonic’s G series of cameras.
⏱ Here’s a quick overview of everything you need to know:
- There is no recording limit in any resolution on the Panasonic G85.
- But files will be separated in different ways depending on the length of time, type of recording and the file sizes reached.
- On the Panasonic G85 you should get between 45-90 minutes of 4K recording time on a fully charged battery.
- Here are some replacement batteries for the Panasonic G85:
- I recommend using an SDXC SD card with atleast 64GB of storage and a UHS-I speed class rating of U3 or video speed class of V30.
- The SD card I recommend – SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I Card
Panasonic Lumix G85
A perfect mirrorless camera if you need unlimited recording time.
If you are looking for the GX85 and not the G85 then check out the post linked below:
As I said, there are no recording time limits for the G85, but there are some things to note with:
- How the files are separated and saved.
- The size/type of your SD card.
- The remaining battery life.
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How Long Can The Panasonic G85 Record For?
According to the Panasonic G85 operating manual:
There will be no interruptions to recording in any resolution type, so you basically have no recording limit.
However, the files will be recorded and played back in separate files as per the following:
Recording in AVCHD:
- If the file size exceeds 4GB.
Recording MP4 with a quality of FHD or HD:
- If the recording exceeds 30 minutes or 4GB in file size.
Recording MP4 with a recording quality of 4K:
- If the file size exceeds 4GB when using an SDHC memory card.
- If the continuous recording time exceeds 3 hours and 4 minutes or the file size exceeds 96GB when using an SDXC memory card.
So the main takeaway from this is that you can record for an unlimited amount of time on any resolution when using the Panasonic Lumix G85.
This makes it a perfect camera for people who like to record long pieces of content like interviews.
To reduce the number of separate files you have, you should record in 4K and use an SDXC memory card with a file size of 96GB or more.
Apart from the file size limits above, the following things can cause your recording to stop on the Panasonic Lumix G85:
- Your battery runs out.
- The SD card becomes full.
- The camera overheats.
Related Reading:
What SD Card Should I Use With The G85 For Long Videos?
This depends on how much footage you need to record and what type of footage. For example, 4K footage will take up a lot more memory than FHD or HD quality footage.
To give you an idea, here are some figures to show you an estimate of the maximum recording times available for a 64GB SD card.
The recording time available on a 64GB SD card on the Panasonic G85:
- 4K quality: 1 hour 20 minutes.
- FHD/28M/60p quality: 5 hours 0 minutes
- FHD/20M/30p quality: 6 hours 40 minutes
- HD/10M/30p quality: 12 hours 45 minutes
The recording times available above will be approximately double for a 128GB SD card.
As you can see, if you are using a 64GB memory card then you can expect to record around 1 hour 20 minutes in 4K footage before the SD card fills up.
If you use a 128 GB SD card then you should be able to get approximately double the recording time before the SD card fills up
Here are some examples of SD cards that I would recommend for the Panasonic Lumix G85:
If you are recording a lot of videos, I would recommend an SD card which has at least 64GB of storage.
How Long Does the Panasonic G85 Battery Last When Recording 4K?
The Panasonic G85 uses a Panasonic DMW-BLC12 battery pack which has a standard size of 1200 mAh.
According to the manual, if you are recording in 4K then you should be able to get between 45-90 minutes of recording time. This is based on specific testing conditions according to CIPA ratings.
In practice, users have reported being able to use 4K continuous recording for about 75 minutes of recording.
To extend your continuous recording time further you can use a battery grip so that you have more reserve power at the ready.
Below are links to the official Panasonic DMW-BGG1 battery grip as well as a third-party alternative.
It’s always a good idea to also have at least one spare replacement battery for the Panasonic G85, even if you don’t intend to use a battery grip.
Here’s some links to the Panasonic DMW-BLC12 battery and a third-party alternative: