Camera dilemma again

Well I am back to square one after my Sony RX10 turned out to be a duff model with soft, un-sharp focusing even on a tripod. Turns out that a few (reading Amazon) had wobbly lenses. Mine had a fault with an inferior sensor. I am reluctant to buy another for fear of that not being a good one either.

I would prefer better stills capability than the RX10 but as good HD video if possible. I have read as many reviews as I can but can't make my mind up. Do I go for the excellent A7r for it's stills but not as good video, the GH3 ? I don't know because I did like the fact that the RX10 had that versatile lens which you don't get with the other models I have just listed.

If anyone has any suggestions for a great combo (wide to zoom lens) I would be grateful.

I can't recommend the GH4 enough... Great camera for stills and video, tons of flexibility (4k, slow-motion) and with Panasonic lenses, it's been called "too sharp".

Just got back from a vacation and used the GH4 a lot. I agree with MidWest... the GH4 is a great camera for the money.

Is there a really good wide to zoom lens for it ? Not sure I want 4 k as too much memory on hard drive. Bad enough with 2k. Perhaps the gh3 would be better as it will have come down in price since the gh4 came out.

Just shoot 1080 on the GH4. Fantastic slow motion in 1080. High recommend it Marbury.

Let me please play the Devil's Advocate.
I don't see the GH3 and GH4 on the recommended digital camera list of Alamy:
http://www.alamy.com/contributor/help/recommended-digital-cameras.asp
Did I miss anything?

If you want to only submit 1080, get the GH4, shoot 4K, but submit 1080. The 1080 converted from the GH4's 4K is absolutely perfect. Much better than the GH3's (and the GH4's, for that matter) native 1080 mode.

Plus, you have 4K for future expansion.

The 12-35mm lens is a great option, too (unless you want a long zoom).

12-35 seems very limited. Neither wide or zoom but then again i am not familiar with micro four third cameras. The sony rx10 had a great 18-200 lems which i will miss.

I think you're asking for the impossible - a professional quality lens at an amateur price with a massive zoom span.

I'd say if you really liked the RX10 except for a mechanical flaw, try it again. Really unlikely you'd get two bad ones. If not that, based on what I've seen from the GH4 I'd stand behind that option for you.