Panasonic Lumix G3 review
Review Date : Thu, 12 May 2011
Author : Mike Lowe
The Panasonic Lumix G3 breathes new life into the G-series system with a newly designed body that's 25% smaller and 10% lighter than the previous G2 release. Can this re-think revolutionise the Compact System Camera market for the better? The What Digital Camera Panasonic Lumix G3 review finds out...
| Pros: | Super-fast autofocus, built-in EVF, small size |
|---|---|
| Cons: | Poor battery life, EVF performance in low light, touchscreen should be more sensitive |
Panasonic Lumix G3 review - Features
Here at What Digital Camera we've been lucky enough to be handed a boxed-up Panasonic Lumix G3 straight from the production line. Ahead of its summer-time release, we've got the full inside info on what to expect from the Panasonic G3's release.
Almost a year on since Lumix G2 hit the shelves, the Panasonic Lumix G3 does far more than simply re-dress one or two elements. Indeed the Panasonic Lumix G3 is much more of an overhaul and introduces a whole new design: it's 25% smaller and 10% lighter, plus benefits from the super-fast autofocus as found in the higher-spec GH2 model. The G3's placement in the G-series lineup will see the end of the budget Lumix G10, leaving both the G2 and G3 models to run run side-by-side at initial launch.
At the core of the Panasonic Lumix G3 is a new 16MP Live MOS sensor, upping the resolution yet another step over the G2's 12-megapixel offering. Although the G3 may have 'the same' resolution to that of the high-end GH2 the two sensors are quite different - the G3 doesn't have the larger multi-aspect ratio capability of its bigger brother.
Many may question the choice to cram yet more pixels onto the sensor's surface, particularly given the G2's imaging limitations. However Panasonic has added a new noise elimination circuit at the sensor level for improved processing and the company's experience in bringing top-spec image quality from the GH2 surely shows that there's yet more to come from a Micro Four Thirds sensor.
Panasonic Lumix G3 review sample image - click for full size image gallery
The Panasonic Lumix G3 also features the same Venus Engine FHD (Full High Definition) as found in the GH2, capable of shooting from ISO 160-6400 at full resolution or capturing 1080i movies at 50 fields per second (60i for the US' NTSC standard).
On the rear is a 3in, 460k-dot LCD screen, mounted on a vari-angle bracket for rotation through any angle and fitted with a touchscreen for hands-on touch sensitivity. The screen itself is the same as the G2's, yet the holding panel has been made slimmer to fit in with the new design.
Above the screen and the G3 has a 1.44M-dot electronic viewfinder. This is large to the eye, bright and offers a 100% field of view. The viewfinder doesn't have an eye sensor for automatic activation, however, instead requiring the LCD/EVF button to its left side to be pressed in order to toggle between screen and viewfinder.
Have your say!
Latest comments
July 14 14:46
Peter Bower
I bought a G3 body as I had the older 14-45 lens [Which this magazine gave a gold award and 93% editors choice] So on that basis with this combination, image quality for the G3 should be at least 19. Its a very good camera, but if you tweak a few settings such as noise filter and sharpening to minus, then tweak it back in post processing the level of detail becomes out standing and thats just Jpegs.There seems to be a paranoia amongst reviewers about noise. Well a little noise even at low ISO is good because it enhances image detail. Read Wrotniac.net, the best Olympus site there is. No, the G3 does not approach a DSLR for image quality, it surpasses 'some' of them. Peter
September 03 17:59
DC
"No, the G3 does not approach a DSLR for image quality, it surpasses 'some' of them." Quite so. A stunning small camera that really improves on the GF1 beats my Sony A55. At the lower price it's a bargain
November 22 20:52
Krasitsky
G3 with good lens will beat near all entry-level DSLR cameras. And it's image quality better than awarded Sony Nex-5N
May 05 09:40
Speiro
I have owned my G3 for about three months and have juat given it the full holiday test. Having switched froman excellent Canon 450d and 4 lenses the weight saving is nothing short of dramatic. I unloaded the 14-42mm kit lense from the start and bought the 14-45mm off ebay. I then added the 45-200mm to give me a 35mm equivalent range of 28-400mm. Everything fits into a tiny bag and it was weightless compared with my old kit which was burdensome after a few miles of walking. So, downsizing was the main motivation and it was worth it for me. Quality-wise, I see little real difference in the results compared with my old Canon. The ability to shoot HD movies with the push of a button proved to be a big plus and the results are amazingly good. However, if movies are your think I would recommend the PZ lenses as manualy zooming does cause some jerkiness as the zoom controls are not smooth enough to go unnoticed. The viewfinder is excellent, huge and 100% accurate. The LCD screen can be positioned at any angle and I am left wondering why there is still a market for micro-twothirds cameras without a built-in VF. The touch screen is easy to use once you get the hang of it. Downsides? Battery life is appalling and it was necessary to buy a back up battery (not the Panny brand--overpriced). I found 4 or 5 short 15 seond movie clips and 25 stills knocked the battery down one notch which means you are two-thirds used up. This was alsmost a deal-breaker for me but the camera's overall quality, huge weight saving and nice quality Panasonic lenses all at moderate cost persuaded me to buy. I would never go back to a APS SLR due to sheer bulk and although I only saw one other user with a Micro-2/3rds camera on my holiday (loads of people with entry level Canons and Nikons) I belive it is the future--especially as many people like the weight and bulk savig which is a big issue given the severe weight and space restrictions on airlines these days. Hope to see an updated kit lens with better macro and maybe a slightly better range.