The Panasonic GF1 is the latest in line from Panasonic's G-series - a much-touted Micro Four Thirds system that offers DSLR quality in a compact body. What Digital Camera test the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1C kit with the 20mm f/1.7 pancake kit lens...
Panasonic Lumix GF1 Review
Verdict
The Panasonic GF1 makes best sense of the Micro Four Thirds format by kicking all the unnecessary DSLR-styling to the kerb.
What remains is a compact-sized camera with a deceptive amount of oomph tucked away on the inside, plus the 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens is highly effective.
It’ll appeal to a wide ranging audience that want a small bit of kit to produce excellent pictures, though more traditional photographers will still find a DSLR provides better use.
There’s certainly some room for improvement (especially the price), but it’s generally good news all round. Picture quality is excellent, it’s easy to pick up and use from the getgo and performance is a fair marriage of compact-meets-DSLR.
Ultimately, if you’re in the market for this sort of a camera – where comparably small and light competitors come very few and far between – then the GF1 is certainly the best one on the market.
Verdict
The GF1 makes best sense of the Micro Four Thirds format by kicking all the unnecessary DSLR-styling to the kerb. What remains is a compact-sized camera with a deceptive amount of oomph tucked away on the inside, plus the 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens is highly effective. It'll appeal to a wide ranging audience that want a small bit of kit to produce excellent pictures, though more traditional photographers will still find a DSLR provides better use. There's certainly some room for improvement (especially the price), but it's generally good news all round. Picture quality is excellent, it's easy to pick up and use from the getgo and performance is a fair marriage of compact-meets-DSLR. Ultimately, if you're in the market for this sort of a camera – where comparably small and light competitors come very few and far between – then the GF1 is certainly the best one on the market.
Details
Max Flash Sync:1/160thsec
AF Points:23
Product Shots:View product shots of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
Sample Photos: View sample photos of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
DoF Prview:Yes
Built-in Flash:Yes, user-controlled pop up
Colour Temp Control:2500 – 10000 Kelvin
Exposure Comp:1/3EV Step ±3EV
Colour Space:sRGB, Adobe RGB
White Balance Bracket:Yes
Shutter Type:Focal-plane shutter
Focusing Modes:AFS/AFC/MF
Dust Reduction:Yes, Supersonic wave filter
Weight:285g body only
Built-in Image Stabilisation:No
Live Mode:Yes
Dimensions:119.0 x 71 x 36.3mm
Connectivity:HDMI, USB 2.0, AV out, speaker, DC-IN
Power:ID-Security Li-ion Battery Pack (7.2V, 1250mAh)
Field of View:100%
Memory Card:SD / SDHC
Drive Mode:Single, Continuous 3 fps to 7 RAW or unlimited JPEG files
Viewfinder Type:N/A - no viewfinder, but optional Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) available to purchase
White Balance:Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Shade / Halogen / Flash / White Set 1,2 / Color temperature setting, adjustment Blue/amber and Magenta/green bias
Metering System:144-zone multi-pattern sensing system
ISO:100-3200
Exposure Modes:Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual, iA (intelligent Auto), My Colour Modes, 17 scene modes (inc Peripheral Defocus), C1, C2, Movie
Compression:Yes, 2 levels
File Format:Raw (RW2), Jpeg, RAW + JPEG
Lens Mount:Micro Four Thirds
Shutter Speeds:60 – 1/4000th second, plus Bulb (to approx 4mins)
LCD:3in 460K-dot TFT
Focal Length Mag:2x
Output Size:4000 x 3000
Sensor:12.1MP Live MOS