Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 DSLR Review
Meet the Panasonic GF1, one of the smallest and lightest system camera available. Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn find out if its Intelligent Auto ...
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 with H-H020 lens
We’ve seen various cameras that claim SLR quality in a compact package, but none has quite hit the mark – until now. The GF1 is a Micro Four Thirds camera, which means it uses a large, SLR-style sensor and interchangeable lenses but lacks an SLR’s optical viewfinder to keep the bulk down. Whereas Panasonic’s similar G1 and GH1 aren’t really much smaller than conventional SLRs, the GF1 squeezes itself into a smaller compact-style body.
It’s only just pocket-sized, though, measuring 65mm from front to back with the supplied pancake lens fitted. Still, that’s much more compact than any SLR. The GF1 body is also available with a 14-45mm kit lens, but this is bulkier and doesn’t offer the low-light performance of the 20mm fixed focal-length lens.
This lens is arguably the best thing about the GF1. Its maximum aperture of f/1.7 captures four times more light than f/3.5 lenses, and the 40mm equivalent focal length is well suited to both portraits and outdoor photography. Focus is astoundingly sharp, and geometric distortions and chromatic aberrations are corrected electronically in the camera.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 review
As a member of an entirely new category of cameras, the 12.1-megapixel Panasonic GF1 delivers the image quality and flexibility of a dSLR in a device that will slip easily into your coat pocket.
Based on the Micro Four Thirds standard, and jointly developed with Olympus, the GF1 takes the traditional dSLR design and shrinks it down by removing the mirror, pentaprism and optical viewfinder. But, crucially, it retains the high-quality large-format image sensor.
Bringing the lens closer to the sensor also enables the lenses to be shrunk by a similar amount -- so if you have two coat pockets, carrying a spare lens or two is no problem either.
The GF1 handles beautifully and feels perfectly balanced. Its slightly-larger-than-compact size means there’s nothing "fiddly" about it and the controls click and slide satisfyingly into place, providing an intuitive and natural human connection with the camera.
If all the above hasn’t swayed you, then the real ace up the GF1 sleeve is the tiny 20mm F1.7 pancake lens : Available separately or as kit option, this fixed focal length gem is equivalent to a 40mm prime lens on a 35mm SLR and fast enough to allow low-light photography unrivalled by any digital camera of this size.
Perhaps more importantly, its wide aperture enables the shallow depth of field required to enable selective focus, with soft backgrounds which make your subject pop out. With this lens the GF1 is able to turn tricks previously unthinkable on a compact camera.
...Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 Kit - News
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It's no DSLR, but Panasonic's Lumix DMC-GF1 has manual features and high ... It's no DSLR, but Panasonic's Lumix DMC-GF1 has manual features and high The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 is the latest to hit the shops. It is without doubt a very compact camera for one with DSLR aspirations. and more » |
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 with H-H020 lens The GF1 body is also available with a 14-45mm kit lens, but this is bulkier and doesn't offer the low-light performance of the 20mm fixed focal-length lens. and more » |
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