Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 12.1 MP Live MOS Interchangeable Lens Camera with 3-Inch Touch Screen LCD and 14-42mm Lumix G VARIO f/3.5-5.6 MEGA OIS Lens (Black)

by Panasonic

• Touch-screen operation with 3-inch free-angle LCD and Contrast AF system
• Includes Lumix G Vario 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. lens
• Dual Full-time Live View for LCD and LVF
• 12.1-megapixel Live MOS sensor and Intelligent Resolution technology
• HD Movie in AVCHD Lite and HDMI compatibility featuring Viera Link

Product Details

• Item Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B003AOAXL4
• Item model number: DMC-G2K-K
• Batteries 1 Lithium ion batteries required.
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,153 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 7, 2010

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Panasonic's Lumix DMC-G2 is a digital, interchangeable lens system camera with a movable LCD that allows for touch-control, and the successor to the award-winning and revolutionary Lumix G1, which was the world's first Micro Four Thirds digital camera. The intuitive touch-control shooting elevates the camera's operability, letting the user adjust auto focus (AF) simply by touching the subject on the large 3.0-inch 460,000-dot high- resolution LCD. The Lumix G2, also shoots 720p High Definition video using the AVCHD Lite format, and joins the Lumix G10 as part of the Lumix G Micro System.


With the touch-screen operation, users can even snap a photo by touching the Lumix G2's screen. Additionally, the touch-screen operation excels not only for shooting but also during playback. Photographers can touch one thumbnail viewed among many to quickly and easily see the full size of the desired photo. Also, to view images one-by-one, photos can be dragged across the screen to browse as though flipping the pages of a book.

Using the touch-screen operation, once a user locks onto a subject, the Lumix G2 enables AF Tracking and will track the subject as it moves within the frame. Then, with a touch on the screen, users can select the part and the size of AF area with the 1-area AF. The Multi-area AF sets a group of AF points according to the composition. While using the manual focus, users can enlarge a subject by touching it and then choosing to enlarge it by 1x, 5x or 10x and then smoothly moving the part by dragging it on the screen. With this touch operation, menu settings can be changed quickly; cutting the time it takes to navigate using standard cursors. However, all setting changes can still be done using the control pad, if preferred.

The Lumix G2 records 1280 x 720 HD videos in the AVCHD Lite format, which increases recording capacity and is highly compatible with audio-visual equipment. With a dedicated video record button, users can easily start recording a video. To complement its high-quality video capabilities, the Lumix G2 features advanced audio options, as sound is recorded with Dolby Digital Creator and an optional accessory stereo microphone can be attached. A Wind Cut function further enhances the sound as it helps reduce noise caused from background wind.

The 3.0-inch touch-operation LCD has a wide-viewing angle and rotates 180° from side to side and tilts 270° up and down, providing approximately 100% of field of view. This free-angle LCD with a touch-screen operation makes it possible to both view and touch the screen from any angle. The double Live-View function offered by the high-resolution, 460,000-dot free-angle Intelligent LCD and 1,440,000-dot 1.4x (0.7x) Live View Finder allows users to see the settings' results before pressing the shutter.

Touch AF mode

The 12.1-megapixel Live MOS sensor featured in the Lumix G2 offers the best of both worlds--the outstanding image quality of a CCD sensor, and the lower power consumption of a CMOS sensor. Advanced technology enables it to read four channels of data simultaneously, helping the Lumix G2 to deliver 60 frames-per-second Full-time Live View images, while faithfully reproducing high-resolution images with fine detail and rich gradation. Plus, with the high-speed, high-performance Venus Engine HD II, which has been re-engineered to further improve image quality.

Venus Engine HD II

The new high-speed, high-performance Venus Engine HD II supports the new image processing technology Intelligent Resolution, which enables the recording of beautiful photo and HD video with high quality signal processing. With Intelligent Resolution technology, three areas--outlines, detailed texture areas and soft gradation--are automatically detected. The outline parts are enhanced effectively to give edges increased clarity, while simultaneously giving a moderate accentuation to the textured areas so they look finely detailed. For the soft gradation areas, the improved noise reduction system of the Venus Engine HD II is applied to achieve a smoother effect. Apart from the uniform enhancement of sharpness, the innovative technology Intelligent Resolution precisely performs signal processing pixel by pixel in the most effective way, resulting in images that are naturally clear.

For users looking for additional creative options for both photos and videos, the Lumix G2 delivers. While shooting HD video, users can set the camera in "P" mode--to change the aperture for professional-like movie effects where the images blur into focus. For still photos, the Lumix G2 features the My Color mode with a total of seven preset effects: Expressive, Retro, Pure, Elegant, Monochrome, Dynamic Art, and Silhouette while also keeping the Custom mode, which lets users manually set the color, brightness and saturation levels and save their favorite settings into memory.

On the other hand, for beginner users not yet ready for manual modes, the Lumix G2 features iA (Intelligent Auto), a popular setting in the Lumix point-and-shoots that automatically engages features and settings for optimal image quality by detecting the shooting environment. Panasonic iA is available in both still photo and video recording settings and a new dedicated iA button, which illuminates in blue when engaged, makes it even easier to use this handy feature.

Panasonic Lumix G2 Highlights

Touch-screen Operation with 3.0-inch Free-angle LCD Featuring Full-time Live View and Contrast AF System
The DMC-G2 features a touch-screen operation with 3.0-inch free-angle LCD featuring Full-time Live View and high-speed Contrast AF System. While shooting, auto focus can be set at the desired part of the frame by simply touching the subject to activate the AF in both photo and movie recording. In manual operation, aperture and shutter speed can be set to the desired value by moving the slider. While playing back, you can quickly select an image to view by scrolling images. The DMC-G2 has a 1,440,000-dot equivalent LVF (Live View Finder), too.

Detect the SCN of a touched subject in Touch IA mode

12.1-megapixel Live MOS Sensor and Intelligent Resolution Technology with Venus Engine HD II
The 4/3-type 12.1-megapixel Live MOS sensor is advantageous for photo and movie recording with its high S/N, thanks to a circuit structure that is unaffected by the noise generated in each of the circuits. The Intelligent Resolution Technology, incorporated in the Venus Engine HD II, determines the subject's contours and color edges, and emphasizes them during image processing. This lets you capture stunning images with details. The Dust Reduction System helps maintain image quality by placing a Supersonic Wave Filter in front of the sensor.

Artistic Images with My Color Mode, Peripheral Defocus Mode and Motion Picture P Mode
My Color Mode makes it easy to customize color effects to match your favor for both photos and movies. In still image recording, the Peripheral Defocus Mode automatically adjusts the focus to match the AF area you positioned while gently defocusing the foreground and background to emphasize the subject. In movie recording, the Motion Picture P Mode makes adjustment the aperture easily. The iA Mode, featuring Face Recognition function, serves as a combination of functions that makes it easy for anyone to get beautiful photos and movies.

Choose from a variety of My Color modes.

HD Movie in AVCHD Lite and HDMI Compatibility Featuring VIERA Link
The DMC-G2 can record HD movie of 720P in AVCHD Lite with high sound quality of Dolby Digital Creator. Just press the Motion Picture Button, and shooting begins. The iA Mode can also be activated in movie recording. Still image recording is available during movie recording and can cut out a still image after shooting thanks to the Intelligent Resolution technology. When the DMC-G2 is connected to a Panasonic VIERA via an optional mini HDMI cable, the TV's remote control unit can be used to enjoy playing back with greater convenience.

Lumix G Vario 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. Based on the Micro Four Thirds System Standard Suitable for a wide range of scenes from portrait to landscape photography, the Lumix G Vario 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. offers a zoom range of 28-84mm (35mm equivalent) while featuring its compact size and light weight. It incorporates Panasonic's MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer), which makes it easy to shoot clear shots even in low-lit situations without hand-shake blur. When the lens is mounted on the DMC-G2, you can use the contrast AF system, which is implemented in the DMC-G2 to offer a variety of convenient functions.

Other features of the Lumix G2 include:

Panasonic's Dust Reduction System

• Dust Reduction System: If dust or other foreign matter gets inside the camera when you're changing lenses, it could cling to the image sensor and show up as a spot in your photos. The Dust Reduction System in the G2 helps eliminate this possibility by placing a supersonic wave filter in front of the Live MOS sensor. Vibrating vertically around 50,000 times per second, the filter repels dust and other particles effectively.
• Included Software: PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.0 HD Edition makes it possible to sort and organize photos. Videos can be uploaded directly to YouTube using the built-in YouTube uploader--even in HD quality. It also lets you create a 360-degree rotation panorama file in .MOV files. The software is compatible with the Windows 7.

The Panasonic Lumix G2 comes equipped with the Lumix G Vario 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH/MEGA O.I.S. lens. This lens offers a versatile zoom range of 14-42mm (35mm camera equivalent: 28-84mm), making it suitable for a wide variety of scenes, everything from dynamic landscape to portrait. Additionally, the Lumix G2 is compatible with all Micro Four Thirds System lenses, allowing users even higher levels of performance in a digital interchangeable lens camera.

The Lumix DMC-G2 and other Lumix G Micro System digital cameras can use any interchangeable lens that complies with the Four Thirds standard via an optional mount adaptor DMW-MA1 and with the prestigious Leica M/R Lenses via DMW-MA2M or MA3R.


What's in the Box
Lumix G2 body, Lumix G Vario 14-42mm lens, Battery Charger / AC Adaptor, Battery Pack, Body Cap, AV Cable, USB Connection Cable, AC Cable, Shoulder Strap, Stylus pen, CD-ROM.

Product Description

Panasonic DMC-G2 Interchangeable Lens System Digital Camera (Black)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

211 of 215 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lightweight, easy and fun to use May 29, 2010

By Enche Tjin

Amazon Verified Purchase

Panasonic G2 is a successor of G1, which is the first micro four third camera. G series focus on make the camera as small as possible without sacrificing image quality and control. G2 adds video recording and touch screen feature.

Panasonic G2 main specs

- 12 megapixel - four thirds sensor
- 3"' 460k resolution swivel and touch screen LCD
- 1,280 x 720 high-definition at 60fps
- Built-in Electronic viewfinder (1.44 million dots)

BODY DESIGN

Panasonic G2 weights 371 g / 13.09 oz body only, 593 g / 20.92 oz with battery, memory card and 14-42mm lens. It has dimension of 124 x 83.6 x 74 mm exclude protusion. Compared to regular DSLR camera, The package is significantly smaller and lightweight. Compare to advanced DSLR such as Canon 7D , G2 is approx. half the size and weight. As a result, it is more fun to carry around and it takes only a bit of room to store.

Like G1, Panasonic G2 has built-in electronic viewfinder which is helpful for composing photos, the rear 3' inch LCD is also very bright and nice to use. It can also swivel so you can compose a picture in unusual angle for example overhead or very low in the ground.

New in micro four third system, LCD screen is now equipped with touchscreen technology. You can touch the screen to select or change various settings and also you can touch the screen to set auto focus point.

Therefore, changing AF points in G2 is very fast. In regular DSLR camera, you might need to scroll around until you get AF point that you want. in G2, you just touch it. AF point could be also be enlarged or decreased for precision.

HANDLING

Panasonic G2 is nice to hold, thanks to the grip. It also has many dedicated buttons and switches. It has one main dial, camera mode dial, Release mode switch, Auto focus mode switch, metering switch, ISO button, WB button, Function button, AF/AE lock button, display button, delete button, live/lcd button, intelligent auto button, and video recording button.

As a result, control and handling is significantly better and faster than many entry level cameras where you need to dwell deep in the menu to change setting that you want.

IMAGE QUALITY

Image quality in low ISO setting is excellent. However, like all four thirds system camera, image in high ISO is not as good as regular DSLR camera that has APS-C sensor.

Image quality from ISO 100 to 800 is excellent. in ISO 1600, image starts to lose some details, sharpness and a bit of saturation. In ISO 3200, image starts to breakdown and 6400 is reserved only in emergency situation.

AUTO FOCUS PERFORMANCE

G2 is an very responsive camera. It shines in auto focus performance. AF speed is almost instantaneous whether in bright light or low light condition, I feel it can beat some beginner DSLR cameras. In G2, you can also touch the screen to set up AF point which is very convenient.

Auto focus tracking work well in slow moving subject, such as people walking, however, sometimes, it failed to track, especially fast or erratic movement. This is where the area G2 lacks compared to regular DSLR camera.

There are plenty to like about Panasonic G2

+ Small and lightweight relative to DSLR camera
+ Built-in high-res electronic viewfinder
+ Touch screen that allow you to change setting, set AF and flip image in playback
+ Swivel LCD screen help to compose photos in awkward angle
+ Fast Auto focus performance
+ Many dedicated buttons and switches
+ What you see is what you get (changing color balance, film mode shown in LCD)
+ Very good performance (responsive)

What I don't like about Panasonic G2

- Auto focus tracking is not reliable
- Image quality in ISO 1600 and above is not as good as regular DSLR
- Harder to achieve shallow depth of field (Defocus background)
- 1/2 to 1 second screen freeze after capturing photo
- Auto ISO is not very accurate and tend to stick with ISO 400

COMPETITORS

Samsung NX10 - Digital camera - prosumer - 14.6 Mpix - body only - supported memory: SD, SDHC - noble black
NX10 has bigger image sensor (APS-C) and higher-res (610k) AMOLED screen, however NX10 built-in viewfinder, body handling is not as good as Panasonic G2. G2 also slightly faster in auto focus performance.

Olympus PEN E-P2 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens and Electronic View Finder
Olympus E-P2 has a smaller design and more appropriate to be compared with Panasonic GF1 instead of G2. The main advantage E-P2 has is it has built-in image stabilization, however, it falls short in many areas such as slow auto focus especially in low light condition, low res LCD screen, and no built-in flash.

CONCLUSION

Panasonic G2 is the best flagship micro four thirds camera in 2010 with many new innovative technology such as touch screen LCD and full HD video recording. It is fun to use and carry around. However, G2 still has the same problem that has plague many four third system cameras which is image quality in high ISO setting. Despite it offers up to ISO 6400, but I recommend user to stick with ISO 800 or lower.

Subjective rating relative to mirrorless camera system 2010

Image Quality : 4/5 (with 14-42mm kit lens)
Features: 5/5
Performance: 5/5
Body / Handling: 5/5
Value for money: 3/5

For image sample and iso comparison, please visit my blog. You can find the address through my profile page. Thanks for reading.

156 of 159 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent user interface June 14, 2010

By L. Yang

Amazon Verified Purchase

Many professional websites have quite extensive reviews on the performance of Panasonic LUMIX-G2. As a customer, I think I could offer my experience about the userability of G2.

Let me just focus on G2's touch screen. Is it really a feature I would use again and again? The short answer is definitely yes.

After owning G2 for two weeks, I invited my brother-in-law who owns a Canon 5D along with a high quality gigantic zoom lens ($$$) to my front yard for shooting some flowers together.

Did I use the touch screen to change the setting on the spot? In fact, I did quite many times. The most often used feature was exposure compensation and ISO setting, and a few white balance settings. With the slider and live view, you can decide how the picture would look like. With conventional DSLR, you need to memorize where dedicated buttons are for ISO, exposure compensation and metering method. The truth is that they can not be always at the convenient locations. I found the touch screen a very nice feature because it allows you to make the change so easily. This easiness encourages you to optimize the settings. So, below is my experience of the touch screen:

(1) Quick menu: You can access all settings with two touches. To my surprise, the screen is sensitive to my finger nail. There are several icons on the top and the bottom. If you set the shoot mode to be A (aperture priority), the aperture is shown in red which changes only when you change the zoom or turn a dial. But, everything else can be set really quickly. In the past, when I set the ISO, often I would have cycle through the option several times because I always press the button too quickly. With the on-screen quick menu, you get to see the all options at once.

(2) Focus spot: You can touch the object in the LCD screen to determine where you want to focus. Once you do that, if the object moves or the camera moves, the focus spot will try to follow the object. Amazingly, you can change the focus during video recording.

(3) Playback: When you review the pictures, the touch screen provides a very intuitive way to scroll, enlarge and pan the view. One thing I like Panasonic G2 is its color fidelity. I can have the picture on the LCD or on my computer look nearly identical to the real object.

(4) Release button: You can set it up so that you can shoot by pressing the screen. The camera will first focus to the object you just touched and capture the picture. This feature is very useful when taking the shot at an awkward position, for example, you want to shoot a flower from a hard-to-reach angle. The articulate LCD let you see the composition and by a single touch, the picture is taken. How often I would use this feature? Not very frequent. But, I can see it would not be too rare either.

Panasonic has a balanced view about the touch screen. It keeps the simplicity of the operations. It also allows the users to access all setting via buttons. I think this is necessary often times. For example, if you want to delete pictures, you will have to use buttons.

Overall, my brother-in-law agreed Panasonic G2 is more fun and more flexible to use because it is much smaller, light weigh and equipped by articulate LCD. This nicety gets you to be in the position to take nice shots. And, the iA button to turn on the auto mode is very well done. When pressed, it overrides your manual setting and a light under the button will lit, telling you its status. Many times, under a urgent situation, I simply let the camera make the decisions for me.

On the other hand, the picture quality of Canon 5D is just two notches superior. I still need to perfect my shooting skill with G2. Somehow, I feel the images were not as sharp as they could. I guess more practice would be needed before I finally conclude this.

In conclusion, if you wonder the touch screen worth the money, my review is trying to say: yes because it encourages you to optimize your camera to take nicer pictures.

Update of user interface on 7/5/2010

Before our trip to King's canyon, I gave a 15-minute tutorial to my 18-year-old son on the concept of aperture, shutter speed and ISO using Panasonic G2. When we began to hike, we discussed the object and lighting condition and the possible optimal shooting setting. He could access the control via the touch screen like he has been doing it for a few years. He was practicing photography for the entire trip and seldom let go the camera. The ease of control of the touch screen and the good quality of LCD and EVF for instant replay are very important to the beginners.

In the same trip, a daughter of my friend, who just had her 20th birthday, brought her Canon's entry level EOS Rebel XS. She has been using it as a P&S camera for 8 months. I also gave her a quick tutorial and she got the idea very quick. But, Canon's user interface was a bit difficult to deal with when encountering the scene. It was not straightforward how to adjust the exposure compensation. We eventually figured it out. Yet, many other options were still out of reach.

For experienced photographers, the ease of control may not be very important. But, for me, the fact that I got my son interested in photography, is probably worth every dime I paid for this camera, not to mention the camera had produced many outstanding pictures from his first photography trip.

My brother-in-law's 5D continued to show its superiority in the entire trip. But, it was apparent that nobody envied him at all, seeing him carrying the big heavy DSLR stuffs.

Now, my wife is saying she likes G2 also because it is light and much easier to handle than her Canon SD970 P&S camera, even though she just uses G2's iA mode all the time.

Update of kit lens on 7/5/2010

I went ahead bought the 20mm prime lens and 45-200mm telephoto lens. I was very fond of the 20mm prime lens when shooting at home. But, during the trip, the 14mm-42mm kit lens was the main workhorse. We did change to the telephoto lens a few times. But, the choice of 14-42mm (equivalent to 28-84mm for 35mm film), is excellent for hiking trips. I uploaded several pictures of a lake view in the early morning and night. The ability of seeing the picture before shooting with very high quality in the EVF is essential to take good pictures of the highly contrast scenes. This is the advantage of EVF over OVF. I just love it.

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great addition to micro four thirds July 2, 2010

By Dija

Amazon Verified Purchase

Impressive little camera! Focus very fast and the touchscreen ability is a plus! At first, I thought it was just a marketing gimmick but really adds to the overall experience allowing to change settings faster in conjuction with buttons. My only complaint is that the panasonic's jpeg engine still needs work. That's no problem for me though, because I shoot raw and process them using Lighroom 3. The body's build quality is impresse and feels very sturdy. The lens performs great but feels a little cheap in contrast with the camera body.

Great well thought product.