Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 12.1MP Micro Four-Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7 Aspherical Lens

by Panasonic

Product Details

• Item Weight: 10.1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B002MUAEX4
• Item model number: DMC-GF1C-K
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (94 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,260 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
  • #34 in Electronics > Camera & Photo > Digital Cameras > Compact System Cameras
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 1, 2009

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The LUMIX DMC-GF1 is the latest addition to the award-winning LUMIX G Series, which debuts as the world’s smallest and lightest system digital camera with a built-in flash. The LUMIX DMC-GF1 distinguishes itself from previous models with its elegant, compact design reminiscent of classic film cameras, yet builds on Panasonic’s success with the revolutionary LUMIX G Series of digital interchangeable lens system cameras based on the Micro Four Thirds system standard. With its compact size, user-friendly design and ability to record High Definition (HD) video and take professional-quality photos, the LUMIX GF1 continues to redefine digital photography standards.

With its lightweight body, the LUMIX GF1 provides experienced photographers with the ideal digital camera to carry with them at all times. Like its predecessors in the LUMIX G Series, the LUMIX GF1 eliminates the pentaprism found in traditional interchangeable lens cameras. Thus, this mirror-free structure allows Panasonic to dramatically reduce both size and weight.

Though small in size, the LUMIX GF1 does not compromise in advanced features. The LUMIX GF1 thoroughly optimizes the advantages of a system camera to ensure high performance, whether capturing photos or HD video. The LUMIX DMC-GF1 can record 1280 x 720 High Definition video in AVCHD Lite, a format that enables longer recording times. With a dedicated video record button, capturing video is convenient and easy. The LUMIX GF1 can also record HD Motion JPEG in 1280 x 720 and other video recording formats include: QVGA, VGA and WVGA. The LUMIX GF1 has a unique Movie Program Mode that allows consumers to adjust the depth-of-field while shooting in HD video, so background and foreground can be blurred to give creative effects--something typically only possible with expensive professional camcorders.

The LUMIX DMC-GF1 includes the new My Color mode, which includes seven preset effects--Expressive, Retro, Pure, Elegant, Monochrome, Dynamic Art, Silhouette and Custom--all which let users manually set the color, brightness and saturation levels. With the Live View function, users can see how these settings will effect the photo before they shoot, making it easier to capture the exact mood or atmosphere desired. For even more elaborate effects, users can choose from a total of nine Film modes, and set the contrast, sharpness and saturation levels for each. A custom function lets users store their favorite settings in memory. Furthermore, the exposure meter can be displayed in other shooting modes and the correlation between shutter speed and aperture is shown, with a color-coded warning that alerts users when the settings are not in the proper range.

For those users not quite comfortable with extensive manual and creative controls, the LUMIX GF1 provides a user-friendly setting that can address a beginner’s comfort level, while helping them evolve their photography skills. For instance, Panasonic’s new Scene mode, Peripheral Defocus, lets users take a photo where the foreground is in focus and background is blurred--or vice versa. This popular effect can be intimidating for a beginner, but in the Peripheral Defocus mode, by simply selecting the objects to be blurred and focused using the camera’s keypad, it is simple for photographers of any level.

Panasonic Lumix GF1 Highlights

Versatile Functions and Superb Images
The GF1 adopts the Micro Four Thirds System standard, which was developed as an extended version of the Four Thirds System standard for digital camera systems. By using this standard and developing a camera body that eliminates the mirror box and optical viewfinder unit, LUMIX was able to achieve a dramatic reduction in both size and weight compared with conventional digital SLR cameras, to create a new-generation system camera that features Full-time Live View, high-speed, high-precision Contrast AF, HD movie recording, and more. The GF1 is small enough to take anywhere yet sophisticated enough to take you as far into photography and movies as you want to go.

12.1-Megapixel Live MOS Sensor: Higher Image Quality, Lower Power Consumption
The 4/3-type 12.1-megapixel Live MOS sensor featured in the GF1 offers the best of both worlds--the superior image quality of a CCD sensor, and the lower power consumption of a CMOS sensor. This sensor is also advantageous for photo and movie recording with its high S/N, thanks to a new circuit structure that is unaffected by the noise generated in each of the circuits. It results in clear images even when taken at high ISO sensitivity.

Extended HD Movie Recording with SLR Quality
The hybrid GF1 lets you take both high-quality photos and HD movies. You can shoot breathtaking HD (1280 x 720) movies in AVCHD Lite format (MPEG-4/H.264) backed by the high sound quality of Dolby Digital Creator. And you can record for a longer time without running out of memory because AVCHD Lite stores data more efficiently than Motion JPEG while maintaining stunning image clarity and detail. A dedicated "movie record" button on the top lets you instantly start recording movies while shooting photos, so you don't miss a second of the action.
_{*"AVCHD Lite" and "AVCHD Lite" logos are trademarks of Panasonic Corporation and Sony Corporation. Dolby and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.}

A Built-In Flash in a Stylish Body
Some compact size cameras reduce weight by not including a built-in flash. With the GF1, the built-in flash is concealed inside the body and out of sight. A single touch pops the flash up for easy shooting anytime you want. You can also adjust the light intensity in the range of ±2 EV at 1/3 EV steps to match your subject.

My Color Mode Puts You in Control of Your Colors
Naturally you want your photos to be unique. My Color mode on the GF1 lets you control each and every photo with eight unique preset modes in all, including a colorful Expressive mode, a soft and moody Pure mode, and a Custom mode that lets you adjust the color, brightness, and saturation just the way you want them. You can dramatically change the images of even familiar subjects to express your own creativity.

The Soft Focus of Peripheral Defocus Mode Lets You Achieve Professional Results
The GF1 automatically adjusts the focus to match the AF area you positioned while gently defocusing the foreground and background to emphasize the subject. You don't have to change the aperture yourself to take photos with the highly attractive soft focus effect of an SLR camera.

iA Mode Helps Prevent Shooting Mistakes in a Variety of Situations
Select iA mode, and the GF1 automatically activates a host of advanced functions and technologies that make it easy to capture beautiful, clear shots.

• Face Recognition: This function recognizes the faces of subjects that have been registered in the camera and displays the names of up to three people. The GF1 then optimizes the focus and brightness of the registered faces. Turn Face Recognition item ON and register the person with a full-face portrait on the shooting menu in advance.
• AF Tracking: Once you've focused on a subject, AF Tracking keeps the subject in focus--even if it moves--until you press the shutter release.
  
• Intelligent Exposure: The camera can correct the brightness in parts of the image that are too dark due to insufficient lighting, backlighting or use of the flash.
  
• Intelligent Scene Selector: The camera automatically selects whichever of five Scene modes--Portrait, Night Portrait, Scenery, Night Scenery, and Macro--best suits the situation.
  
• Face Detection AF/AE: The camera detects when there are faces in the frame and adjusts the focus and exposure to capture them properly. This allows you to shoot beautiful portraits without any hassle.
  
• Intelligent ISO Control: If the subject moves as you snap the shot, the camera automatically adjusts the ISO sensitivity and shutter speed to help prevent subject blur.
  
• MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer): Gyrosensors built into the lens detect hand-shake and an O.I.S. shifts to compensate. Assisting you in getting those clear, beautiful, blur-free photos.
  

_{*Some functions in iA mode will not be available depending on the lens that is mounted.}

Produce Original HD Movies
Unlike most other cameras, the GF1 allows the use of My Color mode and Scene mode to record HD movies. And Motion Picture P mode lets you change the aperture for more creative HD movie recording.

iA Mode: Beautiful HD Movies with Point-and-Shoot Ease
Select iA mode, and the GF1 automatically activates a host of advanced functions and technologies that make it easy to capture beautiful HD movies.

Full-time Live View: See How the Image Will Turn Out Before You Shoot
The GF1's Full-time Live View lets you see in the LCD how adjusting the exposure, white balance, aperture and even the shutter speed will affect the shot. This makes it easier to capture a special shot or particular kind of image without shooting again and again.

Let the Exposure Meter Guide You
The on-screen meter display indicates the degree of aperture and shutter speed that can be changed within a suitable exposure range. The range in which appropriate exposure is not possible is shown in red, so you can intuitively grasp the corresponding aperture and shutter speed combinations.

Take Advantage of Leica and Four Thirds Lenses
More than 20 available Leica M/R lenses or 30 Four Thirds lenses can be used with the Micro Four Thirds System standard GF1, simply by mounting a separately purchased lens adaptor.

An Optional Live View Finder Mounts to the Hot Shoe
You can equip the GF1 with an optional 202,000-dot equivalent Live View Finder (LVF) featuring a magnification of approximately 1.04x (0.52x*) and 100% field of view. Because it displays the same information as the LCD, it is effectively used in situations where the LCD is difficult to see, such as under bright sunlight. The LVF is also handy for low-angle shots because it can be tilted vertically from 0 to 90 degrees.
_{*35 mm camera equivalent}

The High-Speed, High-Performance Venus Engine HD
The Venus Engine HD incorporates two CPUs. This not only boosts image processing speed, it also helps achieve an exceptional noise-reduction performance. Also, the two CPUs of the Venus Engine HD allow long-time movie recording in AVCHD Lite format while maintaining low power consumption. And the Venus Engine HD features HDMI output too.

Dust Reduction System Protects the Image Sensor
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 photos. The GF1 helps eliminate this possibility by placing a Supersonic Wave Filter in front of the Live MOS sensor. Vibrating around 50,000 times per second, the filter repels dust and other particles. This keeps the image sensor clean at all times and eliminates the need for cumbersome maintenance procedures.

HD Photos and HD Movies with VIERA Link Networking
The GF1 is equipped with an HDMI output terminal for direct transmission of digital image and sound signals. Just connect the camera to an HDTV using a single HDMI mini cable (optional). It's also easy to enjoy slideshows in which both photos and movies are played according to the recorded timeline. If you have a VIERA TV, you can control the camera's playback functions with VIERA's remote control unit.

Easy HD Image Viewing with the SD Card Slot
Simply take the SDHC/SD Memory Card from the GF1 and slip it into the card slot of a Panasonic VIERA or Blu-ray Disc player, and you're ready to view HD images. For even greater impact and entertainment fun, you can add background music and image effects to your image slideshows.
_{*To play movies recorded in the Motion JPEG format, you need the included AV cable.}

PHOTOfunSTUDIO 4.0 HD Edition Makes Photo and Movie Editing Easy
AVCHD Lite movies can be transferred to a PC from an SDHC/SD Memory Card or via the USB cable to view or edit them. You can also make a DVD disc from AVCHD Lite files by converting them to MPEG-2. The software makes it easy and fun to edit or organize a collection of photos. It features a Face Recognition function that recognizes the faces in the photos stored in your PC and lets you sort them by face. Also, photos shot with My Color mode can be categorized and viewed by style. The sophisticated interface allows you to enjoy emotion-packed slideshows with a variety of effects and music. And motion images can be directly uploaded to YouTube

SILKYPIX Developer Studio 3.0 SE Adjusts RAW Images Any Way You Want Them
The GF1 records original image data in RAW file format, which allows images to be developed according to your intention. A number of highly advanced functions can be applied to these RAW images by using the SILKYPIX Developer Studio 3.0 SE software utility, with its unique combination of high resolution and extraordinary color separation.

Product Description

The LUMIX DMC-GF1 is the latest addition to the award-winning LUMIX G Series, which debuts as the world’s smallest and lightest system digital camera with a built-in flash. The LUMIX DMC-GF1 distinguishes itself from previous models with its elegant, compact design reminiscent of classic film cameras, yet builds on Panasonic’s success with the revolutionary LUMIX G Series of digital interchangeable lens system cameras based on the Micro Four Thirds system standard. With its compact size, user-friendly design and ability to record High Definition (HD) video and take professional-quality photos, the LUMIX GF1 continues to redefine digital photography standards.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

292 of 307 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally The Digital Camera Holy Grail, October 6, 2009

By 

B. Fuller (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 12.1MP Micro Four-Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7 Aspherical Lens (Electronics)

Bottom line up front: The elusive compact camera with interchangeable lenses, DLSR Image Quality, DSLR Focusing speed and DSLR performance has finally been made. It is the GF1.

I live in Japan so I have been lucky enough to have been playing with this camera since 18 Sep. This camera sold out on the first day from Bic Camera in Japan so it is going to be hard to get a hold of one. Please be aware that this camera is "region" coded so if you buy a Japanese version you will not be able to change the menu language to English.

This review is equally applicable to both versions of the GF1. I personally prefer the 20MM (40MM equivalent) f1.7 lens to the 14-45MM (28-90MM equivalent) f3.5-5.6 lens for the following reasons: 1) Since the m43 is relatively small compared to a full frame sensor you need a fast lens to get shallow depth of fields. 2) As a fast lens it is far more usable in low light situations. This lens is ~2 to 3.5 f stops faster than the 14-45MM lens. What this means is that given a certain situation, if you were to select the same shutter speed you would let in 4-11 times more light (Each full f stop change changes the light by 2. Going to a small f stop doubles the light. Therefore, you arrive at how much more light there is by raising 2 to the number of f stops. 2^2=4 and 2^3.5 =11) allowing the use of a lower ISO setting or you could set a 4-11 times faster shutter speed to allow you to prevent motion blurring. 3) This lens is smaller so it makes the camera eminently more portable. What you give up is the ability to zoom with your hand. There is a work around for this and it is called zooming with you feet. However, in confined situations, you may not be able to move back are far as you need to. If this is the type shooting you routinely do then the 14-45MM zoom is probably for you. For me, and I believe for most people, I like the great flexibility the faster lens gives me and I am not usually constrained by space. Additionally, the 20MM lens, in my non-scientific tests, appears to focus faster than the zoom. Both focus fast but the 20MM feels faster.


STILLS

This camera along with the G1 and GH1 has the best contrast detection autofocus on the market. It is as fast if not faster than my Nikon D40 and is almost as fast as my D700. This is a great technological breakthrough and is what allows the camera to be smaller than a DSLR while giving nearly identical performance. With this camera you will not miss photos of your children or other fast moving subjects while you wait for your camera to focus. Bravo.

On top of the great focusing performance , this fresh design allows this camera to handle exceedingly well. In many ways it takes the best of the point-and-shoot (P+S) world and mixes it with the best of the DSLR world. It doesn't have as many dedicated buttons as my D700 but the Q Menu system works very well and allows for quick changes of most shooting parameters. There is a detailed menu system but I don't find myself using it very much while shooting. I feel that this setup allows photographers moving up from the P+S world to feel immediately comfortable on this camera while also giving experienced photographers the control they need to work their craft. It seems many reviewers find fault with the Panasonic one control click wheel that changes aperture and shutter speed (other cameras have two wheels or have a button and 1 wheel combination). I actually prefer the click wheel on this camera. With the other types of setups (which I have on the D700 -- two wheels and D40 -- 1 wheel plus button) I usually have to look away from the scene to find the other wheel or button. With the setup on this camera my finger is already close by the wheel and I just push it to change functions.

I don't know what kind of plastic Panasonic uses on this camera but I love the way it looks and feels. Also, I think having a red, white, or grey camera is cool (unfortunately only available in black in the US. The G1 was available in multiple colors but so far the GH1 and GF1 are "available in any color as long as it is black.") and this combined with its size makes it look more like a "consumer" camera rather than a "professional" camera. With the photographer unfriendly laws proliferating the world, it is nice to have an incredibly capable camera that doesn't look like a professional camera.

This is a micro-4/3s camera system. That has some pros and cons. The chip is smaller than most DSLR chips. A full frame (FX in Nikon speak) sensor is ~860 sq mm, a Nikon DX sensor is ~370 sq mm, the 4/3 sensor is ~225 sq mm, and the typical sensor used in a point and shoot range between ~25-50 sq mm. However, a 2/3 sensor like many TV shows are shot with is ~60 sq mm and a 1/4 sensor like most home video recorders is only ~10 sq mm. What does all of these numbers mean? From a "stills" perspective the 4/3 format is relatively small when compared to DSLRs. That means that for the same megapixel rating, the 4/3 sensor will have smaller photoreceptors and that means more noise. However, the 4/3 sensor is roughly 60% of a DX chip so while this is a great physics discussion, in real life you will not be able to tell the noise difference based on sensor size even with a picture blown up to 100%. This is born out by the GF1's excellent noise control up to ISO800. You can also still use shots taken at ISO 1600 and 3200 but those low light shots are usually better turned into black and whites for that noire grainy look. That is the "downside" (not really much of a downside especially when compared to the up side) of the micro 4/3 system. The upside is that because you have a smaller area to cover, you can make lenses smaller (less weight and less cost). You also get a 2x multiplication factor on your lenses. So now that 200mm lens gives you 400mm of reach. Yea. However, a down side of the 2x multiplication side is if you want to shoot wide. You need a 7mm lens to get a 14mm viewing angle and those can get pretty expensive (panasonic makes are really nice and small 7-14mm that is more expensive than this camera). The point of all of this mumbo jumbo is that this camera takes great pictures and the lenses are smaller than DSLR lenses. Less weight and smaller size with no practical image quality compromise equals great camera.

On thing that is a negative is the slow 1/160 flash sync speed. This will be very limiting for off camera flash during bright light. With such a slow sync it will be exceedingly difficult (impossible?) to get shallow depth of fields while lighting. Most people probably won't use this feature but for those that do it will be a bummer. (Super FP mode and ND filters can help with this though)

This camera, also, does not have in Camera IS. The IS is in the lenses. The reason that Canon, Nikon, Panasonic do this is they say on-lens IS performs better. From what I have seen that is a true statement. However, in camera IS is better than no IS. Also, this camera can mount lens from numerous other systems. None of those will have IS. If you have an on board IS, then all of those other lenses will now have IS. The Olympus E-P1 does have in camera IS. The camera has many flaws but that is a benefit. Also, the E-P2 is supposed to be announce on 31 Oct 09 so hopefully many of the flaws of the E-P1 will be fixed.

I also love the face recognition on this camera. When I am taking group photos, the faces that I really care about are my families'. Now I can register 6 peoples' faces and it will focus on them. Nice

VIDEO

In many ways, this camera lacks some of the features of a dedicated video recorder and doesn't do the 1080P of the GH1 or have the manual shutter speed control. So why would I want to use this camera for video. There are two main reasons. The first reason is Depth of Field (DOF). As I mentioned earlier the micro 4/3 sensor has 4 times more area than the 2/3 sensor used for many TV shows and is 22 times more area than many video recorders. Smaller sensors = larger DOF. This makes it harder to isolate your subject from the background by having the background out of focus. Pay attention to movies when you watch them and you will notice how they shift focus to "highlight" their subject. If you have wondered why you can't do that with a home video recorder, now you know. If you shoot with a F4 lens on a 4/3 system you will need a .8 aperture on a 1/4 system to get the same DOF (by the way there is no such home video recorder). The second major reason to use the GH1 is the ability to change lenses. Right now there are not many micro 4/3 lenses. However, the micro 4/3 format is so flexible that, with an adaptor you can use just about any camera lens you want (Nikon, Canon, Leica, etc). The trade off is that you lose autofocus with most non-4/3 lenses. The ability to change lenses grants two major benefits. First, you can put all sorts of exotic lenses on. For example if you put on a 7mm lens, you would give your video a perspective not often seen in home footage. On a 1/4 sensor of a video recorder you would need a 1.4mm lens to get the same perspective as the 7mm on the 4/3 system. (Most camcorders are not going to go wider than 4mm which is roughly equivalent to a 20mm lens on a 4/3 system.) Secondly, you can put exceedingly "fast" (a fast lens is one with a low aperture number. A lower aperture number means more light hitting the sensor so you can run your shutter speed faster. Hence fast lens) lenses on to get shallow DOF. You could easily put a f1.4 lens on this camera. You would need a f0.3 lens to get the equivalent DOF on a 1/4 sensor.

Anyway, it is relatively easy to make beautiful videos with this camera. It does not do 1080P. However, I don't... Read more ›

453 of 486 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the holy grail - not yet, November 15, 2009

By 

Nick (DC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 12.1MP Micro Four-Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7 Aspherical Lens (Electronics)

Ok - so this is hands down the best little camera available right now. But is it good enough? My humble opinion - not so. I bought this camera from Amazon a month ago - with the 20mm 1.7 lens. I have used it for a vacation in Barbados as well as street photography and 'go anywhere' type of shots. Here are my impressions.
Pros:
- Nice form factor and small size. It can easily slip into a big pocket.
- Finally, someone figured out the contrast detection autofocus. It's not perfect. On about 5% of my shots - the autofocus locked but the shot came out clearly misfocused. I found this to be acceptable, though.
- The 20mm 1.7 is a great lens - very sharp, very fast and a pleasure to use.
- The build quality is good.
- The camera feels solid, the controls are generally well laid off, and it is speedy to shoot.
- The features offered are on par or above the mid level DSLRs out there.
- Good image quality up to ISO 200.
- The display is good (especially when compared with the dinky display of the EP1), but not as good as the Nikons and Canons in the same price range (e.g. 3inch, 920k dots).

Cons:
- Overall image quality came below my expectations - for a sensor close to APS-C in size. It's head and shoulders above a compact camera, but for $900, you can get much better IQ from an entry level or mid level DSLR, especially above ISO 200.
- Low light performance is at the level of APS-C sensor a generation or two ago (think Nikon D40, not Nikon D90). This is particularly problematic in the shadows - with significant noise visible at relatively low ISOs - e.g. ISO400. The noise is also of the worst type - chrominance as opposed to luminance.
- I do not miss the viewfinder and I would not get the optional EVF for this. You have to get used to a new way of shooting with this camera - in front of you, using the screen in the back for composition. HOWEVER, in order for this to work, one needs two essential things (both missing in the GF1): an electronic horizon level (to make sure you're lining up those shots) and in body stabilization to compensate for the extra shake from not having this camera supported on three points (two hands + your face) as for a DSLR. This was the deal breaker for me. I found that the rule of thumb for DSLR - shoot at 1 over the 35mm focal length equivalent does not work for the GF1 way of shooting. For the 20mm, not image stabilized, to ensure a good shot - I would have to shoot at 1/80s.
- Other than the 20mm lens (which is great), all the other m34 lenses out there are too big - they negate the size advantage of the format. So I don't really buy the interchangeability advantage - if you want a small package, the 20mm is going to live on your camera, and you shouldn't really pay an premium over non-interchangeable package such as Sigma DP1 or DP2.
- It is overpriced at $900+. The G1 - the GF1's bigger brother (same sensor) sells as a kit for $700. Considering that G1 has a EVF incorporated, and the GF1 lacks that, I value the GF1 kit at around $600. I hope its price settles there after the initial feeding frenzy is over.
- If you are serious about image quality, you shoot raw and part of your workflow involves post processing the image. In that workflow, the GF1 is held back by the fact that the in camera choices you make (film modes, contrast correction, etc.) are not carried over to the RAW developer included with the package - Silkypix. You have to start all over again - which is annoying and a waste of time. I wish Panasonic put some resources in developing their own raw developer - like Nikon's Capture NX or Canon's DPP - this way they can carry over the settings once you get to the computer.
- If you don't shoot raw, well - you have another problem to deal with - the jpeg engine incorporated in the camera is mediocre at best. The colors are off (especially the blues) and the dynamic range of the jpegs is 2 or 3 stops below what the sensor is capable of.
- Crappy flash sync speed of 1/160. This not only applies to the underpowered built in flash, but also external flashes. The GF1 does not offer high speed flash sync like the better DSLRs out there. This is very limiting when you want fill flash on a bright Caribbean day.

So, what does this all mean? If you are looking for a small camera to carry around - either get one of the fixed lens packages from Sigma, Leica, etc. or wait until Olympus perfects the autofocus on the EP series. If you are looking for a travel camera - go for an entry level or mid level DSLR - the size and weight difference is not that great and the difference in flexibility and image quality is well worth the tradeoff. The m43 format has potential, but we're not quite there yet.

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique camera - Kudos to Panasonic, October 10, 2009

By 

GM (Campbell, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 12.1MP Micro Four-Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7 Aspherical Lens (Electronics)

Fantastic portable cam with decent image quality and extraordinary features. It filled the gap between my Panasonic LX3 and Canon 5DMkII as a small size camera with all the features I want. What do you get? Small package; fast great lens (20mm); DSLR IQ; HD movies; fast autofocus (+ face-recognition AF); super looks (+ pride of ownership); very sharp LCD. Importantly, you don't look like a geek when you use it in a group. The colors are very very good (I shoot raw and develop in Panasonic Silkypix in "Filmcolor A" mode).

Downsides? High ISO noise is not as good as Canon DSLRs (40D etc). AF area selection is painful, because the arrow buttons no longer can be used for their original functions. Colors of the LCD screen are not accurate. Continuous autofocus in movie mode tends to use f/1.7 & it hunts a lot. This means significant portions of the movie end up out of focus. In some auto modes (e.g.: aperture priority + auto-ISO), camera picks 1/30 exposure time, resulting in blurry photos. Current price is quite high ($900 for body+20mm). These are small nags compared to what you get.

Doubts about fixed focal length lens? Fast 40mm-equivalent lens is sufficient for ~90% of my daily shooting needs (family, kids, friends etc). Unless travelling or taking artistic shots, I don't feel the need of a different focal length. I think most casual shooters would feel the same.

You may want to consider getting a Lowepro Rezo 60 camera bag. The camera + 20mm fits snugly into that.