Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 12.1MP Micro Four-Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera Body (Black)

by Panasonic

Product Details

• Item Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• ASIN: B0031P2HDE
• Item model number: 7312
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,254 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
  • #95 in Electronics > Camera & Photo > Digital Cameras > Compact System Cameras
• Date first available at Amazon.com: December 22, 2009

Product Description

Versatile Functions and Superb Images. Uncompromising Performance in the World's Smallest, Lightest System Camera* 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like a Transformer, February 8, 2011

By 

T. Sheng - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 12.1MP Micro Four-Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera Body (Black) (Electronics)

This camera uses inexpensive mount adapters to travel back in time to the world of manual prime glass. You can get incredible optics in full metal bodies for cheap on eBay.

The reason this works on the GF1 is because of the short flangeback distance (distance between the mounting plane and the sensor). The adapters therefore only have to extend other system lenses out to their native flangeback distance. You can't do this on an SLR because it's difficult if the adapted lens needs to be closer to the sensor -- you'll need expensive and distortive optical correction. No other system out there has a shorter distance the m4/3, so for 30 bucks you can use all the Leica and Voigtlander vintage glass you want with virtually no compromise in image quality.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As Good As They Say, February 2, 2011

By 

Nikon Fan (Kailua, HI 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 Body (Black) (Electronics)

Although this body is much smaller than my Nikons, and the sensor is somewhat smaller, the images are /excellent/. Unless you're printing wall murals, this type camera is essentially as good as an SLR.
My only real issue with the GF1 is the small step exposure bracketing. One needs to crank off 7 exposures to get +/- 2 e.v. bracketed images (unless I'm misreading the manual -- yes, a printed manual, just like in the old days).
I bought the body for less than the gorgeous 20mm lens so I feel like I saved money over buying a body/lens kit.
The other minor issue is the lack of a wide choice of lenses (unless you want to hang your larger SLR lenses on these small bodies). I recently bought the current $200 wide zoom which strikes me as a typical kit zoom, adequate for the money, and half of the price of the fixed wide lens that I really wanted.
I'm well pleased with the GF1. With the 20mm lens it's only 50% larger than an LX5 (I'm estimating) and about 50% more expensive, but the images are SLR quality IMHO.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars micro 4/3camera, February 3, 2011

By 

micro4/3nyc - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 12.1MP Micro Four-Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera Body (Black) (Electronics)

got a good price for the body only, purchased an adapter and was able to use my old nikkor lens on it. pictures are incredibly good. great starting point for building up my micro four thirds photo collection